Completed Let's Play Hammer & Sickle

[Cholo]

Chapter 17: Ambushed Again

Spoiler

The squad heads out. On they way back, they'll pass through Gaffburg, which is fortuitous. Fidel and The Captain could use some patching up from the town's doctor. Hopefully there won't be any more attacks.

Speak of the devil.

A local villager is defenestrated.

Above Conrad's workshop, more glass shatters.

A sniper takes a shot at the squad.

Well, broad daylight. We're right in his line of fire, better get out of the way.

The squad rushes left behind the building, while Larry prones out and covers the rear with his newly acquired MG34.

The Captain makes it around the corner of the house, and spots a shooter on the roof. Two shots subdue him.

He and his rifle tumble on to the grass bellow. If the bullets didn't kill him, the fall sure did.

Sanders and Fidel take control of the first floor of the building they had fled behind. Facing the same direction as Larry, they take cover by the windows.

Moshe makes his way to a bedroom on the second floor, just above Fidel.

The Captain and Sigmund run as fast as they can across the open field hoping to flank the sniper.

The enemies across the road from our building take notice and start to return fire. Sigmund is nicked by the sniper, although it's not a serious wound.

The Captain makes it to the rear of the sniper's building, where he notices a pair of graves dug for the men who gave their lives the first time he fought at Gaffburg.

The Captain and Siegfried enter the rear of the garage, surprising a pair of Hammer soldiers. Meanwhile, Moshe has taken a pretty bad hit from a neighboring building. He's backed away from the window and bandaging his wound.

The sniper hears our shooting right beneath him, and decides to run.

More shooters are inside the building across from Sanders and company, the fight's not over yet. At this point though, Larry has moved up a little and has a clear line of sight on their firing positions. He starts to go to work with the MG, and clears out the house pretty quickly.

The Captain and Siegfried get inside Conrad's house, and clear it of any stragglers.

Once the enemies are all dead, the squad collects all the weapons they can. It's a good haul- StG44s, FG42s, even a Thompson, with one of those gigantic drum magazines! Nothing else to do here, so the squad heads off to Zeizenburg.


As the squad enters Zeizenburg

Of course.

Did you fight in the war?

Yes, indeed.

How did you get into the military?

You had female soldiers in Russia, too. Who was that famous sniper I read about? Lyudmila something...

Lyudmila Pavlichenko. They thought she could only be a nurse. Three hundred confirmed kills changed their minds. But how did you end up on the front lines?

I got tired of waiting for the US to stop pretending that the war in Europe was none of our business. My family was very upset about the rise of the Nazis. So I quit medical school, sailed to England, and joined the British Auxiliary Territorial Service.

An American woman in the British army?

I finally arranged for a transfer to the British Armed Forces so I could see some action. They sent me to Africa. That was the first time I saw men die.

You don't have to talk about it.

I was tending wounded soldiers in an ambulance speeding toward Alexandria. The red cross on the side of the truck should have kept us safe. German raiders ambushed us. The ambulance flew into the air and I blacked out. As I came to, I saw five Nazis pouring gas on the wounded men. They were going to burn us alive. I quietly drew my service revolver and shot each one.

You're lucky you didn't blow up the whole ambulance. Good shot, though.

Not good enough. I took a bullet in the shoulder.

The right shoulder? That scar above the collar-bone?

The medals I won gave me the clout to join the Commandos. During the run-up to D-Day, the US Army finally accepted me into the Rangers. And you know what? I don't regret any of it.

The squad heads into the sewers.

 

[oscar]

The red cross on the side of the truck should have kept us safe. German raiders ambushed us. The ambulance flew into the air and I blacked out. As I came to, I saw five Nazis pouring gas on the wounded men. They were going to burn us alive. I quietly drew my service revolver and shot each one.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Really looking forward to the next few fights.

Also I was checking out reviews and impressions around the interwebz, and it's pretty funny how people complain that stealth doesn't work properly because it arbitrarily deactivates on its own.

 

[laclongquan]

The red cross on the side of the truck should have kept us safe. German raiders ambushed us. The ambulance flew into the air and I blacked out. As I came to, I saw five Nazis pouring gas on the wounded men. They were going to burn us alive. I quietly drew my service revolver and shot each one.

It's an old war sentiment and a faraway place.

Beside, the wench is saucy.

 

[Cholo]

oscar Yeah the Russian writing gets a little silly, but it is excusable because

Spoiler

Elizabeth's full of shit

ERYFKRAD
You're automatically put out of stealth if there's a light source nearby (although I'm positive you already knew that), but the stealth is pretty funny sometimes. High level named enemies just appear in the middle of a room literally feet from your shooters sometimes because they were in stealth mode. Perhaps distance should have played a greater part in that algorithm than spot or hide do.

Glad you folks are enjoying, hope the shooting is detailed enough. Looking through the screens I'm worried I didn't catch enough highlights from some of these battles. Once you get a scoped rifle and a decent machine gunner though, fights get pretty one sided after the first few rounds. That MG34 we found is just deadly and Larry has a real talent with it.

It's funny, but after getting a few hours into S^3 again you realize how well H&S balanced weapons (although I have to give the game credit, the encounter design and progression is very good). In JA2 1.13 it was nice because you could just adjust stats (or anything really), but S^3 requires sql server and an xp machine for editing? Anyway, props to H&S for the increased crits when you hit vitals, and increased damage. Pouring a full turn's worth of AP / subgun fire into a bad guy at point blank and watching them shoot back the next turn is making me want to throw my computer into a wall.

laclongquan , you wrote a guide for S^3 as well? I'm seeing your name pop up everywhere! How the heck did you get through Sentinels with just pistols???

