Raid

[Tcao]

My 2 cents:

I think FCCW players should abandon the traditional attack–defense mindset when organizing offensive operations. Instead of having the main force attack, capture a VP objective, and then immediately transition into a defensive posture on the objective itself, they should adopt a raid-style approach.

This can be done by combining multiple waypoints: clear the important areas around the VP objective, accomplish the offensive mission, and then turn around and withdraw to a safe location behind the friendly lines to rest, reorganize, and resupply.

We can see a similar approach on the battlefields of Ukraine in 2024. Under an almost completely transparent battlefield ISR environment, both sides often had to withdraw their maneuver forces immediately after clearing forward trench positions and return to safer areas in the rear. This was largely a necessity imposed by high transparent ISR + cheap long range FPV drone strike.

FCCW does not have such highly effective ISR, but many scenarios feature much more powerful and lethal long-range artillery. If you leave an intact BMP-equipped mechanized company sitting on a VP objective, it will very quickly be reduced to a few infantry squads moving around on foot after being hammered by long-range artillery.

Under intense artillery fire, a mechanized unit essentially has only two reliable ways to survive:

Don't be detected.
If detected, keep moving.

Therefore, when conducting an offensive operation, I believe a raid-style approach is probably the most effective method: attack the enemy's defensive positions, clear the key areas around the objective, and then immediately withdraw to a secure area on your own side rather than trying to hold the VP objective indefinitely.

In other words, the objective is the target of the raid, not necessarily the place where your main force should remain.

[SgtZdog]

While raid missions would be interesting to incorporate, it is important to remember that the technology of the Cold War is significantly different than today's and trying to shoehorn modern lessons into Cold War era equipment during a narrative that takes place with commanders having bare weeks of experience in a new European war is probably not a great idea.

[DIVM]

I think it would be interesting tweaking some of the behaviors to incentive "realistic" approaches.

I had situations when a unit on Rest & Resupply spots an enemy and just stands-by till it gets shot.
I think ideally there would be Orders for only Resupply and Regroup, where units keep mostly combat ready and that procures smaller amount of Rest.
Then the current Rest & Resupply that can only be done in friendly territory.

Another fact keeping players away from more Raid-style attacks is the calculation of VP points. I've seen several times how an enemy recon unit or a single enemy subunit takes a VP in the last moment within a bigger area pretty much controlled by my forces. This was discussed and players thought of better ways to calculate VP that would represent more faithfully the ground-control around VP hexes here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=415092
This is forcing players to keep units in VP hexes that are really irrevelant other than avoid this exact situation.