Allied: Sidi Barrani

[uran21]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[billmv44]

General level. Starting prestige 2208, ending 1143. Received 300 bonus for capturing the fort marked with the $.

Another fairly easy scenario. The Italians are very passive, their armor doesn't make any significant counter attacks. Once through the mine fields, it is really mopping up. The Italian air force does make an appearance, but the uncoordinated attacks are ineffective.

So far, I haven't lost any units. I think that these initial scenarios need to be a little harder, with a bit more aggression by the AI.

My extra fighter has disappeared, but the cruiser is still in my core. No place to deploy it in this scenario. We'll see about future ones. At worst, I can disband it for the prestige. However, I suspect that it's presence in my core is not intended.

[Ballacraine]

On turn 9, a fighter managed to spawn at the Airfield at 3,4 , despite it's having been captured the turn before.

Balla.

[nikivdd]

Colonel level
Upgrades: inf to engineer, both 25pdr to 6inch artillery
Purchases: 1 engineer, 2 beaufighter
I didnt overstrength any of the units

I left the AA in the barracks. I suppose the minefields are a pain at first but west of Nibewia i found a hole in the defenses, so i could attack the artillery from the rear. Once Maktila, Toummar and Nibewia are taken, the rest is formality. The italian tanks at Buq Buq are passive and could have been better used as additional attackers. The few planes that appeared were no match for mine nor posed a problem to any of my groundunits, it might be a little different if they would appear at the same time. The extra 300PP is as usual always welcome after i took Sofafi. I was glad to encounter some medium tanks but are no match against the pounding from a beaufighter and then finished off by a cruiser tank. Now i am getting anxious to receive the first SE unit and capturable unit.
I had to reinforce some of the units during a mission for the first time and i like the new feature that the unit is surpressed until the next turn.

No losses, DV 15/18, 1925PP

[azpops]

Cruiser carries over in core from previous scenario but there is no place to deploy it in this scenario. Is that intended?

[Kamerer]

7) Sidi Barrani – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige: Begin: 350 (after purchases). End: 850. Net: +500.
Result: DV 15/18
Replacement policy: Sent air, arty, tanks out at 11.

Core Changes: None.

Problems:

• • Got a message screen about new US equipment.
  • Not allowed to buy Australian units – “not enough slots.”

General impressions/comments:

• • Scenario seemed straightforward and worked well.
  • I have a feeling the artillery/entrenched suppression formula needs tweeking, perhaps max unsuppressed = entrenchment x ½. I see this really being a problem on some older scenarios if it’s retroactively applied to AK and many GCE scenarios. Perhaps once infantry is more experienced/powerful it won’t be such an issue, though.

[Longasc]

Sidi Barrani

Level: General
Start Prestige: 1444
End Prestige: 1687
Result: Triumph 12/18
Bought/Upgraded/Losses: Lost a core Infantry. Overstrengthened all Cruiser tanks to 15, Hurricane, too, bought a Beaufighter and DISBANDED the destroyer for 1300 prestige. Hum!

BUG: Where is my 2nd Hurricane, I still have that strange Cruiser but where is the Hurricane I bought after I surprisingly found another in my core?!
GOOD scenario, the first real fight. Fortifications were a problem, the new rules make them harder to take even with artillery support.
Overstrengthening didn't quite give me the immediate advantage, but my Fighter swept the sky totally and if I would not have attacked AT guns my tanks would have done better, too.
Also, I really didn't play well this time... a better player would have made more of overstrengthening the units, but let's see what will happen when I do this in future.
The 1300 prestige gain through disbanding the destroyer was probably wrong. Will remove this prestige if this was a bug unit.

Wouldn't change anything about this scenario, it's nice. Great reward for capturing the $ fortification.

* "we are going to run Graziani and his 10th Army right out of Egypt!" SidiBarraniB_triumph.pzbrf
-> doesn't sound correct
* "Unfortunately he did battle with you and must find a way to reconcile himself to victory. I doubt it shall go hard for him. As for you, you’re finished!"
-> native speaker please, sounds incorrect/odd to me.

[Razz1]

General
start
end 1209
Triumph 13/18
Had victory at turn 9, turned back for money!

Yes, I have the cruiser too! But I wish I had my artillery and other unit back that I lost when they cleared the reserves.

[Longasc]

The crevasses near the $ fortification are all oddly oriented, this looks really bad! It doesn't look like a barrier you can't pass, please take a look at them.

[Ballacraine]

* "we are going to run Graziani and his 10th Army right out of Egypt!" SidiBarraniB_triumph.pzbrf
-> doesn't sound correct
* "Unfortunately he did battle with you and must find a way to reconcile himself to victory. I doubt it shall go hard for him. As for you, you’re finished!"
-> native speaker please, sounds incorrect/odd to me.

First one is OK, although it could read.

'We are going to chase Graziani's 10th Army out of Egypt!'

The second one is poor....I take it the latter quote is for a defeat?

'I don't doubt Graziani is basking in the glory of his victory. You on the other hand, will have to explain your dismal performance to GHQ. I shall not be defending you.'

Balla.

