The very basics of tactics in Combat Missions

[dugfromthearth]

First off, CM is a game. They may say "don't do gamey things" but you must always remember it is a game and has inherent limitations and peculiarities. Do realistic things, but do not expect to do historic things.

The major gamey thing is communication of information. If one guy on the far edge of the map spots a unit, you know about it and can respond with all of your units. This makes reconnaisance a hundred times more effective then realistic.

The second major gamey thing is the time limitation. When faced with a major obstacle like a ridge with dug-in infantry, you cannot wait a day to move up artillery and drive them out. You have 15 minutes to take them out with infantry. However, ignore that. The game determines victory based upon points, and units are typically worth a lot more then objectives. Unless you are playing exceptional scenarios, conserve your troops rather then taking heavily defended ground.

With that in mind, here is the basics of what to do (assuming meeting engagement or attacking):

Lead with infantry, follow with infantry, hold with infantry.

The front unit of a column is dead. Just write it off. All you can hope from it is to spot the enemy before it dies. Therefore lead with the cheapest thing you can. Typically an infantry team (half a squad). If you need to move faster lead with a scout car or a jeep. Until you make contact they should not move slowly or carefully. Run them forward. Remember they are dead to you, but you want the information they can provide as quickly as possible.

If you are defending or attacking someplace you expect to have strong artillery support, don't even use squads to engage. Deploy a frontage of infantry teams (half squads) to engage (not attack). Two squads broken into teams that present themselves look like 4 squads, which will most likely be interpreted as a platoon. That can be enough for them to get pelted with artillery. Write off the infantry, and just know that all the shells raining down around them are not hitting your main infantry forces.

Your next units should be infantry as well. Once you know generally where the enemy is you need to engage them. You may have seen some, but it is a sure bet you have not seen all of them. Move some infantry squads into decent terrain and prepare to take fire. They will fire as well, but basically you are using them as bait to see what develops. Use squads for this and maybe machine guns. Keep your bazooka teams hidden. Keep your mortar teams out of los, they should only be used indirectly.

Next call for artillery behind where the enemy infantry has been spotted. Don't call it on them if you are near them, or short rounds will hit your troops. Also don't expect the artillery to land. Call ahead of time so that the pre-firing countdown starts. But be prepared to call it off.

This is the critical time, seeing what develops. Basically you should have tanks and artillery in reserve. If the enemy shows guns or infantry, drop artillery on them. If the enemy shows tanks, kill them with your tanks. But don't be too hasty. Take a couple of turns to see if their resistance collapses to just your infantry.

You should never be involved in a "fight" with your tanks. If there is a tank fight one side or both is being foolish. Tanks are not just armored guns, they have treads for a reason. Your goal should be to move just enough to engage and destroy their tanks, then have yours retreat to safety. If you know (not think, know) that you have tank dominance (including AT guns) then you can park your tanks to sweep the battlefield and use them as pillboxes.

To sum up:

You have 2 tasks, finding the enemy and killing them. Do not combine the two, and do not try to do them in the wrong order.

You are playing for points. Tanks are expensive, almost nothing is worth losing a tank for. Infantry squads are cheap, spend them to buy information. Infantry platoons and larger are not cheap. Conserve them.

Flags should not be viewed as objectives. They are bonus points you get for doing well. Having a flag does not let you fight better. Losing troops makes you fight worse. Concentrate on the fight. Take the devs advice - flags are gamey, don't try gamey tactics, play to win the battle and let the flags sort themselves out.

[junk2drive]

Ok now write one on arty.

My problem: large map, move spotter forward for los. find enemy. target enemy. fire to start in 25 turns, now turn 20 of 40. what am i doing wrong?????

[dugfromthearth]

I'm guessing you are playing the Russians in CMBB.

I don't have CMBB, I played CMBO and am now on CMAK.

Given the incredibly long delays for Russian artillery my recommendation is to not buy it. If you are stuck with it in a scenario just plan where to fire it immediately and if necessary move the target around to keep delaying it. If necessary, "waste it" at some speculative fire at dense terrain in the enemy middle somewhere.

[ December 11, 2003, 05:20 PM: Message edited by: dugfromthearth ]

[Redwolf]

Uh, leading a thread like that with only CMBO experience might lead to undesirable results

[dugfromthearth]

not just CMBO, CMAK also. I just edited my last post to clarify "now CMAK" not "no CMAK".

[archi]

this seems like pretty good advice. It is labelled "the very basics of tactics."

It is accurate. The tactics discussed are effective. Thanks for the post dug.

[Conscript Bagger]

dug, how do you conserve infantry platoons while spending the squads?

[dugfromthearth]

two ways to conserve platoons while spending squads:

if you do your own set-up, break up one platoon for all of the teams you are going to use for recon. Do not split up one squad per platoon.

That gives you six teams which should be plenty for scouting on smaller maps. Use the platoon commander to spot for mortars, and split any weapons teams up amongst your other platoons.

second, use your recon teams for recon. A mistake I made a lot early on when I played was to move a unit someplace to recon, and when I found nothing there I just left the unit there. If you come to the end of an area and find nothing, move your recon team back around so you can use them someplace else. If you want to check out a new area, do not just use the troops at hand, have patience and bring forward the recon teams.

The major doctrine of tactics is: use the right tool for the job. This requires knowing what the right tool is, but more then that it requires patience to wait and bring the tool to bear.

As a note to that: open topped armored vehicles should be taken out with mortars or artillery, not with your tanks. 3" mortars seem to be ideal for this.