YMMV / Wargame: European Escalation

Wargame: European Escalation YMMV

• Acceptable Breaks from Reality: A few.
  • Most low- to mid-tier tanks have the same range (1925m) and high-end tanks all have either 2100m or 2225m range. This is mostly done as a simplification measure .
  • Mi-24 HINDs are actually quite heavily armored for helicopters, but they'd be nigh-unstoppable if their armor were factored into the game. On the other hand, they can (realistically) shuttle Spetznaz or VDV troops, while NATO forces have no heavily armed attack helicopter capable of ferrying troops.
  • Also, this game apparently takes place in a universe without air forces. Or navies.
    • This is changed in the sequels, which added air forces and then navies too. Naval units were not available in European Escalation (unless you count naval aviation or Marine infantry), but they do show up on the strategic map in campaign mode.
    • The lack of aircraft is at least partially justified in the campaign missions. The news ticker that periodically runs over the top sometimes refers to indecisive aerial clashes and states that neither side is capable of achieving local air superiority.
  • Some missile units have ranges of tens or even hundreds of kilometers in real life. Of course, the game would be no fun if Buk anti-air missiles had enough range to cover the whole map from the rear...
    • The US HAWK anti-air missile, for example, has less than 1/10th its actual range.
  • Averted in other ways; for example, units can rout and ignore orders under pressure, sometimes abandoning perfectly viable defensive lines to get crushed out in the open. This is a realistic example of the "fog of war" but quite frustrating.
  • There are also some units, like the Pzk-70/MBT-70 or the M60A2 Patton Starship that can be used fairly regularly in the game, despite having limited production runs, or even being produced at all and of questionable effectiveness. This being an Alternate History situation where the Cold War turns hot, it does not strain one's suspension of disbelief too much, however.
    • The 1st free DLC adds a variety of units to minor powers intended to make them more viable on their own. Among these, the Chimera - a Canadian self-propelled gun - has become divisive because, unlike the units mentioned above, it never existed as anything more than a concept drawing.^Note For those desperate to reconcile the Chimera with reality, the best explanation is that it was based off a proven British prototype from the 1950s (the "Jagdchieftain"), and would have been buildable using already-available parts, so the Canadians could conceivably rush it into production relatively quickly if WW3 seemed imminent.
  • In Airland Battle, it is possible for Poland and Czechoslovakia to field more T-72s than they actually had in their entire militaries at the time.
• Demonic Spiders: Good units placement can turn any units into nightmare.
  • Infantry in towns and forests can turn into this. They're fairly cheap, especially if they come in cheap transports instead of armored infantry fighting vehicles, and in forests units generally don't see them until they're already in AT rocket range. Infantry are also pretty good at shooting down helicopters with their guns. The conventional wisdom is to just not move tanks into unsecured forests and if you know where enemy infantry is, it's time to break out the artillery.
• Goddamned Bats : Even Anti-Air tanks with autocannons hiding in forests can stun heavy tanks in range.
• Memetic Mutation: The T-80U. ^Explanation The T-80U is the Soviet Union's most high-end tank, and costs a colossal 160 points per unit, but is nigh-invincible in a fight and is known to hold off entire armies when handled appropriately. This has led to people regarding the vehicle as more akin to a magical death machine than a tank.
  • Nicely summed up in this gif◊
  • The best way to use M47 Dragon teams is not picking them in the first place.