Trying to use real world tactics

[Erwin]

Good for him... 

Do not go gentle into that good night

Dylan Thomas - 1914-1953

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[Freyberg]

One of the 'real world' tactics I like and often use is what I think of as WWI Stormtrooper tactics: infiltrating forward, sort of 'stealthy recon in force', taking out weaker targets but bypassing strong-points, which are then dealt with by the next wave, in true British fashion, slowly, carefully and with artillery support.

That way, by the time the assault on a particular strong-point is underway, I will often have good intelligence on the other strong-points supporting it.

It's especially satisfying if I can actually surround a strong-point before it is reduced. It doesn't make much difference in the game, but I feel like I've achieved something.

[chuckdyke]

Thank you there is definitely a generation gap. Handicap at 70 is 50%. The time for a 25-year-old should be 15 minutes for 5 km. I am into computer wargaming too. For me I don't have a problem with the graphics it is actually utopian. My bitch with CM is balconies. If you're not careful your observer stands in full view of the enemy observing the landscape. A happy 2021 for everybody.

[chuckdyke]

4 hours ago, Freyberg said:

One of the 'real world' tactics I like and often use is what I think of as WWI Stormtrooper tactics: infiltrating forward, sort of 'stealthy recon in force', taking out weaker targets but bypassing strong-points, which are then dealt with by the next wave, in true British fashion, slowly, carefully and with artillery support.

That way, by the time the assault on a particular strong-point is underway, I will often have good intelligence on the other strong-points supporting it.

It's especially satisfying if I can actually surround a strong-point before it is reduced. It doesn't make much difference in the game, but I feel like I've achieved something.

This would be true for a probe. An attack is for me terrain focused and an assault means the elimination of enemy forces. With an attack on company level, I dedicate a platoon to initiate a recon in force. The purpose is to identify enemy units and their location. It works as follows squad A moves to contact. Makes contact and withdraws after a quick firefight Squad B or Squad C assaults the identified enemy units which again triggers responses. After one-third of the period has passed the other two platoons are committed. They move only if they remain invisible to the enemy. Fill the Area of Operations with enemy Contact Icons and hope as little of your own forces remain invisible. It makes playing on Iron more fun. Happy 2021

[Flibby]

Sorry to resurrect the thread somewhat, but I just wanted to thank you guys - something that I can be guilty of not coming back to threads to do.

Having built on my skills using lots of the advice here, I am improving! This is from a recent CMBS small battle against the AI only, but it was a mission that previously I had no hope of winning, but now, using realistic tactics, I was able to do just that.

I think the best advice was 1) To slow down; 2) To zoom down to eye level and think "would I run over there?" before placing a move order, and 3) For every movement I make a fire plan. I work out what enemy positions, or possible positions will be able to see me when I move, how I am going to deal with that, i.e. which of my over watching squads can open fire, and so on.

It has made the game 10x more enjoyable.

 

[Erwin]

Your approach is on the money - unlike all the other wargames that I can think of, CM requires one to put oneself in the unit's position and ask "what would I do if I were risking my life here?"

[A Canadian Cat]

Nice! That is great to hear.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Glad you've found the right path to enjoyment.

Your Rule 1 - slow down, is the simplest game changer in CM. So many times, people want to move every unit that isn't firing and blaze away with every unit that isn't moving.

 

[Flibby]

1 hour ago, Vergeltungswaffe said:

Glad you've found the right path to enjoyment.

Your Rule 1 - slow down, is the simplest game changer in CM. So many times, people want to move every unit that isn't firing and blaze away with every unit that isn't moving.

 

I think the lethality of CMBS helps as a learning aid. You don't get many second chances...

 

If you stay hidden unless you have overwhelming firepower you can have freedom. Something I never used to do was using covered arcs to maintain stealth. Unless you pay attention at a low level you'd not realise that the AT gun loader gave away your position firing his pistol at an enemy 200m away

[Vergeltungswaffe]

55 minutes ago, Flibby said:

I think the lethality of CMBS helps as a learning aid. You don't get many second chances...

 

If you stay hidden unless you have overwhelming firepower you can have freedom. Something I never used to do was using covered arcs to maintain stealth. Unless you pay attention at a low level you'd not realise that the AT gun loader gave away your position firing his pistol at an enemy 200m away

Indeed. CMBS requires serious patience and discipline not to pile up the body bags.

I've had more than one pistol toting cowboy screw up things for me. Covered arcs are absolutely the way.

[BornGinger]

4 hours ago, Vergeltungswaffe said:

Your Rule 1 - slow down, is the simplest game changer in CM.

This would be much easier if quick battles could be longer than 2 hours especially if the map is large or huge.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

It can be hard to ride the line between caution and pushing objectives, but patience will almost always pay off in the end.

[chuckdyke]

Control the civilian infrastructure. Buildings, dwellings, roads, bridges. See which terrain features control them. Otherwise, the objectives become ambush sites. Controlling is securing it doesn't mean you must seize them. 

[chuckdyke]

Real world tactics. He has got the lot.

Captain DeLeon - YouTube