Stryker Mobile Gun System

[ShaneO]

I've never been much use with vehicle tactics, and the MGS just baffles me. As it currently stands, being an MGS driver assigned to my command isn't far short of a death sentence. Furthermore, during their brief lifespan, I can't come up with anything useful for them to do. They don't pack the ammo load to pound away at static defences from long range, but naturally putting them up against tanks head-to-head reduces their battlefield role to being a decent place to toast marshmallows.

I'm pretty new to Shock Force, and have just started experimenting with having one follow each Stryker infantry platoon, so the infantry go up front with their Strykers covering them and the MGS covering those. Due to the way they're typically assigned by platoon though, I suspect that this isn't how the pros do it. Any suggestions?

[Inkompetent]

What I mainly use them for is to attack enemy APCs and other lighter vehicles from hull down positions, or to be used as direct fire support against buildings, simply shooting out whole floors with HE rounds, instead of waiting for howitzers or air planes to do the job of protecting my assaulting infantry and vehicles.

Also with the new smoke screen fire mission you can cover you position and engage enemy tanks through the smoke with your Stryker MGSs. Only do this against older, non-upgraded armour though, since the modern systems will have passive IR that can see through the smoke just as well as you.

Know that the Strykers' own smoke is IR-blocking to give them full protection, so you can't 'Pop Smoke' and see through that.

[missinginreality]

I've also found having them unbuttoned and in hull down overwatch as ShaneO stated helps significantly.

[SgtMuhammed]

As you have seen the MGS absolutely CANNOT stand toe to toe with enemy tanks, even old ones. The anti-tank capability is basically for emergencies only. The main tank killers in the Stryker BCT are the Javelins, TOWs, and any attached armor.

The MGS should be used like an old style assault gun. It lacks the ammo to be a rolling barrage (which is the result of what I consider to be criminally bad design) so the best use is to get your infantry near their final assault positions and then put a round or two into the enemy position to disrupt and injure them prior to your infantry assault. Trying to use it as the sole means to eliminate enemy positions will quickly deplete your ammo so it is best used as a 105mm sniper. It is also good for rapid response while waiting for arty to come in.

The MGS is a weapon that really benifits from Real Time play since you can better manage its rate of fire instead of having it fire away for a minute.

[DaveDash]

They are good for two things:

1. Breaching Walls - They are extremely handy in this role, and this is what they are designed to do IRL I believe (along with breaching walls in buildings, which they dont do in CMSF)

2. Surpressing Infantry - usually machine guns. Faster and more accurate than a mortar.

As for WEGO - do this.

1. Move forward

2. Target at the forward waypoint

3. Pause

4. Reverse

5. Face Command

That way your MGS will only fire one or two shots, since the target command is cancelled by a face command.

[Huntarr]

The MGS is a rapid response infantry support platform. You are correct it is not a Main Battle Tank nor is it a Tank Destroyer.

Use it to support infantry. Remember it carries the Ma Duece and 3,000 rounds in it's coax. That's where your money maker is.

Take a look at Shoot-N-Scoot in my sig line. I wrote those last year, they'll help you control your Wego ammo usage.

"The sole purpose of the cannon on the tank is to let the tank get into where it can use it's machine gun to kill the enemy."

[bodkin]

The MGS is difficult to play with in WEGO if you get it to area fire at a building it uses up most of it's ammo in 1 min. This is why I've previously suggested a 'Fire Short' command to be added for the benefit of WEGO players where units can be instructed to fire in 15 sec increments much like the 'Pause' command works. So potentially you could get your unit to fire for 15 - 45 seconds.

[Chainsaw]

The MGS is difficult to play with in WEGO if you get it to area fire at a building it uses up most of it's ammo in 1 min. This is why I've previously suggested a 'Fire Short' command to be added for the benefit of WEGO players where units can be instructed to fire in 15 sec increments much like the 'Pause' command works. So potentially you could get your unit to fire for 15 - 45 seconds.

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=82035

thats already doable if you do read huntarrs tips....

[wolf66]

Has the problem with acquiring targets by itself been solved ? I remember some reports, that the CMSF MGS were virtually blind ?

[Huntarr]

Thanks Chainsaw, I'm still amazed that folks haven't seen that tutorial. You'd think it'd be required training by now.

[wolf66]

I checked it myself and they acquire targets - Yes !

[Chainsaw]

Thanks Chainsaw, I'm still amazed that folks haven't seen that tutorial. You'd think it'd be required training by now.

BFC should make a post called "tactics tutorials" and link to them all from there Gunny! (maybe your rank is enough to make them pull it through?)

/Chainsaw

[ShaneO]

Right, I've been using my MGSs a lot more carefully since reading all this, and am having plenty of success with them. Thanks all for the advice!

[MikeyD]

I recall an old (pre-war?) Patton quote saying tank machine guns were infinitely more useful than the cannons. Of course back then it was the difference between a half dozen Browning mgs and one 35mm popgun, not 1-2 mg's and a 105mm cannon.

MGS should be entirely subordinate to the infantry, its supposed to be used to help the grunts cross open ground in one piece. That means supressing incoming fire and intimidating with its presence (which I admit doesn't work too well against the AI). I read one MGS crewman brag that when the turret started to rotate all hostile fire stopped. Of course the same could be said of a static T54 too

[Huntarr]

I recall an old (pre-war?) Patton quote saying tank machine guns were infinitely more useful than the cannons. Of course back then it was the difference between a half dozen Browning mgs and one 35mm popgun, not 1-2 mg's and a 105mm cannon.

"The sole purpose of the cannon on the tank is to let the tank get into where it can use it's machine gun to kill the enemy."

I posted in #6 of this very thread.