For the Historian - Awesome Book Store in Gettysburg, PA (US)

My hobby shopping trips to Gettysburg are getting more frequent. And now I will be adding books to the booty!

DCS UH-1H: Of Miniguns and Bad Flying

The Huey is a helicopter legend. The virtual one in DCS World is fantastic to fly. Add miniguns to it and you are all set for all sorts of mischief and destruction.



Check out my latest video.

For some reason I am having more success engaging targets with the side door miniguns than with the front ones.

Cheers,

Battle Command, by Historical Software Corporation - Formation Movement!

Are you playing Battle Command? A new Golan Heights scenario is coming soon.

A platoon (+) awaits my orders near Salmunster. In this particular scenario, each counter represents a two vehicles section.

World War II Europe - New Game from Schwerpunkt

World War II Europe
by Schwerpunkt Games
$50.00, Download (extra scenarios to be released  free of charge later, printed manual and reference cards available later as well)

World War II Europe is an operational level of war turn-based hexes and counters computer game with a clean and lean design. This is a well thought game that hosts a credible computer opponent and an ambitious set of scenarios. Although it is easy to get into, it is a hardcore war game that will require the best of your war waging abilities. If you are still mourning the death of Panzer General or too fond of its many reincarnations, please look elsewhere.

France, 1940. Playing as the Allies (French units are the blue counters) I make a grim discovery with my air recon units (blue circles): the Ardennes are packed with German units. 

Russian Ground Forces Squad Tactics - Fix OR Flank? - ArmA 2

I'm putting the SMARTbook I purchased through its paces. First stop is squad tactics. If I am getting the story right, according to the book the Russians are very unlikely to split a squad into fire teams. Fix and flank tactics, which to some extent can be accomplished by Western forces' squad, apparently need at least two squads in the Russian Ground Forces: one suppressing the enemy, the other one flanking and close-assaulting the enemy.

If your squad is to provide the "fixing", some interesting situations will arise. Take a look at this micro-story from ArmA 2 gameplay. Note that I've modded the base game with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation mod.

Red Team Army (Forces, Operations & Tactics), SMARTbook by the Lightning Press

With an emphasis on small units (regiments and below), this recently released book covers and extends the Red Army doctrine, tactics techniques and procedures that the US Department of Defense has published as guides for OPFORs.

What makes this SMARTbook interesting is the expert extrapolation of what it was published by the US DoD during the '80s and '90s. Based in the heritage of the Soviet Army, the book provides insight on how the Russian Army may operate in the future. The Red Team Army name is used through the book as a place holder, but it very likely applies to the Russian Ground Forces.

This book is great for mission editing in DCS World, ArmA 2, Steel Beasts ProPE, Modern Campaigns, Graviteam Tactics and the upcoming Combat Mission Black Sea.

https://www.thelightningpress.com/smartbooks/opfor-smartbook-3-red-team-army/

Cheers,

Steel Beasts ProPE - Complex Insurgent Ambush - AAR

This is the AAR for the ambush I described in a previous blog entry. Many thanks to the readers who contributed with ideas on the best CoA.

My two Bradleys on route to the ambush kill zone. We are already engaging a platoon-sized insurgent blocking/security force armed with RPGs

Life and Death at Stalingrad - IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad

Never had a so intense love and hate relationship with any of my games or flight simulators. This one is an exception.

I see the still-to-unlock stuff and I feel treated like a 12 year old ...

Then I go into combat with any aircraft and everything is so good.

Within this entry, you can take a look at video footage from two of my latest kills.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy - Armor Ambush

This is the by-product of an scenario editing failure. I wanted to create something to show the ambush of the lone British Sherman Firefly that killed a group of German Tigers commanded by Wittman during the battle for Normandy. Very challenging to recreate such an oddball. But not all is lost: had some fun testing the scenario and I made a video.



Check out the YouTube version for high definition.

Cheers,

DCS World - The Su-27 Is Now a Flaming Cliffs 3.0 Module

I will never forget my enjoyment of Flanker 2.5 back in the day. Now, 12 years later, I am loving the Flanker as the first day!

As a download/module for Flaming Cliffs 3.0, this is not a study sim where the virtual pilot pushes every button in the virtual cockpit. But the avionics and systems are not as simplified as in the Thirdwire series.