Matrix Games Forums

Something I have never mastered in this game is the problem of trying to maintain platoon cohesion in infantry units based on the British infantry model. The platoon will be composed of an HQ squad, some three rifle squads, and a small mortar. Late war Polish infantry and some of the other British Empire nationalities like the ANZAC forces have a similar or identical set up.
The problem I have is that the rifle squads and the platoon HQ have a speed of 6, while the light mortar has a speed of only about 2. This means that in advance or assault missions, even if the mortar doesn't fire, it quickly gets left behind. Although I play with C&C off this irritates me somewhat, and I am wondering how other players deal with the lagging light mortar units.
As far as I can tell the AIP just drags these mortars after the rest of the foot soldiers - IT Brixia squads always show up as johhny-come-latelies when the AIP is on the advance, and even GE MG units tag along and seem to show up only by the time that mopping-up operations have begun.
I am not arguing that movement speeds for the light mortars be altered or anything, I am just wondering how people deal with these units - is it fairly common to cross-attach them to a dedicated artillery platoon? In campaign games this is what I tend to do - make them sub-units of the A0 unit and upgrade them to heavier bore artillery ASAP. Although this might make sense in game terms, what was the SOP in real terms?

pick yourself up some pack mule & load the mortars on them. they are reasonably small (size 2) quite quick & handle rough terrain pretty well. Their speed allows you to set up & fire support for a few turns from a safe(er) distance back as the infantry attacks, then load up & hustle up to your next fire base. Works well with other light support weapons as well. Cheap too & often historically accurate.

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Robert (Bonzo) Lindsay, Coordinator
28th (North-west) Battalion Headquarters
Main http://nwbattalion.tripod.com
E-mail nwbattalion@icqmail.com

Originally posted by rexmonday:
Something I have never mastered in this game is the problem of trying to maintain platoon cohesion in infantry units based on the British infantry model. The platoon will be composed of an HQ squad, some three rifle squads, and a small mortar. Late war Polish infantry and some of the other British Empire nationalities like the ANZAC forces have a similar or identical set up.
The problem I have is that the rifle squads and the platoon HQ have a speed of 6, while the light mortar has a speed of only about 2. This means that in advance or assault missions, even if the mortar doesn't fire, it quickly gets left behind. Although I play with C&C off this irritates me somewhat, and I am wondering how other players deal with the lagging light mortar units.
As far as I can tell the AIP just drags these mortars after the rest of the foot soldiers - IT Brixia squads always show up as johhny-come-latelies when the AIP is on the advance, and even GE MG units tag along and seem to show up only by the time that mopping-up operations have begun.
I am not arguing that movement speeds for the light mortars be altered or anything, I am just wondering how people deal with these units - is it fairly common to cross-attach them to a dedicated artillery platoon? In campaign games this is what I tend to do - make them sub-units of the A0 unit and upgrade them to heavier bore artillery ASAP. Although this might make sense in game terms, what was the SOP in real terms?

Usless item (very good in trenches) I always change them to HMG they move faster and give needed firepower to the squad.