couple questions: Very new to the game so bear with me. For instance the namur road map on quatra bras, im trying to get an idea of just what is expected from a player, because i clearly dont quite understand and i want to because i really like this game. ive read the 'how to win' part of the manual several times, but again, it doesn't seem i quite understand. ive taken both victory locations and have maintained control for a considerable amount of time. the timer has counted down to zero a couple times. Eventually the first newspaper pops up and inevitably says ive lost. although today, i got a "inconclusive". so what im asking is a couple things, One, is it intended that i just end the game, after the first newspaper pops up? or should i continue playing until i do better, or until all my troops are destroyed? i dont feel like there is a clear ending. i understand theres a time limit and you have to control it a certain amount of time. but it seems you can just play on forever. Does the clock reset when you lose control for a minute, and retake it? i seems difficult to easily find out whether or not your in control of it and how much time is left, other than the flag on top of the objective point. when you go to the map, the objective point is usually covered up by all the units involved and you cant find it! Also the location on map often says "0 minutes" not sure how to read that... sorry to be long winded.
The first time the news paper pops up is when the scenario officially ends and the time limit has been reached. However, yes you can close it and simply keep playing. But that's sort of cheating. Ultimately if you cant obtain a major victory by the time the time limit is reached, in my book, you've lost.
There are two scenarios that take place along the Namur road. Im going to assume you are playing as the French, since the allied version of the scenario is called "Pictons Rascals"
This scenario is pretty straight forward. You control 2 brigades, Husson's and Campi's with Hussons being the larger one on the left initially deployed in the field along with the artillery and Campi's brigade further to the right below the woods. One or two of Campi's units start out not under your control to simulate them having just taken a fort/farmhouse. But they come under your control pretty early on.
There are two objectives, one at a crossroads along the lower part of the Namur road and one further up along Namur road closer to Quatre Bras. These are both "Hold" objectives requiring you to take and hold them with the required number of men and an officer in order to start obtaining points from them.
The first objective at the crossroads is easily taken by Campi's brigade because there is virtually nothing in between to stop them except like one regiment who are easily outflanked and will quickly exercise the better part of valor and run off.
After that you need only place like one of Campi's regiments on the objective and stick a leader in with them.(I usually use Bachelu, the division commander, for this. Gives him something to do.)
At this point you can send the rest of Campi's brigade forward to smash into the allied left flank. Its fairly easy to time this so that Campi hits the flank just as Husson hits the same units from the front in a converging attack. The allied artillery on the left will usually pack up and hit the bricks as you get to close and the two left most allied regiments usually also crumble as they are being hit both in the front and on their left flank.
From there bum rush the objective hex, take it, and set up a defensive line around it(always keep an officer, either Husson or Campi, near the objective)and soak up the points. Bring your own artillery forward at this point and deploy them so they have a nice field of fire up the Namur road towards Quatre Bras.
You can be pretty reckless in your initial attack to take the objectives, because any losses you may take will quickly be made moot by your double objective hex point sucking. Its more important to take the objectives as quickly as possible than it is to worry about how many casualties you take.("What are the lives of soldiers, but so many chickens"- General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna)
You get more points by far from holding the objectives than you do from almost anything else in the game. You could be the worst general in the history of warfare, but as far as the game is concerned as long as you grab those objectives early and hold them for the rest of the scenario, you're a winner. Think of it like a bloody game of capture the flag. The objectives are the flags. Grab em, hold em, profit. Speed is the key. The faster you grab the objectives, the more time you have to milk them for all the points you can. Losses be damned.
This scenario is actually pretty straight forward and easy. The allied version on the other hand(Pictons Rascals) now that one can be tricky since you start out pretty much totally outmatched and pretty much spend the entire scenario trying to avert disaster lol