Coil whups CT, a memoir in advance (Colonels Keep Out!)

[The Coil]

Turn 26

Things are beginning to fall apart.

Here's how the left side looks:



Right about as CT started pressing forward from the treeline, 3 of my 5 HMGs on that side of the map jam. Not good. I open up with the AT gun to surpress his MG in the woods. Predictably it last about a turn before it gets hail-fired to death by a couple 'zooks. My MGs on the far left begin to panic. The IG is still up and shooting, but I bet it doesn't last another turn. It'll be flanked shortly regardless. Worst of all is the appearance of what is apparently 2+ Priests in the distance. Still just sound contacts, lobbing in HE at long range to not real good effect. But not good for me. You know you are in trouble when your AT strategy is reduced to "I sure hope they get bogged."

In the middle:



My last MG crewman in the forward section of trees finally eats it. Makes me a bit sad to see him go. I hope CT doesn't know the blank terrain window bug (always surprising to me how many people, even pretty good players, don't), and thinks he just ducked and covered again. Either way, it's the beginning of the end for that forward flag. Still a pretty healthy platoon in the trees but they're going to get surrounded and pasted pretty quick. I lose one of the IG's in the middle to mortar fire. Still have a couple AT guns and an IG with decent fire lanes, if CT gets the Priests any closer (one more sound contact shows up deep in the center), but I doubt he will before I have to uncover them. His infantry is still too strong now and he's too careful. I reposition my last little reserve platoon to strengthen the right center, which is getting hit hardest right now. Continue to hit his front line guys with off-board mortar fire to slow down the incoming (and keep them at least 'alerted' so they won't get any satchels off). Ammo is going to be a problem though - not nearly enough to last the rest of the game...

On the right:



CT has moved onto and thru the flags. My platoon at the far back of the map moves to engage a flanking platoon. Probably broke cover a bit too soon with them...

The bunker MG opens up on CTs shooters around the flag who are pouring fire into my right flank.

Not looking good for me at this point...Going to run out of ammo, going to run out of AT guns, going to get HE'd by the Priests if I don't get overrun first. Hoping I'm doing more damage to CT than it looks like, and reminding myself that a lot of those units I see are half-squads and zooks. Hope those few of you who place your bets in the 'banter' thread placed 'em on CT (and I suspect you did). Next time I do a DAR, I'm picking a softer opponent...

[McIvan]

Hold back with those AT guns if you can.

The impression I have got throughout this thread is that you've opened up piecemeal and let him shoot you peicemeal. I doubt you actually have done much damage to him at all, hope that's wrong.

I suggest a better way to go is to have MG's going pretty much continuously from backfield and then, once you're going to get your main line of resistance hit, let him have it, but keeping only the very forward stuff quiet.

No point dying with unexpended ammo.

[The Coil]

[Copper]

In a defense, all you need to do is take out one squad per squad to win. Thus everytime you allow one advancing unit to uncover more than one defending unit, you are doing yourself a disservice, because any other defending units that are revealed will be destroyed.

The only time you reveal a line of defense, is when you know you have your infantry in that sector 1 to 1 or better. That way, you can concentrate on one unit per turn to direct all your fire, and hopefully break him. An example of this would be a platoon on a platoon. You would concentrate your 4 units on one enemy unit, trying to cause him to break. If you have mortar support you tack that on. The next turn, you are 4 units (hopefully if he has not done the same to you) to 3, and in 4 turns, you've wiped him out.

Cheers!

Leto

[The Coil]

Leto,

A couple thoughts/questions/pleas for advice:

Seems like you need to take out 1.5 squads per squad to win, given that the attacker gets more points. And it feels like he has me outnumbered virtually everywhere...

My problem in this one is that his squads have me outgunned at pretty much every level - more men, more firepower, and the satchel charges. If I try to engage him at range, I'm out of ammo without doing much damage to him. If I wait til he gets closer, I'm either outnumbered or getting satchels lobbed into my position.

Maybe part of my problem is positioning, that my men are just set up in places where he can hit me from too many angles... That and a lack of real HE capability. My little squads just don't have the hitting power to break his guys quick enough to stop his advance without burning up all their ammo. Perhaps I chose my forces poorly...

Anyway, keep the advice coming - I appreciate the education. Don't think I have much chance of holding on on this one, but we shall see...

[The Coil]

[The Coil]

This thread is increasingly inaptly named.

[The Coil]

[The Coil]

Turn 33

Amazed to be in as good of shape as I am. Here's the overhead:



The center forward position is now completely gone, with CT mopping up the panicked survivors. The Priests are still lobbing in shots from a distance, surpressing a few units, but doing less than they could be. Still gun-shy, and CT is probably loathe to give up the points. I finally lose the gun on the left. Still one IG on the right firing at advancing troops, one hidded IG center back that I'm going to open up with on turn 34, and one AT gun still hidden in the center clump of trees. A thin line holding, but crumpling at the sides. The patch of trees holding the big flag might actually hold out - the reinforcing platoon has made it there, and though taking mortar fire is doing pretty well. Going to send the Battalion HQ over to help out, his 4 SMGs will come in handy. Not sure if I'll hold the rest of the flags, but CT has to cross open ground to get to them, and ammo has got to start being a problem for him. 2 more turns to hold on. He's going to beat me, but it might (emphasis on might) not be as bad as it looked a few turns ago...

[Colonel Talvela]

I just sent my last orders file, so I figured I could come in here and take a looksie. The first thing I notice is the 42/55 % for me and that is with me minus a flag. That is some what comforting because mine said 51/49 me. It is going to be very close to a draw if not a draw.

Thinking back on the game, your one platoon on the very back of the map on the right probably was the difference between being close and being routed. When I noticed that you didnt have troops on the right flags, I rushed forward assuming you had not defended that side at all. As you mention above, that caused me to pull two platoons out of my main thrust and take care of that platoon. they dont reach the main fight until turn 34 & 35. And unfortunaty, I had already gotten my other platoons engaged in a fight with your main line, and I couldnt go back.

I had to be very careful with my Priests once I realized you had the battalion with 7 guns. Basically that neutralized them the whole game and I had to pretty much fight with inf only. That is originally what I wanted to do - but only against one or two companies and a couple of stugs - rather than against a full regular inf battalion.