Greetings! We have a routine experimental branch update today focused on refinements to the Crusader scenario, several historical improvements to the UK 1939/1940 OBs, implementing the new Polish and Czech national color schemes, and a new system to preview the exact impact of terrain on unit combat values.
This update is not save game compatible with saves from 1.0.5.2.
Operation Crusader Scenario Updated:
Experience revealed our 1.0 Operation Crusader scenario biased too heavily in favor of the Axis because we provided them unrealistic flexibility. Due to incomplete intelligence, heavy rains grounding recon aircraft, and the pressing matter of planning the upcoming assault on Tobruk, Axis commanders did not appreciate the full scope of the Allied offensive when it first launched. Considering this fact, we have introduced several temporary movement restrictions to prevent the Axis player from conducting a historically nonsensical, perfect defensive plan, while still preserving player freedom. We have introduced similar limitations for Allied units inside Tobruk reflecting the fact that the garrison was not prepared for offensive operations on November 19. Additionally, we have made a few minor morale tweaks for both sides and limited the mobility of rear-area anti-aircraft units. The result is a better balanced, more fun, and more historically accurate scenario that captures the chaotic bloodbath that was Operation Crusader.
Crusader Changes:
- All Allied units inside the Tobruk fortress are immobilized until turn 3 (November 21) as they reorganize due to heavy rains and preparations for their counterattack.
- Removed erroneous 4th rifle company from South African infantry battalions.
- Increased morale of all attachments of 7th Armoured Brigade by 1 level. This takes the units up to Veteran/Experienced, depending on battalion.
- Increased morale of 4th Royal Horse Artillery regiment from experienced to veteran.
- Reduced morale of most 15th Panzer Division units from Crack to Veteran.
- Elements of 132. Armored Division (Italian) inside Bir el Gobi immobilized until turn 2 (November 20).
- 104. Schutzen Regiment and 39 Panzerjager Abteilung are immobile until turn 2 (November 20) due to fuel shortages.
- Most defenses of Bardia are immobile until turn 3 (November 21)
- Units in the Sollum line defenses are immobile until turn 5 (November 23). Units in immediate reserve behind the line are only immobile until turn 2 or 3.
- Various harbor defense artillery units on both sides set to static. Some rear area AA immobilized for upwards of 10 turns.
UK 1939/1940 Improvements:
UK 1940:
- 1st Armoured Division updated to its late April order of battle, including the 30th Infantry Brigade (motorized).
- Added 2nd RTR as an independent unit. 2RTR is a cruiser tank battalion technically attached to 1st Armoured Division, but not deployed to France.
- Added 27th and 98th Field Regiments (18/25pdr Mk. Is), as independent artillery units.
- 2nd (27/28th) battery of the 7th Medium Regiment re-armed with 6" Howitzer Mk. Is, to reflect its March upgrade.
- Field regiments of the 15th Scottish Division reduced to their Spring 1940 strengths according to the "Julius Caesar" national defense plan.
UK 1939:
- Added the 60th Field Regiment (18pdr Mk. IVs), as an independent artillery unit.
- Replaced 59th Medium Regiment with the 67th Medium Regiment (iron-tyred 6" Howitzer Mk. Is), deployed to France in October.
- Replaced 12th Field Regiment (in Scotland) with the 97th Field Regiment (18pdr Mk. IVs), a territorial unit deployed to France in October.
- Replaced 38th (Welsh) Division with the 5th Infantry division in its December 29, 1939 order of battle.
- Replaced 2nd Heavy Regiment with the 1st Heavy Regiment in its September OB, including 6" Mk. IXs guns, 6" Mk. I howitzers, and a single battery of 9.2" siege howitzers.
- 2nd Medium Regiment re-armed with 60pdr howitzers to reflect its September OB.
- 2nd Royal Horse Artillery re-armed with 3.7" Mk. I howitzers to reflect its September OB.
Both 1939 and 1940:
- De-motorized some artillery regiments that still had wood or iron tyred guns. These regiments still had mechanized transport assigned, but wood/iron tyred guns limited their speed. We will likely compromise and assign these units the intermediate 12 point movement speed before full update release.
- Added proper battery numbers to artillery and anti-tank regiments instead of generic 1/X Regiment format.
- 14th Anti-Tank regiment 2pdrs replaced with 25mm Hotchkiss Mk. Is.
- Removed 61st Anti-Tank and 64th Anti-Tank Regiments from UK 1939 and 1940 OBs due to the regiments possessing less than 1 battery of guns.
General Improvements:
- Polish and Czech exile units in Commonwealth orders of battle now use their own national color schemes.
- All commando squads gain level 1 combat engineering. This makes commandos very powerful tools against fortifications.
- Points screen in intel clip board now displays estimated requisition, replacement, and landing point income throughout the entire game. (The current text alignment is a placeholder, it will be more aesthetically aligned for full update release).
- Added divisional AT and artillery batteries historically used during Fall Gelb to 7. Fleiger-Division.
- Fixed a crash that could occur when both sides had identically named HQs.
- Various stability improvements related to battlegrouping.
Checking combat modifiers from afar:
No more guesswork needed to predict the precise impact of terrain modifiers on your units’ combat values, you can see exact values at the push of a button now. The modified Anti-Tank value is also listed, although it only displays modified AT from the attacker's perspective currently, due to UI constraints.
How it Works:
Hold Ctrl with a unit or stack selected to view its combat value as modified by terrain. Click and drag between hexes to view the impact of hex-side terrain like rivers. This preview works with any hex, hear or far.
Modifier Preview in Action:
Let’s see some examples, here’s the mighty 130. Panzer Lehr and a standard grenadier regiment from summer, 1944. Baseline at the top, modified in a forest in the center, and in a marsh, across a river, at the bottom.
Moving Forward:
There are still a few outstanding issues we're working on before update 1.0.5.5 is ready for full release. We still have interface polish left to complete on the new points intel screen, AT listed in the terrain modifier preview sometimes displays inaccurately, and the build is still undergoing stability testing, although no outstanding crash bugs have been detected.
Feel free to let us known your thoughts on the feedback thread linked below, or on our Discord:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1466610/discussions/0/3833171785692351870/