I need some tactical advice.

[G B Scurlock]

Just started playing again with version 3.0 after over a year off. Can I please have some ideas about how to attack a dug in enemy. Obviously I would like to call in mortar fire but my HQ spotter has to expose himself in order to call in the fire. An assault would be suicide and I have no smoke. Also to provide covering fire for an assault i will need to expose the firing unit and they will be picked off one by one.

Thanks for any advice on how best to accomplish this in this game.

[Tempestzzzz]

from 0:38 to 1:27

Seriously.

[A Canadian Cat]

Sounds almost impossible.

Two general points that might help:

1) look for a place where you can gain local fire supremacy. Try to find one place where you can out gun the enemy. Then work your way along the defense unrolling it.

2) when you call indirect fire you do not need to sit exposed the whole time. If you can crawl to a place to get visibility plot the mission and then crawl away to safety and wait. Then once the spotting rounds arrive or just before crawl back to your vantage point.

Combine 1 & 2 and you can use the fire fight to cover the artillery call and make a bigger hole.

[Frankster65]

Boy that is a tough one GB Scurlock. It sounds from your description that those enemy troops are really in a prime defensive position. Have you taken at look at Bill Hardenberger's tactics site? This is probably your best bet.

Battle Drill Tactics

http://battledrill.blogspot.com/

[Erwin]

Bill's advice is very useful for newbies, but one usually finds situations that don't lend themselves to cookie-cutter solutions.

The relatively small maps of most CM2 scenarios is an issue as it's usually impossible to outflank your enemy and the vast majority (so far) end up being straight ahead assaults.

[womble]

The key to apparently impregnable positions that "you can't outflank" is to find the little interior flanks where you can. As Ian says. There is almost always some configuration of your firebase that can apply suppressive fire without being suppressed by the defenders. Sometimes you have to supply the blocking terrain to actually be able to close on the suppressed defenders by putting a smoke screen between their supporting positions and your attack. Sometimes, if you look carefully, you'll see that the position you're assaulting is the only one defending that route. Remember that you don't necessarily have to assault onto that position, boots-wise, just get enough rifles, SMGs and grenades close enough to permanently neutralise it.

Look for covered routes. Make sure you've read the scenario briefing, in case you don't actually have to assault the "impregnable" bit of the defense. Begin the engagement at ranges where your "exposed" troops probably won't die, but will hit the dirt, and escalate your commitment until the other side can't keep all your elements suppressed. At that point you'll start suppressing them, and the snowball starts to roll.

[Tempestzzzz]

Step back a bit

Your playing a game.

I downloaded one scenario-small map with a town. I had mortars but the designer of the scenario didn't really allow for the trajectory of the mortars. Damned if they could get a bead on anything. I don't even know why he put a mortar secrtion in the scenario lineup for the Allies. Poor play testing.

So I went in the map editor and gave me more ground (Of course also had to modify my set up zone different. Never looked where the axis setup was [i was playing Allied])

Don't be constrained doing this if it is a poorly designed map/scenario (i.e. giving yourself more ground.) FWIW

[womble]

I downloaded one scenario-small map with a town. I had mortars but the designer of the scenario didn't really allow for the trajectory of the mortars. Damned if they could get a bead on anything.

[boggle]

What was the scenario called? You describe a situation that I simply can't get my head around. The minimum ranges for mortars are in the 10s of metres; was it that small a map?

I don't even know why he put a mortar secrtion in the scenario lineup for the Allies. Poor play testing.

Or perhaps you're missing something about the employment of mortars. You do know they can fire indirect, even if they're on-map, yes?

[PeterH]

On top of that they can also act as a rifle section. If the scenario creator was trying to be realistic/historical with the troops present they don't (and shouldn't) always give you the perfect assets for the job. So what if you could have used more space and/or another infantry platoon over that mortar platoon? Get on with it! Its being creative in challenging circumstances which makes it fun for me.

[Hellas]

@Scurlock

Screenshot?