Slitherine

Goldap
Difficulty level: General
Imported core
Starting prestige 2600
Ending prestige 1400
DV on turn 14/21
Losses: 1x ME109 and 1x green Fallschirmjager

Thanks for enlisting me back in service! I wouldn't want to miss a chance to defend the Fatherland. Truthfully, even with Afrika Korps announced and the Allied Corps, this particular grand campaign is what i have been looking forward to the most. I am pleased to say that the first scenario did not disappoint!

First of all, the prestige was limited, but for once I thought that was exactly as it should be. I want to see my core grinded into the dirt by the end of this campaign. I was only able to do a bit of overstrengthing, and not very much at that. My strategy was thus, send my corps of six Panzer IVs (and one artillery and Panther) toward the center to hope defend Goldap. I thought these Panzer IVs might be more useful when on the defense. My SS units and a few others would be in the north and then another strong force with a Tiger II, Tiger I, JagdPather and JagdTiger would attack from the south, forming the pincer that Feldmarshall Habermann suggested. The strategy worked quite well, and my losses were, for the most part, less than I expected.

One major change of pace is that taking air superiority, never mind air supremacy, seemed like a laughably unrealistic goal. For the first time I used my luftwaffe in a purely defensive role throughout the entire scenario. I still gave Ivan a bloody nose here and there though but I lost one of my fighters, an ME109 that was at 2 or 3 star experience, that was killed in one shot by a special "captain" fighter unit.

This was a very enjoyable scenario, and a great way to kick things off. How those halcyon days of 1941 seem so far away now. Remember back in the day when we attacked places like Minsk and Smolensk? Man, good times. Even 1944 is starting to seem like the good old days compared to the dark tone of this campaign. And I must say, I love it. You have so little to work with, and you are up against so much. Now more than ever, I feel like my tactical decisions are extremely critical and must be considered very carefully.

Oh, and thanks for once again allowing me to help beta-test. It is an extreme privilege. I have been here since '39 and this grand campaign has added so much life to Panzer Corps and given it so much more replay value. I just hope that 1945 is not the end and that we see the grand campaign design philosophy applied to further content!

-Edit one last little note I found amusing, in a defensive battle like this where we get a steady trickle of prestige I would normally have likely waited out the battle to maximize the amount of prestige that I got, but this time i thought my continued losses would likely offset any prestige trickle and considered the possibility of some kind of godforsaken Soviet counterattack too great. So for once I thought it most prudent to just "take my DV and run", so to speak. Truly a sign of the times.

I have to agree with the first post. I imported my core units and had ~2000 prestige to overstrength/repair units. When I started the game I thought I was facing an endless hive--but unlike zombies, I can kill them. I had Tigers running out of ammo and getting overrun by infantry. Air was busy with Red air but the air defense I brought along was a major help. I brought little infantry because they do not seem to survive well against tanks. It was a slugfest and I was very happy to cross the river and receive the captured KV85, except that the crossing triggered a slaughter. I lost the KV and barely got back across the water with my core units. By turn 15 you have tanks you cannot repair and you are having to select your battles and employ tricks such as attacking a unit that is surrounded on all sides so it cannot retreat--it usually causes a surrender I used the light tanks against those nasty paratroopers in the west and snatched a DV at the end. I had almost no prestige to carry forward into the next scenario but I took the offensive. Who can resist?!

Playing on General with the imported core (from 1942 DLC). Starting Prestige 15513.

At first, this seemed easy. Just smash the Russians between the the jaws of a well executed pincer attack. All was going well until the paras showed up in the west. I had to send reinforcements quickly to contain the threat. I was wondering when Kerensky would use the paras again. Well done sir! DV on turn 10. I used my usual strategy of containing the enemy, softening up the infantry with artillery before crushing them with tanks. No issues with game play or balance. The Red Air Force is very strong, but the AI doesn't always escort his bombers. That is fatal when you have elite Me-262s in your force.

Colonel level
NO core
Won on 18 turn

I could have set the trap better, but really didn't care. Lost allot of units. Knocked out the fighters first but they kept coming back. I accidentally left an open city in the rear and the AI dropped Paratroops. No big deal.. I went back with two units and then mopped them up. After that they dropped near another city. Just in time for my rear reserves to engage them.

Managed a DV on turn 18 with about 5400 prestige left (general level + scenario core). This scenario was more interesting than the previous swarms of '43 and '44. Interest remains to move onto the defensive line of scenarios.

Standard core, Lt. level DV turn 19, ending prestige 8344

I got the victory but at a very high cost. I think it would be easier to list the survivors rather than the casualties. I lost 6 tanks, 3 arty, etc. I think I’m going to go back and replay to see if I can spring the trap a little better. This time I drove a large portion of my forces straight to Goldap, and got bogged down a lot with a head on attack. I would have liked to have been able to try for Prez (if that’s how it’s spelled), but I achieved the objective so no matter. Just about right on difficulty, I’d say. Good enough to play it again!

This one went well for the most part...lost four units by the end of it...all infantry unfortunately. I have a feeling I will regret these going forward. Used the default core.

Have tried this again a couple times. I keep splitting up the southern force, sending some east to try and nab the victory hex there, and some north of the river...usually to the doom of both small forces.

Northern group does well but bogs down in all the infantry and artillery it faces once it takes the city up by the river (and claims the nice little treat ).

Centre keeps grinding at the swarms coming at it. Air keeps shooting down the endless Russian planes.

Hopefully I'll make it on to the 2nd scenario again soon! I haven't given up on '45 but the swarms are not the most enjoyable. Maybe you could post a slight sketch of each scenario so players have an idea of what to look forward to?

Following directions helps! I played twice more and was able to DV on turn 10 by heavy pincer attack, then coming down on the trapped inf. with inf., arty, and a couple Pz. IV’s. The paratrooper attack was easy to deal with since I knew it was coming. I enjoyed the game but as I mentioned I played it twice more. The first time I lost due to an unintended advance of a Wurfrahman to the point position in Gr. Nassawen. I meant to put engineers there, but after firing, the arty advanced and I couldn’t stop it. I don’t like this aspect of the later DLC’s. I go slow and keep my finger off the mouse, but often I don’t have control of a unit’s advance and this time it cost me the game. The Russians bridged the river there as I was trying to rearrange on the next turn and it was all over. I can see why this would happen to simulate confusion and such, but from a game play standpoint I think I would rather have more control in this area.

Dark days ahead?..Hell...almost all of 1944 was dark days...So here I go limping into 1945 with whats left of my core...yes I have a couple of Tiger II's...3 Tigers I's some rather quick Panthers and some older captured crap...and yes I have Heroes & Medals galore....but not nearly enuff prestige to overstrength anything...

I have read that the Red Air Force has some "Ace's" of their own and with their production being whatever they have a zillion more planes to send into combat....

Nasty RUMOR....Reds using female pilots? good grief why?...they can't being running out of the male gender dudes...can they?...

OK...so here we go....orders from those dunderheads in Berlin...maybe they'll send me a coupla 262's...

hmshood