DLC '44 West #01: Anzio

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[karlto]

On the buy equipment screen, the SdKfz 10/4 entry doesn't have any picture.

[karlto]

At the end of the scenario, you are told that you are getting mines, and that you need to "claim them", but no explanation on how that is done. I discovered by accident that you had to click on them, but I don't think this is obvious, and should be called out.

[Kamerer]

sorry, double post.

[Kamerer]

1) Anzio – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige - Begin: 1,850. End: 2,950. Net: +1,100
Result: DV 15/15
Replacement policy/prestige: about 50 used to repair PG motor units and a FJ.

Problems:

• • I imported a “stock” core from 43W. It imported the P26/40 and M41C AA captures from Taranto (so I am pretty sure it is from the last beta version), but I did not have the Ta152H and Do335 from Messina. Perhaps those two aircraft were not supposed to follow, but it seemed odd. I’m pretty certain they should have been in that saved core – but maybe I’m wrong.
  • The mounted PG’s unit class is truck, so they can’t capture hexes. Anyway to fix that? A combat unit that can’t claim a hex can be a minor liability at times.
  • The game issued me an SE Pz.III/J1 at start of turn. An S(letter that cannot be spoken) unit really wouldn’t be kitted out with that weapon in 1944 from what I’ve understood? Is there a way to make SE awards accurate to the theater/time? Perhaps a no purchase on certain SE units after 1943?
  • Naval gunnery range – I noticed a CL firing on units 7 hexes away, a BB hitting from 9 hexes. Is that intentional? Unit stats still gave normal ranges for them. I came within a single strength point of losing two infantry units I thought were well out of range.

General impressions/comments:

• • Allied air felt too weak early on, too strong at end.
  • I received four minefields (lost two depots – so assume it was 1x for each surviving depot?). Maybe say “click on them to claim them” to make it more clear how to claim them.
  • I would put PG units in 251/1 tracks to give them superior mobility to your other tracked infantry (assuming most people use 250/1 for cost reasons).
  • Re: mounted PG units, I noticed one was named "Ludwig," the other "Igel." I don't know if "Ludwig" is a reference to anything in particular, but I recall Rommel's staff cars were named Igel, Adler, and Grief. I'd change Ludwig to Adler or Grief to make a reference to those (or perhaps Ludwig is something I don't know and should stay that way). Just a stray thought.

[Kerensky]

That's odd, because I knew this would be a problem and I specifically wrote exactly how to 'claim' minefields.

Upon further investigation, there appears to be a bug with this BETA client where it is cutting off multi-paragraph messages.

What you are supposed to read is on the LEFT. What is actually displaying is on the RIGHT.


Thanks for your reports, this is exactly why we need tests.

[Ballacraine]

Starting with default core.

I feel this lacks reconnaisance units.

Balla.

[ThvN]

Beta 1
Colonel, Imported Core, DV 15/15
Prestige before/after deployment: 3108/2325 (checked, and the stock DLC starts with 2850, but I had to reinforce a lot of things)

Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 3359/5859

I may have misunderstood the briefing, it states: "Your objective is to maintain control of all victory hexes for the duration of the operation." So I thought that losing a single victory hex to the allies (even after recapturing it) would cause it to not count towards the total for the victory conditions. But this does not seem to be true? If it doesn't matter if control of a victory hex is temporarily lost, the message should be reworded. Pending confirmation I'll not post this in the 'text mesages' thread yet, because I could be wrong.

Bought a bridge engineer, due to all the rivers. I played quite cautiously, but I wanted to get some bombing runs on allied transport ships (I brought my four-star stratbomber because I expected allied naval support), so I got jumped by allied air waves appearing on certain turns, but no complete casualties fortunately. Strangely, when I moved some tanks in vicinity of Anzio this did not cause the artillery units stationed there to fire at me, although the anti-aircraft worked just fine. Allied units did not manage to attack any supply dumps, but I did temporarily lose control of one objective. I was hoping for this DLC to introduce some landmine warfare and wasn't dissapointed, nice idea to give the player some! After some clicking around I managed to get them all, I see the lack of a minefield 'tutorial' has just been explained already.

