Erwin

I think the problem as with many others is that the manual does not do a good job explaining the subtleties of "Hide". "HIDE Infantry - soldiers will generally go prone and hold fire and look for nearby terrain offering good concealment, trying hard not to get spotted. Vehicles - vehicles will hold fire and not move, trying to keep a low noise profile. Hiding vehicles that are struck by a projectile, or that spot an enemy vehicle targeting them, will automatically un-hide. Note: Hiding while facing an enemy takes a lot of nerve, and units might decide to stop hiding if fired upon or if the enemy approaches extremely close, depending on that unit’s experience, morale and leadership." In RL, you'd think that the hiding unit would have an advantage. In the game it seems that the moving enemy unit often spots and shoots the hiding unit first. The CM2 version of HIDE is certainly different than the version in CM1, it's just not as useful as it was in CM1.

1:16... That sounds pretty powerful! I feel this... overwhelming urge to get one. Do they come fully equipped, or do you have to buy a bunch of extras to get em to sit up and do tricks? In one of the other links from your link there is a sequence of a model Sherman firing its gun with flash effect and recoil. Very impressive.

I won't be able to play more probably till I get back end of July. But, what this scenario demonstrates is the virtue of patience. For a gamer that really sucks. But, I can see that if you play it as if your life was at stake, your suggested strategy and tactics make sense.

Yes, he is absolutely correct and seems to have nailed it.

The issue is that it is easy to find combat pics that show NO (visible)decals on camo helmets or uniforms for that matter. So, unless proven otherwise, that is probably what most combat troops looked like. Not sure why I need to "try harder" to make your case for you. And either way, I don't really care as I love the decals and feathers and whatnot. I am simply asking questions regarding what I actually see in my research, vs what some people keep saying is true. I am more puzzled about why this should irritate.

I understand that womble. I think we're all just saying that it's better to ambush from a hiding position cos you don't get spotted so easily. And CM1 did that well, and CM2, well...

I think we're arguing semantics. If the Germans had a better idea than blindly counterattacking then Auftragstaktik would work again. It was that the initially successful tactics were continued as a fatally predictable and outmoded tactic when the economic and manpower situation no longer warranted it. There must be a name for that, but I can't think of it. And Rommel's situation became worse as he moved further east. So, he was in worse shape at El A. than at Tobruk or Gazala. At the same time, the Allies had Monty who was a shot in the arm for 8th Army morale and he was given a lot of toys to play with. And still he delayed to get more, almost getting sacked by an impatient Churchill. The tactic of overwhelming force worked.

Awesome. Anyone know how to get that song as a .wav file for use in CMBB?

Thanks John for the pics. No need for people to get so defensive. I was just asking as it's not uncommon in games and movies to see troops outfitted as if they were on a parade ground rather than actual combat troops. I love the feathers and the forage cap etc. So, yea... BTW: I have not seen combat footage of SS troops (or Luftwaffe or Heer for that matter) with helmets that show the respective symbols/icons. What I have seen re combat photos are camo helmets that show no no symbols, but one recognizes the SS camo schemes. I have a wonderful selection of helmet mods now in my modded game that have all those icons on them. But, am considering replacing em all with (appropriate) camo helmets with no icons. You guys have links to combat pics that show troops with helmets emblazoned with icons, so I can leave my game as is (I hope)?

Ouch. my apologies. My grasp of UK geography is clearly slipping. I visited a pal who lived in Somerset and we went hiking on the Beacons... but I suppose we'd crossed the border without me noticing any guardposts.

It would be great if it could be a less obtrusive color. But, IIRC this was discussed when CMSF came out and for some reason I don't think it could be changed. (Hope I am wrong.)

That's rather good. Is it available?

mj: Yes, in CM1, you could HIDE and have a covered arc and it would make a lovely ambush. For some reason in CM2, if they are hiding, they don't ambush (is what I am reading on these forums).

Cool. Was that the 1:25 Tamiya motorised, or something scratchbuilt?

If you have interest in wargames I can't see how you cannot buy the game(s). They are by far the best of their genre currently available COTS.

I just have to challenge the Rommel comment. The guy was in low supply and ran out of stuff. It was an attritional campaign and the Brits were able to get more stuff to Monty while it was a low priority sideshow for the Germans (until they daftly decided to send in and sacrifice all those troops in Tunisia). I cannot see that the concept/doctrine of "knowing what everyone else should be be doing" was at all wrong - ever. Leastways, that is what my interpretation of "auftragstaktik" is. It has nothing to do with the tactic of immediate counterattacks that was clearly obsolete in the late war years. If anything that simply shows that the Germans had become hidebound to orders, unable to improvise etc due to losing most of their trained/skilled guys. You know a country at war is screwed when they eviscerate their training facilities to provide front line troops. (Hey, isn't that what the US is doing with all the mil education budget cuts over the last 5+ years?)

Huh? I have NO problem with the feathers if that was what they used in combat. I just find it hard to find actual combat pics of them. I also like the Tropical Hat. Once we get them, I hope the German mountain troops have caps as well. What's the issue?

I don't really have an argument re that Jon. I was simply pointing out that "auftragstaktik" is not a tactic, but a philosophy. So, it should not be blamed for the Axis losing when it was clearly misapplied. I am sure there were plenty of Germans of all ranks who figured out that the Allies had figured out that the Germans would immediately counterattack and therefore set a trap... I'll bet they were overruled by senior CO's who had become hidebound with rigid rules - like the Allies were at the start of the war. My take is that to some extent the Axis and Allies sorta reversed roles.

+1. If we're going to have feathers for Bersegliari... At least make a mod possible.

+1 to Vinnart's idea re a covered arc that can be adjusted by simply clicking on and moving with the mouse, instead of having to redo it everytime. Actually, there is little need for that whole yellow 180 degree graphical overlay at all for an arc that is simply trying to direct attention in a particular direction - an arrow or similar pointing graphic would be sufficient. The only reason to have the yellow arc overlay is when you are defining a very specific area to control/limit what the unit will fire at.

This is the closest you will get to an early war mod for a long time if ever: http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=105086

This is awesome. Heading over to CMMODS to d/l now. Will take a while to try em out though. Am in BB10 tourny and still have to do setup for scenario 3, and so many other games to complete, plus I'll be traveling till end of July. But, this is really appreciated and I look forward to some SeaLion (and early war) games when I get back! PS: I know that when you split a CM1 squad during a game they take a morale hit. However, do they take a morale hit if they are split in the editor? Do they take a morale hit if you split squads during the initial set-up turn?

"Auftragstaktik" as a concept should not be confused with a tactic (immediate counterattack) that worked for the Germans at the start and then stopped working later in the war. That "Subordinates should be kept aware of the intentions of their superiors so that if circumstances change they can adapt their conduct to them -- even if that means altering, or in extreme cases ignoring, their superior's orders, and that in the absence of orders subordinates should try to act in accordance with said superior's intentions." is not a tactic. The fact that the Allies learned to use the German SOP of immediate counterattack against them, and the Germans kept on making the same error could be explained by their increasingly slavish "obedience to orders" that became ever more prevalent as the war continued and the troops became less experienced due to attrition of the initially highly trained troops. I see no argument in the above article or comments against the concept of "Auftragstaktik".

+1 to Ranger's comments. The addition of the Brits and NATO makes it even more fun, especially the scenarios where you have a mixture of those units as they have widely varying capabilities.

I know that when you split a squad during a game they take a morale hit. However, do they take a morale hit if they are split in the editor? Do they take a morale hit if you split squads during the initial set-up turn?