AT Guns

[Bradley Dick]

I've noticed as well that on occasion you can dump a lot of HE on an AT gun without much effect. It's worth bearing in mind that in certain situations it is not necessary to KO the gun, just block it with smoke (or even the dust kicked up by the otherwise failed barrage will sometimes do) and rush past its kill zone. Since effective ATG use often means carefully selected LOF/keyhole positions, once you're past you should be ok. Obviously this is not always the case though.

That's a pretty solid bit of advice. Blocking the LOS for an ATG is just as good as knocking them out. They don't relocate quickly.

[sgtstinky]

I have no problem with AT guns being deadly, I believe that to be historically accurate. The problem I have is that they are so freaking hard to take out!

[sburke]

I have no problem with AT guns being deadly, I believe that to be historically accurate. The problem I have is that they are so freaking hard to take out!

LOL not according to the post 3 before yours. I love how varied the experience in this game between different players.

[JonS]

I've noticed as well that on occasion you can dump a lot of HE on an AT gun without much effect. It's worth bearing in mind that in certain situations it is not necessary to KO the gun, just block it with smoke (or even the dust kicked up by the otherwise failed barrage will sometimes do) and rush past its kill zone.

That's a pretty solid bit of advice. Blocking the LOS for an ATG is just as good as knocking them out. They don't relocate quickly.

I've successfully used smoke the other way too. In a recent game* I had a couple of 6-pr which I left limbered at-start specifically so I could relocate them where and when they were needed. After a while some Tigers came trudling onto the scene. I picked a likely spot and raced one of the Loyd carrier in to drop off the gun, but it was still going to take a while to set up and the Tiger coming close and soon would be Right There. So I had the ammo team grab the 2-in mortar from their carrier and throw out a quick smoke screen between the deploying gun and the approaching Tiger. When the smoke cleared ... *poof* no more Tiger.

That was a neat sequence of events. I enjoy coming up with a plan, putting it into effect, then seeing it through to a successful conclusion.

Later on that same gun continued to rack up the kills from the same location, gradually losing crew membersw, but it stayed in operation. Those guns deserved a strong cup of hot sweet tea after that effort.

Jon

* against the AI, it must be said. I'm not sure if a competent human opponent would have allowed that to happen. Maybe.

[Tigrii]

Nice. It's rare that a plan that involves limbering/unlimbering ATGs within a mile of the enemy actually works, in my experience. Sounds like you were playing a certain scenario from the Scottish Corridor, no?

[Medex]

I got an ATG on a map ( My Honour is Loyalty) that is being a real pain. The gun is quite away's away from my armour and its being stubborn and won't die. Not even sure its functional any more but there is some kind of crew still hanging around it. My tanks can see it but can't shoot at it. I have to use an arc or they will keep turning in its direction.

It will be satisfying when I finally put that thing out of its misery.

[slysniper]

I have a enemy AT gun that is placed right out in the middle of a open field that is approx. 1200 meters away that can see ALMOST EVERY WHERE that is causing me great pains. I have had a dozen tanks that have been in view of it. But I cannot get a line of sight to it. My arty observers cannot spot it, there is no local features that I can target. So here is a gun that for all intents and puposes has been firing at will and I cannot get anything to even area fire back at it because of the present spotting setup in the game.

As for using smoke, my tanks can only fire it out a few 100 meters away from their locations. it has been a real challenge to not let that gun just have a turkey shoot on my units. So it has been a great challenge and has totally stalled my attack. I have finially moved a spotter close enough that he has been able to set a arty strike on the area. So that should hopefully resolve the problem, likely he is close to running out of ammo since he has HAD FREE REIN ON FIRING AWAY.

The spotting program in the game can give weird results at times, that is for sure. For awhile, this gun would not show up, so it made great sence as to me getting nailed from a gun I could not spot. But then units did start spotting it, but have not been able to fire on it. Let's guess that is the tank commander can see it, but the gunner cannot plus cannot even area fire.

So in the present game, with how it works. depending on levels terrain and all the little factors present. A AT gun can be a shear nightmare or a easy target to waste. I like that to some extent. But the inconsistancy can be very frusatrating, since it seems to be much more luck than skill as to how well a unit functions as to where a player might select where to place it.

[Brindlewolf]

I have a enemy AT gun that is placed right out in the middle of a open field that is approx. 1200 meters away that can see ALMOST EVERY WHERE that is causing me great pains. I have had a dozen tanks that have been in view of it. But I cannot get a line of sight to it. My arty observers cannot spot it, there is no local features that I can target. So here is a gun that for all intents and puposes has been firing at will and I cannot get anything to even area fire back at it because of the present spotting setup in the game.

As for using smoke, my tanks can only fire it out a few 100 meters away from their locations. it has been a real challenge to not let that gun just have a turkey shoot on my units. So it has been a great challenge and has totally stalled my attack. I have finially moved a spotter close enough that he has been able to set a arty strike on the area. So that should hopefully resolve the problem, likely he is close to running out of ammo since he has HAD FREE REIN ON FIRING AWAY.

The spotting program in the game can give weird results at times, that is for sure. For awhile, this gun would not show up, so it made great sence as to me getting nailed from a gun I could not spot. But then units did start spotting it, but have not been able to fire on it. Let's guess that is the tank commander can see it, but the gunner cannot plus cannot even area fire.

So in the present game, with how it works. depending on levels terrain and all the little factors present. A AT gun can be a shear nightmare or a easy target to waste. I like that to some extent. But the inconsistancy can be very frusatrating, since it seems to be much more luck than skill as to how well a unit functions as to where a player might select where to place it.

Yeah spotting can be a mare at times.I've had a squad spot an AT gun across the map,brought my FO up to have a look and he can't see it even though hes standing exactly in the same place as the squad.

And while i'm on that subject.Same scenario same field.HQ unit can spot two enemy foxholes in the next field can even fire at the units in them as the other squads are.To hell with that lets drop some mortar fire on them.He can't-no LOF though he can plainly fire his rifle.He has access to mortars,is in C2 everything but cannot call in arty strikes.Very Fickle this LOS sometimes.

[slysniper]

Yeah spotting can be a mare at times.I've had a squad spot an AT gun across the map,brought my FO up to have a look and he can't see it even though hes standing exactly in the same place as the squad.

And while i'm on that subject.Same scenario same field.HQ unit can spot two enemy foxholes in the next field can even fire at the units in them as the other squads are.To hell with that lets drop some mortar fire on them.He can't-no LOF though he can plainly fire his rifle.He has access to mortars,is in C2 everything but cannot call in arty strikes.Very Fickle this LOS sometimes.

Well sometimes something like that is the mortars have to be in range. I have seen that,Where I have line of sight but cannot call arty, then it finially dawned on me I had to move the on map mortars closer to be in range. The game has details that can be a real chore to keep on top of.