A Lot too Late - Combat Mission: Red Thunder

The scenario is very unbalanced and not suitable for H2H. Here are the top 3 items that make this a shooting gallery practice vice actual battle:

1) Tiger tanks vs T34-76

2) T34s are immobilized and can only be placed in small deployment zones over fairly open terrain. This allows the Tigers to engage at long range with complete impunity.

3) Elite/Crack troops vs Regular

If the T34s were mobile to start, it might at least be an enjoyable challenge.

Needs some serious tweaking to make it playable from either side.

For the reasons summarized by Stonecutter on 6/24/20, not much of interest here for H2H play, and frankly not sure how interesting it would be to play even as Axis vs. Soviet AI (I don't intend to spend the time to try). As the Soviet player, maybe I should have held out a few more turns to see if any reinforcements might have changed what otherwise seemed to be a foreordained outcome ... but honestly it was hard to care by that point. There just doesn't seem to be enough for either player to do, in terms of tactical decision-making, to make this one worthwhile.

I marked this low from the soviet side but probably higher for the axis as they get a decent hard hitting force v inferior and mostly immobile Russian units. Map is decent and looks good in the winter mod but Russians need some harder hitting weapons to make it a contest.

The Allied Set-Up is crucial. After that you might easily get stuck unable to respond. I found this scenario a bit boring, as I was not able to respond. However, the Name of the scenario was will chosen. And be careful to fully understand the winning conditions. The russians do have a chance of winning.

I found the scenario's design/parameters to be incredibly poor. At the start it may be too pro-German because of the five Tigers. however, because of some kind of flawed computer programming the game shifted quickly and unfairly in favor of the Russians. The PBEM balancing is poor and there is nowhere to type in none of the above.

At the 10 minute mark, 3 T-34 tanks appeared behind two of my tigers and a third moving/hunting into position.

The area where this ambush occurred was to the Germans right, at the top of the hill looking down on the village, on the right side of the woods at that are near the right edge of the game map, and near the road that is located in that area on the German's right.

I had cleared the area and there were two cornered T-34s in a depression. I had also destroyed 6 starting T-34 tanks.

Then on at the 10 minute mark, three Russian T-34s appear in a perfect line and destroy three of My Tiger tanks that were supporting each other. The rear of one tank was totally exposed. The second tank supporting the first tank had a LOS for the area where the T-34s appeared, but was exposed on its side. It never had a chance to take a shot. My third tank had front armor showing to the three t-34 tanks, had a LOS on them and was in move mode. It never got a shot off and was destroyed as well.

Nowhere in the scenario notes did it say that I should expect Russian reinforcements anywhere on the German right.

If find it incredibly bogus that three T-34s could appear out of nowhere to my rear and destroy my Tigers. That area was cleared by my Tigers. In a real combat situation the Tigers would have had a LOS on those tanks well before the T-34s came as close as they did to destroy my Tigers.

In my opinion, this scenario is deeply flawed. Be warned if you are the German player. Three tanks may appear out of nowhere and to your rear on the right.

I found the scenario's design/parameters to be incredibly poor. At the start it may be too pro-German because of the five Tigers. However, because of some kind of flawed computer programming the game shifted quickly and unfairly in favor of the Russians. The PBEM balancing is poor and there is nowhere to type in "none of the above" for balancing.

At the 10 minute mark, 3 T-34 tanks appeared behind two of my tigers and a third moving/hunting into position.

The area where this ambush occurred was to the Germans right, at the top of the hill looking down on the village, on the right side of the woods at that are near the right edge of the game map, and near the road that is located in that area on the German's right.

I had cleared the area and there were two cornered T-34s in a depression. I had also destroyed 6 starting T-34 tanks.

Then on at the 10 minute mark, three Russian T-34s appear in a perfect line and destroy three of My Tiger tanks that were supporting each other. The rear of one tank was totally exposed. The second tank supporting the first tank had a LOS for the area where the T-34s appeared, but was exposed on its side. It never had a chance to take a shot. My third tank had front armor showing to the three t-34 tanks, had a LOS on them and was in move mode. It never got a shot off and was destroyed as well.

Nowhere in the scenario notes did it say that I should expect Russian reinforcements anywhere on the German right.

If find it incredibly bogus that three T-34s could appear out of nowhere to my rear and destroy my Tigers. That area was cleared by my Tigers. In a real combat situation the Tigers would have had a LOS on those tanks well before the T-34s came as close as they did to destroy my Tigers.

In my opinion, this scenario is deeply flawed. Be warned if you are the German player. Three tanks may appear out of nowhere and to your rear on the right.

Too one-sided, not really anything special.

As Mad Mike wrote, "Too one-sided, not really anything special." I agree. Nothing but shooting practice for Crack/Elite German Tigers --- against immobile T34/76 tanks. Scenario needs serious tweeking IMO.

Not sure how the Allies could ever win this one.