AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Battle Reports & After Action Reports (AAR's)

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nexusno2000
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AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Welcome to Axis Operations!

To add a bit of role-playing spice, General Heinrich von Heck will earn 1 XP for each AO installment he completes. XP can be used to buy new traits or remove existing negative traits. It's a fun little twist that'll beep me invested. Hope you like it.

The difficulty is max, otherwise, it's no fun. Too much prestige and AI is too timid. Randomness set to 100% and Arrogant trait (no combat predictions). This is to keep me honest and guessing, rather than being able to easily calculate what I need to accomplish something (I HIGHLY recommended this combo). Trench Slog helps slow my advance a little bit by making entrenchment a real factor in close terrain. Force Dispersion to keep hero cheese under control (I love heroes, but some combos get dumb).

Difficulty: Generalissimus (GM)
Strengths (14 pts): Panzer General, Aux Force, Trophies of War, Deadly Grasp, Flexible Command, AA Veteran, Perimeter Control, Meticulous Planning, Aggressive Deployment
Weaknesses (+12 pts): Denied Artillery, Inefficient Supply, Trench Slog, Slow Modernization, Fear of Unknown, Arrogant, Force Dispersion)

I intend to keep playing until the end of the AO series. Well, at least until ONE end - looks like there will be multiple paths...

Green Knight
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Tassadar
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by Tassadar »

With all of these positive and negative traits combined it must feel like an entirely different game. Good luck with the series!
nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Tassadar wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:30 pm With all of these positive and negative traits combined it must feel like an entirely different game. Good luck with the series!
Yes, very different experience. That's the beauty of the traits: no two playthroughs need be the same.

Relatedly: double-move trait totally awesome :D
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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 2:


General Heinrich von Heck moves on to a new battle. Antequera - another place he's never heard of. He's captured a bunch of stuff so he upgrades both recon cars into UNL-35s and a tank into a fearsome T-26 (what an absolute monster).

He kicks some air units into the reserve to make room for Fantasy Soviet Mega-Cannon that was found in Gibraltar. Not a fan of that design choice but it's there so I'll use it. A couple OS 20 Italian Inf and an OS 15 Italian fighter, and the Condor Legion is ready to roll.

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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 3:

General Heinrich von Heck continues his advance. The battle of Merida is both larger and harder than the previous two. Quite the challenge actually, as you have to juggle your Spanish "allies" and try to get them on target without draining all your prestige.

It's hard going, but near the end, von heck is able to make some captures (but not enough T-26 parts) so ends the scenario with a decent prestige pool (despite the AIs attempts to drain me dry - IMO the biggest design flaw of SCW).

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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 4:

General Heinrich von Heck moves to relieve Toledo. Our Nationalist allies are in a pinch - and are attacking without a proper plan, bleeding GERMAN prestige left and right. The group sitting in the city is especially wexing as they take chip damage throughout the whole battle. Von Heck moves fast to minimize losses. Near the end, he manages a series of captures that bring his prestige back up somewhat but man what a horrible slog.

Who decided a common prestige pool was a good idea??? That on top of watching the AI battle it out on the screen :twisted: Not my cup of tea really :P

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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 5:

General Heinrich von Heck moves to secure the approaches to Madrid. Heavy enemy counterattacks are expected. Fortunately, there is a major river ringing Madrid...and the Republicans are not very good at crossing rivers :mrgreen:

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Tassadar
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by Tassadar »

nexusno2000 wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 7:11 am Fortunately, there is a major river ringing Madrid...and the Republicans are not very good at crossing rivers :mrgreen:
I almost wished there was some AI buff when it comes to river crossing planning. Currently the only way the AI can cross a semi-decently defended river position is by having swarms of artillery on the other side. Maybe some tiny hero additions would work on some maps? I'd have nothing against facing more River Assault heroes from time to time in these conditions, to encourage the AI to get more aggressive.
nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Tassadar wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:31 pm
nexusno2000 wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 7:11 am Fortunately, there is a major river ringing Madrid...and the Republicans are not very good at crossing rivers :mrgreen:
I almost wished there was some AI buff when it comes to river crossing planning. Currently the only way the AI can cross a semi-decently defended river position is by having swarms of artillery on the other side. Maybe some tiny hero additions would work on some maps? I'd have nothing against facing more River Assault heroes from time to time in these conditions, to encourage the AI to get more aggressive.
It's an AI issue.

