Order of Battle: Kriegsmarine

My 1st-ever review - as this DLC has been quite criticised, yet a few further details might assist certain specific buyers. To get the worst out of the way: CA's, not battleships, are absurdly OP here. Hardly the right game if one dreams of an armada of Bismarcks. Thus a victory - if surely a bland one - would be easy enough on highest difficulty by just spamming cruisers The DLC does far better as a resolutely asymmetrical simulation. Ideal for those with less interest in this franchise's original mainstay, the very mass air driven Pacific campaign. I've trouble myself finding games for my criteria - turn-based, strong stealth, weak air power - and must seek them in bizarre places. (eg: One decent amphibious sim is... Master of Magic.) It's importantly not true that the U-boat units are useless. They can be shockingly powerful, **if** used meticulously and in huge packs (though avoid the Wolf perk, as you want to save points for *some* BB/carrier-slugfest in late game!) plus autistic balance and timing of other units. It's not unit spam, it's slooow ambush manoeuvre, not for all tempers: You have to like stealth games. 6-7 of the missions are imo very nicely crafted (2 seem phoned in). A delight is "Surface Raiders", a convoluted 40-turn evade-but-attack, very replayable (infiltrate Scotland or Reykjavik?) or the opening "Danzig" - the only truly amphibious run. Because here's the real problem: One might like more land action artfully interacting. But that's where the inbuilt scenario ed comes in: Not modding as such, more a fairly basic app. Add a few garrisons and facilities to Norway or Ireland, place 1 or 2 specialist friendlies (eg airborne or mountaineers), and lo! You've a far rarer amphibious infiltration sim. Did you know your navy comes with engineer saboteurs? Re-enable land forces with 1 click in the campaign (not scenario) editor, and this old beer-pretzels game changes nature. In short: Rough gem. Assuming a very willing customer, it can shine.