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Yeah, I did know that. Just makes me wonder if this was not documented right or if it's just idiots unable to RTFM.
I suspect that those high level guys just spawn out of nowhere, case in point-

Spoiler

Once I wised up to the guy calling an air strike at the airfield, I parked all my troops at the building and fought from there. I think Sanders walk through and past the spot where the guy turned up, seems like scripted spawning to me.

laclongquan's guide is pretty good too. And no, it wasn't just pistols, if you read it.

 

[Cholo]

Yeah, I did know that. Just makes me wonder if this was not documented right or if it's just idiots unable to RTFM.
I suspect that those high level guys just spawn out of nowhere, case in point-

Spoiler

Once I wised up to the guy calling an air strike at the airfield, I parked all my troops at the building and fought from there. I think Sanders walk through and past the spot where the guy turned up, seems like scripted spawning to me.

laclongquan's guide is pretty good too. And no, it wasn't just pistols, if you read it.

Spoiler

There are airstrikes at the airfield??? I always fight my way through the buildings first.

 

[laclongquan]

laclongquan , you wrote a guide for S^3 as well? I'm seeing your name pop up everywhere! How the heck did you get through Sentinels with just pistols???

We can get through Sentinels with just pistols because after you play the entire series TOO MANY times it just asking for the challenge. Beside, as i stated elsewhere, pistols have their use tactically and within limit. namely skill degradation with wounds, ruining aiming stance, critical hits. And if you max durability degradation rate in HS, the cheap soviet pistols has their use, as lightweight replaceable guns, no worry about repair those piece of junks.

It's been quite long before my last HS play. perhaps I shall reinstall it one of these days.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

There are airstrikes at the airfield??? I always fight my way through the buildings first.

Spoiler

Yeah, if you take too long to clear it out, maybe ten turns, one guy spawns/unhides in the ground floor of the building nearest the entry point, and then runs all the way up to radio for an airstrike. Airstrike=game over.
It's entirely possible to shoot him beforehand and prevent the airstrike, but it's very easy to miss him if you rush through the buildings.

 

[Cholo]

Chapter 18: The Bunker

Spoiler

Pretty quickly, the squad spots a suspiciously discolored patch of wall, with rubble all around it.

Siegfried recognizes it, and starts to go to work destroying the brick wall.

The Captain crawls through the small hole in the wall, and discovers a sturdy looking door, a skeleton with a rifle and some trinkets, and a code lock bolted onto the wall. We're not sure what to make of it.

A code lock is a lock with a code. Now, a code would be...

Will someone please shut her up? Siegfried, do you know the code?

No.

Then it all ends here.

The Captain inspects the skeletal remains, and discovers a ripped piece of paper.

Hmm... If this really is the start of the code, I think I know the other three numbers. 401201.

Ah... OK, let's try it.

We do just that, and the door swings open.

Easy. See this emblem on the body? The sign of the SS Viking division. One of them transferred here. He was crazy about all this stuff. The SS Viking division was started on December first, 1940. I simply decided to try that date.

Oh really...

I don't believe in coincidences like that.

Inside, the bunker has some cots, a large weapons locker with mines and rifles, smaller personal lockers, a file cabinet with some scattered documents, and a radio sitting on a desk.

There's a hidden outlet to the antenna. It's on one of the houses.

Thor's Hammer is a part of a larger terrorist organization currently preparing terrorist attacks in Soviet and US occupied zones. The terrorists plan to wear Soviet uniforms in the US zone and American uniforms in the Soviet zone. The goals are unclear. Request instructions. Rook over.

Gambit to Rook. Roger. Continue investigating the Hammer. Due to the escalating nature of the threat, you are ordered to contact our agent in Wenzburg. Find him in the Wenzburg railroad station. Meet him alone. Repeat. You are to be alone. Over and out.

Herr Captain?

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. I have a chance to get us some help. But you have to wait here.

As you say, Herr Captain.

The Captain is by himself now. He takes a FG 42 from the locker, a pair of magazines, a roll of bandages and a grenade. The Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 was a pretty capable battle rifle, well ahead of it's time. Firing the full sized 7.92 cartridge, the rifle used a rotating bolt, and could fire single shots from the closed bolt position, or full auto from the open bolt allowing the weapon to cool more quickly. Because of the barrel length and the cartridge, the weapon was capable of 3-5 MOA, the expected accuracy of a battle rifle. Unfortunately, the hefty bolt and operating rod flying forward and back every time the trigger is pulled doesn't do the shooter any favors in terms of accuracy.
We also see an odd document on the desk... No time to look at this now though, maybe we'll inspect it later...

The Captain emerges from the sewers in the train station, and pays off the engineer for a trip to Wenzburg.

In the Wenzburg courtyard, there is a two story structure. We approach it, and find a man in a black trenchcoat.

You won't need it. Greetings from the Wolf of Fergana.

So old Ivanov is still alive?

Well done. Only Mikhalev and I knew that joke about Fergana.

It's a joke?

In the late 1920's a friend of ours was fighting bandits in Turkistan. He sent me a papakha hat from Fergana, but it was full of fleas! Huge fleas, with a very painful bite. So we called the fleas wolves... the Wolves of Fergana.

I see.

So what can I do for you?

Have you heard of Thor's Hammer?

