Question about game's mechanics

[RVPERTVS]

I'm pretty new to this game and I love it, though I have some questions regarding gameplay (abusing of your generosity):

I'm currently playing stand alone USA vs. URSS 1972 13 turn meeting engagements battles on random 130 w x 80 h desert maps (just as the cd manual suggests). Most of the time I win marginal victories, sometimes I get wiped out, and sometimes things end up pretty much even, and it's been a lot of fun so far.

I have notice that all the idea behind the tactics I have used consists in delivering more firepower than the enemy at a given place and time in order to "win the fire fight"; in other words: to position my units (according to a plan of course) in such a manner that after some combat I will end up with more and less suppressed units than my enemy.

Taking the above into consideration,I have also notice that facing the enemy in those fire-fights implies loses, I mean,I have to face the enemy showing him my position so he can take shots at me as well, because if he is in my range of fire that means I'm also in his range of fire as well. He can't hit me through smoke but neither do I.

So my qestions are:

1.- Am I doing it right so far?...I mean, is "winning the fire fight" in short battles (13 turns as the ones I'm playing)the sole objective (and taking the flags of course)I should pursue so I must plan accordingly?

2.- In order to "win the fire-fight", I neccesarily have to take loses, I mean, what's the best way to minimize loses in the type of battle I'm currently playing (described above)?

Thank's in advance, and congratulations for such a great game.

[FJ_MD]

1) If you feel you are mastering the battlefield you may try a pursue but beware counterattacks or low speed units that are far behind the first line. Pursuing is just an option that may be used if the situation is right. Try it sometimes so you can do your own experience with it!


2)Losses are part of the war! You can minimize them but they will always happen! Remember that suppressed enemy will be less effective. Use artillery fire to suppress them and also try to attack from different route. Use cover to get near the enemy while you screen them with units from far away so you can maximize the effect of the "stumbled upon" attack of the sneaking forces. There are lot of other way to try to minimize the losses but sometimes triing it will maximize them!

[serg3d]

I'm not very expirienced player, but I've learned some tricks:

Most importanat:
In firefight if one side is moving, and other is not, unmoving side have enormous advantage. So try to get moving enemy stamble onto your unmoving units.

Others:

Concentrate your forces

Then positioning your unmoving units try to use edge of the forest/smoke to hide your units, reverse slope defence, and analogus to reverse slope defence - enemy moving from the edge of the forest/smoke into your unmoving units.

Use ATGM versus armor, infantry and artillery versus ATGM, armor and artillery vs infantry, aircrafts and gunships versus armor.
Always kill ATGM first. If you are using air/gunships try to suppress enemy SAM with SEAD and artillery before.

If enemy don't have termal vision (vision 40) use smoke to hide your units while advancing.

Evoid quicksands if fighting in the desert.

Use ammo trucks behing your units if defending. Don't forget resupply your gunships.

Locate enemy artillery by it's smoke plumes and use your artillery on it.

Pay uttension to "Vision" stat of the units, your and enemy. Units with vision 40 or more can see through the smoke.

[DRG]

RVPERTVS said:
2.- In order to "win the fire-fight", I neccesarily have to take loses, I mean, what's the best way to minimize loses in the type of battle I'm currently playing (described above)?

Thank's in advance, and congratulations for such a great game.

Here's one hint.

If you are advancing with infantry ( or even defending ) the first units you want to engage the enemy with are your MG's and those need to be behind your regular infantry so they can provide support . Ideally you should have your MG's back far enough so they can engage the leading units of your opponents force without endangering themselves with return fire directed at them. That way you can pick the enemy units you want to suppress and you be safe from return fire unless he has MG's facing you. Also, to ensure your units are safe from enemy infantry return fire you need to suppress them to the point of "retreat". Once you have suppressed a unit to retreat status don't waste any more shots on it **IF** there are lot's of other enemy units in the area. Move on to another unit and fire until it is in retreat then move on to another then another. Fire your units that are farter away from the enemy first then move closer. There is no point in firing the closest units first as they will just draw a storm of opfire from your enemy. What you want to do is suppress those units with your units that are further back and THEN attack with the units you have closest to the front that have a higher chance of getting kills and / or generating big jumps in suppression

Don

[scJazz]

1) Assassinate enemy artillery
2) See rule 1

I like using airstrikes for this. You can identify artillery positions by the smoke plume they create. Get into the habit of keeping a notepad around so you can record the position of the artillery. Watch the enemies turn carefully so that you can identify how much of each type of artillery he has. If you have long range artillery (155mm etc) and they are very experienced (above 75) DO NOT use them in normal fire missions. Just let them sit there and they will start executing counterbattery missions on their own.

In general you have the main idea down. Use manuver to bring more of your units to bear on the enemy then use firepower to obliterate that enemy.

In most situations don't lead with armor. Use an infantry screen in front of your tanks. The infantry units have a better chance of detected unseen/unfired units and better still mines. If you must lead with armor mount some infantry on those units if possible to absorb close assaults and to improve your chance of detecting enemy units.

[RVPERTVS]

Thank's a lot guys..very useful advice, but I got some other questions regarding the info given in your replies:

1.- What exactly is the effect of "stumbled upon" attack?

2.- What is reverse slope defence?

So far I have more or less neglected the use of infantry because I'm playing open desert maps where tanks usually get the job done with some helo recon, but I know that this game is focused on "the queen of battle", so

3.- What's the best use of infantry in open desert maps?, and

4.- What's the best tactic to get the infantry to lead my armor in open desert maps if infantry has a lower speed range?...APC's?..mounting and dismounting?is there another way?

Thank's in advance

[FJ_MD]

In desert you may use "shadow" area to approach the enemy (stay near the slope of hills following the contuor of them) with the tanks that will do the kill, while other tanks from distance draw fire.If you can,start pounding the enemy area with artillery for two or three turns. This will add suppression to the enemy. When the "shadowed" forces are in position, draw fire with the far away tanks and then "stumble upon" the suppressed,out of ammo enemy with the "shadowed" tanks that will fire at closer range without taking shots from the enemy.

[RVPERTVS]

Let me see if I got this right:

The tactic is called "stumbled upon attack", and basically it means facing and fighting the enemy from distance with some units or task force while another TF aproaches the same enemy behind a hill or whatever cover available. The point is to suppress and exhaust the enemy from distnace as much as posible so the covered and fresh force sudenly appears and finish the job at close range..is that right?

sIf that's so, it seems pretty good to me except for the fact that the aproaching force will lose the targeting bonus because of the movement, right?...but I can think of some interesting variations.....let me try it and we'll see

Does it have something to do with the reverse slope defence or they are different things?

[serg3d]

reverse slope defence is part of the FJ_MD explanation. It's basically an ambush - you put your force behind the line of the hills (on the reverse slope of the hill), invisible to enemy. As the enemy appear in your units line of site, it is attacked. There several components in the effect:
1. The enemy is moving, you are not.
2. The enemy units apper from behind the slope one by one, and all your units shoot at the single enemy unit.
3. If the enemy have longer range weapon(or better long-range penetration) it negate its advantage. It especially good for infantry attacking tank with short-range weapon (not with ATGM)

Instead of the line of the hill you can use edge of the forest or edge of the smoke.

[RVPERTVS]

Just two things:

1.- Why not ATAGM geared infantry?

2.- How do I know which are the better lon-range penetration weapons?

Thanks in advance