Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

Great AAR. I think the idea is that this starts out as a very limited operation into Syria and the Turks don't want to escalate by sending in fast air assets. If you do that you risk drawing attention to the operation and having to conduct a huge SEAD operation. This is plausible, in 1991 the US deployed some helos to take out air defenses before the main air war began.

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

I may change the helos from AB-412's to the Puma. My thinking is that the helos are taxis to the fight, not fighters. Only the COs and the Ranger Platoon Leader will have the AB-412's with everyone else riding in Pumas in the update.

Great response and thanks for playing!

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

Yeah, well other guys used the helos to fight as well. So, I'm going to replace the AB-412's with Pumas as the Pumas do not have a weapons loadout. Try it again changing the AB-412's to Pumas in the deploy phase. I think you'll find the gameplay a lot more fun.

Thanks man for the response!

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

Thanks Mustang for your response. Several other guys used the helos as gunships and the ammo containers for ammo. The ammo containers are not supposed to be used to resupply Bravo Co. I placed the ammo containers as bldg explosion effects and to reward the attacker with points that could not be taken away as is the case with Victory flags.

Try it again Mustang. But, park your Helos somewhere.

In Phase 2 of this fight, Bravo Co will need the helos to mount a flanking maneuver. Bravo will get "dope and beer" when the 39th Mech Inf Bde arrives with ammo trucks from the 319th Sustainment Bde. So, you'll have to draw the Syrains in and kill 'em "up close and personal" with M72's and your AGL's.

I placed my weapon squads in overwatch positions with the platoons up against the ridgeline. The AI had the Syrian units attacking the platoons hard (I think because the relative value of the platoons were much higher than the Syrian units) so that the Syrians came within range of my M72's and withing killing range of my AGL's, although the AGL teams took several rounds to make a kill. This allowed the AT teams to hold fire for any remaining armor.

It is fun, interesting, and informative to read how the other guys are playing the scenario. Interestingly, as my mom was fond of saying: "There's many ways to skin a cat."

Cheers!

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

5136 to 936 this time, minor victory.

I went for three forces this time: one in the town, one on the northern hills and one to take out the mortars on foot. The mortar group took the heaviest losses and I lost a few squads there. The northern group took out most of the tanks but I didn't control their ammo carefully enough. Still, none of the T-62s ever came into range of the town and one was even immobilized by mortars.

The rest of the battle pretty much played itself and the Syrian infantry took heavy losses. It surprises me how SaS was able to get a decisive victory but maybe I'm just a noob. Well balanced scenario. More please!

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

I was fighting "Over the range", this means mainly AGLs and M2s were in use and I avoided direct inf to inf firefights. Add absolutely OP snipers in this game (in every PBEM I forbid my opponents to use them and same I do) and we have a slaughterhouse. Helis were nearly not in combat besides mortars, where they helped infantry so all just went quicker. No choppers were used on the ridge, they were occasionaly returning fire with little effect.
Basically, did what modern armies do: I havent given Syrians a chance to actually return fire :P

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

Good plan. When I do that though my MGs are spotted pretty quick. I guess if I put the effort into micromanagement I could reveal/withdraw the units every turn so the enemy didn't have a chance to shoot.

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

After reading this thread, I've created a formation to provide protection to the Syrian mortars. Unfortunately, it is not working well, as the vehicles remain in place, but the infantry sections leave their posts to join in the fight! What the heck.

So, I've researched Reaction Turns and in particular Reaction Turn setting 98. Unfortunately, it has not given me the desired result of keeping the infantry sections in place. So, I'm still working to implement this suggestion to give the mortars protection.

Tonight, I'll add the Priority Fire hex on the foothills as suggested in this thread.

Solutions please!

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

The BTRs are already quite effective and annoying. But you can try placing infantry in bunkers or whatever, or mount them onto a truck, so that they pop out when their carrying vehicle is destroyed. You can also arm the mortar units themselves or create special mortar units that only carry direct fire weapons.

Re: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation
 

Overall GOOD scenario. I set my units in ambush along the ridge with atgms off along nearby hills to take out armor. I then sent a couple of helos along the south ridge to come up on the syrians flanks to decimate their mortars. If you want to encourage players NOT to use the helos in the fight set a victory condition like; LOSE 2 helos AUTOMATIC DEFEAT!