[pvt_Grunt]

OK I went slowly - gently in my first try at the GC and all the bridges were blown. So I've taken the advice of some respected CC players - Schrek, QM, SL and others who have playtested and decided to "Haul Ass", but still the bridges are (mostly) blown. I've captures Son and Veghel only. The problem is the new Matrix crawl of death fix. If I tell the troops to run to the bridge, I expect them to RUN TO THE FARKIN BRIDGE! In CC4/5 it worked, you set way points and they would mostly get there. Now I have to keep telling them RUN, RUN every few seconds , it's hard work, but still the bridges are blown. I've lost Best and Odenrode already, but Monty didn't get discouraged so neither shall I. Shame about the dead men though.....

[pvt_Grunt]

Captured Grave bridge, although it should be "captured" in quotes as it's not secure. I like the AB rifle groups for this as they are faster, no 30 cal. I crawled 3 teams through the woods to the south  while my mg team took out the flak in the south of the bridge. After that its a matter of running as many teams as I could to the bridge VL's under fire, lots of clicking and re clicking as they all want to crawl back to their Mommy or wherever the hell it is they want to go. It's nearly as may clicks as a Diablo game!
Lots of dead para's, lots of letters home to write, but the VL's on the bridge are mine for now...

[Andreus]

I got severely kicked in that map. Germans had 2 5cm AT and I had nothing to get them...

But yeah, in CCV it took the guys many more shots before they would "Heading for cover".

[pvt_Grunt]

Brankenberg bridge
The US AB troops have to get the bridge before it blows up. In this case easy to get the bridge, harder to hold. The Ger have 2 mg42 in trenches on the other side, obviously troops wont run into the face of a mg42, but the constant clicking to keep going is tedious. I dont want to put OBEY ALL ORDERS in the setup, but a MOVE NO MATTER WHAT order would be great to use sometimes. Luckilly a RAF Typhoon wandered by to blast them...

[pvt_Grunt]

Arnhem Rail Bridge was easier.. I looked at the map coding and saw a new element "Under Bridge" and assumed it would stop the troops climbing onto the bridge at that point, so I made them climb the bridge at a more Northerly spot. Makes sense, you cant climb a bridge with a Sten..

[pvt_Grunt]

n/t

[pvt_Grunt]

Wolfheze
A straightforward battle, welcome after all the bridge dashes.
The RAF Mitchell was a treat - BOMBS AWAY!!!!!!!

[pvt_Grunt]

I moved 1st Bn 508 Reg 82nd onto the main objective. The setup is good, were close to the bridge and there is a 3 story building nearby for covering fire. I lost a HQ and most of a rifle team on the bridge as the GErmans wisely put a FJ mg42 on the bridge. I took the south bridge VL with the last man Eastwood - is it Clint? Surely it must be Clint Eastwood! Before he went to Germany in Where Eagles Dare!

Bridge hint, stick to the right side of the bridge, the cover is GREAT, in the middle and the left side it is POOR. Is this a bug? If it is, it is a usefull one

[pvt_Grunt]

I've added the Beta patch, it seems to have given the Germans a morale boost, like Essendon playing my North Melbourne last Saturday night  
I captured the bridge easily and proceeded to move out and take all the exit VL's. After 10 minutes the AI began to counterattack from the north. They only had 4 teams, 1 leader 1 mg42 and 2 Ersatz but they got really close to taking back the bridge!    as I was off gathering VL's. As I only have 7 teams I left none to defend the bridge, so they had to run back quick. Nicely done - the AI exploited my error.
ps  - I still held the bridge, but took some precious casualties.

[pvt_Grunt]

I'm really enjoying this version (mod?) Possibly the best so far...
A few points
Small teams make for tough battles (COI Grossdeutchland mod did this too ) The men become more important.
Fewer teams make for better tactics. In CC5 you had practically unlimited infantry teams, casualties were no big deal.
It's good to have a mission. - TLD was boring to me, every map had the same goal. Most good games mix it up.
The patch sems to have helped, but I havent used any vehicles yet so.........

[pvt_Grunt]

Nijmigen again
KG Greabner has moved in and absorbed the BO, but their deployment is all screwed up, it's a known bug on Matrix forums, but the first time I've seen it. I think with the new merge BG feature it's gotten worse.
Last battle I only had the south end of the bridge and the S-E part of the town, the VL's are the same but the controlled territory in between is mine, it's a bug.

