Moving infantry quickly

[Buck Yaldy]

What is the best way to move infantry quickly if you have a long distance to go when you don't have trucks or tanks to hitch a ride?

I was playing a scenario in Crete and my Fallschirmjagers were landing all over. Some were close to the battle and others weren't.

I tried to get them there quickly but it took a while. I know you can only run for 2-3 turns??? I know you can't move mortars or machineguns quickly either.

Do you run and then rest?

Is there a better command, in the long run (no pun intneded) to move quickly over long distance.

Thanks

[Tigrii]

Running is fast but tiring, and you can only use it in secure locations. What I do is run across open ground for a turn, and then move. The troops slowly rest during command pauses etc while moving, then if needed they can run again.

[BigJoe]

For me it depends on the situation. If I am not expecting any enemy fire I will take the entire group and run across the open field that has to be crossed. If I am expecting enmey fire I will only send a few at a time while the others cover them. In your situation I would have them run as far as they can, then walk the rest, while getting more rested at the same time.

[JasonC]

For long moves, use "move". Don't get shot at on the way. It avoids all fatigue and as long as you don't break it up into lots of waypoints with a new command delay every turn, is reasonably fast. You won't increase the overall time appreciably with any other order, and will just add unnecessary fatigue. Run can only be kept up for about 1 minute before getting fatigued, which isn't worth it for a long move. Pick a route through open ground if you want to go slightly faster, but expect to make 100m per minute, about.

[30ot6]

Use Move to Contact if there is a chance your soldiers may come under fire en route.

Personally, I think the whole command system needs reworking. We need a command for support weapons to move using cover while under fire. A command that orders soldiers to move without fatiguing themselves over fairly long distances while at the same time expecting to come under enemy fire would also be useful.

Actually, I consider the whole idea of soldiers responding differently to enemy contact based upon the command you gave them somewhat flawed. I think it would have more to do with the situation a soldier believes himself to be in, not what situation you tell him he is in.

[kingofthehill]

Use "move" and a good preplanned traveling overwatch when contact is likely, or bounding overwatch when contact is expected. This minimize death times.

I use this tatics, place the overwatch waypoints in some area and after I adjusted with "advance", "contact and hide" or sneak and hide" the overwatch elements position, I also place covering arc on forward, ME route, (three squad of overwatch platoon), and remaining one squad with cover arc that protect the tail of platoon. This for maximize stealth and protect the ME effort speed advance.

Sorry for badEng but appreciate the my intent to explain.

KotH

KotH

[ February 28, 2004, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: kingofthehill ]

[Redleg Bob]

Although you seem incredulous that your infantry can only run for 2-3 turns, this seems pretty valid to me. Running with a full combat load is an absolute smoker, compounded by the additional fatigue that comes with psychological stress (thanks SLA Marshall). Crunchies can only move so fast, which is why dismounts in the open is an FOs dream ...

[Howard R]

Also, given the situation you described, it is not unusual for air dropped troops to land widely scattered. The long distances they must travel while carrying everything (literally) on their backs were a constant problem for airborne troops until the development of the helicopter. Anyway, run for a turn, walk for 2 covers ground quickly, and allows troops to remain in some sort of formation whle not getting overly tired.

[Aaron]

I did a test and had units both move and run across a long open map. I found that the running troops got there only 1 turn earlier (10 turn run) but needed several turns to rest. Meanwhile the moving troops arrived at Ready. So, move is best for long distances.

Aaron

[Redwolf]

I usually plot a run command and then switch the waypoint to move when they are "tiring" but not yet "tired".

Which I think should be the default for the game, I can hardly think of a squad leader continuing to drive his squad at full speed even after the full speed is no better than walking, just more exhausting.

[undead reindeer cavalry]

in good weather conditions i plot both run & walk commands. first run about 100 meters, then walk about 40 meters. repeat without a pause. squads won't get tired. you have to alter the running distance if you need to advance up a hill or so.

i consider both run & move commands rather dangerous though. they make the squads very vulnerable to indirect fire. if they fall under artillery fire they break easily, which cripples them solely to a fire support role.

if there is any reasonable chance that enemy has artillery, i usually run & move only forward squads (scouts).

my main forces use advance a lot. they need machineguns, mortars, ATRs and such with them anyway, so speed is not such an issue really.

esp soviet rockets make move&run commands almost useless.

my opinions may be biased, as i play battles that focus on infantry instead of armor.