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Depends if its AP or ball ammo. By the next module BF will have figured out a way to differentiate load-outs between the 2 Here is a threat that talks about 30 Cal M2 AP: http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-306879.html

A track at 300 yards is a big target. Don't think you would have to hit the gunner or shield to be effective. Just spray the track and let the penetrating bullets ricochet around the compartment. At 300 yards I would suspect the .30 cal, 7.92 and certainly a 50 cal from MG's could easily penetrate the thin armor on a track. I'll let the experts confirm or deny that. The 30-06 from a Grand at 300 meters-not sure either. The 9mm/45ACP and 30 cal from a M1 Carbine probably not at 300 yards. I've also noticed that if at the later stage of a battle, if you've demoralized the enemy you can be quite aggressive with tracks and let their machine guns go to town on the enemy infantry with less risk. Its really at the beginning of a battle when the enemy is fresh and aggressive that tracks really suffer.

I'm liking it so far and it does provide a good feel of urban mayhem. From what I've seen so far tanks no longer go rumbling through built up areas as if on a Sunday stroll. There seems to be hesitation and forbidding on part of the AI. Haven't play a H2H where I or opponent had the opportunity to use tanks in urban area so it will be interesting to see how tank behave if you try to push them hard in a built up area.

I've seen players who use them like tanks. I see them as mobile coffins. As the old saying goes the armor does a great job of stopping bullets-once they penetrate and start rattling around the compartment. I generally use them as taxis to get infantry near where I want them-but as far away from potential harm, then dismount. If I have any doubts I use scouts first to recon the area or draw fire. Best to use your infantry to keep the enemy occupied and then if feasible use the MG's on the tracks to inflict suppression or death. I've seen a few instances where opponents use tracks and jeeps as sacrificial lambs to draw fire.

The PBEM part with previous games is very irritating. Some Normandy PBEM work for 1 turn other so far have worked for 2 turns and I find myself having to constantly re-activate MG every time I load a PBEM pre MG. I just hope that constantly re activating MG doesn't come back to bite me in the future. I have a few Italy/GL PBEMs going that were pre MG and I have no idea how they'll behave. That being said-I'm playing Boys against Men scenario and it seems to capture the intensity and violence of urban combat. Its certainly fun. BF is going to have to address the PBEM issue-especially if they plan to continually release modules.

You know what they say about Pioneers. You can always tell by the arrows in their backs. Let us know how it goes and anyone in a h2h let us know how it goes after the jump to MG. Maybe its a good thing Ill be out in the sticks shooting this weekend....

I checked my email and got notified. That really blows. I'm going to be gone this weekend. Figures this would happen now. So whats going to happen to all my current h2h games? Will they all have to be on MG?

Very interesting comments and tips. Why is it I'm not surprised a person with a name slysniper had a Brit sniper team with 22 kills and suggests using Firefly tanks in what appears to be an armored sniper role-that does make sense and was not the way I envisioned using them. Not sure if in real life the British did the same. On the 51mm mortars useful for smoke. I may be missing something, but when I've used American and German mortars and directly target enemy positions, I can't fire smoke rounds. It seems you can only create smoke screens when someone calls in fire and you'll have to go through the usual delay and spotting rounds. Maybe I'm missing something. I tend to like to use mortars in a direct fire mode and being able to lay down a quick smoke screen would be useful. The Lee Enfield has a reputation as having one of the smoothest bolt actions ever created. I handled some used ones, but the .303 ammo isn't common and relatively expensive. If .308 or .223 Enfields were common I'd get one. I think some countries that got some surplus Enfields may have re-chambered them. I know the CW used Tommy guns. I haven't noticed if that's reflected in the game. Being weaker in firepower it must have been murder to try and root out the Germans in the hills and mountains of Italy-especially when facing the German paras who tended to have plenty of rapid fire weapons. Can't say I was fond of the Bren carrier when I first used it, but it starting to grow on me. Unlike the M3 or Hannomag its carrying capacity is smaller-which may be a good thing-less men lost if it gets flamed. I like to break up my squads and noticed when I pile them into a M3 or Hannomag they get recombined if they are part of the same squad which kinda irritates me. The .303 Bren isn't as powerful as the MaDuce mounted on some M3's, but don't really think its a huge deal. I suppose the lower profile and smaller size increases the Brens carriers survivability? I did like the Crocodile back in the CM1 days. Always needed to get one and flame away. Can't recall if I used one when playing the old RTS Blitzkrieg or one of the add-ons. I'm starting to use the Cromwell. No opinion yet. I just killed a PZII recon tank. I'll see how it holds up against MKIV's. Churchills are pretty tough. So far its shrugged off all the AT rounds from 50mms, but one bounced off its hide and landed near some infantry and exploded killing one-that pissed me off. I figured it would be fairly safe against the 75mm from a MKIV, but not the higher velocity 75mm of a Panther, but it sounds like it stands a chance against the Panthers cannon. So far I'm enjoying playing the CW and yes they are starting to grow on me. I hear some of the Italy battles with them "are meant to be experienced" not won or enjoyed. I may have to see for myself soon. So when is the North Africa/Crete/Malta/Greece module coming out?

