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 Reading beyond this point if you are not on this side or an observer is considered cheating. Cheaters are not nice people. quote:Hello Commanders. My son has randomly picked Gnoman (via holding up to random objects and asking him to pick one.) as company commander. He will pick the forces but the rest of you can advise. Here are your points total - when I did your screenshots, I didn’t realize I still had it set to medium battle.         OOB's are final. Here it is, the big moment! The map!  First up, apologies for the fact there is no snow. Apparently playing in Jan '45 removes that. The joys of looking at the map editor. I'll try and get a snow map in later.  Here is your deployment. Grey Hunter fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Aug 16, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 05:53
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Grey Hunter posted:2 - Tanks are limited, only 25% of your points may be spent on tanks. What counts as a tank for this purpose? Anything with treads and guns?
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Aug 10, 2018 06:05
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I can’t seem to pull up some of those images (on my phone atm) but I won’t have much hand in army list composition anyway. I don’t have a preference for what kind of platoon I get: when duty calls, we all must answer.
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Aug 10, 2018 06:19
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IMPORTANT THINGS TO READ!Grey Hunter posted:Please link orders to this sheet. 1. If you do nothing else, play the Final Blitzkrieg demo. It's a good way to a get a feel for the mechanics of Combat Mission 2. Read the manual. I don't expect everyone to read the whole thing, but you should familiarize yourself with the relevant parts. For example, tankers should read up on their tanks, Russian tanks, and tactics/mechanics relevant to armored warfare. 3. Read the "Tactical Skills" series on the Battle Drill blog. It has just ten short parts. full of useful tactical advice. 4. If you'd rather watch a video than read, check out this series. It was filmed using Command Mission: Battle for Normandy, but the basic principles it covers are universal. 6. Armored officers should read Panzer Vorwärts!. It's a WWII-era collection of 30 maxims for Panzer officers. Follow these rules and you'll fight better. You'll also get a feel for how the Germans might fight. 7. Grey's Guide to Combat Mission 8. Kangra's guide to movement 9. Battalion-level orders = Situation and Mission and Execution 10. American Unit Composition 11. 3rd Armored Division Unit History ----- My back-of-the-envelope ideas. The Germans are gonna bring a bunch of heavy armor, I wager. To avoid being steamrolled by them, we will need to choose wisely and play smart. I suggest we try to pin down the infantry with MG fire, then kill them with as much artillery as possible. Then try to ambush the oncoming and unsupported tanks with bazooka teams and hidden tanks and TDs. 1) We can afford to buy a platoon (5 tanks) of 76mm M4 Shermans. Even with the new HVAP ammo, they will struggle to reliably beat Panthers at range, so we'd should put them on reverse slopes and in flank ambush positions. 2) We can get a light section (2 vehicles) of tank destroyers, ideally the M36B1, which have a 90mm gun in a thin turret, but the hull of an M4A3 Sherman, which has nearly the same frontal armor as a Tiger I. Using tank desteoyer doctrine as it was meant to be used, they can be our fire brigade force to respond to sudden German armored thrusts. Thats our 1,785 points of armor done... 3) We get two crack company of Paratroopers, Not-So-Easy Company and Easy-Peasy Company. We're going to be overrun by enemy armor and infantry. Paratroopers have more men and more firepower (M1919A6 machine guns instead of BARs, more Thompsons, demo charges, bazookas, etc) than regular dogfaces. We're gonna need that. 4) We get two companies of infantry stragglers and heavy weapons teams. They're a speedbump to buy time for the rest of our units to react. 5) Artillery, TRPs, and FOs. Lots and lots of artillery. We try to fix the Germans in place long enough to beat the crap out of them with artillery. 6) Some towed AT guns. Not the silly 57mm guns, either. 7) Foxholes. They make a big difference in living or dying, especially against German MG fire. Bacarruda fucked around with this message at 12:38 on Aug 28, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 06:59
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I have my own thoughts on the matter, but I'm waiting for a bit more input (and more people getting into the thread) before I chime in.
