Ground operations tips&tricks

[Artur]

Comrades,

In this thread we can share our knowledge about ground tactics, both on tactical and operational level.

If you have a slightest idea please share it with us! Speak out the evident! You can never know who will benefit from your posts!

Artur.

[Artur]

I'll begin with the first ones.

-Turn the tank's smoke dischargers off. If you fight with TI capable units and your tank is hit but not destroyed it will pop smoke resulting in blinding itself. Turning the discharger off prevents that.

-Use Z fire whenever possible especially against infantry units. It may take a LOT of rounds to do it right but it is worth it. Remember you can shoot through several wooded hexes!

-Use the W key to fire one specific weapon. You have to "lock" the target with the T key before that. This is useful when taking out armor with RPGs.

-Never leave your armor in the open. A competent opponent will know how to drain it's OP fire and then destroy it. (It is a different matter when you fight with a TI unit against non TI units behind smoke.)

-If your artillery can fire clustered ammo fire it. It is devastatingly effective.

-If you use SPATGM place them to locations with good cover, turn their secondary weapons off, and they should have a long but very narrow line of sight. (That is a keyholed position.)

More to follow... Comrades, do not hesitate to share your tips as well!

Artur.

[Pannonicus]

-Operate helicopters with ATGMs the same way as SPATGMs. Their advantage is that they can take positions where ground units can not. You can move them forward quickly, therefore setting ambushes.

-When moving your recon units forward, dismount time to time, and take a look with scouts. They spot much better than vehicles.

-Keep some long-range off-map at the beginning without assignment. They may fire counterbattery, surprising enemy artillery assets.

-When in defense, find a primary and secondary firing position for your BMP. The first should be like an SPATGM, the second is one with short range, and infantry support nearby. After firing a few missiles, they should retreat to the secondary position, and prepare for close ambush with infantry support. You can repeat this exercise several times, falling back, provided you have time and space. Same thing can be said of ATGM-eqipped tanks.

-With artillery, you can suppres enemy tanks, so you can manouver close for an easier kill. But remember, they are more accurate and usually better trained, therefore you should not stand and try to slug it out. Better to hit and move.

-Mines and wire should be observed and covered, otherwise they are easy to remove. They are not so much to kill enemy, but to channel their movement into your fields of fire. They are also good to slow advance down.

-Look for smoke hexes in the enemy rear - hit them with artillery, as they may be AA or arty positions. On the contrary, you can use infantry in your rear to pop up smoke, imitating the pattern of arty position. This may invite enemy fire, thus drawing their resources (infantry should leave after popping smoke).

-Try to avoid the obvious. It is easier to negotiate a natural obstacle than to fight.

[wulfir]

Alternative use of ATGMs (and ATGs):

I tend to deploy them in positions with a good field of fire, then set range down.
This way they will not waste missiles and reveal their position while OP-firing on some cheap recon jeep. Infantry ATGMs are better because they can keep hidden

but

SP-ATGM units that haven't been moved since deployment can be very hard to spot as well.


Combating infantry ATGMs:

Once spotted you can open up on them at relatively long range, tank guns work great and pound on - once they have taken 1 casualty they are often unable to fire their ATGMs. Don't mind the low hit % - pour it on!

[Artur]

-Dig in with your units!!! Use the revetements and your T80s and T64s and even your BMPs are harder to hit especially the tanks. Remeber, if a vechicle enters a fortified hex and stays there one turn not moving it will dug in automatically.
-The T64 main gun is not bad, and if it is dug in it cannot be destroyed very easily with turret hits. (Of course a human will use smoke and then you have to leave your well prepared positions anyway but until wou may surprise them.)
- I found the BMP rocket effective between ranges 6 and 10 hex. That is not very much but it had an accuracy (will make some tests with it if time allows.)
- The Hungarian T72s main gun is inefective against Abrams even from the rear and one hex!!!
-Bradleys and BMPs may hit helos with their autocannons or even fire their ATGMs at them.

More to follow.

Artur.