Figure 1 Oh no! Giant Finns!

I continue my 1000 Hours of... series with Order of Battle: WWII (OOB). Note: potential SPOILERS AHEAD!

Some readers may have already noted that I have more than 2000 hours into the game; many of these are due to having written various articles for a couple of webzines (which no longer exist; I can, however, provide .pdf copies of them free for anyone interested; they’re more detailed ‘How to Plays’ than this). In any event, since a lot of those hours were logged in the background whilst writing and not really playing, plus I wish to continue my series around the same theme of 1000 Hours... we have this piece’s title.

My standard couple more caveats: This article is intended for relative n00bs. Additionally, besides the spoiler alert above, if you’re the type who likes to discover and experiment for yourself, then it’s likely not for you. Yet, even if you’re not a n00b, you may still find some entertainment and/or info herein. Either way I thank you for reading!

Yet before I get too far, I must serve notice that I’ll be using game terms that may baffle complete newcomers even while offering starting tips, but again, I don’t intend this as a How to Play session (see above re: my other articles); many other writers and videographers have covered these subjects closely, so I won’t be going into such depth. You can also read the very decent manual, as well as my other articles, which concentrated on Specialisations, for one. Therefore, this is mostly a treatise on my observations as well as a very small wishlist of things I’d like to see added or ‘fixed’, plus comments on oddities that in my opinion ought to be addressed, if for no other reason than to improve immersion – or simply so they cease to offend my sense of ‘reason’!

Having clarified my slant, you should also know that I play with all current DLC (as of September 2024), but no mods other than the official Battle of Britain. I also usually play on Generalmajor Difficulty (Diff).

I am a campaign player; I enjoy adding heroes/commanders to key units and taking my cores through successive scenarios while seeing their XP increase from the start of the war till the end.

When such NPCs die in other games, especially in RPGs, I invariably need a do-over.[1] Fortunately, no heroes die permanently in OOB; depending on how badly their unit is damaged, commanders can be hors de combat for 1-10 turns, e.g., 10 if eliminated. Still, be aware that wounds carry over to the next scenario, albeit they are reset between campaigns if you import your Core. As a side note, although I haven’t made a ‘study’ of the phenomenon, it seems to me that your commanders appear to get wounded somewhat more often than the enemies’ – but this could just be my perception given my bias at losing them.

In any case, this is one of the key strategies in OOB: Although it may perhaps be obscure at first, pay attention to how heroes’ bonuses affect a given unit and (re)assign accordingly; the game provides handy tooltips to illustrate. Also be aware that while reassignment is possible mid-scenario, there is a 1-turn delay. This may be required, however, if you find your initial deployment to be deficient.[2]

Deployment will be your next consideration. The game generally provides far too many options; DON’T get sucked into spreading your forces too thin! Check your objectives (Obj) carefully and plan accordingly – and don’t forget to check your Secondary Obj as well. (You can click on the ‘?’ on the briefing popup to be taken to the map locations, when applicable, with a short description; in one of my aforementioned articles a helpful commenter pointed this out to me.) Most of the time, especially depending on your Diff setting, you won’t be able to achieve all Secondaries, so pick those that suit your style. For example, I like getting commanders, and my next priority is Specialisation Points (SP).

Speaking (writing) of, these are my next subject. My articles deal with SP extensively, so I’m only going to say here that, like Sec Obj, you won’t be able to catch ’em all. You’ll also need to plan ahead and possibly save up for the more expensive ones. Generally, I find loaned/leased equipment to be almost useless, since repairs in-scenario are painfully slow and upgrades aren’t discounted (as when your own versions become outdated). Therefore, beyond using them when granted during a scenario, I never redeploy lend-leased or captured stuff. Instead, my top Specialisation priorities are those maximising Command Points (CP), followed by giving starting units extra XP, and then maximising air units’ range and visibility (i.e., radar).

