Pioneers & Deno Charge Paks

[WarHawk]

How the heck do ya get pioneers to use thier demo charge packs?

[Sergei]

If there is a target (mines or enemies) within 30m and you allow them enough time, they will use them. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later.

[junk2drive]

the last time that i tried from a closer range, i noticed the target line said explosives. i think you cant be too close or too far away. 30m seems to be about right. but they took until the end of the turn to blow the bridge.

[flamingknives]

CMBB and CMAK allow you to designate explosives if you pick an area target less than 30m away.

In CMBO they will only be used if:

a) The TacAI decides that the situation warrents it

There is enemy armour within 30m

c) There are mines within 30m

The above are also dependent on the level of suppression and if the squad is too close.

[walpurgis nacht]

One more to add to the list . . a little known, very useful demo trick: if you "area target" over 30m distance, and move within 30m of where you "area target" during the turn, they will throw the demo when they arrive.

[xerxes]

Now that is one useful trick I never heard of before.

[FM Paul Heinrik]

That is a very good tip, thanks.

Will engineers cut barbwire? Can they clear road blocks? Can they clear mines without demo-charges left in inv.?

[Kanonier Reichmann]

Engineers only sit & look at barbedwire & roadblocks to admire their asthetic appearance but never to physically do anything about them.

Regards

Jim R.

[FM Paul Heinrik]

Originally posted by Kanonier Reichmann:

Engineers only sit & look at barbedwire & roadblocks to admire their asthetic appearance but never to physically do anything about them.

Regards

Jim R.

Ha ha. Sometimes they even like to sneak around inside barbwire for many, many, many turns.

[xerxes]

Try targeting the wire with engineer's explosives. They'll turn a chunk of the wire into a "crater" which neutralizes the wire.

[FM Paul Heinrik]

Originally posted by xerxes:

Try targeting the wire with engineer's explosives. They'll turn a chunk of the wire into a "crater" which neutralizes the wire.

I could have sworn I've tried that (targeting the ground with explosives) and it didn't get rid of the bardwire. I have also tried shooting roadblocks and minefields and nothing happening. I have seen them clear minefields using demos but can they do it when their demos are gone?

Along that rationale, shouldn't artillery bombardment, or targeting with tank guns also destroy barbwire?

[WarHawk]

Guys,

Thanks for the input.

[flamingknives]

You can clear daisy-chain mines w/out demo charges, but you still need pioneers to do it.

[athkatla]

I'm almost absolutely certain that I used engineers to get through barbed wire in a PBEM I played some time ago now. I'm fairly sure they blew a hole through the wire after sitting almost on top of it for several turns!

[walpurgis nacht]

Originally posted by athkatla:

I'm almost absolutely certain that I used engineers to get through barbed wire in a PBEM I played some time ago now. I'm fairly sure they blew a hole through the wire after sitting almost on top of it for several turns!

no chance.

The only way to advantage yourself using demo to clear wire is (as described above) to blow a crater or 2 on the wire. The crater trumps the wire and so you have a path through. Of coure you can use tanks or other HE to do this just as well, and from a safer distance.

[FM Paul Heinrik]

Ok, I tried using HE/Demo to blow a crater on some barbwire but every time I've done it there was no crater. I know I've seen big calibre guns leave craters as well as Demo charges but apparently there is some random factors involved to having an explosion create a crater. So trying to do that as a game plan will not always work. Good tip none the less.

[walpurgis nacht]

Originally posted by FM Paul Heinrik:

Ok, I tried using HE/Demo to blow a crater on some barbwire but every time I've done it there was no crater. I know I've seen big calibre guns leave craters as well as Demo charges but apparently there is some random factors involved to having an explosion create a crater. So trying to do that as a game plan will not always work. Good tip none the less.

It works fine. Make sure you "area target/use explosives" . . .don't just target the wire. Still, I almost never do this in this way. Better to use HE throwers at a longer/safer distance. If you're sporting a 105mm gun you can expect, without fail, to create craters over the wire in 1 turn.