Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Order of Battle is a series of operational WW2 games starting with the Pacific War and then on to Europe!

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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

Operation Little Saturn, 4th difficulty completed on turn 29
Now we face significant number of italian and hungarian forces. From north and south, my forces strike to the centre to wipe out the combined axis force. The axis forces in the north even launch counter attack. Once the center axis forces is wiped out the forces then split to capture the 2 VPs held by the germans.
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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

I have faced many of the common german tanks so far but now late into the campaign I face the german heavy tiger tank. In the first combat we were able to cause it to lose supply. There is only 1 but I expect to face more later in campaigns.
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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

Malayla Zemlya. 4th difficulty completed on turn 11.
After previous scenarios this one feels like a breather. The CP deployment is much less then previous scenario. The troops at Cape Myshako were nearly wiped out but the heavy infantry and tank unit survive. The 2 units later moved east and linked up with the troops at Stanichka. The 2 paratroopers also linked up with the landing at Stanichka. The beachhead at Stanichka was successfully expanded and objectives north of Novorossiysk were taken. Both secondary objectives were completed.
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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

Kharkov 1943, 4th difficulty completed on turn 17
We are at Kharkov again and the Wehrmacht is once again on the offensive. Despite the soviet advance, the germans have avoided battle and have now regrouped for a counter attack. The enemy hits hard and many of the initial towns on the frontline fall. I retreat many of the aux units and move the aux units in the rear to the front. I focus on using the rivers to defend and destroy bridges. Luckily reinforcements become available for deployment and can be used where it is most desperate. 10 enemy infantry units are destroyed.
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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

Once the 10 turns have passed I withdraw my forces from Kharkov. The secondary objective of destroying 5 tanks took a bit longer and only done near the end. I had to counter attack to destroy the 5 tanks. The 2nd Tiger tank in campaign is encountered here and it deals a blow to my core force by destroying my t-34 tank unit. It looks like this can scenario end early once the secondaries are done. Now onto the finale of Red Steel
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bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

Now onto the finale of Red Steel
Right in time to remember June 22, the beginning of Op. Barbarossa in 1941 and Op. Bagration three yrs later....;)
best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

Kuban Air Battles
The final of Red Steel. The air battle here will play a big part. The wehrmacht has brought much air units to this sector and we have lots of air CP to use. I deploy as many fighters as I can and use the remaining 2 air CP on air recon. I focus the air battles over the Kuban beachhead and the area around Krymskaya. I deployed a total of 4 anti air units to aid fight the air war. I try to keep my air units around them to allow my anti air units to weaken the enemy air units before my own fighters attack. Soon the air objectives are completed and a heavy blow is dealt to the Luftwaffe.
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best75
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by best75 »

With the Luftwaffe dealt with, the focus is on holding the land objectives. The beachhead is defended against the enemy attacks and troops in the north eventually take Krymskaya. I look forward to the final campaign in this series. The german heavy tanks have been rare in this campaign but will surely face more in the last campaign of the series.
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bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

Kudos for the reps. Seems we need to get something new out soon...;)
Erik2
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by Erik2 »

Yes, bebro.
Time to spill a few beans on the next installment.
bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

Image

Not a clue in the literal sense, but fitting... ;)
GabeKnight
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by GabeKnight »

bebro wrote: Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:31 pm Not a clue in the literal sense, but fitting... ;)
"Vast armies", so as expected the conclusion to the Soviet DLCs then...

And after that? US in Europe? Isn't there some nice "niche" conflict DLC to be thrown in between? Like the Burma or WinterWar?
bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

If I tell you now they'd do unspeakable things to me, so let's wait for someth. official, hopefully soon :)

But it's safe to say it's not in a Dune setting, as the pic suggests...
OrangeA
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by OrangeA »

bebro wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:34 pm If I tell you now they'd do unspeakable things to me, so let's wait for someth. official, hopefully soon :)

But it's safe to say it's not in a Dune setting, as the pic suggests...
Yes bebro, spill ze beans!
13obo
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by 13obo »

I just came to say- fantastic expansion, bebro and team. Thank you! Keep up the great work.
bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

Thanks a bunch, glad you like it! :)
Zekedia222
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by Zekedia222 »

I’m betting it’s China
Klinger, you're dumber than you look, and THAT boggles the MIND.
- Charles Emerson Winchester III
asuser
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by asuser »

OOB was and is still a great game and brings a lot of fun with interesting DLC's! The last both Russian DLC are great!
See the battle report for Wheel of Steel here and played the first missions, very well!

