Battle Command - Clearing Salmunster is to Die For

Battle Command, the ultimate tactical combat simulation continues to be the treat of my gaming diet.

This weekend and for once I was happy with my level of interface skills. I modified the looks of my counters to my liking and was ready to roll the troops onto Salmunster. Tactical wisdom did not get a ride along with my vehicles ...

That's a company-sized team of Bradleys and M1 tanks ready to move through the valley. The mission is to clear a mechanized ENY company from Salmunster, some 4 kilometers away.

This is a 2D view of the battlefield. Salmunster is in the middle, ready to be cleared. My own vehicles are highlighted in blue.

The approaches to Salmunster. There is a road to the left and a highway to the right. Salmunster is in the near background. The fog of the morning just makes visibility a bit more cumbersome.

Scouts approaching through the highway (foreground) and through the road in the background. No contact yet.

A couple of ENY AT missiles from the outskirts of Salmunster. I dismount my infantry from the Bradleys.

1 Bradley IFV lost and we start an spiral of  bad stuff.

I call some artillery on the ENY position and as the 155 mm shells from the self-propelled guns fall, the smoke and dirt plumes do obscure our targeting to some extent.

Tanks (foreground) moving up towards Salmunster. 

From the ENY point of view. I later learnt that the counter with a question mark was a platoon of tanks.

An M1 tank targetted by enemy fire. I think I lost two tanks to RPGs!

And the rest is so painful to describe. Tanks lost to RPGs and ATGMs. Infantry teams pinned down by MG fire. Bradleys not daring to stick their muzzles out of cover for fear of ATGM teams ...

How such a bad performance can be enjoyed so much? :)

This game is designed to be played against a human opponent. I am having troubles dealing with just static ENY forces.

Maybe some day I will have the courage to play against somebody. And the time.

Cheers,