ORIGINAL: soldier
Is it possible to increase the chances of getting some wider maps during the long campaign ?
except for the first battle nearly all the rest are narrow 40 hex wide maps (a very high percentage). Large or small force purchases don't seem to make a difference, you still get small maps. It would be good to have the option to play larger (or at least wider) battles in the long campaign
This has been a long-standing issue. The size of your initial core force plays a part in this: if its over 3000 points, you're more likely to get larger battle maps. Now that you mention it, I tend to customize core forces to cover the maps I want to fight on. The Germans are a good example -- in the latest 8.403 test mech, in Sept 39 you have 3111 points to work with (True Troop Cost ON, Rarity OFF). I changed my OOB set to match the parameters, without getting away from historically-available forces.
Oddly, my chosen USMC battalion landing team (reinforced), is much cheaper, and does not exceed the 3000-point level. The main reason is that I focus on infantry (three companies), with a minimal supply of armor (three 5-tank platoons, equipped with the older M2A4s). The heavy weapons are just four 81mm mortars, two 37mm AT guns, and two self-propelled 75mm GMCs. I also add four Raider platoons and a Parachute platoon.
The upgrade paths for the Marines are fairly simple. With each successive year, the rifle squads get more powerful. The 9-man squad of 1942 gets replaced by the 12-man squad in 1943, and the 13-man squad in 1944-45. The 1942 BAR squads can change to either an Assault Squad, an additional 30 cal MMG, or a bazooka team.
The light tanks of 1942 get replaced by the Shermans, with a flame tank upgrade for one tank in each platoon.
The 4-man Recon Teams change to 6-man Scout/Sniper Teams.
The Raiders/Paras are a special case -- although ahistorical, I tend to keep them for the duration. Historically, all were converted into "regular" Marine squads and folded into new regiments. Doing this essentially gives you a fourth infantry company capable of conducting independent operations -- a 1940s version of the modern "special operations capable" units.