Not having played a German Campaign for a while, I thought I would try that and since this is the first on Steve Browns Campaign site (for Germany), I picked this. 

I enjoyed - I truly did, the first couple of scenario. I was beginning to think that this may be THE German campaign I have been looking for. As you proceed the spirited of these first ones is somewhat getting lost, and in the end there is nothing fun left! Sure, mass slaughter of tight pack units if you consider that fun. Repetitive scenarios to say the least!

In this campaign you are not allowed to buy new stuff, however you must replace lost original units. You can keep prototype units, as well as you may overstrength up to and including Normandy. The designer says in the readme that it is fairly difficult to still make balanced scenarios towards the end. This is normally a very true statement, however in this case its faulty logic seen in the light that you know exactly what the player has, due to the artificial rules. The ten last scenarios bear no resemblance that the designer has designed the scenarios, with his own rules in mind.

You will meet many leader units in the campaign. Not at the start of the scenario, nor are they default in the campaign. But a lot of enemy units, if not all, will get a leader first time you attack them. Basically this is good design, but if you do it 10 scenarios in a row it is predictable, not that it becomes boring or anything like that, but predictability is one thing you don't want to achieve. Don't use the same tricks, not that there is many trick used in this campaign, over and over again.

I cant help getting the feeling that I am not playing a campaign, but a row of standalone scenarios. This is not exactly what I am looking for in a campaign. This is partly due to the artificial rules, which produce zero upgrade fun, and partly do to that your results has zero influence on the war in General. These two things alone makes this kind of campaign not a preferred choice of mine.

I'm not making a review of the Equipment file used, even thru it is probably designed for this specified campaign. But you cant help notice and of course look at the Efile as you play. There is some strange cases all around, sometime much better equipment is cheaper then less good equipment?!?!, like the Panther G vs A and D?. Then of course there is the super human SS infantry of the Germans. They are vastly better then anything else any other can muster. They are like tanks, really! I like playing with infantry...but..

Stars from 0(useless) - 10(perfect) for each category.		Scenario played.
Installation		#01 - Poland #02 - Aa Channel #03 - Nice #04 - Corsica #05 - Yugoslavia #06 - Korinth #07 - TarterDitch #08 - Crimea #09 - Kiev #10 - Rostov #11 - Mius41 #12 - Mius42 #13 - Ukraine42 #14 - France #15 - Kharkov #16 - Kursk #17 - Italy #18 - KamenezPodolsk #19 - Tarnopol #20 - Normandy  #21 - Lorraine #22 - Rhine River #23 - Siegfried line  #21 - Battle of the bulge #22 - Budapest #23 - Vienna
Readme/help
Campaign Story
Campaign time-span
Campaign Difficulty-span
Campaign Misc.
Scenario Design
Scenario Plausibility
Scenario Misc.
Overall scenarios
Overall

Installation: A zip file. fine enough. Included in the zip is several other zip files, which you need to extract to the correct directory.

Readme/help: Ok readme, but with some flaws. As stated in the Readme, you will have to use the G patch to make full use of of the included Efile. This is true, but this sounds like you can choice, which you do not!. If you play this campaign with the intended Efile, you CANNOT play WITHOUT the G patch. Since the Efile includes more than 1000 units, the normal execute will crash the game. A lot more focus needs to be done to the fact that the player needs both v1.02 of the game as well as the G patch in order to even play! (the G patch can only be use with v1.02)

Campaign Story: The story is ok. I like the way his writes. Normally short, to the point and informational messages. like it. But I cant help getting the feeling I am just playing a lot of standalone scenario. This may be intended, but its not really what I expect or want if I play a campaign. Your performers does not influence in anyway on the campaign path either, also contributing to the 'standalone' feeling.

Campaign time-span: Good, really good. If it was not for the fact that there is no upgrade fun in this campaign (artificial removed), and the horde of prestige you have, you could have a lot of fun here. Maybe a better Efile is also needed.