Another thing: The bonus grenadier units cannot take flags (Kamerer already mentioned this).

From turn 8 on I just waited around the objectives for the Allied units to come at me, but there were fewer than expected, so overall my ground casualties were very light, mostly because I was able to finish off each wave of Allied air units in two turns, although this reduced a lot of my fighters to less then half-strenght.

[ThvN]

I imported a “stock” core from 43W. It imported the P26/40 and M41C AA captures from Taranto (so I am pretty sure it is from the last beta version), but I did not have the Ta152H and Do335 from Messina. Perhaps those two aircraft were not supposed to follow, but it seemed odd. I’m pretty certain they should have been in that saved core – but maybe I’m wrong.

I also imported the core from the previous beta, and both Ta152 an Do335 are present in my core (and very useful), just like the two Taranto Italian units.

Naval gunnery range – I noticed a CL firing on units 7 hexes away, a BB hitting from 9 hexes. Is that intentional? Unit stats still gave normal ranges for them. I came within a single strength point of losing two infantry units I thought were well out of range.

I noticed that too, I checked with the editor and they have +4 range Heroes added, so definately intentional I would say.

I recall Rommel's staff cars were named Igel, Adler, and Grief.

Minor spelling correction, my apologies, it's not Grief but Greif, commonly meaning 'Griffin' in English. And don't forget 'Moritz': http://deutsches-afrikakorps.blogspot.n ... -cars.html

[monkspider]

Anzio
General level
Imported Core
Starting prestige 1100
After upgrades/reinforcements 200 prestige
Endign prestige 1300
Losses 1x 2cm Flak vierling

DV 15/15

Thank you for the opportunity to test yet another Grand Campaign, I am excited! This was a pretty perfectly balanced scenario I thought. I did use an imported core but it wasn't an especially good one, and my prestige was pretty limited. But It should be a fun challenge, nonetheless.

I deployed my strongest force on the western coast, in hopes of making a dash on Anzio itself but the naval units in the area had such sharp teeth that I decided it wouldn't be worth it. In the center and east I managed to contain the enemy reasonably well but the enemy's last push was strong enough that I had to scramble a bit. I managed to save all but one supply depot, and imagine my shock when I was told I would be able to deploy minefields! Minefields, can you believe it? I am sure I can come up with some sinister uses for them.

I liked the Panzergrenadiers, they were pretty fun to use as an all new, never-before seen unit type.

Here is my core for the record
SE Tiger I
2x SE Panzer IV
1x SE Infanterie
1x KV-1C
1x KV-1B
2x Panther G
1x Italian P-40
1x Conscript
2x Wehrmacht Infantry
1x Fallschirmjager
1x 10.5 artillery
1x Panzerwerfer 42
1x 15 Neberwerfer
1x P-40
1x Italian FLAK that you get at Taranto
1x 12.8 FLAK
2x FW-190
1x ME-110 (My luftwaffe was pretty well shot to hell in this core)

Bugs: Like has been mentioned, the Panzergrenadiers can't capture cities. I thought the naval range was a bug but it appears to be intentional.

[zappel]

Is it intended the additional PzGren-units are only trucks with no combat unit included?

Truck without unit

PzGren.png (70.34 KiB) Viewed 3079 times

Is it intended the Moletta river ends before the sea?

Moletta

Anzio.png (97.92 KiB) Viewed 3079 times

Just to mention: the crossroad north of the river is not connected to every direction.

[zappel]

Is it intended the additional PzGren-units are only trucks with no combat unit included?

PzGren.png

Uhh, what a dumb question, oversight the super-heros.
Yes, it is intended.

[RobertCL]

Hi,

Great to come here, I was not able to finish 42 beta test because I was in holidays abroad...

Playing at leutnant level as always (on a 27 inches LED Cinema Display Apple in 2560*1440 resolution).

