Question on combat values and fire values

[Jeff Conner]

Another thing to take into consideration is the ratio between the firing weapon's penetration and the defending hex's protection.  If you have a squad of men armed with rifles with a penetration of six and they are trying to attack a machine gun in a bunker (protection value of twenty-four), then your combat value is going to be reduced to 25% before any other modification.  So it might be a good idea to move the squad adjacent to the bunker for an assault behind a smoke screen and with a weapon with a higher penetration value, such as a bazooka, providing covering fire.

Completely understanding the math is not necessary to become a good player, but understanding the different factors that determine the combat values helps considerably.  That and experience will let you know what will work and what won't.