I've heard a little, but Command said not to go near them. After all, I'm just a transportation analyst.

The Hammer is a terrorist cell committing acts of sabotage against our troops. And against the US. It looks like they're trying to provoke a war.

That's a serious charge. No offense, but you don't seem like an intelligence analyst. Those desk guys are hardly quick and stealthy. From the way you drew your gun, I'd say you were a commando.

Good eye. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong about Thor's Hammer. I prevented one of their terrorist attacks. Did you hear about what happened at the water scoop? They tried to poison the town and plant evidence implicating us.

how do you know it was Thor's Hammer?

Where?

At the scene of the crime – the water scoop.

That is serious. This area is a powder keg. The Americans are clearly anti-Soviet. And more than a little brash and overconfident – due to their nuclear advantage, I suspect. I wish I could help you, but I'm really just a transportation analyst. Sabotage is a little outside my expertise.

You might be able to help me. My group recently took over the headquarters of a the local Hammer cell, looking for their plans. We also wanted special archives from the SS and maybe even Ahnenerbe.

Young man, Ahnenerbe was a pack of frauds, suitable for scaring recruits. What could they possibly have in their archives?

Plans for sabotaging the local infrastructure. The identities of Hammer agents. And possibly the names of their secret patrons. Unfortunately, all this material was smuggled out right before our attack. American servicemen in uniforms with no insignia.

I see. How big was this archive?

How can I help you?

I need to know all about their transportation options.

They could move a few dozen kilograms with nothing more than a jeep!

I don't think they would risk taking it out yet. At least, I'm hoping they havent.

In that case, their best bet is an airplane. Hmm... I have an idea! There's a landing strip in the forest about thirty kilometers from here – paved about two months ago. It's small, but good for light craft and medium transport planes. It's the only airbase within seventy kilometers, and it's not registered with the Allied Air Force. I'll find out if a shipment went out in the last few days or if they're expecting one soon.

Great plan, Pavel.

It may take a few hours. You can wait here.

We wait by the window. Later...

Ah... I don't think so.

You ARE a commando, and not a spy. I think they were watching me. And why didn't I meet a single American on the way here? Let's get out of here.

A truck comes screeching to a halt just outside the house. The Captain can hear men clamoring out.

Pavel spots the Hammer soldiers first.

The Captain and Pavel take up firing positions behind the house. Pavel's revolver won't do much good at this range, so The Captain does most of the shooting.

Pavel moves up to the corner of the house, and squeezes .357 rounds into the attackers as they advance.

Pavel then moves inside the house while The Captain covers him, and kills a few more enemies at close range.

American soldiers start to respond, we don't need that kind of heat. Time to bug out.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, some thoughts on a few missions:

Zeizenburg and transportation:

Two more squadmates, some backstory on everybody, and a little hinting at the game's most dangerous antagonist. I really like how the game feeds you little bits at a time, much of it not relevant to the conspiracy at hand. With each character, the game tries to give a separate glance at the culture of postwar Germany. The fact that you're revisiting certain areas, getting to know the locals and feeling safe where you go is important too. It's not simply a linear progression of stages with one central hub. It feels like good, well thought out game design.


The breaking and entering in Smith's apartment was fun, if a little simple. I like that while Larry and Fidel are both engineers, although only Fidel is really competent enough to pull off the mine disarming and safe cracking. On the other story path, you get Larry well before Fidel, and putting your newest squadmate to work immediately made him seem like an important addition. Again, the use of disguises and ID's was great, having to worry about concealing weapons was a good touch, having to be mindful of the day / night cycle and having a sense of urgency when you find the attack plans all added to the experience. I wish the game had featured more non violent spying, maybe with very small scale and covert fights.


Getting to the train is a little muddled, I believe you have to trek through the sewers for some reason. Once you're at the train yard, you bribe the engineer and you're off. Like the prison, it seemed like they spent a lot of time on the trainyard, and it's a shame because you never really get to see any of it. Have to wonder if some kind of small exploration challenge or reward here would have improved the experience.


Wenzburg and Water Scoop Part 1

Exploring the Allied office at Wenzburg gets you some pretty good gear, and the patrolling Sgt. Hawkins will force you into a dialogue intelligence check. If you chose to shoot up the place, the sprawling office and reinforcements make it a fun challenge.


The Water Scoop fight itself is guilty of a recurring sin in H&S, and that is creating artificial challenge by spawning you right next to a whole bunch of enemies. It works better here than it does in most other spots, because the it gives a sense of surprise and urgency, but at this point I've seen this enough to recognize lazy design. Mercifully, there is a burned out truck off to one side which can provide some cover to the onslaught of lead that is the opfor's first turn.


Once you get past the first turn, the mission gets pretty fun. You have to collect guns, poison and cigarettes which takes up a lot of inventory room and weighs down your characters (sapping their AP). You're forced to explore for more planted evidence, and assault the shed where the rest of the Hammer agents are. They've mined the place and are waiting for you, so a dynamic entry or some kind of explosive breach can save you a real headache. All of this goes on while an invisible timer ticks down, and once you're aware of this it creates a real sense of urgency. If US reinforcements show up, it could mean a shootout which means WWIII. Overall, it's a well thought out mission.


Water Scoop Escape:

FUCK. THIS. MISSION.