First observations:

1. Text about the mines would have been much clearer but it will be improved as I saw above.
2. Excellent map!
3. Allied air power is really strong and Allies have constant reinforcements (I finished to lose my Tiger), this seems realistic
4. Pz Grenadiere units cannot conquer hexes, logical because they are only part of land transport category, but shouldn't they be moved to infantry category in order to enable capture of cities and airfields ? Just a proposal but I think it would make sense (but no need to change the icon).
5. Excellent e-file, I discover new units (Hs 129, Brumbär, ...). BTW Brumbär is really a weak unit. One AI unit has no icon (SDKFZ 10/4).

So far so good!

[zappel]

Beta1 - Colonel-Level - Imported core
After the sometimes very difficult scenarios DLC8 the first scenario of DLC9 was pleasantly simple. Could destroy all U.S. units and got a lot of prestige. The additional units (see above) confused me a little bit and I sold them after this scenario to get +200 PP. Could claim the minefield but I'm not sure how tu use them.
I like the scenario.

[El_Condoro]

Heroes are being used to modify standard units hence the panzergrenadiers are good in attack, even though they are just a 251 HT, and the Allied ships have longer ranges.

[Kamerer]

I also imported the core from the previous beta, and both Ta152 an Do335 are present in my core (and very useful), just like the two Taranto Italian units.



Minor spelling correction, my apologies, it's not Grief but Greif, commonly meaning 'Griffin' in English. And don't forget 'Moritz': http://deutsches-afrikakorps.blogspot.n ... -cars.html

OK, I guess I didn't have those birds in that core, but that's odd. I recall getting them, and certainly not disbanding them. Bummer.

I always thought "Greif" was for "attack," and a play on his book title. But maybe it's Griffin, I guess it could be either way.

[LostAgain]

Playing with imported core on FM level.
I'm actually still playing the scenario but already have questions. The Panzer Grenadiers I was informed I was getting at the start of turn 2 didn't turn up until turn 3. They don't dismount from their vehicles and when one took a city back from the Americans it did not revert to German control. It retained the American marking! Are these glitches or are they intentional?
Edit: Now on turn 7. Panzer Grenadiers will not attack any transports in the water either. This cannot be intentional.

[LostAgain]

Playing FM with an imported core.

Just finished this scenario, and for the first time since starting to play this game I'm disappointed. This was just too easy in every sense. Absolutely no challenge at all. With the initial statement that guarding the supply depots would bring later benefits I actually guarded them against what I assumed would be an airbourne assault, but not only was this needless, but as it turned out I didn't really need the units I posted as security! It may be that I'm fortunate in that I carry 2 Strategic Bombers, (He 177 A's) and they practically won the scenario for me, but that can't be all of it. The difficulty level here is embarrassing. I actually restarted right from the main menu after turn 4 because I thought that somehow I'd accidentally chosen an easier level, but noooo, unfortunately that wasn't the problem.

Someone else also commented on the mines and I'd like to reiterate their comment that an instruction or hint that double clicking on them is how you secure the mines should be included. I initially clicked on each of them and wondered if that had registered them somehow, and only by fluke did I discover double clicking was the means of procuring them.

[Razz1]

I like the 251/1. I was thinking about making the same unit for PC but wasn't sure how valuable it would be.

NO Core Colonel
DV

It looks like the firing range for ships have increased.

The 251/51 is not a regular unit yet. It is a special unit for this scenario. The 251/1 is still a transport. That is the reason why it can not take cities.

You don't want to change it to a recon unit as then you would not be able to use that unit as a transport.

If the developers want to, they can add it as a separate unit, then we would have two 251/1's. One for transport and one for recon.

I would make the icon a little different by making the machine gun larger so the player can distinguish it.

[El_Condoro]

It looks like the firing range for ships have increased.

No, they have been given heroes with increased range.

Another option for the devs and what heroes can do is perhaps a 'take flag' trait. That way even specific artillery units could take flags if a hero is set for them.