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Larry Holt -> (10/15/2001 9:18:00 PM)
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The thrust of this thread is that the AIP does not position its ATGs well. With the advent of ver 7, you can have a human buy and setup the AIP side. While you have always been able to do this by editing a saved game as a scenario, now you can do it directly as part of the setup sequence.
So, lets talk tactics. How would you employ your ATGs?
Let me start by enumerating the advantages of ATGs as anti-tank weapon systems vs. SP units (SPATG, tanks, etc.)
- lower silhouette
- better visibility to acquire targets
- not as vulnerable to single shot, catastrophic kills
- can place them in buildings (without becoming immobilized)
- often available in larger caliber than tanks main guns
- they are cheaper than mobile units
- harder to spot than mobile units
- ? others (what do you think)
And the disadvantages:
- cannot quickly move out of harms way (e.g. shoot & scoot)
- cannot move into firing position and immediately start firing
- vulnerable to suppression by arty and small arms
- ? others (what do you think)
OK, now how do we employ them?
In a non-advance (delay, defend, etc.)
- overwatching likely avenues of vehicular advance
- over watching key terrain (e.g. VHs)
- ?
In an advance
- on the flanks, as blocking positions to protect avenues of possible flank attacks on the main force
- behind mobile forces to protect key terrain that has been taken as the mobile forces move on
- behind mobile forces to create a hasty defense in case they run into something that they cannot handle and have to withdraw
In all cases some tactical tips:
- place them with MGs or guns that can suppress direct fire weapons that are trying to suppress the ATGs
- place some smoke grenade carrying infantry that can pop smoke in front of them if they start taking too accurate direct fire (use this similar to tanks smoke dischargers)
- place them in pairs or multiples focused on the same key terrain, this prevents a loss of one ATG from opening up a hole in your defense, also if you have to move one because suppressive fire is becoming too accurate, the other can take over
- Place them overwatching each other thus protecting each other
- Place them behind terrain blocking LOS to the enemy's direction of attack but allowing lateral shots (e.g. behind a hill or building).
- Use reverse slope defense (e.g. have infantry just behind the crest of a hill or ridge then ATGs a few hexes further back, infantry will close assault tanks rolling over the hill top then ATGs can fire on tanks which cannot effectively spot or return fire due to the ~20 suppression from the close attack) (alternately you can use smoke if you lack suitable hills to hide behind)
- Know the 50% probability of hit range and don't fire beyond it
- Employ smoke or terrain to shield ATGs from direct fire that they cannot effectively reply to (e.g. beyond the 50% range)
- Fire at tanks with something else first to cause them to button up
- Don't keep transport stacked with ATGs as they can become suppressed and unable to move the ATGs
- Limit the number of shots taken each turn to remain unspotted (this is hard to specify as it depends upon the defenders terrain, attackers suppression level, exp and spotting abilities, visibility, etc.)
Next how to combat ATGs
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