That's why I want to ask, why are there no more achievements at the steam location for instance finishing the "Winter War", "Sandstorm" or the both Russian DLC's?
bebro
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by bebro »

Good point - let's see what we can do about it.
prestidigitation
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Re: Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

Post by prestidigitation »

I had a far more comprehensive reply but as usual this awful forum ate it.

I enjoyed the DLC immensely and think it has excellent replay value. Briefings were short and informative. Mission design was EXCELLENT! Very challenging, probably harder than the first campaign somehow. Darn Nazi bunkers everywhere!

I regret not knowing if or where any branching paths were in the DLC. It should really be highlighted if they exist!

I would love to see support for multi unit formations as a game mechanic with sizes from 2-8 units. I routinely create and name formations (ex: Guard Rifle Division, Mechanized Corps) as a tool for easing the complexity of managing large masses of troops (especially essential in the larger maps) and it'd be neat if there was a game mechanic for doing that (beyond individually renaming each unit) complete with the ability to assign a leader to the formation rather than an individual unit for bonuses. The ability to mass deploy a formation would be great.

There are various unit issues:
* the ZiS-3 implementation is awesome! It is a shame that its forebear which served in exactly the same role doesn't have flex AA/AT
* the large caliber AA gun is virtually useless and needs a buff in range from 2 tiles to 3 tiles. The 37mm light AA which has lower CP cost and is foot mobile far outshines it
* currently way too much overlap in the fighter lines!
* The MiG line should be an interceptor line. Historically it had good performance at high altitude and was primarily assigned to PVO (air defense) units rather than VVS (air superiority, close air support, operational interdiction). It should act as a quasi successor to the Pe-3 (night fighter/fighter bomber, large unsuccessful).
* The LaGG/La/P-39 line should be the fighter bomber line. All fighter bomber aircraft should have a flex weapon option that allows them to become "bombers" with reduced move range and air combat stats but increased ground combat stats. Usable only when in air strips or air fields
* The Yak line should be the dogfighter line as it currently is
* the M4 Sherman should be available in December 42 when the first shipments started arriving
* the Matilda line should be obsolete in 42 relatively early, it was much disliked due to poor mobility, lack of HE shell and poor armor relative to domestic heavy tanks
* the Valentine should be renamed Valentine III and be available for the duration. It was much loved and served extensively in cavalry and reconnaissance formations so really belongs in the Recon line. If you really want to go all in, give it a heavy infantry mortar option as the smoke launcher was routinely used in that role! No HE shell, so poor performance against infantry
* There should also be a Valentine IX with better armor and mobility than the Valentine III and an HE shell (developed by the Soviets from the one for the T48/SU-57), but no more mortar. Similarly well loved, similar role except that unlike the Valentine III it did not need to serve in mixed units with the T-70 and acted as a medium tank.
* the M3 and M2 halftracks should be showing up in 42 but don't. Vast numbers were sent to the Soviets and they were well liked!
* the M3 Stuart was much disliked. It absolutely belongs in the Recon section. The Soviets rejected the M5 Stuart!
* the M3 Lee should show up as an auxiliary unit only, it was very rare in Soviet service and not at all liked
* the lack of mountain troops (Gornostrelki) is bizarre given that the Soviets were by far the biggest user of this specialized formation type!
* the lack of cavalry (with upgrade path) and cavalry reconnaissance (konnaya razvedka) is bizarre given how critical both were to the Soviet force structure
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