'ATGM Ambush' Experiences?

[Sulman]

This is one of those scenarios I used to play a lot on CMSF, to try and learn to deal with the ATGM threat better. 

 

It feels like it got a lot harder in SF2:

• A single platoon of scouts, 1 weapons team. Barely twenty men. 
• A 120mm mortar. 
• Some  IFVs that you need to keep alive. 
• Tight time limit (I don't know if it changed, but it feels way tighter now)
• Syrian forces now have artillery. 

 

It's very tricky. You don't have much firepower, and you don't really have the time to find & mortar each suspected ATGM. You're outnumbered.  If you are spotted, you'll get arty'd. 

In CMSF you could scout the valley and the vehicles would have a fighting chance of getting through, as they'd usually fight the located ATGMs; now they have a lot more trouble spotting them. they're dead the second they reveal themselves. Hunting down the ATGMS with the scouts alone gets very hard once you're deep into the defenses; I just can't keep enough scouts alive to mount what becomes a series of assaults. 

 

Any experiences?

 

 

[slysniper]

I played it for the first time ever about a week ok. it did a pretty good number on me. I recall it was a draw.

So I played it tonight for the second time (setting elite wego)

Results major victory score 469 to 108 Lost one Bradley, no men

Killed 37 and they had 14 men left (15 minutes left in the game.)

 

OK, this was my plan

take the infantry and attack up the left side, using the hills and rocks as cover.

Focus on exposing the enemy on the right flank and only engaging them.

move my infantry up to the hill that is within 300 meters of them on my left flank. again only exposing my units to allow them to attack the right flank.

My leaders stayed back and targeted the mortar from the back hills and the mg also moves up slower giving longer range cover fire.

 

Any AT units get the focus of the mortar, My 3 Bradleys and the hummer with the MG wait behind the starting ridge, I will move them up to hull down positions and engage enemy units once my infantry and mortars have the enemy on the right flank somewhat pinned, especially AT type units.

Around minute 25, Bradleys are fully engaging also and killing located infantry that my infantry have exposed.

I also work them up the left flank behind the hill that is 200 meters from the cross road.

Once the right flank was taken care of,  I start on the left flank again letting the infantry crest the hill and ridges and exposing enemy units on the left flank. ( trying to expose the view to only portions of the left , not taking on the whole thing all at once). again try and pin the enemy especially AT units. then once that happens bring the Bradleys over the hill and add the firepower needed to kill them.

I set the Bradleys to area fire on known spots, don't wait for them to have to spot the enemy.

I rushed it a little, thus lost a Bradley on the final assault over that hill before the cross roads, but just wanted to prove that there is plenty of time to achieve the mission when using good tactics.

As with most battles, the real focus is how to achieve overwhelming firepower on the enemy.

In this battle, the only way to do that is with the use of the Bradleys, the only way to get them in the battle is to pin the enemy AT assets. the only way to do that is to get your infantry within 300 meters so that their firepower is strong enough to pin and disrupt the enemy so that the Bradleys can engage.

So fire it up try again and good hunting.

 

Edited December 19, 2018 by slysniper

[Sulman]

Good work!

Second time I tried it I did a lot better, managing to mass what infantry I had to bring fire on one position at a time, while using the leader to mortar selected targets. I had to work the MG into good positions most of the time as it helped to quicker  overwhelm the enemy, before they would call artillery ( which was  a consistent threat).

Unfortunately, I never located the most dangerous ATGM (concealed high in the tree line at the back)  and it pinged two Bradleys, limiting me to a draw. The third Bradley actually caught it as it fired the second time. 

 

Time wise, I did figure out you can get your infantry to that back hill you mention (overlooking the crossroads) very quickly, if you're willing to endure a bit of harassing fire from the right flank (it's most harmless) while they cross that saddle between the two hill features. Once there there's lots of cover options as I guess you found out. The problem for me was avoiding the arty; the AI was surprisingly quick with it. I had the usual trouble persuading the MG to spot and hit targets I wanted, but generally the troops did really well. 

I will try a few more times. It's an interesting and challenging mission. 

[MikeyD]

That particular scenario emphasizes the difference between mg effective range vs carbine effective range. Its a help if you can keep your one mg guy healthy and actively suppressing enemy targets from beyond small arms range. Also, its easy to forget those Humvees have big-old hmgs to play with too.

[__Yossarian0815[jby]]

Also had a hard time with this at first, but then I discovered:

bit of a spoiler:

The bradleys contain Javelin launchers.

 

 

[slysniper]

There is only one Bradley with a MG.

But correct in the fact that he can be a key support for pinning the enemy.

I actually lead out with him in my armour support.

I much rather loose him to a unknown enemy than a Bradley.

But no surprises there on my second go around.

 

Sulman, sounds like you got the concept and things went pretty well. That's the part of the game that makes its great, you can go back and learn how to improve and become better.

Or at least I tell myself that.

 

I know for myself I always grade myself only on pure blind games and really only when playing a good opponent, not the AI. That is when I see if I am making good decisions or not.

But it never hurts to evaluate your battle, go back and test out the things you know you could do to improve.

 

In this scenario, My major mistake when playing it blind the first time was I exposed my armor to that left flank hill before I had eliminated the right flank and locating the units on the left flank. Needless to say burning Bradleys were soon to be had.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

7 hours ago, __Yossarian0815[jby] said:

The bradleys contain Javelin launchers.

Not really a spoiler TBH.....More like 'subtitles for the hard of thinking'!  

Edited December 19, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead

[slysniper]

7 hours ago, __Yossarian0815[jby] said:

Also had a hard time with this at first, but then I discovered:

bit of a spoiler:

The bradleys contain Javelin launchers.

 

 

True, but not  what I generally would do with them in any unknown situation.

( No one generally will fire their Anti-tank assets at infantry targets when they might be needed for armor.)

That's a move of playing a game with the perfect knowledge no armor is going to show up on the enemy side of the board.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

9 minutes ago, slysniper said:

( No one generally will fire their Anti-tank assets at infantry targets when they might be needed for armor.)

Errrr.....

 

[MikeyD]

Bradley tends to survive HEAT hits to the sides better than frontal hits. That makes a difference in this particular scenario.  Its the difference between an immobilized vehicle still able to lay fire down on the suspected attacker and a burning vehicle that occasionally cooks off stowed rounds, suppressing the infantry around it.

Edited December 20, 2018 by MikeyD