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I and my partner were to scout ahead of the Marines defensive line about a half a klick or so. We set out across the open plain and skirted a large grain field to approach our first objective.

Suddenly, at about 13:20 we noticed the advancing Japanese force. Two minutes later my partner was gunned down by rifle fire.

I hit the dirt and crawled under a nearby log.

Knowing that any agressive stance on my part, and I'd be dead too, I hid and observed the Japanese advance as best I could.

Over the course of the next half hour, I watched the Japanese advance right over my hidden position. Breathing shallowly, I let them pass. There must have been hundreds of the little bas$%#ds running past me towards my companys' prepared positions.

I knew they'd soon meet the withering fire of our HMGs and Stuarts laying in wait. And I was right!.

Soon after that inital contact, dozens of Jap SNLF were falling back and regrouping for the next Banzai charge - and I could see all of it from my hiding spot.

After about a half an hour I began to hear the kathump, braaap, braap, braap of our Stuarts as they began to route and flank the advancing Japanese.

Seeing those first two Stuarts rumbling through the smoke towards my postion, driving all before them, made me swell with American pride.

As the Stuarts drove past, and a half dozen more came through the smoke, I left my hidden hole and made my way back to command to report.

- 2nd Lt Gay, Ist Marine Corp.

(game terms)

This Scout team got clipped for one casualty right at the beginning of the game. The remaining survivor went to ground, I turned his Opp Fire response to '0' and clicked both weapons to OFF.

Literally an entire company of Japanese SNLF moved over or near (within 200m of the scouts' hidden postion). Several units even ended their move in the same hex as the scout.

This was made even more incredible in that the terrain the scout was hiding in was wide open plains. And he managed to stay hidden (and report to intelligence) until the end of the battle. About 12 turns in all.

I've had this happen before to a lesser degree, but never, at anytime, were they as successful as Lt Gay.

Hmmm, I've set the range of units to zero before when I want 'eyes', but I never thought about turning the weapons off too. Neat trick.

I've been in the same hex with an unseen enemy before, and only spotted them after doing a 'circle dance'...I guess the AI doesn't have that 'move'.

This sounds like a good idea that I would like to try in my Guadalcanal Campaign battles. Would anyone care to tell me how I can set the Op FIre for these units? I haven't found it yet in the SPWaW manual.

Thanks.

Originally posted by RayM
This sounds like a good idea that I would like to try in my Guadalcanal Campaign battles. Would anyone care to tell me how I can set the Op FIre for these units? I haven't found it yet in the SPWaW manual.

Thanks.

With the unit selected you can either hit 'Y', or right-click on the unit and then click on 'range'. To do it during deployment you'll have to use the second method.

I often like to use snipers with their weapons turned off as scouts. A little expensive perhaps, but darned hard to spot.
Also, there's not many units that a single sniper can do much damage to anyway.
However, I did once have a sole surviving crewman from a Grey hound close-assault and destroy an enemy half-track.
So you never know.

Nothing beats russian ski sniper as scout. Fast, accurate and as close invisible as game allows.

Originally posted by Stahlhelm
I often like to use snipers with their weapons turned off as scouts. A little expensive perhaps, but darned hard to spot.
Also, there's not many units that a single sniper can do much damage to anyway.
However, I did once have a sole surviving crewman from a Grey hound close-assault and destroy an enemy half-track.
So you never know.

Heh, you obviously haven't read the Übersniper threads?

I've now done this in two more games - and lost every single scout. (~20 team)

But, they still provided valuable recon while they were operating.

BTW - an enemy scout'll pick you out in the underbrush real quick. Kill them first!