Defensive artillery

[nevermind]

I apologize if this has been covered,if you can tell me where ill be happy with that,but i did a in forum search and didnt find what i wanted.These questions apply primarily vs. human opponents.

What is the best way to use defensive artillery?Is it possible to direct infantry into ambushes with it,by denying certain areas? You of course dont want to waste it on widely spread troops,but a wise opponent wont bunch his infantry up.There is also the issue of response time.Should they finally get bunched up(like in a patch of woods),it would have to be the smaller calibers because the largers ones have longer response times.

Finally,what are the best calibers for defensive arty if you dont have alot of points to spend?Is it even worth spending a decent amount of points on it when it could be used to get more infantry,or etc..

If anyone can answer this(or any part of this)or(preferable)direct me to web site,i would apreciate it.

Thanks!

[ March 03, 2003, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: nevermind ]

[Monty's Double]

Soddball would tell you that everything is covered in his FAQ, but I was plumbing in a sink yesterday and couldn't find anything helpful at all. You'll also find plenty of threads debating whether arty is "broken" in CMBB, but I don't remember anything specifically addressing using arty for defensive purposes. What's pretty much beyond doubt is that the huge leadtimes on heavy (especially Soviet) arty mean that it's not much use in defensive QB's unless you get to see the map first and can plan prep barrages. If you can check the map beforehand then heavy arty might be worth considering if there are obvious funnel points for the attacker. That said, a human opponent will probably spot them too and try and time his attack to frustrate your plans. Light arty is more responsive, and might be worthwhile, especially if you can see your opponents jumping off points for the final assault (only in infantry games, obviously). Where VLs are in trees, you might even consider letting him occupy them and then dropping 81mm mortars and counterattacking him off them. Generally speaking though, light arty won't kill that many men, its main value is to disrupt and break up attacks.

Given the choice I'd generally spend the points on DF HE-chuckers and heavy machine guns.

Oops, edited to add TRPs. These can make those out-of-LOS funnel points much more vulnerable. However, beware casualty settings; in a current PBEM I lost my 76mm spotter to the 10% casualty setting, leaving me with a TRP that seemed as useful as a beermat. Still, my opponent was thoughtful enough to drive a halftrack over it at high speed, amply demonstarting the accuracy bonus TRPs give to dug-in guns.

[ March 03, 2003, 08:37 AM: Message edited by: Monty's Double ]

[Bone_Vulture]

Fast-response artillery spotters, like mortars and light German field guns, can be used to provide serious area denial and suppression effects.

Remember that the heavy artillery lobs rounds rather slowly, and can hammer a given area for a handful of turns, if set as a pre-planned strike. When defending, seasoned players can predict the areas where the enemy is likely to amass supporting weaponry, and set this area as a target for a pre-planned strike.

In other words, a pre-planned strike with heavy ornance is your best guarantee that the enemy troops will not be (or survive) at a given spot, at a set time. Also, using wide target for a strike might confuse the opponent, as he cannot be sure where exactly you are aiming... And who is stupid enough to start charging with infantry when there are 152mm rounds falling all over the place at random?

[ March 03, 2003, 10:39 AM: Message edited by: Bone_Vulture ]