Slitherine

Hi all!

I've recently played half of GC West 44. While I previously had tough time managing my prestige and units in GC42/43, I've found completely opposite to be true in GC44. While I think this is due to two factors, I still think there is something wrong in scenario design (maybe it is too relaxed and easy). First of all I play on colonel difficulty and I can say that it is now becoming too easy for me. I've played PzC a LOT and I certainly improved a lot, so I will surely start GC45 West on FM difficulty. On the other hand there is more than enough prestige in GC44 west. Much more than in 42/43. There are several missions that award 100 PP per turn and are not that hard at all. This allows for accumulation of a lot of prestige. Right now I have around 8000 prestige and almost all units at full (over)strength. How realistic was this in West in 44 for the Germans? Not very...

I've managed to destroy all AI units (except for ships) in overlord mission!!! What is that??

Also I've somehow managed to build core with almost all units of 5 star experience. I have strong air core of 5 fighters and 2 fighter bombers that easily annihilate any allied air attack no matter how big. Now it came to the point that it is completely unrealistic. In most missions I destroy every allied unit (and he throws swarms at me). But the point is that they are all 1-2 starred experienced (and weaker generally), while my units are 5 starred and almost all encounters end in 10-0 result for me. This is crazy. AI stands no chance.

I remember in GC45 east, that there was gradual buildup of AI experience in order to meet my experience. In Berlin AI had all units 4 starred. Here however AI seems to be stuck at 1 star experience, and that produces unrealistic combat results and my complete domination. I guess this also has to do with that snowball effect that was talked about.

I will certainly try to play on FM difficulty as i hope that will balance the game more and improve AI intelligence as he stands no chance with his frontal attacks that he does now.

I regret my word about the 44 campaign.

Almost till the end I had complete dominance. But then Eindhoven came. The number of AI units and their entrenchment out there is tremendous. In city itself there are around 10-15 AI tanks (and city is not that big) with several artillery pieces, and lots of infantry. Basically city swarms with AI units. I had great losses trying to clean the city from swarms of AI tanks, artillery and Infantry. In my opinion this city battle was almost on the same intensity of Stalingrad, and thank god the city was smaller. I'm going into 45 with several units of half strength and 2 tanks that have only 2 strength points. I also lost one 4 stars Falschrimjager unit... I'm not sure winning Eindhoven on DV was worth this many losses... Although it wasn't my greatest play and strategy to be honest. I was brute forcing it, but then again AI had strong steel wall in every direction. In any scenario I would have losses...

It's strange how almost every mission prior to this was pretty easy for me, but this was completely opposite. It was a really a shocking surprise.

I'd say overall the West campaign in general is a lot harder then the East one but far better balanced. And yes, Eindhoven is probably the hardest scenario from that DLC campaign.

Resolute wrote:I'd say overall the West campaign in general is a lot harder then the East one but far better balanced. And yes, Eindhoven is probably the hardest scenario from that DLC campaign.

Depends on the difficulty. In the begging it is pretty hard. Low prestige, bad units and low experience. But after Sicily my experience was gaining on AI experience and my prestige mounted. 44 in my opinion wasn't that hard. Except Eindhoven which caught me completely unprepared. I say air dominance is the key. Once I had 5 fighters up, with 2 fighter-bombers, and all on 4-5 star experience, AI air force could do nothing to me. Eindhoven mission however decimated some of my units as I was rushing to conquer the city through the bad terrain and in the end I found that almost every city hex is covered with AI units and more than dozen of heavy tanks.. So it took me a lot of effort to clear them out.

Now I'm about to buy 45 and I wonder what will happen there.

I will buy 45 West tomorrow, but surely I will replay the whole west campaign on greater difficulty (FM most probably). As far as I know FM difficulty has stronger AI (2 instead of 1 on colonel), ans slower experience rate for player units. I found AI to be pretty suicidal (not to say dumb) on colonel difficulty and also my experience is now 5 stars while AI is 1-2 stars, so basically AI stands no chance.

I reckon West scenaiors are harder then the Eastern scenarios, but so far (part way through 44 West) it been a good type of challenge.
It was definitely easier this time round, although I am now playing at General, as I restarted DLC 39 when version 1.14 came out, so all of my 8 imported core units had useful heroes.

My main changes. In-game prestige management is important in 42/43West - if there's a per turn prestige allowance and a turn or two to spare, I park a unit next to the final victory hex, form robust defensive positions and collect the per turn prestige before taking the city, or send out something suitably fast and disposable to hoover up any remaining minor hexes. The defensive position, refuelling etc protects against counterattacks, and wondering where those two (unfuelled) planes went. Sending out a disposable unit (cheap or auxiliary) is because in the past I lost some very good units when they met the counterattack or found a stray tank destroyer on the way to an empty city. Also, don't forget to take the last victory hex on the last turn - yes, I felt suitably stupid!

My approach to terrain is much less detailed than Dragoon's - infantry and AT in difficult terrain, tanks in the clear - but it still helps. I will try using Dragoon's more comprehensive approach as it sounds very sensible. I use less artillery here than in the East - Brummbar with +3attack, a Hummel, plus a towed 17cm with +2 attack, 21cm nebelwerfer, and 15cm with a +1 movement hero, and up to 3 AA (12.8, 88 and what is now a Mobelwagen). Despite tough prestige limits I have managed to upgrade all 109s to FW190s, and Rudel has a 410, which makes a big dent in Churchills and in the 8" guns that have started appearing in 44 West. Near the end of Monte Cassino, all my fighters are FW 190 (except the experimental one) and my tanks are either Tiger or Panther, plus an Elefant. I have about 500 prestige float plus whatever I get for the victory and a reasonable set of reserve units I can cash in if needed. By the sound of it, I will need them for Endhoven.

I think last time round I was still using Panzer 4s, had no prestige to overstrength and lost very badly, so I must have learned something since then!

I've stated playing GC West 45... For now it has been pretty easy again. I dominate with tanks, while there are no allied aircraft due to bad weather. But even if there were I think I would cope with them. I am also playing on FM difficulty, but it is not changing anything for now. I will continue playing and report on the progress and weather the scenarios are getting tougher. And yes captainjack Eindhoven is a very specific mission. I haven't played such demanding a mission in a while (it is on par with Stalingrad), and it stands out from the rest of GC West missions.

I recently completed West 44 and it didn't seem too bad. I was quite methodical and thought through the overall strategy more than I usually do, which helped. Typically I had a DV with a few turns to spare and no feeling of a rush. The only one I struggled on was Eindhoven which I finished on the last turn, and luckily my 8 strength Tiger 2 held the final victory hex against the neighbouring infantry.

So far I've managed DV in the first few West 45's. Not wholly without casualties - my 5* +3 Attack Panther met a sad end due to running into some well entrenched infantry in a forest when I misread the visible hexes display in a snowstorm. Generally I've stuck mainly to ground forces, but I bring Rudel in his 410 - worth having even if only for use every third turn - and the SE fighter which doesn't cost a slot. At the moment I'm finding the constant snow is challenging my ability to track fuel usage and resupply, but generally it's been a matter of focussing on the objectives and just pressing on no matter what the weather does while trying to keep some form of structure in case of unexpected troop concentrations or counter attacks.