beginners guide to D-Day

[zakblood]

as requested by Gresbeck,

as always for beginners, FOW is off, and default difficulty is on normal, nothing else is altered, and oh and btw (by the way) i also let the AI do the Air planning as well, i just alter some buttons selecting what i want, so unless you can't manage to do even that (which is me btw, not a air man at all, i like land combat, so if the sea was more in the game, i wouldn't be doing that either), i'll try and remember to do that as well[:D]



oh and as i'm testing the game and are on a different number to what most of you are on, i'll also try and remember to mask the number as well, as it's a beta version i'm on, as i'm a beta tester, not a game player as such, so i don't follow history, i try and make my own, so please don't laugh if i move some unit to the wrong sector, imo i move counters to where i need them, not maybe where they should be on a given date, ok, play test on

[zakblood]

as you can see, i'm in Italy and well quite far up the coast, but also at just about the hardest spot, so same rules apply to my other AAR, use the coastal roads and go for a break out

tm.asp?m=4340819



yes and again i'm using a custom counter set, as i also don't know the Nato ones, which mean little to me, so i like this better[;)]

[zakblood]

as you see from the date, i has plenty of time to alter the landings to where even i want them to be, that's your call tbh (to be honest), either go with the default and known landing zones or make a bold step and go elsewhere and see how that pans out, a shorter route will cost you more in the short term, but in the long one, who knows and is worth a try for someone?




i'd offer you a choice, but i know how most of the place pan out, so i'll go with what ever works for me for now, and let you see what else works or doesn't in your own games[;)]

[zakblood]

so first and i mean first, as it's the order on which it asks to be played out, the APS, or the air planning screen




great name btw, automatic air directive creation...

by default it can almost run the air game for you, it just needs a few little tweaks, like are you doing a landing that turn?

if so put amphib support on, and then where, it what part of the sector, map etc? with north being the top of the map and south being the bottom, that's simple enough, as i'm not doing any atm, i've turned it off, but if i wish to transport any units by sea in either sector, turn it on, or you will pay a high cost for sea transport! first and only warning...

then choose what you would like to happen on the air turn, support, air to ground or air to air, and click the box which suits your game and plan at the time, for me i keep it simple.

i want air bases and air superiority to be high, with no ground support where it's not needed, eg i haven't landed in France as yet but do want some in Italy where i have, if i'm going to attack that is, if not, don't and rest them.

simple, well not really but you will get the picture as you go along, and imo this is where you will make your most mistakes and learn the most long term from, from playing and seeing what results you get from what plan, weather and where you go has alot to do with results, go deep in to Germany and you will suffer high losses, go and bomb high value target and don't have air support fighters with you, again, high losses, so it's quite simple later on, but for now, expect to make some massive mistakes and live it...

[zakblood]

and so the dice are rolled, the attack goes in, as default, yes i could have altered the beaches and gone in elsewhere, but on default, i go where it's setup to be and leave it at that, your game you move it to where you like[:D]

[zakblood]

and in Italy also at the same attack, i attack the roads on the coastal paths and push the Axis back sightly at cost mind you as it's poor terrain to fight in, but push i must for now

[zakblood]

so ends turn one, and losses on the ground first

[zakblood]

then air losses




as you can see, i was very careful in the air, and losses seem very low for it, weather wasn't too good for bombers, so i didn't fly them, it's that simple, i choose where and when and even if i wish to use them, that's my call, until i need to loose some, i'm careful in there use, maybe too careful at times, but i don't like throwing my bomber force away until i've cleared the sky's a bit...

[zakblood]

turn 2, start of turn positions in France



general comments, did i get it all my own way?

no

a airborne unit got a really bad drop and got totally wiped out, that's a massive loss for an elite unit, but that's the chance you take on airborne, sometimes i use them, sometimes i don't, and can just use them in the infantry role, and never drop them at all, while some say it's a waste, at least i keep a higher % of them alive.

in the air, i suffered again some bad luck, as day one was low, the planning on the start of day 2 and when i ran it, again went to pot, as it does sometimes, and i lost one hell of a lot of planes, for what seemed little gain, so instead of replaying it again, i've left it in and will show you what bad luck and poor planning sometimes does, as i don't always still get my own way, it's that sort of game tbh...

[zakblood]

and in Italy




while they pulled back, the gains i did make, now makes no difference as they withdrew to a new line, so the losses i got from the attacks and probes and one assault at cost, now is rather meaningless

[zakblood]

end of turn 2 positions in France




while i have made a bridgehead, the path across the sea was too costly for me, in men, shipping losses and also air, one of the worst play tests of this one to date, and published it as well[:(]

[zakblood]

end of turn 2 in Italy




progress is steady, but the losses elsewhere will end up stripping out any gains here into what could be a draw or a loss i'm sorry to say, as i've not had a start as poor as this for a long, long time[:(]

[zakblood]

ground losses at the start of turn 3




while not as bad as i've seen, it's not as good as i've had either

[zakblood]

air losses at the start of turn 3




from very bad luck to very poor planning and use, i've must have broken a record of what for me is the worst start of this campaign i've ever done, such shame[:(]

[zakblood]

units already taken from play, lost or withdrawn, either way, there gone[:(]




wiped out in landing, a very very bad drop, couldn't have done worst if i'd dropped then on Berlin tbh[:(]

[zakblood]

start of T3 positions in France




atm i'm here to stay, while they throw everything including the kitchen sink at me to try and push me back into the sea, but i stay on the beaches and steadily move out where and when i can, for now...

hold, probe, bring in more men and supplies and equipment, and build up before the break out, while trying to clear the skies of the Axis also...

[zakblood]

start of T3 on Italy




again my attacks making little difference as they withdraw and form a new line, slightly back from me, so i again have to advance then engage and form a new line, while they just sit and watch and wait

[zakblood]

end positions on t3 in France

[zakblood]

end positions in Italy

[zakblood]

ground losses at the start of t4