The best match I've ever lost

[Lord Thag]

Taking the advice given in the last thread I posted, I downloaded the Camp Hornfelt scenarios and gave them a shot. The experience has really made me appreciate how great of a sim Steel Beasts is.

I figured I'd start with the first one, the Tactical Movement scenario.

The first time was a bust. I had a heck of a time getting the AI squad to avoid trees and such, took too long, and got obliterated by about twenty tanks on a ridgeline overlooking the huge central plain.

The second try though, I think cemented my respect for this sim. It went like this. I learned on the first try that taking the long, sneaky route around where I assumed the enemy would be wasn't the best plan. It took to long, and gave the enemy time to prepare a position opposite the valley. I decided to do something different.

I put both platoons in column formation and raced for the first phase line. Once there, we slowed down, fanned out, and kept to the southern road, due to it's being well covered by forest. It paid off. No enemy contact, and we advanced in good order to the second phase line, just east of the big central valley.

Here's where things went south. I scanned all the ridgelines and came up empty. I knew they were coming (or were already there), but I didn't know from where. I decided to hug the southern valley rim, as it offered the best approach to the other side.

So we fanned out into wedge formation, and leapfrogged across the valley. Almost made it too. Then, in a second, my lead platoon cried out 'Tank North!' and I hear the crack of a cannon firing. The lead tank returns fire. We had stumbled across a column or armor heading into the valley. My platoon was on overwatch, but the tanks were just out of site behind the crest of a low rise. I drove forward, but two late. The lead tank of 2nd platoon is knocked out. I race up and hull down. Three tanks turn to face me. Clang! One down. Clang! Two down, and then I exchange a couple of rounds (all hits!) with the third one before blowing it's turret off.

I survive, but the last shot took out my left track. I also notice that the second tank of second platoon is minus it's ballistic computer, gunner, and loader. It's alive, but useless in combat.

In most games, I would have just started over, but somehow, that felt like cowardice. So I stuck it out, disabled in the southern edge of the valley, in the open, with only a single M1 as backup. For 35 minutes I waited for that damn tread to get fixed, while wave after wave of enemy armor and apcs assaulted our position. Gunnery practice has paid off though. Wave after wave of enemy tanks died. By the time I was ready to move, the entire western edge of the valley was covered in smoke, wreckage, and the shattered hulls of enemy tanks. I think my tank alone accounted for 17 tanks. I was down to around 4 shots left on the cannon.

Finally, the track was repaired, and with only a few minutes remaining, we made a last drive to the objective. APCs and infantry attacked, and we took them out, only to discover a platoon of enemy armor parked right smack dab in the middle of the objective. So I fire my last four rounds, and all the enemy tanks are flaming wrecks. I was going to make it after all!

And then the last damn APC on the map sneaks out of the woods and gets a flank shot. :decu:

But still. What an awesome mission. This kind of thing is what makes a good sim so much better than your average video game. None of this was planned, and yet it made for such an intense, nail biting time.

Never had so much fun losing a mission in my life

[Tankleader]

Sounds like a good match. I can't wait to get back into the sim. Sitting on the sidelines here in Iraq has really been a bummer. Bandwidth here sucks so multiplayer is out the window.

Tanks

Andy

[Ssnake]

Taking the advice given in the last thread I posted, I downloaded the Camp Hornfelt scenarios and gave them a shot. The experience has really made me appreciate how great of a sim Steel Beasts is.

It's been a fun read - thank you for it (and thanks to Gary for making that scenario!).

If you don't mind, post your story at SimHQ.com's forum's AAR discussion board, maybe together with the one or other screenshot (if you made some during the AAR phase). Most people here already have SB Pro, so if we want to draw in new players for multiplayer sessions, the word must go out more.

[GaryOwen]

It's been a fun read - thank you for it (and thanks to Gary for making that scenario!).

Thanks Ssnake. And thanks Thag for taking the time for the write-up.

The idea for the scenario came from a discussion I had with Chelco at his blog, Real and Simulated Wars, which is frequently more informing than some of the full-blown wargaming sites out there.

Sorry to deviate from the original topic, but Chelco deserves a plug for the scenario as well.