Scenario: Hammer Strike

[Imp]

Sounds wicked & nice touch with the sniper

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

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

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

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

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

[wulfir]

Played through the scenario. It's quite demanding.

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

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!