There has been a slight technical difficulty. The same websites that host Obamacare will be distributing MG. As a result it make take a while for the issues to get sorted out and while you were quoted a pre order price of $35, $100 will be billed to your credit card. Ok on a more serious note, I'd rather they release it when ready and not early with bugs.

I've pretty much stuck to playing Americans and Germans. I've recently started 2 h2h games where I'm playing the CW side-Polish and British. Not very fimilar with either and not sure what to think. Some radom thoughts. Snipers teams seem good if you get them. The 51mm mortars don't appear to have much ammo to shoot off. Can't say much yet abt the firepower of the squads vs. Germans/Americans. Bren carriers appear to be like M3's-taxis that become coffins if they encounter any sort of fire. Churchills seem well protected, but ponderous...I haven't used them extensively, but I get impression they can mow through bocage fairly easily. Haven't used Firefly yet, but imagine the Germans will focus on them first. Any other observations from those more experienced would be appreciated.

I'm waiting for the day when infantry can use the little phone thingy that was mounted in the rear of the tank that allowed them to communicate with the tank crew.

I tried to run Medieval Total War 2 on a HP laptop that had a dedicated AMD graphics chip with 1 Gig of video memory. It was a dual core AMD. The results was disappointing. Never tried Combat Mission 2 though. I already installed it on my desktop so i didn't want to crate any licensing issues. The Intel HD integrated chip is pretty weak. Some of the newer integrated processors with graphics capabilities may be better, but with PC/laptop sales down there are going to be deals to be had. I gave away my laptop and will look at getting a quad core with dedicated 2 gig graphics card soon. I'm sure around Christmas time or shortly there after you'll be able to get something decent pretty cheap. You could probably get a lightweight laptop that functions like a tablet. Something to think about.

My instinct tells me Combat Mission is a game you seek out, not the other way around. I know plenty of avid console gamers who love to shoot it up and play military themed games, but would balk at something this complex. They could tell you all sorts of stats and facts on guns, but ask them to go out and fire a real one and you get varying responses and even the ones who do 50%+ will not take the time and effort learn how to do it right-but you can be sure they take plenty of "selfies" with them holding a real gun and send it off to all their electronic friends to show how bad ass and cool they are... I really shouldn't generalize too much though. There are some younger players who enjoy Combat Mission, just like I know some old fogies who have been in tech for decades and can run circles around anyone when it comes to electronic gadgets. You have to be careful when designing something with the goal of appealing to new players as you can alienate your base. Just look at how CA and SEGA are getting skewered regarding Total War Rome 2. Its not just the half baked product that has angered people, but the fact many feel they dumbed it down to appeal to new players has many up in arms. I'm currently reading "An Army At Dawn" -in real book format, not electronic...it took the Americans quite some time and a lot of blood to learn the bloody business of war. Combat Mission is the same way.

I'd prefer it remain left out .... for the most part. Perhaps in training missions it could be useful to learn, but in actual games especially h2h I would find it too gamey.

You can have the occasional David vs. Goliath moments from time to time. I'm in a h2h game and in desperation I sent a M8 Greyhound with it 37mm pea shooter in a head on shootout with a Sturmschutz armed with a long 75mm. The first shots bounced harmlessly off the front hide, but one penetrated the top armor. No idea what it did to the tank or crew, but the Sturm then fired its 75mm and missed. A couple turn later fired more shots at it hoping to disable it, hit the wheels and more bouncers off the hide, but for some rwason it tried to retreat and exposed its side. One 37mm pea penetrated and and thethe crew bailed.

With the new urban rules taking place it going to be a good idea to split up your squads if you plan on placing AT teams using AT weapons with backblasts in buildings. A whole squad in a building could suffer from an AT weapon firing from the confines of the building. I would guess that if the AT weapon was fired on a different floor other units on different floors would not suffer.

Speaking of Panthers, I saw the early variants could not rotate the turret if it was moving up a slope.

California is not a "shall issue" state. CCW's are handled on a county by county basis. I reside in a county where unless you are politically connected they will not issue a CCW. Many of our anti-gun politicians have been issued CCW's. I also believe Bloomberg who throws around his money to the anti-gun crusade has also been issued a CCW. Perhaps someone from the area can verify that.

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to carry and being the law abiding citizen I follow the laws-even if I don't like or agree with them. Of course many of anti-gun politicians in my state have been granted CCW's. Some are actually in districts where local LE never issue CCW's, but without question have issued CCW's to politicians who pass anti-gun laws every chance they get, lecture their subjects on the evil of guns and heaven forbid will never allow ordinary citizens to obtain a CCW. Sounds like many European nations back in the day when only royalty were allowed to carry swords or possess firearms.

I beg to differ. For one thing banning hi-cap mags will not stop anyone who really wants one from getting one. If someone is hell bent on killing they will simply buy lots of 10 or 5 round mags. Then what do we ban those? The shooter in Washington used a 870 shotgun which is tube fed. Do we ban or limit those to 2 rounds? Where does it stop? Feinstein said we're not going to take away your guns. What she didn't mention was she represents a state that already has some of the most restrictive gun laws on the books and the liberals have enacted even more restrictions. Steinberg the California said after Newtown-we have the power we better use it while we can and enact more gun laws. There is even talk that California has to enact more gun laws so "we can take back the most restrictive gun state from New York" who recently passed more gun regulations. Believe me if your home got invaded by 4-5 thugs you'd want a high cap mag.

