1stLt (Ret) R. Nelson

I like that music you've whipped up, Grimm. Pretty solid stuff.

So, after watching a good few videos of this game, I was convinced to buy and try. After playing several skirmishes, and reading up on the game and what it'll be on proper launch, I have to say I'm glad I purchased it. For those who're familiar with the Wargame series, the controls and overall mechanics won't come as anything new. However, this is far more than a Wargame re-skin to WW2 era. It will have mechanics similar to Wargame (suppression, etc) though vastly more improved, and serving mechanical and tactical value. The damage models remind me a lot of Robz Realism Mod for Men of War: Assault Squad 2. If that makes you go, 'Oooooooooo', then keep reading. The game has three phases of battle: Phase A (recon), Phase B (Skirmish), and Phase C (Battle). These phases are meant to represent a more realistic combat or two armies coming to clash. This makes all the more sense on a conquest game mode (more on that later). These phases represent a unit's logistics, communications, leadership, planning, etc. Different decks have different units available in those different phases. Also, depending on the unit, your requisition points (now a flat tick amount) are dependent on the unit you're playing as. A highly mobile unit with its focus on speed (such as a ranger unit) will have more requisition points in Phase A than an armored unit--since armor is slow, and takes time to be brought to bare. However, once in Phase C, that armored unit will have far more requisition points than the rangers. This again represents those logistics and comms. coming together, and the heavier armor finally arriving to battle. In addition to those phases, some equipment is available only when a certain phase is met. As well as the amount of units per card, tend to increase the further phase card you select. Example: Phase A cards, I can choose a P-51. However, that Phase A card will give me only one plane. If I go Phase C P-51, that singular card will give me 3 planes. So not only do you need to decide what equipment you want, but WHEN you want it, and HOW much you want. This ties in directly to when your deck is at its strongest, and what phase of combat your deck build is meant for. A lot of this game is timing. This game is NOT a spam fest. Even in Phase C, a single card of Shermans may only give me 4 or 5 tanks. Fewer, if it's something heavier (like a Jumbo). Every unit you bring out matters, and every loss is something to be concerned about. Let's go back to mechanics for a moment or two. Suppression plays an even more important role in Steel Division, than in Red Dragon. Suppression will begin to wear on the unit's morale, and the more fire they take (and the heavier caliber of fire), they will become all the more concerned for their safety. Not only does this effect their combat performance (which was basically the extend to Wargame's), but will provide different repercussions depending on what's shooting at them. Example: I'm shooting some German infantry with an HE cannon. They will suppress quickly, due to the nature of the projectile being fired at them. When their morale is broken, they will go into a Pinned Down state. When pinned, if I push infantry (not recon, more on them later) on them, the Pinned Unit will surrender, and be taken off the field. Example 2: when being suppressed by other infantry/smaller caliber, when the morale is broken, they will Fall Back. Armor will do this too. This is a mechanic you cannot control, and they will fall back in the most direct route away from the enemy. Once out of fire, they will hold position, gather themselves, and you then can return to controlling them. This is important, since Supply does NOT replace infantrymen. ONLY ammo. Recon does as you'd expect--recon the area, and provide better spotting for those with bad eyes/optics, like tanks. However, recon--due to their sneaky nature--do not have any conquest control. Meaning, they do not affect the battle line. Different unit deck's have different recon types. More infantry centric decks, may have recon who are more straight up infantry, while some may be AT heavy. What this means, is you can be very sneaky. Sneaky your recon Panzerschreck unit into some nice dense hedgerows along a road, and turn off all their guns, sans the AT. Not only will you give yourself good spotting, but, should a vehicle drive by, they'll be in for a rude surprise. Because you don't affect the line of battle with recon units, there's no way to know you're there, until you fire--or are spotted. The gameplay is even slower than Red Dragon. This is very much focused on tactical smart thinking, than twitch reaction. The right unit, in the right place, at the right time, often means the difference between winning or losing. What I like, is how they've made the game very tight, regarding decks. As it states in the title, this is focused ONLY on Normandy in 1944. So, ONLY the units that partook in that fighting, are available. So; no Russians, Japanese, US Marines, etc. They've chosen some of the more iconic units (101st, duh) to represent the different deck styles: Airborne, Armored, Motorized, Mechanized. BUT! There is less symmetry than you may think. Example!: one of the German units, an SS division that was stationed on the Atlantic Wall, as many might know, were given some of the finest of equipment, but due to that whole Eastern front deal, many were conscripts. To represent that, many of the line infantry, are in fact, conscripts. They take a 25% more morale penalty, due to their lack of formal training. So an armored v. armored deck, may not be so clear-cut, as one might think. I like the smaller focus. This means greater refined balance in the units. This means each and every deck is viable. Oh, and the AI doesn't suck anymore. They don't spam. They actually try and fight over strategic areas. Will hold ground. Will fight, in a half-way intelligent manner. It feels more like playing a player, than it does an AI. Since this game is to have a single player campaign, I look forward to it being more thoughtful, and more satisfying, than the Red Dragon, 'find a chokepoint and just stick tanks on the other side and go afk' approach. Alright, I've typed enough. There's still more fantastic things they've done, but I'd rather play more Steel Division.

