Retreat?...No, just redeploying in a tactical way!

[Pyros]

Hi,

One of the first steps to become a master (Pbem) with this kind of games is to actually know when it is the right moment to "retreat".
The "art of retreat" in the hands of a skilful tactician, is nothing less than a tactical redeployment for a specific reason:

1. Redrawing or adjusting the defensive perimeter
2. Redeployment due to overwhelming odds (breaking/gravity point of assault)
3. Redeployment in order to launch a counter-attack.

Basically the last point is the ultimate scope of every retreat... "Retreat in order to prepare a counter-strike" .

Thoughts, anyone?

cheers,
Pyros

[narwan]

I use retreats a lot for another purpose, to misdirect the enemy artillery. As a fencer, I know the value of feints and misdirections in a confrontation!

By making your opponent think you have troops at a certain location or have a certain vector of advance you can entice him to plot his artillery there. By clearing the area and redeploying at exactly the right moment you can not only avoid his actual arty strike, but also prevent that artillery being used elsewhere.
If you attack in force at another point right after his artillery strikes the opponent might get confused as to whether this attack is the feint (to draw away the arty from it's current target) or whether the original advance was the feint... always keep them guessing!

Narwan

[reconraider]

Also you can use it to make the enemy commander overconfident and to draw the enemy into an ambush. Channel, contain and eliminate. Some famous Marine at Bella Woods said Retreat Hell We're just changing directions! or something like that.

[yyjames]

"Retreat Hell! We're just attacking in another direction." (Attributed to Major General Oliver P. Smith, USMC, Korea, December 1950.)

or

"Retreat, Hell! We just got here!"
(Attributed to Captain Lloyd Williams, USMC, France, July 1918.)

[Marek_Tucan]

I find it hard to retreat and redeploy in a game against AI, esp. with slower vehicles, as the AI often pushes forward at full throttle regardless of casaulties.
Against human player it is, in this aspect, easier.

[Wdll]

I don't use this tactic at all, unless it is for a unit or two that are in danger of being overrrun or something.

I prefer to use waves of units and push forward whenever I either want or need to.

[MarkSheppard]

I find it hard to retreat and redeploy in a game against AI, esp. with slower vehicles, as the AI often pushes forward at full throttle regardless of casaulties.
Against human player it is, in this aspect, easier.

Is it possible to work in some sort of subroutine; "If unit takes x percent casualties" retreat for x turns"? into the AI Files?

[pdoktar]

Or something like: "first vehicle gets hit by a tank gun in a road, do not push four more through the same exact hex.." This is how usually the AI loses all it�s expensive MBTs and IFVs and the battle is kind of over.

[narwan]

Tactical retreats should be done 'leap-frogging'. The units pulling back should pass by others further back who are holding their position. Since they haven't moved, they can shoot with max accuracy at anything following up the pull back.The units pulled back can now redeploy behind the covering units giving them similar protection.

This is another reason for keeping a mobile reserve force, to allow you to set up a blocking position through which the frontline units can pull back.

[Lt. Ketch]

I've reciently employed the famous "fighting retreat" the Russians used in WW2 in a battle. Set up a position, shoot the nose off anybody that happens to see you and when they wip their head back around the courner, go find a new place to hide. When they come back to take you out, you're gone and they have to do the whole thing all over again. Works great. They can't go charging in or lose tremendous causalties and if they plot artiliery, you're often out of the area before it falls.