Campaign difficulty-span: Well this is actually removed by the artificial rules! A self destructing mechanism so to speak. As can be seen, if you read further down, I have so much excess prestige and nothing to use it on because of the rules. 18000 prestige in excess, at 100% means about 4500 on 25%, maybe a little less. Either way, whether I have 4500 or 18000 does not really matter, if I have excess prestige there is no difficult-span then!!! the only way to make a difficulty-span is to decrease the prestige by a factor 500 or so. Its clearly shown that the designer has not thought about this at all. The maximum army value I can have is about 8500, and this is if I have to replace all original core units (utopia) - because I am not allowed to purchase any new units!! - so how can I exceed this value? Prototype units does not count, so the max cap in the campaign should not be higher then 8500 and this only very late in the campaign when I can upgrade to the most expensive stuff. However this value is already reached in the 9 scenario, loooonnng before my army - by the rules - can get even remotely close to this. So I will just keep getting prestige by the horde, prestige I cannot use, even at 25%, which means there is no difficulty span.

Campaign misc.: *ply files is included, a bit of too long text in a few scenario messages. Some blue scenarios are showing in the scenario select list, scenarios that does not work! Even worse than blue scenario, gray scenario that can be played, but really cant!! Some of the scenarios are labeled gray, which mean you can start them up. However they are by no means designed to be played. They are the campaign scenarios with the aux units, but without any substitute for the now missing core units, which means you don't have a shred of a chance. Like a sack of playable bad scenarios, some of them really physical impossible to win, but all of them impossible to just dream of winning. 

Scenario design: Hmm, I actually wanted to give less stars!, because the majority, at least the later ones, are reparative, uninspiring, pointless pack vs. pack and 100% predictable scenarios. However since I liked the first few (and I did!), they are the ones holding the stars up. Need some serious rework of the later scenarios.

Scenario Plausibility : Good for the most part. Overdone ones in a while (tanks) but fairly ok.

Scenario Misc.; Well missing everything! that's the easy way to say it. No place, city etc names, no units designation, even just made up. Many scenario don't even have the units point in the right direction, and that's only a click of a mouse when the scenario is designed!?! Zero time spend on the little thing that makes your scenario just that tap better then the next guys. Really deserves zero stars, but since one (1) scenario does have place names, as well as some units, also in this scenario, has name (its a SSI mod scenario) as well as the fact that scenario names is nicely keeps small, making then not writing over everything else in a units battle honors, it deserves a star.

Scenarios

You actually have a hard time getting thru the city (nameless city btw!), not because its to hard, but because of missing roads on the city hexes and bridges. I am unsure if this is done on purpose or it is a map mistake. I believe its a mistake since all other city hexes on this map is missing the roads. Consequence; means that it IS actually faster driving around the city (on the bottom) then it is getting your army thru the city - with or without enemy units. Anyway ok start scenario, and basically good fun, like it!

Got a Last turn BV and a Prototype PzIIIG tank.

Poland by turn 4

Pretty fine, pretty fine indeed. You are warned from the start that it will be a tough river crossing. You breakthrough point is the second bridge from the left. This is the easiest spot. You should not waist time on the top left enemies nor the middle enemy units. I did it anyway but first later in the scenario, where a large portion of my units had nothing to do. I purred everything, on the left side of the map, thru this bridge and the left victory hex was easy taken.

The Right victory hex is much tougher hex to take. I placed all three artillery I have over here, good intrusion I guess cause this is the toughest spot, and you are going to need all the artillery you can get - which is 3 since you are not allowed to buy more. Its a well entrenched spot with a lots of crammed together units. Takes some time to shoot thru.

It does not really help you making a attack over the second right bridge, which is much easier, since there you still have a river between you and the right victory hex.

The turns is excellent set, you can just make the BV if you don't waist turns.

Got a Last turn BV.

Aa Channel by turn 4

Aa Channel by turn 8

1900 bucks in the bank and absolutely nothing to use it on. Man its itches in me to buy some more of these super SS units, but I am not allowed to :(

It is a artillery shooting contest scenario, but never the less another good scenario. Mountains all over, which means that recon, tanks and your AT gun, is in danger everywhere they stand, especial if one of those - quite good - legions comes around. They are really really good and will kick anything but your infantry. It is actually better for none-infantry to stand in river hexes (!), then end there turns in exposed Mountain hexes.

