Help me with a basic strategy issue.

[RoyAllen]

Howdy. I'm trying to move up from basic playing of the game to a bit mroe advanced stuff, and I'm glad I've found this forum.

Scenario: Three enemy antitank pill boxes at the other side of the map, with a great LOS on basically all my movement routes. I have light armored tanks only, which would have to engage in a probably 40/60 shot at knocking out or being knocked out. I can use smoke to advance a bit, but then I'm still faced with them at the next advance.

I hear you guys talking about avoiding tank and pillbox encounters like it's no sweat ... hide troops here, advance there, ambush there... but I'm struggling with getting past deadly enemy LOS's that I can't knock out until probably several several turns later.

Thanks,
Matt

[Copper]

If you have artillery select smoke and lay a smoke screen and charge from cover to cover under smoke screens.

Check yourarmour ... they may have smoke shells... pop these right in front of pillbox to disable the LOS.

Go wide... try and flank.

If all else fails advance with a large space between your units... the pillbox can only target one at a time so keep them spaced far apart and you should get the majority of your squads through.

Bootie

[RoyAllen]

Alright, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't completely on the wrong track. I've been trying these types of things, but guess I just need more practice. Thanks.

[Minuteman]

The other advice I'd give is try to isolate your AV exposure. If you can find a way to expose 3 AVs to only one pillbox at a time, then you've got a much better chance in knocking it out.

That assumes that your tanks have the penetrating power to beat the pillbox.

Or, don't fight them w/ your tanks. Zooks and engineers are fine at destroying pillboxes. Of course that costs you time, but if I were a Tank commander staring down 88mm in pilboxes I can't destroy, I might tell you to pound sand if you ask me to advance head on...

[mixmaster]

Often times, even open terrain contains many dips and valleys that can be used to mask troop movement across an otherwise open area.

Check this by getting right down to ground level using the "1" button. I often fall into the trap of using top-down views that make the map seem flat....this is definetly a 3d game and I still don't hunt around often enough to find those dips that could hide my armor or at least give them a hull down advantage.


Hope this helps,
Mike

[Ralph Metzger]

Is this situation a QB or scenario? If it is a scenario, which one? If it's a ladder game, ask your opponent. (after you get you ass kicked). They will laugh (to themselves), but most guys will tell you why they bought them and what they were banking on you buying. Sometimes you can't beat it. I tend to buy gobs of infantry in a QB in order to absorb fire an find the enemy. Gun PB's can crush an armor attack, Use infantry to find them and use AT rifles and 20mm to shoot them down. They have a knack for for firing slit penetrations.

[The Coil]

If it's a QB, then stop playing QB's where you attack with gentle slopes and no cover... ;)

[Mike Abberton]

You said light tanks, correct? If any of them have high rate of fire cannons (20mm or 37mm), I find that they do a better job against pillboxes than standard HE fire. The burst type cannons seems to have better chances at getting a firing slit penetration than single shot HE rounds.

Assuming you have at least a couple cover locations available, try separating you armor a bit, one or two to a good cover location. Alternate popping up a single AFV at a time with a narrow cover arc centered on the pillbox. Use the shoot and scoot command to limit your exposure time. On successive turns, randomly advance one of the tanks at a time. Hopefully you tank can move up get a shot off (the cover arc will reduce your tracking time, and get back before the pillbox can retarget you. By alternating which tank moves up and fires, you may the gun in the PB spend more time rotating and you don't give the advantage of increased second shot accuracy. Delays can actually let you use multiple tanks in one turn popping in at closer intervals. Ideally you can isolate your exposure for all the tanks to one pillbox at a time to keep your opponent from using cover arcs for his PBs to cover each your hiding places. Smoke can be used if you have it to provide that isolation, if the map does not permit it otherwise.

[taffy]

as they are static if you can get smoke just in front of them that should disrupt the line of sight. if you can do this from an angle where you are not exposed then thats fine . Remember smoke is not instant and can be blown away by wind. Keep topping the smoke up to block the line of site if needed

[Colonel Talvela]

A map would really help.