Playing new campaign on level 5 for suckers?

[Mercutio]

Just wanted some opinions.

I breezed through, relatively speaking, Sandstorm and US Marines after some initial hiccups relearning the rules and especially amphibious assaults. Boy did I learn that last one and supply!

So I fired up Blitzkreig. I had never played it either, but thought, why not level 5? I was able to handle the first scenarios pretty easy, although I had to redo Norway because I missed Trodhiem by 1 turn and made some mistakes.

Anyway, I took Paris and all that, although sometimes I took a beating on some units.

By the time I got to Greece, I was pretty low on RPs. I mean, I started with around 300, but I lost my to Me-190s at the end of Yugoslavia because I was dumb enough to think because I had the airport it would all be good. Then the AI counter-attacked and I was faced with
1) land on an airport with enemy units that will attack it
2) Try desperately to fly all the way back to the airbase losing planes on the way.

One landed and was wiped out immediately
one tried to make it to the nearest airbase, but when I took the last objective I got the win and the sound of my fighter crashing into the ground

Granted, that was my fault for assuming thinks when I really didn't need the fighter protection that late. I didn't take into account even MORE enemy units coming from the south.

Even if I hadn't lost them, the surprises, counter-attacks, not knowing the dispositions, etc. Having strength 13 units at the start is a hard slog and drains a lot of time and resources. Especially when you get surprised. You would think 13 strength vs 12 wouldn't be that big a deal, but it seems just enough to make everything a little costlier before you can whittled them down. By then here comes another wave!

In some ways, I feel like this is XCom where you want to be careful to not trigger the next "pod".

So my question is, how many have played level 5 fresh on a campaign they never played and were successful without replaying maps to get better results? To me, replaying a battle again kind of sucks because it is something I just did. I didn't want to start all the way over so I went back to my Paris start and dropped the level and it went smooth. Won by turn 16 I think although I didn't bother with the last of the 4 secondary objectives.

Also any advice would be helpful.

[kondi754]

So my question is, how many have played level 5 fresh on a campaign they never played and were successful without replaying maps to get better results? To me, replaying a battle again kind of sucks because it is something I just did. I didn't want to start all the way over so I went back to my Paris start and dropped the level and it went smooth. Won by turn 16 I think although I didn't bother with the last of the 4 secondary objectives.

Also any advice would be helpful.

I played Burma, Panzerkrieg, Sandstorm and Endsieg during Betatests on the 5th level right away, I don't play on the lower levels because the game has become too easy for me at some point
You took a break for two years, but I played all the time... my only advice - practice makes you perfect!

[GabeKnight]

So my question is, how many have played level 5 fresh on a campaign they never played and were successful without replaying maps to get better results? To me, replaying a battle again kind of sucks because it is something I just did. I didn't want to start all the way over so I went back to my Paris start and dropped the level and it went smooth. Won by turn 16 I think although I didn't bother with the last of the 4 secondary objectives.

Also any advice would be helpful.

You'll always get better results when replaying maps

I think I've started Burma Road on level 5, but switched back to level 3 after the frustrating "Operation Cannibal" mission, where I could not achieve all sec. objectives within turn limits. Unlike you, though, I've restarted that mission. The Sandstorm DLC I've played completely through on level 5 the first time in beta.

Nowadays I'm usually playing on level 3 for the following reasons: As other players with experience you should have noticed, that the best way to attack is to decrease enemy efficiency. If done right, no enemy unit you attack will ever get time to restore efficiency until it is destroyed. That usually means arty or strat. bombers attack before any other ground unit moves in. Defense always in high cover terrain for infantry with adjacent AT-support. This goes for tanks, too, of course, but the German "beasts", if covered with AT, won't be attacked by enemy forces usually - no matter the terrain. In most scenarios AA units aren't needed, unless they're AT-switchable.

But what I meant to say is, that even on level 5 difficulty, the enemy units can not repair beyond 10HP. That way, with the above mentioned playstyle, you'll always end up with low-efficiency enemy units with <10 HP before any of my units attack. Level 3 or level 5.
And I have to admit, that the enemy's initial "alpha-strike" does hurt more with 13:10 and it costs a bit more, that's true. But everything else just takes a tad longer, that's all - in my opinion of level 5 difficulty compared to level 3.

