Matrix Games Forums

Hi all, I hope this thread will remain clean and we will be able to learn how to correctly plan a good attack or defense. Basically I never played this scale level as almost all my wargaming is made of Adv Squad Leader so you can realize that my plans were completely different.

If sometimes my english is not good enough, please try to understand it (I'm italian)
I just finished printing the Game Manual and I will of course start with the tutorial; in the last few weeks I read a lot on this forum to have an idea of how the game develops and I hope I will be able to give examples asking to the veterans how I'm going on the "plan" part of the game.

This is what I learn so far in my life about planning:
- Easy plans are always good plans..if you make things too complicated you will never get the results you planned
- Always keep a part of your force sitting back and wait the events: if you are attacking they will be able to explore holes created in the enemy line; if you are defending they will fill the gaps [:)]
- Use the "rubber band" to advance: move part of your forces (lets call it "A" whatever it is a platoon, a company, a battalion) to the given destination while the other part ("B") try to pin down the enemies with fire...once "A" reaches the spot, let them fire to cover the advance of "B"
-If you have artillery to use, prep fire the attack area and the enemy will stay in the holes making infantry life much easier

I know this things are nothing new for the veterans but I hope this thread will help out the new guys as I am....

As soon as I will start playing I will post my plans to share it and comment...
Roberto

Leap frogging I think your suggesting or in military terms fire and movement on a big scale.

NewBobolix,

Welcome. Your strategies sound good to me. Let us know how you go implementing them. [:)]

If you use the tutorial as the example, you will get the maximum number if responses.

And you're English is 1,000 times better than my Italian. One time I thought I asked for a milk coffee and I got a cup of warm milk !

-

We are all noobs here to some extent (if there are any Generals here please raise your hand...).

It is said that no plan survives contact with the enemy (which is my experience), but that a bad plan is better than no plan at all (Gawd, this is deep philosophy!...).

The thing I have the most difficulty with is keeping a reserve and rotating units out of combat to rest them. I never have enough units, so when the lead starts to fly, I almost always end up throwing everything into the kettle. As a result for any scenario longer than a day, everyone ends up dead tired and can hardly hold up a rifle, much less get inside anyone's Boyd loop.[:'(]

This is alleviated to some extent in bigger scenarios by fresh reinforcements arriving throughout the scenario, so I always have at least a few fresh troops; this is also alleviated by giving orders at the brigade level, where the HQs will usually not only keep a reserve, but not throw everyone into the fight at once.

Henri

"Godammit, war is beautiful!" (Patton)

"Overpower, Flank with Reserves."

Set Artillery to On Call, because they seem to do a better job of it than me!

3 days later...
it's 6.05 D1 and I issued my first orders following the tutorial...
everything is almost clear and I easily understood the basics of the gameplay so far...
one thing that I fully understood is that you HAVE to fully know your forces to give the correct orders to the correct units and use them at best (for example moving the Tank Coy on the edge to cover the other side of the river)
than I started the game at the start of TUT-05 (30 minuts of tutorial, maybe is TUT-06) and just left the game running for about 1.30 hours (simulated time) to see how it goes...
my biggest concern so far is WHEN, WHERE AND HOW to react to simulations results: I was used to company/squad levels of gameplay and for me it is much easier to see when a squad is pinned/suppressed, consequently it is easier to react and decide whether I need to send some help and what kind of help they will need...
here I have some troubles understanding what is happening to a specific company for example...I see the red square, they are taking casualties...what should I do ??? let them continue the battle ? retreat them ? maybe I just need to watch the long 30 minuts tutorial [8|]

Without seeing your situation first hand, I'd say on the individual company level, you generally should letting them fight it out. I'd suggest looking more at assessing 'how is the mission that the command (bn, regt, whatever) that company belongs to progressing?'

Keep the blue dots lit- that means your units are engaging.

ORIGINAL: Franklin Nimitz

Without seeing your situation first hand, I'd say on the individual company level, you generally should letting them fight it out. I'd suggest looking more at assessing 'how is the mission that the command (bn, regt, whatever) that company belongs to progressing?'

Keep the blue dots lit- that means your units are engaging.

Franklin you are absolutely right...yesterday afternoon I played the first part of the tut scenario following the video tutorials and I better understood how to follow the gameplay...
Now is time to better understand the mechanics of the game and explore to exactly know how to technically use the forces on the field.