Frustration at Sichenhausen: Red Tactics? (spoilers inside)

[Vanir Ausf B]

I actually won that 2nd NTC mission without ever leaving my setup zone

[chuckdyke]

Combat Mission games are not meant to be easy. 

[Combatintman]

6 hours ago, SHVAKS said:

And that kinda correspondes with my point: I couldn't win it as is in my previous runs because I assumed the AI is going to do the smart thing with its tanks, which is sit back and snipe anything that attempts to approach the town (which is preciously what I am going to do if I am the blue commander as I know the initial red force in the town is quite few in number so preventing red reinforcement should be a huge priority for blue side). As a result I thought the only way to handle this as red is to force an engagement at all angles with all my tanks BMPs, and AT carriers at once when blue force is still out in the open (which never worked for me).

The only reason I won is because the blue AI actually failed to cover the road approach (isn't obvious because the tree cover shouldn't be blocking the thermals from the looks of it, but it actually can)so my BMPs can just drive into the town and unload all the infantry. This results in me having more infantry AT in the town which hard counters the tanks and M113s.

In addition,driving two of the M60s through the north side of town without any infantry support is without doubt an actual blunder in my book. Blue is attacking a red position with the knowledge of red scout squads in the town and more red infantry reinforcement on the way, which should automatically warant infantry leading the way for ALL tank movements. In my last playthrough blue AI lost two M60s to RPGs in the north side of the town which gives me massive breathing room to manuver around and flank the rest of the blue force, something that isn't possible if the blue commander decides to leave the two M60s around the northern outskirts in overwatching positions. In fact, blue lost all five M60s to RPGs in the town, which should say something about how the blue AI is handling this engagement.

Blue has limited assets and, is working under the same time constraints as Red, has the same objectives as Red and beyond knowing that there are a couple of BRDMs in the village, knows that a flank security element  of unknown strength and composition is on its way.  That means moving armour into the village without infantry support is a reasonable calculated risk to take particularly when you don't have too many dismounts and a tank is better at zapping a BRDM than an infantry unit is.  And of course you will want to get your infantry onto that objective as quickly as you can because that is your main objective.  Its easy to be a smart and clever after you know what's going to happen and now that you've finally won after losing at least 10 times.  And of course if you don't like the AI plan, crack it open in the editor, fill your boots and change it.