Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

What's the strange, or funy things that happened when you played SPMBT?

One time, when playing Centag campaign i encountered extremally lucky BTR-60. It survived three direct hits with 105mm HEAT, and one with SABOT round, then it was hit by dragoon, wich immobilised it (it was still alive). Then it survived another 105mm HEAT round http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif. Finally, TOW missile launched from one of my Cobras killed it.

Another strange accident - i was playing Poland in random generated battle, against russia, iirc. One of my Leo 2 was to finish off retreating enemy crew. When i moved it to adjacent hex, crew threw a granade at me, and managed to hit the track, immobilizing my last tank http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif. Well, they deserve a medal.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

While playing Wild Bill's Scenario "It Begins" I had a scorpion light tank which account for 2 T72 tanks plus 2 squads of mech infantry and an APC and a ZSU23. it was hit twice. once by a T-80 and once by a T-72 and survived the mission

Tom D

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Once while playing the Defend Taiwan from China as the USMC campain in the old DOS SP2 I had one of my stinger teams shoot at an air strike and miss, only to have the stinger hit my LAV-25 in the same hex, wiping out the passangers as well.

Ian

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

In SP2, it was the Nigerian MiGs attacking and destroying the Nigerian T-55s, therefore saving my Biafrans in the Calabar scenario.

My worst luck came in WinSPMBT, where the Canberras missed the Zips entirely and annihilated an entire Commando of my RLI, losing me the battle. You can't win if you have no troops on the ground.

troopie

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Good luck?
Say in SPMBT PBEM, my T-55 hit by an enemy T-55 from pointblank range (1 hex). Shot with its own pen 21 scored another 21 pen as a result of weak spot hit and voila... My T-55 survived unharmed and took out the other one.

Worst luck... In one hotseat game, Slovakian BVP2's were massacring my ATGM teams at range of 40 and my ATGM teams weren't able to hit them. One BVP-2 dodged about 5 Fagot missiles and wiped all three ATGM temas in sight.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

My luckiest instance was when in the "Socialist Duel" scenario a missile from Mi-24 took out a chinese AA-wagon with 3% hit chance.

Worst luck so far in the same scenario. Ammo explosion destroyed a helo with a para section inside. Ouch.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

A true bang for buck was for me when my Vietnamese SPG9 costing 9 points, destroyed two Polish Leo2A4s, 450 points each. It was against the AI though..

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Having a Hummer surive a missguided 1000lbs Paveway hit in WBW "The same Zip code" Faludjha? USMC vs Insurgents.

S!

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

I know it is an old thread, but since it is still in the first page...

A couple of months ago playing against the AI, one of my tanks fired at an enemy infantry that was occupying the same hex. I think it was an M48, but can't remember after all this time. Anyway, it missed, but it managed to immobilise itself. I was laughing all the way till 2-3 turns later when the same tank was destroyed by something else.
I can imagine how the gunner must have felt.

About lucky ones, in another battle part of a generated campaign again, I had an infantry aTGM team that had A LOT of kills over several battles, running to reach a hilltop (its APC was immobilised earlier) then out of nowhere an enemy BMP-1 appeared, 1 hex from it. I was near the end of movement for most of my units and wasn't expecting anything there, so I couldn't attack the BMP. End turn and the enemy artillery starts and, I don't remember what it was but I think it was a 120mm mortar, and hits the top of the BMP and destroys it. All the other shots were not close enough to it or my team. One of the rare cases where I saw the AI fire artillery so close to its units.
The other time was last night when a cluster shell from an artillery destroyed an enemy t-72. I laughed and laughed.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Back in the day, when SP2 first came out, I learned to get an enemy unit to flee then try to keep one of my units in the same hex with it. Sometimes I could generate a little fratricide this way. Historically, this was a tactic used by the Germans, the Soviets and especially the IDF. IIRC it was considered 'gamey' and coded out.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Worst luck late 60s had moved up units behind tree line in APCs unloaded. All grouped adj hexes & enemy appeared in trees next go. My Russian Engineer with flame thrower & DC op fired killed 5 men total. Trouble was splash hit my forces killed 3 destroyed 3 APCs & immoblised one, heck.

Best luck also Russia T-80 fired at from rear by 3 unseen TOW teams 5 missiles VIRS got one 3 hit rear. Survived spotted at 20 odd hexes & killed 2 Teams. Give that man a vodka.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

You made me laugh, thank you. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

best of luck for me was when a tow missile hit a t-80 with 2% accuracy

my worst of luck was when i planned a cluster bombardment and the artillery landed right between my apc's, when i got back to base the arty men were court marshaled!