I've played through the game about four times now, and on each playthrough this is always the low point of the experience. You're weighed down, but you still need to move and shoot so you end up using your squad as pack mules while one or two scout out ahead and do all the killing. That's fine, but the game doesn't really allow for any creativity here. You walk down a series of linear corridors, with no dead ends, and kill enemies as they come. Some of them patrol, others just wait for you, but they never really do anything interesting. There is a section full of mines, which are easily spotted. Once they are seen, friendly AI will just pathfind around them, so there's no challenge at all to avoiding them. Again, it reeks of lazy design and artificial challenge. Then you have to walk through a chokepoint guarded by half a dozen Hammer soldiers and a tripod mounted MG. Of course you can get through it, but it feels gamey and contrived. More artificial challenge.


There is a way to flank and skip a lot of this, but it doesn't always work out. Early on, if you have enough explosives, you can blow up a wall which leads you down a shaft to the bottom floor of the sewers, bypassing the mines and the machine gun. This sounds great, but about every other time I try it, the bottom floor ladder gets swarmed with about a dozen guards who will patiently wait for you to try and descend. Of course when you do, you'll get shot up so there's not much point to going down there. Now you're probably thinking, drop a grenade down the hatch! You'd think that would work right? Just hold a live grenade over the hole in the ground and release- let gravity do the work. Not that easy. I suspect that every grenade throw needs to register some kind of arc in it's flight, which means you can savescum all you want but the grenade will always get caught on one of the other floors before it reaches the bottom.


If you're quick, and the AI is merciful, then you can push through the level easily but it's not always the case. At the machine gun nest, you find a pair of Hammer uniforms, but I don't believe you can ever actually disguise yourself as one of them. Was this cut content? Once you get through this hellish corridor, you're left with some great explosives, machine guns and sniper rifles- so at least there's a silver lining. Once you see the exit ladder, it's a terrific feeling of relief. The choice at the end to kill, capture, or abandon Siegfried was great, and I like how the shack on the top of the hill has some great gear in it but you've got very little time to explore because of more American patrols.


I want to say that sewer levels in video games are universally not enjoyable, but the original Silent Storm actually had a great one. You're forced to drag an unconscious body down a long narrow path while getting harassed from the rear by constantly respawning enemies. If you brought a medic, and they have the right skill, this mission is much easier because they can run instead of walk while carrying a limp body. The game rewards you for taking an otherwise useless skill which is great. The enemies are clumped up, and follow you down a predictable path, so you can use mines which are mostly useless as well. Machine guns and rocket launchers are great down here, because they chew through the unarmored clumps of hammer soldiers. You're always focused on moving steadily down the corridor, while protecting your troops which gives you the chance to use the classic bounding and peel maneuver. Great set piece, wish it was mimicked in H&S.

 

[laclongquan]

The meeting Pavel stage. If I remember correctly, after Pavel leave and you have some hour to spare, you can take the train back to get your troops and return in time for the meeting. You will have enough firepower to eliminate the hammer operatives, though not enough time to loot. Stay to loot will lead to shootout with American forces and can potentially lead to bad end if too many of them get killed.

That is the true use of paying for train fares, I think.

 

[Thor Kaufman]

You can loot if you use turn based but you need a bit of timing. All the shit like canisters etc can be dropped in the sewers immediately.

 

[Cholo]

Chapter 19: The Airfield

Spoiler

Back at the bunker, Pavel is a little miffed.

It's worth a lot more than fifteen years. But I'll let you judge that for yourself when I intercept it.

Enough. They sent a fuel truck to the airstrip today. They are waiting for a Dakota to arrive in six hours. It's the first plane to land there in the last two months. If your load is going by plane, that's it.

On my way. Hey, what should I call you?

Hmmm... How about Pavel Petrovich?

Of course not.

Thought so.

Let's take a look at the squad before we head out to the airfield.

The Captain has the FG 42 from the previous mission, with 40 rounds of ammo, a grenade, and bandages.

Sanders has a 1928 Thompson with a drum magazine, a pair of grenades and all the medical equipment she can carry without being overburdened.

Moshe brings a scoped 33/40 with 35 rounds of 7.92, a lightweight grenade and some bandages.

Fidel has one of the StG44s with two extra magazines, medium body armor, lock-picks, a mine probe and a grenade.

Larry has one of the MG 34s with an extra drum of ammo which is about half full, a lightweight grenade and bandages.

Siegfried has his StG44, two extra mags, five grenades and a roll of bandages.

Pavel gets into one of the extra US uniforms, grabs a shabby 9mm submachine-gun, a few magazines, a pair of grenades and bandages.

The squad sets out for the airfield.

The squad approaches the airfield from behind, and takes a knee when they get close.

Compared to the earlier plans, this one shows deliberation and complexity.

And you still have all your limbs?

No one is more surprised than me.

I'd love to take time to get a better grasp of the situation, but the plane looks ready to leave.\

I think everything is clear. No sense in waiting. Besides, I've got pins and needles in my leg.

Let's go.

The squad starts out on a lane behind a trio of large structures. On the other side, lays the airfield.

The plane looks ready to take off, and has a truck loaded with all kinds of goods parked next to it.

The far end of the airfield has a fenced off generator, and a large garage or hangar.

Larry advances a few yards and then goes prone. He'll be blocking any advancing hammer troops. Moshe climbs up the ladder of the closest building, in order to get a better look at the airfield

He spots an enemy patrol on the far side of the airfield. Out of range, for now.

Fidel and The Captain take up positions at the close end of the airfield, and engage a nearby threat.

The soldier is killed, and clips through the doorway. On the left, Sanders and Siegfried move down the alleyway between the two closest structures.

