Tactics: Which is the best building level

[kevinkins]

We have 8 levels now. Is there a level that is in general best for LOS/LOF. Higher cant always be better.

Kevin

[weasel75]

No idea, but for sure I avoid levels with a balcony - had some serious casualties in the MOUT-training... or was that just "bad luck"?

For the same reason my troops are never send on a roof, except for observers/HQ (in a safe environment)... but even then a single sniper can totally ruin the day.

[bigmac1281]

Why can't higher be better? Higher allows you to see over more obstacles. The only disadvantage of being so high is if your building starts to come under heavy fire (RPG, Javelin, tank main gun rounds, etc) you're probably screwed, since you'll never make it down to the bottom floor to get out before the building comes down around you.

From an observation standpoint, higher is better. But like I pointed out above, from a survivability standpoint, maybe not.

[birdstrike]

Higher means better LOS but also more exposure. It's always a trade off. Goes for buildings and hills alike.

A unit in a high building may be in a position to shoot alot of enemy units below, but this also means all those units below can shoot back at them. Depending on the circumstances, it will often be safer to remain close to the ground.

For observation, high positions are definitely better, but I'd recommend using a small cover arc to keep your observers unnoticed.

[molotov_billy]

One thing I like to do is to split my rifle squads and have the sections occupy different floors, or different sides of the same floor. Really improves survivability, especially against HE.

Balconies are murder traps, especially in terms of being spotted. I wish that rifleman wouldn't automatically go out on them unless told to do so.

[BigCat]

If you expect contact close by, you better stay out of roofs and balconies. However, if the area immediately across is secured, ie you have troops already there, getting a MMG team or a squad in a high floor or a roof is valuable to provide 360° fire support and observation. Artillery or a strike mission within LOS of your FO is going to ruin the day of the other guy. Guaranteed!

[zwobot]

Being in a building is never a good thing once you have been spotted by your enemies.

When a whole platoon starts firing at a building (even if its only small arms) everything inside is dead after short amount of time.

[SgtMuhammed]

The best answer is as high as you need to be to see the target. The more you can see the more things that can potentially see you. Unless you are absolutely sure that nothing can see you it is best to minimize exposure.

[Brent Pollock]

I'll have to do some follow up testing, but based on an experience with yesterday's playing of "Al Huqf Engagement" (which seems to take place at dusk), there may be a sighting adavantage for looking down through windows from a rooftop.

Tis is base on the observation that a Syrian infantry squad (11 guys) parked in a building with cover arc orders (but not "hiding") got bounced by US troops that had moved onto rooftops within the arc.

Could've just been a one off thing but...

[spoiler alert]

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considering that the Syrians are "Regular" and the US infantry are "Conscript" in that one, it seemed odd. Certainly when the US troops were moving at ground level on the street, they were easy enough to spot (no surprise there).

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[bottom buffer for spoiler]

[Lightning War]

Rooftops are fine as long as enemies in different buildings don't occupy any higher points of elevation. Earlier today I (accidentally) sent a squad from ground floor onto a rooftop and they got massacred because the enemy was in a taller building. Before they went onto the rooftop they didn't lose a single man.