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Some more bad..luck?
1978. Ordered my B-52s (2 of them) to carpet bomb a village and another area near it, a bit further south.
Both the bombers missed, by a long long way. One by about 7 hexes, the other by about 25. Both hit my forces.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

No real life commander would ever order a B52 strike within three quarters of a mile of his own troops let alone 350 yards! That's just dumb plain and simple.

And which unit was the one ordering this strike and could it see the target hex ?

Don

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Hey, there is a first time for everything!

As for ordering the strike, yeah, well, there was nothing capable with view of the targets, so...yeah.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Hallo
My best luck occurred back in the days of original SPMBT. I fought in the last defence positions with remainders of my iraqi troops against US assault (some battle from 1991 war - played in 1998 or 99). Also several US A-10s joined to decimate remainders of my armor. But than an SA-9 launched a missile against one A-10 - missile missed but it falled down directly to the top of an M1A1HA Abrams resulting in complete kill of that tank. But anyway battle was lost as it was one of my last shots in that battle.
Regards

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

A quite strange thing happened in WW2 to me, i directed some 6 inch guns to shoot some germans when trying to climb a hill, suddenly a tiger appeared, the shells landed right over it, remember i sayd 6 inch? it was 16inch, ouch ;D, i didnt pay attention when i plotted

bad luck was in MBT, i called some B1's to level a trenchline of about a mile long, i set bombardment to turn 3 o i could see if it was worth the points, my scouts reported only a weak rifle company in there, i had delayed the bombardment more 4 turns so we would hit the trench just after the bombs away message, i crush the company, and forgot to cancel the bomb run, you guys know what happens now dont you?

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Two and a half hours setting up a (mixed NATO unit) set piece assault on a prepared enemy (Russian), largest possible map, 90 turns, most possible units (65,000 points). Early 1980's timeframe.

All of my units clustered at start into one tiny 20 by 20 corner area on my far map edge behind a 100 mountain over 20 hexes away from the nearest road. All carefully laid out in proper maneuver order.

Only to watch the AI drop its entire artillery park on that one corner on turn one. Salvo after salvo of 122mm and 152mm...

GAME
OVER,
R

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

One of the rarer AI uses of a pre-game stonk, especially if it has lots of arty, is to pepper your back zone. That is specifically to target your arty park. Sometimes it will take a random hex from top->bottom and put most of its idle arty there. Usually it "spreads the joy" throughout your rear zone.

But it mainly prefers the front edge of the deployment zone, not the rear. And any roads are the main favourite, but not always.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

After I got over the shock I kinda figgered that's what had happened. I'm sure at least some of those salvos had landed elsewhere on the map, but all I remember is all of the salvos that landed right in the middle of my carefully laid out parking lot. Not a single unit left untouched. HQ, FO's, all of the minesweeper tanks, all gone in one barrage. Poof.

Ironically I had no on-board arty. Just off board 105's, 155's and a lot of air (20+ missions). Half the air was unarmed recon, the other half all PGM's. Planned to spend as many as twenty turns laying waste to the AI defenses with stand-off air while reserving all of the arty for counter-battery before I moved a single unit.

I still have that set-up saved on my XP machine.

Replaying it later I noticed that at some point in that first twenty turn air strike phase that the AI had started firing intense concentrations inside its own area, pounding on its own units. Even though my entire unit was still in its parking lot behind the mountain.

I've since seen that (both) happen with other similar set-ups. But that first time was quite a shock.

ADVANCED
SQUAD
LEADER
SURVIVOR,
R

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Bad luck that turned out to be good.

Managed to get a small force down a flank & started reaping havoc on arty parks.
An armoured ammo carrier was hit by several autocannons & one tank round but dont think even managed to cause any damage.
Its routed & decides to run picking a sensible route towards a road that runs through some trees diagonaly to the front lines, all opfire misses its 1 hex dash to cover then its good luck comes to an end.
It appears running down the road through a break in the trees & a tank finaly puts a shot in it. About time I am thinking then it blow up so does an enemy APC followed by clink clink.......
Seems my force was just about to be attacked but he had to cancel it as his force was to badly suppressed.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

I love these game so much... There are so many anecdotes but of thousands of hours of entertainment still only a few stand out after all years.

Well first one must say that under the category bad luck is the countless numbers of frustrations and aggression against the earlier games when you try to keep your units in cover and your unit take a shortcut through the open. No matter of low hit percentage the drivers fault is almost always rewarded with a burning vehicle.

My maps was always marked by burning vehicles whose drivers thought that shortcuts were good. I mean yes, I try to micro-management through dangerous areas but after hours of gaming it will happen when I least expect it would.

Frustration is when "stupidity deaths" drains my forces. Maybe 70% of losses is due to a mistake.

