Building assault

[kraze]

While entering building is fairly straightforward - just suppress the hell of it or completely blow off a wall, killing exposed/suppressed dudes and then enter - moving from floor to floor or building block to building block is extremely hazardous. In the modern setting the enemy has a lot more firepower with assault rifles and defenders thus have enormous advantage. Plus how do you even suppress the other room? And obviously explosives are limited so can't just go around wasting them. Plus in large buildings with blocks that have these large halls with inner walls removed it's very hard to even get to the wall before getting shot at.

So how do you actually clear the building? Especially the large one?

[LUCASWILLEN05]

What I find works pretty well for me when assaulting the large buildings is using explosives to gain access to at least part of the building block. Then clear that part of the building to gin access to the flat roof top. Clear that as needed. Then clear the rest of the building roof downwards. Again use explosives if you have them. Pretty much the same if your squad doesn't have explosives. I suggest use of the Assault Order.

[womble]

I'd suggest not using Assault, but using your squads split into teams already so you can

1. control when and where each team moves
2. have the right team do the right task
3. make sure you don't end up with an entire squad rammed into a tiny room to be filleted by incoming fire en masse

Assault is a very basic bounding overwatch order which is largely there for convenience, the AI's use and the handling of squads which are not permitted to be split. FISH* is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an activity where convenience is highly prioritised; you're not an AI; all the squads in BS can be split, I believe.

*British Army slang: "Fighting in Someone's House". Synonymous with FIBUA or MOUT.

[kraze]

Splitting into teams with the assault team leading the pack a few meters in front seems to work better than assaulting. However I'm still taking some heavy casualties in big buildings. I guess it's impossible to do it without notable losses. And it takes quite a bit of time for the attacking side AI to react to the ambushing defenders

Edited December 17, 2015 by kraze

[Firehead]

Well, MOUT is a complex task. My experience in an actual combat environment is limited, but I have plenty of training in how it is supposed to be. It is LETHAL. Expect heavy casualties, but that is why taking a two story building is a platoon task. Large multi-story buildings(like a small apartment complex) often requires an entire company.

 

As far as the game goes, I've been experimenting with different ways to successfully attack a building, taking some of my real life experience of how to actually assault (I wish your men knew how to properly clear a building with Battledrill #6). Pick your attack route, assaulting head on can work depending on the layout of the map. As far as I know you can target specific floors depending on where you actually click on the building, and it seems to work.

DEFINITIONS:

Green - front of the building from the approach direction, unless specific by higher

Blue - Left side from the approach direction, unless specific by higher

Red - Right side from the approach direction, unless specific by higher

Black - Back side of the building from the approach direction., unless specific by higher

Color followed by number (ex: Red 1): side of the building and which floor. If this were real life, you could go further into detail specifying windows and such using Green 1-2. First floor, second opening from the left.

EXECUTION

This is very basic, you'll have to plan for additional variables, but this is the basis for what you should be doing. Also, I'm assuming you're playing WeGo and not real-time. This is platoon attack oriented.

1.) Pick your entry point. If you have breach-kit it doesn't matter, but if you don't, make sure there is a door on that side. If you don't, your men will go around until they find one. This could expose them to fire from other angles, potentially leaving them unsupported, thus dead. If you have the capability, put down a smoke barrage using 60's or 81's to help conceal the attacking squad. Make it wide, and using "Linear" is better. You're less concerned about concealing your mean from defenders in the building. Since you're going to fire on it, it is more to protect them from fire from other angles. Finally, if you have the additional manpower/weapon systems you might want to lay down fire on suspected enemy positions that could affect the squads successful approach and entry.

2. ) Let's assume Green has a door. Establish a base of fire on green along all floors. Squad making entry should fire on Green 1 if able/the floor is visible. Create a waypoint falling just short of the building, 15 to 20 meters should suffice, within hand grenade range. Split your squad before they make entry. One team enters, have them briefly target first floor for 15 seconds, the other team just 15 seconds. I'm not sure of the exact time but if you're breaching with explosives, brief target should be at either 30-45 seconds, you'll have to play with it. Remainder of the platoon should be engaging Green 2+. Machineguns can use full rate of fire for the rest of the floors.

3.) Once the first squad has a foothold, have them target the second floor, this will get them throwing frags and the like into the floor above them. Second squad will take second floor, third taking floor 3, etc. Repeat this until you have cleared to the top. If you run out of squads, the squad on the lowest floor should continue to the next highest. Most likely you'll take fire from other areas while all this is happening, so have a plan to react to any incoming from other buildings.

It is all very complex, so you'll have to play round with what works for you exactly. Making entry on Red or Blue will probably require some fire on the adjacent buildings to protect help protect the attacking squad. Never make entry from Black, since the squad is entirely unsupported. Sustaining fire as you clear your way to the top is important. The second that the enemy gets breathing room, the defenders make it extremely lethal to your men who are entering. I hope this helps you, I'm still experimenting and so far this is generally what has worked best for me.

 

[A Canadian Cat]

That is a nice and thorough explanation.

As you can see that is a resource intensive process in terms of grenades, ammo and men. If you have to do that for building after building it is going to take a while. That is why you often hear people suggest that your starting point should be to ask the question: do I really need to clear this building, or can I just bypass it?

[rooibos]

I had an abrams, 2 bradleys and an infatry squad firing at a building for at least 3 turns

 

for some reason they still managed to pop off a round and imobilize my tank. oh well.

[kraze]

Some missions have large buildings as capture objectives.

Thus far the least worst way to take one for me is to blow up as many walls and floors with whatever big guns I have and then just split several infantry squads into an assault team and the cover team. Then I let the assault teams advance into the rooms (trying to enter from separate sides if possible) with the cover team following closely. I still take some casualties if unlucky - but usually it's only one team that comes under fire, while the rest mop up enemies that made themselves known

[MOS:96B2P]

So how do you actually clear the building? Especially the large one?

As IanL said if you can bypass the building that is probably a good option.  I try to pick out the buildings that are key terrain and level or bypass the other buildings.

I think it was RockinHarry who posted about the advantage of clearing a building top down.  I did some experiments with this concept and it worked.  So as LUCASWILLEN05 said above if you have buildings that are attached (row houses or something) you can get to the top of one and work your way across the roofs and clear down.

Below is my current TACSOP.  I am always updating my TACSOPs so suggestions are encouraged. 

1. Split Squads: Assault split, AT split & base remains.  (In CMBS you will only have Assault and base teams)
2. Order suppressing teams and assault team to Target area fire into the building to suppress/kill the defenders.  (may take several minutes)

3. When OpFor is suppressed give suppressing teams Target Light orders.
4. Leave assault team with Target area fire into the building.

5. Fast the assault team one action spot from the building to throw grenades.

6. At the grenade throwing waypoint give the assault team a 10 sec. Pause order.

7. Quick assault team into bldg. while suppressing teams continue to Target Light.
8. Give the assault team, at the waypoint inside the building, a 360 degree Target Arc to cancel the Target area fire order.

Below are screenshots from CMSF of a building assault.