DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
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DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Things to be aware of:
Fairly standard scenario, but again it has that special feature of how the Italian aux works. How many did you start with? How many are still left over at the end?
Fairly standard scenario, but again it has that special feature of how the Italian aux works. How many did you start with? How many are still left over at the end?
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
7a) Etna line North – beta 1
Level: Field Marshal
Prestige - Begin: 1,550. End: 1,900. Net: +350.
Result: DV at 17/17. All (14) Aux units survived.
Replacements: Minor replacements for a few auxiliary units, less than ~30pp. Lots of damage in final attack/last two turns for repair next deployment.
Core changes:
General impressions/comments:
Level: Field Marshal
Prestige - Begin: 1,550. End: 1,900. Net: +350.
Result: DV at 17/17. All (14) Aux units survived.
Replacements: Minor replacements for a few auxiliary units, less than ~30pp. Lots of damage in final attack/last two turns for repair next deployment.
Core changes:
- · Disbanded: none.
· Upgraded Aux units:
- o All basic Italian infantry (x3) to Alpini and Bersaglieri
o M15/42 tanks ( x2) to P26 (so 3 P26/40 total now)
o 105mm artillery (x2) to 149mm class.
- o All basic Italian infantry (x3) to Alpini and Bersaglieri
- · When trying to upgrade aux units, I noticed one Bersaglieri ’43 – the “23rd” - has an upgrade problem. If you try to give it transport, you have to first “downgrade” it to regular Bersaglieri (pre-’43). All other aux. units can be given transport w/o problem if you choose.
· When deploying aux units, you can’t right-click and remove them/move them. They are treated like an in-scenario purchased unit – once placed, you can’t undo.
General impressions/comments:
- · Scenario played well, seemed pretty straightforward other than deployment and upgrade problem.
· 14/14 Aux units survived, though three at 1~3 strength following the 2nd mass assault near the end of the game.
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- Staff Sergeant - StuG IIIF
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Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
General level. Starting prestige 1035, ending 235.
It was fairly easy to stop the American advance. I wiped out their initial forces and began to advance (at the same time starting to evacuate the Italian units). I took San Fratello on turn 13 Troina on turn 15. At that point I assumed the scenario would end, but it continued to turn 17 even though I had evacuated all Italian units. It's probably not a bug, it just didn't do what I expected. DV on 17/17. It was a battle to hold San Fratello against the counter attack but I did it (barely) until then end. All 12 Italian units survived. The artillery, PS 26/40 tank and the Centauro fighter really came in handy.
Prestige seems a little low for a DV.
It was fairly easy to stop the American advance. I wiped out their initial forces and began to advance (at the same time starting to evacuate the Italian units). I took San Fratello on turn 13 Troina on turn 15. At that point I assumed the scenario would end, but it continued to turn 17 even though I had evacuated all Italian units. It's probably not a bug, it just didn't do what I expected. DV on 17/17. It was a battle to hold San Fratello against the counter attack but I did it (barely) until then end. All 12 Italian units survived. The artillery, PS 26/40 tank and the Centauro fighter really came in handy.
Prestige seems a little low for a DV.
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- Lieutenant Colonel - Panther D
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Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
General level
Imported core
DV on turn 17/17
This was truly a Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one! I managed to hold the line in the north well enough but wasn't able to advance to the western hex. In the south, I slowly, slowly advanced. It was difficult though because my Italian units were key to advancing but I had to retreat them in time to evacuate. I would request that this evacation condition be dropped. Since you are not in full retreat like on the other scenario, it doesn't make sense that your Italian units have to be evacuated. I lost my best Italian units because I didn't evacuate them quite fast enough, I was literally one hex short of the evac zone. All I have left are two Italian Infantry and an artillery.
Also, the last American counterattack is insane. The airforce wiped out nearly all of my Luftwaffe units, I only had two units left, one of them being my elite fighter I imported. I think this should be toned down. I thought the Red Airforce in Deducter's mod was bad, but this is ridiculous! It is also problematic since you don't really have a chance to train up a lot of fighters by this point due to the core size restrictions. The flood of M-18 Hellcats killed my elite STuG that I imported as well, which made me sad. I think that if you could increase the core slots a bit, I would have been able to use more support units like the 12.8 AA. The core slots seem just too few for the number of enemy units you have to face.
Imported core
DV on turn 17/17
This was truly a Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one! I managed to hold the line in the north well enough but wasn't able to advance to the western hex. In the south, I slowly, slowly advanced. It was difficult though because my Italian units were key to advancing but I had to retreat them in time to evacuate. I would request that this evacation condition be dropped. Since you are not in full retreat like on the other scenario, it doesn't make sense that your Italian units have to be evacuated. I lost my best Italian units because I didn't evacuate them quite fast enough, I was literally one hex short of the evac zone. All I have left are two Italian Infantry and an artillery.