To help motivate ya nerds.

When I asked Capt Rogers what he likes to do.

I have an idea for a small pvp event, using the previous WW2 mods. Would be sort of a VERY scaled down version of Stalingrad. The idea would be about a Squad v. Squad size element, with the focus being on capturing a particular point. For the attackers (Germans) you'd be trying to capture a church (being used as a command post). The defenders (Russians) would be trying to capture the German command post. Whomever captures said post first, wins. I'm thinking that throughout the game, there might be "specials" that each side can call in. Air strikes, mortars, or even things like an MG jeep, etc. Still working on those ideas. Medical would be Basic, and first person would be forced. So, hit the poll, and let me know what you think.

One thing to note, is not all AT guns have HE. Usually, the A Phase AT guns are strictly AP. You don't usually get HE addition until Phase B. Command units are absolute king. Veteran status in this game, is WAY more important than in Red Dragon. At chokepoints (such as an AT gun with backup, looking down a road) having that one addition level of veteran status, really improves their skill. The difference between Zero and One star Veteran is huge; the different between One Star, and TWO, is staggering. What I love about this game, is how much more intimate the battles are. Those little scraps in a hedgerow, and battling over a small town, feel so much more impactful, than from Red Dragon. Oh, and mortars are absolute monsters. US 2nd Infantry get access to 107mm (if memory serves) mortars in Phase A. They're beasts. Using recon, or some poor unlucky cheap vehicle, you can use it to spot AT and AAA positions, and that high HE makes short work of their static position. Really helps even the odds, if you're playing against an armor heavy deck, while your own lacks. Oh, and Stuart tanks, and ungodly. Really shows how American tanks were designed as troop support vehicles. Cannon and 3x machine guns, will absolutely destroy enemy infantry and half-tracks. The Scotts Avre..don't even get me started. It's like Mike Tyson in his prime.

A neat thing I've learned, is the importance of open/closed tops for vehicles. In rather close proximity--urban combat, say--if you push up an open top half-track, the enemy (even if they don't have AT), will throw hand grenades and molotov cocktails, and with the top being open, I'm sure you can imagine what happens. A lot of great little nuances in this game I'm still learning.

Oh, it's amazing, up until your opponent rolls out multiple Panzer D's, and all you have are some basic-bitch Shermans, and you watch your flank just fall apart because they can out-range, and out-penetrate, and they're the heaviest thing you have at the time.

Allies-101st Airborne (American)6th Airborne (British)3rd Canadian Infantry1st Polish Armored2nd French Armored15th Infantry (British/Scottish)2nd Infantry (American)3rd Armoured (American)1st Guards Armoured (British)Axis-12th SS Panzer 'Hitlerjugend'21st PanzerPanzer Lehr116th Panzer 'Windhund'352nd Infantry716th Infantry17th SS Panzergrenadier 'Gotz von Berlichingen'3rd Fallschirmjager Division91st Luftlande Division I believe these are the confirmed game-launched divisions that will be in the game. I was also a bit wrong about the 4 division types: Armored, Infantry (not motorized, duh), Mechanized, and Airborne.

