AO 1941 East
Zagreb
Events
Starting off with the non-import campagn starting linup we have the nerfed Adolf Galland, Siegfried von Bonde, Reinhardt Herzog, and Ludwig Mittermeier all returning from the 1940 start, alongside Esla Kloss from a 1940 Commendation Reward. Joining the roster of Hero aces are 5 newcomers: Volkhardt Kautz, Markus von Reuenthal, Wolfgang Schneider, Friedrich von Kraken, and Helmut Kielb. Also, fun fact, while comparing the lineup to the 1940 one, I noticed that most, if not all the new 2 Trait Heroes were single Trait heroes in 1940 (and presumably 1939). Nice to see some people getting promoted for their hard work.
Volkhardt Kautz was already an devastating Hero with the coveted Rapid Fire x2, but with Readiness any Unit he is assigned to becomes becomes even more dangerous for enemies to attack.
Markus von Reuenthal gains Low Profile, granting a survivability boost alongside his previous Scavenger Trait, making him a pretty great Hero for a dedicated capture unit, or if you aren't bothering with captures he now actually holds some value.
Wolfgang Schneider becomes a powerhouse for high Slot towed guns and Infantry as he gains Fast Deployment to combo with his previous Zero Slot trait.
Friedrich von Kraken is released to become a champion of the Overstrength Mechanic by adding Consolidator to his Reduced Slots. The Unit he starts in also starts with 5 points of Overstrength already to make full use of his new skills.
Helmut Kielb combines Prudent and Double Support, an interesting combo with useful applications for frontline AT guns and possibly Fighters.
In other news, you receive a batch of 30 38M Toldi I tanks from your Hungarian friends on Turn 2.
The Toldi has the unfortunate circumstance of having identical stats to your Panzer IICs that have unlimited replacements, leaving it uses limited to primarily flavor purposes or for runs using Collector. On the other hand, it's free so you can't complain too much.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on this map. Searching for the Prince gives 2 Commendations while Wagner Surviving gives 1 (We'll be seeing a lot of Wagner running around needing protection throughout the campaign so be prepared. Really wish he was in something a bit more armored like a Panzer or something though
...)Total: Earned 3/Spent 0
Yugoslavia
Objectives
Only 1 Bonus Objectives on this map an it gives 2 Commendations.
Total: Earned 5/Spent 0
Also, Fritz Klingenberg Hero when Kerensky?
Thessaloniki
Objectives
2 Bonus Objectives for 2 Commendations each.
Total: Earned 9/Spent 0
Thermopylae
Events
Our first Commendation Reward is 19 Bf 109Z Prototypes which you can buy for 4 Commendations at the Scenario start.
If you like the Bf 110s Fighter/Bomber capabilities, the 109Z is a straight upgrade, albeit at the cost of costing an extra Deployment Slot in comparison.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on this map, each giving 1 Commendation.
Total: Earned 11/Spent 4
Cache
We also have out first Cache in the out of the way town of Kouvela, guarded by a 30 Strength unit of Australian Infantry. The prize being 29 Cruiser Mk.II CS Assault Guns.
These Assault Guns are cheaper and faster than the StuGs you currently have for Assault Guns, but have less Soft Attack and Ground Defense in exchange.
Operation Mercury
Events
At the start we have another opportunity for a Prototype aircraft purchase, this time 19 He 111Zs for 5 Commendations.
Much like the 109Z vs 110 comparison, the 111Z has better overall stats than any of your regular Strategic Bombers at this time, but costs an additional Deployment Slot. Personally, I'm not a fan of Strategic Bombers in general, and with certain other rewards approaching this is probably my first pick to skip.
Also, be warned, despite saying that you will get landing craft to transport tanks and other ground units eventually, you are in fact stuck only with Air Transports for this mission even if you sink the Royal Navy. Keep that in mind when deploying and make sure you have plenty of parachutes.
Meanwhile, on Turn 18 you are presented an important choice. You can choose to trade Adolf Galland for 100 Bf 109Gs. While the 109Gs are a flat upgrade that you are getting roughly a year early with plenty of stock, I'm personally not sold on it being worth losing an elite Hero like Galland. Definitely not if I bought him in SCW, although with the nerfed version you get at the start of 1940 and 41 I might be a bit more tempted. Of course, there is always the chance of this decision having further rewards and impacts in future Campaigns, so my opinion may change.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on this map, capturing VPs gives 2 and destroying aircraft gives 1 Commendation.
