CMBB infantry tactics?

[Björn Eriksson]

I did a search on this subject but didn't find anything useful.

Can anyone give me some good tactics for attacking with infantry in CMBB? I am sick of being trashed by the AI in every QB I play as the attacker.

For example, how long do I have to fire to suppress the enemy enough to assault it if I have one MG area firing on a 3x1 patch of wood with one enemy platoon in it?

[Agua]

Originally posted by KnivBjorn:

For example, how long do I have to fire to suppress the enemy enough to assault it if I have one MG area firing on a 3x1 patch of wood with one enemy platoon in it?

In short, it depends on the firepower being directed toward the unit (which is a function of the distance), and the exposure of the target unit (which is a function of the cover afforded by the terrain / posture of the targeted unit). If you place your targeting line on the target unit, just for info purposes, you will get a display of the percentage of exposure of the target unit as well as the firepower of the firing unit that is being delivered at that range. Jason Cawley provided some pretty good number / % combination guidelines in this forum a couple of years ago, but I haven't sat down and looked at what the effects / numbers are in CMBB.

Here's a few tips for advancing infantry which is not presented here as being "the best" or anything else, only what I do. As a general rule, if you don't anticipate immediate fire / contact, then "move to contact" is a good command which will cause your troops to stop upon sighting of an enemy, or being fired upon, and return fire (if they have spotted the firing enemy unit). Once they've spotted a unit, however, if they have LOS to any unit on the field, they will immediately stop, which means they aren't going to continue with another "move to contact" command if they start the next turn with LOS to an enemy unit.

When that's the case, "move" is a good option, IF the distance to the enemy unit is such that the firepower delivered is going to be very, very low

(that is, it won't cause anything worse than a "shaken" state). The problem with "move" is they execute the movement command without regard for fighting back, or seeking cover across the terrain (note that even "open" terrain has cover value to it, its abstracted however, so you can't see it). They not only will not fire at enemy troops, they will not take advantage of the natural cover that's available to them and will blithely take fire until they suffer extreme morale loss.

A safer alternative is to use the "Advance" command, which will allow your troops to both return fire, AND, make full use of the available abstracted cover. It's not available to some units though; *I think* perhaps out of command green and conscript units, exhausted units, and support weapon teams are incapable of executing the advance order. There is a downside to this though, as "Advance" will tire your troops rather quickly. When they're tired, their firepower is reduced, and their morale is more fragile. A workaround I've found is at the start of every turn, give your "Advanc[ing]" troops a pause, or two, or three, to help keep them from tiring as quickly. They will stop where they are at during the pause and will not tire so easily over distances (of course, they are slower getting to their destination doing this). Troops executing an "Advance" order do not travel as quickly as when executing a "move" or "move" to contact order.

It's a good idea to utilize running or bounding overwatch when advancing so as to keep units ready to provide covering fire should (when) the point squad is fired upon, regardless of the order type the units are travelling under.

"Assault", the manual states, is good for clearing the last "10 or 20 meters" or so upon the target / objective. It is very fatiguing and cannot be performed by conscripts, out of command green units, units which have previously panicked, exhausted units, or the support teams. There may be other units excluded from utilization of this command; check the manual.

"Run" really should only be used when there is a safe passage for your troops, and you are in a must get there situation. It tires your troops too easily, they are not concerned with protecting themselves from incoming fire but only getting to their destination as quickly as possible.

It goes without saying that you need to have as much suppressive firepower supporting your movement into fire as you can gather together. Cover arcs will help keep the supporting units from being distracted by units on the periphery which are not challenging your advance. A lot of folks argue that firing blind at sound contacts, or suspected areas of enemy location without any type of cue, is a good idea. I differ, simply on the basis of ammo wastage, and sound contacts are always inaccurate. Area fire at a lost spotted position, however, if the circumstances are such that the unit really had nowhere to go, seems to me to be a good idea. Otherwise, I just wait until I have a visual contact before unleashing the suppressive fire.

These are just my opinions on the matter coming from someone who has played CMBB a little over a month, so, TIFWIW. Two months from now, I will likely be saying, "WTH was I thinking?!?!", but, these seem to work at the moment, anyway.

[ October 29, 2002, 08:23 PM: Message edited by: Agua ]

[Björn Eriksson]

Thank you Agua!

That was exactly the kind of response I had hoped for!

