Useful tactics for beginners

[Burnin' Ern]

I thought it might be good to have a new thread dedicated to speeding up the learning curve for newbies - tactics/strategies that the hard core CM'ers employ of what-not-to-do/correct way to handle certain scenerios. I've been playing CM now for about 6mo's and although I am by no means an expert, I've taken my beatings at the hands of the AI and progressed since. Anyway, seeing as how I'm starting this, I guess I'll start this. This post probably won't offer anything useful to you pros- you probably know who you are by now. I'm trying to stay general here. Think of it as a 'master/young jedi' thread I guess. Spread the knowledge. I'm looking for some new ideas as well.

Things I have found to work well for me through merciless poundings:

1)Whenever possible, advance armor with infantry support in front on the flanks. Helpful at avoiding AT ambushes.

2)Deploy AT guns with infantry squad cover. I actually like to use AT/MG teams together in a position of probable enemy advance. Helps to keep the AT gun from getting rushed/flanked by enemy infantry with its slow turning.

3)When scout vehicles are not avail, or if terrain is too conjested with forest & the like, I found using split squads and alot of sneak&hides works well for locating/identifing enemy threats. No matter how tempting, I try not to have the scout units engage, just tell me where the bad guys are and keep hidden. Not far behind these scouts I tend to have an FO so as soon as a large force gets identified, I can piss on his parade to soften him up before the close combat (is it ok to use those 2 words together here?) starts.

4)Use the terrain, use the terrain. Hull down position for armor is extremely important. Advance armor up to a ridge with hunt works best. Keep to the low ground as much as possible and move infantry through woods.

5)Move through open areas quickly and in staggered single file so no 'one gernade will get you all'. A big group moving through the open is a perfect target for a barrage.

6)Use armor together. Two tanks working as a team are much stronger than having them in seperate engagements. So they can support each other, but be wary of both of them stumbling into the same trap. I use an overwatch-type strategy. One will get hull down, the other moves to a new location, gets setup, the first moves past, ect. I guess an exception to this could be if your armor is setup up specifically for an ambush, but then I use interlocking fields of fire for ambushes anyway.

7)Speaking of ambushes, try to anticipate how the bad guy will react after the initial trap is sprung. When your ambushing TD/AT gun pops its first victim, what would you figure to be the bad guy's response? Come around this flank over here maybe. Have a nasty suprise hiding there as well. Just when he thinks he's got you flanked or he's safe, he gets hit again. The AI actually taught me this several times (D'oh!). I also try to set up AT guns so when they will most likely have side shots at the unsuspecting armor, like just after a turn in the road or off to the side of the break in the trees, not head on. So the bad guy comes through the choke point and 'blam!' gets it in the side before he can turn & face the gun with his front armor if he sees it.

[This message has been edited by Burnin' Ern (edited 03-02-2001).]

[Mannheim Tanker]

Good post! Like your sense of humor too...I LOVE pissing on other players' parades, however it seems lately, they piss on mine

[Berlichtingen]

Use ambushes set close to your units' positions to force them to maintain fire discipline.

[karch]

What distances would you all recommend for:

1) 2 tanks in leapfrog - overwatch. How far ahead is too far.

2) infantry with tanks. Should the tanks be right behind the infantry for support... 50 yards to keep them shielded more from enemy zooks/schrecks

3) infantry squads in movement and when positioned for defence.

scott

[The Commissar]

Originally posted by karch:

What distances would you all recommend for:

1) 2 tanks in leapfrog - overwatch. How far ahead is too far.

Both tanks must see the same thing. You can establish this not only through LOS arrows, but also by going down into View 1 and making sure both tanks see the same. Never take one tank over the hill/tree line/whatnot if its partner is behind the hill/treeline/etc.

Originally posted by karch:

2) infantry with tanks. Should the tanks be right behind the infantry for support... 50 yards to keep them shielded more from enemy zooks/schrecks

Personally, I like to keep my tanks out of sight until contact - a WORTHWHILE target - is found. Keep them behind hillocks and dont move them too much. Tanks are generally fast, and unless you are playing on a gigantic map, you can call them up to action withing a turn of contact. AT guns and any other AT weapons MUST be discovered before they 'discover' your armor. Thus, keep it back until you can use it safely and effectively.

Originally posted by karch:

3) infantry squads in movement and when positioned for defence.

Keep them close. Keep an overwatch, a recon screen of half squads (buy a cheap low quality platoon or two for this purpose) and try as best as you can at hogging any cover. When advancing over an open space which is covered by a machine gun, and there isnt a better way but straight through, run with all your men. Usually, machine guns are not surpressed from long distances (if this is at short distances, suppress the machine gun). If it is not however, run with all your men. In this way, the machine gun is confused and switches targets like an idiot. If you run a platoon or squads at a time, the machine gun is nice and concentrated.

Cheers!

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"...Every position, every meter of Soviet soil must be defended to the last drop of blood..."

- Segment from Order 227 "Not a step back"