I'll have to play a skirmish match and stream it for ya sometime, so you can get a more eyes on look. Plus, I can answer questions as you have them.

The above story is a complete work of fiction, and is meant only to support the story of the 3d MRB Arma 3 Realism Unit. Above story written by 2ndLt R. Nelson

Whenever someone tries to tell me that Russia is a serious world threat, I just remember that this exists.

Time: 2000EST (8pm) Date: 16APR17 Server: MSOT 8313 Unofficial Server Mods: All standard 3d MRB mods; Iron Front Lite https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=660460283

Thanks to everyone who joined in the mission. Hope everyone had fun! We'll figure out what the server didn't like for next time. I hope some people recorded!

Updated.

Billets updated.

Billets updated.

I've updated the roster to reflect current known interest.

Signups in some fashion would be helpful for specific positions, as I don't want people spending more time trying to decide who is doing what, than we do in mission. Some sense of interest here, also allows me some forward planning, when it comes to enemy placement, and the like. This will ensure a hopefully hectic mission that's well balanced and fun. If you just show interest, but no specific billet, I'll just assume you want a Garand (rifleman). Note that the mod seems to still be in a state of improvement, so there may be a few bugs here or there, but hopefully, not enough to diminish the fun. In my testing, everything held up. Template was made by Sgt Grimm, so you know the technical side of things is solid.

The above is purely a work of fiction, and is not meant to represent any real life conflicts. This work of fiction is mean to help drive a storyline for the 3d MRB Arma 3 Realism Unit. Written by 2ndLt R. Nelson

Expected Mission Length: 1 to 1 1/2 hours Restrictions: No radio (except the RTO, who gets a long range); no GPS/Android device; no equipment that doesn't fit the time period Medical: Due to there being only one (1) medic position, medical is kept a Basic. Personal medical kits are to include 1x tourniquet, 2x bandages, 1x Morphine. This is to simulate just small how a medical kit was carried on one's person, and how the emphasis for "Doc" is highly important. "Doc" should carry a high amount of medical supplies, and since he/she is the only one, might wish to not be in the open. Mission Flow: Due to the relatively small map, and with the hope to make it feel larger than can be displayed (regarding keeping good frames), movement should be kept relatively to the OPORD; this will keep everyone in the action, keep frames high (due to not having to spawn a bajillion things everywhere), and so forth. If all goes right, you all should feel part of a much larger battlescape. Roster Section Leader (Garand, 1911): 1stLt Gluttony RTO (.30 Carbine, radio): Sgt Coburn Medic (.30 Carbine, medical supplies): HN Cummings Squad One Squad Leader (Thompson smg): Cpl Derr Fire Team Leader (Garand): HM2 (FMF) Benson Rifleman (Garand): HN J. Wolfe Rifleman (Garand):Sgt Barraco Rifleman (Garand): Sgt Grimm Fire Team Leader (Garand): SSgt Kozak Rifleman (Garand): Sgt Edwards Rifleman (Garand): Cpl Melo Rifleman (Garand): Squad Two Squad Leader (Thompson smg): Sgt Jennings Fire Team Leader (Garand): Cpl Wendel Rifleman (Garand): HM3 Sokolowski Rifleman (Garand): LCpl Bailey Rifleman (Garand): 1stLt Dann Fire Team Leader (Garand): Rifleman (Garand): Rifleman (Garand): Rifleman (Garand): Attached Elements Light Machine Gunner (BAR): LCpl Seixeiro Ammo man (.30 Carbine, BAR ammo): Sgt Specter Anti-Armor Gunner (Bazooka, .30 Carbine): 2ndLt(T) Hess Ammo Man (Bazooka Ammo, .30 Carbine): This size composition is what the mission parameters are built around. It can flex a little high, by a few personnel (who would be basic rifleman), and can be flexed down, should too many people choose to spend time with family/friends, instead of Arma. If for some strange reason, too many people are interested, then I may hold two of these missions on Sunday. OPORD H-Hour will be at 0630, though weather will not be ideal for the seaborne landing. Your section is to hit the beach, and to immediately find a way up the beachhead. To are you silence the battery emplacement there, to prevent it firing on currently landing troops, and to keep it from doing so with reinforcements. From there, if you manage to break through German lines, you need to take, and hold, the town of Le Bray. This town sits at a crossroads of reinforced paved roadways, that allow for quick travel of armor and heavily laden supply trucks. Holding this town will keep the Germans from being able to quickly reinforce their flanks, and will establish a strengthened position for deeper attacks into enemy lines. Last-minute aerial surveillance shows a break in the Concertina wire within your prescribed landing zone. However, it is recommended you bring Bangalore torpedoes or other demolition devices, in order to try and clear a path of your choosing. Just up slope of the beach, is the battery and emplacement. After clearing the Germans of this position, you will need to destroy the artillery and gun pieces they have there, in case breaking through the lines, or a German retaking, were to happen. You may use thermite bombs, C-4, or any other makeshift explosive; or, mark the position with red smoke, and the RTO may radio up the location, and can be bombed from the air. Le Bray is a relatively small town, but in an extremely important position. The main German force is likely to be held at the beach, so if you are able to successfully push through that line, you are unlikely to meet with heavy resistance. However, this town is just as important to the Germans, as it is to us, so don't expect it to be empty. If you are able to take and hold the crossroads, expect German counter-attacks from: West, South, and East. These attacks are unlikely to be too heavy, as the Germans will be heavily focused on the beach, or pushed back--if our boys break through their lines. Either way, dig in hard, and do not give up that town. The road highlighted is the most direct route to Le Bray, and one designated to your section. Your flanks are designated to others, and will ensure no friendly fire incidents occur. The road is St. Benoit Ave., though intel is unsure of its current marking with the German hold of the country has them re-naming things in a more German-centric manner. RTO: In this mission, the RTO will play an important role. The RTO may request fire support from naval batteries, aviation assistance, and other helpful assets. Due to the high risk/reward nature of the mission (heavily caliber weapons fire vs. no body armor), forward thinking of the section leader and RTO may drastically reduce casualties, and the like. Of course, these assets may or may not be available. Prior to your landing, naval bombardment upon the beach will try and soften the entrenched enemy, as well as hopefully clear paths through the wiring. Reinforcements: Dying in this mission may very well happen, a lot. Hopefully not, but, plan for it. If a large group are KIA at the beach landing section of the mission, they will be reinserted via waterborne craft. If only small handful are KIA, they will be tactically reinserted to replicate them being reinforcements for the section. All reinforcements will be done in an immersive manner without turning the mission pace into molasses. All personnel will retain the billet in this. I do ask that people try and retain a sense of immersion as best they can. Hopefully, everyone will have fun. If so, and it turns into a pretty grand time, expect future WW2 missions.