Pavel gets into the second building, and hears some people on the other side of a doorway. He mines the door and runs behind a table for cover...

Siegfried fires into the mined door, the resulting explosion shatters the door and injures the men behind it.

The explosion also forces a hidden enemy, apparently named Fridrich, out into the open.

Siegfried has a pretty clear shot on him, and he fires a few bursts into the man's torso.

Fidel pushes down the airfield, and hops on top of the truck's hood. Objective has been spotted.

The Captain climbs on top of a tower, and starts firing down on to enemies hiding behind the plane. Moshe continues to engage targets as well.

Pavel climbs up to the second floor of the central building, and spots a man outside a window on the roof. Fires, and kills the man.

Wow! That's heavy.

The squad mops up any resistance, which was pretty easy since we brought some good long range weapons and the airfield is open and for the most part lacks cover. Weapons and ammo are collected, and with that, the squad leaves.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We're getting close, only two more updates to go!
Here's some bonus content from the bunker in the last update: what if we had inspected those papers more closely?

Spoiler

 

[anus_pounder]

Out of interest, I noticed 'sentinels' got a mention. Does this take place in the same universe as the SS games? Did they retcon PKs?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Out of interest, I noticed 'sentinels' got a mention. Does this take place in the same universe as the SS games? Did they retcon PKs?

Yes, no.

 

[Cholo]

Did the PK's not get retconed? There's no sight or mention of them anywhere. Glad they're gone...

Chapter 20: Worm's Lair

Spoiler

The squad stops in a clearing.

Where are the others?

I sent them to the base in Zeizenburg. I said it was your order.

Why the hell did you giver orders to my team?

Please listen!

Make it fast. We need to go before they sweep the forest. Can it wait?

Not after what I read in the archive.

I don't care if it's a global fascist conspiracy.

Elizabeth...

I found out where Thor's Hammer is getting its support.

I know. From some big-shot secret-society neo-fascists. Where are they? Berlin?

The CIA. The Pentagon. And the Department of State.

What?

It is a conspiracy within the US government. The CIA has imported Nazi war criminals and installed them in positions of power. They are building a shadow government to get rid of Truman.

How?

By sparking a hot war between the US and the USSR. Then they can install a pro-war government in the US.

How could you be so stupid as to let neo-fascists create your foreign policy? Why would the Americans want war?

Then who?

Some tycoons made a fortune in the war. Those military contracts have been trying up. More money than most people can imagine. A war with the USSR would be good for business.

Oh...

Operation: Tornado begins in three days. They'll cut communication lines to isolate the US and Soviet occupational forces along the border. Neo-fascist terrorists will attack the Russian zone wearing US uniforms, and hit the US zone in Russian uniforms. The isolated forces will strike back. And then no one will be able to stop the avalanche.

Damn...

What do we do?

I've got to get back to my command. I've got to warn them, and stop them from retaliating against the US.

How are we gonna stop the US from retaliating against Russia?

My command will warn the US. There's barely enough time for you to reach your command, let alone convince anyone!

What else can we do?

We need to inform BOTH sides.

How? The Americans are not going to trust an AWOL paratrooper.

No. But they'll trust a CIA agent.

Where are you going to find a... Oh God!

I'm really sorry.

I trusted you!

Then tell me the truth! What are you doing here?

The CIA sent me to Vaclav so I could investigate Thor's Hammer. After the Hammer killed Vaclav, you were my best hope to track them down. The enemy of my enemy... The US command is near here. I can get the papers to my commander today!

To the CIA? You just said the CIA is full of neo-fascists! What if they find out? Maybe they arranged to have you shot with Vaclav! Maybe your CIA commander is a neo-fascist!

He's my father's best friend! I've known him since I was a child! He hates the fascists! Maybe it was your commander that tipped off the Hammer! What were YOU planning?

We weren’t planning anything. Vaclav contacted us, and I was sent to investigate. That's all.

OK. So will you give me the papers?

Very well. But I'll need to meet your commander.

Are you crazy?

Crazy to trust you. I'll give the papers to him only after I talk to him. Where do we need to go?

You're the most infuriating man I've ever met!

Yeah. But I'm also the only man with these papers. What do you say?

Look, we have no Ids. I can simply walk onto a US base and call for a CIA representative. But what about you?

It will take long enough for me to convince him of my story. And then you want me to convince him to come meet with a mysterious Russian in the forest? Why would he believe me?

What other option do we have?

Give me some of the papers about the conspiracy. I'll go to the US command at Wenzburg and you go to the Soviets.

I'm just supposed to trust you?

Is it that difficult?

Could you do it?

I'm glad it's not my decision.

Really?

Don't make me regret this. I'm trusting you, Elizabeth. I'm trusting you with a lot more than my life.

I'll prove worthy of your trust. I promise. I feel... I mean... I don't want to say goodbye...

We Russians have an omen. We don't bid farewell before a mission.

Hmm... You know, if we had met in a different time and place...

Yes?

Forget it. I've got to go. I'll go without bidding farewell...

while wearing American uniforms and attack the Americans while wearing Russian uniforms. Looks like the neo-fascists want to trick the US and Soviet field commanders into launching counter-strikes at each other. It says, “after we deploy Merry Man, the Soviets will have no doubts the US intends to wipe them off the face of the earth...” What's Merry Man? “Casualty radius: ten kilometers?” Must be a misprint... “Radio communications irregularity?” But that can only be... an atomic bomb. Only the US has the A-bomb, so when Americans deny the bombing, no one will believe them. World War Three... I've got to stop them! The “Worm's Lair” tunnel leads from here to the soviet side. If I can get through the tunnel, I can report this to our command.

