Strategy & Tactics: Steel Panthers World At War

[Jim H. Moreno]

June Strategy & Tactics

The purpose is for all who are intimately familiar with SPWAW to share their knowledge, skills and abilities with the rest of us, in all matters of the games' play; to help others with a particularly vexing game scenario; to serve as a general introduction to the game for those who may have never played it.

Screenshots will also be very welcome here as you illustrate your point/problem, just please make them an easily seen size.

 

[orzel bialy]

SPWaW Game Play

It should be pointed out that there are four categories of battles a person can look at when playing SPWaW.

1. Against the AI in computer generated battles and campaigns
Pro's: Good to learn the basics against
Con's: Too predictable and easy to beat
2. Against the AI in scenarios produced by human designers.
Pro's: Against well designed scenarios the human player will find the AI a bit harder to beat...as the force pools are pre-determined, well sited and better instructed via editor commands.
Con's: The AI...even when given better troops and instructions...can find ways to screw up and lose.
3. Against another human player in a pbem battle
Pro's: The human player will not usually make the mistakes that the AI does. On top of that there are varying styles of play and that means you usually don't see the same tactics over and over again.
Con's: What are called "cheaters". People who either "tweak" their OoB files and make their units stronger than they are intended to be...or restart battle turns over until they get the results they want.
***online play can take care of the second con...
4. Against another human or team in a battle designed for Pbem play
Pro's: The forces are pre-determined...so you don't have to worry about your opponent picking wildly unhistoric or realistic force pools.
Con's: The same as above.

 

[orzel bialy]

First Hints...

As far as tactics. Well, whether it's against the AI or another human player you will find these four things very important:

1. Reconn - If you don't have those eyes out there ahead of your forces...you will be in for trouble, especially against a human player.

2. Smoke - Smoke is your best friend when it comes to those vicious firefights. Regardless if you are attacking or defending you will find that smoke is essential to make it through without taking heavy losses.

3. Arty support - A good idea to have a FO unit with your HQ to keep in touch with either onboard or offboard arty units. Suppression is a big tool when you need to hit units or positions that may be stronger than your own.

4. Well Balanced Core Force - If you don't have a well balanced force you will have some serious troubles. All tanks is not the answer as they can easily be killed off by infantry in good positions or AT units supporting enemy troops. All infantry is no good either since there is a need for quick movement and heavier firepower. It's just like real life folks.

Start out understanding that you will need to utilize the above four points and your introduction to the game will be far less painful.

 

[RetPara]

Recon is valuble against any opponent. Especially in the meeting engagement or advance. In AI games I often run right into the main body with little or no vanguard or advance unit. The challenge is to use your recon or advance units and not waste them.

Your recon/advance party should be light, fast, and scared. Don't let them get bogged down into a slugging match. Especially if they 'found' the main body. They'll be "out'ed" - outnumbered, outgunned, and out of options. Their best bet is fire a couple of shots for the glory of regiment and pull back out of range where they can keep the other guy in sight.

One technique I have found successful is to send a fighter element configured for ground attack in a X pattern from the map corners. That will lay out the major enemy concentrations and give a key where to starting putting more arty.

Mortars. Love mortars. Keep the 60mm with the troops for some kickass local indirect fire. 4.2 Heavy/Chemical mortars. These big bitches fire a round the size of 155mm gun. Nice range and much less exspensive than arty tubes to purchase.

 

[orzel bialy]

LOL

That is also why a great number of Pbem players don't allow air units in their games...it's considered a cheat by some since there was no way that pilots would be able to see everything they fly over at 250+ MPH...and radio in all the exact positions in real time .

It's actually a bug in the game engine that allows air units to spot everything...one they were trying to tame down in the upcoming 8.2 release.

 

[RetPara]

IME you don't see 'everything' and once LOS is lost, its gone.

Its not like the drone that SPMBT has (which is really cool).