Unity of Command II - this time it's 3d

[cicobuff]

Turn 4:

The enemy is revealed. Because I had advanced so rapidly, we can see that they had actually swung units from the east coast into the center to meet the advance. This is good news as the east coast is clear for very rapid advance.

Oops spoken too early! A mechanized unit blocks my way.

So I added another bomber unit and see if I can clear this roadblock with both air and tanks and infantry.

I do but an armour unit blocks the river crossing. I set it up for an attack the next turn and build pontoon bridges for a push and flank next turn.

I prepare for an assault on Route 76.

And prepare to punch through the west with the powerful armour units that are well placed for attack…

… and achieving it.

I built some pontoon bridges down west too so that I could continue pushing forward.

[cicobuff]

Turn 5:

My supply lines are stretched and I’ll need to consolidate my gains. My forward units are out of supply. I’ll either need to link up the supply lines or I’ll have to reposition the units alternative I can do something risky and use my HQ’s emergency supplies capability.

On the west, I cut very deeply into the enemy territory. I bypass capturing Arrezo, preferring to starve it before attacking such a strong position. And I move my HQ up forward so that I can do emergency supply of my forward units. (But remembering to emergency supply my units facing route 76 before I move.)

On the east…

I’m facing a big group of units in a very crowded position. I’ll try to break the route 76 and hopefully try to achieve a breakout and try a flank along the coast as well…

Wow!

The coastal battle went extremely well, thanks to the dice rolls and my elite units! And with my pontoon bridges built last turn, they allowed me to flank and cut off the whole group in the east!

And the battle at Route 76 went well also with help from bombing.

Overall we’re well on time to capture all the objectives with the enemy supply lines severed and their units out of position for our drive to Rimini.

(I’ll need to break here. Have to attend to something.)

[cicobuff]

On turn 6:

My thrusts have placed many of my units beyond reach of my supply lines.

The west:

The east:

On the west side, I’ll emergency supply my 3 armour units to take Livono and link up the supply line from the west coast.

But I managed to break through Arezzo and linked up from that direction instead, so I’ll save my air bombardment for use in the east and save Livono for next turn, meanwhile I also advance towards objective E ‘Breach Central Apennines’.

The choice to be made in the east is harder.

From the map we can see that Rimini is now fortified with many units. And my supply lines is streched. Since I have some turns left, I’ll concentrate capturing Ancona but also place move my tank to the river crossing just before Rimini.

The attack went well, the AI had placed a supply depot in Acona which actually resupplied many of my troops when captured!

I build a pontoon bridge so that my troops can flood into an attack position next turn.

The progress is good.

[cicobuff]

Turn 7:

The west is basically a mop up operation.

I emergency supplied my forward infantry unit and pushed forward. The US HQ will be able to keep 3 infantry supplied in the mountains as they approach “E Breach Central Apeninnes”. We’re on turn 7, so there should be more than enough time to take that objective.

In the East, things are a bit more messy.

Still, we have some turns left for accomplishing our objective in Rimini.
So we’ll focus establishing the supply line and see if we can set up positions for pushing across the river separating us from Rimini next turn.

With airstrikes and my elite armour I had a fantastic roll and managed to dislodge the armour unit next to Rimini! And this allowed me to push past the bridge!

My supply line is now secured. And I spend my emergency supply to supply selected units.
We are well placed to capture the objectives.

[cicobuff]

Turn 8:

The AI counter attacked and managed to dislodge my unit from next to Rimini! I also lost 2 steps from my elite armour unit.

But they had achieved that by shifting their armour unit from the mountain Apeninnes, which will allow me to walk into it.

My supply line on the east is also very frayed. So I’ll reduce my supply depot in the west to 1 point so that I can deploy the trucks in the east the next turn.

There was fierce fighting across the river and I managed to dislodge the armor unit guarding it.

Apeninnes was captured but because my units are out of my emergency supply zone… which will pose some issues for me.

We’ll see how the next turn play out.

