Hints/Tips & Steel Panthers Documents

[Imp]

While many of our bootcampers are seasoned players some are relative newcommers so I thought some seasoned players advice might be useful.
Feel free to contribute if the thread develops I might consider making it a sticky.

To get the ball rolling in no particular order here is a list of things people have asked me about or how did you in PBEMs over the years. Being anal I decided to save & recycle rather than answer each time?

Included in word document to & these are MBT orientated hopefully somebody might find them useful.

By no means is this a definitive list of tactics but they are proven, not hard & fast rules just things to be used when appropriate

Using Attack Helos
Like any unit accuracy is affected by speed.
Always move 1 shot if any type of missile is round otherwise move the bare minimum, consider going up & down.
Depending on its FC quality if moves more than 6 hexes or so I will often not fire ATGM & waste it, move him to a position where you can use effectively.
So just behind hills is a good place for or start of game move once to take up position & let him come to you.
If there is no cover & he has any hills on his side do not buy if Radar FC is available they will die.
Don't be silly but if buy a pair get a scout helo for them. He can draw fire for them & check a hex for LOS before moving & finding its no good.
Helos can be very handy in dense terrain like jungle urban as can see stuff in advance & fire at. Need care as will stumble in to troops did not see so keep high while moving if can. Remember a helo moving at 100mph is not going to see a lot first 1/4 or so of move hes a good scout.

Tactics vs attack helos
Try & make them move several hexes to take shot as accuracy goes down a lot, so consider temporary retreat it may also bring him more in range for your AAA.
If your AAA is not up to the job use your vehicles.
If your APCs have AA capability get them ahead of your tanks as a screen. Late date stuff with auto cannons are pretty accurate against others can still upset.
If within move range of APCs run right up next to him & you will get an accurate shot.
Need several APCs first couple will probably die or be unable to fire but start chasing him. Even if do not kill will make him run so wont get a good shot on tanks. Also he is using his ammo on APCs not tanks.
If it does not have TI can run APCs up & use dischargers if have to screen.
If they are silly enough not to move ATGMs & modern tank guns can shoot at hovering helos.
Some very late era stuff actually has a decent damage protection sort of like light armour so AAMGs may not hurt even if hit.
Note some HMGs, MMGs need to be on a hill as cant get angle to fire up at helos, others don’t no way to tell that I know.

Spotting units
The faster you move the less chance you have of spotting & foot units see a lot better than vehicles. Low experience 60 or so vehicles in particular are blind as bats.
Tanks find it hard to spot vehicles moving 1 hex in cover like woods at range say 20 hexes. This means you can move 1 hex in woods & often get a couple of shots off before they spot you. So you should do the following

Supporting Tanks
Tanks should be escorted by Mech infantry at least one platoon of infantry for a company of tanks.
Use as follows remembering they see better & are harder to spot.
Moving to contact if have 1 platoon escorting (4 squads)
Each turn 2 move & get out of vehicles while other 2 are picked up & catch up, this gives you eyes on the ground.
Once contact likely get them all on the ground. You can now use infantry to look, send them into hex first to check LOS & see whose there. Now tank can move there.
If do this moving tanks is safer & if a target is in range of RPGs can fire at possibly to kill but general thing is to suppress & if spots you draw fire before tank comes in for the kill.
In the right terrain where you can pop up with infantry near tanks you can kill suppress or drain fire for the loss of a few men. Then send tanks to finish the job.
You can also load your infantry instead of tanks & run them right up to in a Mech Assault. Fire RPGs at using the W button.
If think still not badly suppressed assault it with your last shot but if fails your infantry will be suppressed.
Note tanks are a lot easier for infantry to kill if suppressed or damaged
With practice you will soon be killing tanks with infantry.
If you have infantry supporting your tanks stops this to a large extent as they are firing to.
One thing to remember that can upset plans is tanks might start popping smoke.