With that, we head back to Zeizenburg to pick up our squad.


We get back to the bunker, and put the squad back together.

She's gone.

What do you mean, gone?

I let her go. She's CIA. I gave her the part of the archive that describes the attack on the Americans.

You what? Well... you're the boss.

We go to check in with HQ over the Radio

Looks like we'll need to make contact in person. That means through the “Worm's Lair” tunnel network.

Let's take one last look at the squad's loadouts.

The Captain takes the Thompson, though it needs some repairs. 100 rounds of .45 ACP should be enough, three hand grenades, stimulants and a roll of bandages.

Pavel brings a Sterling Mk. 7 machine pistol, a newer open bolt blow-back operated weapon in 9mm with a four inch (!) barrel. 128 rounds should be plenty. Three grenades, and bandages.

Moshe takes a brand new M1 Charlie we liberated from the airfield. A bandoleer with eight extra clips, a lightweight grenade, stimulants and some first aid equipment should be sufficient.

Fidel has left the armor in his locker, and instead brings a MG 34, with a few extra belts, a lightweight grenade, bandages, stimulants and some engineering equipment like lock-picks and a mine probe.

Larry has another MG 34 with an extra belt, another lightweight grenade, stimulants and another roll of bandages.

Siegfried has a FG 42, three extra magazines, three grenades, and first aid equipment.

Time to get going.

They're hauling an atomic bomb through the tunnel to the Soviet occupational zone. When the bomb goes off, our troops will be completely sure the US has begun World War Three, and will retaliate with everything they have. Our objective: make our way to the Soviet side and destroy the bomb. We have no other way and no margin for error. If we die, hope dies with us. Any questions?

I am not hopeful about surviving the missions. But suppose we can destroy the bomb and escape to Soviet territory? What will they do to me?

And to me?

To all of us.

I can't promise you a million dollars and a cottage by the sea. But you will be able to start life over. Though I suspect our intelligence service will most likely be interested in you.

I'm too young to have Soviet intelligence interested in me...

We'll have no way back. They'll know when we enter the tunnel and they'll send reinforcements. We'll have to fight them all.

Shoot it to pieces of blow it up.

Blow up an A-bomb? Isn't that what they want?

It's not that easy to prepare its detonation sequence. It will likely be in safety mode in the tunnel. But if it detonates, I'll jump on it like a grenade.

I hope you're right.

One last thing... the bomb's components are toxic. As soon as it's destroyed, run! If I get killed, take the papers in my knapsack. Demand to see Lieutenant Colonel Mikhalev. Tell him my final words were “greetings from the Wolf of Fergana.”

There's a bunker by the mouth of the tunnel, with some crates inside. One is mined, so Fidel investigates.

Lots of good stuff: Stimulants, a rocket launcher, a scoped battle rifle and lots of medical equipment.

Fidel's a tough guy, so he'll take the Panzerschrek with it's accompanying rockets.

The squad enters the mine.

The squad is spotted as soon as they enter the tunnel.

They try to shoot the scout, but are too slow.

Word passes, and a button is pressed.

Metal bars slam down behind the squad. Trapped!

A guard was waiting for the squad at the end of this portion of the tunnel. Moshe drops him with a pair of 30-06 from his new rifle.

The Captain scouts ahead in real-time, and and abuses the vanguard skill. Any time an enemy catches him unaware, he gets the first interrupt. It's a broken skill, but these tunnel missions can be a real slog, so he doesn't feel guilty about it. The tommy-gun kicks a lot of at close range.

Siegfried moves on ahead of The Captain, around the next bend, and is trapped by another barred gate.

A guard comes around the corner, but can't compete with Siegfried's high interrupt.

Siegfried lets the FG 42 rip into the guard. In the low light and confided space, the fireball emerging from the muzzle brake accompanied with the report of the gunfire is staggering.

There's a MG 34 on a tripod facing Siegfried, luckily nobody is manning it.

The Captain makes his way through a crawlspace, and emerges in a wide opening.

The bomb is spotted at the end of the tracks.

The Captain makes his way down the narrow tunnel and spots a panel of three buttons. One is broken, so he blindly presses the other two.

Fidel is called up, and shoulders the rocket launcher. It's a straight line down the tracks to the bomb, let's see if this will work.

It says 0%, but I bet we can make this work.

Fire.

Hit! An eerie green glow fills the cavern. Fidel feels instantly sick and fatigued.

Fidel backs off from the glow, and does what he can for his irradiation.

The Captain finds a PPSh-41, a familiar Soviet weapon from the war, and keeps moving through the tunnels, killing Hammer soldiers as he goes.

Another bend in the tunnel leads to a chasm spanned by a natural bridge.

The Captain spots a shadowy figure behind the barricade at the end of the bridge. Too far for the PPSh-41. He calls Moshe up.

Moshe tags the enemy sniper in his arm, effectively disabling him. A follow up shot kills the man.

The squad gets ready to emerge from the Worm's Lair.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More mission observations:

Siegfried & Hammer Raid:

Sieg's a solid character, with an interesting story and he prompts a lot of chatter in the squad. A good break from all the nonsense in the sewers. It's nice to be able to stop and drop all the heavy crap you're lugging around, and gear up for the next mission.


