Boo Radley Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 I'd pretty much given up on actively using FT's in any of my plans for two reasons. 1) They're slower than molasses, and As soon as they get near the action, they die. So the other evening during a QB, I moved my FT into a heavy bldg. near the edge of town where at some point some allied troops just might come by. Much to my surprise, first a Greyhound and then a Stuart picked the very same bldg. to try to sneak around. Results? Two pieces of cooked armor, hold the fries. I was beside myself with joy. Yes, there were actually two of me sitting there, dumbfounded. So, if you're having problems knowing what to do with your FT's. Don't give up. Something just might drop into your lap. And if that happens, use club soda on it immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargon Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 Try using a squad to sheld for the FT team I find out that works well. same as with a spotter...you need units in front of them to work better... Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Manuel Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 While using an FT team from within a building, I wonder if the type of bldg (light/heavy) makes much difference w/r/t the FT lighting up the bldg it is occupying. The AI once punished me w/ an FT team. I ran an Engineer Pn into the 1st row of houses while attacking in the rain. Then I moved an HT in carrying an FT team and a bazooka to join them. The enemy FT cooked the house and HT, and the FT and some other troops were routed/eliminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted March 11, 2002 Author Share Posted March 11, 2002 Originally posted by Sargon: Try using a squad to sheld for the FT team I find out that works well. same as with a spotter...you need units in front of them to work better... ScottI read in one of the threads here a few months ago that if you take your spotter and position him at the leading edge of a treeline by sneaking him through the last several yards of the trees, he won't be seen. I've adopted that practice and since then have never had one of my spotters fired at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Manuel Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 Originally posted by Boo_Radley: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Sargon: Try using a squad to sheld for the FT team I find out that works well. same as with a spotter...you need units in front of them to work better... ScottI read in one of the threads here a few months ago that if you take your spotter and position him at the leading edge of a treeline by sneaking him through the last several yards of the trees, he won't be seen. I've adopted that practice and since then have never had one of my spotters fired at.</font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 Short crawls, and short sneaks, keep the spotter from being spotted as long as they have some cover, sometimes even in the open if you use a butt down position behind a crest or knoll. But don't make the mistake of putting someone near that will attract incoming fire. I've had that happen and suddenly the spotter is visible to everyone with an LOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshandorf Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 The problem isn't with screening FT teams. The problem is that on the attack they move fo fricken slow and inevitably you have to move them through some enemy fire and when you do they just die like rabid weevels, fast and messy. Jeff P.S. Ooo.. but don't get me wrong.. on the defense they can rock... Stick when with some infantry with maybe a barbwire fence or a mine field in front of them and watch them route the enemy soldiers. [ March 11, 2002, 04:19 PM: Message edited by: jshandorf ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xerxes Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 That's why the Queen ordered the creation of the bren carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted March 11, 2002 Author Share Posted March 11, 2002 Yeah, I think that if I'm given FT's in the future in a ME, I'm just going to put them someplace that may see some action and I'll just leave them there...maybe with a coloring book to keep them occupied...a snack in case they get hungry and just see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Manuel Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 Originally posted by jshandorf: The problem isn't with screening FT teams. The problem is that on the attack they move fo fricken slow and inevitably you have to move them through some enemy fire and when you do they just die like rabid weevels, fast and messy. Jeff P.S. Ooo.. but don't get me wrong.. on the defense they can rock... Stick when with some infantry with maybe a barbwire fence or a mine field in front of them and watch them route the enemy soldiers.I've never tried this, but I envision that if you're attacking, you would move up a platoon or two for suppressing fire, then drive an FT team in an HT/APC into an *unoccupied* bldg (so he doesn't take squads with him when he accidentally ignites his own house). Hopefully the FT, assisted by your suppressing squads) can survive the move thru the bldg towards its front and torch the not-so-distant houses that the enemy is hiding in. Just a idea. Perhaps I'll try it out on the AI. It kind of assumes that you don't have any better way of clearing houses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargon Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 FT teams work best in a ..rush forward with your assalt teams about 20 meters behind them..try poping smoke if you have it if not prep-fire...if you are unsure of what is in front.. of you area fire ....is the best rule ...and then move in for the KILL when you have the other side sighted and have good INTEL...Same thing gos for spotters I have very good LUCK when I team up with HQ unit about 20 meters away and have the rest of the squads cover fire .... SCOTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illo Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 I've definetely seen video footage of RUNNING german FT men. Nothing like FTs in CMBO. Are you sure german FTs arent using some prewar equipment? Seems more like FTs in WW1. [ March 11, 2002, 05:11 PM: Message edited by: illo ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargon Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 In combat film footage the FT combat team is not running it just looks like it...try running with a gas tank on your back the weight is to much..you use a FT team for .. guard your left of right Flank for Center Defence or to disloge the enemy from a harden spot that normal squad fire power is doing not a thing...the FT team is best used in STEALTH MODE...sneak good covering fire to keep the enemy off guard while you are moving into the spot you want for the KILL.. SCOTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mud Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Boo Radley -- Was it the AI controlling the Allied side? Against a human player... even on the defensive, I'd worry a bit if given an infantry FT, due to human players being more cautious about screening their vehicles with infantry, and not bunching up... except, perhaps, at night where hiding and sneaking should be easier, or in really constricted terrain like the silly (but quite aesthetically pleasing, I'd say) Bocage Maze scenario. Heck, if it was within FT range, it was also well within faust range. Ouch. Crisping infantry might be good enough, 'tho, depending on who's the screen in that area. Now vehicle FTs on the other hand... a wasp horde in a city map could be really, really annoying, I suspect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 It seems the much of the best and most famous 'combat' footage from WWII was totally faked. Most of the famous footage of North Africa was famously faked. The Hollywood director John Huston did a combat documentary in Italy and decided that real battles weren't particularly photogenic so he had troops recreate their assaults for the camera. And let's not forget the amount of footage lifted from movies (especially Russian and German propaganda film). I suspect the footage of the scampering German FT man was preceeded by someone yelling "Okay, remember, don't look into the camera. Now... Roll 'em!" -- As to FT usage, I get my best use out of them on the defensive. You sit there watching what direction the enemy's going in then you smoke his access route to block it. Suddenly the cover's blocked, the gully out of LOS is impassible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshandorf Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by MikeyD: As to FT usage, I get my best use out of them on the defensive. You sit there watching what direction the enemy's going in then you smoke his access route to block it. Suddenly the cover's blocked, the gully out of LOS is impassible.Gamey bastard. In "reallife" fires don't burn forever and block all passing and LOS. They sometimes burn good... sometimes bad.. sometimes fast.. sometime slow... sometimes you can get through on foot.. sometimes not... sometimes a vehicle can drive or even see through it.. sometime not... CMBO doesn't simulate this... [sarcasm] Remind me never to play you. [/sarcasm] Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted March 12, 2002 Author Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Mud: Boo Radley -- Was it the AI controlling the Allied side? Against a human player... even on the defensive, I'd worry a bit if given an infantry FT, due to human players being more cautious about screening their vehicles with infantry, and not bunching up... except, perhaps, at night where hiding and sneaking should be easier, or in really constricted terrain like the silly (but quite aesthetically pleasing, I'd say) Bocage Maze scenario. Heck, if it was within FT range, it was also well within faust range. Ouch. Crisping infantry might be good enough, 'tho, depending on who's the screen in that area. Now vehicle FTs on the other hand... a wasp horde in a city map could be really, really annoying, I suspect...Yeah, it was against the AI. That's something I've noticed too. The AI doesn't believe in the maxim; infantry support tanks, tanks support infantry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warmaker Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 My best success for any type of FT team (infantry or AFV) has been on the attack... the way I feel it should be. We've debated this a bit before on these forums but alot agree that if you're going to have any success w/ FT units on the attack you must suppress the target. Pin the target then the rest is like watching a BBQ on a long weekend. Engineers are good to for clearing tough defenses but they only have so many demo charges. FT units have more blasts (esp. the vehicle mounted) and can quickly clear out those strongpoints. I've seen good infantry (vet/crack/elite) in CMBO withstand 2 demo charges. Yeah, they got suppressed and definitely took some casualties but several seconds after the 2nd charge they went back to "alerted" status and returned fire. Not so with FT's. They'll panic and run if they don't get fried. Quite oftenly the problem for Allied FT vehicles though is that if the German targets, namely infantry, are in range of the FT, then chances are that you're in range for panzerfausts esp. in the later months. 'Zooks, PIATs, and 'schrecks are a problem all sides face but Pz.Fausts are an added extra worry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 That's why the Queen ordered the creation of the bren carrier. Errm. King George? Liz isn't that old. Besides, it's the universal carrier with a big-assed FT on the back. Also note that the transport on a carrier isn't armoured, so any incoming fire will have the FT scampering off as fast as it's large amount of flame juice will allow it. As to defensive FT use, it's nicer to wait until the first wave of infantry hits the cover infront, then roast them. You rout the squad and set the cover on fire. It also give plausible deniability against claims of gameyness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargon Posted March 14, 2002 Share Posted March 14, 2002 INFO to feed on................................ GERMAN FT weight on average full load 36Kg or 1000g=2.2 lbs or 79.2 lbs try running with that on your back up a hill for about 20 meters.. or going down a hill and try to stop .... .....I think I would be happy juct to walk to the target or ride would be even better.. thanks SCOTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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