Combined Arms
Simple rule infantry are cheap & relatively hard to kill so use them to explore backed up by the tanks.
Tanks fire first if not under threat to allow infantry to move fire after you have suppressed the enemy.
If tank in range of RPGs infantry might need to fire a couple of shots first.
The later the date & better radio contact the easier it is to use combined arms, you can lose a certain amount of cohesion & still maintain contact & rally making a modern force far more flexible.

MGs
Always fire early in turn as can be further back & cause area suppression. If several vehicles are in same or adj hexes they can be very effective at suppressing several of them, even tanks. Can hit 3 or 4 with 1 shot sometimes.
If you are going to Z fire these are your guys but try to do most with artillery. If its Z firing its not attacking.
On Z firing way up the gains & don’t be silly.
It gives away your rough position & composition so is very useful to the other player if he did not know you were there, thanks for the info.

Scouts
Don't use your scouts to draw fire he cant see if he is suppressed, move some other units first then move him up.

Snipers
I class these as an annoyance time waster whether the cheap or expensive ones they are not worth the cost as rare to kill what they cost. Only saving grace hard to spot but easy to kill with vehicles esp if have decent fire control. Because of this they make terrible scouts designed to snipe at range so use correctly if at all.
Can be handy to guard a flank delaying foot advance or if assaulting as better at engaging dug in units but so are MGs I think, in an infantry only environment they are better
You can buy a scout & MMG for same cost as mid level sniper, more flexible bigger punch area suppression & even possibly AT capability need I say more.

Artillery
Generally the smaller the gun the faster it fires so it has more chance of suppressing but less of killing. Small guns are therefore best to use near your troops as wont kill if hit. A lot of people ignore that they are good vs armour even if no chance of killing as if you now attack their chance of a hit is less as suppressed.
Tends to be far more effective in my view if used concentrated rather than spreading it all over the place.
Remember pre TI smoke is very powerful & even after TI is still useful.
None TI ATGM for example hit with several guns or just smoke it out with one till you can deal with it.

Speed
Try to get an idea for the pace of a game a slow cautious start that forces a rushed battle for objectives is no good. It will come but a common mistake is trying to rush to fast. Once engaged don’t rush everyone around, remember moving effects accuracy & makes infantry more vulnerable to incoming fire.
You will get the pace of the battle wrong it happens.

Units
Biggest is best is not always the case infantry are your most flexible units & most squads have the gear to fill any role at a pinch.
With armour Penetration Protection & its to hit chances are probably the main criteria. Good stuff is nice but you do not always need it try mixing other stuff.
Remember if his cost half of yours could have twice as many.
Try using things like Armoured Cars Light tanks, if fast you can move to ambush positions hes not expecting. Be aware of there capabilities they cant trade shots but can cause nasty surprises & upset him, shoot & scoot.

Initiative
This is the big one, if you can keep him reacting to you that is the battle half won try not to lose it. If your attack stalls you have to find a way to restart it even if its falling back to reorganise. Never just sit there unless dug in you are giving him a chance to gain it do something. You do not have to attack on the whole front at once & indeed probably have not got enough arty to do so but you want to try & control it.
Sitting in one place to long means arty & possibly relief forces coming if you can position for a destructive blow you can hit & be gone moving to next location.
Don't do the obvious running down that road at the start may not be a good idea. Fall back to regroup after a causing destructive blow instead of pushing forward sometimes etc. Now if hes not sure what you are up to you could do the obvious & get away with it. Keep him guessing if you do it right he will spend his turn reacting to your attack rather than mounting one himself, job done.

Look at your force & the terrain & use tactics accordingly.
Try different things to see if they work.
Have a plan but be flexible they never last adjust it.
Know your & his capabilities.
Adapt adapt adapt….

Example I had a great game opponent bought best tanks I could not take them on with mine, think I only killed a couple with tanks rest was infantry. Reversed roles using my tanks in CS role to snipe infantry & taxis, sent infantry in for the dirty work once his eyes had gone.