Basically just a slow pace artillery shooting down the valley with all my seven Infantries up front. I had a tank and AT gun up front to start with, but they got badly hurt by those legions.

Used a fair amount on prestige you keep my infantry up to strength 10. You should too, as they are they ones that is going to win the scenario for you - along with your 3 artillery.

The right aux units you have is of no use at all. They are not strong enough to pass by the ownership hex before the supply hex. So they basically just stood there. The AI bought another five range artillery on this supply hex, as well as a French Bis tank.

Once more I got a last turn BV. The turns are nicely set. 

Aa Channel by turn 8

Aa Channel by turn 11

Plenty of bucks and nothing I can use it on :\. I losing a bit of fun here, because of the rule of not buying any units! I hate artificial campaign rules :( Not that the scenarios up to now have not been good, cause they have, but half the fun for me in a campaign is designing my forces and there is nothing of this here :(

Anyway another good scenario (hope it continues like this, cause it is does this is in for a high score). When you end your first turn, it take a while before it shifts to your turn again. Not a good sign! It either means the AI has a lot of units standing wrong, according to him - or he just got a lot of units! But its not that bad as you will found out.

I was a bit divided between how to approach this scenario. One part of me want to just land my forces as quickly as possible and another part sneak down the island and land behind the AI. I took a long sail route down to the very bottom of the island, where I landed in a totally undefended supply hex :) This in turn force a nice side effect, it forces some of the HEAVY HEEAVVVYY entrenched AI artillery units to leave there entrancement. We are talking 15-20 here! As some may know Artillery that heavy entrenched cannot be destroyed by anything else then your own artillery.

I took the lower right victory hex easy as it is only relative light defended, this again forced even more units to leave there entrancement. Then artillery shoot my self thru to the to another victory hexes.

You cannot get a BV they way I did, simply enough turns. I have a bit of doubt that you can actually make the BV in this scenario. Your aux units is of no help what so ever, they can simply not match the Legion units in Mountain combat, - and there is plenty of mountain on this map. Since BV and V are pretty close in numbers, even a V is going to be pretty close, but I believe this can be done. Still not sure about that BV. Well another time and another place and I will try it out.

Got a TV

Corsica by turn 5

Corsica by turn 10

Almost 5000 bucks in the bank. Not much here, nice little easy scenario and ok too. Just basically surrounded the victory hex from every side, and those though SS infantry- which btw is the best unit you have!, killed everything.

Got a BV with plenty of turns to spare and a prototype  Me-410 fighter. Heh my first aircraft!

Yugoslavia by turn 6

A very easy scenario. First I thought the designer had forgot deployment hexes(!), but there is a port to the far right where you can embark to sail over. There is only 3 transporters, however you have one of the hexes in the ocean, just deploy there and you can deploy all unit in one turn, one by one. I did not see this before the second turn, so I was a little slow getting over.

Not really much the say here, my infantry did the whole job. Ohh btw this is the 6 scenario in a row that is completely anonymous. The designer makes good into text -really does, so its a bit sad that he did not use the extra time to name the map.

Got a BV, could easy have gotten it in turn 7, but went all turns.

Korinth by turn 9

Korinth by turn 12

7200 in the bank. Again over-strength everything leaving 6400.

If it where not for the fact that your infantry is extraordinary good in this Efile, this would be a pure artillery shooting gallery. However do to your infantry being so good, that are themselves moving artillery units :)

In this scenario you have to fight thru a horde of units, there is no other way. It is not to difficult, in fact its relative easy, since your moving battleships - your infantry - by now should be super humans. Nothing to complain about here, I like infantry!, especial since they are better then any other unit you have, in all aspects. Still tempted to exchange all but artillery, for those infantry, but I may not do to the rule :(

I dare anybody to get a BV here. Its not because its difficult, but because it is so close to impossible. I don't mind not getting a BV, don't even mind a loss for that matter, but I want a valid reason for not making it, and not because it is physical impossible, do to number of turns. 