The Bogenschaffen raid is the high point of the game for me. It's best if you initiate it at night time, but it's time sensitive so that's not always and option. Sieg gives us some backstory, and Sanders accidentally exposes a little of her past. The reference to Nazi occult stuff was cool, though I'm glad they didn't end up going full RTCW with it. (What a great game! Really want to replay RTCW again now).


The target compound is guarded by Hammer soldiers, but they won't go hostile unless you break in, shoot at them, or they see Siegfried (which they always seem to do in the day time, no matter where you hide him). This is terrific, because it lets you explore the town and plan your raid instead of just going for it spontaneously. There are also a lot of civilians here, but more on that later. You can sneak around the back of the fence and break in that way, silently killing the patrolling soldiers, or come in loud through the main gate. If you want to set up any machine gunners or snipers around the map, you have a chance to do so. I can't stress enough how liberating this is. After having your hand forced in every shootout so far, you for once are able to plan and execute the raid however you like. This fits thematically with the story, since you've got actionable, human intelligence on Thor's Hammer for the first time.


Once you start shooting, all the guards in the courtyard and inside are attracted to your location, although some will guard their locations and attempt to ambush you as you clear out the main structure. On the first playthrough, you're not really sure where you're going which forces you to be thorough about checking every room, and covering your site exploitation team from marauding guards. There is a small quick reaction force that the Hammers send in, and civilians are also curious about the shooting so they start to come towards the compound as well.


This next bit I really liked. Earlier on the game teaches you about disguises and concealable weapons, and now that you feel in control for once it turns all that against you. Maybe half a dozen or so 'civilians' are actually disguised guards, who will get in close to you and then start shooting with concealed machine pistols. Once you fire on the first one, or they fire on you, all of them are exposed as foes, but it adds unpredictability and challenge in a creative way.


The rest of the raid is a good mix of close quarter battle and the use of exterior blocking forces, which is exactly what it should be. You discover the place has been mostly cleared out, but are able to glean some useful information from civilian neighbors of the compound. After the raid you are treated to your one and only glimpse into Hammer HQ, which serves as a good reward to the player. It was also nice to see that the enemies were also confused, also had limited resources, and great to see more of McLeod. On other branches, you learn even more about him, but this give us a pretty good look at the man.


3x Ambushes:

All three of these are enjoyable fights, and the idea of spawning you in danger or very nearly in danger never feels contrived.


The Forest sadly isn't a very interesting map when compared with The Hamlet or Gaffburg, but it still manages to be a pretty fun fight. 3X6 squads of ambushers spawn all around the cabin, and are supported by a lone officer and a motorcycle mounted MG. This created an interesting mechanic, where you'll need to make sure your troops are unseen at the end of every turn. If the enemy can see you, they'll call in blind fire from the mg34 which can be devastating if you're not prone behind some kind of cover. Each squad sticks together, giving the illusion of a cohesive small unit, and is lead by a named soldier, who is more skilled and better armed. You pick up some great guns and ammo from the corpses, which is helpful since you'll have gone through a lot of your own.


The Hamlet was terrific, it specifically gives you two turns to run and hide before the whole compound is raked with MG fire. If you don't get to cover, you're hit and you suffer- as simple as that. There is a stone fireplace at the corner of one of the buildings which offers some shelter but other than that you're likely to get shot up. Again, 3x6 squads led by a named and specially armed soldier. One is a sniper, who plays pretty conservatively. She's a lot of fun to stalk and gives a unique challenge. Another one has an MG34 which is devastating to your squad. You're rushed from the sides and the center, but if you're smart about everything it's a manageable and fun fight.


Gaffburg is my favorite of the three ambushes, and is also best if played at night time. Right away you're under fire from a sniper, and an enemy squad controls the adjacent building. You can either assault it immediately, which leaves you possibly under fire from the sniper, or occupy the structure to your left and fight from there. The snipers on this map are dangerous, but don't stay forever and will bug out if the battle starts to go against them, making them hard to kill. A panzerschrek (if you bought one for Conrad or Sigmund) through the window will probably do the job, but if you're quick and stealthy you can actually flank the snipers and kill them up close. This is tough to do since they leave unexpectedly (either a timer or a kill counter prompts their escape), and one of them has barricaded himself in with some very durable furniture. Lots of guards around him too, but the reward is a suppressed K98 sniper rifle so it's worth the effort. I wasn't able to kill the sniper this playthrough, but I have before. The rest of the fight is good house to house and floor to floor fighting, and Siegfired and Sanders will both be very useful. Terrific mission overall.

 

[Cholo]

Chapter 21: The Crossroads

Spoiler

I don't like it. What are they doing here?

The squad starts by a ladder leading back to the Worm's Lair.

Bombed out structures litter the map.

The titular crossroads.

A Soviet communications building at the other side of the map.

The Captain and Siegfried take up positions on the edge of the Southern road.

Larry hides by some ruins a little further North, closer to the crossroads.

Moshe hides by some ruins near Larry, close to the West road. Further to his left, Pavel and Fidel wait at the crest of a small hill.

A car slowly approaches, with a group of Soviet soldiers on foot surrounding it. They are stopped by a pair of Soviets...

Who open fire.

It's like Wenzburg!

Don't let them reach the car! Cut them off!

OPFOR gets the first turn.

But wastes it and is eviscerated.

The Soviet Close Protection Detail closes up around the LtC.

Larry mows down advancing Hammer soldiers with the aid of Moshe's spotting skills. Fidel and Pavel work similarly to the west, behind the car.