AI needs to be able to:

1. scout (if needed)
2. airstrike
3. bombard
4. attack
5. rotate attacking units if needed
6. breakthrough

Otherwise, no amount of river hero will help...
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Panzer73
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by Panzer73 »

The AI setup in the Hannut scenario acts pretty much exactly that way. It would be nice to see it perform the same way in other scenarios. I am very offensive minded, with little AT/AA defense. I do fine in the other scenarios but the AI always gives me a bloody nose in Hannut... I'd probably play a lot more cautious if that version of the AI was in other scenarios.
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 6:

Herr Heck stumbling through the snow somewhere near Madrid...they said this war would be over soon and the troops back in German for X-mas...but nooo.

Every single wave spawned in the top-right zone which made for an odd game...

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Tassadar
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by Tassadar »

I'm actually amazed how well overstrength proves to be a "counter" to the Arrogant trait, but it's logical after giving it some thought. The extra firepower really makes up for the possible uncertainty!
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Tassadar wrote: Fri Jul 02, 2021 7:32 pm I'm actually amazed how well overstrength proves to be a "counter" to the Arrogant trait, but it's logical after giving it some thought. The extra firepower really makes up for the possible uncertainty!
OS is amazing... I also try to get mass attack and recon bonuses when I remember :D O I've played a lot so I have a good idea what works and not. Which is why I play with 100% randomness :idea:
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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 7:

A fork in the road. One way leads to Malaga, the other to Bilbao. Von Heck goes south, back to Malaga because he likes mobile warfare.

This is a fun little scenario with multiple axes of attack and some good resistance. Nothing too hard though and it turns into a massacre.

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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 8:

General Heinrich von Heck goes to a place called Brunete near Madrid. A major Republican assault in progress, so the Condor Legion rushes north, stops the assault, and keeps driving north... north... it's a very tall map. Not much happens once you've stopped the main assault. A bit of cleanup is all.

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Tassadar
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by Tassadar »

Nicely done - I always get too aggressive in the initial turns of this scenario, so I enjoyed the slower, more methodical approach with a lot of support given, especially by towed AT gun placement. If I even go and replay this campaign one day that will be a lesson learned. Those T-26 and other hard targets can swarm around the city hexes...
nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Tassadar wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:40 pm Nicely done - I always get too aggressive in the initial turns of this scenario, so I enjoyed the slower, more methodical approach with a lot of support given, especially by towed AT gun placement. If I even go and replay this campaign one day that will be a lesson learned. Those T-26 and other hard targets can swarm around the city hexes...
If positioned well those puny 37mm guns can do a real job. Without them enemy T-26s will be all over you and at 20% bonus accuracy they are really deadly.

88s are better off course but those are 3 slots for 10 str while these are 1 for 12 str.
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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 9:

General Heinrich von Heck heads towards Zaragoza where some Nationalists are in trouble and need rescuing. It's a decent scenario except you have to endure the AI ally taking chip damage all game long. Damage that Herr von Heck has to pay for from his own pocket. He very nearly has a meltdown...

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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 10:

General Heinrich von Heck goes to play in the snow near Teruel with his friends from the Spanish Cavalry. But they aren't very polite so he tells them to stay put while the Condor legion does all the hard work (as usual). But later the cavalry is let slip and pretty much redeems itself in the eyes of the German commander.

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nexusno2000
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Re: AO: Generalissimus Heinrich von Heck reporting for duty

Post by nexusno2000 »

Part 11:

General Heinrich von Heck moves north, to Aragon for a little rest and relaxation. This battle is the easiest in the entire SCW in Heck's opinion. Weak, scattered forces, no particularly heavily defended areas.

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