Valley Lake Playtest/Review Thread

[Joonny]

Ok I am currently playing Valley Lake (Link) H2H against Titidinca with me as the allies.

A full DAR is available Here

A less detailed, more action oriented report is available Here

Thanks :)

[Joonny]

Im a few turns in with me as he allies. So far the 75mm german guns have proved very effective, my scout car force wiped out, a lot of HTs KO'd, but i know where those guns are and i have both 81mm FOs targeting him.

Managed to get a platoon each to 2 of the crossings although my opponent is on the other side. Only scout cars and HTs as far as i can tell but no doubt there will be inf aswell. I placed my TRPs on the crossings so i will call in arty when the guns have been dealt with. I also have an elite zook team at one of the crossings lol so that should deal with the HTs.

105mm FO has scored a few kills so far, mainly light armor.

I left one plt of shermans in reserve and one in hull down positions, lost 2 tanks so far but i have knocked out at least as many of his tanks.

First air support arrived, it targeted a PZIV but my enemy had all his forces grooped together and it took out 4+trucks and any inf that was inside it as the trucks blew up and set on fire.

I still have 1 co still maneuvering on my left flank, one CO just about ready to make a move on the right bridge (i have one Crack armored plt there already)

The middle bridge i have one Arm plt advancing on the center bridge and the CO of reg inf are trying to get down the hill, but the lack of cover is proving a problem, when they get to the wheatfield they're find but getting to the wheatfield is too much for some of the green units.

One thing i have noticed is that on the allied side of the map, the big field that forms the majority of the allied set up zone in the middle is completely walled off, so if you put any HTs in there they will not be able to leave. Fortunately i figured this out before i finished my set up :) I'll fix this by putting more "gates" in, ie fence tiles in the wall.

Still have 1 armored plt in reserve with their HTs.

Another thing i may consider is swapping some of the MMGs for .50 cals, the MMG has a max range of 750m which makes it useless for firing from the allied hills, i believe the MG42 has a much longer range so i think some .50 cals for overwatch may be a good idea.

Will report more as the game proceeds :)

[Joonny]

Turn 14 and things seem to be going well.

Lots of KO'd vehicles on the enemies side including almost all of the PzIVs (possibly all of them). I have silenced 2 of the 75mm AT guns but one of them is still unlocated, that may come back to haunt me.

My opponent got to the crossing first, but only just before my Inf. He rushed his HTs across the middle bridge but my zooks took care of them, my Elite zook also took care of a PSW on the easterly bridge.

So far this is looking good, lots of action!

[Joonny]

Approaching the halfway mark and things look good.

<img src=http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv64/jonnydood/right-1.jpg>

This is my right, i have got one plt across the ford and established a small bridghead. I rushed my HT with the FTs in towards the woods, a shreck popped up but my inf suprresed him so he's about to get a facefull of fire!

Reserves are moving up!

The bridge is blown here although it took me 2 turns to realise it lol






This is the middle

Casualties have been highest here, especially for the axis, just check out all that red lettering on the other side of the valley lol.

Still a sort of stalemate has been achieved here, my opponent tried to cross the bridge but failed, i think i may just stay where i am here and attack this area from the flanks.




This is my left, my opponent send his scout cars across here but they got taken out by zooks, i'm preparing to cross here at the mo.

[Joonny]

On the Halfway Mark Now



This Is the right again.

The HTs that my opponent sneaked across the ford I forgot was there (yes i know, i designed this map, i have no idea how i forgot it) have been engaged by my infantry. The zooks and rifle grenades have scored a few hits so far but no bail outs or KOs yet.

Some of these troops are withing a meter of satchel charge range, i need to get my troops closer to finish this! If they fail, then i have another plt to fill the gap.

If I crush these halftracks I will cross that ford with my Infantry and may bring my tanks across here when the HT assault is complete.

