Disconcerting realisation: I'm not very good at CMSF

[Bahger]

Now that the game "works" I can no longer blame it for my own deficiencies and they are grave, indeed. before I withdraw in frustration can someone help me with tactics? I'm getting pummeled.

Playing "Chance Encounter", RT/Veteran, the brief says that the crossroads are not defended. However, either they are, or it's a meeting engagement. My anti-armor Strykers seem much thinner-skinned than the Red T-72s so maximising the range to target seems to be the best tactic, yet from a distance the Strykers rarely spot the tanks long enough to get a shot. Meanwhile the tanks have good angles on all open ground; dismounts attempting to cross open ground on the left get annihilated and there are not enough Blue vehicles to be able to transport troops into cover at speed. On the right my troops have their hands full and a battle of attrition develops in the woods. I lose too many men, lose the initiative and then the 40-minute clock runs out.

I'm not criticising the scenario, it's great. My tactics must be profoundly at fault. Can any of you grogs advise re. how to approach this mission, i.e. mounted/dismounted, placement of spotters/sniper, how to cross open ground and use of indirect fires? I'd be grateful for an assist.

[Dirtweasle]

...However, either they are, or it's a meeting engagement.

It's a ME.

SPOLIER ALERT!!

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*IF* you play it cautiously, like you suspect the crossroads are defended, you will give the computer an advantage IMHO. *IF* you play the game like you know the crossroads are open, you will be in for a very good fight.

[Bahger]

Thanks.

SPOILERS AHEAD

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Okay, well what I think I'll try and do next is put the weight of my forces on the right hand side of the road as there is more cover there. The dismounts get hammered in the open ground on the left.

Surely if I played it as though I believed the crossroads to be undefended I'd get ambushed on the road?

[teeps]

Bahger, your post led me to try this scenario, and whilst I lost more Strykers than I'd like, I scored a total victory. The key for me was getting the MGS platforms in close, using buildings for cover, then popping out with covered arcs onto to the threats.

[Bahger]

Interesting. How did you move all that infantry forward over open ground, under fire? As I recall, the more accessible buildings are on the left hand side of the road, whereas the best cover is on the right...

[Homo ferricus]

I've never played, nor do i have time to at the moment, but i suspect that you need to rerun your anti-armor tactics.

First of all, Javelins to every unit if you got them, second of all, you dont want to have a direct confrontation between your MGS and Syrian T-72s. I realize it's a meeting engagement so ambushes on your part might be tricky, but you definitely need to establish covered and defiladed firing positions for the MGS where they can spot Syrian tanks friving by and knock them out, hull down positions would also help. This is kinda simple stuff, what im saying is sit behind somewhere and let the Syrians drive by--blow them away. In these type scenarios in CMSF, it often becomes a competition of winning armor superiority first, then deal with the rest of the battle, much like in modern conflict where you need air superiority before you can work the ground.

if you got unchallenged vehicle support, you got a great advantage in the infantry fight.

obviously

[Bahger]

Useful advice, many thanks. However, surely MGs cannot attrit tanks? Can they even suppress them?

[Dirtweasle]

Originally posted by Bahger:

Interesting. How did you move all that infantry forward over open ground, under fire?

Quickly

Spoiler follows

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I raced forward with my MG teams and a HQ unit in the Strykers IIRC. Secured the building and then leapfrogged the infantry squads through the wheat field. Leaving a squad or two plus the MG teams in the houses securing that Victory locations

MGS = Mobile Gun Systems (Strykers with the cannons)

I too used them like WWII tank hunters. Hit and move.

PS - there's only a few Javelins.

[MikeyD]

And heres MY advice

(SPOILER ALERT)

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No matter what scenario you're in open ground is open ground. Avoid it. I'd suggest loading-up on the (admittedly few) Javlins available and high-tailing it for the hills! Seek as much forest and terrain cover as possible. Use infanty Strykers to keep the Red infantry's head down and maneuver for a clear Javelin shot at the tanks. My suggestion about the MGS... hold them back. if you lose your MGS support AND miss with your Javelins you're screwed entirely. Those MGS vehicles will be priceless during the 'endgame'.

[Bahger]

Thanks Dirtweasle, appreciate the advice and clarification. Needless to say I was not familiar with the acronym MGS.

[Dirtweasle]

NP Bahger, happy to lend what little advice I have to give. It's one of the few custom scenarios I have DL'd and played more than a couple times.

[Battlefront.com]

A general note about MGS...

When the vehicle was first announced a lot of people, professions in uniform and us gamer types, figured that this was a modern day WWII German Puma or something like that. And why not, since the gun is a modified version of what the Abrams used to have for its main armament. But this wasn't the case and is still not the case.

The way to think of the Stryker MGS is like you would think of a WW2 German StuH42 or US M8 or Sherman 105. It's designed for infantry support, not to take on armor. Bunker busting is its main purpose, not taking on tanks. Now, it *can* take on tanks, but just like its WW2 counter parts it is supposed to be done out of desperation and not on purpose. This is especially important since the armor protection of a Stryker MGS is not up to a challenge from enemy armor.

The dedicated AT vehicle in the Stryker family is the Stryker ATGM variant. This one is armed with TOWs and is extremely capable of taking out enemy armor. When the MGS were still in the US undergoing production teething problems the Stryker ATGMs were in Iraq as a very expensive, and not so great, substitute for the MGS. Then again, there is no armor to engage in Iraq so using them to knock apart buildings gave them something to do

Steve

[SlapHappy]

If you MUST engage enemy tanks with MGS, I've found that using a building as concealment and then popping smoke into your firing/LOS area will allow you to setup for the shot when the smoke clears and the enemy unit can be spotted.

In three attempts at doing this, my MGS got off the first shot and holed the enemy tank. If you miss, you are probably in for a world of hurt, however....