Sounds simple...
Taking these 3 VP's should be easy enough... The area is apparently held by a Norwegian Home Guard company and part of a tank squadron.
Especially with a couple of Motor Rifle companies and a tank company backed with some artillery support. Although Intel suggests Norwegian regulars and the rest of their armour are rushing to defend Kirkenes from the East...
Above you can see that my recon sections probe ended in them dying for the motherland in pretty short order. I have decided to push North with a company each side of the lakes, splitting my armour to support both sides. The first enemy reinforcements have appeared to the East but I am determined to push on.
A couple of tanks lost on each side but otherwise no major dramas in the second turn.
By the close of business in turn 3 I am feeling things are fairly easy despite some losses. Diverted my tank platoon that was going to head up the right flank through the centre but could not manage to get them into a firing position.
Just to the East of the screenshot a Norwegian M109 Battery has entered the fight and I sense it will cause more problems in future turns. Instead of attempting counter battery fire with my 2S3 battery I focus on trying to push forward and shell the enemy infantry.
By the end of turn 5 I am starting to think this is all wrapped up and I have made the scenario too easy, the last remnants of the Norwegian armoured reinforcements are not looking too healthy.
I spent a couple of turns clearing out the town albeit still under artillery fire. By turn 8 its clear the Norwegians have not given up on their counterattack and a mechanised company in M113's are on the way to take back Kirkenes.
At this point for some reason some of my screenshots did not save which I only discovered as I typed this... so after a competent counterattack the Norwegians managed to take back one of the VP's meaning I only got a close victory. Had I not pulled back my empty transports my losses would have been much higher, maybe even to the point of getting a draw.
Verdict:
It felt a little easy although its hard to say whether someone who hadn't put the scenario together would feel the same. I make a 2-3 variants of each scenario so the player never knows quite which one they are going to get and how the AI will be deployed / respond.
The Norwegian armour from the East got ahead of their Infantry a little but was still a pain and their eventual counterattack was well done. I could have sent a force East to find them but the Bofors and tanks in the North may have been a bit much for a reduced force.
Like all scenarios I will give it more runs and see what can be improved but it was fun and the sudden switch from offence to defence felt good.
Elsewhere in CWB news the last couple of weeks have been spent polishing up the demo with the help of some playtesting by a couple of folk who were generous with their time. Also some fleshing out of the French and Norwegian unit rosters, both nations now have more units than you will see in the demo's unit viewer.