Matt the Paladin

Can anybody tell me about how strong weapons of various pounder values are on the millimeter scale? Its really been bugging me that I can't figure out how strong the British tank guns are compared to the guns of other tanks. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Both units do work very well in the proper situations, but they're about as big as a tank and lack heavy weaponry. Keep an eye out for tanks, or you might lose half your carrier force in under a minute (This happened to me once). ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

I also tend to let the AI choose its targets, it usually does okay. However, I always check at the end of every minute to see where my arty, AT guns, mortars, and tanks are shooting. Althought the AI is smart, you usually see things that your men don't. However, if your men aren't following your target orders, stop trying to give them, as it only results in confusion and poor performance. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Which is a wiser option, to get a whole bunch of Green troops, a medium level of Regulars, or a smaller force of Elite units. Also, what exactly are the advantages that higher level units have, other than the fact that better units have better morale? Are there some units or situations where I should always get Elite or Green troops. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Smoke is tricky to use because it can function as a double-edged sword. If the situation changes your own smoke can end up saving the enemy. I don't really see how smoke can be used defensively, it seems like an attacking weapon to me. I use it to block out the powerful high-range defensive weapons that attackers often face. A few smoke shells can take an AT bunker out of the fighting lon enough for me to get a flamethrower nearby. Another favorite of mine is to make a huge smokescreen that covers a whole bunch of enemy troops. Then I move in a bunch of heavy SMG units and flamethrowers, who will then massacre the riflemen at close range. In my opinion, all smoke is good for is to let close range units get within striking distance of long range units. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Smoke is tricky to use because it can function as a double-edged sword. If the situation changes your own smoke can end up saving the enemy. I don't really see how smoke can be used defensively, it seems like an attacking weapon to me. I use it to block out the powerful high-range defensive weapons that attackers often face. A few smoke shells can take an AT bunker out of the fighting lon enough for me to get a flamethrower nearby. Another favorite of mine is to make a huge smokescreen that covers a whole bunch of enemy troops. Then I move in a bunch of heavy SMG units and flamethrowers, who will then massacre the riflemen at close range. In my opinion, all smoke is good for is to let close range units get within striking distance of long range units. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Does anybody know if vehicles have morale? I'm asking because there's no indication of it, but the armor and such seems to act demoralized sometimes. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Buildings are vastly underrated. One of my favorite tactics is to use them as arty and fire magnets to drain my opponent's ammo. Just have an MG pop up once or twice and put a couple shots into the enemy, then retret the MG and watch the enemy smash the empty building into nothingness. Another favorite tactic of mine is to use buildings for ambushes. When your opponent comes for a VL near some buildings, you should use a squad or two for token resistance, but keep a platoon and a PIAT or two hidden in the buildings. If the enemy has armor, wait until the PIATs have a clear shot at the rear or side armor before ambushing. Otherwise, just strike as soon as the enemy lets his guard down. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

Usually when I assault I start by sending in my tanks with the support of whatever high-level infantry units I can fit on the backs of my tanks. After I have broken the enemy formations, I send in the main body of my infantry. However, my tanks take high causualties, and I have been having trouble dealing with enemy re-inforcements that go heavy on the armor. Any suggestions on what I could do to lessen armor casualties, or deal with the enemy tanks after losing so much of my armor? P.S. I've been looking for a good WWI simulator, does anybody know of one? ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

When using Shermans you must keep in mind exactly how weak they are, and plan all of your strategy around that. Never engage a stronger tank in a frontal assault, even if you have superior numbers you will end up with a phyrric victory. Instead, you should try to put the enemy tanks in as disadvantageous of a situation as you can. I would suggest attempting to get fire in from several different angles, which will usually rip anything apart before it can even start to respond. You could also try to use a fast, cheap vehicle as a red herring to draw enemy fire while you deploy your Shermans, that also seems to work well unitl your opponent catches on. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

What sort of units should I have riding on the backs of my tanks? Does it matter how many tanks I have at the time? I usually group my tanks in quartets, and put three rifle squads, an officer, and some sort of support unit like a machine gun or a flamethrower, but I'm still learning and I'm not that good. If anybody knows a better way to arrange my men on tank back, please let me know. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

I've also found a very nasty tactic for flamethrowers. If you can get them near a probable flight path of demoralized enemy infantry, you can utterly massacre them. As to advancing with flamthrowers, you definately want to ride them on armor, or at least give very good fire support. Flamethrowers definately work best when they can get real close before people start shooting at them. In general, you shouldn't get more than a few flamethrowers, you have more important things to spend points on. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

If anybody ever gets bored of doing relatively normal scenarios, try making something like this. 1) An army of flamethrowers vs. another army of flamethrowers. 2) Only officer units, 3) Only units that can't run. 4) Arty Spotters vs. Mortars. 5) WW1-esque, Only the lightest armor, no high-power artillery. 6) Tanks vs. bazookas and PIATs. 7) An all tank scenario in hilly terrain and deep mud. If anyone else can think of something stranger, reply. ------------------ "War is like a cat, it is easy to let out of the bag, but hard as hell to put back in!" -Me

It's also a good idea to look for high ground. You can see for pretty far from the top of a hill. You should probably use a sharpshooter or a split squad for this, because you might end up losing it if it is seen. Also, try to send an advance group to root out any ambushes the enemy has planned. If all this is just too complicated for you, just send your troops to nearby VL's and let the enemy come to you. ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

I always use the bazooka and the PIAT in different ways. With bazookas I stay hidden until I either get a shot at the back/flank or the the tank comes within 25 meters. I always try to kill the tank with one shot, so being found doesn't matter. Whether I hit or miss I pull back after one shot so my bazooka doesn't get killed. PIATs are a different matter, I just wait till a good chance and then blow the enemy away. With either one you should pick your shots carefully, because you only have a couple. ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

I was wondering, what's better to use, Arty spotters or mortars. I prefer the mortars because you don't have to wait several minutes before the attack starts. Arty spotters strike me as useless unless you're attacking a fortified position, because the enemy will almost certainly have moved by the time the artillery begins to fall. It also seems to me that the mortar shells are plenty big for use against infantry, and are a bit more accurate. Arty spotters can hurt tanks more than mortars, but nobody would keep tanks still for so long. (I did it first time I ever played CM...ouch!) ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

I'm having trouble using tanks properly. No matter how good my tanks are I always lose them very fast. The enemy always seems to outflank and outshoot me. any advice? Also, what tanks are particularly good, and which ones are bad? ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

Thanks for your help. I tried out some of your tactics against the computer, and I won. P.S. I am also having trouble using tanks well, if you have any advice put it under my new post "Tank trouble." ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

Whenever I play defense scenarios, I lose, badly. I need advice on how to defend, mainly on force composition, placement, and what to do about those enemy arty spotters. ------------------ "I'd rateher die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart

I ran into some trouble with rescinded surrenders too. I had just overrun an enemy position, and had several prisoners. Then, the reinforcements arrived and drove my men out. The former captives broke out, and some of my own men were captured. The enemy troops were listed as "unarmed" and didn't do very much. I attacked again and captured the area for good. The ex-captives surrendered again pretty quick, and I got back my own captured men. They couldn't do anything but walk and run around, but I guess they're still good for scouting and feints. ------------------ "I'd ratehr die than be whipped." J.E.B. Stuart