Thermopylae

Red might have use for a new colonel...

The fact that a 20mm AA gun is QB cheaper than an HMG may contribute to the "gamey" deployment of them at times.

I suppose you have a point Mr. Dorosh...but could you imagine buying "armor support" the same way you buy fighter-bombers? AHHH!!!

I suppose if we were to go for the ultimate in realism we could crossindex the industiral productions of the nations, resources, available, relative industrial production cost, mainetenance needed, and all the other million and one factors that go into creating an AFV, and the resultant price, chance of the unit not showing up, etc would allow players to determine the rarity of units. But for lack of something that complex, an abstract rarity system such as the on being proposed will do nicely. Also Col_D.: Why would you dock yourself points? Your not docking yourself points if you don't buy the rare items...so just consider it another part of the game to play to win: do I really need that tiger is a significantly more difficult question if you could pick up 3 mk IVs instead. Maybe you go for it, the same way you might invest in veterans in CM, and it surpirses your opponent and wins the day...its just the gamble is a little more in proportion now. And as everyone noted..it is an option.

Try using internet options to set what proxies the network views on your workstation.

I believe he is asking for tactical advice on how to use non thermal imagery equipped opfor forces against blue forces that lay smoke.

The typical CM scenario represents a hard pressed attack, and in such it was common for, toi quote the manual, "Entire companies and even battalions to dissappear in the fighting".

It might be a sighn I've been here too long, but I remember when those first came out...

An indirect ambush! Dump an MLRS pod on a column of armor before showing any dircet fires.

Dean's right. But if its not in woods, don't even think about it.

Upon being told that 'right here would be a real safe place' by anyone you promptly point out where, if you were attacking, you would have machineguns positioned, where the infantry would be ermerging from, and how those tennis courts block your field of fire.

The main thign stopping the firebase elements from being gobbled up by the defenisve skrimish line is your own recon. if you are using ligh vehicular recon as the majority of your pre-main engagement force, chances are this tactic won't work..too many open holes in your recon line. However, even a scattering of split squads will do wonders for slowing an enemy thrust, and ding it up a touch too. If he wants to assualt your recon force, its already achieved its purpose, finding the enemy. You do however bring up a very good point about the serecy of this move. While his counterattacking thrust can eb stopped, and usually will be, it does create a few turns of tension, and if things go wrong can SERIOUSLY delay an attack. It is best if your oppnent doesn't know. If you are operating an infantry screen recon, chances are he won't notice. Theres 12-13 Infantry? units goign forward to scout out the enemy positions. If one of these units enters a house ahead of the lines, our first inclination is usually to think "Recon taking and scanning cover" not "Machinegun being emplaced there." And for the defender, counterattack en masse is really a shock move. Typically an attack can at best exchange around 1:1 casualties. If the attacker can keep his head about him when one of these counterattacks begins, and simply keeps standing toe to toe, he will come off the better because he has more troops to spare. (Short of course, of the Oh my god how did THAT happen? factor occuring.) [ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: Thermopylae ]

Shameless self bump...for the betterment of humanity as we know it...

On the operational and strategic levels, the United states has perfected the doctrine of "slingshotting." This essentially involves getting all the logistics in place ahead of the actual maneuver units so that the punch can sail right on through without worrying about logistics catching up. The CM player can also use such techniques to his advantage. while there are clearly no logistics, there are definitely slow movers like MGs and company mortars. This often leads to precious time being lost as the main force waits for their fire support elements to catch up. The time is not precious in its actual quantity (thirty turns is an eternity) but rather in opportunities for the defender to prepare himself. However, this wait can be offsetted by what I call tactical slingshotting. Essentially you include the support elements with your recon force. The various teams walk forward to their pre-designated locations while recon is under way. MGs go to woods and buildings, FO's find vantage points, etc. The end result is you have your firebases pre-built before you commit any maneuver elements. This allows for a) fluid attacks that don't need to wait up for the support to come up, and a pre-set modicum of overwatch meaning platoons don't have to be used for this purpose. The obvious concern with this tactic is "what if the enemy attacks, and cataches me with my pants down and support elemnts un screened?" There are extremely few players with genius to effectively counterattack on anything more than a local level. (i.e. retake that building or that group of trees.) Chances are if your opponent counterttacks, they will only commit one or two platoons at most. To reach your firebases' teams, they will need to cover wel over 150m of ground, alot of which, by the very nature of where you usually stick mgs, will be open. This in itself is the kiss of death to the defender. You are now free to maul his counterattacking force with everuything you've got. He is now severely outnumbered, found, identified, and out of his foxholes.

