How to play Combat Mission?

[Imperial Sardaukar]

I have both CMBN and CMBS, but I've never played the games past one or two missions after the tutorial. This is mainly because I don't feel like I know what I'm doing. Sure, I know what the various move types are and how they are different from each other, but things like LOS, artillery support, and scouting are lost on me. LOS is very awkward... an area may look like a good vantage point, but I can' really be sure until I drop down to ground level and have a look for myself. Artillery support.... light/medium/heavy, I don't appreciate the difference, I don't appreciate the inaccuracy, I don't appreciate the effect of arty... that is, until my men are the ones cowering in fear from it. Scouting... how do I spot somebody before he spots me? How come while advancing slowly forward, I get shot at and my guys don't even know where it's coming from? I can replay the action and find out where the general direction is, but I can't see who is shooting.

For some reason, I'd like to revisit the series again, but I don't know where to start. Firstly, do I want Normandy or do I want the modern toys? I feel like I have better understanding of the guns and tanks of WWII simply because of all the movies and games about that time and I feel like the modern theatre just makes things more complicated with drones and F-16/Apache support and whatnot. However, I do like playing with modern vehicles and tanks...

Which brings me to my second point... as much as I have fun with moving soldiers about, I'd really like to have more armored assets to play with. I've only really played with the tank that was in the tutorial mission (farmhouse), and that's it. I'd like to have a feel of what it's like to play with things like the StuG or the Panzer IV or the Sherman. Not straight up tank-vs-tank though; I'd like to play a believeable scenario with proper ground troop support.

Any thoughts, help, suggestions, and advice appreciated!

Thanks!

[gnarly]

 LOS is very awkward... an area may look like a good vantage point, but I can' really be sure until I drop down to ground level and have a look for myself.

 That's one part of LOS evaluation. But more importantly, for the unit:

1/. Add a move path to the intended location

2/. Select the 'node' at this new move location (so that the entire line leading up to that new white node/point is highlighted/thicker)

3/. Press the T button (for targeting) and use it to evaluate LOS from that potential new move location.

4/. If it is not what you desire/thought/require, drag the selected move node/point to another nearby location, and repeat the process with the targeting line (point 3).

 

This is the primary  way of evaluating LOS, but should be used in conjunction with (and supported by) "drop down to ground level and have a look for myself."

Scouting

1/. use the LOS evaluations above

2/. Use your dedicated scout infantry teams in advance of everyone else, including armour. Or if you don't have them, Split a squad into a Scout section, and send these two blokes up ahead to a location where at a minimum, have concealment AND LOS where you wish. Whatever you use, make sure they have binocs. Snipers are also really good for this.

Don't get greedy and attempt to get one scout team with LOS over everything; it makes it easier for multiple enemy units to discover them. Instead, use multiple scouts in different locations with more limited vantage points to build up a picture together

3/. On the move node point for a scout's overwatch location, ensure they have a Covered Arc (yellow) of say only 50m (danger close threats). This way they will only shoot threats danger close, and NOT reveal themselves to distant targets by plinking away at them, earning a well deserved HE round or two in return. They are there to observe and report, NOT engage...

4/. If their cover is marginal, consider putting them on Hide at the overwatch location; I am no expert on this; there are some threads discussing a units ability to 'see' when in Hide versus non-Hide; I am sure someone else will correct me here if necessary. A cautious approach to a overwatch with dodgy concealment might be to intially put them on hide for a turn or two, see what they spot, then, if spotting ppr, unhide them. DON"T forget their covered arc!

5/. Crawling/Slow Once you have identified the concealed overwatch location with required LOS, ensure the last move segment into that location is Slow (crawl). (to help with this, when evaluating LOS, I always put one move path short of the probable overwatch location on say Quick, then a very short last one on Slow). This last one is the one I move around evaluating LOS (as per 1 above).

A scout team using Quick all the way up their overwatch at the edge of a treeline will likely get spotted quick (even if hidden) and eliminated just as quickly. Using the above approach, they will jog into the treeline, then stop say 15m short of the edge of the trreeline, and crawl those last 15m or so to their overwatch, remaining undetected (hopefully). As per point 6, this requires patienc. But don't make their crawl/slow move too long, otherwise you will exhaust your pixeltruppen....

