Couple Questions

[jivemi]

Just noticed in my last battle (Israel vs Sovs, Autumn 1986) my Merkava Mk2s were firing HEAT rounds at infantry. They started out with 18 of both HE and HEAT, but when they ran out of the first they started using the second. Until, that is, one of them got down to 4 HEAT rounds remaining, when it stopped using the main gun against ground-pounders. Is this normal, exceptional, or what?

Second question is, how do you face the turret in one direction while the hull is facing another? Seems I read something long ago about it but forgot. Thanks.
Edit: Answer to the above is simply right-click to face turret in desired direction, then left-click to move in another. Turret will stay in same facing until you right-click to change it or unless it turns to face enemy fire. Been playing this marvelous game for years and still hadn't noticed this. Like, duh-duhhhh ...

[scorpio_rocks]

All tanks save 4 HEAT rounds for armoured targets (Yes even if they have AP rounds left and there are only soft targets).

Turret usually faces target (or enemy map edge when moving) but will turn to face incoming rounds if the tank has no movement left to turn hull.

[scorpio_rocks]

Found the quote in the GG:

WinSPMBT version 3.0 upgrade patch ( Released January 2007 )

7) HEAT ammo now has a secondary HE abiltiy. Units with HEAT ammo can fire HEAT/HE at 66% if the effect of the regular HE round for that weapon. Units will reserve the last 4 HEAT rounds for anti-tank purposes, and are more reluctant to fire HEAT/HE against soft units in the reaction fire in the opponent's turn unless at 1-2 hexes or so. ( in close combat you throw everything into the fight ). HEAT/HE cannot be area fired (Z-Key) nor does it have effects in the surrounding hexes like regular HE might, for larger warhead sizes.

[Mobhack]

To turn the turret in a direction other than the hull, right click on an empty bit of terrain (i.e. not occupied by a live unit) and the turret will turn in that direction.

As for HEAT, I have enhanced the code for the early years (till 1979) so that units with HEAT and AP will tend to fire AP at stuff the AP can handle and reserve the (usually few, e.g. in early T-5X) HEAT rounds for the heavier targets. This code was already there, but not working too well it seems!. So I wrangled it a bit. Feature only applies to the full (CD) game owner.

Now my Egyptian t-55 in 1967 hold their few sacred HEAT for the centurions etc, use AP on the AMX-13 and half tracks, while the IShermans seem to get about 2/3 AP fired to HEAT.