The Chaos Factor

[Ratzki]

Der K., I was not arguing it's merrit as a main strategy either, but as a "sideshow".My thought is that if you are gonna use it effectly, you probably don't have to, and if you have to, it probably will not be effective against your opponent. Maybe it's just me but I find that if i play a 1000 pt. game i need about 1200 pt.s to feel good and if it's a 3000 pt. game, 3500 pt.s would be nice. I just don't think that taking units outa the battle for a significant time to do an end run on my opponent for a couple of "possible" victory points is good use of my limited resources. I think this "sideshow" strategy works better on QB maps as they tend to be too wide alowing for easy unseen movements and they are too shallow that makes for tough layering of units without bunching up.
I do think this is a valid tactic however; but this should be planned and part of an overall strategy for the battle. One infantry platoon or tank roaming the backfield is not that concerning nor does it put me off my plan too much, but slam into the flank with a company of well supported infantry usually makes me sweat somewhat, and a platoon of armor with that company all cruisin' around in the end zone is bad news.

[ATCS]

To kinda lend support to DK's idea, I do use the "chaos infantry" quite often. However, instead of a platoon (or less), I send a sharpshooter or two. They are much harder to spot, particularly when using cover and the enemy is focused on the "main effort". If you manage to get one or two snipers behind their lines, it can really cause havok with gun/mortar crews and command squads.

Just my .02 cents worth. Nice thread, BTW. Always like reading/discussing strategy and tactics.

Mike

[ATCS]

Dang! Just realized I am in the middle of a game with Ratzki, and here I am divulging my gameplan!

Doh!

[Der Kuenstler]

LOL - he won't find those pesky little snipers anyway!

[The Coil]

Another fun random chaos team is a mortar and a section HQ wandering around where they can get a shot at the enemies backfield.

In agreement with Colonel T et al, though - you can just send them meandering around - all the 'chaos' moves work best when you have a good idea of where your enemy is and (more importantly) where he isn't.

[Ratzki]

Don't worry ATCS, after 10 turns and very little contact, I figured your troops either got lost or are up to something sinister.

[Zemke]

This could work during a ME, but frankly I think it is to risky for little gain, unless you have time and terrain to support it. But then as one poster said, can you afford it. A platoon is too small to have any real effect, while a company of Infantry or a Platoon if Armor may be too sorely missed in the main fight. I prefer the ABCs of deception over chaos, instead of causing physical chaos to his unis, you create chaos in his mind. Make him dought his decision making, second guess himself, and unsure of what is really going on.

[Zemke]

I also like complete and total mass to crush everything in the way of the moving force. This is a force backed by heavy artillery and tanks. I have never seen this stopped by anything less than a total effort on the defender's part, done so by of shifting forces and massing infantry, which is still crushed under the weight of heavy artillery. The problem with this is ammo, like running out of it. You have to be careful to weight your return fire till you are fairly sure what you are dealing with, unless you are on your final last push. The counter to this is the defense in depth and reserves, forcing the attacker to expend more ammo at a rate that exausts his heavy artillery ammo or cost his time to set up these attacks over and over that he runs out of time or ammo.

[Zemke]

Another tactic is the fix in place method of attack. The attacker "spreads" the battlespace with coverage across the front, as he makes contact he stops and fixs the enemy with fire. This can be effective to prevent the enemy from shifting forces if he can gain good los from key terrain. I have seen this used a lot by experienced players, and it makes it difficult to determine his main attack. The down side for the attack is the lost combat power, but this is usually not too much, for the payoff of full battlespace coverage and fixing the enemy force in place. If the defender's plan was to shift forces to blunt the main attack, then hw could be in trouble unless he can gain covered routes to move to the new postion. He now has to have "planned reserves", with planned covered routes to only key locations, otherwise he is fixed, and has lost.

[ATCS]

Don't worry ATCS, after 10 turns and very little contact, I figured your troops either got lost or are up to something sinister.

We are tunnelling into the large building. That is why you can't see us.