some newbie questions

[thelighthouse]

SPOILER ALERT "DER BERG"

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SPOILER ALERT "DER BERG"

Maybe someone can help me, I am a newbie.

I tried the CMBO "DerBerg" mission as the Allied forces. The Germans surrendered after 39 moves, even though my side had more casualties. I think that was because I flanked the mountain, on both sides. Pushed up the middle wasted their Artillary, on my 57mm AT Guns ( These things dont Fire properly). Finished off with a three pronged assault to the top of the hill, while bringing in the 7 tanks they all drove right up to the top, except for one, got bogged down.

1, I dont understand why my 57mm AT Guns were sitting on top of one ridge, and the enemy was sitting on the further slope. I could not get LOS between my guns and theirs. When I viewed at "Trench View" I could see them perfectly. I could not fire? I moved one of the guns down the hill but the artillary took him out before I could test could he fire.

Maybe some one could help me there?

2, Everytime I try to suppress a dug in enemy with whatever I have. I want to bring an infantry squad to flank the trench, but they allways run right over it. Sometimes they get it and make a complete fire and manouvre, but they do not use their grenades, at the trench, and nearly half the team gets wiped out. Is there a way to control the actions of the Infantry squads?

Are you supposed to use Engineer squads for this type of work?

Also can you get someone to help carrying heavy items, to make them move quicker? EG. the US flame thrower came in as a reinforcement, but by the time he got to half way where I had planned for him the Germans had surrendered. Could I have hooked him up with an infantry unit and they would have all shared the load?

Am I asking for too much realism here?

3, I understand having to wait 2 to 3 minutes for a heavy mortar co-ord, but when I try to lift and shift, I have to wait another couple of minutes, if the area is not exactly near the older one.

Anyone got any hints?

Thats all for now, I suppose I will have some more questions at some other points.

Thanks in advance

All the Best

LH

[ January 31, 2003, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: thelighthouse ]

[YankeeDog]

Welcome lighthouse! I'll try to give you some help on your questions.

One little ettiquete suggestion: When posting anything here on the forum that give specific details about a scenario, it is considered polite to post a "SPOILER ALERT" at the top of your post. This way, players who haven't played the scenario yet and don't want to spoil the experience of playing it blind can avoid the post, like so:

SPOILER ALERT - DER BERG

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Anyway, the answer to your first question is easy. If you check the time & weather settings for the "Der Berg", you notice that it's dawn and raining. Both of these conditions limit LOS somewhat. In fact, Dawn & Rain works out to a maximium LOS of 435m. You can see this if you check the LOS tool across perfectly open terrain.

The first part of your question is a bit unclear. Since there are no trenches in CMBO, I assume you're actually talking about assaulting enemy units in foxholes. If you want to assault enemies in a foxholes, make sure you have plenty of supressing fire, and order your infantry squads to RUN directly to the foxhole. When they get there, they'll fight it out with the enemy infantry there in close combat.

Engineer squads are generally best saved for assaulting heavy fortifications or clearing mines - their demo charges pack quite a punch. They can also be used to close assault tanks.

And, no, unfortunately you can't get other units to help heavy teams carry their equipment. Keep in mind that that US flamethrower is already 2 men with one flamethower. Since the flamethrower is a backpack unit, I'm a bit skeptical as to how any additional bodies could help carry the load. After all, only one guy can wear the backpack at a time. . . The best way to get units like FTs and HMGs moving faster is to embark them on a vehicle and give them a ride to the show.

And yes, you can only 'lift and shift' Arty fire a limited distance from the original targetting spot. Beyond a certain distance, the battery will need to make completely new targetting calculations. You can, however, progressively 'walk' arty fire along in CMBO, making incremental changes in targeting as you go.

Cheers,

YD

[thelighthouse]

Hello YankeeDog

Thanks for the Ettiquette tip.

Willco for future posts.

Thanks for the help.

I did overlook a few of the more technical aspects to the weather and stuff. Maybe I just ran in there and thought everything would work in utopian form.

The walking of the artillary is a good idea, I will try it out.

