Hello everyone.
After playing several times at this scenario I have to open this thread to express my surprise. It seems that is not very well documented or planned and completely unbalanced.
The flanking maneuver executed by Bradley first army is not possible to do in the game, the density of the defense, the tremendous power that has given the German troops and the unreal and surreal amount of troops available for "boches" make it impossible. The German counter-attacks are devastating, unstoppable. The German infantry seems formed by terminators. The enormous amount of PzKw V is simply a crazy exaggeration and Luftwaffe seems to be in full health, nothing is further from reality. We all know that by that time Allied bombs rampaged Germany and arms production was severely compromised.
it's just a game, OK, but it is a historical strategy game and a minimum of seriousness never hurts ...
We can talk about failures in other scenarios but this has exhausted my patience.
AC Cobra Operation Scenario
Moderators: Slitherine Core, Panzer Corps Moderators, Panzer Corps Design
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Nordlingen1634
- Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 9:53 pm
Re: AC Cobra Operation Scenario
This is definitely one of the most difficult scenarios in Allied Corps, and you are absolutely right, on higher difficulty levels it is probably impossible to win a triumph by recreating the historical operation, or by deploying units as suggested by the available deployment hexes.
I managed to execute the flanking maneuver, but not by deploying my units as suggested. (I tried that the first time, and restarted after the enemy's first turn.) I concentrated my armor on my flanks, but kept the units on my right wing above the river at first. I launched the right hook only when the German assaults against my right began to wind down, around Turn 8 or so. Even so, it was a desperate race against time: in two plays through--one UK, one US--I secured the final objective on the final turn.
I managed to execute the flanking maneuver, but not by deploying my units as suggested. (I tried that the first time, and restarted after the enemy's first turn.) I concentrated my armor on my flanks, but kept the units on my right wing above the river at first. I launched the right hook only when the German assaults against my right began to wind down, around Turn 8 or so. Even so, it was a desperate race against time: in two plays through--one UK, one US--I secured the final objective on the final turn.
Re: AC Cobra Operation Scenario
I do agree this is a very difficult scenario, but I disagree that it is unwinnable or excessively ahistoric.
Panzer Corps is afterall a game, NOT a historical simulation. The AI is good, but not even remotely as challenging as a human player, so material and other advantages have to be given in order to make it competitive. I went back and checked my notes from the beta testing, and I achieved a DV (Triumph) on the last turn on the Field Marshal level, the very first time I played through the scenario. I did see that I did criticize the briefing instructions as deployment here is very, very critical. I do feel the scenario is a little more difficult than it should be. The right hook is not that difficult - you send two tanks, one infantry, and two artillery pieces around. With the aux recon unit and a long-legged Meteor doing some scouting for them, there is time to get them all the way around, and I find they all converge nicely on Argentan at the end.
I'd also point out that this result is one the Allies distinctly failed to achieve in real-life. The gap was never fully closed in time to be complete.
Panzer Corps is afterall a game, NOT a historical simulation. The AI is good, but not even remotely as challenging as a human player, so material and other advantages have to be given in order to make it competitive. I went back and checked my notes from the beta testing, and I achieved a DV (Triumph) on the last turn on the Field Marshal level, the very first time I played through the scenario. I did see that I did criticize the briefing instructions as deployment here is very, very critical. I do feel the scenario is a little more difficult than it should be. The right hook is not that difficult - you send two tanks, one infantry, and two artillery pieces around. With the aux recon unit and a long-legged Meteor doing some scouting for them, there is time to get them all the way around, and I find they all converge nicely on Argentan at the end.
I'd also point out that this result is one the Allies distinctly failed to achieve in real-life. The gap was never fully closed in time to be complete.
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timek28
- Master Sergeant - Bf 109E
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 1:18 am
- Location: Novi Sad, Serbia
Re: AC Cobra Operation Scenario
This mission was exceptionally difficult. I'm not sure about the realism of it. There are so many German panthers as well as heavy infantry and artillery, that I was astounded at first. Also Luftwaffe is somehow alive. I guess it was intention of developers to make scenario difficult and not a cake walk at the cost of realism maybe.
Strong German attack on multiple sectors caught me off guard the first time, but on reload I was able to position my forces better for defense. I put bulk of my Churchills on south near river while rangers and other US infantry held the bocage with artillery support. I also defended Caen left and right with 2-3 tanks and artillery. and after some 10-th move I was able to go into counterattack with the hook movement. Although I wasn't able to get a triumph. Last city or two are heavily defended with 8.8 flaks as well as TIger 2 tanks. One protects the other so I wasn't able to bomb the tanks from the air and wasn't able to destroy AA because of tanks, so I left it to be a victory.
But once again if it was like this in real war then congratulations to Germans on how they where able to assemble such force and try a counterattack with Russians pressing them hard on the eastern front.
Strong German attack on multiple sectors caught me off guard the first time, but on reload I was able to position my forces better for defense. I put bulk of my Churchills on south near river while rangers and other US infantry held the bocage with artillery support. I also defended Caen left and right with 2-3 tanks and artillery. and after some 10-th move I was able to go into counterattack with the hook movement. Although I wasn't able to get a triumph. Last city or two are heavily defended with 8.8 flaks as well as TIger 2 tanks. One protects the other so I wasn't able to bomb the tanks from the air and wasn't able to destroy AA because of tanks, so I left it to be a victory.
But once again if it was like this in real war then congratulations to Germans on how they where able to assemble such force and try a counterattack with Russians pressing them hard on the eastern front.