"Hostomel Heroes", "heavy" level, part one
"Moderation in war is an unpardonable folly."
T. Macaulay
I doubt I will be too mistaken if I assume that those who played "Syria: Russian Storm" were eagerly waiting for a continuation or something similar from the Russian company "Playing Cats." I, of course, was no exception: I awaited the release of "Hostomel Heroes" and now present to your attention my version of passing this wonderful game.
First, a number of observations (which not everyone may agree with).
The most dangerous enemy squad is the mortarmen; they make it nearly impossible for your infantry to advance and greatly hinder the movement of vehicles. Tanks and light armored vehicles are slightly less dangerous.
The most useless of your squads are the mortarmen: they only fire on command and do not hit targets, but rather shoot "into areas."
Squads operating light armored vehicles and engaging enemies with machine-gun fire level up faster than if they fought without armor: anti-tank guided missile teams, automatic grenade launchers, snipers, sapper teams, and RPG squads.
If at least one soldier from a squad survives a heavy battle, the squad will restore its numbers in the next mission (this is true up to the "heavy" difficulty level inclusive).
When moving to the next mission, it’s better not to gradually strengthen all squads; instead, it’s wiser to fully equip the most useful and experienced soldiers: for example, snipers, the anti-tank guided missile squad, and the special operations unit.
You need to choose the squads you intend to continue the campaign with in the first mission and try to ensure they finish it with at least a couple of levels.
The anti-tank guided missile squad cannot fire a missile immediately after stopping and takes a fairly long break before launching the next one. The same applies to the APC armed with anti-tank guided missiles.
I must warn you: I treat this game as a game; if I know in advance from where, when, and with what forces the enemy attack will come, I will use this knowledge to my advantage in the game; likewise, I will utilize any in-game bug or error; do not expect the following text to describe a 'correct' walkthrough, following orders strictly and accomplishing tasks sequentially. (Moreover, there are quite a few spoilers in the walkthrough.) So, let’s get started!
February 24, 2022, Hostomel Airport
"The beginning is, perhaps, more than half of the whole project."
Aristotle
Immediately after landing, we direct two squads to storm the nearest building – no shooting from blocks or trees! After a short period, helicopters will deliver ammunition and reinforcements;
we promptly send snipers to occupy the abandoned "UAZ" and drive to the building in the southern part of the map, where the squad "Wave" should arrive. We help them repel an attack, and the squad comes under our control.
After that, we load into the "UAZ" again and hurry to point No. 1 on the tactical map: there are enemy armored vehicles and a truck located there.
As soon as you receive the message "We control the dispatch tower!", send both squads that cleared it to the outer corner of the building by the road: the second enemy armored vehicle will drive there.
This is important!
The ideal option is to capture both armored vehicles: besides mobility, you will receive heavy machine guns and transportable ammunition for the drop (the supply points are too far). To achieve this, forbid the squads from using RPGs and hand grenades: it’s possible that after several attempts both vehicles will come under your control.
Have the fighters with the "Kord" and AGS "Flame" arrived? Put them in the captured vehicle and send them to occupy the cafeteria building (point No. 2 on the tactical map). The cafeteria is located at the road intersection, and most attacks will pass by it.
Additionally, there will come a moment when the squad that has taken the northern checkpoint begins to retreat; your fire support will be very useful to them. (By the way, you can leave no one from your team at the dispatch tower – your allies will fend off attacks.)
Soon you will receive a message about the cancellation of the air operation, and a massive assault on the hangars with the "Ruslan" and "Dream" will begin,
dispatch tower, the parking lot of faulty airplanes. Don’t rush trying to get everywhere: part of your fighters should stay in the cafeteria building, periodically going to the "Ural" to replenish ammunition; another part conducts a raid on the enemy’s rear.
At some point, an enemy APC will come from the garages (from the east) to the cafeteria (red triangle near point No. 2), and it needs to be captured at all costs!
Leave it there by the building – soon Georgian mercenaries will arrive, and the KPVT will help deal with them. Immediately after this, send the APC to point No. 5 on the tactical map: a brief attack by the Ukrainian special forces will occur from the southwest through the runway.
This is important!
The enemy special forces must be destroyed quickly and completely; otherwise, they will leave the battlefield with unique weapons. (It is very unfortunate that the sniper pair picks up only one trophy rifle out of two.)
Your second group in the captured armored vehicles cautiously moves to point No. 7, the tank hangar, taking a roundabout route bypassing point No. 6. (If the area at this point is at least half colored in like the Swedish flag, then there is an enemy tank there.)
This is interesting!
When Mazepa brought his Cossacks to help Charles XII, it turned out that the same-looking ones fought on the side of Peter I; how to tell them apart? Then Charles XII gave the Mazepa's Cossacks small flags in the Swedish flag's colors: yellow and blue.
