Hammer Strike
 

This is a new scenario I am working on....Note it is not totally finalized, I would like some feedback before I call it a finished product. Israel vs Hezbollah(with serious assistance from syria iran ad even the lebanese army). hope you guys like it. Please feel very free to critisize it or praise it:)

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Only part played but a few points.

Lots of mine clearing capability perhaps at least first group of mines should be a bit larger, either wider or deeper, perhaps another row 2 hexes away.

Think in the village 1 hezbola unit is adjacent to wire &clearing it.

Nice arcs of fire lost a track from a side shot was not expecting.

The 130 arty, at least 2 are placed so could get reasonable flank shots. Because the AI calls them in as arty however it does not happen as on fire mission. Perhaps consider changing to something else or give an ATG its stats so not used as arty.

Thats it for the moment while remember but as you served in IDF you may be able to answer a couple of things as I am finding it difficult to pin down.
I think the Engineer APCs are based on the Centurion & the Acharitz on T-54/55 ex Tiran tanks.
Noticed the Namer APC actualy has lower HEAT protection in the game which does not sound right Acharitz 70, Namer 60
It has protection of MK1 Merk but think based on IV.
Also is there a 30mm cannon armed Acharitz

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Yeah that sounds like a reasonable idea.

Thats true I need to fix that.

I will look into that.

You are correct in that the Puma is a Centurion based APC and that the Achzarit is a T-54/55 based APC. You are also almost certinly correct about the Namer having more protection in real life than the older Achzarit and Centurion, as it is as you mentioned based on the Merkava 4.
There are 30mm weapon stations offered for the Achzarit, but the IDF doesent operate them, and usually either a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machinegun is mounted in the remote operated weapon station.

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Cheers for clearing that up

Re: Hammer Strike
 

OOPS :doh:

We had it based on the Mk1. As I recal there was some speculation in the past these were rebuilt Mk 1 hulls

Now fixed

Don

Re: Hammer Strike
 

I took a quick look at the scenario and it looks very interesting. I'm hoping I'll find time to play it this weekend. Two things I noticed:
- Secondary road connecting to paved road at hex 66,38 doesn't connect properly. It's a small cosmetic detail but I like to be nitpicky :)
- Victory hex at 89,45 is flagged under Israeli control. Intentional or not?

Other than that looks very nice. As with your previous scenario "Pillar of Fire" it looks like a nice mixture of traditional armoured warfare coupled with urban fighting.

- Koh

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Oh dont print the answer to the flag question yet as now wondering if its there so reinforcements head down the road, more tension its bizzare how we do stresfull things for fun. Little oposition so far easily dealt with but trying to find them without something going bang is stressing the poor commander.
Unless I find a large force somewhere perhaps a slight reduction in units, assume happening on a larger front & we are part of. Reason once I find them which is the tricky bit can bring a huge amount of firepower online, vaporising them :)
Not finnished yet as busy but for others to comment on.
Perhaps reduce length slightly as ample time to take long route keeping frontal armour forward.
Consider getting rid of rocket arty as can leapfrog some fairly heavy arty in town, plus throw in the F-16s.
Could change to a couple of mortars or planes better as less shots & no smoke. Have lots anyway on vehicles & time allowed means I can protect my flanks apart from one misjudgement.
Again time based reduce turns so need to use roads or where mines are placed on them place either side to in a row of 3, stops lead units running along beside road & finding them.
Do keep them coming balance on something like this is tricky, should cream them but lose a couple of APCs or lucky SAM strike & you are in trouble, or you would be if reduced flag values. Suggest setting far lower & possibly saying you must control them all or automatic mission fail.

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Sorry for second post but just thought if want to ramp tension & keep game length could take a leaf out of the AIs book though some people probably will not like it.

Sometimes it seeds an area with random single mines, often a sensible area as in units fairly near or approach to a ford etc. A 10x10 area 100 hexes might have none or 2-6 so low chance of finding but once do follow the leader becomes important. Can improve chances of running into by putting the odd one in nice locations to attack units that are suseptable to fire at range.

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Thanks for the feedback guys. Here is a second version, which I still consider unfinished:

Re: Hammer Strike
 

I have downloaded second version will not have time to play before the off.
As a note Marek did a Sederot map have a look at if dont have think thread called new map. Have a look at would make a good map for a scenerio defending the road to Gazza strip possibly the reverse to, ask him obviosly I keep meaning to find time to do one using part of it. LOS are tricky in places making it a good place to defend vs a superior force. Keep meaning to look at & could do conventional forces assume Egypt took control back which was my last outing on this map

Re: Hammer Strike
 

You will probably want to revisit this one after the new update, when that is released later on (no date yet).

1) New weapon class WT_EXPLOSIVES.
Explosives represent an HE charge, such as found in a demolition, IED, suicide vest or suicide vehicle.
Press F and they explode, destroying the carrying unit and also detonating any other WT_EXPLOSIVES HE rounds carried by the firing unit, plus any WT_NAPALM.
Explosives are not a close assault weapon, but vehicles passing by an enemy suicide infantry unit may cause him to trigger the device - and he may run into your hex before triggering the device, as well.

