How do you go to battle?

[Cross]

I don’t use the following as a check list. But if I analyze roughly what how I plan, it would usually include most of these items.

Study the map from offensive point of view

Spend long enough to become familiar with the terrain, all its features, and some details.

Look at objectives and their values.
Try to estimate the minimum objectives I will need to capture in order to win, if the force losses are equal or weighted either way.

Determine the best paths to these objectives.
Which areas will be hard for my opponent to defend.

Look for positions with good fields of fire for overwatch of advancing forces.

What sort of units will be needed to capture these objectives?
What sort of units are best suited to the terrain. (use more infantry in wooded and built up areas, more armour in open areas)
How much mobility will my offensive forces need?

Is there a way I can work a feint, or some other sort of trickery into my plan?

Study the map from my opponents point of view

Where is he most likely to attack?

Look for good defensive positions, and ambushes along his likely routes.
Consider where I might employ cone traps.
Where can I form a second line of defense?
Where and how will I defend my flanks?

What units can best defend against probable attacks?
How much mobility might my defensive forces need?

Can I afford to lose a couple of objectives, but still win because of objectives I should gain in other areas of the map?

Visibility
What is the visibility, and how will it effect offensive, defensive and scouting operations? Lower vis may require more scouts.
Buy longer range weapons for higher visibility. For high vis buy HMGs and high power ATk guns, for low vis avoid HMGs and I may only need low power ATk guns.

Force choices
1. How many infantry companies will I need to implement the plan?
2. What support will these infantry companies need? (Armour, Artillery, FOOs, ATk guns, HMGs, Scouts, Transport, AAA, Engineers etc.)
3. What will my reserve consist of, and where will it be deployed.

NB. I should add, that I now mostly play PBEM campaigns. I typically field 3 or 4 infantry companies with 1 amoured coy and 1 support coy. The above process helps me decide what to spend 'support' points on. Sometimes it will be an extra infantry coy, or armoured platoon, but most is spent on support forces.