Ok you got 11, 13 and 15 for the various victories. There is 33 hexes to cross for the last victory hex. With the best movement units, which is either a truck mounted unit or a recon you need minimum 4 turns to move 33 hexes. Both hexes have bunkers on them so you cannot take them without a fighting turn, 1 turn more. The middle strait is also covered by bunkers, which you have to destroy in order to cross, one turn more. By the beginning all 3 roads are covered by an AT, another fighting turn. Your artillery cannot reach them in the first turn. That makes a minimum of 7 turns you absolutely need to take the hexes here. That leaves 4 turns to slaughter 80 other units that is also in your direct way - that is close to impossible!!!

Btw there is a nice touch in this scenario, where Partisans appear behind your lines. Not difficult or anything, but a nice touch! -Like it!

Got a last turn V.

Talking about packing units!!! - TarterDitch by turn 1

TarterDitch by turn 8

8000 in the bank. Downgraded my 88mm to a mobile StuG. I have found it impossible to earn experience on the unit so far in the camp. And my other StuG is doing good in that department so far.

Easy scenario and hex less scenario. Been a while since I played on of these and its good fun. You have to destroy any enemy unit on the map. 

A 6 range leader artillery (now 7 range) with 'overwhelming attack' and 22 in soft attack - whine whine whine :)

BV with 3 turns to spare and a 109G6 fighter as prototype.

Crimea by turn 5

9000 in the bank. Upgrade my new fighter prototype, as a already available FW was better, - and I did not like the icon used on the prototype :)

Talking about packet, stacked, categorized, aligned in row and columns..... lol then this is it!. If it were not for the fact that your Infantry are so good as they are, this would be a textbook of an artillery shooting contest - an example NOT to follower!

As in the 8 previous scenarios (more or less) the enemy is all facing south, which because of the size of packing here, looks really stupid. The scenario it self is surprisingly easy, mostly do to you super human infantry :). There is no fancy trick here, its just slaughter from turn one to the end. 

There will arrive a large number of enemies in the southwest - not actually sure if they arrive or is there from the start. Anyway you yourself receives a large aux force down there too. Don't know if its meant so that I should start fighting them?, but I did not do it. No need to fight somebody in some remote location for no reason, there is nothing I need down there! I just drove my aux's up south toward the victory hexes. Placed 2-3 units on the river and let the AI south force run head on.

Got a BV with plenty of turns to spare.

Kiev by turn 5

Kiev by turn 9

I am beginning to think that the first couple of scenarios, that are really good, was just lucky picks by the designer. We are fast declining into standard placement of unit on the map. AT cover bridges, artillery supported by AD (not that this matter in this scenario since you cant deploy your air force, if any), packed and stacked units. The campaign is beginning to losing its appeal!

Basically 3 groups of enemy unit. One packed by the first river, one packed in the middle of the map and a larger group packed by the victory hexes! Hmm, as I could not foresee that even before seeing the units! Show me something I would not expect!

Got a last turn BV. I must say the designer is rather good at setting the turns in general. You waist one turn on this scenario and you cannot make it. Just like it should be.

Rostov by turn 11

11000 in the bank.

Ahh better. Its a defensive scenario, but you cannot actually win it. Not because you cannot hold the positions, but because there is no victory hex to take and killing all enemy units cannot be done - at least not first time around. But I don't mind, its ok.

The first 2 turns noting is happening, that makes you a bit unsure - and that is expressly good scenario design (whether indented or not). You get a bit nervous as to if your units are placed correctly and if you are defending in the wrong place.

Turn 3-4-5-6-7 are the real fun turns of this scenario. Intense and major thinking time. These turns will make or break you. In turn 4, I think, I was real close to redraw the southern part of the defense because it was seriously threaten. But the AI is not always that cleaver. A human player would have flow right thru me in the south, come up behind me and trapped half my army and take a free walk to the victory hex. But I stood and it all held.

Basically the AI just comes storming you from north, east and south. Lots of mobile artillery, tanks and infantry. Good fun for the above mention turns. Of course it can last longer or shorter depending on you can make it or not.

I do however fail to see the point in wasting 20 or so units of artillery, AT and AD on the other side of the river, where these units could much more productive have been used as a second wave, or 'sneaky' unit. They server no purpose there at all. If there are solve to prevent the player from actually winning the scenario, by destroying all enemy unit, a single unit placed in the deployment zone of the AI will do that trick.

