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Snake726 -> 1st Panzer Army - Second Mission (3/17/2017 7:41:25 AM)
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Just to preface, I've played several Barbarossa games and the entire linked campaign in DC1 several times, so I'm not new to this series.
However, I'm having a lot of trouble in the second mission in the 1st Panzer Army linked campaign. There is some cognitive dissonance I'm experiencing between the orders and the reality of the scenario. You're told to capture Mozdok and Maikop, and pretty much the entire map worth of VPs. I presume mobility is the key. Then, of course, you boot the mission, and are instantly surrounded on all sides by fully dug-in Soviets, who keep coming at you.
My first attempts were all about creating breakthroughs, but I found I was easily cut off as my forces were divided between all 3 starting positions. I couldn't drive either way in any kind of force.
Then, getting more cynical about it, I thought I'd compensate by buying a few new units. I was initially confused about whether I should create units (it seems the answer is no, as they never reinforce in time even when also buying reinforcement troop cards, which seem to have no effect on replenish rate) or buy the more expensive full units. So I ended up buying the Romanian inf division,and both Jaegers.
Even then, I am stretched very thin. So much so that my new strategy is to simply circle the wagons on the middle starting city, forming a defensive infantry line to fend off the hordes of Soviets, and make armoured lunges out of the hedgehog to destroy each unit in detail.
To my surprise, this last tactic worked so well that I'm sure it must be intended to some degree. But again, the mission seems to enforce mobility. But of course by the time my defensive ring breaks off for the objectives, I only captured 3/4 of the map, which my superiors of course are not impressed by...
So what is the intention here? I'd love to hear from Vic, if he still monitors these boards. I was hoping for some mention of intent in the manual, and I've found no forum posts or player videos showing others playing through.
I'm not sure if the small scale is something I need to adjust to, or if the missions are in fact a bit broken, or balanced very hard (I'm playing on Normal AI, I can't imagine what dismal hell any higher difficulty would be on this map).
I mean, all my strategies for the first map work, each variation seems viable - but this second map not only seems challenging but is completely flipping my planning on its head. I feel like I am missing something (because I would want at least one infantry or motorized/mech division accompanying my panzer divisions for security after breakthroughs, but that simply doesn't seem possible).
Am I being too conservative? Is it really possible to rush for towns with the panzers, secure them for supply, and move on, almost abandoning your starting position - something like that? Given that the army HQ cannot move, it seems very strange as a strategy for the 1st Panzer Army to have employed...
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