Hurtgen Forest

Description
From the Author:- [quote]This is a fictional skirmish set during the Battle of Hurtgen Forest that occurred during November and December 1944.

Although this is a small map, it is so highly detailed and carefully crafted that I believe it comparable to Relic\'s own professionally-made maps. I started building the map more than three years ago, inspired by the Operation Market Garden map \"Best\".

Hurtgen Forest has 11 capturable territory sectors with 5 being munitions and 2 fuel. The limited fuel makes the map mostly geared toward infantry combat. A stream divides the map in half forming a natural defensive line for each player. However, a single road that runs the length of the map does cross the stream, and the stream is passable at every point. Each territory sector (except the roads) has some existing defensive structures: a church, bunkers, trenches, or mere sandbags. There are a lot of trees on this map--it is a forest after-all.

This map also features a realistic passage of time, starting with a foggy morning and progressing through midday, sunset, and night. The map was primarily designed to be played with the Annihilate victory condition but does support Capture Points. Because the AI is slow to start and the map is rather small, using an AI difficulty one level higher than your usual level is also recommended.



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The author thinks that this is as good as the professionally created maps that Relic included in Company of Heroes. It\'s not. It\'s better. Cover is very well set out, and the map is a great amount of fun to play. It\'s nigh on impossible to field any number of vehicles with the fuel income, while the munitions income is high enough that infantry can afford an abundant supply of anti tank weapons. This means that infantry can (and will) have a field day. However, this is marred by unmanned support weapons lying around, and the fact that British slit trenches exist in the middle of the map. Basically, whoever gets to the middle first is going to keep it for a very, very long time. It\'s also very difficult to push up further than the middle points, because the map is so small you immediately hit the base defences. I\'d like to see another version of this map without the heavy weapons lying around, and with base defences repositioned so that they aren\'t covering the line of advance quite so much.

However, these flaws don\'t kill the map, especially considering that it\'s going to be played the most against the AI\'s hordes. It\'s definitely a good play and well worth a download.