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GET THE CAMPAIGN! (LOOK IN GERMANY)

My following review of the Historical African Campaign(HAC) by Ernst
Wiltmann is from the viewpoint of a 'cheater',i.e-ignored ALL of the rules
set down by Ernst, played at the very highest level, acquired the max force
allowed by PG2(70 units!!),etc.---just wanted to clarify this upfront!

 One might think playing HAC this way would be a 'piece-of-cake', but
in many instances, it certainly wasn't, for sure!

While 'cheaters' like me are vilified by Pat in his review of the
early version, and while I understand the reasoning behind it quite well---I
justified playing it in the 'cheaters' mode, since this would've been the way
ideally(dreamed!) Rommel wanted to conduct the operation,i.e-with unlimited
support, replacements, air superiority,etc.---which in effect, creates it's
own kind of history! (Of course we all know that when Rommel returned to
Germany on sick leave Hitler used this as an excuse to drop all support of
the AK, and thereby leave it to 'wither-on-the-vine', the way he did with
many of his armies that he felt were expendable!) 

Rather than call it playing it at the 'cheaters' mode, let's call
it:"What If...!"

One thing the player of HAC, at any level, should be aware of, is that
you must garrison every victory hex captured with sufficient force to counter
the insurgent  paritsan/native attacks---thinking an area has been cleared is
sheer folly in most of the scenarios.

To me this almost surely means you must 'cheat' a little to maintain
enough garrison troops, besides those in the main task forces---just don't
see how you can 'honestly' follow Ernst's guidlines in this regard.

 I kept a highly mobile, TK & ATY reserve force to handle 'hot-spots'
like these---which worked out well in most cases!

 Since I don't 'buy' any AAA units, I rely on a large AF to get
complete control of the air, and use them to protect advanced ATY units---a
must because in almost all scenarios Allied airpower is extensive, and IMHO,
AAA units just can't get it done. (I really enjoyed the air combat that
resulted from this tactic!)

 In the Maknassy scenario after taking an AFB victory hex, I left one
TK to hold it, but the insurgent Partisan attacks quickly eliminate it, but my
mobile reserve finally recaptured the hex, after encountering a bug (that I
understand Ernst has corrected now!) in that, I would elim a partisan unit, &
another one would immediately form on the same hex, you elim it, & another
one forms on it, etc.---so it took four turns to elim them all!

Maknassy not only has the Partisan insurgents to contend with, you
also have USA Task Force Darby to contend with at the first AFB victory hex
captured, which was very disconcerting in that my reserve force was putting
down the Partisan insurgents on the other side, so I had to redirect a task
force trying to take a port objective, to put this threat down!

It makes for very interesting playing, at any level, IMHO! (And I
just don't see how it could be done with a smaller core force, either?) 

 I encountered this bug phenomenon also in Timbuktu/Mali & Niemy --- all
of which I understand have now been corrected in version 0.88, as well. 

Even though Ernst does tell you in the intro's to the various
scenarios to watch for this & that group of Partisans/natives---you don't
know EXACTLY where they will be coming from, so you are forced to garrison
with a stronger force than you normally would.

Teneriffa, played on the Okinawa map is a tough nut to crack, what
with all of those little islands that must be taken,etc.---don't think it can
be won with a small core force, because of the amphib invasion required in it
now!

And Bagdad was another beauty!(G) Just when I was zipping along with
what appeared to be a 'cake walk', a large Russki TK Task force appeared from
the right (East?), along with a swarm of planes---believe me, without a large
army/AF, I would've not be able to put this threat down, that's for sure.
Then you have to invade the islands in the middle, & the one with the
coastal battery being the toughest , by using LR ATY, bombers, even
TKs---with the Iti commando unit finally capturing that victory hex!  This
scenario was probably the most fun of them all, due to all of the stuff going
on in it.

Niemy, is a toughy because it's mostly fought in mountain terrain, with
max fortifications, etc.---but once you clear that line of fortifications the
sailing is somewhat smoother.

 Timbuktu/Mali is fought in jungle terrain, & Ernst recommends trading
in most of your TKs for INF in this type of terrain, but I found that the TKs
were hampered very little by the jungle terrain, so as per usual, I disobeyed
him, & kept my TKs!(G)

Tabriz is the only one that I got a Tac 'V' in because my reserve
force took to long in putting down the Greek insurgents in the upper west
corner objective, & because it was difficult taking the mountain fortress.

This took me into Baku---which was my 'Waterloo', even with a max
force , because there was no AFB within easy capture, so not being able to
use my 20+planes, I opted to trade them for the best AAA units I could buy,
but the Russki's had unlimited resources, & it soon became apparent Baku was
unwinable---even with a max force!!

My good friend Ernst confided in me that I was his 'guinea pig' in
this one---that he purposely designed Baku for 'cheaters' like me to fall in,
& I did!! (G)

In summary, I will applaud & admire anyone that can successfully
play the HAC under the guidelines set down by Ernst in the beginning---just
don't see how it can be done with such a small core force, IMHO.
Playing it the way Rommel ideally would've love to have been able to
do the same, featured blitzkrieg type attacks, & most importantly counted on
absolute control of the air!(He who controls the air, in effect controls the
ground, as well!)

IMHO, HAC is a great all-around campaign that can be enjoyed by
players of all ilk and persuasion, & no matter which level you play it at, it
will always offer a good challenge to you!

I greatly enjoyed playing HAC & will do it again in the near future,
too!

(Btw, because I got mostly BV's or V's, I did not get into the real
historical path of scenarios like Kasserine, Mediene,etc.---but Ernst sent me
these with HIS core force, which he later 'stacked' for me since I could make
very little headway with his small core force (I being spoiled by using max
force! (G)), & was able to get 'V's in these scenarios after help from him!)

Ernst very effectively captures the real historical situation of
Rommel & the German position in HAC, what with the limitations of supply &
prestige,etc. --- if, you follow the rules he sets down in the beginning you do
'feel' the hardships that Rommel & the AK suffered.

Knowing this I chose the route of the 'cheater' or the 'What if..?'
mode, which suited my temperament better, & this option helps make HAC a
campaign for ALL players, IMHO!"

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