This is an AAR from the Saturday mission hosted by the Germans and made by an evil Swede named profevil (Duke just put up an AAR of the same mission).
The basic idea of the mission is that a Swedish task force is to advance and take a series of objectives, I had command of a tank section which was attached to a CV9040 platoon which was run by a group of Ausies. The area that the operations take place in is the deepest darkest part of Sweden, where if there aren't trees in the way it is swampland. In other words imagine Finland...
The task at the start is to follow rt. green, the IFVs are to branch off at the blue marker and attack through the woods (and swamp) while I cover from a support by fire position which is off map in the second screen, it is about 1k west of the CSS marker.
I get to the area and await orders to take up position at the support by fire marker, while waiting nothing is spotted except for a very surprised ATGM team at the CSS marker.
The CVs make their move and I take up the support by fire position.
At about that time the Soviets make their move.
The result was 3 dead enemy tanks and 1 CV90 lost. Friendly arty lands not long after to be sure the enemy is finished.
The tanks move up to help support the clearing of Bravo. Thankfully there was nothing in the area. It was then occupied by the CSS assets and I await the next move, which is to follow the CV90s north.
Soon after we are on the move...
...at times through recently cleared areas...
...and generally ravaged locations.
The orders after we get to the staging area is to advance along rt. recon and to the rail bridge at road red which is some 2k west of Foxtrot.
After the tanks and the 9040s are across the river we are tasked with assaulting Foxtrot. I head at full speed down the road until contact is made with the leading CV90 formation. They had some fun.
However some action was to be had for me. About 2x platoons of T80s charge down the northern road heading to Foxtrot. They don't last long.
We set up SE of Foxtrot covering the northern road with one tank, and another covering a bridge to the east while the mech infantry cover the northern road up close. However the mission is complete and the enemy avoids further action.
To be honest my section lucked out, the other tank platoons in the force suffered pretty horrible losses, about 6 tanks were lost, 1 to a lucky enemy artillery shell which crashed through the roof armor and 5 others in an infantry ambush. These forces were east of me, mostly heading north directly to the objective. If I had encountered more infantry than the 1 ATGM team it may well have been a very short mission for me. They have really upped the game of the infantry. Before they could be nasty, now they are just terrifying.
The other change that makes life interesting are "silent" kills. In other words you shoot a tank, you have killed it and it is no longer a threat, but it isn't apparent that it isn't a threat. Its something that games like Steel Fury do really well but SB never did, till now. Before the main gun of the killed vehicle would immediately depress, now there is no indication that the vehicle is destroyed unless it is burning or had popped its turret. Its a small but major change in the game. The last engagement lead me to shooting at already killed T-80s because I wasn't sure if they were alive or dead. 'Tis better to waste ammo than get wasted by still live tank.
The arty changes are also pretty nice, earlier in the AAR I pretty much jumped out of my seat when the ICM artillery barrage was screeching overhead, it is pretty terrifying. It was a good inauguration of the new update.
All in all it was a good, well hosted mission.
Well done.