Squad refuses to throw AT weapons

[Jobu88]

Spike.....McIvan.....someone.....explain to me WTF ?????

My squad has AT weapons galore and a stationary target that a blind man could hit. But they sit and watch as this :censored: armored car runs around behind my StuG and drills him in the back. Shown here is the current turn, but they did the same thing to a different tank in almost the exact same location, and they had a red target line to this armored car for the last 20 seconds of the previous turn.

Start of turn: Armored car has a point-blank shot up my StuG's backside. He can't miss.



He doesn't miss. My squad just looks on without interest.



Late in the turn the armored car backs up a bit but still right outside the window for my boys.



Is there some restraint on throwing AT weapons from inside a house?? I remember someone else posting a thread showing German grenade bundles flying out of a house like bees out of a hive.

[Der Kuenstler]

The only reason I can think of is the Greyhound didn't sit still long enough for the men to model sneaking up and close-assaulting it. It takes a few (sometimes 30+) seconds for them to do this. If the men had had rifle grenades or fausts they would have fired at it as it went by and probably knocked it out.

[Colonel Talvela]

I posted a similar thread on BFC asking about satchels. The concensus was - it is random. And people couldnt figure out why I was pissed! I feel your pain

[PoorOldSpike]

Sometimes squads throw stuff straight away, sometimes they dawdle for a turn or two, it's out of our hands..

I just ran this test below

PIC 1 - The squad has an AT-mine and a gren bundle as the M8 stops outside..




PIC 2 - Away goes the AT-mine and scores a hit. (Note ATM's are invisible in CM because in real-life somebody must run up and plonk it on the tank, so CM abstracts it by just having a guys arm swing)



PIC 3 - Fourteen seconds later they throw the bundle (it killed the M8 a fraction of a second later)..


CONCLUSIONS -
They threw an ATM and bundle in the same turn, not bad.
Squads can throw ATM's and bundles from houses.
Incidentally I never ordered the squad to throw anything, it did it all on its own initiative.

[McIvan]

You're just really unlucky, I'm afraid. Usually squads throw those magnetic mines reasonably smartly. But, like you, I've had squads sit and look dully-eyed at perfect targets for turn.....after turn......after mind-wrenching turn....

You might be onto something with the house tho....they will throw from houses, but maybe you were too far back inside the house for a throw that would arc through the air, rather than fire reasonably flat like a faust.

[Marshall666]

remember,anti-tank-mines dont get throwed.a soldier have to run to the tank,and place it there(cm shows it abstract,and you see the inf throwing it).maybe he was afraid to run,or there where enemy infantry in the area :chin:

[Combat Wombat]

I was wondering if it due to the AT squad sitting in the middle of what appears to be a 'heavy' building? if theyr were in/at the wall they may be more inclined to throw AT weapons rather than their current location which appears to need the team to throw run through a part of the building - ?

[decimated550]

Might it have something to do with leader command? Maybe the fighting bonus might have something, or even something as abstract as Global Morale. I ran a test with 10 anti-tank teams in CMBB, each in woods 25 m away from Tiger tanks, the latter facing away from them. Running the test over and over, most teams threw their loads within 10 seconds, and the rest within 20.

[PoorOldSpike]

Might it have something to do with leader command? Maybe the fighting bonus might have something, or even something as abstract as Global Morale..

Yes mate we have no way of what's going through the units minds when they behave like dickheads. I've long suspected there's a strong 'randomizing' element programmed into CM to ensure units are never guaranteed to behave as you'd expect them to; at least it keeps the game fresh and unpredictable..:)

[decimated550]

Yes, you're absolutely right And in our minds we can make up a little plot device to "justify" the desirable, or undesirable outcome:

Trees were in the way...man with the bomb was wounded, or panicked...dud round...sniper has the thrower pinned down...tank crew shooting small arms out of firing slit...squad commander is an effective or ineffective combat leader...puff of smoke from nearby shell hit obscuring vision...window in building is intact (i.e. not shot out yet) preventing grenade from being thrown...

you get the idea = - )