Your Custom OOBs. No, not boobs, *OOBs*.

[Kinophile]

Thus idea arose from some posts by me and @sublime over on the infinite page count Armata thread. 

Play any CM game and you quickly develop favourite units and formations that you use time and again, that suit your particular style of play. 

I'm often initially careful until I get a grasp of the enemy's layout,  then I go for a very fast &  hard attack. My custom OOBs reflect that. 

Until battlefront bestows the ability to create and RETAIN custom OOBs I thought this thread might come in handy to spread ideas and thoughts on organization. 

Feel free to post text or screen shots. 

Ps. I'm personally sick and tired of the bitching ss that flares up the second anyone criticizes Russia or NATO . Theoretically this thread should be free of that crap,  but I've seen so many threads get mangled by completely unrelated, irrational posts that I'm stating here for the record: nationalistic defensiveness can take a hike. 

[Kinophile]

My basic Urban setup,  as RUS. 

I don't buy full/stripped down MRBs - I go for a (old) recon battalion, bump it's BMPs to 2or 3M, strip out the assault platoon and add AT 14s, Breach teams (to facilitate hidden movement), Snipers and crucially,  one FO &  Drone Op per platoon. GLs also if I can afford. 

The critical part is that each FO has a dedicated battery each, and a priority sector with 3 TRPs in a triangular arrangement,  

I back this up with a platoon+ of T90-AMs.

Essentially my goal is to create a forward  deep,  loose front,  using the FOs and ambush AT-14s to attrit, with the recon squads to protect if infantry get too close, and everybody has 2 different fall back positions. I use the small recon  squads for quicker squad movement (less men going through doors,, so quicker in/out),  smaller target and good firepower.  Except for no RPGs, they're pretty good. If I can  I add a RPO team. Basically, they protect the spotters from infantry/bradleys. 

So I attrit, Dodge,  attrit, fall back, outflank attrit ATTACK. 

(I keep the BMP-3s because they can nail Bradley's easily,  and suppress the **** out of infantry in houses. Also they can kill an Abrams if they get around them. Technicals are just too flimsy).

The standard  RUS formations are both too cumbersome and brittle v US. 

v UKR though,  they do juuuuuuust fine. 

Note: The above is urban centric. I'm a FISH guy. 

I'll post a screen shot soon.

[Sublime]

Well like i said before as russian i take a bttn tac grp with bmp2ms on the offensive. Along with a couple platoons of t90ams. I parse out many of the bmps keeping one platoon completely stocked. This platoon stays  mounted and in reserve. Other platoons keep one or none. This is for spreading around rpgs and ammo. I get rid of the engineers unless in a city and all but 3 or 4 igla s. Whether offense or defense i always buy a ver tunguska and 2 vet or crack khriz.

Some of the infantry companys in the vttn tac grp may have squads out of platoons or companies deleted. 120mm mortars on board trps and a vet or crack FO. Also i keep the bmp2k cmd vehicle and the fo vehicle as well (which also has rpg 7 rnds !!)

The 152mm i dial back to 2S1 for fire support. Thats essentially it.

For defense same except its a bttn tac grp BTR and you see way more BTR 82s parsed out than BMPs. This is because their auto cannon is nice but... If my BMPs ever shot their ATGMs Id use them in defense. But seeing as how Ive never ever ever seen a BMP2M or Russian vehicle at all fire an ATGM i go BTR as their tac grp has a lot more ATGMs. The company level assets are Kornets. These are placed long range and mutually support integrating the khriz into the scheme. The AT13s are much more forward and often in spots near a couple of possible firing spots. I very much try to use these to setup quickly in bldgs as their setup is only 13 seconds and they kill most US vehicles fine except the Abrams.

T90As in defense almost always in platoons or pairs almost always hidden behind hills or buildings or deep depressions to either sit in place and open fire as things round a curve or to race out if in the rear hemisphere of some abrams.

No matter what the situation unless at above 500m i always try to avoid having troops anywhere except bldgs against any US vehicles. In attack this often cannot be helped. In buildings hiding ambushes can be sprung close range on US armor with the thermals. No other terrain works. Ive seen US abrams in numbers roll through heavy woods ahead of the US infantry and 2 man AT teams hiding were getting spotted and ripped apart before even taking a shot. The only inf ill use out of buildings vs abrams is kornet teams at looong range and preferably in a trench.

 

[Kinophile]

I personally am not a fan of BTR. 

I've seen them fire burst after  burst at strykers and have zero effect. Got badly burned by that in a RT game a few days back. Plus the BMP3s 100mm shell suppresses nasty Amerkanski infantry off the first Shot.  But that's just me. 