Was there an order to destroy armored vehicles? But there are tanks; your paratroopers will manage.
After which you will receive a "tomorrow's" mission – to occupy the building of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Headquarters (point No. 8).
Done, let’s move to point No. 9, where at the edge of the map we meet the "tomorrow's" Kemerovo SOBR unit, and they are in full strength! (The next morning, they would break through to the unfinished building, losing a couple of fighters.)
Great, we are moving to point No. 4, clearing the area, where we find another supply vehicle and possibly a second APC.
This is important!
Monitor the fuel level of your vehicles: they cannot be refueled, and may stop at the most inopportune moment. Pick up the weapons of defeated enemies: this way you can not only replenish ammunition but also swap the RPK for the PKM.
It’s useful to proceed to point No. 3 and clear it as well. Only now can we move to point No. 6, preferably with a pair of snipers. When a tank is spotted, our helicopter will arrive and deal with it; there remains seizing the area – the tasks of the first day are completed.
This is important!
With each new walkthrough, the system changes the number and location of the vehicles you can control. If you are lucky, near the burned-out tanks, you will find three buses; you need to drive a couple to the dispatch tower, to a point between it and the "Dream" hangar. If there are no buses, stop captured trucks with full ammunition and other transport in this place – they will be useful to you the next morning.
February 25, 2022, Hostomel Airport
"Sending people to war untrained is to betray them."
Confucius
So, a new day, reinforcements have arrived. Immediately place all soldiers with heavy weapons in the "Ural" and bus, attach the Kemerovo SOBR to them, and hurry to occupy the cafeteria building: as before, the main attacks will go past it. (An ideal place to train newcomers!)
**Spoiler!**
*The enemy artillery fire corrector is located west of the headquarters building at the edge of the runway.*
This is interesting!
At first glance, the Kemerovo SOBR seems almost useless: they only have assault rifles, no machine guns or grenades, and these fighters do not pick up weapons. Everything changes as soon as the SOBR gains a couple of levels: it becomes a very powerful unit: two machine guns (!), two grenade launchers (!!), more advanced assault rifles. But to gain two levels, it must happen at the airfield; only then will the ability to equip the squad before the next mission appear.
Sappers occupy the second "Ural," joined by snipers, and the raid heads to the tank hangar.
This is important!
You should first replenish ammunition at point No. 5 until it is exhausted: the enemy will strike it with a bomb.
If time permits, the sappers could anti-tank mine the area near point No. 6 (where there used to be a tank) and the nearby roads. (By doing this, you will deprive the attacking enemy of all vehicles and part of the infantry.)
We destroy the guards of the tank hangars and move towards the headquarters.
This is important!
This time the headquarters should be cleared not by storming but by fire from the street or a neighboring building; entering inside is forbidden: it will lead to the prompt appearance of two enemy columns.
We mine the gates on the side of the tank hangars with anti-tank mines, preferably in two layers: the enemy's equipment manages to pass some of the mines.
Now we move to the second northern checkpoint (point No. 4) and densely sprinkle the eastern road with anti-tank mines.
The paratroopers head to point No. 3 to occupy the building, while the sappers in the "Ural" mine the strip along the wall of the civil five-story building.
As soon as the mining works are completed (and the antipersonnel mines are pointless), the sappers occupy the headquarters building.
This is important!
After the report that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are deploying regular troops, the dispatch tower will be attacked from the south-east. It is good to place an APC and an armored vehicle at the ammunition replenishment point; they will help fend off attacks for a while. However, enemies may destroy your vehicles with RPGs using parked cars as cover. These vehicles cannot be destroyed, but the APC can push them aside, simultaneously knocking down trees and depriving attackers of cover.
If you have mined the roads in the indicated strips, only enemy infantry will approach the headquarters building; all vehicles will be blown up by the mines. And despite the fact that the headquarters officers have left this zone, hastening to point No. 3, an APC with a crew consisting of anti-tank missile unit fighters and a couple of machine gunners in the tower building won’t allow you to capture the "headquarters." (By the way, as soon as the command rushes to point No. 3, your squads should leave the cafeteria building and relocate to point No. 8.)
Soon, artillery strikes will begin on the new headquarters location; the command will leave the building and head to point No. 8; you should also relocate the defenders of the first headquarters building and two checkpoint guard squads at point No. 4.
From the south, equipment with Georgian mercenaries will appear again – and will be blown up by the mines laid by your sappers; finish off the survivors. The most "long-range" squads occupy a building along the road – it is perpendicular to the headquarters – and await the final attack. Congratulations, you have completed the first assignment!
To be continued…