How do you handle your arty?

[MarkShot]

Okay, no wise crack remarks ...

Anyway, do you prefer to allocate your own fire missions or leave your arty on-call? Why?

If you directly allocate your fire missions, do you let your arty rest after bombard? Why?

Do you prefer to separate your arty from the attack and defense task forces? Why?

If you do not separate your arty, then do you use the ARTY DIRECT SUPPORT ONLY option? Why?

Thanks.

[coralsaw]

Originally posted by MarkShot
Okay, no wise crack remarks ...

With extreme care.

Anyway, do you prefer to allocate your own fire missions or leave your arty on-call? Why?

It really depends. Most of the time arty ammo is not enough, so it's best to make good use of it (read: allocate my own fire missions).

I usually do not interfere with battalion level arty, but only keep regimental and above arty assets under direct control, in a pool. There usually is a normal progression to the battle, where I will use on-call instructions to help prepare the vital ground for assault, or to disrupt the big counter-attack. After all these crucial actions have taken place, I usually release control of arty, most of the time setting ROF to slow to conserve ammo.

Rule of thumb: Pool regimental and above arty assets, use them in short, intensive barrages where it counts.

If you directly allocate your fire missions, do you let your arty rest after bombard? Why?

Yes, because I don't want it to waste ammo if I haven't finished preparing all decisive actions. Afterwards I leave it on AI control.

Do you prefer to separate your arty from the attack and defense task forces? Why?

Since I mostly issue orders at batallion level and below, I do not separate arty from its organic position. Especially if many things happen on screen at the same time or a sneak attack happens, I have found that it's quite a challenge to keep up with all attacks and allocate fire support without messing things up. Most of the time, arty is the difference between the success and failure of an attack or defence.

Also, one needs to keep in mind that mortars etc have a small effective radius, so need constant repositioning in offensive maneuvers to keep in range. I can't keep up with that.

If you do not separate your arty, then do you use the ARTY DIRECT SUPPORT ONLY option? Why?

I use arty direct support only in most cases. It's a) a matter of principle and formation safety to use organic assets per their intended use and b) I don't want the AI firing miles away on a small unit that perhaps I wouldn't care about (if I did, I'd made sure I bombard it myself directly.

Arty direct support on is also useful if you keep your regimental arty attached to HQ, and issue a defence in situ. This way, arty rounds are conserved for when you really need them directly.

/coralsaw

[citizen]

I try to take direct control, but often times they won't fire. After several minutes of not firing they have the audacity to say that the fire mission has been completed. I hope Panther has seen this and has corrected it.

As a result, I leave them under AI control now. They don't seem to have any resistance to firing when the AI controls them.

I almost always put all my arty on rest mode at night. Then I issue a defend order at about 0345.

citizen

[Fallschirmjager]

I usualy leave it on call so it can go to who needs it

Also about the rest function...ive never found it usefull..when I try it my units get attacked and pumled

[JeF]

For what it's worth ...

Originally posted by MarkShot
Okay, no wise crack remarks ...

Anyway, do you prefer to allocate your own fire missions or leave your arty on-call? Why?

I usually leave it on-call. Usually on slow fire rate, to save ammo. Sometimes I plan some shirt preparation barrage.
the AI is better than me to select targets. It will react faster than me anyway if new threats appear (i.e. a night attack).

BTW: I noticed that bombard order is not subject to orders delay. Possible ?

If you directly allocate your fire missions, do you let your arty rest after bombard? Why?

Yes. That's my default right now. Works well that way. I'm too lazy to change it.
But giving the fact that I mostly leave my arty on-call, I think I should revise my judgement.

Do you prefer to separate your arty from the attack and defense task forces? Why?

Yes. But for everything above battalion level. Mortars attached to battalions are kept with their organic force.
I detach the arty to have better control on their location and their movements (when they move, they don't fire ...).
I even sometimes use them to keep some side objectives under my control. (thanks to Yackstock for the tip in one of his AAR).

If you do not separate your arty, then do you use the ARTY DIRECT SUPPORT ONLY option? Why?

No. The option is quite new. I simply never tried it.
I'm usually glad of the targtes the AI picks automatically for me.
Yes, sometimes they are a bit far away.

Maybe I should give it a try....

Thanks.

You're welcome.

JeF.

[Kevinugly]

I tend to detach my arty from their respective superforces in order to avoid the AI's tendancy to call them into the middle of a firefight - once the new game is out I'll probably change this. I normally click the 'rest after bombard' box to off although I don't do that much direct ordering due to the AI not always executing the order - and I don't know why:mad:. I also spread my batteries (ooh - er) out so as to avoid potentially devastating counter-battery fire should a stray enemy unit blunder into my positions (I've noticed that the AI often sends British para units wandering about in the areas where my arty is - particularly when 30 Corps has arrived).

[Arjuna]

Originally posted by citizen
I try to take direct control, but often times they won't fire. After several minutes of not firing they have the audacity to say that the fire mission has been completed. I hope Panther has seen this and has corrected it.

Tis fixed. Plus we have added a Fire Spt tab view on the Side Bar to help manage all arty under your direct command.

[citizen]

Originally posted by Arjuna
Tis fixed. Plus we have added a Fire Spt tab view on the Side Bar to help manage all arty under your direct command.

Ah, most excellent. Hopefully that sidebar will allow you to group them together with the click of the mouse in order to bring their full weight onto a particular target. To avoid micromanaging them as much as possible.

Thanks for the official reply!

citizen