DAR - Ratzki vs DasTiger

[Ratzki]

Das Tiger seems to be putting up a much more spirited fight now. There is still alot of bite left in his force as my T-34 is about to find out.
DasT. dumps some light arty on my advancing men in the last turn. It allows two things to happen. First it ROUTES my infantry HQ and stops the platoon from gaining any more ground until the HQ comes back online. Second, it effectively separated my T-34 from my infantry. I was trying to swing the tank around to some safer location until I could rectify the situation when out of thin air comes this lone German squad, running like the wind. Once I realized what his intentions were, I got a little worried. It was exactly like the scene from Chariots of Fire, except for the guns, grenades, uniforms, and the fact that it was taking place on my computer, but other then that, exactly the same.:)
So as the picture shows, I am staring down a grey lawn dart that immob.'s my T-34, then I machinegun him down like the dog he is. Well at least I am in a not bad position, good LOS. I just have to keep that from happening again. I have to wait for the shelling to stop before I can get any troops over to help this T-34 out.

This shot is kind of the overview of what has been going on between flags D & E. His arty has cut off any hope of me moving to protect the T-34 or advance to the flag E.
I have started to drop some 120mm arty of my own on his men in the trees near flag D. As well he set off my covered arcs on the pioneers and they have all opened up on his men. At the end of the turn, I can see one of DasT.'s squads on the run, and several more crawling away. I have another rifle platoon on the way to this flag now, and should get there by the end of next turn. If they don't get shot up on the way. I would like to area fire with my m39 gun but I have no HQ to keep him in command so will have to rely on the covered arc to try to get him to fire.

Near his Pz IV? a AT Gun? shows itself by taking out my T-34 HQ tank. I figured that was what he was up to but could do nothing about it. I can get a line on the gun with an infantry gun of mine, but again, no HQ in command of this gun so I do not manually target, I will put a covered arc on him and hope for the best. I fear that this is a large calibre gun that he has by the sound of the firing. I am able to get some small arms fire to the gun but will need something just short of a miricle at those ranges.

[Der Kuenstler]

"no HQ in command of this gun so I do not manually target"

Interesting. What does this mean? Won't the gun target without a HQ? It should target anyway, shouldn't it? Just without the benefit of HQ bonuses?

[Ratzki]

It is just my own way of playing the game. I have a tough time with the borg spotting issue so quite a while ago I started now manually targetting units that were out of command of an HQ. I just feel that a unit out of command of an HQ would not immediately know what the Battalion commander would want in a given situation specially when it comes to co-ordinating fire and changing or aquiring targets. Sometimes I have LOS to a unit but because I am not in command of an HQ, I will not manually target even for area fire. All I can do is play with the covered arcs to try to get the AI to target a unit.
It's the same as playing with the detailed armour hits button off, just a quirk of mine. I do not select enemy units to see what they are either. It just makes the game more challenging for me and i enjoy the victories when I get them this way.

[Der Kuenstler]

Oh yeah- I forgot about your playing style - thanks...although I have seen a squad without a HQ take forever and sometimes never assault a tank even when 10m away in cover - even when manually targeting.

[Ratzki]

I do not think that is as big a deal in the smaller point games but it is in the larger point games. I have just always had an issue with moving a unit and in one turn have every enemy on the map take a crack at him and ignore others that are a 1/4 the distance away because the player changes the fire orders for all his troops that have LOS. I think that in reality, such a co-ordinated fire plan would be near impossible to pull off with all units having a radio never mind back in WW2 when radios were at a premium. Ah, sometimes I lose a game because of it, and then I win a fair number, it keeps me happy playing. It's just a little more of a challenge.

[Ratzki]

The turn starts off with a bang for my T-34. DasT. tries to run past me with 2 of his 1/2 tracks. and after going for what seemed like forever without scoring a hit, I manage to take both 1/2 tracks out in short order with the T34. One of the 1/2 tracks was towing a gun, but after I KO'd the vehicle the gun goes to a location marker. Thank goodness, this is a HQ T34, I am going to reason that the gun is at least, in PANIC after the hit, I want to see if the German squad nearby is going to take a run at the T34. If all stays quiet, I will area fire next turn in the location of the gun for a turn or two, then I will have to just hope that I got it.
My 120mm HE is still on target, and his men are scattering everywhere, looking for cover. Other squads of mine are taking pot shots at targets as they appear. I have put some covered arcs on a couple of my guns to fire at his men in this area.
My rifle platoon is almost to the flag now, hopefully by next turn. They have taken some fire but nothing to much in the way of damage.

I manage to get a Company HQ through some fire from his men and warn off a mini disaster with my lead platoon's HQ getting BROKE. Half the platoon is just in PANIC now so I will be able to get moving again soon, I hope. I am just going to try to get some good position to protect my T34 with this platoon.
I will follow them up with two more platoons, and will try to make a move on the flag E. I just want to see if I can get DasT. to siphon off more of his ment from attacking me. Time is starting to become a factor and I want him to think that I am still going for it. I think that I have men to spare, so not too concerned at the moment about loosing a few. Who knows, I might end up with another flag as a bonus.
There is a little bit of shooting going on between my men near flag C and his men in the trees, but it is very little and ineffective.