I'klll take.

oooh, this could be fun....say holding attacks by inferior or equal forces: Attacker's Orders: Advance against enemy positions with the intent of preventing his maneuver. Securing key terrain is a secondary objective. Should you be able to take (list objectives here) Do so. Your forces are still expected to be able to hold a defensive line in their current position or that which you aquire, so try to minimize casualties. VPs -1 for every percentile of infantry strength lost. -10 for each heavy AFV lost -5 For each Light vehicle lost. +X for objectives If the attacker controls all the objectives at the end of the game, and has more than 65% of his force remaining he wins automatically as the enemy will have to redeploy to cover the gap in their line. Defender: We are experiencing a heavy attack down the line and wish you to detach as much of your unti as possible to act as reserves or reinforce the line elsewhere. However, we expect your remaining force to be able to hold their positions for at least the next 24 hours. VPs Losses same as attacker. + 5 for each unbroken squad or light vehicle that is exited of a friendly edge. Squads below half strenght do not count. + 20 for each hevay AFV exited. + 15 x %remaining ammo for each FO exited. 81mm cannot be exited this way. Defender wins automatically if at the end of the game he has exited over 30% of his force, and has a force ratio of at least 66% of the attacker. If both sides have an automatic victory, the attacker wins.

That Kfg is a bit infantry short...(not to mention ahistorical), so any fighting in deep woods (60m+ Thickness), Towns, Non-linear Villages (i.e more than just a few straight rows of easily kncoked down buildings), or any place with good reverse slopes. And god forbid the platoon HQ gets waxxed. The lack of any arty support means a few AT guns could really chew up the Pumas and StuHs. Of course, it is hard to argue with 4 panthers...

The StuH has a gottdammerung 105mm gun! of cours eit wqorks versus halftracks and infantry!

Woe are we the underaged students in the vincinty..woe..woe...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Thats why god made 81mm mortar spotters with smoke rounds <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> -CMPlayer Yes, however god also made the 75mm gun that would be 200m to the left of the current pillbox position and firing up its arse, negating the need for those 81mms.

Attacking edge hugging isn't nearly as bad as some blatant defensive edge hugging...after all, a rifle platoon running through the open on the edge is still a rifle paltoon running through the open...a concrete bunker turned 45 degree sideays from the edge can palt all hell with your day. In RL, the bunker wouldn't be placed like that because it would be to easy to KO from 250 meters to the side of the CM map...but in the game it can dominate an area with minimal theat of retaliation.

Use those extra zooks as long range grenade launchers! Those little poofs o explosiveness can cause the supresison and/or causalties to win a firefight...

In operations, cease fires are particularly important, since the preservation of forces is usually vital. If neither side wnats to lose more men today to random shelling, firefights, and general battle attrittion, a cease fir eis usally called. Also if the attacker has suffered grievous losses, it is typical for the defender to try and get a cease fire before his remaining units can take any more ground against a dmaged defense. In battles, a cease fire is usually used when the battle stalemates. For instance, the attacker has taken an objective or two, but no logner has the strength to both hodlt hese and carry on. The defender by now is in a poor state, and doens't want to be ovverrunn by the attacker. The attacker doens't want to risk losing another platoon and then a VL through a failed attack. thus a cease fire. Finally, it is used as a safety measure. if you are winning a minor victory, with most objective sunder control, your opponent might be able to cobbel together some rallied units, the odd MG, and/or a halftrack and retake a Vl, wignign the victory. Desperate measures have an uncanny way of succeeding only when your enemy uses them ....

Nope, you've just put a skirmish line in front of your troops been used since the days of napoleon. Just try to make sure the half teams are visible to yuor other units...if all you heard was gunfire and screams, you wouldn't be very well informed in RL.

It should also be worth noting that armor can be deployed command free and completely combat ready. You never see a column of tanks rollign down aroad in CM, there's perfect communication between all branches, tankers don't wonder where their lead tank is, and all those other friction free expereinces that are present. I assure you allied armro would do much worse if CM battles started out the wya they did in real life...a column of tanks rolling down a road or advancing ina v across an open field.No they are neatly held to the rear, as if the armor wasn't really part of the advancing force to begin with, but rather magically appeared behind trees and houses. Point two: ALL vehicles can turn on a dime. American WWII veterans remeber one of their biggets problems with tanks in tight country was it took them half of a field to turn, while a panther could pivot in place.