2) New unit class C_DEMOLITION
- has crew 0
- All have a pressure plate (friendly forces are less likely to trip if they pass slowly over)
- Ones with a radio are command detonated. If in contact, the player can select the demolition unit and press F to explode them.
- The pressure plates are trip-operated, and as with mines speed kills. High speed units are more likely to set one off. High speed units may not even detect them.
- Demolitions can be bought in any battle type, and can always be deployed out to the half-way line.
- If the WT_EXPLOSIVE charge is large enough, and placed on a bridge, they can drop these (as with air bombs and shells)
- Detection and clean-up similar to mines. Engineers defusing a detected demolition may trigger it..
- Demolitions are weight 250, so the user cannot transport them , they are pre-game set-up.
- detected Demolitions may only be shot at by sniper classes.
- Demolitions with a napalm chaser may spread fire into adjacent hexes too
- Demolitions have no morale effects (do not retreat etc)
- Demolitions don't detect enemy.
- MBT mine proof vehicle classes are better at not being immobilised/killed by nearby demolitions.
- The AI knows about auto-deploying these (e.g. likes roads and bridges). AI will remote detonate command demolitions if known enemy nearby. AI engineers will clear.

Some toys we have tested:
Suicide units:
suicide vest. About the size of a satchel charge. Add to a 1 man infantry class for a suicide bomber.
Suicide truck bomb. Add to an unused apc or tank class (APC and trucks under AI may not close on detected enemy, which is not the desired result here!). Same sort of stats as a 1000lb or 2000l air bomb.
Suicide tanker. Same as the truck bomb, but add a napalm charge.

- The explosives of course must be the only weapon, as if it had a rifle and tried firing, then it would of course explode the charge! :)

Demolitions
Demolition charges as booby traps (no radio, relatively cheap) or as command detonated demolitions or IED (Radio is charged for a fair bit with demolitions).
Fougasse. This was a few oil drums with a stick of dynamite as a primer. Made with a small explosive class "primer" and a napalm charge. Good for a road blocker, a typical UK Home Guard weapon in WW2.

oh - an explosion going off may destroy other explosive charges, setting them off, which may "tickle" another one and so on.. And so shooting a suicide bomber might well set his charge off. Moral - don't bunch up any suicide troops. Reconnaissance by fire may also produce some interesting secondaries.

The AI will be adjusted to buy these (both IED and bombers) for certain armies that warrant them (e.g. PLO, Mujadeen) by release time.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Sounds wicked & nice touch with the sniper

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Just a question andy, will engineers at some point be able to place those new demolitions?or to place a mine?

Re: Hammer Strike
 

No, certainly not. There is simply not enough time in the game for such operations. Plus they don't carry an infinite amount of supply in their rucksacks either. All time limits for engineering operations tend to include a number of supply trucks loaded with the devices, as well as the actual men to lay them, per X metres of mines laid per time frame (which is usually expressed in hours).

A "mine" in SP is not 1 round metal thing filled with TNT, it represents a minimum density to be effective in a 50 metre (half a football field sized) hex. Say 50x50 = 250 sq m, divided by a density of 1 mine per 8 sq m = 30 mines. Factor in the time to survey and mark out the lanes, time to dig 30 holes, lay 30 mines, cover 30 mines. Engineer vehicle with shovels, tapes to mark lanes. Engineer truck with 30 mines (at 4-5 kg each, those do not live in rucksacks!). Try going into your garden, and burying 30 flowerpots in 3 lines of 50 metres, and you would be part-way there, less the fusing and safe handling of explosive devices bit.

Demolitions are more complex things, and so are also pre-game deployment items.

Andy

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Played through the scenario. It's quite demanding. :up:

I actually cheated. Started up the scen but played sloppy in the beginning and had 4 tanks imoblised due to artillery. :doh:

So I cheated.

Created a one scenario Campaign out of the Hammer Strike scenario and made player 1 Sweden. Bought my own forces for similar amount of build points as used by the IDF in the scenario.

Bought a Battle Group of 1 reduced tank company (1 platoons), 2 reduced mech infantry company, 2 infantry companies (truck mounted), 1 engineer company, 1 escort company (Coastal Rangers in Sisu APCs) and for support 5 artillery batteries (of which 2 were 155mm) along with some mortars, 1 air sorti, 3 81mm Mortar platoons. I also got 1 UAV and four transport helicopters.

This force is much bigger than the original IDF setup in the scenario, but with fewer tanks and more vulnerable IFVs/APCs. Placed them on map near the original sceanrio start point.

Attacked with three spearheads. The northern one made best progress and secured the northern VHs. The centre push was possibly the strongest but stalled on the centre part of the map due to lack of engineer capability. The southern force punched through into the southern town but the urban area swallowed up a lot of forces. Slow progress. I did not use artillery in urban areas out of concern of the civilian population. ;)
Had no use of the helicopters either. Too vulnerable to hand-held SAMs.

At game's end I had secured most VHs in the north and south but not all in the middle. My losses were considerable:

115 casulties, 1 tank lost (the tank company commader no less), 1 CV90 lost, 4 Sisu APCs a few trucks and jeeps and the one UAV.

Enemy losses were near total; 275 men and most heavy assets like tanks, artillery and AT-guns/ATGMs but still had a few scattered units on the map.

Nice scenario. Now, give us MOAR! :D

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Thanks for all the replies and I am very happy to hear about the suicide units and IEDs...Suicide bombers were not very common with Hezballah in 2006, but they will be very usefull of r PLO and Hammas scenarios...I will wait for those units to be ready and redo this scenario.

Re: Hammer Strike
 

Gingertanker,

Thanks again for a great scenario. I ended up with a marginal victory. The land mines did me in... I think I had 5 or 6 disable tanks :-(

I did an end around which saved me from alot of the mines. Basically I went straight to the bottom of the map and went though the main town first then came back up and around towards the top of the map. Most of my tanks were disabled in the valley heading towards the top of the map.

Very enjoyable as always with your scenarios.