Daunted by Long Campaign force selection

[Falcon1]

If you would prefer a company size core force, like I do, first set the map to 20 high by 40 wide. Then pick your FO, then the leg company. Then a scout section, MG section, mortar section, AA section, and Inf-AT section if not included with the company. Then a tank or Stug section. If you want to simulate an armored unit, then take a tank platoon instead of the section. (two platoons for US and Russian).

I usually use support points for the off board artillery, and an engineer platoon if attacking. On defense use support points also for some AT guns and extra MG.

[Tim James]

Thanks guys. I took the plunge and made my own company-sized force. I learned a lot of German abbreviations tonight.

I might have to restart because I did the battle points preference incorrectly, according to the manual. I left it defaulted to 3000 but only spent 1000.

Originally Posted by Falcon1

If you would prefer a company size core force, like I do, first set the map to 20 high by 40 wide.

20x40 seems a little small for a company sized force. Is it going to be a bloodbath?

[Mobhack]

If you plan on a leg infantry core, then 80x80 maps may be a better size for you.

Those cores are roughly battalion sized - 3 rifle coy, with an attached tank coy. The battalion is the basic unit, really.

If you really want a smaller core, then perhaps -

- HQ
- Observer
- a medium mortar section for him to play with
- an AA unit
- an A/T gun section of 2-3 items, towed or SP
- a scout section or scout car section

One rifle company + 1 tank platoon
(or one tank company + 1 mech platoon)

And go from there. i.e. the original SP size (was 24 or 48 units max in the core, been so long I have forgotten which).

A company team, in other words.

[Mobhack]

The edit function does not seem to be working, so further to my above.

Remember that those forces are core plus the support for the battle. (Supports have s added to the ID in the HQ menus).

[Mobhack]

The points will be fine - remember that the AI buys in ratio to what your core(+support) is actually worth, since you are player #1 in the LC, so the "unspent" points don't go to the AI's credit. The AI is player #2 so his points are determined by your points value and the battle type.

Same with any support points offered in a battle in the long campaign - if you want a smaller game, then simply do not spend all the points offered. The unspent points will be ignored.

Thus the default points is simply set hight for the initial core buy so you do not run out of purchasing power in the initial buy. It's completely irrelevant what it is set at once the campaign is underway. As is the air strikes prefs settings in an LC (its determined by code in LCs). So the 2000 unused points you have are entirely irrelevant once the first buy is over - they are simply dropped on the cutting room floor.

AI P2 spend = ((P1 core's value) + P1 support points spent) * battle type multiplier

[Falcon1]

I would have thought that 80x80 (4000m frontage) would be way to much for a company. 20 hexes (1000m) is as low as the game will go and that is still on the high side for a company frontage I think.

[Mobhack]

80x80 is what I tend to use for a leg infantry battalion sized force's campaign maps. For mech and armour, I stick with the default 100 wide by 80 to 100 tall.

40-60 tall, and 80 deep would do for a company of leg grunts in a campaign. you might concentrate yourself on a 20 hex wide corridor somewhere in the middle of that, but then you have flanks to cover - which is always more interesting, IMHO.

As you get 750 support points in a meeter, you'll have enough for a second support leg coy and some tanks too (if you use the buy points - remember that's not compulsory).

80 deep is enough to walk across in 25 or so turns, and leaves room for rear area troops like arty and mortars without these being too close that they get shot up by enemy direct fire weapons on open maps in decent visibility. Or overrun by tanks in turn 4 or so, if you left them unscreened.

[Mobhack]

I buy the "support company" items as a group, so they are together, as a support company grouping. (It would be a support platoon, if I was playing with a company sized core).

That way I have these key units to deploy first, as determined with my game planning. Not dotted randomly in between the line companies.

It's one of the irritating things about the game that later bought units cannot be "reshuffled" to align with company architecture. So I buy support co stuff first. naturally I'll end up with a few odds and ends at the end of the troop list once I buy a few extras over time, but mainly I tend to stick with the original battalion structure throughout the war. (Maybe if really bored some time, I will make a database reshuffling tool!)

I do find some core AAA units worthwhile, as it guards against the times one forgets to buy some (and get whacked by enemy air). They can always fight as great big machine guns if there is no enemy air threat. Or be converted later to more A/T or mortar units (as the Commonwealth did in Burma, historically. ATG and AAA units there were eventually also dual-equipped with 3in mortars as swing-role formations, mainly acting as mortars).

In a German campaign - core AT units can convert to SP-AAA later on when Allied air gets significant.

Having the flak elements have gained experience means that when converted to arty (in a non German core) they then have quicker response times. And any German anti tank converts to flak tend to be noticeably more effective since they usually have a sizeable kill total (and hence the experience gain for that) by the time they do switch roles.

The key arty unit is the FO though, so buy him in the initial buy and never risk him getting near fighting, or in places that the enemy will shell. As he gets experienced, the time to call reduces significantly. That FO experience adds to the experienced core arty troops quick response. So - losing my FO in a campaign is an utter disaster, and experienced mortar sections etc slightly less so.

Things not to have in a core would be helicopters (MBT), any more than a battery of off-map or on-map indirect howitzers per 3 line coys in the core. Engineer tanks and specialist flame tanks that were rare beasties. The German SP-88 on a truck (only 18 ever built, and really were meant to poke holes in the Maginot forts) or the British Churchill SPG which is so devastating in the Desert, but in reality stayed firmly at home, or the German experimental jobs like the SP 128mm. Paratroopers, Commandos, Brandenbergers, SAS and other stuff that only do specialist operations (unless playing a para-commando core force). More than a couple of ammo trucks (one per core arty battery maybe). More than 1 sniper per rifle company HQ, that sort of thing. I also avoid "romper stomper" cores such as converting every tank to a tiger or panther and so I stick to line German AFV such as the P4 and Hetzer, with only a platoon or so of "specials" - otherwise it's a boring walk-over.

Cheers
Andy

[RVPERTVS]

Thanks a lot Andy! Fast and comprehensive as always. I have a couple of questions though about this info:

Originally Posted by Mobhack

I buy the "support company" items as a group, so they are together, as a support company grouping. (It would be a support platoon, if I was playing with a company sized core).

What type of units should I buy with my support points then? I usually get the arty, recon, etc with support points so they are always at the end of the list.

This reminded me of an issue I experienced on my last game: when using the N and P commands if the next unit is mounted the cursor hex is placed over the transport unit, but when the N command is used again then the cursor goes to the next unit on the transport formation.

Originally Posted by Mobhack

(Maybe if really bored some time, I will make a database reshuffling tool!)

That would be great!

Originally Posted by Mobhack

Having the flak elements have gained experience means that when converted to arty (in a non German core) they then have quicker response times. And any German anti tank converts to flak tend to be noticeably more effective since they usually have a sizeable kill total (and hence the experience gain for that) by the time they do switch roles.

I was in the belief that converted units start fresh and that experience was lost.

[Ts4EVER]

I think they lose some experience, but not all.