Got a 'loss', not a real one, but as said because you cannot win. By the sound of the end-message you really expect to be kicked, but you don't.

Mius41 by turn 3

11200 in the bank. Finally some upgrade to do, and use the money on. Upgrade all 4 tanks to Russian T-34, they are better then anything German. Upgrade both AT guns to StuG IIIF and both Fighters to FW-109A3. As well as the FlaK37 to FlaK41 (which name btw looks a little odd since the A is FlaK is uppercase). Overstrength everything to its max, leaving me 7900 bucks.

The AI is set to attack here, caught me a bit off guard as I did not expect that (nice). Anyway a horde of Russian units will attack you. If you do it carefully you can get a couple of Russian surprises each turns, as he is just charging you :)

You get plenty of aux units, comes after a few turns. The air war was also not to difficult, since is rained for the first 5 turns :) It is basically an easy scenario, fun, but easy. Needed is a bit more organization in the Russian attack, but there is some nice futures like Russian partisans and irregularly troops, coming up behind you.

Btw I like this map very much. I think its cool looking!

Got a BV with plenty of turns to spare. Got a Prototype Tiger :) huhuee

Mius42 by turn 4

Mius42 by turn 9

Oh my god!!! Pointless, and poorly designed scenario! Well this scenario is how NOT to make AI attacking scenarios so late in a campaign!!! This is how you take away any chance for an already not so good AI!! 

You stand behind a river with one bridge, - this is by your victory hex, crowed completely together. 50 or so AI unit appear right in front of you. You cannot move, the AI cannot move. All he can do is run head on - a river - with me standing on the other side with range 2 weapons. Get the picture! This is a no-win chance for the AI. All you need to do - all, you can do! - is to stand still and shoot!!. I don't think I took as single point loss on ANY unit, while I killed those 50 Russians or so in less then 3 turns. I literally duck shot him. The AI does not have a shred of a chance! Fun? maybe?, maybe for some, but not for me!

Place 90% of all my unit by the victory hex and down the road. No sense in place then down by the supply hex. What do I need a supply hex for? - I may not buy new units anyway!! So I was fairly indifferent as to whether the supply hex would fall or not. It fell in the 6 turn, but I quickly retook it.

Now what you want to do is to get the player out in the open, leaving room for the AI to move and there is good room for maneuver on this map. This is currently like a test scenario or something, completely pointless.

Got a BV with 3 turns to spare.

Mius42 by turn 5

Mius42 by turn 10

Uhm? Some 2-turn rest scenario, where you just have to take a hex. Got a BV and a prototype HS-129B2 Bomber :) My first. Nice to get prototype for doing nothing :)

13800 Prestige in the bank. More new equipment available, upgraded the two StuG IIIF to "StuG IIIF with infantry". Still think this looks silly in an Efile, just me I guess.

Ohohee, this looks like another stacking scenario! You got 3 victory hexes at the very top, with nothing in between. I bet you a million that the top is cover with units, as well as I will meet 1-2 or 3 stacks of units along the way.

Heheh as said so done. 3 stacks and a top stack. I did not fight stack one, there is no point in that. Due to all units being entrenched to 8 they are not keen on moving, so they just stood there they whole scenario. Hmm this campaign is rapidly losing its appeal! Some good scenarios in the beginning, but it seams like the designer got stocked in the - so very often used - stacking of units and artillery contest, and this is a very very uninspiring scenario to said it the least.

I am sorry If I use a bit of harsh word now, and its sure not to be evil on the designer, but this scenario, like the previous one, can easily qualify for the top10 of the worst scenarios ever seen! Hell I have seen 20 minuets scenarios before, but this is not even a 20min, more like 10!!.

No more comment required for this scenario - because its not even a scenario - this IS like scenarios I use for test purposes!! - for real!

Got a BV with 2 turns to spare.

Kharkov by turn 3. Stack one and two in view. I did not even fight stack one, no point in that!

Kharkov turn 6. Just finished off stack two and stack three in view.

