Daunted by Long Campaign force selection

[Tim James]

I like the idea of the Long Campaign, but I get stuck at force selection every single time. I have zero interest sifting through five pages of infantry.

Is there a default force selection, or does anyone have a save game handy? I'd like to play one of the major powers on either the Western or Eastern Fronts, maybe mid-war time period.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Tim James

I like the idea of the Long Campaign, but I get stuck at force selection every single time. I have zero interest sifting through five pages of infantry.

Is there a default force selection, or does anyone have a save game handy? I'd like to play one of the major powers on either the Western or Eastern Fronts, maybe mid-war time period.

firstly, set points preferences to a large number, so you wont run out of points in the campaign buy.

If you plan to fight with leg infantry (as most WW2 was fought) then setting map width to 80 is probably a good idea - that gives a map you can walk across in a reasonable time frame.


your HQ is auto-bought

Stage 1
- buy an arty FOO (having him here makes finding him easier on the HQ screens)
- buy an off-map field arty battery
- buy 2 AA platoons (guns or truck mounted)
- buy an armoured car, light tank or scout car platoon, or a truck/APC infantry platoon as your mobile recce and a mobile final reserve in the defence
- buy an AT gun platoon or 2 (with trucks or SP-ATG). Useful in both the attack and especially the defence.

Leave all of those as part of A (support weapons) company. As "loose" platoons, they are automatically assigned to A0's company.

There are usually 3 objective clusters in an SP game so:
Stage 2
buy 3 times:
- 1 leg rifle company (choose the one you like, if there is choice)
- 1 medium mortar section (if there is none built into the rifle coy)
- section of MGs ditto
- A scout section or inf-AT section as size 0 "close recce". Change 1 element to a sniper perhaps in a later battle.
Cross-attach these support sections to the relevant company HQ

Stage 3
After the 3 rifle company groups, buy:
- 1 medium tank company
- Perhaps a truck or APC grunt platoon as their escort, or if Soviet a tank rider desant group (cross attach it to the tank company HQ)

You now have a "standard" combined arms force for WW2, 3 infantry companies to 1 armoured. Some arty, some recce and some air defence. If you are a tankie, then you may want to reverse the buy to 3x tank coys team and 1x rifle coy team.

That will take you all of 10-15 minutes.

Or - as requested, here is a pre-baked LC starter, Slot 48 starting in 1943 and set for 30 battles. Soviet Guards Rifles core, battle 1 is a meeter versus Nationalist Spain. Ready for your deployment with supports bought, and the cross attaching of the mech platoon to the T34 coy is all you need to do (if so desired).

[Mobhack]

And here is a 1943 start pre-baked German LC, if you want to play the other side. Slot 42, ready for deployment with supports bought. (This time I remembered to cross attach the APC platoon to the tankies!)

[Mobhack]

USA in Tunisia, 1943 kick-off.

[Mobhack]

UK 1943 LC, same parameters.

[Mobhack]

If anyone likes the idea and wants a "tankie" core (3 tank coy and a rifle platoon basis) then I may well knock a few of those up for quick starts too.

Anyone wanting to post their experience of using the pre-baked samples - please post that AAR in a separate thread in the campaigns folder (and this post probably will get moved in there too)

cheers
Andy

[Tim James]

Hey thanks! And yes, please move the thread. I usually forget to check subforums in wargaming forums. I hope this is useful to others.

I tried out your German LC save. Holy cow, that's a lot of units! I'm coming from the tutorial and a few small infantry scenarios.

Will I still enjoy the long campaign if I decreased the points value and the size of my force? Maybe cut the map height down a few hexes too?

General suggestions on how to do so are welcome. I'd be happy to pick the units now that I have an example to work from. I just need an idea for a smaller force composition like your post above.

You can also talk me into sticking with this size force if that provides the best experience.

[Falcon1]

If you would prefer a company size core force, like I do, first set the map to 20 high by 40 wide. Then pick your FO, then the leg company. Then a scout section, MG section, mortar section, AA section, and Inf-AT section if not included with the company. Then a tank or Stug section. If you want to simulate an armored unit, then take a tank platoon instead of the section. (two platoons for US and Russian).

I usually use support points for the off board artillery, and an engineer platoon if attacking. On defense use support points also for some AT guns and extra MG.

[Mobhack]

If you plan on a leg infantry core, then 80x80 maps may be a better size for you.

Those cores are roughly battalion sized - 3 rifle coy, with an attached tank coy. The battalion is the basic unit, really.

If you really want a smaller core, then perhaps -

- HQ
- Observer
- a medium mortar section for him to play with
- an AA unit
- an A/T gun section of 2-3 items, towed or SP
- a scout section or scout car section

One rifle company + 1 tank platoon
(or one tank company + 1 mech platoon)

And go from there. i.e. the original SP size (was 24 or 48 units max in the core, been so long I have forgotten which).

A company team, in other words.

[Mobhack]

The edit function does not seem to be working, so further to my above.

Remember that those forces are core plus the support for the battle. (Supports have s added to the ID in the HQ menus).