Help a new guy out

[MIDN Bud]

Hello all,

I bought the CMSF base game and Marines module a couple days ago after playing the demo nonstop and have been lurking around here for a few days now. I'm really enjoying the game, truly is great fun, but I have a couple of questions. *note: I am not a CMx1 veteran, although I did play a couple of the demos for that as well.

1) How do I string orders together? I'll order a unit to go from way point to way point etc. But I've noticed wen you guys post screenshots of your assualts and advances you are giving units pause commands and targt commands at waypoints. How do you do this? It would help a lot to not do so much micro managing after every single waypoint.

2) How do you guys use armored vehicles? I think I'm getting the hang of leap frogging men forward into buildings and using my AAVs or Strykers to target light the buildings to suppress them, but I lose far to much of my armor assest in almost every mission.

That's all I could come up with for now, but if I have any more questions I won't hesitate to ask.

[Gpig]

Welcome!

This is how I do it.

1. Once you plot your moves, laying down waypoints along the way, you can then select the actual waypoint (it turns bright white) and apply an order to THAT SPECIFIC WAYPOINT. What I like about this is that you can plot a move and select any waypoint along the way AND apply a target order to that waypoint. It's another way of knowing weather or not a unit will have LOS/LOF to a specific building once they gain a specific piece of ground.

2. Send your men in first to find the enemy. Keep your armour in overwatch to supress the enemy. Also keep infantry/HQ's in overwatch to help SPOT any enemy. Once they are found, move choice pieces of armoured support up to remove the enemy threat. Rinse, repeat.

[Dietrich]

Howdy.

(I know some of this is rehashing what Gpig has just written, but this is a cross-post anyway.)

1) For a string of movement orders, left click on the waypoint marker (triangle or circle) and select an order. You can have multiple orders (one of each type) per waypoint -- for example, you can have a Stryker pause for 10 seconds at a waypoint and area-fire at a targeted building.

2) Assume the enemy has at least a few RPGs, if not two or three ATGMs. Thus, keep your armored vehicles well away from buildings and anywhere else the enemy might be lurking. Use your infantry to screen for enemy AT assets before moving your armored vehicles up -- you may even want to keep your armored vehicles under cover until you have some idea where the enemy's AT assets are.

Hope this helps.

[dan/california]

1) Highlight the way point, you have to get the mouse out of the movement cursor mode by clocking off the map first.

2) Be very careful, and very brutal.

a) Keep your armor as far back as possible and plaster anything that even might hide an RPG/ATGM team before moving into LOS.

Maintain strong overwatch at all times.

c) Press the smoke button frequently.

d) Except for mass efforts on positions you are sure you understand move as few units as possible at one time.

e) Use some of the over-watching units for area fire to suppress suspected positions, and give some target arcs to deal with bad guys as they show up.

f) Where possible hammer all known enemies into dog-meat before looking for more.

g) Get observers on any possible high ground and forward positions. What you don't know will hurt you, badly.

[dan/california]

Beaten to the punch, twice, story of my life.

[MIDN Bud]

Thanks for the prompt and imformative responses!

Is there an order which specifically places a unit on overwatch, or is that just their default move if they don't have another order at the moment? I've been putting a target arc on areas I suspect would have an enemy prescence.

[dan/california]

Thanks for the prompt and imformative responses!

Is there an order which specifically places a unit on overwatch, or is that just their default move if they don't have another order at the moment? I've been putting a target arc on areas I suspect would have an enemy prescence.

Not really, but moving units have a significant reduction in their ability to spot quickly and engage accurately. This varies by unit and movement type, An Abrams with an elite crew and a slow move order is barely impacted. A Syrian conscript squad with a fast move order is essentially blind and helpless, there is a broad continuum in between.

[c3k]

Best tactical use of armor:

1. Plot your moves. Be aggressive with your armor.

2. Save game.

3. Execute orders. Watch which tanks get blown up; where are they when they get hit? Where did the fire come from?

4. Quit game.

5. Load save game. Don't move your vehicles where they just got blown up. Change orders to area fire on anti-tank unit locations.

Seriously, play, play play. You will get a feeling for the tempo and distance. You WILL lose assets. That's the nature of the beast.

Enjoy,

Ken

[Dietrich]

Is there an order which specifically places a unit on overwatch, or is that just their default move if they don't have another order at the moment? I've been putting a target arc on areas I suspect would have an enemy prescence.

Overwatch simply means a unit is stationary and in a good position to provide covering fire for a friendly unit that is moving.

Assigning a unit a target arc will, for one thing, make that unit spot enemy units more readily and return fire more promptly.

[Other Means]

Thanks for the prompt and imformative responses!

Is there an order which specifically places a unit on overwatch, or is that just their default move if they don't have another order at the moment? I've been putting a target arc on areas I suspect would have an enemy prescence.

As Dietrich said, overwatch is more a tactical concept than a game concept. When you're moving your men forward you want to be able to shoot at anything that shoots at them.

You need to be able to lay down more firepower to the enemy than you're receiving - bearing in mind firepower is attenuated by cover. That means you'll win the firefight.

In CM2 playing Blue your intent is to be able to give enough instant response to prevent your infantry force taking any casualties. This means massive amounts of support from vehicles and other teams.

Have one team moving and the rest of your force ready to kill anything that shoots at them.

But the main thing to bear in mind with vehicles is they're not swordsmen they only need to be able to see the enemy - not close with him. Keep them as far back as you can and still get support to your soldiers. Use their long range and enhanced optics to good effect.

[handihoc]

There are some excellent tutorials stickied in the Strategy and Tactics forum. Well worth checking out.

[Meach]

Welcome to the forums, mate.

[RadioactiveMan]

Distance, distance, distance!

I like Other Means comment about how vehicles are not swordsmen. This is a good thing to remember. I often find myself thinking, "great, my vehicle has spotted the enemy and seems to be killing some of them, or at least they are suppressing them. I bet if I move closer I will be able to kill them faster and suppress them more..." This may seem like a good idea, but its actually just an invitation for them to inflict damage on you. Patience is important as the Blue player. Be willing to just stand off and unload on enemy positions from as far away as possible. This is great advice for infantry as well as for vehicles.

[theFightingSeabee]

Like Dan said, use smoke. But you only have a limited amount of smoke to use so use it wisely.

Pay attention to the wind direction (we need a wind indicator!). Once you pop smoke, watch which way it blows. If you're in the right spot, you can follow the cloud without being spotted! Or you can pop on one side of a danger area and let the smoke roll across it. Then cross or allow other units to cross. You can smoke with artillery too.

Just think of how they would use a tank in Iraq. Infantry would become engaged with an enemy and CALL IN the tank like you would artillery or air support. Then have the tank or other support vehicle move to a position to fire on the enemy location. Keep in mind, the tank doesn't have to see the enemy, it can open fire right into a building and usually take out whoever is inside.

At any rate, welcome to the friendliest forums around (as you can see by all the folks willing to help you out) and the greatest modern tactical wargame ever made!