There're also many "exploits" with the AI to consider, to make your life easier, like never taking an enemy airfield unless the complete area around it is safe (no arty, recon, hidden inf.). That way, you'll never end up in a situation where you've miscalculated the plane's fuel (and depended too much on the "red" fuel warning shading) and have to land near the enemy. And as an extra, if you're lucky, the AI planes are dumb enough to land directly next to your units to refuel and to be destroyed.

[Mercutio]

Thanks Kondi and GabeKnight.

Of course, taking a couple of years off doesn't help. I think a combination of mixing different games in my head (PG, PC and OoB) aren't helping. Of course replaying the map is almost always a better result. Also, I admit it was stupid of me to assume the airfields were going to be cleared. The scenario was almost over and I got lazy. I never had that happen before and I am pretty sure I won't do it again.

It just seems weird that I am attacking and supposedly have that stronger force yet the enemy seems to have ungodly amounts of troops. I was starting to wonder if I killed every man in Yugoslavia at one point. Also the AI loves to attack you when on the defensive. Just when I think I have it here comes another wave! Perhaps I am letting the "finish X by turn Y" subconsciously make me too rash.

The one thing I never use is strategic bombers. I find the Stukas too good to waste a slot on one.

Anyway thanks again guys.

[13obo]

Ull change ur mind about stukas in later dlcs where sky is not always urs.

[cutydt02]

So my question is, how many have played level 5 fresh on a campaign they never played and were successful without replaying maps to get better results? To me, replaying a battle again kind of sucks because it is something I just did. I didn't want to start all the way over so I went back to my Paris start and dropped the level and it went smooth. Won by turn 16 I think although I didn't bother with the last of the 4 secondary objectives.

Also any advice would be helpful.

You'll always get better results when replaying maps

I think I've started Burma Road on level 5, but switched back to level 3 after the frustrating "Operation Cannibal" mission, where I could not achieve all sec. objectives within turn limits. Unlike you, though, I've restarted that mission. The Sandstorm DLC I've played completely through on level 5 the first time in beta.

Nowadays I'm usually playing on level 3 for the following reasons: As other players with experience you should have noticed, that the best way to attack is to decrease enemy efficiency. If done right, no enemy unit you attack will ever get time to restore efficiency until it is destroyed. That usually means arty or strat. bombers attack before any other ground unit moves in. Defense always in high cover terrain for infantry with adjacent AT-support. This goes for tanks, too, of course, but the German "beasts", if covered with AT, won't be attacked by enemy forces usually - no matter the terrain. In most scenarios AA units aren't needed, unless they're AT-switchable.

But what I meant to say is, that even on level 5 difficulty, the enemy units can not repair beyond 10HP. That way, with the above mentioned playstyle, you'll always end up with low-efficiency enemy units with <10 HP before any of my units attack. Level 3 or level 5.
And I have to admit, that the enemy's initial "alpha-strike" does hurt more with 13:10 and it costs a bit more, that's true. But everything else just takes a tad longer, that's all - in my opinion of level 5 difficulty compared to level 3.

There're also many "exploits" with the AI to consider, to make your life easier, like never taking an enemy airfield unless the complete area around it is safe (no arty, recon, hidden inf.). That way, you'll never end up in a situation where you've miscalculated the plane's fuel (and depended too much on the "red" fuel warning shading) and have to land near the enemy. And as an extra, if you're lucky, the AI planes are dumb enough to land directly next to your units to refuel and to be destroyed.

hey Gabe, how did you handle enemy 13 strenth unit airforce without using AA ? Just my wonder because losing air superior in level 5 always makes me surrender anyway
and for the topic, every hit from nebelwefer will lower enemy 13 strength unit to 10

[Mercutio]

Oh I use artillery, believe me! I don't think I have the Nebel available yet, but thanks for the tip.

As to the enemy air I use the mobile AA half-track where I can. Hit it with two fighters (or sometimes I will bring an me-110 as well) at one time as well. Baiting it to attack a ground target or attack a bomber with escort can help as well. As with anything else, the key is to get it to 10 and under strength. Having an air ace adding +2 to attack and defense helps a lot as well.

