Recon

[Stamos22]

Hello battlefront community,

 

i bought normandy a long time ago but was unable to really get into it because of a bad concussion.  After I recovered life got in the way but now I finally have time to play games again and can look at a screen without barfing (hurray)

 

anyways, I picked up Black Sea since I wouldn't mind a modern setting so now I have both normandy and Black Sea.  I have two questions:

1. What is the best way to go about recon? Right now I am using scout teams with a tiny fire arc so they don't shoot.  This has had some success but I feel like most of the time I manage to spot something they spot me right back.  Anything I can do to improve my odds?

 

2. This is probably more subjective but which game should I focus on? I can bounce back between each of course, but would like to start by sinking my teeth into one.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Thanks!

[Buzz]

Hello battlefront community,

 

i bought normandy a long time ago but was unable to really get into it because of a bad concussion.  After I recovered life got in the way but now I finally have time to play games again and can look at a screen without barfing (hurray)

 

anyways, I picked up Black Sea since I wouldn't mind a modern setting so now I have both normandy and Black Sea.  I have two questions:

1. What is the best way to go about recon? Right now I am using scout teams with a tiny fire arc so they don't shoot.  This has had some success but I feel like most of the time I manage to spot something they spot me right back.  Anything I can do to improve my odds?

 

2. This is probably more subjective but which game should I focus on? I can bounce back between each of course, but would like to start by sinking my teeth into one.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Thanks!

Welcome    Quick reply 2

CMBN is easier in my opinion to start with. Less immediate in terms of KIA when one makes not the best move. Tons of material in WWII.

CMBS is more challenging because everything happens much faster. Once you are spotted you better have an instant plan that is executed well.

Both are fun so play both but realize the pace in New Modern is faster.... and have Fun Stamos22,

Buzz

[grunt_GI]

I agree with Buzz 100%...start off with CMBN..I usually use a sort of bounding overwatch with scout teams...but I would practice that in CMBN as it's a little slower and there are a lot of fantastic tutorals....the spotting ability in CMBS is insane...especially with UAVs and the lethality and speed can be overwhelming for a new player...or an old player.

Both are equally fun...but CMBN is definitely better for a beginner in my opinion.

Enjoy...

[z1812]

I would agree with the others that CMBN is much more forgiving than CMBS.

In terms of recon you are doing the right thing by giving a small target arc to your scouts.

You still need to move them through cover as best as possible.

When they are close to where you think the enemy is, slow move them for a short distance to sneak them into position.

At that point you may have to wait a few turns before you start getting contacts.

[slysniper]

Now it really all depends on why are you using scouts.

For me, my in game scouts are to be out in front of my main forces to locate and expose the enemy before my main forces run into any ambushes.

So they are exposable, I don't care if they get spotted or killed, they have served their purpose. And once I destroy the enemy they exposed. Another set is sent or they continue on if they managed to stay alive.

So I don't waste time with trying to keep them hidden, that is not their task. I move them and get them to locations I need eyes on as quickly as I can to benefit me. I also make sure there is a covering force ready to pounce on anything they manage to expose.

 

Now with how others are talking, yes I also use scouts as eyes and ears for spotting the enemy and knowing what they are up to, this is on defense generally and my men are hidden in the enemy lines.

For this a few suggestions. Keep your teams as small as possible, 2 men at the most.

If possible remain hidden as long as possible in good concealment terrain.

The less movement you can do the better.

When moving, try to use paths that avoid all likely areas that you expect that the enemy could see you.

If you must get eyes on a location., then crawl in by using slow movement.

And since all this is in the enemy area, small arcs always unless you just have to kill a juicy target.

For these missions, Snipers are you best scouts, plus if you get lucky , they are good at getting a high level target.

[grunt_GI]

Well, slysniper has a point.  Better to lose some scouts than a whole platoon.  

Also very good point that snipers are also excellent for scouting and spotting. 

Sometimes in CMBS I will combine scouts and forward observers..that way if you spot something you can bring down some arty on it. 

[slysniper]

Its one of them areas in that you need to ask yourself what is the mission of the scout.

I just gave two basic examples. but there is actually other ways to use them also.

like a delaying force when on defense. Spot the enemy, give them a short bust of fire and high tale it back to new cover, repeat if possible. Nothing better than slowing down the enemy, watch hem waste  ammo on a vacant location and get intel what is coming your way. What more do you want. the trick with this move is having a unseen exit route and sometimes having to move out of your location slowly to not give away that fact you have run off.

 

[DougPhresh]

Does anyone have advice on how to use scout formations?

The Ukraine Brigade Recce Company has BRDMs, BTRs and BRMs. Supporting a Battalion probe for example, are they supposed to each be conducting their own missions?

I've been using the BRMs to back up the dismounted scouts from the BTRs, and keeping the BRDMs on rear/flank security. What is the best use of this formation?

[Vanir Ausf B]

Dedicated recce formations often suffer a fish out of water problem in Combat Mission because what we call recon in the game is really movement to contact. The type of proper reconnaissance these units are intended for would in reality be done before the game started and is therefore outside the CM scope, although there are possible exceptions such as a meeting engagement on a very large map where the forces start widely separated from each other. In a typical CM game where the opposing forces are expected to make contact within the first few minutes they are typically pressed into service as the tip of the spear but in reality they would usually have been re-tasked with something more appropriate to their role as they are meant to observer and report and not fight unless they have to. In Black Sea recon units generally have more advance optics and sensors than other unit types which can be a major benefit in some situations, although the inability for vehicles with mast mounted sensors to go turret down limits them.

[DougPhresh]

So position them in front, on the main axis of my advance and use the hunt command?

In the radar thread I learned that BRMs should hang back and use their optics and radar, so it would just be BTRs and BRDMs?

I only just got the hang of scouts in Red Thunder, but the leap from T-70s and tank-riding scouts to 70 years later was pretty significant. It's also a lot harder to survive the first second of contact with ATGMs than with Paks.

[womble]

Hunt is a really bad idea most of the time for recon vehicles. Just because they have better sensors doesn't mean they won't get spotted by whatever caused them to halt before the next time you can give them orders. And if they get spotted, they are dead. The way you use the "specialised recon assets" will vary tremendously depending on (among other things) your needs, precisely what any individual asset can do, the terrain and your force appreciation of the opposition. Because, as VAB has said, the formation is (generally, in the offered CM environment) operating "outside its designed parameters", it's very difficult to produce a generic SOP that can be broadly used to employ the formation as a coherent entity.

Which is not to say that scenarios cannot be built in the current engine to provide a "happy hunting ground" for recon assets, just to say that they're less common than the situation where the recon formation's job has already been done. And I think it's probably true to say that you'd be pressed to find a QB setup where recon formations would be best employed doing what they're designed for.

[c3k]

CMBN before CMBS.

Scouts: give them TIME at waypoints to watch. That means using the PAUSE command. (I like WeGo: it allows me to rewind and learn what has happened. Save early and save often.   )

 

If you have guys with binoculars, they will spot better than those without. More eyes improve your spotting chances. (The spotting cycle is variable. I'd give a scout team at least 30 seconds at a given location to even have a hope of spotting enemy units. If you really want to overwatch a zone, you need to set up some optics (binos, scoped weapons), and give them about 15 minutes...)

 

Ken