The first Halftrack carrying an engineer squad and a zook have crossed the river and the rest are following up. They will attack in the direction i have drawn on the map, I hope to attack my enemies forces in the woods from if not the back then at least the side.

My FTs in the woods have been succesful in routing 2 shrecks and 1 squad so far, i'm impressed they've held out a good 100m in front of my front line by themselves. I have another 2FTs in a HT getting ready to probe the way for the engineers.



The center is holding, I have 4 platoons here so even in the unlikely event my opponent gets anything across the bridge it should be destroyed by my forces here.

If any halftracks survive the river crossings i will send them over here to cross the bridge.


I was just about ready to start my crossing of the river on my left when a gun HT arrived! I had 2x flamethrowers in a HT ready to rush across and jump into those scattered trees, they've been pretty shaken up there by arty, mortar, tank, mg and rifle fire, pretty much everything i have at my disposal apart from the planes! I should have been able to suppress them enough to get the flamethrowers in there, and with what is undoubtadly a force that has at least a few rattled squads it should have broken them quickly and cleared the way for my mechanised troops in HTs to sweep across the river. Now it's all down to picking my FT's HT's path carefully, due to the terrain i don't think the gun HT can see the ford, if it can see my disembarkment spot i'm screwed, if it can't it should go well.




Overall it's still going good, all of my opponents tanks have gone, he has 1 gun left, and a few HTs but only a small % of what he had originally. I am out of arty now, i will definatly add more in kublels/jeeps ass reinforcements at the halfway mark.

River crossings are one of the hardest things to do in CM (and i'm probably guessing real warfare too) IMO and this one is leading to a lot of brutal action!

[Joonny]

Just Finished this one TCP/IP. We Ceasefired on turn 45.


I managed to cross the river at 3 places, my opponent said he set up defencive positions up the hill expecting me to attack up there, i held at the crossings but now my supply routes were cut by his many tanks, i just couldn't get my troops in HTs up to the front.

He counter attacked and pretty much swept me aside. Some very brutal artillary action on both sides, the 120mm proving very effective.

The 75mm Guns performed dissapointingly, they got a kill ratio of 1:1 on average. The gun HTs were also dissapointing.

Allied air power was crushing, 2 planes took out 3 tanks in one turn :( A stuka did turn up but was shot down before it could take anything out.

So what I think I'm gonna change is:

1. Give the Americans some .50 cal machine guns, the MG-42s have a significant range advantage over the BrowningM1919s

2. Double the arty at the half way point

3. Give the Germans a plt of StuGs

My opponent dissagrees with me on the last point but i think it's needed

My question to you: Was i just rubbish with the Gun HTs or are they any good?

[Der Kuenstler]

Nice pics and report!

[Joonny]

Update on AAR



On the left things are moving well, 2 FTs are across and are causing havoc. One of the gun HTs that was threatening the crossing got took out and the remaining ones cannot see the ford, going to rush this crossing soon. There is a jeep with another FT and a HT with a FT and a MG crossing now.

Titi has called in an arty strike which is causing me some problems but not slowing the crossing.

FTs in Action



Regular Zook takes out a HT at 131m



On my right things are going ok



The original FTs I got across have been eliminated, after expending all their ammo however. I have another 2 FTs across and in the woods, havn't caused any casualties but it has forced my opponent to pull back, should be able to get some inf in HTs up there.

The HT crossing on my far right has been wiped out, one of the HTs running off the map, i'll move this plt across this ford as a flanking/distraction maneuver.

I'm moving the bulk of my forces up to the main ford.

[Joonny]

Update to DAR


Well not everythings going to plan :(



Typical, in my game as the axis the only plane to show its face was a Stuka that got shot down before it fired a shot, this time of Titis MEs gets a 500lb bomb right in the middle of my bridghead.





Despite that, i manage to get a in HTs across, just one more flag to secure at this river crossing.



On the Left I've got my bridgehead starting to break out.

[Joonny]