Charles Foulkes Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I'm trying to get my tanks in close, blow some smoke in the enemy's eyes, and boogie outta there, but as soon as they spot any other targets, they get distracted and shoot at them first. I can't give them a short cover arc, because that cancels the 'target smoke' command. One solution would be to issue the order from further away so they won't get distracted, but that isn't always an option. So how can I get my tanks to 'target smoke' before doing anything else? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I'm trying to get my tanks in close, blow some smoke in the enemy's eyes, and boogie outta there, but as soon as they spot any other targets, they get distracted and shoot at them first. I can't give them a short cover arc, because that cancels the 'target smoke' command. One solution would be to issue the order from further away so they won't get distracted, but that isn't always an option. So how can I get my tanks to 'target smoke' before doing anything else? If you're getting in close, would "Pop Smoke" be a preferable/practicable option? If the TacAI is engaging targets, then there's little you can do except pick higher motivation crews next time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Foulkes Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Thanks for the reply, womble! I am using 'pop smoke' when I can, but it's not really practicable in my current situation. I've moved a tank close to the enemy front lines, but I'm trying to blind their heavy weapons further back. I did not realize motivation played a role in how faithfully they execute orders - I will pay more attention to this in future. Now that I know the TacAI will override 'target smoke' commands, I'll be more careful in the future... I was playing a bit fast and loose with my Pz IVs at the end of a mission because I knew they wouldn't be sticking around for the rest of the campaign - I wouldn't have used this tactic otherwise. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltorrente Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 One thing I've learned with using smoke, is to not try to get too fancy and time things TOO closely. I like to shoot smoke 1 turn before I start moving, and even then - the smoke generally takes a bit longer to get nice and thick. I try to shoot the smoke as close to the enemy position as I can, while still being out of sight to the main force. Sometimes I can target it quite close, but usually I end up shooting it 30 yards or so out in front. One thing to consider also, is wind. Study the wind and you might find that you can shoot it off to the side and back a bit, and the wind will carry it directly into the badguy position. You might have to wait an extra minute or two to launch your attack, but you'll have longer to coordinate, plus the smoke lasts several minutes anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Foulkes Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Thanks eltorrente. Yea, I was trying to get a bit too fancy with the third mission in the Italian campaign... didn't work out too well in the end, so I'm gonna give this another go. Luckily I couldn't ask for better wind conditions - gentle and parallel to my axis of advance, perfect for screening my forces. This time I'm going to try and rely more on my off-map artillery for smoke missions and use the tanks mainly for supression. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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