Jump to content

Trouble moving spotter into position without being spotted


Recommended Posts

I’m currently playing the mg out on a limb scenario and struggling to get an hq unit into position to observe calling in artillery (the coy’s mortars) to the enemy positions.  I have tried approaching the wood line on hunt, hoping the unit would take cover as soon as it could see the positions and also on slow with them crawling until they could see it.  On both occasions their target arc was set to 10m to ensure they didn’t open up and give away their position and they were over 200m from the nearest enemy.  Both times however within 30 seconds the enemy spotted them and blasted away until they ran.  Is there a knack  to bring an HQ  unit into LOS of an enemy position to call in fire without giving away their position perhaps a way of doing a slow hunt?? (I know it’s possible in the real world as I used to do it!)

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, charliealpha said:

I’m currently playing the mg out on a limb scenario and struggling to get an hq unit into position to observe calling in artillery (the coy’s mortars) to the enemy positions.  I have tried approaching the wood line on hunt, hoping the unit would take cover as soon as it could see the positions and also on slow with them crawling until they could see it.  On both occasions their target arc was set to 10m to ensure they didn’t open up and give away their position and they were over 200m from the nearest enemy.  Both times however within 30 seconds the enemy spotted them and blasted away until they ran.  Is there a knack  to bring an HQ  unit into LOS of an enemy position to call in fire without giving away their position perhaps a way of doing a slow hunt?? (I know it’s possible in the real world as I used to do it!)

 

 

 

 

scouting the FO´s (or HQ) intended target position with another unit would be way to go usually. Also having rearward units observing the vicinity with binocs (the more at hand, the better) helps on this. Otherwise I´d try determining folds/depressions in terrain, as well as good concealment terrain for the move, preferably in short quick/fast move bounds. Final FO´s place best to approach in "slow" move mode from very short short distance (one action spot at max, or up/down a building) and hide command at end. Takes all considerably longer, but stealthiness  pays off at last. Same for some heavy support weapons like HMG´s in example. Move in stealthy and pop up with surprise fire on the enemy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, RockinHarry said:

...I´d try determining folds/depressions in terrain, as well as good concealment terrain for the move...

And I'd second that. Having something solid, not just foliage, between your unit and the enemy is the way to go. So as Harry says, try to route your unit through depressions, ditches, behind walls—even low walls for crawling—berms, mounds of earth, anything solid. Very thick foliage can also work, but you have to be careful. In the scenario you refer to it is deceptive and does not afford nearly as good concealment as you might expect it to.

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When crawling thru terrain, the unit may not be able to spot, but an enemy could see them if the terrain has insufficient cover.  Try making multiple waypoints along the route to your desired position on MOVE and see if you can see the enemy position from those waypoints.  If you can, then the enemy seems to be able to see your units when they move SLOW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A couple of thoughts:

 

- Short covered arcs are the way to go, as noted.
- Your move order into position should be Move or Slow, and ideally Slow. It only has to be for the last action spot or two.
- 200m is really close. Are there any positions further out?
- Forests are a bunch of telephone poles with blobs on top of them, and the engine seems them as such. There's only so much cover a pole will give you.
- The ground cover matters. Trees help, but trees on grass tiles will obstruct less than trees on forest tiles.
- You don't need to be in the actual tree line to see out of a forest - if there's a position deeper inside a forest that still gives adequate LOS then that is preferable.
- The ideal position on paper is usually a building. In practice, that's often *not* the ideal position, because it can be obvious, and subject to speculative fire.

 

Skylining is not explicitly modelled, but it's still an issue - crawling over a bare ridge will get you spotted pretty quickly.

Edited by domfluff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As mentioned some gound level bushes will help with concealment - but at relatively close range given time/turns they can still be still be spotted even if they have a targer arc.

Stealthily crawl em in - get them to call in their fire mission - hide - unhide when spotting rounds are coming in. Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In addition to what others have said, Hunt isn't likely to be useful here. First, the spotters will move crouched over, which is more visible than crawling. Second, Hunt won't actually stop the spotters moving as soon as they have a line of sight to the enemy positions, as I think you were hoping. Unless you take fire, they will keep moving until they get an actual spot on an identified enemy unit. That will take longer, and it's also unnecessary since you already know where the enemy is and you don't need a full spot to call in the mortars. The best way to find a position with LOS to the enemy position isn't Hunt, but as @Erwin says, to plot some fake waypoints before you start moving and then trace LOS from those to the enemy. Once you find a spot with a good LOS, Slow move to it, not Hunt. 

If you're playing against the AI, you also could have a unit deeper in the woods Pop Smoke toward the spot you want the spotter to go. They can throw the grenade toward the treeline, even to a spot they can't see. If you point the purple line in the right direction and account for wind, you might be able to place the smoke just right to give enough cover for the spotter to Slow crawl in (then have them Hide until after the smoke clears). Against a human opponent this will probably draw fire but if the AI can't see you, it won't shoot at you.

Another possibility is to move someone else into position somewhere else, but with an LOS to the same enemies, a minute before the spotters arrive, and have them start a firefight to divert the enemy's attention.

Edited by General Liederkranz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, General Liederkranz said:

Against a human opponent this will probably draw fire...

That might be no bad thing: send the smoke in one direction and slow move in another. While your opponent is focussed on area firing into the smoke and waiting to see what was behind it, you could be setting up to do your job. Might work once anyway.

:D

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...