CMBO Basic questions from a newbie

[ramarch1]

I downloaded the demo to try CMBO out. The first game left me with a lot of naive questions about the game, some of it stemming from my lack of knowledge of military structure and equipment, some of it having to do with nuances of the program. In modeling a “real” situation, all this stuff should be known by the player before the start of the game. I read a number of posts on tactics etc. My questions are more basic than that.

Would someone who knows the game well be kind enough to answer these questions for me? Sorry, its a long list.

General commands:

TARGET commands: do they continue after the turn, or do you have to re-input or do they stay active and you have to cancel them?

What’s with TARGET NEXT? Exactly what does it do, over what interval?

Same for infantry as for tanks? Mortars? 105s?

TARGET commands lines-of-fire appear to emanate only from the original standing point. If you are attacking, can you RUN, then TARGET in the same command sequence in one 60 second turn? Or must TARGET commands always come first?

Do the soldiers automatically return fire? I can see how that can work in defense, but what about attacking / rushing a position?

Does going to HIDE at the end of a turn slow down movement progress? Is it necessary to HIDE in woods? Scattered trees? Does it do any good in an open field? (My bet is “no”)

Squads:

Rifle versus Engineers – What is the qualitative value of each?

There are designations I-2, T-2, H, L, K, etc. Are these just unit designations to keep track of each, or do they indicate some other sort of quality?

Squads have baseball bat and backpack symbols next to the ammo number. The ammo numbers vary but 45 seems to be the largest. 45 what? Rounds per soldier? Clips? Does it matter? Baseball bats must be the rifle grenades. What is the effective range for it? Backpacks must be demolition charges. Um, what is the best use for them?

Do MMG / HMG squads set up independently from the platoons? Are they supposed to be positioned at strategic overlooks to provide cover? What does their ammo number represent? Belt / bursts? 60 second bursts?

Flamethrowers have an ammo level of 6. Six what? Six bursts of fire? After that, just drop and hide?

Lieutenants:

I-O (Intelligence Officer) , J-O (Junior), E-O (Executive) – How should each be deployed? With how many squads each?

Should the I-O be close to the captains, or do they also lead a platoon?

Should the J-Os be assigned to front line troops (seems more realistic)? Better if with veteran sergeants?

How close should they be to their squads?

Are all the Lieutenants in communication by radio?

If so, then to each other or just higher officers? To mortar spotters? Tanks? Squads? Who? Does this speed up anything?

Lieutenants have up to 4 symbols after their ammo – for command, morale , combat and stealth. I take it that you would figure out your objectives and send the right platoon to do the job based on the Lt’s credentials, with appropriate “manpower set” up allocated to that Lt?

Any value in putting veteran sergeants with decorated Lts, or is it best to mix it up – good vets with green-horn Lts? I guess that might answer itself.

Captains:

Where do they want to be? Remote with good overall view, like spotters? In a bunker / house?

Artillery:

What is the game's functional relationship between mortar crew and spotter? Both have targeting commands.

Must the mortar crew have a line-of-sight to the target, or if the spotter has it, does that perform the function?

Does the spotter have to be within shouting distance of the mortar crew?

There appears to be a time lag between spotting and delivery of arty. How long is it for each type?

Once arty is expended, what can you do with the spotter and crews? Do they have any value, other than as “decoys”?

[flamingknives]

I've been playing the game for three years or so, and I've still not mastered it.

Originally posted by ramarch1:

I downloaded the demo to try CMBO out. The first game left me with a lot of naive questions about the game, some of it stemming from my lack of knowledge of military structure and equipment, some of it having to do with nuances of the program. In modeling a “real” situation, all this stuff should be known by the player before the start of the game. I read a number of posts on tactics etc. My questions are more basic than that.

Would someone who knows the game well be kind enough to answer these questions for me? Sorry, its a long list.

General commands:

TARGET commands: do they continue after the turn, or do you have to re-input or do they stay active and you have to cancel them?

They stay active

What’s with TARGET NEXT? Exactly what does it do, over what interval?

Same for infantry as for tanks? Mortars? 105s?

Targets the next threatening/exposed target. Same for all on map units, but shouldn't be available for off-map spotters

TARGET commands lines-of-fire appear to emanate only from the original standing point. If you are attacking, can you RUN, then TARGET in the same command sequence in one 60 second turn? Or must TARGET commands always come first?

Do the soldiers automatically return fire? I can see how that can work in defense, but what about attacking / rushing a position?

Firing is largely controlled by the AI, which is independent of the player's control. Even if you set fire commands, then any on map assets may change during the turn. Off-map spotters are the exception to this.

Does going to HIDE at the end of a turn slow down movement progress? Is it necessary to HIDE in woods? Scattered trees? Does it do any good in an open field? (My bet is “no”)

Hide:

-stops the unit from shooting

-reduces it's spotting ability

-makes it harder to spot

It works in all situation, but in the middle of a field it's only effective at long range

Squads:

Rifle versus Engineers – What is the qualitative value of each?

Select unit, hit enter. This brings up a unit information screen wich will tell you all you need to know. Engineers can clear mines and tend to be equipped with satchel charges, but there are no other special abilities

There are designations I-2, T-2, H, L, K, etc. Are these just unit designations to keep track of each, or do they indicate some other sort of quality?

Just unit designations. can be used to keep units together

Squads have baseball bat and backpack symbols next to the ammo number. The ammo numbers vary but 45 seems to be the largest. 45 what? Rounds per soldier? Clips? Does it matter? Baseball bats must be the rifle grenades. What is the effective range for it? Backpacks must be demolition charges. Um, what is the best use for them?

45 'bursts' of fire per squad

~40m for the rifle grenades

Demo charges can clear mines, kill bunkers and vehicles and can be used in close quarters, but you can't control that.

Do MMG / HMG squads set up independently from the platoons? Are they supposed to be positioned at strategic overlooks to provide cover? What does their ammo number represent? Belt / bursts? 60 second bursts?

Flamethrowers have an ammo level of 6. Six what? Six bursts of fire? After that, just drop and hide?

In-game, abstracted bursts of fire. when it's gone, it's gone.

Use HMGs, MMGs as you see fit. A few goes, and you'll have the idea of how best they work.

Lieutenants:

I-O (Intelligence Officer) , J-O (Junior), E-O (Executive) – How should each be deployed? With how many squads each?

Wrong. I-O, J-O and E-O are the lieutenants of I, J and E platoons. A platoon is 3 squads.

How close should they be to their squads?

So the lines linking them are red.

Are all the Lieutenants in communication by radio?

If so, then to each other or just higher officers? To mortar spotters? Tanks? Squads? Who? Does this speed up anything?

probably, but it's not modelled so it doesn't matter

Lieutenants have up to 4 symbols after their ammo – for command, morale , combat and stealth. I take it that you would figure out your objectives and send the right platoon to do the job based on the Lt’s credentials, with appropriate “manpower set” up allocated to that Lt?

Yup

Any value in putting veteran sergeants with decorated Lts, or is it best to mix it up – good vets with green-horn Lts? I guess that might answer itself.

Try it and find out. However, Lts. can not command squads not in their platoon.

Try it and find out. Too many questions...

[Kellysheroes]

Gotta admire a noob so interested in the game that they ask so many really good questions.

I believe the manual details a lot about some of your question though.

But, of course the demo will not.

You can trust us though, The Combat Mission series is one of the easiest games to get into and can be one of the toughests to master as you progress from CMBO to CMBB to CMAK.

You'll want them all eventually, but, play them in order, you'll get more fun out of them that way and there's 100's of scenarios and operations do download to keep all the games going till well into your 60's. hehe

[eyepilot]

In CMBB if you have a spotter that would indicate offscreen arty. mortar crews spot for themselves.

I don't know if CMBO is the same but I should think so

[ramarch1]

Thanks, guys.

I just want to get to the point where I know the capabilities, so my mistakes aren't caused by a lack understanding of game rules. (i.e., I want to lose based on lousy tactics!) When that happens, I can see getting more involved. Thanks again.

[tar]

Wow, a few too many questions for me to deal with right now, but I'll chime in with a few comments:

1) Targetting. Normally it is best to just allow the computer to pick targets for your infantry units. Giving specific targets restricts (especially in CMBO) the ability of the unit to switch to a new threat that appears in the meantime. Sometimes you will want to be specific, but generally targetting is not something you want to do a lot of. One other side effect is that targetting will cause the units to shoot more frequently, running you out of ammo faster.

2) It is important to keep your troops in command. The command model is fairly simple: platoon HQs command the squads from that platoon only, along with any support units in range. Company and battalion HQ act like super platoon leaders and can command any unit in range. There is no real chain of command modeled, so one level of command is all you get. You want to keep the command links red in order to get the effect of commander bonuses and to reduce the time delay in implementing movement orders.

3) Spotters & mortars. The mortars are on-map artillery assets. They can fire at anything they see, or they can have HQ units spot for them. To use HQ spotting, you need to have the mortar unit in command and the HQ has to see. The resulting fire will be labeled "Area Fire". This helps keep the mortar units alive. The dedicated spotter units control mortars or other artillery that is located somewhere further back, off the map. They call it in with variable delay depending on the experience level, the nationality and the size of the artillery. Spotters can call fire in to places they can't see, but it takes longer and is much less accurate. Once ammo is expended, spotters are not useful and are best set to hide or move to a safe area. They are very valuable point-wise, so you don't want to get them killed.

4) You didn't directly ask, but smoke is very helpful...

[42317]

The engineers carry satchel charges... I only knew they're carrying something, and I wondered whether those were explosives.

Can the engineers blow up stuff? Like houses, bridges, etc.? That would make for a whole new range of interesting mission possibilities.

[stikkypixie]

Originally posted by 42317:

The engineers carry satchel charges... I only knew they're carrying something, and I wondered whether those were explosives.

Can the engineers blow up stuff? Like houses, bridges, etc.? That would make for a whole new range of interesting mission possibilities.

Yes they can.

[42317]

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Can the engineers blow up stuff? Like houses, bridges, etc.?

Yes they can. </font>

[42317]

Originally posted by 42317:

Do I just put the engineers next to the target structure and then some "destroy" command appears in the command box (whatever it's called)?

I wish to be not forgotten, please.

I tried to blow up a bridge, but it did not work. The engineers, standing next to it, shot the bridge with their rifles, but that was it. Same with buildings.

Is it possible you are confusing CMBO with the successing CM games?

[Wicky]

IIRC you need mines on a bridge for charges to be used and the resulting explosion will bring the whole lot tumbling down. (how quicly will depend on the bridge type)

As for houses - I can't remember when the area target command 'use explosives' came in...

Search the CMBO archives since 1999 for better info using keywords - "bridge destroy" etc.

i.e. this thread is in the 2000 archive

Originally posted by 42317:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 42317:

Do I just put the engineers next to the target structure and then some "destroy" command appears in the command box (whatever it's called)?

I wish to be not forgotten, please.

I tried to blow up a bridge, but it did not work. The engineers, standing next to it, shot the bridge with their rifles, but that was it. Same with buildings.

Is it possible you are confusing CMBO with the successing CM games? </font>

[flamingknives]

'Area target, use explosives' came in with CMBB. Engineers in CMBO decide when to use explosives off their own bat.

[Grond]

In my experience 6 shots for a flamethrower is on average 5 more than they get to use before they die.

[JasonC]

TARGET commands: do they continue after the turn

Yes. They continue until cancelled (select the unit and hit "x") or another target is selected or the target disappears from view or is eliminated. Another target selected usually means by you for infantry fire.

But with tanks, the tactical AI makes decisions about threatening enemies, and will switch targets readily e.g. when an enemy tanks comes into view. Actually all units can do this, it is just that the effect is much more noticable with tanks, because they find only a few things threatening.

"or do you have to re-input or do they stay active and you have to cancel them?"

You should cancel them to preserve ammo using x, when the purpose you intended is achieved. The unit will still fire at anything that looks like a good enough target. Understand, all units make firing decisions themselves, reasonably intelligently, without any input from you. But you can override it, when you see something more important or want to coordinate with some plan of yours, etc.

Also, some forms of firing will not occur without your direct order - fire missions by off-board artillery, area fire without a visible enemy, fire at a unit the shooter doesn't think it can hurt, etc. In addition, units tend to stop firing at cowering targets, but to be morbidly fascinated with anyone running around in the open, even if they are quite clearly running away. So sometimes you have to tell them to fire (he may be down but) and sometimes you will want to tell them to stop (save ammo, those guys are done).

What’s with TARGET NEXT?

It is simply an game playing aid to scan the map for units visible by that unit, that it might wish to fire on. If you select a unit and repeatedly hit target next with the firing lines displayed, you will see its targeting line dance through all the available targets it can see. This helps you select a target, chose who should handle each threat, etc. It replaces clicking on your unit then dragging the LOS tool around and seeing which lines of sight are clear, and the like.

The target for that unit is whatever you leave it as before you hit "go". Including none, if the last thing you did was hit "x". The next turn you can give another targeting order.

Same for infantry as for tanks? Mortars? 105s?

Yep, no difference.

TARGET commands lines-of-fire appear to emanate only from the original standing point. If you are attacking, can you RUN, then TARGET in the same command sequence in one 60 second turn? Or must TARGET commands always come first?

Your targeting order is a unit to unit pair, not location specific. The unit you gave the order to will try to shoot the unit you directed it against, as long as it can see that unit, has ammo, isn't panicking etc. (It may also give up if it sees no way of hurting the target e.g. rifle fire at a tank - or if a more threatening target appears - e.g. a tank ignoring a squad because an enemy tank just came in sight).

There is one slight exception to this, area target orders. If you give a firing order at an empty map location, you are telling the unit to spray that location, not to fire at a unit. This can help when the enemy has disappeared and left only a little flag, or when an enemy ducks behind a wall. It also applies to off board artillery and indirect mortar fire, which is always directed at a map location not a unit, and does not move and follow targets.

Do the soldiers automatically return fire? I can see how that can work in defense, but what about attacking / rushing a position?

Yes they fire. Attacking or defending, no difference. Units can shoot throughout their turn. Stationary units are more likely to shoot. In CMBO, units using "sneak" (for infantry) or "hunt" (for tanks) will pause to fire when they acquire a new target. Units using run or fast-move generally will not fire until they reach the end of their movement order. Use short fast movements (leaving time after the move is finished) or the deliberate "heads up" movement orders above, to fire on the move.

Does going to HIDE at the end of a turn slow down movement progress?

It does not take time in itself. You only get the benefit after hiding, which requires that you be stationary. You can move normally at the start of the next turn. Of course, standard command delays apply for any new movement command.

Is it necessary to HIDE in woods? Scattered trees? Does it do any good in an open field? (My bet is “no”)

It helps anywhere but in CMBO there is little point of trying it in the open. Any sort of cover combined with range will help it work. The typical result is the enemy gets a little flag where the unit went to ground but can't see it directly. However, if a unit has already been targeted, hiding is unlikely to work. The shooter will still fire and the hider will usually stop trying. A better procedure is to make some short movement that fully breaks the line of sight to the shooter - back inside a treeline, out the back of a house, down a small rise, etc. This is known as "skulking" and it is every infantryman's friend. Get used to it.

Hiding has a special effect for units immediately behind a wall. When heads down like that they are essentially invulnerable - at least to direct fire delivered across the wall. This is a great way to rally. Just watch out for arty, which reaches over walls - if the ground is open on the other side, the unit may panic and leave the cover of the wall when hit in the open anyway.

Squads:

Rifle versus Engineers – What is the qualitative value of each?

Engineers have all the abilities of rifle squads and some special additional ones. They carry demo charges, which can destroy tanks at close range (about 30 yards), bunkers too if they can get at the back door especially.

In later games you can order their use directly and thus used them against occupied houses etc, reliably. In CMBO, you have to let the squad decide whether to use it, and they tend to horde the things to little purpose. But they will use them on tanks. A DC is a very powerful weapon and will KO or at least immobilize even the thickest tank, if they are close enough to use it - and not pinned themselves.

Engineers can also clear located minefields, both AP and AT varieties, by throwing a DC into the field. The squad needs to be stationary and unpinned within about 25m of the mines for about a minute. Daisy chain AT mines are not buried, and engineers (only) can clear them without using a DC. Same procedure.

Engineer platoons, rather than squads, also typically come with flamethrower teams. Flame, DC, and mine clearing are all things you need to deal with fortified areas and bunkers. That is the engineer specialty. They are all also things you have to get up close and personal to do. So use your engineers for these sorts of tasks, and your rifle squads to help them get where they need to go, fight enemy infantry, etc.

"There are designations I-2, T-2, H, L, K, etc. Are these just unit designations"

Yes, they are unit names, in effect. The letter also tells you the parent formation, and the number tells you which unit within that formation it is - I-2 means "I platoon, 2nd squad". For infantry, the platoon HQ with the same letter is the commander for those squads.

Teams, rather than squads, can *be* commanded by any friendly HQ. This means machineguns, mortars, bazookas, towed guns, forward observors, etc. Company and battalion HQs are called "higher HQs" - higher than platoon - and can *command* any unit. Squad infantry requires either their designated "letter" platoon HQ, or a higher HQ, for command.

When I say "be commanded by", I mean, "have a red command line to". Units also have to be close to their HQ to be in command. The ranges allowed vary with the HQ's command rating. Around 40m is typical for plan HQs, 60m for those with +1 command, and 80m for those with +2 command. A higher HQ with +2 command can command a whole passel of people.

Some platoon HQs don't have any squads. These are called "weapons HQs" and typically come from weapons platoons in each company, and the like. They can only command teams (any HQ can). Ones with good combat ratings make good leaders for machineguns and such. Ones with few abilities can still spot for on-map mortars.

"do they indicate some other sort of quality?"

The names, no, nor the numbers. Those 1,2,3 aren't 1st line etc or anything like that, just 1st 2nd and 3rd squad. Quality is indicated by the units rating - elite, crack, veteran, regular, green, or conscript. HQs also have their 4 different command ratings, and can be 0, +1, or +2 in each of the four categories.

Roughly speaking, a +1 HQ will make in-command men under it behave as though they were one quality level better than they are. Command makes units respond faster to orders - less movement delay - and increases the range at which they stay in command. Combat helps them fire, purely offensive. Morale helps them resist fire and rally from its past effects. Stealth makes them harder to spot - but is usually dominated by the effect of terrain and movement state. (Moving in the open, +2 stealth won't help. Sneaking in woods, you will be hard to spot regardless).

Squads have baseball bat and backpack symbols next to the ammo number.

Different units may have different special weapons. These are used especially against enemy tanks that are close - they are close assault anti-armor weapons for the most part. The rifle grenades are AT rifle grenades. They are most likely to be used under 50m but occasionally they may fire out to 100m. They can kill a typical German tank from the side or rear, but won't hurt them from the front (halftracks, OK). DCs and an airborne version of them "gammon bombs" are short range but high power.

The Germans have panzerfausts instead, with ranges from 30m to 100m depending on the scenario date. They are most likely to be used at half that range or less, by an unsuppressed and unmoving unit. In practice, that means short range ambush is the most common time they are fired.

All of these can occasionally be used on infantry in buildings and the like, but rarely will be and it is not under your control. The thing to pay attention to is which squads have them when you need to tackle a tank with infantry. The more special weapons they have and the better those weapons, the more likely they are to bag a tank if they get close to it, without getting shot themselves.

"The ammo numbers vary but 45 seems to be the largest."

For squads, but some MGs have a lot more ammo than that.

"45 what? Rounds per soldier? Clips? Does it matter?"

CM "shots" - firing resolutions and applications of whole squad firepower. And yes it most certainly matters. It will drop by 1 every time the unit shoots at an enemy with its inherent infantry firepower ("FP"). When goes below 10 the unit will become reluctant to fire, especially at long range. When it gets to 0 the window will read "low" and the unit will only occasionally get off a single shot in a turn, if closely attacked. Units with full ammo typically fire 6 times a turn if they have targets in view continually and are unsuppressed.

For MGs, the firepower and firing rates work out to about 25 rounds per CM shot for the allies. German HMGs a shot represents more like 40 rounds - that is why their FP is higher (their MG designs had a much higher cyclic rate of fire).

"Do MMG / HMG squads set up independently from the platoons?"

Up to you. They tend to keep their firepower out to longer ranges. They also don't move and shoot as well as squad infantry does - they prefer to be set up. With US medium MGs, I usually bring them along with a platoon, 1-2 per platoon, sometimes with one squad missing from that platoon. Sometimes one 60mm mortar added as well.

I then use these as an "overwatch platoon", to support the guys farther forward by fire from longer range. But not too long, typically 200-300m. US infantry has better range with their M-1s, than Germans do with their SMGs. At 200m the US has the edge - at 50m the Germans do.

HMGs are slower and I usually leave them farther back. The US 50 cal doesn't have all that much ammo, either. I pick its shots. German HMGs are slow by high ammo and very high firepower. Truly nasty and effective weapons. With those I typically try to get a pair of them into a piece of ground with good LOS. They then hose everything in sight.

All MGs can protect themselves from enemy infantry by getting into cover while still at range and then just not getting too close. At 250m or longer, an MG has the firepower of a whole squad. Closer in, only about half as much. So let them fight either from range or with the enemy in the open while they are in cover, or both. They generally have more ammo than squads, too, so they can afford to blaze away at longer ranges.

"Flamethrowers have an ammo level of 6. Six what? Six bursts of fire?"

Yes, each about 2-3 seconds of depressed trigger. Which is realistically all they carried. If they take out 1-2 tough targets they have done their job. Send them to the rear to keep them alive, or just get inside good cover and hide.

Letters for HQs are their platoon. How to deploy them? Well, start with your overall plan, and then "task" your force. The good commanders leave their squads. The best weapons HQs, give important teams. If you have higher HQs with good ratings, they are your most important single units and you should plan around them. They can command anybody, so give them a tailored task group with just what you need. Detach a squad from each of 2 platoons, add two zooks and a flamethrower, whatever the mission demands.

You can also get a lot more out of your men if you have a higher HQ in the middle of a group of platoons, and use it to "flex task" the force. Meaning, you pull a squad from the right platoon and give it to the company HQ in the middle. You pass teams back and forth to get them where they are needed. Think of the command area as the sum of the platoon HQ and the company HQ - anyone in either area stays in command. It is a lot easier to maneuver a company this way, than a bunch of disconnected platoons that all have to stay within 40m of "mother".

"How close should they be to their squads?"

Red command lines for everyone, and everyone gets command bonuses. Regulars fight like veterans. On the other side, break that enemy company HQ and he has disjointed platoons. Break the left side platoon HQ too, and they start fighting like greens over there. Etc. Commanders also rally the men with command lines running to them, etc.

"Are all the Lieutenants in communication by radio?"

No not really. Runners were the norm below company level. You don't have to worry about it, anyway.

"I take it that you would figure out your objectives and send the right platoon to do the job"

Except the squads can only be commanded by their "letter" platoon HQ, or a higher HQ. Making the higher HQs the key to flexible tasking. If you have a great company HQ and one of your platoon commanders is terrible, you can take away all his men and let him spot for mortars from the start line. Up to you.

"Any value in putting veteran sergeants with decorated Lts, or is it best to mix it up"

Often you want one platoon as good as you can get it - best men, +2 morale, +2 combat e.g. - with a key role in your plan. Reserve, break-in force, etc. I typically assign someone with +1 morale, maybe +1 command but little else, to the role of "point". It helps if they are brave but they are also the most likely to get messed up, so I don't put my best men there. A good command and combat guy gets overwatch - the high command helps cover a lot of extra teams (MGs, mortars). Morale is less critical as he will be staying in cover and at range. The key attack guys get bazookas and FTs and +2 morale leaders etc.

"Captains: Where do they want to be?"

Right in the thick of it, your most critical spot, tying everybody together. When somebody routs away from his letterman HQ, who picks them up again? When you need to shift troops or teams from A to B, how do you keep them in command on the way? When the crisis of the battle comes, who is going to tow half a dozen units of every description from three different original platoons right to the critical spot? Captains earn their pay in CM scale fights.

"Artillery: What is the game's functional relationship between mortar crew and spotter?"

None. On map mortars have any HQ that commands them as their "spotter". If they have a red command line to their HQ, and the HQ isn't hiding, they can shoot any location the HQ can see, even if they can't. The typical use is HQ at a tree line or in a house, with the mortars hidden back in the trees or behind the house. A ridge also works, but the HQ typically needs some cover. The HQ won't fire at long range, so the enemy doesn't see anybody. Mortar shells rain, nothing to shoot back at. Joy.

The "spotter" as you call him is an FO or forward observor for an off-map artillery battery, 4 to 6 guns, sometimes very large caliber. He picks a target anyplace he can see, and the battery trains on that spot. A round or two will sail over as his timer counts down. When it reaches 0 it will change to "firing", and the off map battery puts down dozens of rounds per minute in an area around the aim point about 120m long by 60m wide. Occasional longs or shorts 40m outside those limits.

You can fire at targets he can't see, but the timer takes twice as long to count down and the rounds can land quite far from the aiming point. It is essentially always a mistake to try this. Instead, put the FO somewhere with decent LOS, and then pick a prominent terrain feature near the place you want to hurt. You don't need to see the exact unit or spot. The top of a building or hill or the edge of a treeline will often by "close enough".