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Aug 10, 2018 07:19
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can we get the player assignments/OOB somewhere in here? I already unsubscribed from the main thread.
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Aug 10, 2018 07:42
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Allied Command Battalion Commander Gnoman Company Commander Gradenko_2000 Glynnenstein Bacarruda Platoon Commander Comrade Koba Pirate Radar TehKeen Stairmaster Hubis Remora Acebuckeye13 chitoryu12 Tank Commander Comstar bunnyofdoom Acebuckeye13 Habeusdorkus. also Top Hats Monthly The first engagement will bee a meeting engagement. - so foxholes will be of little use - that bit was more for subsequent battles. [/b] Sorry, I wrote this with the kid up, so its amazing it even got written! Grey Hunter fucked around with this message at 07:56 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 07:48
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Wrong list, Grey. 
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Aug 10, 2018 07:50
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At least it wasn't sensitive info!
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Aug 10, 2018 07:56
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No worries. Hope you’re having a nice morning. 
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Aug 10, 2018 07:58
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I'd like to voice a request to be assigned an infantry outfit, because that's the majority of my experience with these games (and in general). Or I don't know if Company command means I'll be getting vehicles included no matter what, but that's okay.
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Aug 10, 2018 07:59
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Gnoman posted:What counts as a tank for this purpose? Anything with treads and guns? Anything that runs just on treads - so tanks, Tank killers and self propelled guns. EDIT! I feel I should tell you that you will be up against it a bit here, your starting rules are harsher than the Germans, but they will get poorer quailty reinforcements, so you will see a shift after this battle. So if you feel like things are stacked against you, they are, but know every valuable machine you destroy here will probibly never be seen again! Grey Hunter fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 08:57
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We need a tank platoon, but it needs to fight as a platoon. Keep the tanks together and cover each other. Don't spread them out. 2x90mm TD's to help work with the Sherman's. Lots and lots of Artillery. Let the Germans take the objectives...and then cover them in VT fused hell. Do not attempt to hold infantry on Forest objectives, because that's where they'll be dropping their artillery too. Particularly early on, the more attrition they take holding objectives, the better in the long run. Ideally our infantry all act as spotters for the FO's to point targets at. If there's a village, keep our infantry on the inside, not hold the edges of it. Make them come in close and dig us out.
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Aug 10, 2018 11:05
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Also, there are rumours that German Paratroops have been disguised as Americans and infiltrated our lines. Be wary of those stragglers. In an effort to keep our communications clear and yet also impenetrable to the enemy, I propose using this guide. You can see a movie of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=airT-m9LcoY Objectives or Phase Lines: 1st Base 2nd Base 3rd Base Left Field Centre Field Pitcher Catcher Shortstop Unit Names: Who What I don't know Why Because Tomorrow Today I don't care
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Aug 10, 2018 12:01
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Comstar posted:We need a tank platoon, but it needs to fight as a platoon. Keep the tanks together and cover each other. Don't spread them out. Completely agree with this concept. We will want dedicated FO teams and on map Target Reference Points (TRPs), both of which will make calls for artillery fire much faster and more accurate. An on-map infantry Platoon Leader at this point in the war is probably a Ninety Day Wonder. He might have learned how to call for artillery at Fort Benning, but he's going to take about twice as long as a proper FO. One thing I've been wondering about is getting infantry in halftracks or trucks to rush to key ground early on. Or to be used as a firefighting force later on.
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Aug 10, 2018 13:38
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Bonjour mes amis, I am Lieutenant-colonel Danse of the Forces françaises libres, and I have been assigned to your headquarters as observer and advisor.
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Aug 10, 2018 13:55
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Just let me sit in a tin can, and shoot at things.
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Aug 10, 2018 14:38
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Tons and tons of artillery sounds kinda boring from an LP perspective, to me.
