Question on tactics: Assault, assault and assault

[Herr Straße Laufer]

Ed & McIvan on reflection I think are both right about the assault in many respects and I have no real problem with it, when it is done with what would say are combat units.

It is a part of the game, as in the way the engine works. And, the kernel of an idea in tactics was to flank a unit from both sides and move to cut it off. Often, this led to hasty withdrawls and or capture. The idea is that the unit is no longer capable of combat.

I guess as with most things it just depends what you wish to achieve from the game and I have seen some very dubious surround tactics used.

Dubious? I only find that players who run empty trucks around a unit to "surround it" and then overrun it from one hex. That is dubious and not an ROE I would agree to use in any game.
It's not dubious to fully occupy a unit's attention to soak up it's opt fire. Often this is done by sacrificing a friendly unit or two to that fire to enable the rest to move to surround and overrun. It is often called "paying the price." :)

I have done it myself so I am as guilty of it, I've surrounded and disrupted for instance 5 SP ISII's Tanks and then because I have nothing else left, overrun them with halftracks. Yes they surrendered and it was effective, historic and realistic, I think not.

You would not have done that to me. Empty HT's cannot assault an armored unit without infantry or other friendly armor. I thought that was clear? :conf:

Shoot and scoot I agree it would be dificult to do the 2 options thing, but it's not impossible to count to 2 so it depends on a persons integrety.
But that is better than where an whole force comes out of hiding shoots off a shot and then goes back into hiding. In some games I've seen upwards of a hundred tanks at once doing this.

Well, the game uses a six minute turn? I agree that shoot and scoot done by the entire enemy force may be frustrating. But, there are ways to adapt and overcome even that tactic?
And, as McIvan said, AT's and MG's often were not "seen" immediately as in the game. That part is just not realistic either. And, there were even instances of units moving in the open and not identified as an enemy until it was "gone from sight". Though, in the game if you have line of sight you spot a moving target instantly.
What Ivan tried to say was that the shoot and scoot tactic balances out the other?
I personally would not play a "shoot and scooter" for long. Or, I'd only play them in West Front desert scenarios. LOL! :cheeky:

So I suppose the bottom line here is before doing battle LETS TALK

It never hurts to ask a player what their ROE's are. You often settle into playing members who share your ROE's and shy away from those who do not.
I once stopped playing a person after watching (the rare time I watched) a replay and saw him using HT's to absorb opt fire, then move empty trucks to surround, then move armor forward to pound my armor into disruption, and then overran my armor with empty HT's.

I guess it comes down to; let the player beware?
:chin: