Beginner needs help: How to win the 011 Gavrus scenario?

[Von_Gerland]

Hello,

recently, I discovered this really great game which seems to have much more tactical depth than anything else I've seen on PC so far.

But this is also the point where the problem lies: It is very difficult to master. Now I am trying the beginner scenarios suggested by the manual and I don't see any way how to win the 011 Gavrus scenario. Could someone help, please? And maybe you could also give some general hints for beginners? This would be fantastic and thank you very much in advance!

[KAreil]

I don't see that scenario as a beginners scenario, couldn't get a victory there myself.

Most of the smaller scenarios can be a lot like a puzzle...there's only one or two approaches that will work out.


What I did when I started is to just generate a campaign with small core-force, just a company, and start playing.

[DRG]

The best teaching scenarios are not necessarily the easy ones. They can be the ones that look easy that get you your a$$ handed to you the first time through and you think......" there has to be a better way" then you go look for it.... and it might take two or three tries but in the meantime it's all education. That scenario was chosen as a "beginner" just for that reason.

Hint.... don't charge in like Gräbner at Arnhem bridge. You have mortars with smoke, used them, you have mobile guns to give you support..... DON'T get them into PIAT range and area ( Z ) fire is s good way to supress defenders you can't get a clear shot at

Play and learn. There are experienced players who probably should replay that sceanrio

[DRG]

This scenario has been discussed before

[Von_Gerland]

Finally, I figured out how to do it by myself! The most wonderous thing was that I finished just a few moments prior to a blackout in the whole building!
It works this way:

1. Take all your vehicles and move them to the other side of the river across the hexes ## 35,12 and 35, 13. The apc’s should take some of your infantry which starts in the north. It is important to avoid any contact with the enemy at this stage. This is your most important group so I’ll refer to it as the “assault force”.

2. Your infantry and heavy mg’s which start in the north but can’t be loaded into the apc’s move to the woods just north of the road, next to the bridge but stay on the west side of the river.

3. The bulk of your infantry in the south advances to the west or better northwest. Concentrate on the enemy positions to the north which are just south of the road. The enemy is tough, so when you approach you’ll mostly move 1 hex per turn. It is essential to use smoke and area fire. Even if you don’t see the enemy and have (almost) no chances to hit him, it is very important to pin him just to prevent him from firing at you. This biggest group won’t capture any objective hexes but you have to use it to distract the enemy so that he can’t concentrate on your assault group (which crosses the river). And you have to hope that the enemy uses his powerful artillery fire against it rather than against the assault group.

4. Once your assault group has crossed the river, the most difficult part begins. Move all your vehicles as closely as possible to the victory hexes. I know, this way you risk to lose them, but you are under heavy time pressure and you need many mp’s to enter the victory hexes. The enemy apc’s you can easily take out with your Stug’s. You’ll also have to find the right timing when to unload your apc’s: if you do it too early, your infantry might fall an easy pray to the hostile fire but if you take too long, your apc’s might be destroyed with all the passengers inside. And don’t forget about your recon teams which you receive as reinforcements. They are damn good marksmen!

Bottom line:
This scenario is really very difficult (the fourth one I’ve played in spww2). The enemy has a strong position, but since you are attacking him from three sides (the bulk of your infantry from the southwest, some infantry/mg squads from the northern woods and the assault force from the north/northeast on the east side of the river), it can be crushed. Especially when advancing with the assault force on the east bank, try to move far as possible and to lose as few units as possible. Especially the few infantry units in the assault force are in danger of being pinned/eliminated rather quickly. Yes, I know, it is much easier said than done, but after some tries you’ll get a good feeling how to proceed and remember that your mortars can fire smoke which will protect your vehicles from the enemy anti-tank guns.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me or to write a feedback. Hopefully, I could help, good luck!!!

[jivemi]

Originally Posted by Von_Gerland

Finally, I figured out how to do it by myself! The most wonderous thing was that I finished just a few moments prior to a blackout in the whole building!

Congratulations! Doesn't it feel great to solve a really difficult problem?

[Warwick]

A good way to learn is to play a scenario, maybe get your backside handed to you on a plate, figure out where you went wrong, then go back and try again. A good scenario for learning armour and infantry co-operation is "Eicke On The Move" a small scale meeting engagement Russia 1943.

Regards,
Warwick

[jivemi]

Greetings Von Gerland, welcome to the forum. Yeah, Gavrus ain't easy. Got my hindquarters handed to me several times before hitting on the solution, which is described through Don's (DRG's)link in post #4.

If you've already done Scenario #1, Organized Chaos, you probably learned about (mostly) infantry tactics and the importance of machine guns (MG's). A challenging pure infantry assault is scenario #195, Soerma (German assault vs Norwegian defend). You've only got one MG here and no artillery or mortars, so there's no way to lay down a smokescreen to cover your attack. Dug-in defenders seem almost invulnerable as they take potshots at your advancing squads with dismaying effect.

Can you find a way to use your single MG effectively without putting it at undue risk to counterfire? Can you determine the proper firing sequences of your squads as they crawl forward (winter movement rules are in effect) against an enemy with overlapping fields of fire? Can you pop smoke grenades at the right times and in the right places to protect vulnerable units while preserving lines of sight (LOS) for suppressive fire? Can you find the best avenue(s) of infiltration through the enemy position and take objectives in the rear?

You've got 25 turns, so don't panic or act rashly. There's enough firepower in your company to wear down the defenders over time. Just keep at it and there's a good chance fortune will eventually smile.

Good luck and happy gaming! Cheers.