16000 Prestige in the bank. Upgraded my recon to PSW 233.

Hmm, man! This is now getting boring! Stacked, packed, artillery covered and predictable. Show me some new for a change!. What happened to the sprite of the first scenarios? if its going to be like this for the rest scenarios, I am not even sure I am going to finish. How can the designer think this is fun scenario after scenario?

This is like a static defense scenario, so bring up your guns an shoot. A major city in the middle - since it is a nameless city, I don't know what city it is!, with a ring of fortifications and units all around. Of course the city its self is packed with units. lots of artillery all around, including some of the major Russians, which basically means its impossible to assault the city before your own artillery has finished them off. Even your super infantry is helpless against cross fire from 3-4-5 artillery. The 'ring' is 6-8 entrenched, so unless you disturbed them or come visible in range they will not move.

I place all my units on the left deployment hex and just moves as one big units. When I am not forced to spread out why should I? I was fully aware that any river crossing would be cover, they have been until now, so why should I deploy my force in the south? That's only a disadvantage, spreading out my firepower!!

This is not how to do it, so late in a campaign. With most units at high experience and allowing the player to keep his units in a tight pack, cannot be beaten by the AI. You want to spread out the potential more firepower of the player, the later you get in a campaign. This scenario nurtures the directly opposite.

And the victory message made me laugh a bit. Not that there is really anything wrong with the message, and a truly like the way he writes (much better then I could do it), but 'Classic tank battle' heheheheh, is not a sentence that fits here. This is nothing like a tanks battle, never was and never will be in the current form. True there is a lot of Russian tanks, but that does not automatically make it a tank battle. The Tanks have no room, they are dug in, making the AI not keen on moving them.

Got a BV with 2 turns to spare.

Kursk by turn 4.

Kursk turn 6. Looks like a picture I have seen before!

17000 Prestige in the bank. Upgraded 4 of my 5 tanks to Panther A, as well as the recon to PSW 234/2. Over strength everything to its max, even thru it was hardly much, since I did not lose many point in the last scenario, due to the tight formation one can move in.

Hmm. Strange scenario. Takes you more time to deploy the actually playing it. A 45 entrenched bunker on a victory hex with a few partisans around. Dead dead dead and finish! A 45 entrenched bunker is no match for my super human infantry. Even without artillery suppression, the forecast is 1-10.

Got a BV with 3 turns to spare (in a 4 turn scenario!)

16996 Prestige in the bank. Well the max unit bug popup up here. Obviously there is a lot of aux units on this map. I wanted to DOWNgraded my 4 new Panthers to Panther G's!!! Yes for some weird reason the G version is cheaper, but still better!! For some strange reason the D version, the earliest Panther version and less good, is the most expensive? Well because of the max unit bug, you are not allowed (by the game) to upgrade nor buy new. In order to do that you would have to sell off core units to get under the max 100 per player (only 75 in v1.00). Well I will manage fine, just have to do the downgrade the next scenario :)

With the max unit bug, its a hint that its going to be a large scenario. Which it also is. However you can easy and fast win this. You basically have two groups one to the far left, around one of your supply hex. I completely ignored all this, as it serves no purpose in whether you lose or win the scenario. There is about 30 German units fighting another 30 Russian.

In the middle you have your victory hex, the one you don't want the Russians to take :). It has a larger fortification ring around it where you can deploy your forces in the middle. The Russians will attack you in e 270 degree circle, but not in the north. To the north you have the sole victory hex you need to take. Since this is an AI attacking scenario, it normally moves everything it can get its hands on against its targets. So there is not likely many units around the victory hex, unless the designer places lots on artillery and AD/AT. But this is not the case in this scenario.

Basically I just moved north out of the ring. Destroyed some units at my flanks and took the victory hex. You don't have to worry about your victory hex, since the fortification will stand up quite well against the Russian onslaught. Supported by a couple of artillery they are not likely to get thru at all. Got a BV with 6 turns to spare.