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Aug 10, 2018 14:46
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Comstar posted:Lots and lots of Artillery. Let the Germans take the objectives...and then cover them in VT fused hell. Do not attempt to hold infantry on Forest objectives, because that's where they'll be dropping their artillery too. Particularly early on, the more attrition they take holding objectives, the better in the long run. Ideally our infantry all act as spotters for the FO's to point targets at. This sounds good. We can pre-sight the artillery on objective points, fall back as soon as our defense start faltering, and start blasting the poo poo out of everything that comes in thinking they won.
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Aug 10, 2018 15:14
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glynnenstein posted:Tons and tons of artillery sounds kinda boring from an LP perspective, to me. It gives your pixel men an interesting life and if they survive great stories their grand kids will post about in the mil-hist thread (if you havn't already, check out the one about the US radioman in Vietnam when he called in naval gunfire support danger close). From what I recall about CM, it's very inaccurate (and takes ages to arrive) unless you have a FO spotting, and we need our infantry to spot the enemy units location for the FO to call it on. And then you need our infantry to keep them from moving while our guys have to keep moving from the German artillery doing the same thing. You can't sit still long enough for the FO to call in on you, and they're going to have King Tigers and outnumber us too boot. And we have no air support. Then again, we probably don't have the points for lots of it either, but the FO's are more important than the guns themselves I think.
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Aug 10, 2018 15:44
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chitoryu12 posted:This sounds good. We can pre-sight the artillery on objective points, fall back as soon as our defense start faltering, and start blasting the poo poo out of everything that comes in thinking they won. As Grey has said, this first battle will be a meeting engagement, so we won't be defending right away. Meeting engagements, or advances to contact, tend to come down to a few things. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/3-90/ch4.htm#par4 The points about guessing enemy courses of action, doing recon, making contact with the smallest possible force, using overwatch when moving, and trying to get local superiority are especially relevant to us. I'll also add that controlling key terrain (with troops) and denying the enemy access to key terrain and routes (with artillery and long range tank fire) are also key in meeting fights like this. Bacarruda fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 15:51
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Comstar posted:It gives your pixel men an interesting life and if they survive great stories their grand kids will post about in the mil-hist thread (if you havn't already, check out the one about the US radioman in Vietnam when he called in naval gunfire support danger close). In CM, TRPs especially are a thing that can really make artillery super devastating. Otherwise a lot of how deadly artillery can be comes down to how much you can spot on a given map. Reasonable, amounts of artillery is usually fun; however, with custom bought forces it's pretty possible to load up on artillery to an extremely cheesy level.
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Aug 10, 2018 15:56
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Grey, when do we get the map?
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Aug 10, 2018 16:00
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When it comes to the makeup of our armored detachment, keep rarity points in mind-as neat as it would be to bring nothing but Sherman 76s and 90mm TDs, that just isn't happening in the points we have allowed. Looking at the list, here's some of the options that we have: Option A: Tank Destroyer Doctrine 5 M4A3(75)W (Mid): 232 points each, 0 rarity 2 M36 GMC: 299 points each, 846 rarity Option B: Distributed Anti-Armor 6 M4A3(76)W (Early): 258 points each, 258 Rarity 1 M4A3(75)W (Mid): 232 points each, 0 rarity Option C: Jumbos Lead the Way 1 M4A3E2(75)W: 297 Points each, 1485 Rarity 1 M4A3(76)W (Early): 258 points each, 258 Rarity 5 M4A3(75)W (Mid): 232 points each, 0 rarity There's a few other permutations we can try, but generally this is what it boils down to. Personally, my preference is for option A or option C-Option A since the M36 TDs will be extremely handy in taking out heavier German armor, and option C because Jumbooooooos. E: Though something else to consider is investing in Hellcats and transports, to try and get our troops to key positions on the battlefield before the Germans can arrive. If we can get to the best terrain first, then we've got a much better chance of being able to hold the Germans back even if they do have superior firepower and numbers. Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 16:43
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bunnyofdoom posted:Grey, when do we get the map? After you've picked your forces.
