Squad tactics - better to area fire first or react to fire?

[Guest Guest]

deleted per user request

[ChrisND]

With conscripts / greens I tend to put my fire support on line, just behind them, and then march a squad or two forward. When they receive enemy fire, I respond to that spot en masse. Rinse and repeat.

[SgtMuhammed]

Just remember what my old platoon sergeant used to tell me. "There is no movement without fire." Suppressive fire isn't necessarily aimed fire. So blanket likely enemy positions then target actual positions as they are identified. You never want to give the enemy the luxury of firing aimed shots at your men even for a moment.

[Pandur]

i rarely do area fire with infantry. when you have free refills, ok sometimes, but other than that, no.

also when you have low quality troos they mostly come with low amounts of ammo too. that creates a problem for area fire.

but you are right that they go out of action nearly as soon as their "incomming-fire-meter" goes up, wich is bad too.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

I would say it depends on the circumstances. I usually do area fire with infantry (especially as the US) and APCs/IFVs whenever I am assaulting a position that I strongly suspect contains enemy troops. The poorer-quality my troops are, the more I do it.

-FMB

[Guest Guest]

deleted per user request

[Paper Tiger]

I have to confess that nowadays, regardless of my troop's experience level, I always use an enormous amount of LIGHT area fire before I move units into a potential field of fire and that includes supporting fire from any vehicles that are available too. At longer ranges, I'll use main gun fire to area fire a potential target too. Red tanks are really good in this role... I play Red on Red exclusively now and I find that it's the only way to keep your casualties at acceptable levels. And by using the 'Target Light' command, I can preserve my RPG-7s for those targets that have revealed themselves.

[DaveDash]

I have found, if ammo permits, it is almost always better to area fire.

If you have three squads for example...

1st squad assaults the position

2nd squad sits in an overwatch position for aimed fire

3rd squad area fires target building

I also use assault commands with area fire from the assaulting unit to surpress bottom floors of buildings if my supporting units cannot see that floor.

This usually results in dead enemies and minimal casualties. Waiting for troops to react to fire usually means 0-2 WIA U.S. soldiers which add up over the course of an operation. Or worse if the enemy gets off an RPG. It's just not worth it.

If you have Strykers I don't find their surpression to be that great, but they are better than nothing, and you have TONS of ammo for your troops.

[MengCiao]

I have to confess that nowadays, regardless of my troop's experience level, I always use an enormous amount of LIGHT area fire before I move units into a potential field of fire and that includes supporting fire from any vehicles that are available too. At longer ranges, I'll use main gun fire to area fire a potential target too. Red tanks are really good in this role... I play Red on Red exclusively now and I find that it's the only way to keep your casualties at acceptable levels. And by using the 'Target Light' command, I can preserve my RPG-7s for those targets that have revealed themselves.

I got the game recently. I have to admit that Red-v-red leads to more interesting battles. Sometimes one finds the victorious army (Often Eithiopians with T55s) has reached the objective despite say 80% of its troops having gone to ground.

[Guest Guest]

deleted per user request

[dima]

I found when playing Ghost Campaign, first mission that doing area fire at those buildings suppressed enemy very well and allowed me to move it. If left for TacAI then my troops would get slaughtered because it doesn't react fast enough.

[Huntarr]

Suppression Guide "Pop-N-Drop"

If you have the ammo it does help to lay down suppression fire.

[Combatintman]

Depends on the victory conditions too I would guess.