Area fire

[Bruceov]

What is area fire. I dont fire unless I have a target. (except with tanks targetting buildings) Is there supressive value is targetting the area where units are without targetting a particular unit?

[Eden Smallwood]

Originally posted by Bruceov:

What is area fire.

It's firing over a certain area, rather than one exact target.

Is there supressive value is targetting the area where units are without targetting a particular unit?

Yes, that's exactly the idea.

Eden

[KEEF888]

Check out page 89 of the CMBB manual. It not only explains what "area fire" is, but also gives a good example of when/how to use it, along with the reasoning behind implementing it. Hope this helped.

[Spacewrangler]

Perhaps the most effective use of area fire is with on-screen mortars, especially the 60mms.

"Area fire" with mortars actually creates occasional airburts, whereas if you pick an exact target, you will never get airburts.

I prefer having the occasional airburst, especially if the target is in the woods, so I almost always move the cursor slightly off the target so that I get an "area fire" instead of targeted fire.

[xerxes]

Area fire is absolutely CRITICAL to executing an attack against a good defender. You have to suppress likely enemy positions before you cross open ground or you'll be cut to pieces in a stone cold second.

I've had an entire squad vanish from a single burst of fire from an enemy platoon/mg at close range in the open.

[Chad Harrison]

Agree with above. Without area fire, any assault against a human player will fail. If you just select the targets, they will usually go pinned and drop out of LOS. You squad will stop firing at the target. Then your assaulting platoon will show up, and the pinned squad will open up at point blank range and take out 20 or so men. Solution, area fire right on top of them and the firing units will continue to fire.

Chad