'Shrecks\ 'Zooks on the Attack....

[Dogface21]

Ive used Zooks and Shrecks well in a defensive role, hide them in a patch of woods or a building, along comes a thin skinned AFV... you know. But how does one go about using them on offense? Ive tried many differant methods to get them into a usefull position, but they always seem to be a step or two behind. Usually I keep them just behind the main body of a platoon, to back them up if they run into a AFV. I then try to sneak him around to flank it, but this doesnt work very often. Ive tried putting them on the backs of fast vehicles, Greyhounds, Pumas, whatever, and have them jump off if the forward scouts spot an AFV, then try the ol flank again. But what happens most often is that they are spotted getting into position, and the TacAI goes hogwild shooting them up(as I would if my butt was inside a tank) and the whole effort is wasted.

Has anyone found a tried and true way to use these units on an attack?

[rlh1138]

This has been working for me - but I play QB, usually ME, around 1200 pts, against the AI. I use them almost as scouts. I put one with each platoon, and let them take the lead. I move them from cover to cover, always ending on hide. When I sense it's about time I'm going to make contact - I try and hide them at the edge (not too close) of a woods, looking across open ground. If they draw fire early, I put them to ground and have the troops leap frog by them. Then, try and move them up when the action is somewhere else. Maybe I've been lucky, but this has been working OK. The AI is pretty predictable. Don't know how this would work against a person.

[l3w53r]

1.smoke the afv's and move the zooks in.

2.just put the shrecks within about a 150 meters of the target(I forgot the max range), the guys can knock out most allied tanks from anywhere.

3. use sharpshooters to shock the crew.

4. pullback your troops except a zook and wait for the AFV's to run after your main body

[JasonC]

Trail the bazooka behind the squads, even slightly behind the HQ. The squads should spot enemy AFVs first, and take the initial fire. Zooks are very unlikely to get off successful shots if under fire before they get in range. Once an enemy tank is found, look for a piece of cover within 100-125 yards of the AFV that you can reach without being seen by that AFV. Then send a regular squad into the -near- side of that cover, which should still be out of LOS of the AFV. In the meantime, move (not run) the bazooka to get it ready to follow the squad. This will check the route for other enemy fire, and also deal with any enemy infantry waiting for you there. Then run (not move) the bazooka into the same cover as the squad. First waypoint near side and run speed. Then move to the middle, and sneak the last 15-20 meters out the other side, to LOS with the AFV.

Leading with them won't work against humans - they will just get shot. Just running them forward alone once a target is found will rarely work, because normally humans will have guards around or stand off far enough from bits of cover, or both. Running the whole way will tire them out. Just "moving", into LOS, will get you spotted and shot before you fire. The last bit has to be "sneak", and the cover you stalk from should be scouted first by regular infantry.

When you are held up by an AFV and can't line up such a shot, break LOS to the AFV entirely, with everybody, by backing up to the near side of whatever cover your people are in. Then work a way around, constricting the movements of the AFV with zooks ready to KO it if it advances to re-establish LOS. You can also use teamwork between zooks and your own tanks, by setting a bazooka ambush at one point, and either baiting that trap with an AFV or your own that the enemy's can kill, or by "flushing" him with one of yours that can kill him.

One zook usually won't kill a tank, though it can keep it far enough away that infantry with the zook should be able to break LOS at will, to hide. Two or more can get enough of a sighting "footprint" to at least restrict its movements, and if the cover is favorable can slowly reduce its livable area. Any higher number, or just a pair if also working with your own AFVs, can kill any tank with the right teamwork and patience.

Don't think of the zook team as daredevils meant to rush into range and kill tanks. Think of them as a component of a platoon that are the AT specialists, whose primary role is to restrict the movements of enemy AFVs around your infantry. They are the means your infantry has of denying ground to enemy AFVs - the ground the infantry is on, out to about the same radius the infantry can dominate in infantry fighting terms. Then walk those controlled areas over him, patiently - understanding the exercising patience around an enemy AFV starts with breaking LOS to it for everybody it shoots at.

I hope this helps.

[Dogface21]

Thank you JasonC, that sounds like a solid tactic, scouting for a a zook with a squad of infantry would solve the 'counter ambush' problem. Leading a tank into a favorable position for the AT team also sounds solid, Ill try them out next time I play.

[xerxes]

On the attack with zooks/shrecks I've found you need to move them up into an "ambush" position and then wait for the armor to come to you. Your ambush position should be keyholed so if you miss your first shot your zook/shreck doesn't get surpressed by everything and anything in the area. zook/shrecks keyholed and buttoned-up enemy AFV targets are a great combination.

If you are pushing a flank the zooks/shrecks should be in the mix to deal with a counter attack.

Jason says not to run, I'm more extreme and generally sneak&hide for the last 15 or 20 meters to get into ambush position.

Also, you really need to keep the zook/shrecks hidden, they'll reveal themselves when they have a good shot. I only manually target if I'm desperate (which means I'm already pretty well toasted anyhows) of if I want the afv to pay attention to the AT team.

-marc

[PVLLVS MAXIMVS]

Something Ive had a bit of luck with is keeping as many zooks as I can move with my jeeps / halftracks back behind the action. Then when enemy AFV's show up I can move the AT teams into a position close to the action, and they can hoof it the rest of the way to a good firing position.

Usually, it seems like this accomplishes 3 things : One, I get to employ the AT teams in whatever numbers I feel appropriate to the situation, which I think is better than having them spread all over the map with the Infantry.

Two : They stay safe, more or less, unlike the fact that if they are with a platoon, and the platoon is overun, or even has to retreat real fast, its goodby bazooka.

Three : Often the enemy gets distracted and/or out of position trying to deal with infantry that found the AFV in the first place, making it a little easier (sometimes) to get the AT teams into a position close enough to do some good without getting shot to ribbons in the meantime.

of course, if it takes to long to get the AT there my infantry get smashed, but if I lose the AT assets early, or dont have enough on hand, I'm gonna get smashed anyways.

[MikeyD]

I once tried to flank a pesky dominating 'immobile' King Tiger that I simply couldn't get close enough to from the front. To increase the bazookaman's effectiveness I kept a platoon leader right with and let a fast moving infantry team scout ahead. I finally got him into a great position for a rear shot. Got several shots off without being spotted. Missed every time. How was I to know that damned bazookaman was cross-eyed!