Modern Campaigns for the Win!

[Kool Kat]

Gents:  

I am thoroughly enjoying the Modern Campaign Series!   

I own all the titles:

Middle East '67
Fulda Gap '85
Korea '85
North German Plain '85
Danube Front '85

As a gamer who previously only played WW2 titles, I was initially leery of investing my time and effort into a primarily hypothetical "Cold War goes hot" series that depicts a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe in the mid-1980's.

But after my initial purchase of Fulda Gap '85 nearly two years ago... and 19 recorded Modern Campaign games on the TOC ladder later, I have become a true believer!   

The Modern Campaign Series forces players to think about the battlefield in a whole new way from PzC WW2 fronts! 

• Weapons are more lethal. Tank companies and infantry battalions can be rendered combat ineffective in just a few hours of deployment.
  

• Artillery loads are more varied (Air drop mines, persistent chemicals, regular bombardments) Players can interdict road networks with artillery deployed mines and chemical rounds make hexes very "nasty" for any enemy or friendly units that enter the chemical infected spaces.
  

• Vertical deployment. The use of helos (scouts, troop carrying, and attack) that can range far and wide in the battlefield makes even rear positions vulnerable to attack. Gone are the days that rear positioned units (HQ, artillery) are nearly invulnerable (or at least not detectable) by the enemy.
  

• Air power.  Jet recon and day / night equipped attack bombers allow players to deliver lethal payloads to enemy targets anywhere on the battlefield.   
  

• Specialized units / capabilities. Many of the Warsaw Pact infantry battalions and recon units are amphibious - allowing river crossings without the need for bridges. Enemy HQs can be detected, based on their radio traffic without the need for an adjacent spotting unit. 
  

The Modern Campaign Series plays fast and can be deadly lethal. It rewards the players who can "think on their feet," understand how to minimize the vertical deployment threats, and who can adjust their tactics accordingly as the battle conditions change. It also punishes the player who only thinks in one dimension (e.g. static front lines, does not guard against vertical deployment threats, and who can't alter their battle plans).


(1.) Here is a link to a Modern Campaigns tactics and strategies article I wrote:

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=70525


(2.) Here is a link to my Modern Campaigns feedback on various scenarios:

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=71758 

(Copy and paste the #2 link in your browser)


So... if you have not tried the Modern Campaign Series and you have an interest in modern warfare... I encourage you to give these under rated (IMHO) game titles a go. I think you will be glad you did!    

[larsonney]

Nice post Mike! I'm currently playing the grand campaign (Linking Fulda, NGP, & Danube together) as a team game, and really enjoying it!! You are right...it's a completely different type of game than the WW2 titles!

[Strela]

It's an excellent series and one that I would love WDS to find some time to work on!

David

[Landser34]

They are some of my favorite games and if you think France and East Prussia are bloodbaths play one of the Modern campaigns

[Trac_511]

It's an excellent series and one that I would love WDS to find some time to work on!

David

Despite the lack of historical flavor that the PzC series have, I do enjoy the faster pace and greater weapons lethality in the MC titles. I look forward to the day these Cold War titles get modernized to "Gold" standard.

[fastphil]

Gents:  

I am thoroughly enjoying the Modern Campaign Series!   

I own all the titles:

Middle East '67
Fulda Gap '85
Korea '85
North German Plain '85
Danube Front '85

As a gamer who previously only played WW2 titles, I was initially leery of investing my time and effort into a primarily hypothetical "Cold War goes hot" series that depicts a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe in the mid-1980's.

But after my initial purchase of Fulda Gap '85 nearly two years ago... and 19 recorded Modern Campaign games on the TOC ladder later, I have become a true believer!   

The Modern Campaign Series forces players to think about the battlefield in a whole new way from PzC WW2 fronts! 

• Weapons are more lethal. Tank companies and infantry battalions can be rendered combat ineffective in just a few hours of deployment.
  

• Artillery loads are more varied (Air drop mines, persistent chemicals, regular bombardments) Players can interdict road networks with artillery deployed mines and chemical rounds make hexes very "nasty" for any enemy or friendly units that enter the chemical infected spaces.
  

• Vertical deployment. The use of helos (scouts, troop carrying, and attack) that can range far and wide in the battlefield makes even rear positions vulnerable to attack. Gone are the days that rear positioned units (HQ, artillery) are nearly invulnerable (or at least not detectable) by the enemy.
  

• Air power.  Jet recon and day / night equipped attack bombers allow players to deliver lethal payloads to enemy targets anywhere on the battlefield.   
  

• Specialized units / capabilities. Many of the Warsaw Pact infantry battalions and recon units are amphibious - allowing river crossings without the need for bridges. Enemy HQs can be detected, based on their radio traffic without the need for an adjacent spotting unit. 
  

The Modern Campaign Series plays fast and can be deadly lethal. It rewards the players who can "think on their feet," understand how to minimize the vertical deployment threats, and who can adjust their tactics accordingly as the battle conditions change. It also punishes the player who only thinks in one dimension (e.g. static front lines, does not guard against vertical deployment threats, and who can't alter their battle plans).


(1.) Here is a link to a Modern Campaigns tactics and strategies article I wrote:

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=70525


(2.) Here is a link to my Modern Campaigns feedback on various scenarios:

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=71758 

(Copy and paste the #2 link in your browser)


So... if you have not tried the Modern Campaign Series and you have an interest in modern warfare... I encourage you to give these under rated (IMHO) game titles a go. I think you will be glad you did!    

Fulda Gap and Korea are my favorites

[Al]

They are some of my favorite games and if you think France and East Prussia are bloodbaths play one of the Modern campaigns

There was a school of thought at the time that due to interdiction of supplies coupled with the increased lethality of the weapon systems a "modern conflict" would soon devolve into WW1-like combat with the resulting high casualties.  As someone who served in Germany at the time the Modern Campaign series takes places, I'm glad I never had to find out.

[Ricky B]

Thanks Mike, great job on the summary, article, etc.

I added a note to your faves thread regarding ME'67 and the add-on scenarios from VM called 04_01: Jihad. I think my most fun scenario ever.

Rick

[Xaver]

The only serie that is practically a what if per se, ME67 is the exception.

I like it but maybe for me lacks:

1-scens covering the 2nd and even 3rd part of the campaign... stalemate and WWI using WWIII weapons, i remember only a few scens covering the 2nd part, for 3rd part game needs more 2nd-3rd wave-line (Chinese counterattacks in Korea... there is a mod and is interesting) units and for NATO introduce more minor nations providing cannon fodder to hold the line while the survivors of 1st part of campaign create combat groups with a mixture of different nations in the same combat unit (like have a Berlin45 what if "Unthinkable" scen but set in 1985).

2-Like in... Fulda Gap add scens where you can find 1985 scens using 1975 OOB, is interesting try same scen but without M1s and Leos2 saving your ass.

I want see to MC goldificate but i am curious to about the modern brother of PzB... "Armored battles"???.

[Sgt_Rock]

Nothing like night combat with M1 Abrams vs. Warsaw Pact tanks! ROFL

The superior night fighting abilities of the M1 make tank combat a real knockout affair.

I haven't played the series in a long time and never did play the Korea game. Looks like I need to get a game going eventually!

That big map for the Germany/Austria area would be great for a WW2 title. Hoping someday that the PzC series covers the final months of the combat in Germany/Austria. At one point I did create a super scenario that had Soviets, Western Allies and Germans in it. The Germans in the east were controlled by the Allied player while those in the West were controlled by the Soviet player. And yes, WW3 could ensue if the players so desired. Patton's wish come true.