I need tactical help

[Mobhack]

Ideally, the mortars should be organised as their own platoons, so the whole platoon can safely hang back and provide indirect fire.

And then making sure that the individual firing elements are all within 3-5 hexes of the command element, so they then do not continually drop off the radio net. Not the mistake that many newbies make of dotting indirect fire elements 10 or more hexes apart "because they have radios". Radios are not reliable.

A dead/routed leader (usually but not always the 0 element) can also lead to subordinated fire units not being on the arty radio net for a while or more - they may need to close up to the new leader or wait till the guy stops doing a runner and returns from his panic etc.

Off map arty will also occasionally not be available on the bombardment screen (not sure about on map, but I think they are supposed to be more reliably "there for you"). Just because you have bought 2 batteries or planes - does not mean that they are always available. Can be rather annoying if they go "off the net"" while still firing a mission that drifted into your own position or perhaps onto a spot that your troops want to go to this turn (you then cannot shift it or cancel it).

That behaviour is also deliberately coded in by us and is not a "bug".

Andy

[Griefbringer]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

Can be rather annoying if they go "off the net"" while still firing a mission that drifted into your own position or perhaps onto a spot that your troops want to go to this turn (you then cannot shift it or cancel it).

Even worse if you have just moved in that position, and then go to the bombardment screen at the end of the turn to find out that the 155 mm battery is going to bombard it again and there is no way you can cancel that fire mission...

Lesson: before moving into a position, check that there are no friendly artillery units still bombarding it.

On-map units tend to be easier, since even if they end up losing contact, you can still manually stop them from firing eg. by moving them (though this might be considered a bit gamey).

[gila]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

Even worse if you have just moved in that position, and then go to the bombardment screen at the end of the turn to find out that the 155 mm battery is going to bombard it again and there is no way you can cancel that fire mission...

Lesson: before moving into a position, check that there are no friendly artillery units still bombarding it.

On-map units tend to be easier, since even if they end up losing contact, you can still manually stop them from firing eg. by moving them (though this might be considered a bit gamey).

Yes you can stop a out com arty unit from errent bomard by just direct firing them or moving them, not at all gamey imo.

[gila]

With offboard atry it is impossible to stop rogue arty from firing as Andy points out.

Offboard arty assets are best used as CB fire against other offboard arty.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

On map arty will also drop comms once in a while as well during AI games I've played. Mostly due to moving them to avoid CB fires that are getting closer to my units. Most of the time comms are reestablished within a couple of turns unless I haven't paid attention to trying to maintain LOS then it takes longer or not until I move them again. This of course for me is against the AI.

Regards,
Pat