[Tejszd]

[Ivan_Zaitzev]

[pvt_Grunt]

Q. - What's worse than capturing a bridge under heavy fire?
A. - Having to do it twice!

Veghel bridge - my original AB troops moved and a different BG took over the bridge at the same time as Ger FJ troops arrived from the N-E. It was a meeting engagement and I grabbed the 3 houses on the south bank quickly to pin down the FJ heading to the bridge VL. I lost the bridge and regained it twice! A great battle, but heavy casualties on both sides. If the Germans get an mg 42 set up, your guys are screwed.

[pvt_Grunt]

Hueman bridge - 1st BN 505 PIR VS KG Goebel
I have a free slot and 28 points so the decision is
1) - rifle team 1 carbine, 1 Thompson, 3 Garrand
2) - rifle team MG - 2 carbine, 1 Thompson, 1 1919A6 30 cal, 2 Garrand, 6 man team
3) - 30 cal team - 1 carbine, 1 1919A4 30 cal, 3 Garrand

As I'm defending the map I would normally go for the heavy 30 cal MG team. But - in this game there is a light? 30 cal in the rifle team MG. I'm not sure which is better, from the icons the 1919A6 is portable, the 1919A4 looks fixed, longer to set up but maybe more ammo? The carbines are shit weapons so ignore them, the Garrands are a real man's rifle and the Thompson is for close ranges.

SO, it looks like the 30 cal MG team is best for long range defending. The rifle team is for scouting. The rifle MG team is for assault.

It appeared from the battle screen to be a defending battle so I chose the 30 cal MG team, BUT when I started it was a meeting engagement. When the BG's change the map at the start of the battle is wrong, I would like to see it be accurate, like when a battle continues. Ahhh Close Combat you flawed bitch you    SO I reatarted the battle with a rifle team with GOOD results (pats self on back)

Opinions / flames requested.

[pvt_Grunt]

Also -  the girly soldiers behavior is just right now. I can run through enemy fire IF there is covering fire and for short distances only. Otherwise they head for cover, OK

BUT - the glass trees are terrible. I have enemy firing at me through 6-8 trees! You can show me all the pictures of Dutch orchards you like, if I'm playing CC - TREES MEAN COVER!

If there is a single row of trees on the side of the road the cover is minimal. Thats been the same since CC4, but you draw a forest 6 trees deep on the map I expect it to block LOS, but in this version it doesnt. It's too big a change for me, I'm over 40 years old now, I DONT LIKE CHANGE  

[7A_Woulf]

"Adjust, Improvise, Overcome!"

Interesting reading, fun to follow your progress.

Cheers

[vonB]

Ah... trees... big trees, little trees, Dense trees, sparse trees, high trees, low trees, deciduous trees, coniferous trees, winter, summer.

There's trees and there's trees, and there's cover and LOS.

Lots of depends.

Where I come from originally (jungle), then a few trees can totally obscure sight and give pretty good cover, but trees 6 deep sounds more like a copse or wood to me, not a forest.  That's a different beastie altogether.  Still, I find that trees can block my LOS so I have to jiggle about a bit to find a LOS if I need or want one.  I presume in LSA (which I do not have yet) does not allow you to shoot through a tree (i.e. as if it wasn't there)?

Orchards usually have even less covoer and hindrance of LOS.  Nicely spaced, ordered, pruned fruit trees could give you LOS for hundreds of metres depending on the aspect.  A tree lined road would give bugger all cover to vehicles, just to individual infantry?

So, I am not sure I am entirely with you on this one.  Moral of the story?  Don't rely on trees for cover or blocking LOS.  I presume that you or the enemy cannot just see and shoot through any trees in any configuration?  Just wondering...  maybe I will find out what you are going on about when I do get LSA...

[7A_Woulf]

A long story short:
-Trees in LSA have their leaves in a pill on the ground, it's only their trunks that block LOS. Some doesn't like it, some does and I'll guess that some people just don't give a damn!  

[vonB]

I spent over 5 years living and working in Holland, and found a noticable shortage of trees generally (depending on where you were), though I loved visiting Texel and enjoying the Bluebell woods there.

Interesting, as I just returned from a trip into my local town, and noticed how much different LOS is between summer and winter.  In some areas, a HUGE difference.  Not so much the big trees as the foliage is general higher up, but the smaller trees and large bushes especially.  I live in a VERY rural area (the land that time forgot), with narrow country roads, and the difference in visibility between summer and winter is marked.

I don't think I am going to be able to resist getting LSA much longer.  Pennies are depressingly scarce at the moment, so I would normally wait until the price drops or an 'offer' comes along, but I can feel my resistance cracking....