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Aug 10, 2018 17:55
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Mes amis, would it not be wise to consider anti-tank performance the highest priority? After all, why insist on a tank when a field gun can perform the same role on the defense, no?
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Aug 10, 2018 18:07
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I'm thinking along slightly different lines for the armor. I'm leaning toward 3 M36 (standard, not the B1) TDs and 4 105mm M4s. I think that the TDs will be adequate against armor if used carefully, while the M4s will provide valuable anti-infantry firepower. The big downside to this is that it uses 5178 rarity, which might pinch the rest of our forces a bit.
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Aug 10, 2018 18:41
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I also would like to note that our replacement pool is better than what theirs will be. Therefore, we get stronger as they get weaker as time goes on. Therefore, we can play the long game per-se. This is campaign, not a single battle.
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Aug 10, 2018 18:56
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Dance Officer posted:Mes amis, would it not be wise to consider anti-tank performance the highest priority? After all, why insist on a tank when a field gun can perform the same role on the defense, no? American towed AT guns were notoriously lovely. The M1 57mm was a copy of the British 6 pounder, and was hopelessly obsolete by late 1944. The M1 76mm was more powerful, but was mounted on the same carriage as the 105mm howitzer and as a result it was heavy, unmaneuverable, and generally worthless in a real fight. And that was the heaviest they got-while there was a 90mm AA gun in a DP mount, it was pretty rare, and the gun never made it into a proper towed platform. As a result, the best American AT guns are the ones mounted on tanks-particularly the M36's 90mm M1. They also benefit from having a handful of HVAP rounds, which have much greater velocity and armor penetration than standard anti-tank rounds. This is all not to say that we shouldn't have regular AT guns, because those can definitely come in handy, but they're not anything we can actually rely on. Gnoman posted:I'm thinking along slightly different lines for the armor. I'm leaning toward 3 M36 (standard, not the B1) TDs and 4 105mm M4s. Clarification from Grey-are the rarity points also limited as part of the 25% we can spend on armor, or can we go over? Obviously, that changes quite a bit of the calculus on what we can bring. Edit: Personally, this is what I'm thinking if the rarity points are limited: Tank Destroyer Section: M18 x2 First Tank Platoon: M4A3(76)W Early M4A3(75)W Mid M4A3(75)W Mid Second Tank Platoon: M4A3(76)W Early M4A3(75)W Mid M4A3(105) Late It gives a good balance of numbers and firepower, with 4 76mm guns (Two of which will likely be able to reach prime flanking positions before anyone else can arrive) and a mix of standard Shermans and an assault gun. It also frees up rarity points to be used for things like heavy howitzer barrages, which may be critical towards keeping the Germans off the objective points or disrupting their infantry formations. Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 19:08
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I'd say just the main points.
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Aug 10, 2018 19:39
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Hey Grey, is there any way to get a sense of the makeup of those artillery batteries? I want to know how much some 155mm tubes with VT fuzes would cost.
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Aug 10, 2018 21:39
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Put me down for something high level command if possible. If not put me in an infantry unit
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Aug 10, 2018 21:53
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New plan for armour: We have a German Panzer Division coming down the road after breaking through the front line. There can be only one conclusion for the US Army Armoured Corps: Nothing but Tank Destroyers. This is what the doctrine was built for!
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Aug 10, 2018 22:42
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Guys, I have a plan... EN AVANT, MOTHERFUCKERS. DOUBLE REVERSE ENVELOPMENT. Got my tanks fueled and ready to go.