Total: Earned 14/Spent 9
Cache
In the middle of Crete on an airfield at 32,31 you'll find a cache full of 19 Spitfire Mk IIs, 19 Beaufighter Mk.IF, and 29 Stirling Mk.Is.
The Stirling is the only new reward compared to previous Campaigns, and its a bit of a disappointment. Much like the He 111Z it costs an extra Deployment Slot compared to your German Bombers, but unlike the 111Z it's stats are much weaker, making that extra Slot much more crippling to the Stirling's usefulness.
Totally Not Poland
Events
Oh boy, oh boy, for a Training Mission there is a lot to cover here.
First, at the start you are given the opportunity to buy 19 Sturer Emil Prototypes for 3 Commendations. They also mention another Tank Destroyer offer which is presented on Turn 2, again paying 3 Commendations but this time for a 10.5cm K Gepanzerte (Sfl.), AKA the Dicker Max, Gift Unit that spawns on Turn 3. IMPORTANT NOTE! You can in fact purchase both of these Commendation Rewards if you have enough Commendations. However, the way that this Campaign is set up, if you bought both the 109Z and He 111Z then even if you met every Bonus Objective you will only have 5 Commendations and thus can only afford 1 of these. So plan accordingly on which Reward you are more comfortable with passing on.
The Sturer Emil is a powerful Tank Destroyer that blows your current Panzerjagers out of the water.
The 10.5cm Gepanzerte isn't quite as powerful as the Sturer Emil, but is still superior to the Panzerjager and has unlimited reinforcements compared to the Emil However it is stuck at only 5 Strength, although if you aren't playing with No Overstrength this is easily rectified, as with only a base Slot cost of 2, Overstrengthing it to 10 only makes it worth 4 Slots (or 6 if you use a Consolidator Hero or a mere 3 if you use von Kraken who feels like he was designed for this role.
).Next on the agenda, if you picked up that Meteor Cache near London Willy Messerschmitt turns up on Turn 5 asking for it, and you can choose to give it to him on Turn 6. No reward for doing this at this time save for an unusable set of 5 Me 262s, but considering the only other option is to destroy the Meteor you might as well accept. (Something tells me this indicates an Me 262 or Meteor Gift Unit/Prototypes given to us a fair bit earlier than expected.)
And finally, we finally get the chance to recruit Hans Rudel on Turn 7, and he doesn't even cost a thing! He arrives on Turn 8 if you accept.
Rudel is a Tactical Bomber Hero with Legendary as well as your choice of Traits from the following 3 pairs: Double Attack or Double Move, Aggressive Counterattack or Lightning Attack, and Ignores Entrenchment or Tank Killer. Pretty much all of these are amazing Traits for Tactical Bombers, and guarantee Rudel will be a tremendous force multiplier for any Bomber he's assigned to.
Objectives
Total: Earned 14/Spent 12 (or 11 or 10 depending on if you skipped the 109Z or 111Z Rewards to get both of the Tank Destroyers)
Raseinai
Events
Upon arrival we have a Prestige Sink that for once doesn't give Commendations but equipment. Your Axis allies in Italy and Hungary offer to sell you some tanks for 50% of your Prestige, giving 35 M14/41, 35 L6/40 Lf, and 35 Toldi Is.
Like the Cache on Crete the M14 is the only new piece of equipment here, and stat wise it's closer in parity to the Pz38(t) than your PzIII and IVs.
Regardless of the Prestige Sink, Hungary, Romania, and Spain decide to give you some additional equipment for free on Turn 7. 35 R1 tanks, 35 Ca.135 Bombers, and probably the best of all the support sent this Scenarios; a Gift Unit of Azur Infantry, bringing your total to 2 of these units if you have been importing your Core since 1939.
The R1s are essentially PzIBs that cost an extra 10 Prestige and run into the same issues as the Toldis in that why use them if you have Panzer Is with unlimited reinforcements?
The Ca/135s are a fair bit more, being a relatively fair trade off of range and armor at the cost of firepower compared to your Ju 87s.
Objectives
There are 3 Bonus Objectives on this map, and you get to Commendations for destroying aircraft and holding Vilinus while holding Baisogaia only gives 1.
