Killing Groups

[Lt. Ketch]

Thank you for the imput. I must confess that I saw the defensive abilities and advantages of a force make up like this, but simply forgot to mention them in my post. I think that a unit like this would be a lot better on the defencive than offensive, like many of you have mentioned.

Shifting gears then, how do most people "launch an assault?" What I would love to do is to scout out the area, blow the ever-loving-tar out of the line with artillary (I follow the Russian doctrine in many ways), and then exploit the gap with highly mobile units. What has been happening lately is that I creep up on foot until I blunder into the enemy. Spend three turns waiting for my artillary to come in and then try to sprint through an gap made with a bunch of leg crunchies, all the while praying that I got the ATGs with my artillary. I wasn't very good at having a reserve. My current battle, however, is an advance and I am taking great pleasure that I have a highly mobile reserve (in reserve) to exploit the gaps that are going to be made. I'm looking forward to working on this tactic and improving my skills.

Is this the way most people do it? What kind of make up does your assualting forces have and how do you go about "un"digging your enemy?

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Lt. Ketch

What has been happening lately is that I creep up on foot until I blunder into the enemy. Spend three turns waiting for my artillary to come in

If your moving forward trying to find the enemies defenses, plot your artillery just ahead of your point troops. This artillery doesn't actually have to be firing rounds, just continue to creep your plots forward until you make contact. Then when you 'blunder into the enemy', you will only have to wait one turn for your artillery.

[Lt. Ketch]

Originally Posted by Cross

If your moving forward trying to find the enemies defenses, plot your artillery just ahead of your point troops. This artillery doesn't actually have to be firing rounds, just continue to creep your plots forward until you make contact. Then when you 'blunder into the enemy', you will only have to wait one turn for your artillery.

Cross, thank you for saying it outright. I've seen this advisor a dozen different ways, but didn't get how it was suppost to work. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Imp

Besides it sounds like you are playing the wrong game ... Generalising but fast mobile strike forces are a MBT thing as they have the vehicles to do it good radios etc etc.

I so need to brush up on my history (somewhat embarassing for someone who graduated in it), not to mention my tactics. I've got both WW2 and MBT and occasionally try MBT (I'd love to do a Russian/Afganistan campaign) but I think you have successfully pointed out my problem. Well, one of them at least. I keep on trying modern tactics with WW2 kit and expecting WW2 like encounters when I play with mordern kit. It doesn't help that I always try to play on a <100 hex map with MBT which, as I've come to realize, is why I can never flank anything. Thanks for the observation. Let's see if I can't do a little better in this next fight.....

[Imp]

I keep on trying modern tactics with WW2 kit and expecting WW2 like encounters when I play with mordern kit.

I am not saying they don't work but full credit to the game it is harder to be effective with old gear due to a few factors like speed & radios. As the AI buys a more regular force it tends to be infantry heavy so you face a lot of them to try & out manouver.
Remember the motorcar was still quite new even supposedly well equiped armies mainly walked or used mules or if lucky trucks to carry the equipment.
From books I have read the norm for example for a German Armoured unit on the Eatern front so a well equiped in vehicles formation. According to there Commanders they normally only had 2/3rds of there mobile force available at any one time the rest were in R&R due to damage or breakdown. So commiting transport vehicles to the front line was generally avoided there worth was deemed far more effective moving men & equipment so they were as "fresh" as possible for the next battle rather than having just walked carrying equipment.
Also over time units often became a real mix of equipment as replacement vehicles tended to be whatever had come of the production line & made it to the front.