“Clarification Needed: Hold, Screen, and Assault Mechanics”

[Dzezmen83]

In the tutorial there is very little information about the differences between the Hold and Screen postures, and I can't find anything that clearly explains the specific advantages of the Assault movement order. Could someone please clarify how these mechanics actually work in detail?

[WildCatNL]

Screen vs Hold:
Screen orders the unit occupy a position in a manner that it can depart quickly, whereas Hold has the unit occupy to stay, achieving a dug-in posture after some 20-30 minutes, but with a slower response to mount-up and get going.

Assault vs Move Deliberate:
Assault favors speed and might by-pass weak enemy units in the hex, at the cost of a more exposed posture when fighting on the move, whereas Move Deliberate will clear the hex of enemy units, moving with a less exposed posture, at a slightly lower speed.
So use Assault to break in and break through, use Move Deliberate to maximize fire power on the move and destruction of enemy units.

Move Hasty is the fastest movement order, using the most exposed posture, and should be used for movement in terrain safe from enemy units.

[DIVM]

Assault vs Move Deliberate:
Assault favors speed and might by-pass weak enemy units in the hex, at the cost of a more exposed posture when fighting on the move, whereas Move Deliberate will clear the hex of enemy units, moving with a less exposed posture, at a slightly lower speed.
So use Assault to break in and break through, use Move Deliberate to maximize fire power on the move and destruction of enemy units.

Move Hasty is the fastest movement order, using the most exposed posture, and should be used for movement in terrain safe from enemy units.

I'm confused here, I thought "Assault" was a spread-out formation ready for combat, therefore slower than Move Deliberate. Did this change from FCSS or I simply had them inverted in my head all this time?

[CapnDarwin]

Look at Assault as spread out/off-road movement set to get from A to B (objective) with tempo. Deliberate is an A to B movement, spread out/off-road, but using more of a slower bounding overwatch and also stopping/screening to deal with threats. Hasty is road-bound fast movement trading protection and dispersion for faster movement going from A to B.

[DIVM]

Look at Assault as spread out/off-road movement set to get from A to B (objective) with tempo. Deliberate is an A to B movement, spread out/off-road, but using more of a slower bounding overwatch and also stopping/screening to deal with threats. Hasty is road-bound fast movement trading protection and dispersion for faster movement going from A to B.

During MP, Ive been trying Assault vs Deliberate, and I found it is often noticeably slower than Deliberate, while sometimes it takes the same time or faster. Why is this happening? What are the circumstances when Assault is faster ? I don't see to find those often.

[blackcloud6]

My observation of Assault, and I'll caveat that much of this comes from playing Southern Storm and playtesting CW, is that when you give a unit this order, it sits in the start hex to get ready to move out longer than it does for Hasty and Deliberate moves. Is this supposed to be this way? Am not seeing this correctly?

[wandrr]

Consider this little trick:

• Make a very short move, perhaps one hex, using Hasty.
  Then, in the same command list, do all the rest of the overall move using either Deliberate or Assault.

That might speed up the overall move. I don't think this little workaround is prevented yet, but I know the dev's have done some work on the relative timings of moves. I am sure the dev's will correct me if this is not correct!

[blackcloud6]

Consider this little trick:

• Make a very short move, perhaps one hex, using Hasty.
  in the same command list, do all the rest of the overall move using either Deliberate or Assault.

That might speed up the overall move. I don't think this little workaround is prevented yet, but I know the dev's have done some work on the relative timings of moves. I am sure the dev's will correct me if this is not correct!

As I recall, I think I have done this before.

[SgtZdog]

My observation of Assault, and I'll caveat that much of this coms from playing Southern Storm and playtesting CW, is that when you give a unit this order, it sits in the start hex to get ready to move out longer than it does for Hasty and Deliberate moves. Is this supposed to be this way? Am not seeing this correctly?

SS had a minimum 30 minute delay on starting Assault orders that has been drastically reduced in CW. But you can use the above trick of starting in a Move Hasty to remove the order delay if that is relevant to you. Just remember you are a lot more visible and a lot more vulnerable in a Move Hasty.

[Jagger2002]

Does assault produce better results justifying the delay?

[SgtZdog]

Assault unlike Move Delib can push through enemy units (if you have a high enough strength ratio) and is faster. So the outcome you want will control which order you want to use.

[DIVM]

Does assault produce better results justifying the delay?

I've been experimenting during the Czech campaign and Assault really introduces a noticeable delayed. However, as Kevin said, it allows you to push through, which is very convenient when you want to make sure (or as likely as possible) that the unit doesn't get bogged down in a firefight in between. Very useful to get through Urban areas where you know there are small units holding there.

[WildCatNL]

In Cold War, both Move Deliberate and Assault now have the same preparation delay (15 mins, under "normal" conditions), so the delay should not play a role in deciding on Move Deliberate versus Assault.

This is a change from Southern Storm, where Assault had a 30 mins preparation delay, and Move Deliberate a 15 mins delay.

[blackcloud6]

In Cold War, both Move Deliberate and Assault now have the same preparation delay (15 mins, under "normal" conditions), so the delay should not play a role in deciding on Move Deliberate versus Assault.

This is a change from Southern Storm, where Assault had a 30 mins preparation delay, and Move Deliberate a 15 mins delay.

This is good to know and also is a good change. Thanks!