Hitler Launches a Surprise Offensive into the Ardennes Forest!

[kobayashi]

I'm on the second try now having faced a marginal defeat (16 points).

Night of 18th and I'm on the outskirts of Longvilly and Hollange, to the north and south of Bastonge with a third spearhead just outside La gleize. Learned my lesson the first time.

Where does it say what the objective cities are. I can't click on the Allied cities since trade hasn't been discovered.

[DarthVeda]

Kubelwagen + city = city report

[Cal]

Gah.

Deep into enemy territory, on December 20th, it now becomes clear to me why Kobayashi said concentrating on St. Vith at first was a mistake! The panzers really have a long way to go to reach the Meuse. You can't conquer every city on the way and expect to win, or stubbornly plod down roads being destroyed by the americans and not expect it to really disrupt your timetable.

Anyway, restarted the game, took St. Vith on the 17th, laughed when the events talked about air droppings being made and troops holding out. Took the one fuel supply in the town whose name I don't remember just in time before I ran out of fuel in Mayen. Bastonge is nearly completely surrounded, while troops make the long journey to Nemur. It looks like that may be taken, if not today, then tomorrow. After that, I need to find a fuel supply town QUICK before my tanks start being lost from lack of fuel.

Victory is so close, yet so far! It's evil! Insane! I love it.

Have a stalemate now, anticipate either keeping it, or being pushed back to a marginal defeat. Next game will try to do better.

PS: Darth, have you checked your e-mail recently?

[kobayashi]

The trick was to refuel some of the SS tanks units from Mayen at Bitberg (or Daum) before bringing them into action. As units get killed, refuel new units built on their way to the front to maintain a balance.

Also stop producing the useless gas guzzling grenadiers at Bitberg and Daum.

[Cal]

Originally posted by kobayashi
The trick was to refuel some of the SS tanks units from Mayen at Bitberg (or Daum) before bringing them into action. As units get killed, refuel new units built on their way to the front to maintain a balance.

Also stop producing the useless gas guzzling grenadiers at Bitberg and Daum.

THere is a use for them: as you progress farther and farther into the ardennes, you'll need some useless units to sit back and guard so a lone infantry doesn't end up destroying that objective city you need. So, it's good to have a few, I think...

Meanwhile: It's the 21st. Bastonge has fallen. Nemur has fallen. Huy has been taken. Another hidden fuel supply has been taken. Marginal Victory achieved. Units heading north to take out the last real resistance there. Decisive victory may be possible.

[kobayashi]

Christmasday. Stalemate achieved already, I have 26 points.

Found 2 of the invisible fuel depots.

2 well placed veteran tigers at Bercheux and Houffalize have all but neutralised the so called counter offensive. I can see they are holding back at least 50 units each.

I've raced all the way to Givet on the left edge intending to sweep upwards after that only to find it protected by another of those $^%^# bunkers. The first three letters of the home city of that bunker doesn't match anything thing that is visible so I guess I am finished.

I had another group in the north headed for Huy only to find it protected by another of those $^%^# bunkers and I thought I'd turn south for Marche instead and guess what, another bunker.

[Cal]

The bunkers make kubelwagens essential. That, or trial and error, which can be costly.

The most important city to take is Namur. It's visible from the starting point, so try to take that city over all others on the Meuse.

As for me, I managed to finish up with a Decisive Victory of 47 objectives. The only cities I couldn't take were Spa (which had a bunker in it homed to itself), Manhay (which I waited too long to take, so near the end it had some fifty odd units stacked in there), and Trois Ponts (which I couldn't take because by the time I got the bunker out of that city, the allies had their airforce and would destroy any units I sent out to take it).

The key to winning this scenario, I think, is taking St. Vith as early as possible. I managed to take it on the 17th in that game. I won't go into more detail, because I'm not sure if it counts as ruining what happens in the scenario.

There is a bug, I think. If a city has no defenders in it other than a bunker, then when the city that supports the bunker is taken, the bunker will rehome to the city it's in rather than let it disband and leave the city defenseless. At least, I can think of no other explanation as for why that happened...

[EZRhino]

Im on my third try for this scenario, and this time I am doing well, Ive taken Bastogne in the south and B.D. Fraiture and Houffalize in the north. It is the night of the 18/19th and so far I have had light casualties. My northern pincers are at the gates of Manhay and Marche. I plan on leaving a sizeable force behind in B.D. Fraiture so that when I take the cities with home the bunkers in that area, I can quickly secure the area and support the drive to Namur and eventually Liege. In the south, the offensive has stopped and forces in that are are working to shore up defences and are waiting for re-inforcements to resume the invasion of the cities south of Bastogne. Fuel is going to start running low, so many armored units are rehoming to Houffalize and my kubelwagens are prowling for more hidden fuel depots.
So far, one thing about the scenario perplexes me: is there any reason for the axis to build Allied POWs?

[DarthVeda]

I can only wonder if you guys are playing on deity?

[Cal]

Originally posted by DarthVeda
I can only wonder if you guys are playing on deity?

Of course!

The secret, I've found, is to throw everything you have at st. vith. Jadgpanthers and the tanks that become active on Dec. 17 should be enough to take St. Vith south, at least. Then, take the rest of the city. It saves a lot more time than waiting until later.

Also, if you take Wiltz on the first or second turn, the road to Bastogne isn't cut. You can send troops easily to longvilly.

edit: As for allied POWs, the only reason you want might to buy them is when you need to move your army, but you don't have any cheap volkssturm to leave to guard the city. Having 20 allied pows defending might give enough time to quickly bring a few units back if an allied tank does manage to reach the city. When I reached Liege, and Namur, and the other cities on the Meuse, I just built a # of allied POWs in those places, because I had to keep my tanks going to get more objectives.

[EZRhino]

I dont play scenarios on anything less I took St. Vith on the second turn of the first night. The majority of my forces went that route. All the forces at Vianden and Dasburg went for Wiltz.
That thought about pows had occured to me, but many of the cities unimportant enough not to leave volks or motorized infantry behind in, dont have citiy walls, so using pows as meat shields in unfeasable.

[Cal]

Personally, I try to keep anti-tank defenses in every city. Or at least, objective cities, and the ones on the front.

[DarthVeda]

Well I am planning on another version sometime within the next few weeks. I was wondering what recommendations you guys had?

I've already received a few through email but I want to know what I can do to keep you from taking St. Vith until the 21st-23rd?

[Cal]

Originally posted by DarthVeda
Well I am planning on another version sometime within the next few weeks. I was wondering what recommendations you guys had?

I've already received a few through email but I want to know what I can do to keep you from taking St. Vith until the 21st-23rd?

Is that the historical time? I wouldn't try to add anything... I mean, if you're late even one turn or something it's hard, if not impossible, to take St. Vith. You really have to plan and rush to get it so early, before the units start springing up like crazy.

But if you feel the need to add something... maybe more units in the city that's right before south st. vith? The name escapes me at the moment.

[kobayashi]

My own feeling is the scenario is too constrictive already visavis the ultimate bunker home. Couldn't the major Allied cities on the far left each control the bunkers along the same latitude? Why try to force everything into a straight jacket?

As for the reinforcements (like for St. Vith), I think using city taken/give advance/terrain change triggers to start and stop them would be much better.

Why not slow the research rate down so you don't have to keep choosing future tech. If you need the AI to get certain techs, use the random or fixed turn trigger.

Adding a few smaller (like two surplus) hidden fuel dumps?