Crispy Fried DUCK

[GRUMLIN]

I am wondering why flamerthrowers are so bloody stupid in CMBB. It is not possible to pretarget nme (unlike every other troop/weapon) so if you are assaulting with flamers, you have to plot a run or move, then hope you get a turn back when the enemy is in range but before you die, and then order the flamer to shoot.

Why cant you target a 'hunt' type move, where the flamer moves until LOS + range is there, then he stops and WHOOSH. IRL surely the order would be "advance on that house and when in range give em a squirt", not "walk up to that house but DONT FIRE until i say so in about a minute".

Grum

[GRUMLIN]

Hey - no helpful comments. what gives?

:mad:

[xerxes]

MTC if you're feeling ballsy.

Otherwise ID your target with that infantry you have and then sneak your flamer into range. Use that double "?" HQ to control the flamer, if he's in cover he will probably not be detected until he wooshes.

[MikeyD]

No helpful comments because nobody disagrees!

I swear flamethrower is the only unit the AI uses better than the human player. If the human tries the guy gets gunned down like a dog before getting off a shot. But try assaulting a building against the AI. You'll be repeatedly hosed with fire without ever having seen him!

[CombinedArms]

Well, I'm finding FTs much improved in CMBB as compared to CMBO--where they were almost impossible to use well. FTs in CMBB seem a lot less likely to be seen and to become fire magnets for every gun within 500m. I think the best method in using them on the attack is to move through cover just slightly behind a platoon of infantry (using, say, Move to Contact.) Then if enemy infantry pops up and shoots the rest of your platoon, you can flame them and gun 'em down with the infantry after they rout. This works particularly well when moving in urban rubble, with its low line of sight. Rubble, buildings, woods and trenches are the natural domain of the FT.

On the attack, you can area-fire on buildings where the occupants have been sufficiently surpressed. Approaching through a neighboring building that you occupy is safest. This area fire on buildings works on defense, too. Defensively, you can hide in a building with a supporting platoon. When the enemy appears in the next building over, flame it with your FT and gun down the enemy squads as they rout out of the burning building. Note that all of these work tacts best when the FT is teamed with an infantry platoon. The FT doesn't kill much, but it routs enemy troops that can then be killed by your infantry.

I find the Russian FTs much easier to use than the Germans. The Russians have extra range--45 meters rather than 32. They have less ammo, but I find that extra 13 meters often makes all the difference when it comes to reaching a target, hence I prefer the Russian FTs.

BTW, maybe one reason you're not getting answers is because the headline may be confusing?

[ February 06, 2003, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: CombinedArms ]

[Boo Radley]

I for one, came in here expecting a recipe for duck. Imagine my surprise.

[SaTyR]

Originally posted by GRUMLIN:

I am wondering why flamerthrowers are so bloody stupid in CMBB. It is not possible to pretarget nme (unlike every other troop/weapon) so if you are assaulting with flamers, you have to plot a run or move, then hope you get a turn back when the enemy is in range but before you die, and then order the flamer to shoot.

Why cant you target a 'hunt' type move, where the flamer moves until LOS + range is there, then he stops and WHOOSH. IRL surely the order would be "advance on that house and when in range give em a squirt", not "walk up to that house but DONT FIRE until i say so in about a minute".

Grum

Use covered arcs for flamers and they'll start WHOOSHing when in range (and they'll prolly do that even w/o the arc, if not suppressed)