Combined Tip Thread/Grunt School

[Rabbit]

Here are some tips regarding vehicle warfare in SB:

Concealment plays a huge factor for vehicle warfare in SB. If an enemy vehicle was not in the LOS of any of your units at the beginning of your turn, then it will remain concealed throughout your turn unless it defensive fires against you. I recommend re-reading that sentence again, because it is an extremely important concept to be aware of. (Note, this is a necessary trade-off in the game engine to prevent users from using “gaming” tactics. Granted it does introduce some forms of “gaming” tactics in itself, but it prevents ones that are much worse.)

Because of the previous point regarding concealment, it is very important to use less valuable resources (e.g., infantry) for reconnaissance. Posting infantry as scouts at the tops of hills will help tremendously in tracking enemy vehicles, keeping them in your LOS, and thereby preventing costly ambushes.

Take advantage of smoke and terrain to hide your vehicles. Once you have neutralized [or you have located and can avoid] any forces that might have a chance of destroying your vehicles, you can leave your vehicles out in the open where they can dominate the landscape. Otherwise it generally is best to play hide-and-seek with your vehicles, keeping them out of the enemy’s LOS, moving in for quick kills and then moving them out of sight again, or simply waiting in ambush.

Don't underestimate the value of keeping your vehicles concealed. Once your enemy knows the position of all your vehicles, it frees him to move his forces accordingly. Not knowing where all of your vehicles are forces your enemy to move much more cautiously.

When advancing your vehicles near any covered terrain (e.g., trees, villages, etc.), you will want to lead with infantry (or perhaps a low value vehicle) first so as to flush out any enemy units that might have anti-tank weaponry. Tanks are far too valuable to risk losing to a concealed two-man bazooka crew.

In tank vs. tank combat, try to destroy your opponent’s most dangerous vehicles (the ones with the most potent weapons) first as a general rule of thumb. Although balance this with the level of difficulty in destroying those vehicles.

Know your weapon penetration factors and the armor you are up against! Math helps, but you can think simplistically such that the weapon you are firing needs an equal or higher penetration factor than your target’s armor; shooting at the back of a vehicle or from one hex away doubles your chances; etc.

Don’t forget that terrain effects can boost your all-important armor rating. Vehicles get half the benefit of the protection value of the terrain. This might not help against powerful AT weapons (those having very high penetration factors), but it can make a world of difference against ones that are borderline (e.g., if the weapon’s penetration factor is relatively close to your armor rating).

Be mindful of your weapon’s range (your firepower gets halved if you shoot further than half your weapon’s maximum range).

Pay attention to how many shots you will have available as you move from hex to hex. For example, if you are thinking of moving into a hex that is in the LOS of an enemy tank, it might be worth doing it if you will have the chance to take two shots but perhaps not if you can only take one shot; as you then might be a sitting duck during your enemy’s turn if you fail to destroy the enemy tank.

Pay attention to your weapon loads. You will want to use HE (high explosives) against infantry and AT (anti-tank explosives) against vehicles. AT loads are also useful against infantry in bunkers and pillboxes. And at the end of each turn, don’t forget to set your load to whatever you would like fired during the defensive fire phase – because the AI will not switch it for you!

Don’t forget about the Achilles’ heel (or rear) for tanks. A tank’s armor value is increased by 50% (150% of normal) for head-on shots, but it is decreased by 25% (75% of normal) for rear shots.

Tanks are incredibly potent at making assaults and often can mow through enemy squads like butter. Definitely take advantage of this, but just don’t get overconfident with your vehicle assaults either, as you do run the risk of getting immobilized during assaults.

If you are unfamiliar with the capabilities of various vehicles, it may help to consult the Weapon Data chart (from the menu, select “Help” and then “Weapon Data”). It’s not very easy to read, but you can determine the armor ratings and useful information like that if you are inclined to parse through it.

And never, ever forget the high point values of your vehicles! Otherwise you will often find yourself taking most of the objectives in scenarios, but getting defeated because of how many vehicles you lost in the process.

Hope that helps. Feel free to add any tips you might have.

Best,
Rabbit