Paul Vebber
Posts: 11430
Joined: 3/29/2000 From: Portsmouth RI Status: offline
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Yes with starting out - try setting infantry toughness, and arty vs soft to 70-80. And shy away form scenarios where you are assulting entrenched opponants. Setting special opfire frequency to 50 will let you get the hang of manuever without being blasted quite so much.
The big tactical thing to remember in 5.3 (and this carries over to 6.0 too) is use MGs from long range (like 10 or 15 hexes) to suppress defenders where only their MGs can fire back - if his MGs are engaging your MGs at log range it will save countless lives up close...SP-AA guns work the best at this...they can hang bak on hills 20 or 25 hexes away if teh vis supports it and hose down the enemy trenches.
Avoid moving in the open like the plague and if under the enemy guns, never more than one hex. If assualting across open ground your plot of initial barage should be a bit (2-4 hexes) in front of where you think the enemy is. This will often expose mines, leave some amount of smoke to cover your approach, and "create" some cover with shell holes (though this only helps you once you get pinned). Too much smoke if you don't have a good amount of artillery to lay in behind it can help teh enemy by preventing your suppresive fires and leave you very vullnerable coming out of the smoke at close range against well ordered troops.
Pinned status can be your friend. Be careful if your troops are caught in the open to NOT rally them back past pinned, but to keep your men pinned while the lay in suppressive fires. Especially in shellholes...While you can't pin your troops per say, I have found in emergencies a little "Z" key fire on my own guys to get them back to pinned has been a life saver...consider it a surrogate for a "go to pinned" status key :D
Once your firebase is established and your MGs and pinned troops lay in a good volume of fire, use your manuever element to probe a flank or generally advance as the covered approaches allow. A rolling mortar barage ahead of them to make sure anyone they meet is at least shaken up a bit will help.
Keep your platoons together advancing and have the company CO accompany the manuever element to make sure they get the extra rally chance. The command range of leaders is 3 hexes, if greater their radio may not always beworking. I always pick teh platoon leader withthe best rally ratig to be my assault team leader. IF you have inf AT or recon teams, have them advance 2-4 hexes in front of your assault team to find and pin enemies. Your assault platoon can either go after them or avoid.
INfantry tactics have dominated discussion lately, but Tank tactics use similar techniques. use bound and overwatch - FOr a company I try to leave one platoon back at long range on hills, in cover to engage at long range - then play leap frog with the other two platoons to advance - one remaining stationary and the other advancing in a zig zag keeping about 30 degrees angle to the threat axis. THis maximizes the slope effects against your armor. It is most effective with "boxy" tanks like Tigers and Matildas. Panthers and T-34s that have well sloped tough fronts, but thin sides have to be careful not expose to much side face or you may do more harm than good zig-zaging too much...
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