View Full Version : Smoke?
Ok so this topic that Im bringing up will show all you how much I still have to learn about this game (maybe now I'll get opponents :laugh: )
Anyways hopefully you veterns can help me out with this but anyone is free to add their comments and thoughts.
Basically my question is how do you use smoke in a scenario? What are advantages and disadvantages? How is it used most effectivly? What are some tatical uses for it? So I want to know anything and everything about useing smoke in scenarios.
Thanks DJ
John Given
06 Apr 05, 23:39
Hey Dj. The first thing I thought of when I saw this post, was that you were noticing the smoke clouds I was making in the game we are currently playing. I'll break my answer down into 3 parts;
1. Purpose and effects of smoke.
Smoke is used to block line of sight, and alter the attack strengths of combatants. It is not harmful, and artillery can even fire it into friendly infantry and it will not harm them. Smoke will last for one turn after it is fired. In the CS, it is not affected by weather. Units firing out of a smoke hex halve their attack factors, but units firing into a smoked hex halve their attack strength. To my knowledge, it has no effect on close assaults.
2. What units can create smoke.
Units with a white circle on the left side of their info box can make smoke. These include most artillery-type units (but not all), and engineers.
3. How to create smoke. First, you must have smoke points. There are to the right of the turn indicator at the bottom left of the screen. The little grey circle :bandit: will have a number next to it. that is the # of smoke points you have. Each smoke point can smoke one hex for one turn. To fire smoke, hold down the "alt" key when plotting an artillery strike. Engineers fire smoke by
a) going to fire mode, then
b) hold down the "alt" key and
c) right-click in the same hex that engineer is in
Take note; the engineer must still have enough action points to fire, and expending them by creating smoke could potentially draw enemy op fire. (I've never tried to have engineers fire smoke a few hexes from their postition, but I'm fairly sure they cannot). In rare cases, special engineering vehicles can fire smoke.
My main use of smoke is to halve any enemy attack factors that might me directed at the engineer, For example, enemies don't like it when I try to remove their mines, so after moving into a minefield, I will often have the eng. unit fire smoke to lessen his chance of being disrupted/reduced/retreated. It also makes it easier for the engineer to advance, as his chances of taking damage are greatly reduced. For example, move the engineer a hex or two, smoke his hex, repeat each turn as necessary.
Hope that helps!! :cheeky:
Yeah John this is cause of seeing you use it in our game but I've always wondered. Thanks for the reply I'll have to try some of that stuff out.
Anyone else have anything to add or discuss, that would be great
DJ
I sometimes use the smoke to enter the smoked hex with a unit to draw op fire, and hope for the best. It is helpful when you are in an area without improved hexes. I remember I played a scenario a long time ago, and it had these tank units that could fire smoke on the same turn a few hexes away. Now that was cool. Nothing worse than setting your artillery to fire smoke on the following turn, just to find it is now not the right hex.
There was alot of smoke in Vietnam also....but that was because of all the weed being burned. :smoke:
Cheers,
Ray
DJ,
Another good way to use smoke to cover an advance is to put smoke in a hex that say is on top of a hill, and that 12 sp's or so worth of Panther tanks are parked on while their crews are having a tailgate party grilling bratwursts over a burning GI recon unit and swilling pilsner :drink: as they wait for the necesary but dangerous advance of your pack of Shermans :horse: through the valley and to the objective hex! heheheh. Wait, those were my Sherms. Not that you still didn't get a major victory in that game- but I did atleast manage to get you off of that hill for a little while!
Gawd! And now you have Tigers too in our latest excursion. AND you just took out one of my only mortar half track platoons- who incidentally, was going to be smoking a few hexes until you turned the platoon into burning wrecks and cancelled their mission. Tsk tsk...I'll have to send my pack of Stuarts after you soon! That'll teach your Panther and Tiger crews!! Look for them to be coming out of a cloud of smoke by the way, like a pack of chihuahuas hungry for the flesh of pitbulls and rotwielers!!
grrrrrrr.....yip yip yip!!!
PooF- I'm gone. :nuts:
Yes well Im slowly learning the art of smoke ..... like the Panthers I have covered in smoke that are haveing target practice with your chiuha.....er I mean tanks:laugh: Oh wait whats that on the hill more tanks in smoke??:whist: This is a fun scenario I like the idea of just armored battle although Im not sure how fair the tanks are.....
