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Three minutes into my Mius Front quick battle and this Pak-40 has it's hands full.
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In case you didn't know it, Steel Division 2 is coming out on May 2. I have been watching it develop over time and have found myself magnetically drawn to it the closer we get to launch date. But as I fight the pull of this shiny new game, in the corner of my mind I have had a nagging feeling that I should retry Graviteam Tactics, and so I did.
It turns out I might already have my East Front tactics game, without the gamey elements of Steel Division 2 (the red territory possession line and phased combat). And bonus: I suck at it, which actually makes me happy.
The first attempt:
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| Deployment on a Graviteam map might be the most important part of the game. As you can see, my Germans decided to spread their defense of Hill 277, so I lightly defended it's flanks and summit and didn't have the concentrated firepower I needed to hold ground. Zoomed out that kind of deployment doesn't seem too bad pre-battle, but in-game the distance between units is often the difference between success and failure. |
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Zug Rasch is a long way from Hill 277. On the right flank where Rasch begins, the sounds of battle are distant. Insect noises and bird calls fill the air and as all hell breaks loose up there, I can feel the soldiers stomachs turning as they march towards the sound of the guns.
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The end result of this battle, after seven minutes, is that I realize I don't know shit about how to defend an elevated position against four tanks. The light Soviet tanks (I think they were T-70s) overran my lines and started mowing down my units at will with nothing bigger than an HMG to stop them (even though I small AT guns nearby).
Attempt 2:
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This time my Pak-40s will actually fire a shot. I dig in the platoon with decent covering arcs atop Hill 277. I have my mortars on the reverse slope to defend against the expected Soviet attack, my Forward Observer is up top, as well as two HMG sections and two platoons of infantry. My StuG platoon is to the rear out of sight.
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| A platoon of T-70s supported by infantry attack the hill. |
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| The fight is well underway when I realize my reserve tanks are too far back. |
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Six minutes later a Soviet T-70 is engaging one of my tanks atop the Hill. It's immobilized right behind a destroyed T-70. Lesson learned: don't deploy your tanks fifteen agonizing minutes behind your position.
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High above a Soviet howitzer barrage. Down in it, all hell is breaking loose.
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The tactical map at 30 minutes in. The Soviets are pinching my defense inward.
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35 minutes into the battle and my infantry are still clinging to the spine of the hill. Two of my tanks have been knocked out. Three Soviet tanks have been knocked out (they have 10). You can see in the distance that Burkhalter's deployment was too far back.
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The end result of this battle, is that I survived longer. I had a better defense of the hill, I actually preserved a good bit of my infantry and my tanks did do a decent job beating back the first wave of Soviet armor. The second round of bigger tanks will finish my remaining tank off.
I don't know how to use artillery, but will figure it out eventually (I don't read the rules which is why I fumble around quite a bit). Combat in this game happens at a distance which is why remaining hidden or being well positioned is critical. I swear that mastering the deployment map might be the hardest part of this game.
And how you ask did that Pak-40 gun do?
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| Next time these guys are digging in along the tree line. |
It was knocked out. In fact, that whole platoon of AT guns was. Damn.
The good news though, I still have $39.99 in my pocket and I am going to give Mius Front another try later this week. And because I clearly have more to learn, I can't wait to play again.
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