I lose a BA to his gun in the trees, but save my T34, just down the commander.
I am pulling the t34 that is near flag A back a bit as DasT. keeps on shooting at my commander and now that he is moving his Pz IV in this direction I will need my tank to be able to target right away. This T34 is now without a HQ tank so the delay will be a factor from now on.
I get a HQ in LOS of the gun of his and will start to area fire with the 82mm Mortar.
I am pulling my SMG platoon nearest his Pz IV? back a little so they do not get shot up by the Pz. I am going to start to collapse on the flag A somewhat over the next couple of turns. I want to make DasTiger come to me. He has to be looking at the turns left in the game and knows that he will have to step it up a bit to have time to attack and move in to secure the flags, if he is going to do so. I do not see him being able to win on casualties, unless I missed my count somewhere. I will take a closer looke next turn that I get and see where we stand. I think that there are only 9-10 turns left right now.

[Ratzki]

Things have slowed down abit the last couple turns. Das Tiger is area firing away in places where I am not , and a couple places that I am. My menhold to gether though. Just when I figure that I have weathered the storm, the Pz IV gets a ground hit that takes out my T34's gun. I was going to back him outa there too, but with the HQ KO'd, my delays are a bit long now. I do get him to safety, but now I am down to one fully functioning T34.
My Infantry gun gets a glimps of one 1/2 track and comes up with a direct hit. It's only a 1/2 track but I will take it.
I am moving my SMG platoons around to have another go at circling his men near the flag. His Pz IV is backing away, so I will move back in.

Nera flag D, DasT. has ventured into pioneer demo range. My squad pops up, throws the charge and takes out a 1/2 track. He has been area firing here as well for the last couple turns. I notice that he is not comming at me with his infantry so I am assuming that the 120mm arty messed him up a bunch. I think I will let sleeping dogs lay, I am in good position, so why bother to move. If he comes much closer with the 1/2 tracks he will be in LOS of my guns. I have 2 that can see into the trees somewhat.
I get the one pioneer squad out of the line of fire after he KO'd the vehicle but at the last moment he gets a shot from far off and goes BROKE without taking a casualty. The squad makes it to good cover and I will have to wait it out with him.

[Ratzki]

We are now on turn 30 of 33+ turns. There will be extra turns as the flag D has changed hands a couple times in the last few turns. Not much has changed, other then DasT. is slowly moving his Pz IV closer to the crest of the hill near flag C. I am trying to move my one good T34 into position to get a flank shot. My tank is down it's commander and has no HQ, so I will have to be carefull, not to get to wreckless. I want to try to time it so that his tank engages my infantry first and then my T34, which will hopefully make his tank go hatch down, and then have my T34 come in from the side. This will should negate the advantage in sighting me first that he will have if I move in too quickly.
My guns have been firing on and off at his 1/2 tracks and have taken one more out.
The infantry platoon is slowly making it's way towards the flag E. I should get there by game's end, but I am facing some good enemy fire all the way. This is more to keep DasT. from flag rushing at the end of the game. It should make him have to support the flag E with some men to stop me from getting it, which is fewer men that he has to rush with.

Just the overview of the map. We are not moving very much through the centre but I am moving a SMG platoon around to the flank of his troops at flag A, and am moving 2 Rifle platoons towards flag E.
Flags A and B are sfe from being taken over, with flags C,D, and E still up in the air depending on what happens over the next few turns. I am anticipating a flag rush as he is not moving his infantry very much at all. So he is either in very poor condition or readying for the rush. All I can do is wait.

[Ratzki]

The game is winding down now, but I am still trying to keep the pressure on him and not get myself into any more scrapes then need be at this point. Das T. is fighting like a wild man now, something that if done at the start of the game would have changed the outcome, for sure.
My infantry that I have been advancing toward flag E, has another HQ go BROKE, the unit took no injuries, and only one burst of fire, but the Company HQ lets my men down and I will have to hold up again. DasT. is starting to move some of his men towards the flag for defense, I am thinking, and this is what I was hoping for anyhow. I just thought I might be able to sneak in and get the flag, and see what kind of damage I could do at the same time.
Das T. does manage to KO my wounded T34 this turn as well. There was just nothing that I could do about it. He crawled a squad up to it and that was that, I never seen it comming. Now he is shooting up my crew from the tank. I would have to say, very poor sportsmanship there, I would do it if in the same position, but I expected more from DasT. A blemish on his record for sure.
Near flag D, I think I have taken out all but one of the 1/2 tracks. His infantry is not an issue as they are not moving, but if they do I will be able to return fire with my 76mm guns as well as my men near the flag.

At flag A, my men come in contact with his forces there. I am able to get both SMG platoons into action as well as some squads from the Rifle platoon and the BA too. The turn comes to an end with it looking like I am getting the upper hand in this firefight. Right now I am just trying to do as much damage as possible with my men. I am starting to run out of ammo with these guys so this will come to an end soon.

[Ratzki]

The game finally ends with me scoring a Tactical victory. I got robbed with the flag D result being neutral, he had more infantry there then I expected. His armour at flag C made the difference there as well, it ending neutral. Overall, a good game by DasT., he played his limited armour well, after the early losses. If he could have kept his STuG alive and worked with his Pz IV, he might have dished out some serious hurt. I handled my armour about the same as a 13 year old would handle a first date with Cindy Crawford, I groped and fumbled around and almost lost the initiative, before I decided to just sit pat. I will post the last couple screen shots here with no commentary. It is not needed. It is just the final overview of the battle at each flag. The shots were taken before the final turn so the flag control is A, B - Allied, C, D - Neutral, E - Axis

Flag A

Flag B

Flag C

Flag D