 

6/. PATIENCE!!! Scouts will take some time to build a picture up. Don't be afraid to get your scouts out in front hunkered down in overwatch for a few turns to gradually build up a picture of the enemy, before significant mobilization of your main forces. Generally there is no rush.

Complexity; there are many missions out there that are Company level max on smaller maps. Seek them out and give them a try. In BS PBEM's I have thus far only had one armour battle (which was a dismal failure), and zero air assets, so I can work my way up through the various variables without causing extra stress. Mech Infantry battles are still where I am most comfortable versus humans for this reason.

 

Edited January 8, 2016 by gnarly

[gnarly]

I should also reiterate that the BS combat environment is very lethal; if you can be seen, you are very likely to be dead in a very short time frame. So using your scouts to see (without being seen) and therefore aligning your main assets accordingly is critical.

I include even Fire Support and JTAC (or whatever they are called for air assets control) as your main assets; don't use these to spot (if you get their positions wrong, you'll lose them quickly...). Let your disposable scouts identify the enemy locations and makeup, then position these important assets as necessary (which may mean moving them close to a scout team's location, whose position has been proven to be viable).

 

[gnarly]

I should also preface all the above; I am a relative noob to this series! 

[Bud Backer]

I should also preface all the above; I am a relative noob to this series! 

But a noob that has given this a lot of thought and learned a great deal. I'd not want to underestimate you if I was fighting you.

 

[grunt_GI]

There are some excellent tutorial sites out there...

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/combat-mission-battle-for-normandy-tactics-a-video-series

Like the name says, it's a collection of YouTube videos that goes over aspects of the game in detail

http://battledrill.blogspot.com/

Is a really outstanding site that covers a multitude of topics.

I definitely recommend the CMBN Task Force Raff campaign OR Devils Descent..they are both fun and challenging campaigns that are not TOO hard and a very good way of getting your feet wet with a variety of missions and toys to play with.

As far as CMBN vs CMBS, yes gnarly is totally correct, CMBS is so much more lethal and fast.  I think you have the right idea...learn the basics of fire & maneuver, combined arms, scouting, etc with CMBN..and then take a stab at CMBS...OR if you want to dive into CMBS, maybe start with infantry or mech infantry battles to get the hang of the modern battlefield before you throw in armor, drones, artillery etc.

FWIW, that's why I REALLY like the QBs..I can control the forces both sides get so I can try out things like infantry only battles...or throw in a few tanks...you get the picture.

And, most of all, there is always trial by fire...I have a lot of that.

Edited January 8, 2016 by grunt_GI

[Blazing 88's]

...LOS is very awkward... an area may look like a good vantage point, but I can' really be sure until I drop down to ground level and have a look for myself....

Well you have obviously never played a miniature table top war game using a homemade reverse periscope for a LOS tool...

Edited January 8, 2016 by Blazing 88's

[Blazing 88's]

 

And, most of all, there is always trial by fire...I have a lot of that.

This ^^^ and of course the already mentioned links above.  Good hunting.

[michael Dwyer]

Well you have obviously never played a miniature table top war game using a homemade reverse periscope for a LOS tool...

lol, a friend of mine had a1950's tank periscope.  We used it for LOS.

[Blazing 88's]

lol, a friend of mine had a1950's tank periscope.  We used it for LOS.

Nice...

[Melchior]

Took me years to figure out CM. A lot clicks the day you realize you just need to stop overthinking everything. Avoid fixation on what individual teams and Pvts are up to and think way more generally. There are no rules. Do what it takes to win. 

Edited January 9, 2016 by CaptHawkeye

[kraze]

First thing to prepare yourself for is Combat Mission being a constant learning experience. I've spent more than ~130 hours in Black Sea and still make mistakes/run into trouble.

But here are some things I've learned the hard way that may help you start with less frustration:

Modern setting of Black Sea is far less forgiving than WW2 - weapons are more precise with modern optics, vehicles (and in case of US - soldiers too) utilize some kind of thermal vision, the rate of fire available to modern troops will pin down and wipe out their opposition a lot faster and at greater distances than slow-firing WW2's carbines. UAVs and modern air assets mean that troops that you keep behind are potentially no safer than their advancing comrades. So Black Sea will play differently in many ways to BfN.