It's only funny when Pam says it.

This is the 3d TRAINING MRB. We FTX, always.

So, I've just come in from the outside on a nice crisp spring day. I've been enjoying my newly arrived Brickhouse cigars, some nice scotch, and the latest Mastodon album, Emperor of Sand. So, I thought I would give you my quick review of the album: it's fucking amazing and will leave you needing emotional support. Each song is its own contained sound, so you don't get "sound creep" from song-to-song. It's an album to listen to loud, quiet, and following the lyrics; I've only listened to it a few times now, but I'm still finding new sounds, new grooves, hooks, and other subtle things. It's an album that pays off with multiple listens, and I think will be one that is like a good whiskey, with the complexity you come to explore and pick apart. I wouldn't put this so much as a casual listen, but as something you'd want to block time out of your day for. There are so many great sounds on this album with Mastodon's unique blending. The vocals on this album are the best they've ever been, and the maturity and talent they've gained over the years really shows. If Mastodon is a band you've followed, then you probably already heard the singles they released prior to the album's release. In my opinion, they are the weakest of the album; with the other songs possessing so much more complexity in their song structure, while still retaining brilliant composition. To help give you an idea of what you can expect with this album, here's one of my favorites. The lyrics--due to the album's topic--are extremely well thought out, and well written. Still steeped in Mastodon's murky style, but at the same time, very clear what they represent. If Data (from Star trek, ya nerds) had only listened to this album, his search for emotions would have only taken one episode. Have an Emotional Support Buddy (ESB) on standby.

So, just to be clear, we can fuck IN your thread, right? Winkyface emote.