Proper use of BTR-80s

[Rosseau]

I'm losing a lot of BTRs in MRRs to pretty much everything. What's the best way to handle/use these units?

[TheWombat_matrixforum]

ORIGINAL: rosseau

I'm losing a lot of BTRs in MRRs to pretty much everything. What's the best way to handle/use these units?

I find all the IFVs/MICVs pretty fragile. The main difference between the true IFVs and the APCs is firepower, more than protection. And as you can't really ever get rid of your mounts, wherever your infantry goes, you take those targets along with you. Best I can do is get the infantry into covering terrain and dismounted, but still, there's not much you can do to save your armored taxis. It seems as if maybe, if you have your guys dismount before the objective hex, you can minimize the exposure of the mounts but that might just be an illusion. Essentially, I expect to lose most of my APCs if they come under any sort of fire.

[Mad Russian]

The IFV's are a battlefield illusion. The illusion is that they can be used as tanks. Do that and lose them in droves.

For all intents and purposes IFV or APC are still glorified taxis when it comes to defense.

If you think about this for a second, the IFV's are intended to give AT support to the infantry they carry. If they can take out tanks they have no problem taking out the little tank wanna be's. The IFV's themselves. Which means anything and everything on the battlefield kills either APC's or IFV's.

The biggest problem in modern warfare is how to keep your infantry alive and on location.

The best way to keep them alive is keep them out of the way until you need them. Modern warfare is very unforgiving. Lead with you decision makers - the tanks. If you lead with the IVF/APC's they are going to get killed and your infantry inside them as well.


Good Hunting.

MR

[DoubleDeuce]

Try to keep the IFV's/APC's out of the enemy line for fire for as long as possible until you need them to use their dismounts to physically clear objectives or enemy strongpoints. Use your tanks to strip away the enemy dismount's support and heavy weapons protection so that your infantry can assault with their own IFV's/APC's providing cover. You will still lose them to the enemy dismount's inherent weapons systems like ATGM's and RPG's but they should survive a lot longer that way.

[battlerbritain]

I think the only real use for IFVs/APCs is to keep the arty off the infantry. Arty is about the biggest killer on the battlefield.

I do believe that BMPs and BTRs could be taken out by a 50Cal. So if you think of them like that it helps focus on what they can do.

Cheers,

B

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: battlerbritain

I think the only real use for IFVs/APCs is to keep the arty off the infantry. Arty is about the biggest killer on the battlefield.

I do believe that BMPs and BTRs could be taken out by a 50Cal. So if you think of them like that it helps focus on what they can do.

Cheers,

B

And M113's can easily be taken out by a Soviet 14.5mm or 12.7mm.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Rosseau]

In the Cauldron MP scenario, the BTRs really got creamed by the Marders and Pzgrs. Thank you, gentlemen. I will be more careful next time.