[cicobuff]

Turn 9 starts with them positioning an attack on Apeninnes and fortifying Rimini.

I’ll attempt to take Rimini and see if I can rotate my infantry units in Apeninnes.

Rimini is captured. And hopefully I can hold out Apeninnes and end the scenario with all objectives captured.

[cicobuff]

There was no attempt to attack my infantry at Apeninnes and the game ends in turn 10.

Note that this is Easy Mode, so we may face more difficulty in harder game Mode. I think I’ll try a normal campaign next round.

[Mr_Bismarck]

That was great @cicobuff, thanks.

[MikeOberly]

Good stuff, cicobuff. On ‘easy’ the AI mostly seems docile, you can make risky moves and probably not pay for it. I’ve mostly been playing ‘normal’, and the AI definitely will snatch loose VP locs and cut supplies whenever able.

[Juan_Raigada]

I’ve been playing Classic and the enemy unit density is certainly higher. Just finished the Normandy part of the campaign (those 3 missions).

Also, I didn’t get to choose the rush to the Apenines, probably because I missed an objective.

Moreover, units persist after a conference, so I might have painted myself on a corner by overextending myself on the previous leg of the Italian campaign.

[cicobuff]

Good stuff, cicobuff. On ‘easy’ the AI mostly seems docile, you can make risky moves and probably not pay for it. I’ve mostly been playing ‘normal’, and the AI definitely will snatch loose VP locs and cut supplies whenever able.

I think the difference is with the Objective timers and the number of units they have. The way I approached it, my own supply line is secure.

I’ll be restarting the campaign in normal to see if there is any other difference.

Edit: I’ve restarted a new campaign in Normal. The turn limits are lower and starting Prestige is lower but the enemy count seem the same in the starting scenarios. I’ll play more to see if there are other differences.

[Juan_Raigada]

Mmmm. Some of the Normandy missions get a little too creative with the one unit per hex conceit. You need to play a puzzle game to be able to rotate units into and out of combat…

[MikeJ]

You need to play a puzzle game to be able to rotate units into and out of combat…

I found myself doing that a lot in Italy as well.

[MikeOberly]

Yeah, that stuff is not something I love about the game. By and large, though, I like it.

[cicobuff]

Have you guys ever been on a hill or area with another unit. Even just in training exercises, it’s a complete horrible mess with people standing around totally confused doing nothing.

Instead of “one unit per hex” conceit, I’ll say it reflects the reality I experienced while doing my National Service and reservist stint.

[MikeJ]

Instead of “one unit per hex” conceit, I’ll say it reflects the reality I experienced while doing my National Service and reservist stint.

I think a one per hex crowding limit is pretty reasonable. I’m less convinced that it’s realistic to rotate 4 or 5 divisions to sequentially attack a town from the same location within one “turn”, but that’s the way turn-based games work.

[cicobuff]

Yea, capturing the time in strategy battles as turn may indeed turn into an issue. But it’s an abstraction chosen by the design.

And rotating units, as long as they have unspent actions seems reasonable. Since the action points is basically an abstraction of how much a unit can do. The “rotating” mechanism may seem gamey, but it can reflect the massive amount of time needed to coordinate a large number of units to launch an attach from a single point.

It’s how we view the abstraction. Not much difference from a design that allow massive stacks to be placed in a hex, if you ask me.

[Juan_Raigada]

I just feel stacking or allowing multi hex attacks is a more elegant, or less puzzly, abstraction most of the time.

Anyway, it’s a nitpick, the game is otherwise great. I think I’m reaching the end of the campaign on Classic.

[Marlowespade]

Wow, thanks so much @cicobuff - I’m playing on Normal, and the resistance up the west side of the mountain range between Route 76 and the western side of the map is proving super stiff. I’m going to borrow a few things from your approach and see how that works!

[cicobuff]

By all means, borrow away! :)

Sometimes, all that we need to know is that it is possible. And our brains will figure out the rest.