[skelley]

Another thing you want to do is focus on an area with overwhelming force. Do not bunch up a bunch of platoons as that will invite an arty strike. Use three platoons to take a position. Use 1 platoon as an assault platoon while using the other 2 as suppressing fire. Keep these platoons seperated. You should use a couple MGs and 50mm mortars for suppression also. I like using the advance command to close with the enemy over open ground. I always like to scout the area I suspect before opening fire. I use a split squad for this. Once I locate the enemy I target all platoons on them. I try to close with the enemy with my assault platoon stopping at every bit of cover leading to the enemy position. I choose a path that has the most cover close to the position so that I can use the assault command when close. Also You will want to find a path that isn't open to every enemy position on the map.For the final assault I area target with mortars and MGs so that they keep firing instead of switching targets every other second.

After I take that position I send in my suppression forces through and start hitting other positions from the flank with them while hitting them from the front with my reserve platoons. The key is breaking through in one area.

You just need to keep practicing and you will come up with the right tactics.

[Agua]

Agree with Skelley, wholeheartedly. The "cover with two, advance with one" approach would be the ideal.

Also, I recommend a very good practice scenario on the CD: Hill 312. You'll have to utilize all the new advance commands, as well as area fire, covering arcs, overwatch, and suppressive techniques in order to soundly beat that one. It's not a hard scenario, you just have to approach it the right way.

[Panzer76]

I would just like to add that when attacking with inf, smoke is essential. Buy a on board 81 mm mortar or 2, or use your FO, but whatever you do, make sure you block the enemys LOS to your advance.

The smoke will be "deployed" approx 40 sec after the round hits the ground.

Remember that if it is raining, smoke will dissapate MUCH faster!

[Henri]

Lots of good advice given.

But just be aware that a sigle machinegun should have no trouble holding off a single platoon assaulting it over open terrain. So if you don't have other units to support the assault, forgitaboudit and do something else (such as using this platoon to suppress the MG, if it has nothing better to do).

Another key point is that infantry in CMBB will hit the dirt much faster when shot at, and they will often break at the first burst from a heavy MG if conscript or green.

You might try breaking up the squads into half squads and assaulting with the parts that have the light weapons while the other halves support, but against an entrenched MG, I doubt that this would be enough to get to the MG.

I haven't tried it myself - in my one week experience with CMBB I have been advancing againt light opposition or backed up by suppressing tanks, MGs and mortars.

Henri

[Andrew H.]

This is all good advice. I have two further points:

(1) Be patient. The shoot-with-two,-advance-with-one plan works very well, but unless time is of the essence, don't rush into it. That is, if on turn 1 you have three squads lined up ready to go, don't immediately launch an assault with the assault squad. Spend two or three turns softening up the target with all three squads before advancing the assault squad, if you have the time.

(2) I've found the assault command to be more and more handy. While I originally used it just to close with enemy troops in foxholes, I now use it almost every time I need to cross 30 meters or so of open ground, such as going across a road or moving in the open area between buildings. It may be my imagination,but I think that the morale boost is noticeable when the troops are fired on from a distant MG. My impression is that if troops are crossing a smallish open area between two covers and a MG about 300 meters away opens up on them, Advancing troops will drop and crawl the rest of the way, while Assaulting troops will continue their Assault move uninterrupted.

Of course, there are other limits to the Assault move - you tire easily and there is only one waypoint - but within those limits, it's very useful.

Oh, here's a third *bonus* tip: if you unexpectedly are faced with an enemy tank or a distant MG and are in light cover, often the best reaction is to Hide. This would be a situation where you are in, say, scattered trees, with no other good cover around...and suddenly an enemy tank shows up around 400 meters away. If you run, you will get cut down in the open. If you stay put, you will get blown up, rout, and be cut down in the open. If you hide, you will usually become a unit marker to the enemy tank. Of course, it can still area fire on you, but that's less effective than regular fire. I think it's kind of a realistic tactic, too.

[Eric Alkema]

Not that I necessarily disagree but I find that (1) can often be the same as “reveal that you have a bunch of guys in this area and have them sit there while the enemy FO does his thing”, resulting in me kicking off my assault at just before the artillery starts raining down. Let me guess the reply, “spread your supporting units out.” I also find that if there is enough open LOS for two spread out platoons to shoot at a relatively small area, there is also enough open LOS for MGs, tanks and guns to wreak havoc. Let me also guess "that's what smoke is for." Fine! Just don't try this more than a couple of times in a company level game, it can use a lot of ammo.