The spotter – machine gun combination is devastating against the blindly advancing soldiers. Siegfried and The Captain fire potshots down the road but fail to add much to the fight. The MG 34s are doing all the work.

Once all the attackers are dispatched

At ease, Captain. How did you get here, you clever bastard?

No time! I need to get to headquarters immediately. These materials have to go directly to the Soviet Marshal Chuikov!

Slow down. Let me at least get a look at you!

Later! I found out who blew up the department.

What? Who?

German neo-fascists! They want to spark World War Three. In three days they'll launch attacks like this throughout Germany – against us and against the Americans.

Right. Let's go to headquarters. Quickly.

You've got another gang? I'll send a truck.

Epilogue

Thank you, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel. I'm tired of sitting. I'd rather stand.

Stop this nonsense.

I've been sitting all week. They haven't let me out once.

What? They even allow prisoners out.

So I am worse than a prisoner.

Stop complaining. You're the one who cause all the trouble.

I thought I prevented trouble.

Still insolent. But I'm not offended. You can stand as much as you like later. But please sit down. We have a lot to talk about.

What are the charges against me?

You have good cause to worry about that. I know I've been afraid for my own neck these last two months.

Spoken like a man. You've spent these last two weeks under a death sentence.

What for?

You don't know?

Tell me.

You had in your posession documents exposing a conspiracy against the USSR, and you gave them to US officer Elizabeth J. Sanders.

Sorry, couldn't find a US general.

That means you worked for US intelligence!

No. US intelligence worked for me.

Mikhalych, I have nothing to lose. I'm not afraid to punch you right in the face.

If you weren't morally corrupted by her, why give her the evidence?

To stop a world war! Operation: Tornado was three days away! I had no time and no help from Moscow!

You should have come to us. With the papers and the woman!

Mikhalych. It's taken the system two weeks just to investigate whether I'm to be interrogated or shot. I had three days!

So you decided you're such a clever fellow, you'll do it all by yourself? Who gave you the authority?

Stalin himself. “Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach.” My army could reach them in West Germany. Yours could not.

Well, you won't be working in Germany any more, of course.

I... What?

You've been promoted, Comrade Major. Your information helped us knock out their entire network. The Wenzburg operation you uncovered is just a playground. Chuikov himself has taken over the show. Vasilevsky was informed too. And it is even possible that he himself was informed... I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Very funny. By the way, the Americans formally thanked our intelligence for indispensable help in uncovering the conspiracy deep in their ranks. You've also been decorated with the Order of the Red Banner and sent to the Urals Military District – to get you out of harm's way.

When do I report for duty?

Your plane flies out the day after tomorrow.

A plane? Very impressive.

Indeed. Any more questions?

What will happen to my agents?

They'll take Pavel to Moscow. To the Center. Our transport officials are interested in him, too, since he's worked with the Reich and the Americans. Frankly, we don't know what to do with Moshe. First we thought we might make him an agent and send him to Israel. We need people there. But I don't think he'll cooperate. We can break him but we can't bend him. Besides he looks a little out of his wits. And we can't send him to Poland. There are no more Jews there.

He's not crazy, he's just stubborn.

You'd put your head on the block for him?

Yes. I stand up for my men.

I'm only joking. We've had a suggestion to send him to the Ukraine. They need resourceful people to fight the bandits.

The German boy, the one who goes by an American name... He'll be put to work in a shipyard, I think. Your report says he's a capable mechanical engineer, so he should do well.

About Siegfried... Why are you protecting him? He's an enemy!

I know he is. I'd have killed him if I ran into him during the war.

So why stick your neck out for him?

Siegfried helped an enemy agent against native-born traitors and helped me stop a war. How many of us would have the guts to do that?

What if he's guilty of war crimes? What if he was burning people alive in their villages?

Damn, but you're a man of principle. All right, we'll have an investigation. Come with me. We need to get you into a decent uniform.

Ah... what for?

So we won't be ashamed to show you to Comrade Stalin.

What?!

Oh, one more thing. At the highway? Thank you, Major.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, that's it.

I'd like to post some additional thoughts on the game in the future, and maybe some alternate content, but that's the end of the game. Hope you folks enjoyed, and if you've never gotten a chance to play H&S, maybe you've been persuaded to try and track a copy down.

 

[oscar]

Surprised none of them died of cancer from the nuke.

What would have happened if you hadn't co-operated with Elisabeth?

 

[anus_pounder]

Great stuff.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

 

[dextermorgan]

Is it a coincidence that the Captain, Fidel and Larry all disappeared in 1962?

 

[Boxer]

Sweet.

There are also the other ending outros on Youtube.

I dont know the 'worst thing that coud happen is commanding a platoon on he frontlines' saying. Does the game have the cyrillic lines in there?

 

[Thor Kaufman]

Surprised none of them died of cancer from the nuke.

What would have happened if you hadn't co-operated with Elisabeth?

Spoiler

She will attack you and you'll have to do this:

 

[Cholo]

Cpt's got some pro karate moves there!

As far as the nuke, if you're close you get hit harder but the radiation can't make it around the corner so a little planning prevents that headache.

Not sure about the 1962 coincidence, but a 1960's sequel would be fantastic. It's a real shame these guys aren't around any more- tragic actually. A JA2 inspired tactics game with 'choices & consequences' and an interesting historic setting is something I haven't seen anywhere else. I'm honestly very curious to see how Wasteland 2 will compare to it.

 

[oscar]

The SS engine is a great one, wish more stuff used it.