Artillery spotter quick question?

[AstroCat]

Just wanted to clear something up if I can.

Does your spotter need to have LOS to the target after the barrage starts coming in to maintain accuracy? Or, is LOS just needed for the spotting phase leading up to the barrage?

Also if the spotter is using the Hide command does that effect the accuracy?

Thanks!

[akd]

Just wanted to clear something up if I can.

Does your spotter need to have LOS to the target after the barrage starts coming in to maintain accuracy?

No.

Also if the spotter is using the Hide command does that effect the accuracy?

Thanks!

Depending on position, HIDE could make the spotter lose LOS to the target area and prevent them from observing spotting rounds.

[Michael Emrys]

Depending on position, HIDE could make the spotter lose LOS to the target area and prevent them from observing spotting rounds.

Note that the spotter needs to have LOS until Fire For Effect begins. Many things could cause him to lose LOS, smoke, dust, being shot at forcing him to get below some obstruction, etc. But once FFF begins, he might as well wonder off for a cup of coffee.

Michael

[Vanir Ausf B]

He needs LOS when calling in the strike and when spotting rounds are falling. In between those two events LOS is not required

[AstroCat]

Great info... so I understand, once the rounds start falling after FFF is annouced the spotter can bail unless he needs to stick around for other reasons. Although Vanir Ausf B seems to imply he needs to stick around... hmmm.

[womble]

Great info... so I understand, once the rounds start falling after FFF is annouced the spotter can bail unless he needs to stick around for other reasons. Although Vanir Ausf B seems to imply he needs to stick around... hmmm.

Nope, VAB is saying your spotter needs LOS while spotting rounds are falling, before FFE has been called. His point was that while the battery is "Receiving" or "Preparing", the spotter does not need to have LOS (and so can crawl to better cover and Hide, until the battery switches to "Spotting").

Once FFE is called, the spotter's job is done for that mission and yes, they can do one.

[AstroCat]

Got it, totally makes sense. Thanks.

[Lt Belenko]

Note that the spotter needs to have LOS until Fire For Effect begins. Many things could cause him to lose LOS, smoke, dust, being shot at forcing him to get below some obstruction, etc. But once FFF begins, he might as well wonder off for a cup of coffee.

Michael

or cup of tea if British.

Another few more spotter question

Can a spotter target for 2 guns at once?

Can a FO call in airstrike and arty at same time?

[Erwin]

Yes and yes...

[womble]

Yeah. Any given spotter can call missions from any assets that are available and which he is eligible to access, all at the same time if you want. The asset you have selected in the support interface will have different coloured targeting lines.

[Erwin]

The only difference in the target line is that the selected one is a lighter color. I wish the system did have different colors for different arty as it would be easier/quicker to see which one is being currently viewed.

[Lt Belenko]

Yeah. Any given spotter can call missions from any assets that are available and which he is eligible to access, all at the same time if you want. The asset you have selected in the support interface will have different coloured targeting lines.

Is that in the manual?

[DavidFields]

Just as a convenience, this is nice for turn one artillery. Just pick any FO or HQ which has access to all the assets, and plot all the firing.

No delay (all turn 1, if desired)

Accurate (even if one puts the firing on delay).

I tend to use my highest level HQ, or an FO if I have it, for this. But that is just so I can quickly know where to review it later, if necessary.

[Michael Emrys]

or cup of tea if British.

Granted, they drank a lot of that. But they too drank coffee when they could get their hands on it.

Michael

[poesel]

You can also move a mortar team while they are 'receiving'. But they need to be deployed to accept the order in first place so that's not terribly useful. And they will cancel the order if they are not deployed when switching to 'preparing'.

[A Canadian Cat]

Also note that your FO does not need to stay still after calling and before the spotting rounds start arriving either. I often move the FO into position make the call and then move them to a totally safe location near by and move them back into their observation location when the spotting rounds start or just before.

This is only useful for arty with a long delay like some of the big caliber guns. If the mortar rounds are due in 3 or 4 minutes there is not much point.

[Erwin]

One great strategy (which seems almost gamey) is use the set-up turn to call down arty on places you suspect MAY have enemy troops, but to which your spotters have no LOS to, with a delay.

You advance your troops to those locations. If there are enemy troops, you have accurate arty already ordered. If the location has no enemy, you can cancel or adjust the arty to someplace that your spotter does have LOS to.

However, since the spotter can keep moving, you can adjust repeatedly until he has LOS to a location where you do want the arty to land.

I also think that using this method you still get the bonus for accurate arty as if it were the original set-up FFE.