Slitherine

Any tips for winning Crusader?

Post a replay of your last try!

Looking for Triumph or Victory

Divide your force into two wings. One drives west initially towards the Italian flag, then north to eliminate the German forces around Sidi Rezegh besieging Tobruk. The other eastern wing moves north to take the desert oasis and nearby airfield to extend your air range.

If you follow that strategy, you'll open up the middle for the transport column. As you fall back, you'll also shield it from any possible counterattacks. This scenario is a little tricky but that basic strategy works each time. Recon well, and keep in mind zones of control as you move your forces to avoid gaps.

I've only played this one once. I left the auxiliary forces in the southeast to protect the convoy exit hexes, and drove toward Tobruk in two wings, just as Kamerer described. While I was away at Tobruk--much to my chagrin--the Germans overran the auxiliaries left behind and seized all of the exit hexes and airstrips in the southeast. As soon as I relieved Tobruk, I turned around and headed back to the southeast, drove the Germans out of the hexes they had seized while I was away, and drove the convoy through. In other words, while it may be possible to prevent seizure of the hexes in the southeast AND relieve Tobruk, it isn't necessary.

This is a hard one, its a long way to travel and you get hit on both sides! And as was said, you cant hold everyplace. I won much like Robman, dont worry about holding the A Hexes till you get the trucks. So dont leave core units there, they are better off going North with you to releive Tobruk. Then head back in one mass protecting the Trucks you had to get.

Im finding the Allies have a hard learning cuve to play, after playing PC as the Germans for so long haha

Thank you all for the advice. Anfield, I agree with you about the learning curve.

I agree about dividing the forces, but send the airborne troops to capture the airfield (but be careful about the AAA) then send them to attack the artillery besieging Tobruk and then sortie the inf from Tobruk. Don't send the trucks out until you have cleared the southwestern part of the map. Send your second force to attack the Germans to the north, they don't seem to rush to the A zone until the first truck leaves Tobruk. (Not sure why the inline links have been added to the post. Not happy if this is some new partnership with Slitherine! )

Sorry, the inline links issue was completely on my end. It looks like it was some adware I unknowingly downloaded but it only activated when I posted my message. From then on it was on every website I looked at. I have deleted the program (sorry I can't remember the name of it but it started with a y).

Cheers

Craig

Schneides42 wrote:I agree about dividing the forces, but send the airborne troops to capture the airfield (but be careful about the AAA) then send them to attack the artillery besieging Tobruk and then sortie the inf from Tobruk. Don't send the trucks out until you have cleared the southwestern part of the map. Send your second force to attack the Germans to the north, they don't seem to rush to the A zone until the first truck leaves Tobruk. (Not sure why the inline links have been added to the post. Not happy if this is some new partnership with Slitherine! )

What do you mean with "inline links have beed added to the post"? I can't see any.

Found my old replay for this scenario. Hope this helps. http://www.fileswap.com/dl/8kFtWo04VY/( ... pzrpl.html

Naxor wrote:Found my old replay for this scenario. Hope this helps. http://www.fileswap.com/dl/8kFtWo04VY/( ... pzrpl.html

Well it helps more than the global 'divide your troops in two columns' or 'attack here (or there)'. But more information would help even more like difficulty and/or any custom setting... Did you use replacement mid-game? Did you loose any troops?

The first time my paratroopers fought (and lost) the German motorcyclist was quite a shock. There were useless in Afrika Korps but now
I've always been very dependent on artillery for support and the fact that allies don't have the Sturmpanzer I is game changing. It slowed me down a lot, not to mention the unnecessary high loses.

I'm playing Field Marshal with AI setting 2 and combat random none - chess

OK I decided to replay the game once more. Completely different felling. Triumph at turn 14. But I think chance played a big role. DAK attacked in waves the last one came at turn 14 (too late).

I've send three paratroopers at the airport, the rest of my troops toward Tobruk. This time I bought 3 Typhoons MkIb and they proved to be the most valuable units in the game. The weather was fine (except one turn) so German armor just melted. Turn 10 Tobruk relieved so I turned back to my starting position. Again German armor appeared in front of my starting position but the three aux. infantry and the arty hold them off. Typhoons (and two Spits) shredded them and my armor finished them.

Again I think chance plays important role. The fact that DAK attacked in waves really helped and much praise for the 3 Typhoons that I didn't have originally.

