How to Start Playing PzC Games Properly? Any newbie guides?

[Xaver]

1- you need know how you can win, if you need capture objetives only or you need a positive balance between kills and casualties.

2- "read" the map, you need know how use it to made first point possible, specially be carefull with water obstacles, bridges and bottle necks, sometimes a hex with a bunker in a key position made better attack in a worst position to dont waste a lot of time and resources with no 100% success.

3- know your troops and what they can do and think that a bad tactic in attack could be a great tactic in defense, for example stack units with different morale values is bad in attack when you are storming enemy with assaults BUT in defense is a must have to improve your defense, usually quality lacks quantity and oposite.

4- know if you are going to need reserve units for other roles like flank guard, rear cover... ont allways use all into attack or all to defend a position is a good idea because short route is not allways faster route.

5- allways have a plan and try follow it, you need countermeasures and have reserves if is possible to deal with tactical and even operational problems but a 180º change in your plan in the middle.... result of a counterorder is disorder.

In general all titles are good to learn play because every title offer different situations, for example east titles are more focused in high mobility combat in more open terrain with lots of units, west is more restricted in terrain, Pacific is closer to west but with a lot more bloody combats... but you can find titles like Kursk that is very nasty like El-Alamein and titles like France40 with more open and mobile combat.

I think people recommend Smolensk 41 and Kharkov 42, i think Budapest 45 is another good option and with gold versions France 40 and Bulge 44 are improved a lot (specially France 40 where you can find a preview of Scheltd 44 but set in 1940 fight) but maybe if you like or know very well a battle-campaign you can try it and test all you know about it.