O.K. The flamethrower, was an example, but could they not use other troops moving to assist the MG, Mortars etc. I know vehicles can be used. I am not getting at anything, just asking is it possible. I can work around the limitations but would like to be able to use my forces to their most efficient apsect. I do not want to lose any part of my team, when I can use them to help out others.

Since I posted this I have downloaded the Strategy guide and will give it a look.

Thanks for the help.

Will talk to you soon.

All the Best

LH

[YankeeDog]

Yes, with some Heavy Weapons teams, such as an HMG team or mortar, it might be possible in Real Life to assign a squad or platoon to help leg the ammo and equipment and therefore speed up forward progress a bit.

Unfortunately, CM does not currently model this. It would be very complicated thing to model, though - you'd have to take in to account how encumbered the assisting squad was already, etc. I have a feeling to would be a lot less useful feature than it might seem - by the time you got the squad to rendevous with the weapons team, had them saddle up some of the ammo, and get moving, the time savings would probably be pretty minimal.

Who knows, maybe for the engine rewrite. . .

Cheers,

YD

[JasonC]

The only thing I'd add or change is about charging things. You do not have to close to point blank to use grenades, or to shoot it out. Even close combat starts at around 10m or so, so you don't have to move right on top of the enemy. Grenades will start being used around 25m - sometimes farther, but that close they will be used.

It is often better to shoot it out from more 50 yards, however, or whatever the limits of LOS are if you are in woods. Then bring a whole platoon, and go after one squad of the enemy at a time. It is "fire ascendency" that actually wins these things, not grenades in particular, or close combat.

Fire ascendency means your men shoot, pin the enemy, the enemy shoots back less, your men unpin and shoot more, and that pins the enemy more. Pretty soon the guy with the upper hand has practically everybody shooting, and the other guys are all "heads down". Then they panic and break.

The best way to get fire ascendency is to create a "many on few". Like when a whole platoon of your guys can see one enemy squad, none of whose buddies can see you back. Just being close can be substituted for the buddies not being able to see you, if the cover is good.

E.g. if your platoon is in woods, having a firefight with one enemy squad in a wooded foxhole, then two other enemy squads 150m away won't matter very much. Because their firepower is too low against good cover, that far away. If they are 70m away, they help - unless the trees keep them from seeing that far. The point is to "bite off" one piece of the enemy and overwhelm it.

Once you see an enemy go "heads down", then you can rush in close to finish them off, if you like. 10m away will serve. They will probably run away. Then you can get in their foxhole and use it for better cover yourself, as you take on the next enemy position.

It is a fine art, this close quarter infantry fighting. The key thing is not close, or grenades, it is creeping and "differential LOS". Meaning, you edge -just- into view of that enemy position with a whole platoon of your guys, spread out "on-line". You all see him, he sees all of you - but anyone farther on can't engage you yet.

If you push too far too fast, all the defenders will be able to engage you. They are all probably deployed close enough to each other for their HQ to command them all. And that means if you run right on top of them, chances are a lot more of them will be able to see you, besides the one you rush on top of. Unless they are already broken (e.g. following up a big artillery barrage), that way lies sorrow.

Take your time, be methodical, and trust to combined firepower under 30-80 yards. If you see your men losing, going heads down and pinning themselves, get them out of there or send them help soon. Close infantry fire ascendency between equally matched forces walks a knife-edge. But once it falls off either way, it quickly snowballs to a lopsided victory for one side, and total disintegration for the other.

I hope this helps, and good luck.

[Hat Trick]

Regarding walking artilery fire, so long as the new target line remains green (within about 50 meters of the original target) you will not suffer a time delay for the shifting fire. When the target line turns blue, you have cancelled the previous fire order and the artilery must targeting must start over again from scratch.

[thelighthouse]

Hi All,

Thanks for the tips.

getting used to the target lines is another item I need to study.

I hope you don`t think I thought it a bad game at my initial post, but the playing the game inspired me to actually register on this website so sofar I am impressed.

See Ya Lata

LH