Do you prefer to assualt or use individual weapons?

[JKG]

I'm playing the opening battle of LV and trying to decide which is the best way to knock out the fortified positions.

Is there a preference amongst other players whether to assault or use individual weapons such as the satchel charge with the C function? Particularly for the engineers who have individual weapons that have a chance to destroy the fortifications.

Also, is there a way to use the C function to fire an individual weapon as the first shot at an enemy unit? For example, I have to assualt with my recon units first, then use the C key to fire the anti-tank mine only (to avoid the suppression that comes from a failed assault).

Thanks

[Supervisor]

Assautling is great if you have experienced crews, higher chance of success without increased surpression. Try using the Z key when next to fortified positions, also when available flamethowers are always very successful and a great way to lighten up the party.

[Rick Borovec]

In the opening battle of LV I found that I ended up by-passing most of the fortified positions in that A) did not have the weapons to take them out, B) was easier to avoid than to spend the time, C) did use my engineers on some and when I did I did not use the "Z" key in this instance. I shot at one of the Observation towers with the Stug and Inf Guns across the river, never did destroy it.

Boro

[Larry Holt]

Here are the pros and cons:

Assault, even if it fails it adds ~+15 - 20 to the supression of the target so if its something that you don't want to fire back or are trying to get a crew to bail, assault is prefered at least to soften it up. However, an assault has a base % to hit of the number of men in a unit, if you sit still for a turn or two, this % can go up. The base % to hit for a flamethrower or satchel charge is much higher although a hit may not kill the target. So if you are taking out a tank, assault. If you are going after a bunker, smoke it, have one or two units attack with weapons and some others sitting still to build up their % to hit.

[AbsntMndedProf]

I usually like to move an engineer unit next to the target and let it sit until the next turn, when it has two flame-thrower bursts and two satchel charges available. Then I assault the target. If the assault works, fine. If not, I leave the unit surpressed and fire on the hard target again, and the unit uses its remaining flame thrower burst and/or satchel charge to destroy the bunker/fort. Usually works the first try. A few times I've had to repeat the process on the third turn, but not very often. Hope that helps! (With infantry that don't have flame throwers or satchel charges I just keep assaulting and reducing surpression, and hope for the best.) <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Eric Maietta

[11Bravo]

Good answers above. Let me add a few personal observations.

As far as the strategy of waiting until your hit % increases prior to assault, I have noticed that it goes up even if you do something useful with your waiting time, like assaulting, smoking, firing. It would be a good test if someone studied the rate at which the hit % increased verse whether the squad does something or nothing.

Also, if you smoke the strong points field of fire, some of them can still observe you from other directions (but not fire). These seem to call in artillary. So I like to smoke to obscure fields of fire and fields of observation, as well as assault to keep them off the radios. My men hate those deadly accurate surprise mortars. <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

[tracer]

Originally posted by JKG:

{snip}
Also, is there a way to use the C function to fire an individual weapon as the first shot at an enemy unit? For example, I have to assualt with my recon units first, then use the C key to fire the anti-tank mine only (to avoid the suppression that comes from a failed assault).

Thanks

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Yes; use the T key (or 'target' button). But once you select the target, make sure you hit the 'set as target' button (or T key again)...not the 'fire at target' button.

[Raptor]

Not long ago I had a game against "The Eel" where I was assaulting his carefully laid-out defence line with its interlocking fields of fire.
I was playing the chinese communists and had access to pretty much nothing but infantry and light artillery. But I found that an ample application of smoke let me move between the bunkers and on to the objectives. I had thought that, given my lack of armor or heavy guns for this scenario, I was gonna get creamed.
But not so.
So I recommend smoke 'em and bypass 'em.

[panda124c]

I like to fire the individual weapons until the last shot, there is less chance of getting spotted, then if I have not destroyed the target or have been spotted I go fot the assualt.