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Aug 11, 2018 02:24
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Composition is accurate. Rarity points and deployment points are not. Pioneer Platoon (HQ, 3x Pioneer Sections) 1x AT Platoon (HQ, 3x 57mm AT guns) 3x Rifle Companies (Able, Baker, Charlie each with three rifle platoons, and a weapons platoon (2x MMG and 3x 60mm mortars) 1x Weapons Company (2x MG platoons with a total of 4x .50 cal and 1x mortar platoon with 4x 81mm mortars) Total of 3798 points and 0 rarity with Regular Exp, Normal Motivation, Fit Fitness and 0 bonus Leadership. This has no bazooka. If I add the M9A1 bazooka option the 1st squad of every rifle platoon gets a bazooka. Cost is now 3951 points, 945 rarity. I can also trim the cost a little by putting the 81mm mortars off-map (they can't fire over open sights or be resupplied with ammo by a supply truck this way) Note: the cheaper M1A1 bazooka is also an option for all US infantry, but the M9 is a bit better, so I'll used that one for future price calculations. Dismounted Armored Infantry Bttl (HQ, Operations Team) 1x HQ Company (HQ team, 1x Recon Platoon with an HQ and 4x recon teams, 1x MG Platoon with 2x .50 cals, 1x Medium Mortar Platoon with 3x 81mm mortars) 3x Companies (Able, Baker, Charlie each with 1x AT platoon with 3x 57mm gun, 3x infantry platoons each with 3 rifle squads an MMG and a 60mm mortar) Cost is 3620 point, 0 rarity with no bazooka. 4043 points and 1063 rarity with an M9A1 bazooka for each infantry squad. Parachute Battalion (HQ Team, XO team) 1x Engineer Platoon (HQ team, 2x LMG teams, 2x Bazooka teams, 2x flamethrower teams, 3x engineer squads) 1x HQ Company (1x MG Platoon with 2x sections for a total of 8x LMG teams, 3x HQ/Bazooka teams, 1x Mortar Platoon with 2x 81mm mortars and 1x Bazooka team) 3x Companies (Able, Baker, Charlie each with an HQ team, an HQ Support team and 1x Bazooka team and 3x Platoons with 1x Bazooka and 1x 60mm mortar per platoon) Cost is 3421 points for 874 rarity with max M9A1 bazookas and M1919A6 LMGs. Glider Infantry Battalion (HQ team, Operations team) 1x Engineer Platoon (HQ team, 2x LMG teams, 2x Bazooka teams, 2x flamethrower teams, 3x engineer squads) 1x HQ Company (HQ Team, XO team with 1x MG Platoon with 1x Bazooka team and 4x MMG/HMG and 1x Mortar Platoon with 1x Bazooka and 3x 81mm mortars) 3x Companies (HQ and 1x Bazooka team with 2x Platoons with 3x Rifle squads with 1x Bazooka and 1x 60mm mortar per platoon and 1x Weapons Platoon with 1x Bazooka, 2x LMG and 2x 60mm mortars) Cost is 2723 points and 618 rarity with M9A1 Bazooka and M1919A6 LMG. Bacarruda fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Aug 11, 2018 |
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Aug 11, 2018 02:38
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I feel like we need Gnoman to make some calls here.Comstar posted:New plan for armour: We have a German Panzer Division coming down the road after breaking through the front line. If we're going to get stuck into a defensive crouch where we can hide our tanks and ambush some Wehraboos, this makes sense. We'd get hosed up by artillery, though, IIRC.
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Aug 11, 2018 02:47
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We're actively discussing this in the Discord. Going around in circles a bit because we need Grey to clarify a few things.
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Aug 11, 2018 03:07
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habeasdorkus posted:I feel like we need Gnoman to make some calls here. We're currently having a lively back-and-forth in the Discord Grey set up! The long and the short of it is that we're trying to prioritize our armor, artillery, and infantry options. Armor-wise, we're thinking a combo of M4A3E8s, M36s, and M18s, and are currently discussing infantry options (And also waiting on Baccaruda to finish setting up Final Blitzkrieg so we can get more solid estimates on troop numbers-we all want VT fuzes, for instance, but they could come at the cost of infantry bazookas or an extra M36).
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Aug 11, 2018 03:07
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Acebuckeye13 posted:We're currently having a lively back-and-forth in the Discord Grey set up! What's the discord link?
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Aug 11, 2018 03:15
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habeasdorkus posted:What's the discord link? https://discord.gg/DBC4M46
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Aug 11, 2018 03:25
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