Bad Luck: USMC vs China late 90's.
I am steam-rolling the enemy and slaughter for points as there is only a few turns left, and all victory locations is under my possession. Enemy squads are running and I pursue them with two Abrams. I go up a slope to a clean, large hill with only one dot of trees and suddenly my M1 stops and pour smoke K.I.A. First major loss. I sneak up with the second to try to find out where and what the fire came from. It too explodes after being hit. WHAT!!!
AS my infantry is tied down with dirty business I loosen up a platoon of 4 Amtracs and two other Abrams to Combat Assault the hill. One Amtrac as soon as it gets close to the others also burns with crew escaping. W*F! Im loosing points fast and I don't know to what.

I scan the area. No trace of incoming enemy fire, no mines, no nothing except the HUMPF! of my vehicle detonating. I spray the open surrounding (500m to nearest tree line)and inch an Abram and Amtrac forward. Suddenly: Surprise!! the Amtrac goes up. My Abrams reacts and shoots back somewhere close by but gets it. The crew bails out and now through the smoke I realize that on this hill with its flat surface, there is a small one level depression. In this depressions there is one piece of heavy wood and inside this is; one routed squad of Chinese infantrymen covered in smoke with RPGs. Problem is that as it is a depression I cant get LOS until I'm at the edge so I cant suppress them (the trees almost covered the hole fooling me thinking ground was level). And as such I cant assault them either as the result is now predictable. I cant call down arty as it takes to long time and lacks precision. But wait, maybe they are getting tired and suppressed? So if I continue to assault them they want have any actions left and break?

Wrong.

Several Amtracs and 4 Abrams later I realize that in my fury and frustration I carried out a standard "AI" attack resulting me re-loading the game bitterly loosing 25 turns of success.

LUCK: Korean Campaign SP2

There is heavy fighting going on at the front. I loose one of my most experienced tanks but crew survives and pulls back. To rescue them I go up with a Jeep and get them, turn around and speed back over some kilometer of open field to safety closely followed by MG fire. Then there is a new turn and all hell breaks loose.

From the air three MiG-15 comes diving down one after the other. Of course they ignore all targets like tanks and infantry at the front and goes after my jeep driving in full speed. For two turns they produce a long 800m trail of smoke and debris as they shoot it up with rockets and gunfire.

I couldn't do any thing accept continue driving at in a strait angle watching the planes roll in and shoot. Amazingly the jeep survived without a scratch. It was pure Holly Wood. I later realized that after the first run the rest of the Migs where following the same race pattern and actually fired blind trough the line of smoke.

Korea II:

It was a quiet drive to the front line as the army advanced towards their objectives and then on turn 4 the N.Korean struck, absolutely pumping in airplanes and Migs, Il's and Yak's descended on my assault line. I had three M16 AA halftracks who criss crossed the map with tracers and burning planes where falling everywhere. I have been playing this game a lot in all periods but I have never downed eight aircrafts in one turn. It was ludicrous, planes spinning to the left and right and the M16s quad 50's just worked over time.

/ Stefan

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

With SP MBT

Good Luck
A German MG squad (4 men without any AT weapons) dug in forest stopped a whole Russian infantry platoon and knocked out 4 BMP in close assaults. Later on they surrenderd unfortunately.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

Random mission, British advance on Syrians + allies, Challenger deployed VIRRS smoke, but it was hit from ATGM anyway (1% chance) and knocked out (critical hit)

'89, Danish defence against Polish assault. One M41DK with TI/GSR finished more than 4 T-72M1 tanks, dozen of APCs, circa ~60 dismounted infantrymen. Tank used its whole ammo for the main gun and was running of MGs ammunition, but I ordered him to retreat (he was deep behind enemy lines after all!). He survived crazy ride through enemy tanks and Shilkas, to finally participate as flag taker in counterattack. Yes, he survived.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

A single sniper succesfully assaulted a T-72 which drove next to it. It must have been like a scene from a bad action movie.

In a Finland vs Russia game the Russian AI once blasted a small village which could have been a good deployment zone with a huge TOS-1 barrage. I didn't have any units there at the moment. The Buratinos revealed themselves in the process and were then taken out by my own artillery.

I haven't had any really catastrophic luck. Some annoying friendly fire incidents with either aircraft or artillery. Worst was when an uncannily succesful mortar barrage from the enemy wiped out one of my infantry company HQs and a very experienced HMG team.

Re: Strangest examples of good or bad luck?
 

@Delta Wing: about the sniper it happened to me 3 times in total (2 separate times I was the attacker and my victims were a T-72 and a T-64, and in another game in 1948 Golan my Renault ft17 fell victim to an Israeli sniper). Somehow a guy with a scoped rifle and a couple of grenades is an effective tank buster...