Also, the last American counterattack is insane. The airforce wiped out nearly all of my Luftwaffe units, I only had two units left, one of them being my elite fighter I imported. I think this should be toned down. I thought the Red Airforce in Deducter's mod was bad, but this is ridiculous! It is also problematic since you don't really have a chance to train up a lot of fighters by this point due to the core size restrictions. The flood of M-18 Hellcats killed my elite STuG that I imported as well, which made me sad. I think that if you could increase the core slots a bit, I would have been able to use more support units like the 12.8 AA. The core slots seem just too few for the number of enemy units you have to face.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Colonel - DV at turn 17.
„Viel Feind’, viel Ehr’!“ ("Many enemies, much honor!") and many damaged units.
That was a hard work and as monkspider already wrote: a Pyrrhic victory . In the beginnig I sold all Italian units to restrength my core units and bought a Tiger. At the end I nearly had no prestige left: Where has all the prestige gone?
The second wave with massive air superiority really hurts, lost no unit but most units are damaged.
If it goes on like this this could be my last DV.
„Viel Feind’, viel Ehr’!“ ("Many enemies, much honor!") and many damaged units.
That was a hard work and as monkspider already wrote: a Pyrrhic victory . In the beginnig I sold all Italian units to restrength my core units and bought a Tiger. At the end I nearly had no prestige left: Where has all the prestige gone?
The second wave with massive air superiority really hurts, lost no unit but most units are damaged.
If it goes on like this this could be my last DV.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
This map, along with others, has had a few changes, thought I'd share for input. The warning message, and one of the added evac zones.
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- Lieutenant Colonel - Panther D
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Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
That is a good idea, I think a warning about that last wave and a reminder about saving the Italian units is very smart and makes nice use of the new Afrika Korps in-scenario messaging.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
It really is such a great feature, I really like being able to communicate things to the player any time I want now. Heh.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Note I played this with beta1 still.
A great scenario! At first I was bored, just destroying the puny 1-star Americans and their tanks without trying. I wiped out the few AI planes without issue either. But around turn 14-15, there was an absolutely massive attack by much more experienced units, and the AI's air power felt just about right. The idea here is that the Allies have air superiority, and rightly so!
I was wondering whether it might be advisable to trigger this final attack wave as soon as the player captures one of the VH. That way, player satisfied to defend can avoid dealing with the powerful final attack, while players who want the glory of DV will have to go up against a very powerful AI force.
Fortunately DV requires holding onto all but 1 VH, which is not too hard to do. The northern one seems to be the easier one to hold, due to its proximity to the coast and how easy it is to create a bottleneck there with a Panther or a Tiger.
DV 17/17.
I had some difficulty withdrawing all my Italians due to a lack of transports.
Edit: I also appreciated the string "Mt Etna Peak," I thought it was a very nice little touch! Too bad there wasn't a volcano graphic.
A great scenario! At first I was bored, just destroying the puny 1-star Americans and their tanks without trying. I wiped out the few AI planes without issue either. But around turn 14-15, there was an absolutely massive attack by much more experienced units, and the AI's air power felt just about right. The idea here is that the Allies have air superiority, and rightly so!
I was wondering whether it might be advisable to trigger this final attack wave as soon as the player captures one of the VH. That way, player satisfied to defend can avoid dealing with the powerful final attack, while players who want the glory of DV will have to go up against a very powerful AI force.
Fortunately DV requires holding onto all but 1 VH, which is not too hard to do. The northern one seems to be the easier one to hold, due to its proximity to the coast and how easy it is to create a bottleneck there with a Panther or a Tiger.
DV 17/17.
I had some difficulty withdrawing all my Italians due to a lack of transports.
Edit: I also appreciated the string "Mt Etna Peak," I thought it was a very nice little touch! Too bad there wasn't a volcano graphic.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Still playing Beta 1 also. Seizing the two cities (the northern one, and the one in the lower middle of the map) rapidly and setting up a defensive perimeter is absolutely essential to victory. I am not sure how I feel about having the Italian aux units. I only deployed the most potent units, but spent the second half of the scenario evacuating them from the board. I suppose I could put them all in and suicide them around, but I was hoping to build an aux core alongside my standard core.
One issue I have is with the American air power. I have four FW-190s (two of them 14 strength), a 14 strength ME-410, and a 14 strength HE-177. The initial wave of American fighters/bombers are fairly easily knocked off within the first 2-3 turns, but the final wave that comes around turn 14 is RE-DUNK-CULOUS! The American fighters tore apart my FW 190s (even the 14 strength ones) like they were Stukas, and then started blowing the hell out of my ground units! The second time I played the scenario I found it better to evacuate all of my air units to the far east of the board rather than have them annihilated, but this left my ground forces wide open for aerial destruction. I have not played Beta 2 yet, but hopefully this second American air assault is tuned down a bit. The FW-190 should be at least a very equal match for the best Allied fighter/bombers of this time period, but they do not seem to be. The FW-190D and ME262 are a long way away. It is going to be a long slog with the air war! I would like to see some aux mobile AA units on the map to at least introduce some balance.
