when to fire back

[PatG]

If the AI's or your opponent's infantry is popping off at max range - you are being given a gift. A couple of refinements. Use tanks especially Shermans, early Mk IV with short 75mm, StuG/Hs and/or infantry guns. Killing MGs and rifle infantry is what they were designed to do. Second, use smoke to blind the infantry, then move up close while adding a little HE on the opposition then when the smoke clears you are at short range against a supressed enemy.

Concerning scouts, I will usually set their firing range to 1 hex - sometimes a little more. Using one hex per turn advance rates and/or cover you can usually get scout units very close to the enemy and pinpoint their positions. The short range also prevents your scout from revealing themselves through op fire and allows you to select when to use them to suppress.

[Smersh]

this is related "when to fire" question. . I usually have my machine guns fire around 500-600 meters from the enemy in support of infantry squads. since infanty combat seems to be more deadly compared to mbt, enemy squads tend to kill my mg crews by rifle fire from around 500m. am I just too close to the enemy, when firing? how far away should an mg be to be safe and still effective? too me 500-600meters is the limit.

[serg3d]

I'm using 12.5mm HMG on the max range. Almoste never got fired back.

[czerpak]

Smersh said:
this is related "when to fire" question. . I usually have my machine guns fire around 500-600 meters from the enemy in support of infantry squads. since infanty combat seems to be more deadly compared to mbt, enemy squads tend to kill my mg crews by rifle fire from around 500m. am I just too close to the enemy, when firing? how far away should an mg be to be safe and still effective? too me 500-600meters is the limit.

Smersh,
use your weapon to your advantage. It is a question of having more accurate fire from closer range, or having bit less accurate fire but from safe position. If we are talking mg's here I'd rather check enemy max range and put my mg's 2 or 3 hexes beyond. Obviuosly everything depends on tactical situation (how desperate you are to take out eneymy and how much time you have left), but you got to answer a question if it is worth taking a risk or not. And if you will need those mg's later.
cheers
Czerpak

[PatG]

czerpak said:
Smersh,
use your weapon to your advantage. It is a question of having more accurate fire from closer range, or having bit less accurate fire but from safe position. If we are talking mg's here I'd rather check enemy max range and put my mg's 2 or 3 hexes beyond. <snip>
cheers
Czerpak

Same for IGs - just outside of rifle range - or mg range depending on what you're going after. The big advantage to armour is you can get a lot closer safely.

[narwan]

Smersh said:
this is related "when to fire" question. . I usually have my machine guns fire around 500-600 meters from the enemy in support of infantry squads. since infanty combat seems to be more deadly compared to mbt, enemy squads tend to kill my mg crews by rifle fire from around 500m. am I just too close to the enemy, when firing? how far away should an mg be to be safe and still effective? too me 500-600meters is the limit.

I usually keep my HMG and MMG units set at max range with the rifles turned off. Their main job is to harrass the enemy at long range and keep their infantry far away. At those longer ranges they are also likely to stay unspotted.

Narwan

[Smersh]

from what I remember max range for these units can be something like 1000-2000 meters away. is it historically accurate to use them at these ranges?

I'll try out the scout suppersion technique.

[czerpak]

PatG said:

Concerning scouts, I will usually set their firing range to 1 hex - sometimes a little more. Using one hex per turn advance rates and/or cover you can usually get scout units very close to the enemy and pinpoint their positions. The short range also prevents your scout from revealing themselves through op fire and allows you to select when to use them to suppress.

Ideally scouts should be used as...scouts. If you need to use those valuable units to supress enemy, maybe your force composition is not quite right.
Make an experiment - try a game with your scouts' weapons OFF. See how valuable info you will get from them, especially in later parts of the game, when they are behind enemy's line.

Much more cost effective will be e.g. using mortars to supress spotted anemy units and leave scouts to keep an eye of them.

cheers
Czerpak

[PatG]

czerpak said:

Ideally scouts should be used as...scouts. If you need to use those valuable units to supress enemy, maybe your force composition is not quite right.
Make an experiment - try a game with your scouts' weapons OFF. See how valuable info you will get from them, especially in later parts of the game, when they are behind enemy's line.

Much more cost effective will be e.g. using mortars to supress spotted anemy units and leave scouts to keep an eye of them.

cheers
Czerpak

I don't disagree with what you are saying - in fact that is exactly how I use my scouts. However, I have found that, when the tactical situation warrants it, a scout unit can usually take one or two shots at a unit and remain unspotted. This can add enough supression to make your assault go through.

Note that I tend to play Japanese with one scout per platoon as purchased. This is a higher ratio than some other armies and the scouts represent a significant chunk of the platoon's firepower. The much more expensive "recce platoon" boys need to be treated more gently.

[czerpak]

PatG said:

I don't disagree with what you are saying - in fact that is exactly how I use my scouts. However, I have found that, when the tactical situation warrants it, a scout unit can usually take one or two shots at a unit and remain unspotted. This can add enough supression to make your assault go through.

Note that I tend to play Japanese with one scout per platoon as purchased. This is a higher ratio than some other armies and the scouts represent a significant chunk of the platoon's firepower. The much more expensive "recce platoon" boys need to be treated more gently.

sure, as I said before it depends on tactical situation, force composition, time limits etc., exactly what you are saying.
At the end of the day, if our litlle conversation helps some less experienced players pick up few ideas and improve their game, we made our point, right ?

And yes, it did happen to me to use very valuable reckon unit to shut down annoying gun. Question of priorities and risk taken.