I understand where you're coming from. I know many who simply can't understand my passion for guns. I have friends who are horrified by guns and want all guns banned. All I can say is this: http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2010/04/15/coexist-in-firearm-manufacturer-logos/

I'm quite confident that if you look at the breakdown of gun violence most is concentrated in specific urban areas. The vast majority is committed by 2 ethnic groups and black males are far more likely to be shot by another black male. These urban areas have very tight gun control and are very hostile to all gun owners-law abiding or not. I know. Me and fellow gun owners were constantly targeted by the local government in the form of laws, restrictions and general disdain. Gun store were constantly harassed and out out of business by the local governments. The big problem with the anti gun folks is they lie not only to the general public, but also to themselves. After Newtown, Obama, the media and politicians touted the 90% of Americans favored more gun laws statistic. The problem was that poll was taken right after Newtown and sampled only 1500 people in one of the most liberal and anti-gun regions in the Northeast. Had that poll been a much larger sample that covered all of America you would have seen a much different picture, because the South. Southwest, Midwest and Mountain States have a very strong gun tradition and a strong sense of independence. Even in "liberal states" like California there is a HUGE contrast between the urban areas and rural areas. Obama the media and anti gun folks believed their own lies that "90% of Americans wanted more gun control based on a seriously flawed poll and got pole-axed when they tried to pass more gun regulations and ran into a hornets nest of opposition. Politicians from Obama's own party who represented the rural states said straight up "they don't want a bunch of liberals in Washington dictating how they should live". In Colorado during and after the recalls the message to the anti gun folks was it didn't have to be this way had you listened to us and not Washington. The implications of all this is huge. The next off year elections is heavily focused in rural pro gun areas and in-spite of the liberal medias contention that guns won't be an issue, you can bet dollars to doughnuts it will. The balance of power in Washington hangs in the balance and Obama who is already having problems could face even more if the off year elections go against him and his party. After the AWB in the 90's the media pundits said it wouldn't matter. Well it did because for the first time in decades the conservatives took power and the gun issue was big. Many believed Gore lost in 2000 because he was anti-gun and couldn't even carry his home state which is located in the pro gun South. I'm pretty apolitical and independent, but I'm very fired up and will vote for any pro gun candidate regardless of party. I want to send a message to Washington. I want the next President, Congress and Senate to pass a nationwide shall issue bill that is valid and reciprocal across all 50 states.

It may be hard for many overseas to understand the depth of feeling and emotions around this subject in the states. Many Sheriffs and Law enforcement personnel have openly stated they have no intentions of enforcing new gun laws. Privately many are not going to enforce or comply. The urban LE probably will, but outside the liberal urban areas things are openly hostile. From what I understand when the government in Australia demanded citizens turn in their weapons the people complied. If that were demanded in America I have little doubt that would spark a civil war. Many states and rural areas would openly defy Washington and I would not be 100% certain the military and LE would be 100% behind any radical attempt to enforce. Many military and LE personnel come from areas where the gun culture is firmly entrenched and many are sympathetic to the gun culture. Already the talk of more gun control saw millions of new people flock to the NRA and other gun groups. The gun stores saw guns flying off the shelves and there is still a shortage of ammunition as people are buying and hoarding ammo. Even today you will see places like Walmart out of ammo. I've stood in line for 3 hours with plenty of company on numerous occasions waiting for the truck to be unloaded so I could buy as much ammo as they would let me. There is little question many homes have become mini ammo dumps as people are stockpiling ammo. I know people who are not real gun enthusiasts buy AR-15's, Glocks and other guns like they were going out of style. Today there was an article that gun stores near where the shooting this week took place are seeing a big uptick in sales. There is a lot of truth to the statement that Obama and the liberals are the best gun salemen in the world. Every time they open their mouths guns and ammo sales spike. 2 representatives in Colorado who voted for new gun restrictions were just recalled and tossed out of office. Many democratic (Same party as Obama) reps openly opposed Obama and the anti gun folks as they come from areas where they know the voters will revolt if they even hint at going along with Obama. Those who have I would wager will be voted out next election cycle.

Think of this the same way you would in a bar at 2:00am with soccer fans from 2 opposing teams that hate one another who had too much to drink.

I agree this is one of those very controversial subjects that generates plenty of fireworks, but its been fairly mild. I was surprised myself when I clicked on it the first time and saw it. I said to myself woah!!!! I have friends from Canada who are just mortified when they see my mini arsenal. My sister hates guns and gave me a lecture when I sent my niece and nephew back home as converts. Never say never about someone changing their stripes. I know a good looking female who hated guns, but when she was stalked she changed quickly and wanted to borrow one of mine for protection and piece of mind. I still believe that when the Hayward fault slips and the big one hits the liberal bay area many will change their views if things get out of hand.