Clearing up obstacles

[Liebchen]

So, can engineers use their satchel charges to clear roadblocks or barbed wire? I believe that this would be fairly quick and easy to do in RL. Haven't actually tried it, although it's (obviously) occurred to me.

[Kingfish]

Nope. Apart from minefields Engineers in CMBO cannot remove obstacles.

[Cpl Carrot]

The only things engineers can clear are mines. Of course you have to find them first, and the only way to do that is by stepping on, or driving on, them. Once found, engineers will use their satchel charges and poof no more mine field. Oh Daisy chain mines don't require the use of satchel charges.

Hope this clears things up

Cpl Carrot

[Warmaker]

You don't have to step on a mine covered tile to suddenly find out. Experienced units have a small chance of noticing them ahead of time but they won't find all. Regular and better quality troops do this decently for me. Also, having a few more squads doing this search may save you heartache later if you're patient with them.

Sneaking or on move command does the trick but running is out of the question to spot the mines.

As far as the AT mines goes, it pays to have infantry to supplement your armor. Grunts. Don't leave home without them!

[Silvio Manuel]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>

Sneaking or on move command does the trick but running is out of the question to spot the mines.

As far as the AT mines goes, it pays to have infantry to supplement your armor. Grunts. Don't leave home without them![/QB]<hr></blockquote>

Especially since AFAIK no one has ever spotted an AT minefield before running a vehicle over it; this of course includes Elite Engineers that are motionless ON the AT mines. Know of anyone who has spotted them beforehand?

[rogue male]

Engineers or other troops don't necessarily have to step on mines to find them do they? I have happened on a couple of mine fields before entering them (little sign pops up indicating minefield). How do you know the mine field is clear? Does the sign disappear(in a big kabloom! with a satchel charge)?

[Kingfish]

If you're seeing mines before any unit sets them off then you're probably seeing Daisy chain mines, which are hastily deployed mines placed above ground.

For Daisy chain mines to be cleared you only need to have a unit near it for a turn or two. For the larger (and dug-in) AP and AT mines you'll need an Engineer unit with Satchel charges, and they take longer to clear. Once the mines are cleared the signs disappear, indicating it's ok to continue on (at least for the next 20 meters).

[Redwolf]

I copy from the last thread about "detecting AT mines with infantry":

[Major Drunkinsale entering the scene]

Lieutenant Danker, take your engineers and stuff and get ready to move. Our armour will go through the village of Daddelheim tomorrow and I want you to find out whether the main crossing is mined.

Next morning, the tanks of CCR arrive and approach the crossing. Anxious for mines, the lead tankers look for the promised engineers, whom they find standing beside the crossing, smiling, chewing gums and winking the armour to continue over the crossing.

BLAMMM!

You slackers, you've been told to find out whether the crossing is minded, weren't you?

But - we did, or not?

[Iron Chef Sakai]

Once a mine field is spotted can you do an area fire from a tank or artillary to clear them out?

[Kingfish]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Iron Chef Sakai:

Once a mine field is spotted can you do an area fire from a tank or artillary to clear them out?<hr></blockquote>

Nope. Mine tiles retain their full strength regardless of how many men / vehicles run over them, or how much firepower you put into them.

[Liebchen]

I have seen minefields before stepping on them, and I'm not talking about daisychains, I'm talking about "Panzer meinen." It all has to do with the speed of the approach and (I believe) the type of terrain the mines are laid in.

[Silvio Manuel]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Liebchen:

I have seen minefields before stepping on them, and I'm not talking about daisychains, I'm talking about "Panzer meinen." It all has to do with the speed of the approach and (I believe) the type of terrain the mines are laid in.<hr></blockquote>

Really? Do you still have the movie file? What terrain were the AT mines in? People complain that you'll never spot AT mines in advance, even with Elite troops sitting right next to the mined tile.

[JigVictor07]

I've seen it also happen that AT mines are spotted before an AFV moves over them.

In the current operation I'm playing the infantry has spotted two AT minefields, one on the railtracks and one on the paved road.

[Conscript Bagger]

I have seen minefields before stepping on them, and I'm not talking about daisychains, I'm talking about "Panzer meinen."

I don't think there are different signs marking daisychains and buried AT mines, which means only the player who laid them can tell the difference (by the size of the base or by using the LOS tool).

In the current operation I'm playing the infantry has spotted two AT minefields, one on the railtracks and one on the paved road.

The only kind of minefield that can be laid in a paved tile is a daisy chain. AT and AP minefields can be placed with their center very close to the edge of the road, and thereby overlap the pavement. But if you're seeing a minefield sign in the center of a paved road, I'm willing to bet it's a daisy chain (barring scenario-editor trickery). Don't know if the same applies to RR tiles.

[willbell]

I think engineers can demolish buildings. I believe that is what the manual says, the result is a huge conflagaration.

I had a building do that to me once during game where I had about three squads moving through it. This baffled me for the longest time. The only explanation I can think of is that I had an engineer squad lay area fire on the building before entering, but being so close they demolished it instead. You should have seen the squads fly out of the building. They didn't sustain any damage but I bet they wanted to damage the engineers.

[Massattack]

Willbill, That huge conflagration is the nuclear bomb in the basement going off!.Seriously though ,the game seems to model building destruction like a large bomb, must share the same bmp files or something. If you have troops in a building when it collapses they generally suffer some casualties:you were lucky your's did not. The troops will often try to leave a building of their own volition if it is nearing collapse. If you click on your units that are in a building that is receiving shellfire, you will see them as in terrain type "Building*", or worse "Building**". The asterix means the building is damaged. When you see 2 asterixes,get them outa there pronto, if they have not already tried to leave themselves. Engineers in CM can only clear Minefields, destroy bunkers, pillboxes, or vehicles with their satchel charges, they cannot clear barbedwire, destroy bridges or buildings.

Hope this helps.

Also in close combat, an engineer squad can throw the satchel charge at an enemy squad. I recently had this happen against me and lost quite a few men in the explosion........bit stronger than a grenade you might say!

[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: Massattack ]</p>

[Silvio Manuel]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Massattack:

Also in close combat, an engineer squad can throw the satchel charge at an enemy squad. I recently had this happen against me and lost quite a few men in the explosion........bit stronger than a grenade you might say!

[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: Massattack ]<hr></blockquote>

I once had my Brit rifle squad be the victim of a Pioneer's demo charge...it was odd b/c they went from OK to Routed!, but took no casualties (pixelated cowards!)