[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

Remember that the air power foul-ups work both ways; there are few things more amusing than watching enemy vehicles getting attacked by their own air force. Though having enemy advancing into their own artillery fire zone can be equally amusing (though not all that common occurrence).

As for infantry small arms, in real life long range firefights with them tend not to be particularly decisive if both sides have some cover. Check out for accounts of real life small unit firefights.


Quite so. Small arms fire beyond ~250-300 metres is generally less effective, especially if the target is hunkered down in cover and/or dug-in. (Less so for the sniper and H/MMG unit classes). In game terms - possible kills can get converted to S results, depending on unit morale and experience. A change to the original SSI code we made back in the MSDOS days.

Granted, in game terms trying to shift those dug-in infantry units with small arms fire can get boring. However, if you manage to close in, the firefights tend to suddenly turn a lot more deadly. And for long range fire, proper usage of heavy support (tripod-mounted MGs, mortars, artillery etc.) usually gives a definite edge.

All of the above. We changed the code for dug-in troops so they tend to stay cowering in the trench even if on retreat or routed status unless they are aware of nearby enemy (say within ~100-150 metres). In military parlance these are "neutralised" - unable to contribute to the fighting, despite not being destroyed

Also, small arms fire at entrenched units if fired from within 100 metres is more effective as well. (The sniper and M/HMG classes are less effected by entrenched troops at > 100 metres).

Firing from 1 hex (50m) will cause the normal pull-back due to casualties. Otherwise dug-in infantry does not usually tend to have the pull-back due to fire effects. (another change to the original SSI code) At 50m or less, the dug-in effect is only marginal. Melee ignores dug-in status, so a bayonet charge can root them out rather well, if there is MP enough to get into the trench full of neutralised enemy.

So if you need to approach dug-in infantry by use of direct fire superiority (rather than just smoking them off and dropping indirect HE as you approach - which can work fine as long as you have smoke ammo, or dropping a humongous HE barrage on them, which works if you have the arty and the ammo. Both approaches may fail against a human opponent, who will adjust his troop positions..):


- Place snipers and M/HMG just outside their rifle range or thereabouts, and fire at units in the trenches with them. Try to keep them on the same target for a couple of moves, so the accuracy increases if you want kill results rather than Suppression.

- Use other M/HMG units and snipers, accompanying tanks, APC etc firing generally at the target infantry to suppress them. H/MMG have an effect in neighbouring hexes - so their ideal target is any enemy element with neighbours). The main idea is to have all of the target infantry well suppressed (hopefully in retreat or routed mode. You can tell by mousing over the enemy unit what status they are.). Any snipers or M/HMG used in "killing" mode should concentrate on key enemy elements you may have spotted (snipers, M/HMG, ATG, ATGM etc).

- Fire the long-range direct-fire assets first, before any assaulting riflemen take pot-shots. Since they are usually out of rifle range or at extreme enemy rifle range then any reply is then nil or ineffective. Only then fire rifle elements at any targets once the supports have suppressed the enemy firing line, and start with the riflemen further from the targets and then work closer. The riflemen should concentrate fir on any enemy that is still "frisky" (not neutralised) as a priority, at longer ranges. Keeping heads down is the task, until close range.

- Try to advance any assaulting riflemen just one hex at a time, two at the most (if you determine that the enemy is beaten down) as they approach the trench line. Keep about half of the infantry elements stationary to give cover to the movers and next move those that moved should hold still while the others move in turn (fire and movement). Any rifle elements that are depleted (50%+ casualties) probably should just remain in place and should not fire voluntarily but be left to provide op-fire. If you need to move a depleted squad (perhaps if it is a commander and so needs to keep up) - then move those at the very last.

- Platoon command elements should fire last of all. They should move last as well, and be in the rear of the infantry and not leading the bunch. "Follow me lads!" gets your leaders killed.

- If moving your rifle elements attracts too much enemy fire, then the enemy is still too "frisky". So stop advancing them, and keep shooting that turn.

- Don't start advancing on the trench line until your indirect fire assets are pounding that ground, and try to have an observer class element in place with direct LOS to adjust fires. A regular HQ with eyes-on may do, but has longer shift delays. If possible, pound the trench line for 2-3 moves before advancing any infantry towards it (depends on available time of course).

- Of course - a scout team or two may well advance slowly (1-2 hexes/turn) before the rifle line starts to advance. Reduce their range with the Y key to 1 of course. Do not advance the scouts more than 1-2 hexes ahead of the rifle line (they will need support if spotted). Their role is to find any lurkers you may have missed (e.g hidden in a dip), not to get involved in the brawl.

- To approach a dug-in defensive position then you will need about a 3-1 superiority (2-1 may work against the AI, a human will not tend to be as passive). That number is the riflemen count, ignoring any support troops you will also need to keep the enemy heads down with. (Accompanying tanks, and arty).
So a leg rifle company should be able to carry an assault against an enemy rifle platoon, unaided by any other assets, but will take casualties doing so if not aided by the support weaponry.
Minimum budget for support troops to aid a rifle company against a dug in rifle platoon target would be An MMG section, the battalion's entire mortar platoon (6 or so tubes) and an arty battery (6-8 tubes). A tank platoon firing direct would be handy as well.

The basic game plan is to get and keep the entrenched enemy neutralised (suppression at retreat status or worse) as your squaddies approach. Then advance the rifle line to 50 metres and blast the cowering stunned enemy out of their trenches or even enter the same hex and melee them if desired. It does not matter muchly about how many casualties you may do on the approach, as long as you keep them neutralised. The killing starts when you shoot the routers in the back as they retire from the close range fires.

The best way to do that is to let your support weapons do the job of keeping the enemy heads down, so avoiding own infantry casualties in the approach. The grunts work is to be done at "bomb and bayonet" range - so any firing of their weapons at >100 metres or so should only be as an addition to the support weapons suppressive fires, if they have not been able to beat down the enemy enough to let the grunts advance this turn.


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The above is of course geared to classic "leg" infantry. Mech infantry has a different dynamic when dealing with dug-in enemy leg infantry.

- if mounted and you get into contact then your first greeting may be an RPG. Hopefully a miss...

- If so, you are too close, so retire outside effective rifle range, and only dismount then, and preferably in a covered position out of LOS. Pop smoke against RPGs if required before pulling back from the initial contact. Use any APC in the rear to spray detected enemy or Z-fire if desired as part of the pull-back.

- Call your arty onto the area as you start the pull back and forming up for the assault so it will be firing when you are ready to start your advance.

- Get formed up about 600 metres from the enemy defensive position (ie outside rifle range)

- Now advance like the leg grunts do, with the addition of the APCs following behind the rifle line. Do not advance the APC within effective RPG range (say 200-250m).

- The APC will do the job of the MMG units on the enemy, especially if they have an auto-cannon or AGL mounted (area effect on neighbouring hexes). If modern, they may have thermal sights, so consider smoking the enemy off and shooting some "fish in a barrel".

The above is for advancing on enemy leg infantry with APC troops, assuming they have some effective anti-tank weaponry. (with a decent range, say at least 150m)

Should they not, then you are invulnerable if you do not close to 1 hex where you may get assaulted. You can keep the troops mounted, and just hose the enemy from ~100 metres with the APC weaponry. Once all are neutralised, then the dismounts can de-bus from the "pigs" and bayonet any they so desire. However - remaining mounted while close to the enemy is risky as you may well find a previously unspotted anti-tank weapon of some sort and then there may well be tears before bedtime. So it is generally best to dismount at 2 hexes or so from known enemy and walk the grunts the final few yards, rather than try to do a mounted attack right into bayonet range.

Cheers
Andy