Finally replayed it. For the most part I drove north to Gasr el Arid, then west to Sid Rezegh then scrambled back south to Sidi Omar. Lost one corp unit playing a Colonel. A real bloodbath. Thanks for your help.

daved wrote:Finally replayed it. For the most part I drove north to Gasr el Arid, then west to Sid Rezegh then scrambled back south to Sidi Omar. Lost one corp unit playing a Colonel. A real bloodbath. Thanks for your help.

Good luck with the next one - it's much worse

johndoe2 wrote:

daved wrote:Finally replayed it. For the most part I drove north to Gasr el Arid, then west to Sid Rezegh then scrambled back south to Sidi Omar. Lost one corp unit playing a Colonel. A real bloodbath. Thanks for your help.

Good luck with the next one - it's much worse

Yes, next one is Cauldron if I remember well... Pretty tough one. I had to replay it a several times to get a triumph. I found out that for triumph 150th brigade units need to be spared, but they can loose and regain victory hexes. I thought at the beginning that victory hexes have to be held at all times... Eliminating 88s is a priority though.

It is strange to get used to mediocre British armor compared to the German tanks. In these missions I use Churchill tanks extensively as they have high defense values, but they suck offensively. I use them more as a shield for my artillery and infantry, than a real offensive threat. I don't want to try my luck with Crusaders that have GD of only 8...

Most of the work is done anyways by RAF and air force should be the main focus as most of you probably know by now.

I had one of my aircraft and a recon unit take out the supporting artillery near the auxiliary infantry in the lower right hand corner, then pulled back the aux infantry to form a screen around the victory hexes, where they could have some artillery support from the 25pounder. The paras and a small force took on the lower left hand sites (it was a bit close I maybe should have used an extra unit), most of my tanks formed a protective screen to secure the truck return route and to block any counter attack from the top right and everything else went to relieve the siege. The airforce took out undefended artillery first (including the Italian seige artillery), then any undefended tanks whenever they were not busy on aerial targets (not many). By this time I had stopped using crusaders - too fragile - and as two of my churchills had +1 movement, I could move around fast enough to manage without them. A +3def humber AC also came in handy for emergency back up. My two 7.2" guns were good for both suppression and damage where I had troops to protect them, while the armour of the bishops allows them to be put into all sorts of difficult situations which compensated for modest attack and limited range.

I was a bit lucky in that I spotted a cluster of armoured units early on (+1 spotting hero can be useful) and was able to weaken them enough by a few turns of air attack so that my churchills took them out qucikly - one less counter attack to worry about.

After that, it was mostly a matter of methodically wiping out mobile units then sending city infantry to pin down and clear teh outlying positions before sending the trucks out. There was some rushing around to supply extra support as and when needed where the +1 movement came in handy. As I'd taken out all the seige artillery, the Italian incursion late in the game was stopped by the bunkers and an infantry unit and managed a Triumph on the last turn, so a bit close but not all that difficult this time round. That was playing at General but using version 1.14 (I got so fed up in Bocage using version 1.20 that I started again on 1.14).

It helps to remember Rommel's "dash to the wire," and be ready for it.
You will find out that the paratroopers are not even needed to capture the airfield objective. Start your initial attack FIRST with a focused mobile combined arms attack on the airfield objective, THEN turn and attack towards Tobruk.
MEANWHILE, if you have the prestige drop back the auxiliaries guarding the border and strengthen them , convert them to HW and along with the unused paratroops guard your truck exit hexes that have some favorable entrenchment. You will need some of your Tobruk armored/air attack force to double speed back to repel the counterattack on the truck exit area.
Upgrade and motorize the Tobruk Garrison (artillery too) to help out with finishing off the Italians while your heavies race back.
Note, that there are some AI "triggers" that one can figure out (in other battles too) if very smart or intuitive...in this case the move out of the trucks.
Intuition = Desert Fox

Hello,
1st of all: I know this post is very old

I have only started Panzer corps recently and was stuck at this scenario.
I found this post and could finally beat it, with normal victory and no core loss .. I was happy enough.
One more turn I would have lost core units.

For the full story, see my other post:
viewtopic.php?f=121&t=62495

I feel like after this mission, the campaign is getting easier map after map (I'm at Tunisia now, progressing well but I have no idea if I kill quickly enough).

I think this crusader mission should be made a little bit easier (I do not want the next missions to be more difficult, they are fine like they are).
Probably johndoe2 will not agree but .. well This post alone is a testimony of its high difficulty.

Imarion