He's playing a scenario - so is stuck with what he has been given.
Therefore - if any of you know a way to play that scenario, that would be helpful to him.
As to Russia Vs USA - it really depends on the time frame. Especially if it is post the introduction of the M1 and Bradley and the all-seeing TI sights, or before then.
The US Army is a bit mediocre before the M1 and Bradley, really. The M60A3 is the first average quality tank, when they have 90mm armed armour then the USA is on the back foot (and may have to rely on the 106mm RCL Jeeps!
) . Introduction of TOW is useful to them, but mainly in the defence though can be useful to overwatch an advance of M60s.
In fact the USSR has a distinct window of advantage in about 1969-late 70s having ZSU23-4, Strela MANPADS, BMP-1, T-64, BTR60PB and the RPG-7 etc. M60A3 and TOW plus Dragon helps the USA in the late 70s, but are not magnificent.
General Approach (mechanised force)
Once the TI sights become available then the best way to play as USSR v NATO in the advance is:
- select a village or town, or a large woods to put your main effort through
- Blow that cover to bits with a massive arty barrage. That makes navigable rubble of the buildings, and puts the woods on fire (harms TI).
- All of that blocks LOS - you want to emerge at point blank range onto stunned survivors pinned by your barrage
- follow close behind the barrage with mech infantry and tanks
- Don't worry if your off-map batteries go offline due to counter battery, as you bought LOTS of them. And any US arty firing CB (or left sitting idle to do so) is not firing at your on map troops, and has cost points he has not spent on M1s.
- Once you have cleared the wood/village/large town, scout out ahead with some dismounts before proceeding to the next close cover.
- overwatch your assault with
radar guided AAA. The ZSU23-4 is great for this. There is a 57mm radar guided piece that can be good as well, provide a few trucks to shift these. The radar sees through night and fog, so these pieces should annoy his air assets.
NB - a saddle in between peaks or similar, or a narrow valley is a good entry point into the USA position. His TI cannot see through hills. Paste the hilltops with mortar fire.
Above all - you are trying to utilise the blind areas where he does not have much long range LOS to. His advantage is in long-range weapons with Thermal sights. Hills, rubble, and woods physically block that. Smoke does not. Lots of fire can block thermal sights, so if you have access to thermobaric MRL (Buratinos say) - then you may be able to make a fire screen over several turns shooting.
IF you are stuck with a pancake flat desert or plain, then you are SOL. You really need to use terrain masking to hide your approach and to try to isolate small pockets of enemy at close quarters (and hopefully from the flank or rear). In that case, perhaps hide in your rear zone while sneaking some dismounted scouts up and stonking suspect areas with your massed batteries might do. Once you find a defended area - switch all fires onto it and really mallet that. That takes
time though. Thermobarics may be useful here.
Otherwise - see the Chinese horde approach, below.
Company Type
As an aside, I prefer the Soviet Mech infantry organisation over the tank formations organisation. Namely, BTR-60 wheeled APC companies with attached 4-tank organisation platoons (3 if feeling cheap). BTR60 are cheap and fast and deal with the M113 perfectly fine. Marry them up with faster model tanks (T64, T72) and off you go into the barrage. The BMP series I really don't like much until the BMP-2 with its 30mm cannon. The BMP-1 sagger/73mm is not good except if you are defending on a wide open plain (e.g. Egypt v Israel in 73). BMP-1 is best defending, BMP-2 has a cannon and a better missile and can therefore get stuck in close. Still pricey compared to the BTR60 though. BMP-3 is way too expensive as any sort of infantry transport IMHO though. The Soviet tank organisation (a 10 tank coy with an attached BMP platoon) - has too much armour and few APC for the close quarters combat approach, and is rather expensive to boot.
Go Chinese?.
OR - post the TI revolution -
use Chinese/N Korean tactics. Don't buy those tankie things!
, they simply provide M1s some targets. (Though a relatively
small force of mobile stuff held in deep reserve to sweep up the V-hexes in the end game may be useful). otherwise, buy
masses of arty battalions and loads and loads of decent leg infantry companies (make sure to have lots of RPGs in the squads). Fire a creeping barrage, and advance the grunts WW1-style in waves behind that. Buy a few batteries of 130mm or similar LR arty (check the encyclopaedia for the date in question) , and hold fire - they may smack enemy batteries. If not, you will have some fresh batteries for use in the later game on e.g. on-map arty hotspots.
Any armoured force is a deep reserve - maybe to nip off a counter attack with, or to sweep up some deep V-hexes once you have routed his forces with arty and infantry close quarters attacks. Perhaps useful to attract any air strikes away from the important forces (the grunts and on-map MRL etc).
cheers
Andy