[Mercutio]

Ull change ur mind about stukas in later dlcs where sky is not always urs.

I know the Stuka's days are numbered, but not in 1940

[kondi754]

Thanks Kondi and GabeKnight.

Of course, taking a couple of years off doesn't help. I think a combination of mixing different games in my head (PG, PC and OoB) aren't helping. Of course replaying the map is almost always a better result. Also, I admit it was stupid of me to assume the airfields were going to be cleared. The scenario was almost over and I got lazy. I never had that happen before and I am pretty sure I won't do it again.

It just seems weird that I am attacking and supposedly have that stronger force yet the enemy seems to have ungodly amounts of troops. I was starting to wonder if I killed every man in Yugoslavia at one point. Also the AI loves to attack you when on the defensive. Just when I think I have it here comes another wave! Perhaps I am letting the "finish X by turn Y" subconsciously make me too rash.

The one thing I never use is strategic bombers. I find the Stukas too good to waste a slot on one.

Anyway thanks again guys.

I don't send you instructions what to do, because I would have to write 30 paragraphs or even more...
Even if I would write all this to you, it would only be a description of my tactics/strategy, nothing more
I believe that everyone should look for their own path, advice from other players would only spoil the fun for me

[GabeKnight]

Baiting it to attack a ground target or attack a bomber with escort can help as well. As with anything else, the key is to get it to 10 and under strength. Having an air ace adding +2 to attack and defense helps a lot as well.

Exactly, those air commanders inside German dogfighters just rule the sky. You can use escorted recon planes to drain the enemy strength, too. Those are super cheap and never need elite repair (and are the only core units that get shot down and destoyed quite regularly with me ). But in general dogfighters do take serious damage and are always a financial factor - the "pilot rotation" spec is priceless and high experience invaluable.

If you do have some AA units in your forces, sometimes just the order of the attack can make a difference. Dogfighters do percental damage, that depends on the enemy units HP (it's the same as with arty), while AA does absolute damage. That way you can choose between max damage to the enemy or max HP saving for your dogfighters. But saving your dogfighters may endanger other targets (e.g. heavy arty position) or fail secondary objectives, while damaged dogfighters are seriously ineffective against successive attack waves. Always a bargain.

You don't have to destroy enemy planes to make them "worthless". If you don't have to fear them repairing back to full, usually with <4 HP, they just don't dare to attack anything anymore. On the other hand, it's important to know that the AI can not attack what it can not see. So, it's best to destroy all enemy aerial reconnaissance anyway.

I find StuKa's to be powerful, too, but they're very fragile. And all AI fighters just love to attack them. They usually don't go for strat. bombers, even when unescorted. Even though the direct damage is nice, I have ground troops for that. I just love those mobile arty units with 10-hex range and without efficiency loss

[Mercutio]

Thanks Kondi and GabeKnight.

Of course, taking a couple of years off doesn't help. I think a combination of mixing different games in my head (PG, PC and OoB) aren't helping. Of course replaying the map is almost always a better result. Also, I admit it was stupid of me to assume the airfields were going to be cleared. The scenario was almost over and I got lazy. I never had that happen before and I am pretty sure I won't do it again.

It just seems weird that I am attacking and supposedly have that stronger force yet the enemy seems to have ungodly amounts of troops. I was starting to wonder if I killed every man in Yugoslavia at one point. Also the AI loves to attack you when on the defensive. Just when I think I have it here comes another wave! Perhaps I am letting the "finish X by turn Y" subconsciously make me too rash.

The one thing I never use is strategic bombers. I find the Stukas too good to waste a slot on one.

Anyway thanks again guys.

I don't send you instructions what to do, because I would have to write 30 paragraphs or even more...
Even if I would write all this to you, it would only be a description of my tactics/strategy, nothing more
I believe that everyone should look for their own path, advice from other players would only spoil the fun for me

Believe me, I don't want 30 pages of information either. I also don't want spoilers on scenarios either. I know a lot about the game and was referring to advanced tips or pitfalls to avoid.

Something like why people like strategic bombers and how they use them. They don't do squat again ships although they do reduce efficiency and supply points. However, most of the time the AI has so many supply points it hardly matters. It would be more beneficial when supply is really tight IMO. However I am always willing to learn!