Total: Earned 19/Spent 12
Stalin Line/Minsk 1941
Events
At the start of each Scenario you get a free Armored Train. Free stuff is always nice.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on each map, and they all give +2 Commendations.
Total: Earned 23/Spent 12
Tallinn/Smolensk 1941
Events
An offer at the start is made to spend 4 Commendations for a batch of Russian aircraft: 24 LaGG-3, 31 Petlyakov Pe-2, and 19 Petlyakov Pe-8.
The LaGG-3 if an overall weaker plane that your Bf 109s, but it costs 1 less Deployment Slot which gives it some potential use.
The Petlyakove Pe-2 stats fall into a middle ground between your Ju 87s and the Ca.135s range vs firepower stats.
The Petlyakove Pe-8 on the other hand is like the Stirlings, weaker than your German Strategic Bombers yet costing an extra Deployment Slot.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives at Tallinn and 3 at Smolensk, Wagner's survival in either and sinking ships at Tallinn give +2 each, while at Smolensk capturing Bialystok and Grodno give +1 each.
Total: Earned 27/Spent 16
Approaching Leningrad/Yelnya Offensive
Events
For 5 Commendations you have another chance to buy or restock the Bf 109Zs with a batch of 26.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on each map, each giving +2 Commendations.
Total: Earned 31/Spent 21
Gomel
Objectives
1 Objective for Wagner's survival gives 1 Commendation. (Well, that was a damn lie...
)Total: Earned 32/Spent 21
Lokhvista
Events
On Turn 3 you can spend 5 Commendations to buy or restock 23 HE 111Zs. This and the 109Z Reward at Leningrad/Yelnya are another good reason why you can skip one of the Rewards near the start of this Campaign for both Tank Destroyers.
Objectives
There are 2 Bonus Objectives on each map, each capturing VPs give +2 and destroying HQ unit give +3.
Total: Earned 37/Spent 26
Kiev 1941
Events
On Turn 20 you get the chance to salvage 19 KV-1/40, 18 BM-13 Katyuashas, 29 MiG-3s, and 26 Petlyakov Pe-2s from the battlefield for 4 Commendations.
The KV-1 outclasses your Pz III and IVs in most aspects, and you also want a good stockpile for reasons that will become relevant later...
The Katyuasha serves as a weaker but cheaper alternative to the Wurfrahmen 40.
The MiG-3s unfortunately are like the LaGG-3 and inferior to your 109s.
Objectives
The one Objective of capturing Kiev gives +5 Commendations.
Total: Earned 42/Spent 31
Bryansk
Events
For 8 Commendations you get to recruit another elite Hero: Helmet Wirnsberger.
Wirnsberger is an Infantry Hero with +3 Initiative, +1 Speed, Low Profile to increase survivability, and Ignores ZOC. Sounds like a great choice for a Commando unit to me.
Objectives
For defeating the 13th and 50th Armies you get 2 Commendations each.
Total: Earned 45/Spent 39
Mozhisk Line
Events
Another 50% Prestige Sink for allied equipment, another 35 38M Toldi Is, 35 M14/41s, and 35 L6/40 Lfs.
Objectives
The Bonus here earns 3 Commendations.
Total: Earned 48/Spent 39
Battle of Moscow
Events
If you can fight your way to Raid the Kremlin you manage to acquire documents in the form of a single captured SU-100Y that I can only assume will become relevant in 1942 or future Campaigns like how the Meteor from 1940 did earlier this Campaign.
Klin
Events
Out last Commendation Reward is a chance to grab another batch of Russian equipment for 5 Commendations: 19 ZIS-30, 18 BM-13 Katyushas, 29 MiG-3s, and 26 Petiyakov Pe-2s.
The ZIS-30 outclasses your store bought Panzerjagers, although if you have the Sturer Emil and/or 10.5cm Gepanzerte it's not quite as impactful, but still useful especially with the other loot.
Finally, on the last turn of the Scenario we have a special Event if you manage to fulfil the Challenge Objective. By giving the convoy 100 of your stockpiled Kv-1/40s (NOT KV-1/41s, those don't count!) to take back to Germany you receive a promise of a future reward in later Campaigns in the form of a single Jagdtiger Prototype.
Final Objectives
Total: Earned 48/Spent 44
