Formations and Dust Clouds!

[TacCovert4]

As we all know, desert movement by vehicles and armor makes those blessed, or cursed, dust clouds. These can be used to make your force seem smaller, bigger, or differently made up than it actually is. Or provide cover for infantry movement.

In your experiences, what formations of vehicles/armor have which effect on dust clouds?

[KG_AirborneBob]

Wider tracks, IMHO, seem to create "thicker" dust...the wedge formation of Tigers is like a shammal (dust storm) on the horizion.....warms my heart just thinking about it.....;)

[Poor Old Spike]

Dust can be a friend or an enemy.. :)
In this top pic, I deliberately order my tanks to area-fire into the ground to kick up dust

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/7335/dust1dq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)






..so that it'll provide my infantry with cover as they race down the road to the flag!
The strong wind was blowing down the road too, which meant the cloud travelled with the men like a personal mobile smokescreen..

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1938/dust2vs1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Poor Old Spike]

From a cmak game, the tank at top left is dead

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/af2.jpg

[Poor Old Spike]

Typical desert scen, my armada of bren carriers (left column) and Matildas (right column) race at top speed towards the objective under clouds of dust. More dust is being kicked up at the far end by an arty barrage..

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/CM-Af1.jpg

[Poor Old Spike]

BELOW - More dust trails (hit shift-I to cycle density)

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/zoom.jpg

[Palantir]

Great info and picts!

[kawaiku]

I never even considered dust that important lol. Now I do and will remember how helpful it can be, thanks for the good post(s) Spike.

[TacCovert4]

Remember that formations of light vehicles make dust clouds that can be misinterpreted as armor. Quite the joke to play on your enemy when his armor comes over the hill into a handful of kubelwagens and ambushing AT guns while your own tanks are busy reaming out his infantry.

[Poor Old Spike]

DUST DISPERSAL TIME TEST (NO WIND)

PIC 1 - On Turn One I order the 150mm guns to demolish the buildings to their front, they accomplish it within 10 secs (note clock)
Also note the weather panel reads 'Still' air.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/d1.jpg






PIC 2 - On the 4th turn the dust disappears from the shack and the light bldg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/d2.jpg






PIC 3 - And on the 5th turn the dust disappears from the small heavy bldg..
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/d3.jpg






PIC 4 - but not until the 14th turn does it disappear from the big heavy bldg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/d4.jpg







-----------------------------------------------------

DUST DISPERSAL TIMES (IN STRONG WIND)

PIC 1 - the 150's blow all the buildings within 10 seconds of Turn 1
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/stron1.jpg




PIC 2 - But even before turn 1 has ended the strong wind has dispersed the dust from all but the big building!
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/stron2.jpg




PIC 3 - And on Turn 2 the big building dust has also gone..
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/stron3.jpg


SUMMARY -The stronger the wind, the quicker dust disperses

[Poor Old Spike]

DUST FROM DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS DOES NOT DRIFT WITH THE WIND

PIC 1 - The 105 Howitzer blows the building and raises a dust cloud
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/cmakdust1.jpg




PIC 2 - But the cloud stays put despite a strong wind from the east (right to left)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/cmakdust2.jpg
-----------------------------------------------------------------





HOWEVER, dust kicked up by shellbursts DOES drift with the wind as this test below shows

PIC 1 - I order the 105mm to fire into the ground to produce an impact dust cloud (also note the cloud just in front of the gun caused by muzzle blast
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/cmakdust3.jpg



PIC 2 - And within a few seconds the dust cloud has drifted fast on the wind. (dust kicked up by moving vehicles also drifts)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/cmakdust4.jpg


TACTICAL NOTES- Dust is important because it helps block lines of sight.
The above tests all boil down to the following -
Dust disperses sooner or later and never guarantees permanent cover.
The stronger the wind, the quicker it disperses.
Big buildings keep their dust the longest.
Dust from demolished buildings NEVER drifts, but dust from shellbursts DOES drift.
There's a random factor built into dispersal times, so regard all the above figures as likely to fluctuate during play.

[Poor Old Spike]

DUST FROM DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS

When buildings are demolished, the smaller the building the less time the dust will last, possibly just 2 or 3 turns, but large buildings dust lasts much longer, around 5 -6 turns..

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/dust1.jpg



http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/dust2.jpg