How to use FSCC correctly?

[SchDerGrosse]

After a lot of fumbling, I have taken the habit of just microing each every piece of arty manually.

If I leave them under FSCC control, most of the time they do nothing. Yea some requests are created and yea SOMETIME they answer the calls by dropping an anemic 30 shell barrage on a few targets.

On the other hand, the AI seems to be extremely cabable of pounding me with arty mid phase. I dont know if the AI adheres to different rules regarding this.

All in all, what is the (preferably step-by-step) "proper way" of putting an artillery piece "on call" AND getting the desire result from it (ie. being able to react DURING the phase).

I think along my 174 ingame hrs I pretty much got the other aspects of the game, apart from this one.

Thank you in advance,

[WildCatNL]

Tips
- make sure to have the latest patch coinciding with the Lowland Lions release; it includes a number of fixes for the FSCC processing of fire support requests
- set the artillery in direct support of the main maneuver groups that will be in contact; this will bring the response time down (as fire support requests don't have to traverse the whole command chain)
- ensure the artillery is within reach of the targets
- especially when using "deep" orders-of-battle (large Soviet formations, the new Dutch formations), task-organize your artillery for shorter response time by subordinating them to the highest HQ or a maneuver battalion

The AI uses the FSCC in the same way. Occasionally, the computer player's battle plans do include planned strikes, and sometimes the computer decides to protect the flanks of a maneuver with pre-emptive strikes, but it doesn't do things you cannot do.

Myself, I don't micro the artillery. I plan the occasional barrages, especially FASCAM or smoke.