One issue I have is with the American air power. I have four FW-190s (two of them 14 strength), a 14 strength ME-410, and a 14 strength HE-177. The initial wave of American fighters/bombers are fairly easily knocked off within the first 2-3 turns, but the final wave that comes around turn 14 is RE-DUNK-CULOUS! The American fighters tore apart my FW 190s (even the 14 strength ones) like they were Stukas, and then started blowing the hell out of my ground units! The second time I played the scenario I found it better to evacuate all of my air units to the far east of the board rather than have them annihilated, but this left my ground forces wide open for aerial destruction. I have not played Beta 2 yet, but hopefully this second American air assault is tuned down a bit. The FW-190 should be at least a very equal match for the best Allied fighter/bombers of this time period, but they do not seem to be. The FW-190D and ME262 are a long way away. It is going to be a long slog with the air war! I would like to see some aux mobile AA units on the map to at least introduce some balance.
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Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Playing the most recent beta.
I am puzzled that there is an evac hex at 28,21
It is very much inland.
Balla.
I am puzzled that there is an evac hex at 28,21
It is very much inland.
Balla.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Re-played this one with the updated Beta, and I have to say that it is definitely much more balanced. The closer Italian unit evacuation points are also very helpful to allow some of those units to stay in the fight longer. Well done!Zhivago wrote:Still playing Beta 1 also. Seizing the two cities (the northern one, and the one in the lower middle of the map) rapidly and setting up a defensive perimeter is absolutely essential to victory. I am not sure how I feel about having the Italian aux units. I only deployed the most potent units, but spent the second half of the scenario evacuating them from the board. I suppose I could put them all in and suicide them around, but I was hoping to build an aux core alongside my standard core.
One issue I have is with the American air power. I have four FW-190s (two of them 14 strength), a 14 strength ME-410, and a 14 strength HE-177. The initial wave of American fighters/bombers are fairly easily knocked off within the first 2-3 turns, but the final wave that comes around turn 14 is RE-DUNK-CULOUS! The American fighters tore apart my FW 190s (even the 14 strength ones) like they were Stukas, and then started blowing the hell out of my ground units! The second time I played the scenario I found it better to evacuate all of my air units to the far east of the board rather than have them annihilated, but this left my ground forces wide open for aerial destruction. I have not played Beta 2 yet, but hopefully this second American air assault is tuned down a bit. The FW-190 should be at least a very equal match for the best Allied fighter/bombers of this time period, but they do not seem to be. The FW-190D and ME262 are a long way away. It is going to be a long slog with the air war! I would like to see some aux mobile AA units on the map to at least introduce some balance.
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Seems more balanced in the newest beta. Did see one strange thing - attacked a US self-propelled arty with a FW, and at the end of the attack, the FW just dissappeared? What gives? It was at 12, was damaget 2 in the attack. When I checked, it was gone from the unit list...
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Ah, mystery solved, turns out the arty was sitting on an evacuation hex...karlto wrote:Seems more balanced in the newest beta. Did see one strange thing - attacked a US self-propelled arty with a FW, and at the end of the attack, the FW just dissappeared? What gives? It was at 12, was damaget 2 in the attack. When I checked, it was gone from the unit list...
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
I had this happen, also, in beta 2. It confused me quite a bit until I figured it out.karlto wrote:Ah, mystery solved, turns out the arty was sitting on an evacuation hex...karlto wrote:Seems more balanced in the newest beta. Did see one strange thing - attacked a US self-propelled arty with a FW, and at the end of the attack, the FW just dissappeared? What gives? It was at 12, was damaget 2 in the attack. When I checked, it was gone from the unit list...
Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Etna North, beta 3 – imported core
Field Marshal, DV 17/17
Begin pp: 450. End: 3,150. Net: +2,700.
- An evac hex at 25,30 would be helpful, none in that region if going for a DV
- Evac hex at 35,29 would be helpful for more defensive scenario.
- Changes to final waves made hanging on for a DV more reasonable after Italians pulled out.
Field Marshal, DV 17/17
Begin pp: 450. End: 3,150. Net: +2,700.
- An evac hex at 25,30 would be helpful, none in that region if going for a DV
- Evac hex at 35,29 would be helpful for more defensive scenario.
- Changes to final waves made hanging on for a DV more reasonable after Italians pulled out.
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Re: DLC 42 West 07a - Etna Line North
Placed a Tiger on a evac hex 31,24 - and it evaporated... bug? Dont suppose the German units were supposed to evacuate?
To be honest, both hex 31,24 and 28,21 are pretty annoying while defending the corridor at Maletto . A Lightning dares to get close but just cant reach my units - could attack it with an AA if I could reach hex 28,21 - but the unit would disappear...
Same with hex 31, 24 which lies directly in a path just south of Maletto that US forces try to take to evade my defense. Hex is "clear" field, so ideal for armoured defense, but cant use it...
To be honest, both hex 31,24 and 28,21 are pretty annoying while defending the corridor at Maletto . A Lightning dares to get close but just cant reach my units - could attack it with an AA if I could reach hex 28,21 - but the unit would disappear...
Same with hex 31, 24 which lies directly in a path just south of Maletto that US forces try to take to evade my defense. Hex is "clear" field, so ideal for armoured defense, but cant use it...