You can "walk" the shells by up to 100m a turn by retargeting - look for a "green" targeting line. The time to firing will increase some, but if you stay within that 100m radius = green targeting line, typically by less than a minute. You can even use this to "postpone" a mission, shifting the target just slightly. If you plan ahead, you can have fat shells hovering less than 2 minutes away, anywhere within several hundred yards, the moment you make an attack. When (if) somebody shoots at your attack group, you let the hammer fall.

As for the delay length, it is a couple of minutes for light mortars, ~4 minutes for typical heavier stuff. US arty is distinctly faster than other people's, a minute to a minute and a half faster, and crack FOs (if you see any) are faster than green ones. There are also special fortification items in some scenarios called "TRPs" (target reference points), which are pre-planned "concentrations" for arty. Any barrage targeted within 20m of one (right on it, basically), can come down in less than a minute, from order to impact.

Also understand when you see that "3 minutes" reading, it means that much and change (some unknown amount of seconds beyond 3 minutes, but less than 4 minutes). Once it goes under 1 minute you see the seconds part.

"Once arty is expended, what can you do with the spotter"

Just get him to safety or hide. You don't want the enemy knocking him out (he is worth victory points). Same goes for mortar crews that have expended their ammo. Move to the rear or hide etc. They've done their bit. If they hurt the other guy and live themselves, you will be in the plus column in victory determination terms. Go get them killed, and that won't be true. Leave scouting to a few half squads ahead of a point platoon.

Reasonable questions, I hope these help, and have fun with CM.

[ March 17, 2005, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: JasonC ]

[Bert Hamoen]

Jason C, wrote:

Rifle versus Engineers – What is the qualitative value of each?

Engineers have all the abilities of rifle squads and some special additional ones. They carry demo charges, which can destroy tanks at close range (about 30 yards), bunkers too if they can get at the back door especially.

In later games you can order their use directly and thus used them against occupied houses etc, reliably. In CMBO, you have to let the squad decide whether to use it, and they tend to horde the things to little purpose. But they will use them on tanks. A DC is a very powerful weapon and will KO or at least immobilize even the thickest tank, if they are close enough to use it - and not pinned themselves.

Personally, I haven't seen any of this destructive power of the satchels. Sure, you can take out a bunker with it and sure, it can take out another infantrysquad (including the engineers who threw it) in close combat, but I saw one of my engineers squads throw 2 satchels "under" a Puma, and still it drove away to a more safe distance.(Luckily it was destroyed a short while later by a round of an 105mm barrage.)

What I mean to say is: don't count on weapons like satchels (and riflegrenades and Panzerfausts) that they will perform like they can.

[Bert Hamoen]

By the way Ramarch1: stay away from CMBO and the other CM games. They are extremely addictive !

[wvfoos]

Originally posted by flamingknives:

I've been playing the game for three years or so, and I've still not mastered it.

Try it and find out. However, Lts. can not command squads not in their platoon.

Try it and find out. Too many questions...

Well, that explains why I had so many platoons out of command last night. Gotta keep the lt with his own platoon. I was trying to attach a couple more squads to a particular Lt for a flanking move, while I was using their Lt. to bolster some other platoons. I kept wondering why the black line was stretching clear across the map to their original Lt, when there was a perfectly good Lt right next to them.

But a HQ unit can command ANY of the platoons under its command, right?

IE, it can command ANY of the different Lts' platoons A platoon, B platoon, whatever (as needed), but Lt A can only command the squads in A platoon, right?

[JasonC]

HQs aren't commanded, they only command. They are nodes. The leafs are squads or teams. Teams can be commanded by any HQ. Squads can be commanded by their own platoon HQ - same letter - OR by any higher HQ - company or battalion. Thus a company or battalion HQ can pick up men from any formation on the map. Squads, teams, in their company, out of it, doesn't matter. Any unit, period. Rank has its privileges. The result of this rule is that higher HQs give you flexibility.

Do not be confused by conventional tables of organization. A captain does not command the Lts under him, in CM in-game terms. He commands the squads or teams near him, directly, "cutting out the middleman". At set up, try putting every unit you have, close to a company HQ. You will see red command lines to every unit you pile up next to him.