CMSF2: Audax et Celer

Canadian mechanised infantry backed up by Leopard 2 tanks attack a Syrian AA position. This is the German Handstreich scenario from the NATO module, with the German forces replaced like-for-like by Canadians.
You can pick up the demo here: community.battl...
and can find details and info on the base game and its modules here: www.battlefron...
This is with the excellent HQS Sound Mod, BabaricCo's FXShine shader, Vin's Unit Icons and a pile of Kieme's HD terrain and building textures for CMSF1, but otherwise unmodded.
In Battlefront's own words:
"Combat Mission Shock Force 2 finally updates the ground breaking Shock Force 1 game setting to the current Game Engine 4 environment. Due to massive changes over the last 10 years of Combat Mission development the updating and upgrading of the original content to current standards was no small task. Most of the 3D models had to be rebuilt, reskinned, and reintegrated into brand new TO&E coding. All original scenarios and campaign games had to be checked out, tweaked, and generally improved so they retained the balance and excitement of the originals. Fans of the original game will find that this is much, much more than a new coat of paint."
"Take command of US Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) and Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCT) to fight against Syrian Army Infantry, Mechanized and Armored units in an arid setting. Experience the full range of modern threats to conventional military forces, including irregular combat forces, terrorists, spies, suicide bombers, IED's and other deadly tools employed in the asymmetric warfare of the modern day. Play the Task Force Thunder campaign, more than a dozen carefully crafted battles, or unlimited Quick Battles."

[@derrickmorrison5832]

As a Canadian, I appreciate the content.

[@cf453]

Really fantastic analysis. Thank you for going back and looking at alternate plans and potential errors in judgement.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Thanks man! Its very easy to smack the AI around, the trick is getting something useful out of it.

[@puppetmaster532]

its sad to think much of the equipment in this video has been replaced or retired with no proper replacement in the CAF. All M109s were retired decades ago and replaced with the M777 155mm, while a great gun its no replacement for a self propelled gun. the Mortars were taken from the infantry and given to the artillery for some dumb reason but are in the process of being added back to infantry battalions as organic support. The LAV3 was replaced by the LAV 6.0 which would be great if it wasn't for the fact its much heavier with the same engine and the recovery equipment was not upgraded to deal with the new weight, meaning a bogged down LAV 3 was recoverable by another LAV3 but now the LAV6 cant tow another LAV6 out of mud or soft ground without breaking the tow bars or cables. The LAV Coyote (LAV 25 to the Americans out there) was retired and replaced with the Textron TAPV which has been hated by the armoured recce units they went to. it traded the troop capacity and 25mm cannon for a remote weapons mount that at most can handle a 40mm GL, no provision for any kind of ATGM exists on them. Hell the CAF barely operates the TOW 2 anymore, that leaves the Carl-G as the heaviest AT weapon an infantry platoon has at its disposal unless supported by a Leopard 2. gotta love slashing defense budgets to 0.8% gdp

[@thomasarmstrong3917]

Was that Trudeu's doing? You need to bmgive him the boot either way.

[@nathangun2261]

Very enjoyable video Hapless, always enjoy watching you play out your plans.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Cheers man! Planning is half the fun.

[@peted2770]

This looks like a good battle to play in H2H. Your plan was a solid one that worked out very well but I would be interested to see how a human player would have adjusted the Syrians to your movements.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

H2H it would have been very different. I'm not sure there are a lot of options for the Syrians, but they would be much better than the AI at forcing some CQB engegaments and being in position by to take advantage of any mistakes that NATO makes.

[@-drake3614]

More CMSF2 please! Maybe play as the Syrians sometime?

[@mountplusBladeequals]

Also, why not play on Iron? He's certainly good enough for it.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

As the Syrians, definitely. Iron... only really adds longer support calls. There is some additional fog of war (when you select your own units, you can only see friendly units they are aware of) but this is basically meaningless unless you're disciplined enough to roleplay each individual vehicle, squad and team based on what they know is going on. I... can't do that :P

[@sirfanatical8763]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Please play as the syrians one time. Al Haoul was prob the only one

[@vovannslav9717]

Jeez, your content is simply amazing

[@fraternitas5117]

"Audax et Celer" daring and quick in classical Latin. yw.

[@rinaldiaars5443]

Loved this; did you swap the units out yourself? I've done the same for a few unpacked Marine campaign scenarios. You should upload the swapped scenario, I'd definitely play it.

[@nicthestick501]

Hapless I was wondering if you every have had problems with hqs sounds, especially for infantry, de-synching and if there is any way to fix that problem because I can’t use hqs infantry sounds because the de-synch in the sounds is so ba?. I use a MAC btw which might be the reason why Btw I love the vids

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Cheers man! I've never had any problems with the HQS sounds unless I've been alt-tabbing a lot so unless you're doing that, it might be a MAC thing like you suggest.

[@dozysocozy]

Hey Hapless, what editing software do you use? I love the way you illustrate your planning and I was wondering if you could shed some light on how you do it.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Back at this point, I was actually using a Squad planning tool thing to do the maps: en.wottactic.com/squad You can load up custom images and then put arrows on them. That utility disappeared off the interent at one point, so I switched to Inkscape.

