quick question on FLAMES m-wah-hahhaaa

[Other Means]

if i set a portion of trees on fire:

1) will my men not enter them?

2) will my tanks not go near them?

3) will it flush out infantry from close.

4) any other effects i need to know i.e. affected cover values etc.

[Beta1]

you men will not enter areas on fire, any units within the area will attempt ro run out of it ASAP, it will block LOS.

Tanks will not enter it but whether they will hang around nearby I dont know.

[MikeyD]

I have such a hard time using my flamethrowers (they always seem to die immedately in combat) that my only effective use for them has been to set up 'fire breaks' to channel attacking infantry into kill zones, or to block an enemy tank's LOS.

It looks like you're asking all the right questions about how to use 'em.

[Nippy]

Originally posted by MikeyD:

I have such a hard time using my flamethrowers (they always seem to die immedately in combat) that my only effective use for them has been to set up 'fire breaks' to channel attacking infantry into kill zones, or to block an enemy tank's LOS.

It looks like you're asking all the right questions about how to use 'em.

Well, I'll give it a shot. I'm mostly a Soviet player so and I've fallen in love with the Soviet FT and its 45 Meter reach. For either side, here is how I use my FTs.

Defence:

- Tank Killers. I've roasted my share of both Russian and German tanks with a lowly FT team.

- Urban and forest combat. Makes for great backup in a large patch of dense forest. The short LOS allows the FT team to get close enough to enemy infantry. As for urban enviroments, they are a great way to keep infantry from rushing a building.

- Night time. Play the "Night Raid" or "Red Parachutes" Battle that came with CMBB. FTs own the night.

Attack:

- Bunker busting. FT's kill bunkers much better than infantry assaulting with nades.

- Entrenched infantry. It's good at rooting out infantry in trenches and in dense forests. Even Elite SS troops don't like being set on fire.

- Urban combat. They can clean out larger heavy buildings much faster than HE bombardments.

A note on FT tanks:

Early war FT tanks for both sides are junk. PZII flame on OT-134 usually end up dead pretty quick to AT rifle fire. Later war Soviet FTs are better, and an OT-34 with canister is a German's worst nightmare. As for Germans, FT tanks is an area they lack in. FT HTs die very easy to the PTRD, and tank mounted FTs lack the main gun (unlike OT-34 series) and need a regular tank to escort it.

In the end, let your other forces find the enemy first, keep the FTs behind the main force when on the attack and only bring them up when you reach a hard point of somekind, and only use them on map that are Urban, Heavy forest, or at night.

[ June 18, 2003, 02:34 PM: Message edited by: Nippy ]

[Other Means]

cheers lads.

i'm basically trying to use OT-134's as dedicated infantry killers. sending SMG squads intro the trees to flush out the support squads & using the FTT's as a mobile reserve.

unfortunately my opponent knows what he's doing & they've mostly found infantry. and God, i'd imagine.

i've not fought a battle at night yet. i'll have to have a go & see what they look like.

thanks.