Spotting woes

[gila]

Does anyone have any advice on spotting?
Spotter planes are helpful,
"When" they are available and i always buy as many as i can get,Becuz i know they will be shot down until i can suppress or destroy the AA.
Scout patrols and infantry get shot-up soon as they get unloaded,
Arrg!
and is there any way to unbutton tanks so they can spot better?
Any insight would be appreciated!

[RERomine]

I use both spotter planes and scouts.

You are going to hear scouts, scouts and more scouts on here. There is no substitute for them. In an assault last week, I had scouts slip past the enemy mine field and around infantry positions and bunkers that would have been painful to blunder into with my tanks. I knew where most of the enemy heavy stuff was before my assault force got to there. As for dismounting scouts, I don't mount them in the first place. I just give them a couple turn head start and follow them in. Unless you are running very short battles, they can make from the LD to the objectives (or whatever you want to scout) long before the game ends. I guess I could give them a ride about 10 hexes out to save their legs, but beyond that they walk. I've even dropped them behind enemy lines using transport planes. The transport just angles in from the top or bottom, drops them and just angles back out again. You could have the transports continue across the map after they drop the scouts if you want to try to locate some AAA, but I try to spare the planes and crew.

With spotters, I start checking an area with AAA isn't likely (about halfway across the map) and move them forward each pass, probably about 5 hexes closer to the enemy each time. Have them start their run from the top of the map (or bottom) and angle toward the enemy and then have them angle back toward your side when you are done. It should look something like an arrow pointing at the enemy. The search takes place at the point. You will eventually take fire from AAA, but most of the time the spotter survives this way. One thing to keep in mind with this is the spotting "target" is like calling artillery. The spotter gets around the "target", but isn't likely to be exact. Sometimes they blunder out farther than I wanted and get popped.

If you are looking for general game settings, you can adjust "searching" in preferences. I leave mine alone and just play at 100%. Some hardcore players turn it down. That's an experience. You can be right next to some enemy infantry and not know they are there.

As far as unbuttoning tanks, I think all you can do is reduce their suppression. They take fire, they button up. It's just basic self preservation and I don't think you can force that away in the game.

[Griefbringer]

As for infantry and scouts being transported, don't unload them within enemy line of sight. Use terrain (forests, hills, buildings) to shield them from likely enemy positions, or drop a protective smoke screen in front of the area where you are going to unload.

Then advance them slowly (one hex per turn) towards enemy, this will make them less vulnerable.

Against a dug in enemy, you might be rather unlikely to spot them before they open fire. Be prepared to take a couple of shots before being able to return the fire.

Spotting a dug-in and concealed enemy is not supposed to be easy in real life, either.

Griefbringer

[Lt. Ketch]

I read somewhere to never let your scouts be caught in the open. I didn't pay too much attention to it because I figured, "Hey, their scouts. They're trained to see things. If they can't see anything, it's not there." All you veterans can keep laughing if you want. I learned my lesson, FAST! Needless to say I'm still learning how to effectivly use scouts. (Thanks for the posts here.)When all else fails, I use lots and lots of smoke gernades. Yeah, the enemy may know where you are, but at least he knew that anyway and know he can't shoot at you.

"As for infantry and scouts being transported, don't unload them within enemy line of sight. Use terrain (forests, hills, buildings) to shield them from likely enemy positions, or drop a protective smoke screen in front of the area where you are going to unload." - Greifbringer

Listen to Greifbringer and never, never, never unload scouts in the enemy's LOS. I had two scout HTs and two scouts squads wiped out in a single turn and was pretty much blind in that half of the map for the rest of the turn. Yeah, big mistake. Don't make it.

[Mobhack]

If you dismount anything from a spotted vehicle then the dismounts are auto-spotted.

Infantry that have moved 1 hex are more vulnerable to fire (including indirect arty) than those which remained stationary, 2 hexes more than 1 etc., etc.

If there is a possibility of effective enemy fire, or a barrage is expected then try to keep those grunts that require to move to 1 hex, possibly 2 at a maximum. Those which dismount from transport are considered to have moved the transports speed in hexes. Fire on such can be positively lethal - they are treated as a "bunched" target. If you require to dismount in LOS then try to do it from transports that have moved 2 or less hexes!.

Cheers
Andy

[gila]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

As for infantry and scouts being transported, don't unload them within enemy line of sight. Use terrain (forests, hills, buildings) to shield them from likely enemy positions, or drop a protective smoke screen in front of the area where you are going to unload.

Then advance them slowly (one hex per turn) towards enemy, this will make them less vulnerable.

Against a dug in enemy, you might be rather unlikely to spot them before they open fire. Be prepared to take a couple of shots before being able to return the fire.

Spotting a dug-in and concealed enemy is not supposed to be easy in real life, either.

Griefbringer

Thanks for your helpful advice,
I am learning to not be so bold!
It reminds me of an old WW2 flick i saw once(the title ecapes me)
A platoon of americans were set up for ambush in the woods,
A tank was advancing slowly with a scout walking slowly ahead.
The platoon leader made everyone hold fire till the tank was in close range,I suppose if i turned off weapons on scouts and infrantry "except for AT" in good cover might help.

[Griefbringer]

Instead of turning off weapons (which leaves you a sitting duck should the enemy manage to spot you and open fire), better option might be to limit the range where you open fire. You can easily do this with Y-button, and then set the range say to one hex - should the unit be fired upon, they will still be able to return fire (the range gets reset in order to allow the unit to engage the firing enemy).

Turning weapons totally off can be useful for such units that might be able to stay hidden even if enemy passes real close (scouts, snipers).

Griefbringer

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

Instead of turning off weapons (which leaves you a sitting duck should the enemy manage to spot you and open fire), better option might be to limit the range where you open fire. You can easily do this with Y-button, and then set the range say to one hex - should the unit be fired upon, they will still be able to return fire (the range gets reset in order to allow the unit to engage the firing enemy).

Turning weapons totally off can be useful for such units that might be able to stay hidden even if enemy passes real close (scouts, snipers).

Griefbringer

This Should work against AI, but a human ooponent will be carefull with his units

[RERomine]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

This Should work against AI, but a human ooponent will be carefull with his units

You could set the range to zero. That way you will only fire if someone is on top of you or someone spot you and fires. Still, I like a range of one or two because if you get the first shot in and you might prevent that enemy unit from firing at all. At a range of one, unless spotting is turned way down, you have more than likely been spotted and you want all your weapons active so you can at least fight back.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by RERomine

You could set the range to zero. That way you will only fire if someone is on top of you or someone spot you and fires. Still, I like a range of one or two because if you get the first shot in and you might prevent that enemy unit from firing at all. At a range of one, unless spotting is turned way down, you have more than likely been spotted and you want all your weapons active so you can at least fight back.

Yeah, i set my scouts, tankhunters and those tipe of units to range 1 or 2 sometimes, its better to be safe than sorry, who gives the first shot has the advantage over the enemy