[@AnAmericanDodo]

Just a minor nitpick, but the Leopard C2 I think is an uparmored Leopard 1. Interesting how they are mixed into the platoon.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

I believe you're right... probably got confused over the C2 part. Pretty that in this hypothetical time period Canada hasn't quite finished replacing the C2s with Leopard 2s.

[@4rnnr_as]

Yep, the C2 is an upgraded Leo 1. The Canadians even use a composite armor package called MEXAS to bring it up to near-Leopard 2A4 standards. The one here has MEXAS upgrades.

[@sirfanatical8763]

Those Leos with the MAG for the cmdr remind me of the austrian leos as they also have the mag. they only use it for the tank (and helis) even tough they have the mg3 and neither use the m2 nor the mg3. They ain't issuing out the MAGs to the infantry so idk why it exists on tanks. Altough they also use the m2000 bills that the dutch use.

[@danbuter]

Great video! One of the reasons I'll never buy SF2 is the rules of engagement. Yes, they are realistic, but I don't have to worry about stuff like that in the WWII games.

[@nicholasshaler7442]

That’s only for the UK, Dutch, Canadians, and Germans. The Americans don’t have to worry about that.

[@mymneisadj]

you do an awesome job at these aar's I hope u are planning on doing a mission or two as the Syrians

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Syrians are on my list, the tricky part is finding a good scenario.

[@AtlasAct01]

Do you happen to still have the files for this? I find that the canucks don't have a lot of missions in CMSF2.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Sadly not. It's not too difficult to change them out in the editor.

[@Philhamm]

Will you be doing one of the campaigns after you finish this introduction series? Been enjoying the content lately! Looking forward to more of this and Poking the Eagle.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Campaigns are definitely on the cards, though I'm undecided on which ones to play (everyone does TF Thunder :P). Maybe Marines because UK and NATO campaigns haven't been updated yet. Poking the Eagle has slipped onto the back burner- of the 3 games I've started back in the summer, only one has finished. Big things on the CMSF2 horizon are making reluctant to start another up.

[@sirfanatical8763]

@@usuallyhapless9481 So, 4 years later.... will there be a whole campaign?

[@kaliningrad39rus]

In real life such encircling is making a suicide defenders. Maybe let them retreat?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Its always a good idea to give the enemy chance to run away! But in a bad situation like this they don't have to fight to the death, they can always surrender.

[@Ralts1001]

Hey Hapless, I have a video idea to share with you. Do you have a preferred way to receive dms?

[@Combat_Camera]

Good vid. System requirements of your PC ?

[@ToppaliniTube]

what does that mean that name? its in normandy too

[@usuallyhapless9481]

It's Latin for 'Swift and Bold'.

[@ToppaliniTube]

@@usuallyhapless9481 cool. i've played all the ww2 cm games but just starting shock force. your videos have been helpful for me getting better. i watched your montebourg videos and almost can't believe how few casualties you took. amazing. i can't do that with constant restarts

[@sirfanatical8763]

23:42 that sounds really terrible. I guess in game you won't have to worry about time in prison haha.

[@4rnnr_as]

I really enjoy the modern CM games (SF and BS) but it frustrates me to no end that Battlefront chose to give SF instead of Balck Sea a sequel. They even went back in time for this one and gave the US Army the old ACU camo! I think it's kinda lazy. They should have added NATO armies, mew campaigns and maps to CM:BS. OR they could have added the BS Russians to SF2 and set it in 2020. I mean, DUH!?!

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Well, as far as I can tell, CMSF 2 was imagined as a fairly quick, straightforward update of CMSf 1 that wasn't going to eat up much time and Battlefront found it a lot more work than they were expecting. I'm sure that they considered adding more modern equipment (and Russians) to CMSF2, but its probably a bit too close to home. There should be a module in the pipeline for CMBS- probably Marines for both sides.

[@4rnnr_as]

@@usuallyhapless9481 You're right; and, in that case calling is Shock Force 2 is a bit of a misnomer. I'm familiar with Battlefront and it's not like them to make sequels. They make expansions and "upgrades". This is the latter, but certainly not a sequel.

[@4rnnr_as]

@@pquumm That's a great assessment. But I still don't understand why Battlefront couldn't even the odds a bit and make the BS Russians a little more on-par with US forces. The new T-14 and 2S35 could potentially make the Abrams obsolete and greatly reduce the artillery delay for Russian respectively, bringing parity to the matches. New RPGs for squads and upgraded ammunition for the T-80U could also give the Reds and advantage that is missing from the game. It would basically be like fighting the Germans in the WWII CM games, who bring awesome tanks and anti-tank weapons to the field but in fewer numbers than the Allies. Hapless is right. They wanted a quick way to make money without a huge investment of time or resources. So far it seems to be working. And that's good. I personally don't like asymmetric warfare - but I do want BF to say in business. I just hope they make a proper WWIII scenario sometime - possibly adding Chinese troops and more varied terrain.

[@schmolywar]

@@4rnnr_as Equaliy doesnt necessitate a better gaming experience and on the whole is probably unrealistic. Different victory conditions for either side is preferred imo.

[@4rnnr_as]

@@schmolywar I agree with you - but so many people lamented that the US Army was overpowered in CM: Black Sea and that Russian equipment was impossible to use. I felt that if the Russians were given an upgrade to their forces within the boundaries of what's feasible, it might make for a better experience.

[@Spider-Too-Too]

no one gives a fuck about what happens in Aleppo,lol (ft. garryJonsonn)