How do you play with/against Super tanks?
I started a campaign in DG as Israelis and seem to have an easy time blasting away Syrian tanks unless I stumble opon a hidden one.
Playing with Mike in the Cold War mod, my Soviet tanks didn't seem to stand a chance against Mike's stationary NATO tanks. High firepower numbers meant one shot, one kill op fire before I could get a shot.
Playing Big Dawg in a late war battle, his Panthers and King Tigers would blast my Pershings and Shermans before I got into range.
I've seen similar results in Steel Panthers and Combat Mission etc.
Any tips?
Haven't played any modern scenarios with armor for quite some time now. There are very few Allied/Russian tanks within the CS game that can approach Panthers head and expect to survive at normal combat ranges. And that was pretty much the case in the real deal also. And there are positively no tanks that are going to stand up to King Tigers with any real hopes what's so ever. In general most scenarios have been designed with the Allies/Russians having numerical superiority in tanks. With that it is best to mask/hide the movement of your Allied/Russian tanks as best as possible. Terrain permitting of course. Close the distance on those Panthers and King Tigers to minimal range before you make your move/attack on them. That with the hopes of getting those German tanks to either retreat exposing their vunerable back sides or to disrupt them. Do this of course if you have left yourself with enough tanks to fire that have enough action points to take advantage of rear attacks on those German tanks. Or even better to overrun them with an assault if they have been disrupted.
Thanks for the tips.
I can't seem to pop out of masking terrain without getting wiped out. I also seem to run out of movement just when I reach the enemy's LOS.
SCW and early WWII seem more "fun" as tanks don't have such power. Not just in CS. Or I just need to learn modern tactics.
I prefer to let my infantry scout ahead.
A double-timed infantryman on a paved road can move 5 hexes a turn. Double-timed ski troops can move up to EIGHT hexes per turn. If your opponent has no problem with scouting halftracks, take a HT platoon with reduced sp's, no more than 3 sp preferably, and scout ahead if for some reason you need to look way down the road.
Usually, scouting infantry can do the job. Never end your tanks' movment in open terrain if you can help it. The idea is once you have an idea where the bulk of his force is, you can start planning your own offensive. But until then, the most you will even consider doing is flanking the enemy (attcking where he least expects it).
Great places to put your spotters are on the edges of plateaus (that are also forested), actually any defensible terrain with good visibility. Once you see where the other guy has his stuff, you can just maneuver around it. Sometimes I will stage a minor attack to make my opponent think I'm trying to break through one area, where 80% of my stuff is on the other side of the board. Works wonders.
Try to make him afraid of you. Make little spoiling attacks, then retreat back out of sight. Always keep your non-spotters hidden. Put your units in unspotted forest hex, and turn off op-fire. When it's your turn, come out of "nowhere" and blast him where he least expects it. Try to play larger scenarios so that you have more to work with, and also have more time to put your strategies to work for you. I struggle with smaller scenarios because I don't have enough units for security, nor do I have enough time. So it's mainly larger scens for me.
Those are a few tricks I use. :cool2:
As in all things, it depends on the actual scenario...
Look at the actual victory conditions of a scenario... it does not always require a headon clash... avoid it... if you can maneuver yourself into a superior position that requires your opponent to attack do so... then you can atrit the uber tanks as they move forward...
use more indirect routes to get in close with the enemy... it may take longer... but less costly in the long run...
Hit'm where they ain't... Avoid strength on strength unless you are confident of success... Sometimes you need to bleed your opponent before you can overwhelm him...
Use terrain masking... e.g. hide behind hills, trees, or any other terrain that blocks LOS... in most cases, don't stay in the open...
Use combined arms... have your infantry lead the way... with supporting fire from the armor... You will take casaulties, but such is the nature of the game... In most scenarios, Infantry is more expendable than your armor..
Recon your move before moving up your heavies...
Smoke is a great equalizer.. use it if you have it...
don't charge across open ground... You will get slaughtered...
use diversionary attacks to force your opponent to react... so you can get him to spread out his force... so you can overwhelm him at your point of attack...
Reqards,
JvK
Thanks J, J, and J, from J
You don't have to be a J to post here fellas.
I'll digest this while I'm gone and check for more later.
Hi Paul,
Also in night scenarios I infantry set op-fire to short. You have to get close to inflict damage & shooting several hexes away only gives away your position.
I often will set my op fire so hard targets only shoot at other hard targets.
Do not get frustrated. (Easy to say, hard to do. I know.) Good luck.
Jack
Lead with your infantry. Concentrate on killing the enemy's infantry as you advance so as to leave blind spots that you can park your tanks in, or shoot with them and hide them behind woods/hills. As the enemy's infantry evaporate, the enemy tanks will have to do their own spotting and you can pick them off or, if they skulk, you can uncover them with your own infantry and then demolish them with your tanks from the flanks or rear.
Either way, win the battle of the "spotters".
Also, in regards to the moderns, as was stated, scout with infantry, bleed off any op fire if possible at longer range with them while MASSED (ie whole companies) units get into close position, then after you are in closer range, and have bled off some fire, pop up, fire ALL armor units at ONE NATO platoon to ensure max effect, then duck back out of site. Yes, you will still take a lot of casualties, but the Soviets in general, as in our games, have quite a bit more to begin with! The Leopards are a nasty customer, but even with T-64's, if you can get in closer, then pop up with Soviet Doctrine (massed firepower on single units) take a shot then drop, you will be in the ballgame!
Mike