And Tunguska,  oh boy yes,  a thousand times yes. That thing is a monster. 

 

 

[Kinophile]

. This is for spreading around rpgs and ammo.

How do you mean? Do the rpgs in the BMPs get taken out and distributed automatically? 

[Ivanov]

Based on my beginner experience with the game - tanks are the kings of the battle. They outperform other vehicles and infantry teams equipped with the ATGMs. I also prefer having more numerous, average tanks like T-72B to fewer to tier models like T-90AM.  Unless it's a typical urban battle, I usually  aim to build a combined force of T-72B3's and BTR-82A's. The BMP's are more expensive than the BTR's but in a battle they don't offer significantly greater protection. In theory they can fire ATGM's but only in theory, so I prefer more numerous and cheaper BTR's. As to artillery, I opt either for cheaper mortars or if there's enough cash the 152mm batteries with laser guided Krasnolol shells. A UAV attached to the artillery observers is also a nice addition.

Unless some house rules are implemented for a particular games, I avoid playing US forces - they just outperform other armies by a large margin.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Ivanov

[A Canadian Cat]

How do you mean? Do the rpgs in the BMPs get taken out and distributed automatically? 

No not automatically you have to do it.  During setup you can mount and dismount teams from vehicles and have them pick up one or two RPGs each etc.  You do have to be careful and not load up a squad with too much stuff thought otherwise you can have a bunch of soldiers that can only go for a Sunday walk.

[A Canadian Cat]

152mm batteries with laser guided Krasnolol shells. A UAV attached to the artillery observers is also a nice addition.

Oh I really, really like doing this.  It only sucks when you loose your UAVs - cause then you have to put your FOs in harms way.

[Sublime]

No in setup i utterly loot all the vehicles in my force whatever game it is. I usually give all the rpgs to one squad per platoon that.ll be the at team while tryn to divide the mg and ak ammo more or less evenly.

Side note whereever your bmps or btrs are, as in what platoon, determines whats in  the trucks. The mortar platoon trucks are great not only for more mortar ammo (which doesnt have to be acquired a truck parked next to a firing mortar team from same platoon will share its onboard ammo) but say your bmp is from your igla platoon - itll have extra igla missiles, or 30mm rnds for you ags if the bmps from that platoon etc.

I habitually load my men down with ammo because I havent noticed that sigificabt of a penalty loadibg squads down with another few k of ammo though there probably should be more of one and also because if that btr bmp or truck blows up all that ammo is lost. For good.

 

Also in any game but especially BS all the tanks have several K of mg ammo which means i often hose down bldgs nonstop with target light just changing what im spraying with coax every few minutes  8 to 12 tabks spraying coax at likely enemy spots and literally shooting mg fire most of the battle except for when they use HE on more solid contacts helps a lot..  in the WW2 games the Shermans great for this but none match the churchil with its 9k rounds of BESA

Edited February 26, 2016 by Sublime

[Ivanov]

By the way what's the difference between the on-map and off-map mortar units? I prefer to have them off-map because otherwise they could get spotted and destroyed on those small maps. Is there any benefit of having them on-map? For example do they respond faster?

[fivefivesix]

The primary advantage for having your mortars on map is for direct-lay fire. Probably more useful for the WWII titles, because you're probably correct that they wont last long once spotted by modern AFVs.   

[A Canadian Cat]

I habitually load my men down with ammo because I havent noticed that sigificabt of a penalty loadibg squads down with another few k of ammo though there probably should be more of one and also because if that btr bmp or truck blows up all that ammo is lost. For good.

So, you have not noticed that your loaded up troops get tired faster and sometimes they cannot be given a fast move order? 

 

[Ivanov]

The primary advantage for having your mortars on map is for direct-lay fire. Probably more useful for the WWII titles, because you're probably correct that they wont last long once spotted by modern AFVs.   

+1 I'll keep them off map then 

[gnarly]

+1 I'll keep them off map then 

Except I'm pretty sure off-map is slightly more expensive, and as @Sublime indicates above, the extra non-mortar ammo the mortar trucks carry can be useful for other teams in extended gunfights...

 

So pros and cons.

Edited February 26, 2016 by gnarly

[Sublime]

No my troops tire faster but not enough to forego the ammo especially as Russ you have to be very methodical and slow in advance or suffer WW2esque casualties or theyre defender and besides the odd mad dash will be a lot lighter or ventilated before having to move significantly.

On map is first direct lay but also because often with good chain of command and TRPs I can get great call times for say 2 mortars per group that as a whole are cheaper and have one from each advance up and be a nice heavy base of fire. Or defending maybe a battery deep in my rear doing indirect and a brace on a hill entrenched firing at target light at points i want them to have los to.