[uran21]

Thanks to all for the feedback so far. After some diversions with previous two scenarios this one is pretty straightforward. Additional side quest is included to divert part of core from main objectives and it includes lesson about minefields. Auxiliary engineers are included to deal with the minefields and one of them is at strength 10 while other at 5 to show how engineer can destroy whole minefield in one go despite its strength.

In my testings Italian armour wasn't such passive and counterattacked me in inconvenient time and place because I was outflanking minefields. Going trough minefields is not really a necessity. South can be outflanked, north has a gap. Maybe only clearing one or two minefields on the north to speed things up.

Aircraft spawning was adjusted so they do not pop up if you capture an airfield.

[Steakenglisch]

some points i've noticed

1. The light Cruiser from the core couldnt be deployed
2. The new units, the US Troops, there was no chance tu buy one or upgrade an existing british unit into an us unit
3. the auxilary australian engineers, there was no chance to reinforce them, i noticed that they couldnt purchased, only australian infantry and heavy infantry -> so the question is is this a design decision or a bug?
4. Upgrading units, i wonder why the british has only infantry and engineers and the australian have infantry and heavy infantry, on both sides one unit type is missing -> so again the question is is this a design decision or a bug?
5. no italian aircrafts spawned makes it very easy
6. the italian anti air units are too passive, they didnt moved in to fire on my planes, only one aa unit opens fire because one of my units was in range

[produit]

DV 10/18. Possible DV at turn 7, but saw a bit late that there a bonus site in the south. Took me 3 more turns to take it.
Bought a Beaufighter that was OS to 15.
Ending prestige 1266.

Got my first 4 heroes.

[El_Condoro]

Not a scenario comment but the link shows a problem (unless the way AA works has changed). The AA (Range 2) cannot fire at the air unit in the next hex until it moves directly under it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/127 ... A_prob.pdf

[ThvN]

(unless the way AA works has changed). The AA (Range 2) cannot fire at the air unit in the next hex until it moves directly under it.

It has been changed in the 1.14 patch. You can use the land/air view toggle (hotkey Tab) to change between move and shoot, just like the deploying of Paratroopers has been changed.

I think I'm at least partly responsible for this, as I once mentioned it would be nice if the AAA units could move before shooting, which they couldn't if their target was already in range. And imagine my delight when this feature is suddenly implemented! It really makes them more flexible in use and less prone to get in the way of other units.

[maho1973]

Additional, to that was previous mentioned:
- The line of the hills in the west (2,12), (3,12), (4,12), (5,11), (6,12), (7,11), (8,11) do not match, also in the east (22,14), (21,13), (21,12), (22,12), (23,12), (24,12), (25,11), (26,12)
- The aux hurricane was gone, the light cruiser still remains
- No info about new british equipment but for the (not purchaseable) Americans
- Usually you get 100 pp for a VH, but for capturing Buq Buq (VH also) I got only 50 pp
- The aux light cruiser can not be deployed (if so, thre should be also an evacuation hex)
- No Italian AA ?

[monkspider]

Sidi Barrani – beta 1

General Level
Ending Prestige 980
Result: DV 15/18

This a fairly simple but enjoyable level. I remember this battle being the first battle in the old Allied General. I don't remember much about that game, other than the British field marshall guy being awesome, and the newsreels that you would sometimes watch between battles were super cool.

The minefields are always a pain in the butt, but this is a good tutorial to introduce players to them. I bought a Bristol Beaufighter and a Cruiser (bringing my total armored units to three, two cruisers and a Vickers). The Beaufighter is a great addition to the game, I really have to give props to ThvN. It seems like it is something of a poor man's Mosquito. I could have got a DV on turn 13 but took until 15 to capture Solafi.

[Tarrak]

Ooops i just noticed i forgot to write a report after playing this mission in Beta 1 somehow.

It seems to me like the air presence of the Italian got buffed. At least as far my memory serves. I think it's now at a quite good level. The scenario seems overall well balanced and fits good into the learning curve of the tutorial imho.

[monkspider]

Sidi Barrani – beta 2

General Level
Ending Prestige 2084
Result: DV 17/18

No additional remarks on this one, was able to get the DV and the bonus prestige objective on the next to last turn.

[okiemcguire]

5) Sidi Barrani

Level: Colonel
Prestige Begin: 3265 After Strg Inc/Upg/Pur: 2327 End 2053
Result: Triumph 15/18

Core was increased to full strength (-138)
OS by 1 - 3 Cruisers (-75) and Hurricane (-34)
Purchased Beaufighter (-370) and Art BL 6 inch w/Matador (-321)

Comments: The mines were no issue using the aux engineers. However, the infantry in the fortresses were tougher than expected. I fought off a few of the flanking tanks with the Cruisers with no issue. Had to purchase replacements for several of my forces during play. The fighter and Beaufighter took care of the enemy fighters with no issues. I made the mistake at taking the last victory flag on the NW coast before completing my move on the $ fortress in SW corner. Also, approached the last fortress from the N rather than the East. Equipment could not move on escarpment. Received two heroes. Def +1 for MK.IV and a spot +1 for the Hurricane.

My only regret was not getting the $ fortress.....