Attacking Sequence - What to Look For?

[demyansk]

I am new with this game but familiar with war games. I was interested to know what players do when they start a turn and what they look at as far as future strategy. What screens do you look at and how do you decide on what units will do the attacking? I know its a general question but I am trying to find the sequence of attacking.

Furthermore, do most of you use the luftwaffe as a "List" procedure and click on the units?

Do you use the artillery button as well?

I will look around for a post on this as well. Just like to hear from the experts on sequence and what they look at.

[wodin]

For a major attack..Air attack followed by Arty bombardment followed by ground attack.

[Bonners]

I'm certainly no expert, as every PBEM game lost will testify, but here are a few things to look out for:

As per your previous post, try and save attacking cards for the areas you want to breakthrough, things like initiative and freedom of action cards are particularly useful.

Try and always use tank corps/panzer divisions in clear hexes and infantry and SUs/Stugs for the difficult terrain.

Where possible always try to have 100 action points and 100 readiness points for your attacking units (this includes air units). Once readiness starts dropping down then your offensive capability starts to drop rapidly and you seem to suffer more losses. If your APs drop then you get less rounds of attack and less chance of taking the hex. If your offensive units have to move before attacking it is worthwhile using the speed card to give them more APs in the attack.

Similarly, look for defensive units to attack that dont have full entrenchment to launch your first attacks against.

As for sequence, it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you have strong attacks first up then it can be useful to use the first attacking units to help create a 3 hex attack against the next hex you attack (especially in conjunction with the speed card).

I'm not too sure hwat you mean by the Luftwaffe and artillery buttons. Do you mean pressing all and then selecting the units from there? I generally dont do that and select the individual air/artillery units I want to attack with.

There are some really useful threads on here about sequence of attacking, but what this forum really lacks is any kind of order. If I find where some of the real experts have psoted I'll pop the links in this thread. It is just trying to find where the really good threads are, it is a bit like searching for 5th Tank Army as Germans, they always turn up where least expected!

[Jay Doubleyou]

An interesting screen to look at at the start of a turn is the history screen. It gives you a good idea about enemy actions, it's force in an area, where they retreated to, air attacks etc.

[demyansk]

Hi again,

Very useful answers, you answered correctly Bonners, I tend to use the list button for attacking and then try to get a 3:1 or higher ratio when attacking. I just find the case of the air button difficult b/c the blue icon for the planes doesn't list the aircraft in a large format but you have to keep the mouse over the unit to see what planes are in the gruppe. I don't look at many of the screens and not sure on how to use the cards yet and/or changing commanders. I think it will take me a while to learn the game, I have a pbem game going and also a 1 player game against the AI.

[AP514]

IN attack......... I use the ARTY First to reduce a units entrenchments then AIR to pound the unit followed by INF in a ground attack.......