What to do?

[Mobhack]

What should my on board forces do/try once I encounter a heavy OB set in the AI?

Do not fire your experienced counter batteries - leave them silent to fire CB. CB is a rarity (or off map arty would simply shut down on turn 2 or so!). If a real problem, more counter battery candidates means more chance of CB fires. Buy another bty or so in the early core. do not buy over expensive 17cm type arty - use relatively cheap but longish ranged stuff (e.g. the 10cm K18 if you are playing Nazi). Use the on-map arty (SP mortars etc) to deal with enemy on-map troops while the experienced core off map does the CB task. (Better yet, use an army whose basic gun-howitzer has a relatively good range like the UK . Investigate the captured arty batteries, as these often have better performance than the standard Nazi ones - e.g. if playing German I usually wait till 1941 when I can use captured 25 pounders (unit 313) or unit 317 (captured 5.5 inch) or #330 (Some French piece). Unit #319 you have to wait till 42 for - best to use 5.5 inch.

If you need to stay in one place, make sure you are dug in (or in shell holes, rough, woods, broken buildings etc). Hint - fire your large-calibre arty to make nice shell holes around an objective cluster, for your troops (hopefully!) to use as shell scrape cover after taking them.

Don't give the enemy targets, other than some sacrificial ones as arty attractors. Try buying some support mortars or howitzers and perhaps SP mortars - and keep these continuously firing on the approach routes etc. Once he locates the decoy arty and starts firing, you may get CB on his off map (at least they are not firing at your manoeuvre troops!), and locations on his on board arty units which you can now deal with.


Cheers
Andy