Spotting takes time. Being patient in this game is very important (even in the face of the time limit). Your guys may need more than a minute to spot a static enemy, so let them before advancing into an unsafe area. Running into an ambush is deadly.

If your guys spotted someone, but don't have a positive ID (you get a slightly transparent ? icon and no visual of the enemy) - put some fire there regardless. Best use large caliber vehicles like Bradleys and BMPs for that. Especially if your troops spotted someone in a building, that is not essential to your mission tasks - blast it with tanks and APCs, ideally until you damage its walls that provide cover for enemies - or even level it. Better safe than sorry.

Which brings us to the next one. Make sure that your units and their path are covered by other squads, or better yet - vehicles. When things inevitably go wrong you'll want all that firepower to suppress or destroy the enemy and get your guys out of trouble. And even if your troops do not spot anyone and advance safely - still suppress whatever looks suspicious. In this game there is an order to fire on the enemy when it gets within X meters ('target arc' while holding shift btw), so no contact doesn't mean you are safe.

In case of infantry avoid advancing through open ground, unless you have no other choice. If you see a concealed path to the same location, but it will mean spending 10 minutes more to get there - use it. Infantry ambushed in the open ground is as good as dead. In case of vehicles it depends on the situation, so it's up to your judgement.

When in an unsecured area and unloading troops from APCs - use smoke. Use smoke when crossing some lengthy street. Even if you think you are safe.

Learn to split squads. For example putting a whole squad on the same floor of the building means only a few men will be able to fire, since they can only use windows for that and having a tank getting a lucky shot at them means that nearly a whole squad can be wiped out. Split your squad across floors or even neighboring buildings. Not only that will let all your troops fire, but provide a wider LOS.

Plus - the less men advance at the same time - the lesser chance they will get spotted. Which means when advancing as infantry - split them into a recon team. 2 men slowly advancing using a MOVE or more fatiguing but safer HUNT are very hard to spot. And even if they will get spotted - losing 2 men vs. losing a squad is a better deal. Same goes for AT teams. If you want to take out that tank with an infantry - doing it with less men is safer.

When getting ready to assault some area - use artillery on it. Arty may not kill much, but it will force enemies to keep their heads down or even run away in panic and into your crosshairs - letting you approach their positions or even occupy a building or two right under their nose.

There's a lot more to learn in this game but again - SUPPRESS. SUPPRESS everything you find suspicious. Always SUPPRESS - with whatever you can - guns, cannons, arty.

Edited January 12, 2016 by kraze

[MikeyD]

Commercial game players seem to find their frustration level rising in CM because CM isn't a puzzle game. There's no figuring out 'what you're supposed to do' to make it through to the next level. The game isn't designed like that. I recall an old CM player joke about looking for the fabled power-up crystal hidden under the waterfall - there is no power-up crystal in CM. Its a serious tactical combat sim. You've got your forces, the objective, and the opponent. What you do with it is completely open. More than once I've read players quoting Ripley from the movie Aliens "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." sometime in CM that is the only way to be sure. 

[gnarly]

 More than once I've read players quoting Ripley from the movie Aliens "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." sometime in CM that is the only way to be sure. 

Truly is the only way to be sure; it's the SturmTiger equivalent in BS...

 

[db_zero]

Some other things to keep in mind is who are you planning on playing against? Th AI or a human player?

Another big item to keep in mind is what side? American or Ukrainian/Russian? Especially against another human it makes a world of difference. I like the Russians but many say the American side is more forgiving. I've found so far that in a stand up fight all things being equal American infantry squads can usually top the Russian squads. That doesn't mean you can be rambo or careless with the Americans either.

At least in h2h games you can buy more stuff with the Russians, but choose carefully and you can't be careless even if you have more of everything. Expect to lose quite a bit of men and equipment regardless, but try to extract as much blood and wear down the American imperialists

In any event once one side gains the upper hand in h2h games, things can get ugly fast. Modern weapons are very efficient at killing and destroying things.

[lordhedgwich]

Watch the armchair general videos on youtube over and over until you win =D