On that note does any one else know of any mainly tank scenarios??
Thanks, DJ
Yeah, your Panthers don't seem to be having much trouble seeing through their protective smoke screen to get positive fire results. Even into a village, through the smoke a couple of km's away. As to the scenario When the Big Cats come to Play and fairness...well- I think the US IS at a big disadvantage as far as units are concerned, but at least they start with the high ground. It's damn hard though- I've been playing for a draw from the start. I haven't even seen the Tigers- though I imagine they are on a hill in a smoke screen by now, training their 88's on my village! Detroit should have built me a few more Sherms for this one! And now, you have a minor V by one point, and I HAVE to come out and play with the Big Cats! You'll see a LOT of smoke very shortly- planned smoke that is- not my burning vehicles(you'll see that too I'm afraid :cry: )
On other Tank scenarios- it's a good combined arms battle I am suggesting, but Tank Graveyard at Minsk for EFII is a fun one.
Defintly a disgrace to the Germany as I led their best tanks into a whole sale slaughter against the Americans. I easily flank them and showed my strenght but the Abatis in the last two turns punch a huge hole in my center and took back the objectives ending the once one sided game into a major loss for me.... I was the summarily relieved of my commander and beaten by Hitler himself :cry:
but I did enjoy playing the scenario and learned some things not to do and Abatis is a very fine opponent who I have enjoyed playing against very much.
Hell DJ, I just got lucky that you were concentrating on the flanks..I *thought* you might be weak in the center- but every recce unit that I sent there was blown away- so when I did make the push, it was a gamble. I tried to make the push a turn earlier- did you notice the smoke I dropped out on the highway? Thats what it was for, but you made a renenwed push on my left and right yourself and delayed me. I was totally playing for a draw- until you had a minor V by 1 point, I was content to just sit back in Puffindorf and let you come at me...then I got lucky and inflicted a few casualties on your flanking forces- got it back to a draw, and once again you had to take the initiative or accept a draw yourself. Then you got back to a minor V again, was knocked back to a draw- it was quite a teeter totter slug match! Loved it. Thankfully, I had enough Stuarts left after they were used to assault and drive off a couple platoons of flanking Tiger Tanks(who were disrupted from Sherms firing from the hill side, behind them)to make a grab for the center, and get a win. Our casualties were alomost dead even- you lost 4 sp's more than I. I did NOTt expect to score a major V this game! I was looking at merely staving off a defeat! LOL
I am definitely better on the defense than the attack. My attacks seem to grind down into chaos usually- just ask Jason "Stonewall" Petho! He's schooling me again, this time in "Strike of the Lehr!" Where I have a tired demoralized incarnation of the Panzer Lehr division(with LOTS of firepower nontheless)and he is stopping me in my tracks- with heavy losses to both sides. Curse the little town of Weyer, Jason! Curse it!! LOL!! I've invested nearly an entire battalion of infantry and a company of Panthers supported by another company of pioneers- and it WON"T FALL- my troops there are a shadow of their former selves. Damn, but it is fun!
All the best, folks
Jason Petho
27 Apr 05, 16:54
I am definitely better on the defense than the attack. My attacks seem to grind down into chaos usually- just ask Jason "Stonewall" Petho! He's schooling me again, this time in "Strike of the Lehr!" Where I have a tired demoralized incarnation of the Panzer Lehr division(with LOTS of firepower nontheless)and he is stopping me in my tracks- with heavy losses to both sides. Curse the little town of Weyer, Jason! Curse it!! LOL!! I've invested nearly an entire battalion of infantry and a company of Panthers supported by another company of pioneers- and it WON"T FALL- my troops there are a shadow of their former selves. Damn, but it is fun!
On the brightside, it's all coming back to you!
Weyer will soon have to go on the offensive, your artillery is annoying!
Glad you're enjoying yourself
Take care and good luck
Jason "Stonewall" Petho
Posted by Jason "On the brightside, it's all coming back to you!
Weyer will soon have to go on the offensive, your artillery is annoying! "
Oh sh-----t! I figured that would happen soon- all of those vehicles laden with troops and supporting Sherms heading north. Bloody Weyer! :laugh:
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