[1] Call it cheating if you like. I play games for enjoyment, not to set records or for ‘honour’ etc., and having companions et al. die is simply no fun for me.
[2] I have frequently restarted scenarios when I found that my initial deployment was doomed. Admittedly, I have also added CP (using cheat codes) where I encountered ‘impossible’ situations just so I was able to complete the scenario. Moreover, I almost always give myself unlimited Resources using another Cheat; I have simply found some scenarios too difficult without repeating them many times, which again I find no fun.

My biggest beef with the game is its AI, especially to do with its absolute obsession with cutting you off; it will 100% take every opportunity to do so, going so far as to essay deep ‘end-runs’ into your rear areas despite the inevitable fact that the offending unit will be cut off within a couple of turns and destroyed (so long as you take advantage, of course). So, despite my advisory regarding not spreading your forces too thin, you may wish to consider rear guards in certain cases. While being annoying and distracting, otherwise usually forcing you to chase down such intruders or lose Supply, this AI tactic can be used as an exploit. That is, you can repeatedly and with certainty bait the AI into taking such opportunities and then isolate and destroy units piecemeal.

Similarly, you can use your own units – Recons, including air, are ideal as they are supply immune – to bait the AI into chasing you all over the map instead of focussing on a greater threat(s). An added advantage of this tactic is that the enemy gives up any presumed entrenchment to do so.[3]

The last quibble I have with the AI is that it employs artillery, including mortar infantry, almost always LAST, instead of, by all accepted doctrine, to soften up targets before attacking with ground units. This includes aircraft as well, generally moving/attacking even after arty.

Next, I admit that I still struggle with the spotting and range rules; some units are invisible in certain cover while others are not, and I keep forgetting which. Tooltips and in-game info aren’t helpful, as enemy units’ stats such as Camouflage are not apparent. So, player beware.

Now I feel the need to advise you of a couple of things, beginning with how captured airbases update too soon. What I mean is that, when you first take an enemy airbase, the fuel limits of your aircraft update instantly and therefore you can be deceived, since the newly taken forward base is probably closest and yet may not be safe, meaning it will often be occupied by your own forces and/or enemy units are still far too close and thus will be a threat if you land there. So, check your air units, especially those down to 1, and act accordingly, gauging the distance to alternative airfields if necessary. (Contrarily, enemy air units will often land when you have adjacent units; see above re: questionable AI – although they may have little choice; i.e., out of fuel.)

The second caveat I have is that you need to be careful when plotting moves; the shown path(s) will not necessarily reflect the exact path you might wish a unit to use. In other words, while the plot may show that a unit can reach a certain destination hex, it may use a less-than-optimal path and thus potentially be ambushed. Scouting (using ground Recon with their staged movement) is pretty much mandatory in such instances.

I now advise that railguns, while quite useful, need to be pre-planned. What I mean is that you should check the map’s railroads as to whether they follow the route(s) you mean to take. Having a railgun essentially stranded because it’s far from the frontlines after the first few turns can render them almost useless in a given scenario.

[3]While some players may choose not to use such exploits, considering it a form of cheating, you are forewarned and can suit yourself.

I am left with a few more things that I identify as strange, that could theoretically be fixed easily, including the following:

• Why are you sometimes given more deployment points (CP) than your available Supply will support? Frustrating! You can often take enemy supply points that will eventually give you more, but not always, and often too late to matter.
  
• When plotting movement, why are potential movement hexes partially obscured due to wrecks or terrain (see right)? What I mean is, frequently it’s hard to tell if a moving unit will have to mount its transport to reach a certain hex, which means it can potentially be in an extremely disadvantageous mode when it arrives, should an enemy be within range. You can usually extrapolate, but still...
  
• Why can’t Waffen SS units use commanders?

Figure 2 Is that a Truck Icon...?

Having put in so many hours into the game despite my advisory as to where many of those hours went, I can obviously find little to not recommend it. Therefore, I only have a few items to put on a wishlist:

• Less opaque spotting and supply rules
  
• AI improvements!
  
• Finally, although it’s not as egregious as in many other games, the typos/spelling/punctuation errors in briefings are still distracting as well as unprofessional. Devs, PLEASE hire professional writers, proofreaders, and editors (such as me!) to mitigate (theoretically eliminate) such issues!