Operation Pathfinder 6

Operation Pathfinder is one of the first company level scenarios I've taken on as a relatively new user to the modern version of this simulator. I'm an old customer from the CD-ROM days of Steel Beasts, the original commercial version, so I've had a long time in sims in general, but only recently jumping back into SB Pro PE. And I've got to say, this particular scenario is difficult but rewarding for a relative newcomer. The first play thru, I honestly got my arse handed to me quickly. I had to really slow down in my next run thru and purposefully lay out approach avenues by way of actual planning : ), yes, I will admit, as usual, I'd dropped into the scenario originally without a semblance of a plan, and got rocked. I want to avoid mentioning too much in the way of spoilers, so I'll just say, its well balanced, appropriately difficult for what is roughly a 1:1 combat power ratio-ish (again, without giving too much away). Bravo Apoc on another great scenario. Challenging, just enough to make you feel like you have to "work for it" which is the sweet spot for scenarios for me as a user of the simulator. Thanks for having made this scenario and letting us have a go at it.

- Peter Robbins (of - https://wargamingwithpeter.blogspot.com/)

P.S. - I do hope to do a full on AAR, but I'll keep that separate from this overall review, as not to spoil the mission too greatly here.

Tough, difficult and really good !

Having played the updated version of this one in a Kanium session, then I can say with certainty that experienced players were challenged.

Which is a good thing.

You need to have a solid plan, dont overextend and in general do it right. 

But always more rewarding having a difficult scenario. Doubly so when the creator - completely correctly IMHO - does not give a lot of reserves.

So you cant just charge in.

Well made and well played. 

Difficulty: This mission can present a challenge, and presents moments where you have to deviate from your initial plan. Massing and synchronization of your available forces and effects is essential to win while preserving enough combat power to achieve a major victory. Weight for scoring is well established and laid out, with 60 points allocated to the seizure of Objective Bull, and 40 points for overall combat power at 100%. The enemy responds in a dynamic manner to your plan, and will adjust to fight you. You absolutely must do some form of planning to achieve a major victory here. Difficulty can be adjusted to become easier through the use of AVEPs on the BLUEFOR side, though this skew the scenario's balance in favor of BLUEFOR.

[ ] Easy
[X] Medium
[ ] Hard
[ ] Kobayashi Maru

Duration: This mission took me approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes total, with a split of around 1 hour for total planning time, and 45 minutes for execution. Allocated time for execution is 90 minutes for seizure of Objective Bull, so this could conceivably last for longer than 2 hours if more time is spent on planning, or execution to meet the overall objective. Time allowed for execution is sufficient, but may be a problem if there is not a synchronized maneuver plan created by the player.

[ ] Less than 30 minutes
[ ] 30 Minutes to 1 Hour
[X] 1 to 2 Hours
[ ] Longer than 2 Hours

Balance: Balance of forces is excellent, with the BLUEFOR's numerical advantage offset by OPFOR's defensive plan, engineering efforts, and flexibility in responding to your actions. BLUEFOR's Challenger 2s, and Pizarros are excellently mated with the OPFOR's T-90s and BMP-3s. Employment, mass, and synchronization of all of your assets are essential to defeating the OPFOR. The enemy never felt undefeatable, while BLUEFOR definitely had to position forces appropriately to exploit the enemy's vulnerabilities.

[ ] Favors BLUEFOR
[ ] Favors OPFOR
[X] Favors Neither

Overall: This mission forces you to understand the terrain you are fighting in, the enemy's capabilities and limitations, and requires a well synchronized plan to achieve success. This is definitely manageable by a single player, though I wouldn't recommend it for your first company-level scenario. This is a good candidate for co-op without a server license with up to eight players controlling Platoon Leader/Platoon Sergeant, and Company Commander position. The terrain you fight in within this scenario is both scenic and interesting, and will slow your tempo if not properly analyzed. Engagements are immersive and possibly even stressful, with the enemy forcing you to make decisions while under direct and indirect fire. This is not a "beer and pretzels" scenario experience if you are gunning to get that Major Victory. Overall, this is an excellent scenario that does a great job showcasing what a UK Armored Company Team is capable of achieving when faced with a modern "Donovian-style" Mechanized OPFOR threat. Absolutely recommended.

[ ] Awful - A Waste of Your Time
[ ] Bad - Significant Design Flaws
[ ] Average - Limited Replayability
[ ] Good - Worth a Download
[X] Excellent - A Benchmark Scenario; Must Download and Play

Excellent COY(+) UK team in the attack. The scenario is well balanced around a present day UK force in the attack on a sizeable 'Donovian' (Russian style) defence. The enemy AI is scripted to be highly reactive making it a good challenge for repeat attempts or to ease you into dynamic decision making at a manageable scale! This would be an excellent small scale COOP session or a slightly longer more thought out SP experience.

I will now briefly describe my experience avoiding spoiling the surprises found in the scenario. My overall concept was to make contact with the enemy main defensive effort before using fires to suppress them while simultaneously fixing them using one line of attack while breaking through on the other. This worked well despite the well scripted ENY making it difficult to simply steam roll the enemy!

I fully recommend this SCE to anyone looking to test themselves in a manageable environment while not possessing total overmatch in regards to combat power. 

(plan shown in image)