But things got screwed up, as the scenario crashed on me the second I took the victory hex. As it turns out, by not selling of some of my core units before deployment, my units got re-numbered (all units has a ID number) over 100 - and that is one thing the game don't like. The thing is that I remember clearly that you have to sell of units, if you get the unit number message, before you can deploy. Maybe that is different in the 'G' patch. Anyway to get going, without having to renumber everything manual in the savegame (I tries several times to let the AI kill of my aux units, but the game does not re-number for that), I simply let the AI take a ownership hex I had taken from him, cause as it turn out, the hex you are protecting is not an AI victory hex, the AI does not have any victory hex at all. For some strange reason the game re-numbers, when you lose, and so I could proceed. This also flunks my previous statement that the left supply hex is of no use to you, cause if the AI takes it, you WILL lose.

Anyway after several time of reloading the auto save game, to solve the problem, the AI took a hex of mine and I got a Loss. I think the designer needs to remove 20 or so aux German units, to be on the safe side for future players of this campaign, to this not happening.

KamenezP. by turn 3.

KamenezP turn 6. The turn I got the crashing BV.

Well do to a reverse lose, the AI actually active defeating me (which was needed in order to proceed), you bypass the HQ screen. So after the defeat screen message, the scenario just starts in the deployment faze.

I like this map. Its a beautiful map, just wish the scenario was corresponding beautiful. You start out on the far left in a relative tight pack. All around you there is Russians, mostly tanks, so the first 2-3-4- turns they will come storming you. They are however no match for you super stuff, only the IS-2 is even with you.

Nothing much to say, other then what is already said, that in order to make functional and difficult AI attack scenario so late in the campaign, you need to have the player spread out in order to mass assault smaller groups of his stuff. Assaulting a tight pack, which you have since you just deployed, is an almost impossible task for the AI. Anyway just slaughter thru and take the hexes.

Got a last turn BV.

Tranopol turn 4.

Tranopol turn 8.

18890 Prestige in the bank. Now time to do some downgrading! It seams like downgrading is better then upgrading in this Efile. Downgraded my two StuG IIIF with Inf to two JagdPanthers!!!!!!!!. Yeah believe it or not these babies are cheaper then the StuG's even thru they are vastly better!!!. Also downgraded 4 Panther A's to G. Upgraded my Tiger to Kingtiger, my 6/2 AD to 37mm Mobil, both fighters to Me262 and lastly the Hs-129B2 bomber to B3. The rules state that this is the last scenario you may over strength. So I over strength full, leaving me with 14991 points left.

See much better. You spread out the player and the scenario plays much better, well for me at least. This is a SSI mod I think or a look alike, but with limited deployment as well as more allied units, I think. Good scenario with a defensive as well as an offensive aspect in it. I am not sure this is indented or not, but you actually don't need the victory hex up top, you just need to take ANY hex of the allies. I took the left supply hex of the allies and the scenario ended in BV. The easiest way is just to let the allies take the nameless city in the middle (the one with the two victory hexes) and then retake it in the second turn. That should also produce a BV.

Got a BV in turn 6 I think. With normal function victory hexes it would probably have been turn 8-9-10.

Normandy turn 4

About 16800 Prestige in the bank.

Beautiful map. Ok- scenario, but the AI does not really have a chance, since I am once again packet in a tight formation. I miss some flanking, some unexpected reinforcement, surprises etc.. you get the picture. This is quite the same as the majority of the Russian front scenario, mass assault of a tight player formation, one victory hex cover by artillery etc.. we know the out come of that!

The AI is set to attack, which basically meant I lost 95% of all aux units in the AI's first turn, since I moved them forward. A horde of ground units as well as 10-15 planes will attack you in the AI first turn also. The Planes was taken down by turn 3, since as said I am a tight pack and its all multi covered by my AD, no chance for the AI. The ground part went the same way, took a bit long, but the same way also.

Its a bit sad, cause this map really offers for flanking and surprise scenarios. 

Got a last turn BV and got a JagdTiger as Prototype.

Lorraine turn 4

Lorraine turn 8. I could have won in turn 7, but just took a few more hexes.

About 17000 Prestige in the bank. Downgraded my new Jagdtiger to a JagdPanther, as it has better movement. Nothing else to use money on, as I may not buy anything new or over strength.

Hmm, better scenario, but still just a pack vs pack fight. The core action will just be as the 10 last scenario, a horde of troops coming at you while you have to cross a river, everything packet tight together. 