This is another key Russ aspect really ideally no unit should have full LOS to the map whilst with the US that would be great. You want your AT assets to support eachother but also because you cant cover everywhere as effectively also have some cover less likely avemues or have it so in a pinch they can be applied there alone.  So you want tanks in pairs say behind each corner of a large modular building. Both are sitting so enemy armor advancing will be roughly perpendicular to them once theyre in LoS. Of course this is a text book example it usually is never so clean or tj building gets attacked by inf first and your inf screen (you had that right?) Has to fight a losing battle against US inf and armor and you.re stuck tryin to decide to commit your armor and probably lose it, hope he screws up and advances his armor to soon, or try to sacrifice your PBI and retrograde your armor. And theyll probably die too.

But when it works. It works. Beautifully i may add.

Also Khriz should ALWAYS be in ambush pointing at a 1500 or 2km target or more the enemy probably isnt in right away. The movement into the zone by the enemy will facilatate spotting. Never ever try to fire brigade your Khriz. They.re wayyy too spottable by Abrams or even Bradleys thermals and will be eviscerated.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Sublime

[Kinophile]

Yah it seems that for the long,  3k range of a lot of weapons,  1.5-2K is the sweet spot. Especially with ATGMs,as 3K plus of flight time = spotted =death.  Unless you're shooting up the tanks butt,  in which case enjoy!

Interesting. @sublime &  @ivanov, you seem to favour  light-heavy: ie light on IFV #s with  troops on foot, and a heavy (2 pltns+)  MBT section. 

 

 

[Sublime]

If my BMPs ever fired atgms it could have been different. For example 2ms would come on defense too. But considering Ive seen 10 plus NATO ToW launches and then 2 UKR launches which promptly swan dived and never a Russian GLATGM launch Id be a fool to rely more on IFVs.

I still hope for my 2ms and others swear they get kills like it all the time though Ive only ever heard the same 2 people say it. And yes I add an extra crewmember into the BMP for spotting tried up close ambush long range ambush and attack defend from any aspect you can imagine. Its pretty striking when a 2m is sitting in the saddleback between two large hills and AT14 teams let loose on enemy tanks the BMP can see as well and it either a. Sits and looks at the tanks or starts shooting the autocannon at the front of abrams.

Playing Russ is a lot less forgiving as well. What could end up as a pile of bodies and still equal a US victory will conversely cause a Russian player to suffer utter defeat with probably a HMMV destroyed and 2 minorly wounded US ammo carriers.

Ive played almost only as Russians for a year now in pbems and I still get occassional utterly catastrophic defeats.

[Kinophile]

Yah I play only RUS. Played a few real times versus US,  and if I can outflank them I can cause a log of damage. But the unit loss ratio is terrible. Plus RUS air seems pretty damn unreliable. 

Elite SU 34 At,  crack  AC and crack UAV  and still the expensive flying tub missed on 3 different runs against a stationary Abrams in light t woods. 

Maddening. 

Now I just go Arty, TRPs,  elite FOs.  With OM  mortars I can get a response time of 2 mins, on target and effective. Screw the fly boys! 

Once @Abbasid111 and I have finished our current epic PBEM (80 turns down, 80 left!)  I'm gonna give the UKR a go. 

 

Edited March 2, 2016 by kinophile

[Sublime]

The best russian flying asset ive found is su25s and if theyre going for abrams.target light. Yes you probably wont kill the abrams but you will shred its subsystems and probably blow up and other vehicles or troops hit.

If your calling in on other targets go for heavy of course. The su25 is very tricky because air defense and the chance it may not work and Ive opted to taking more actual on map assets like armor. However when the su25 strafing works.. it works and you notice the difference in regards to abrams reaction times accuracy or if theyrw even mobile anymore. Of course buying some mi28s or something you.ll probably guarantee abrams kills but the su25 is the cheapest asset, and the most vulnerable part of russian air attacks is the meed for a dedicated air fo. That guy gets hit youve got expensive unused junk.

[Kinophile]

I used a UKR  su-25 against a massed,  almost Soviet style mech Inf and armor charge over a pretty bare Hill (my bro in law has caught the CM bug...). 

Attack light badly messed up his bmp waves,  destroyed 3, damaged 2. No armor kills but I saw definite hurts so probably some sensor degradation. 

Heavy attack is really on useful against strongpoints or hard targets, I find. 

 

Edited March 7, 2016 by kinophile

[Kinophile]

Going to try a light-heavy format with my next UKR game, using a heavy Arty and air presence with cheap infantry attacks -  ie similar to the early stages of the war. 

My bro in law will be Russian, probably quite conventional, so it'll be interesting to see just how much damage I can do.