The fun part in this scenario is the aux fighting on the top. Even thru it does not mean anything, since you don't need any of the two hexes up there (you can just abandon them if you want), its never the less a fun setup. A long city frontline with half strength Germans vs. a superior US force. Fighting an elastic defensive defense and you can in fact hold it. I like it and had a lot of fun with the aux units. To make this scenario much better, dual victory hexes, would do it. if you actually needed both hexes up there, it could turn out to be quite good.

Got a BV with 4 turns to spare.

Rhine River turn 1

Rhine River turn 6

About 16255 Prestige in the bank.

Did it all wrong, but I actually think I had more fun doing it wrong. If you do it the only way its possible to get a BV, is just a scenario like the 10 last - pack vs. pack. Well you got a victory hex in the south-west, just one to take (hmm wonder why there is always only one victory hex) and a long fortification line, which you start behind, in the east. Well pretty much figured the deal her. A horde of AI units is going to storm you, while you have to slaughter your way thru them to get the victory hex - nothing new here!!!!! Btw the too many units bug is also found here. Well its not actually a bug, you just got to many units. Remove some of the fortification and it should be gone.

With absolutely nothing new under the sun, I figured a horde of units would charge me if I took the middle road for the victory hex - which you have to take to get a BV - no other way is possible, and even then its very very tight. I believe only truck mounted units or recons can actually make it. Anyway not wanting to do the old (getting REALLY old) pack vs. pack, I figured I would take the south road. What I did not see was the there is a lot of bocage down there, which hinder your movement so you cannot make the BV.

I drove most of my units down there, as I new from the Russian front those fortification would hold of the onslaught for ages, without me having to do anything, which they also did. So at the top and middle I did not really do anything. At the bottom, on the road I took, I encounter about 10-20 units, mostly infantry and just continued for the victory hex and took it. As said you cannot get a BV this way, but its more fun I think :)

Got a V.

Siegfried line turn 3

Siegfried line turn 8 (last turn BV)

About 16364 Prestige in the bank. Upgraded both my AD guns to mobile 88mm

Hehehe, looking at the map - which btw is a 'xmas' map, because of improper palette used in converting to SHP - I thought I would beat the designer at his own packing game, cause this is just like the 10 previous scenarios pack vs. pack, and I did :)

Well your deployment lays in the sound-east. The lonely victory hex (as usually) in the north-west. So its meant for you to drive cross the map and take it. But I looked a little around in the deployment. You have a supply hex in the north-east, which is much closer to the hex, covered with aux units. So what I did was to close of the deployment window, move all the aux units down toward my victory hex, in case the AI would like to take it. Deploy all my core units on that supply hex and vola got an easy ride for the victory hex. Hehehehe!

There is units packs all around the map and the victory hex is covered with units as usually. Nothing new. This is by now a totally foreseeable campaign. The spirit of the first scenarios are long gone - sadly!

Got a BV, with 4 turns to spare.

Battle of the bulge line turn 5

About 16200 Prestige in the bank. Upgraded the PSW 234/2 to /4

An SSI mod scenario. For the first time something is named on the map :) Well is a SSI mod with more enemies, planes as well as ground units. The AI is set to attack, cant remember if that is also the case in the original SSI scenario. Anyway this fun, multiple victory hexes in different directions, simultaneous attack on your victory hex, as well as open ground where the AI can move. This automatically opens the scenario instead of those pack vs. pack scenario. Still an easy scenario, but good fun.

Left a few units on my victory hex, swung everything else around the center enemies and continues with high speed for the two top victory hexes.

Got a BV, with 2 turns to spare. Got a Maus FlaK gun as prototype.

Budapest turn 2

Budapest turn 5

About 18413 Prestige in the bank. Downgraded my Maus FlaK to the Kugleblitz.

Not much to say. Mindless scenario!. Pointless. The Russians don't have one chance in hell to win this. 3 Turns and they where all dead. This is guaranteed a 20 min scenario - and please I have seen enough of them!

And of course I did not let the American take my victory hex as said by the into message, cause that produces a lose - which in turn does not produce a score for the campaign.

Got a BV.

Vienna line turn 1. Man!! it can be done better then this!!! - I know it can. This is to mindless.