Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns

[Felix Nephthys]

I've tried to see if this is a subject that has been covered before here in the forums for both MBT and WW2 but couldn't find anything so here goes.

Does anyone use the tactic of plotting artillery support while at the same time turning off the actual guns themselves in the unit view so as to not actually fire them but create a ready mission to use later if the need arises? I do this from time to time during play and I've found it to be useful but the only drawback is that when you play another human it can tip them off as to where and with what you are planning to fire at a later time (at the end of their turn when the rounds would normally hit the screen scrolls to the area, plays the sound effect of the firing, says what units are "firing", but since the weapons were "turned off" no rounds actually hit the ground). This gives your human opponent a warning and I was wondering if this is just a limitation of the game engine or something that might be able to be altered in the future.

[Mobhack]

If I want a silent barrage, I simply adjust the prosective impact point a couple of steps so the time to fall exceeds one.

The rounds dont fall so no need to play around with switching weapons on or off.

[Imp]

I do the same as Mobhack just walk it back & forth till go time, occasionally I turn off a couple of tubes on rocket artillery.

[scorpio_rocks]

Another "walk it" here - tbh I dont think I ever even tried turning off all the tubes so didnt know what it does...

[Karagin]

I have seen the AI do this a couple of times, the last two times was a longer game and I think they had run out of ammo, so I went with that idea for the first time and then got hit next round. The second time, oh no, I didn't move into that area at all.

[Wdll]

I've tried to see if this is a subject that has been covered before here in the forums for both MBT and WW2 but couldn't find anything so here goes.

Does anyone use the tactic of plotting artillery support while at the same time turning off the actual guns themselves in the unit view so as to not actually fire them but create a ready mission to use later if the need arises? I do this from time to time during play and I've found it to be useful but the only drawback is that when you play another human it can tip them off as to where and with what you are planning to fire at a later time (at the end of their turn when the rounds would normally hit the screen scrolls to the area, plays the sound effect of the firing, says what units are "firing", but since the weapons were "turned off" no rounds actually hit the ground). This gives your human opponent a warning and I was wondering if this is just a limitation of the game engine or something that might be able to be altered in the future.

Never thought about doing this. It borderlines on cheating, if not for the "warning". Still, not sure I see the point unless you are playing with a small map and/or many artillery units.

[Mobhack]

It is not "cheating" - It is a technique used by artillery in real life, called the "silent barrage". In real life the battery lays onto various predicted points ready to fire on them, but they wait for the forward observer to actually call for the fires to start (in WW2 by radio, in WW1 a rocket or flare).

Useful for a quiet attack onto a position where you think the enemy may well be, but not calling for the artillery fire to start until an actual enemy is found near one of the preplotted targets. Thus the fact of the assault happening is kept quiet for a few minutess or more until the troops actually bump the defenders.

[Suhiir]

I also use the same method as Mobhack.

[Felix Nephthys]

I've tried to see if this is a subject that has been covered before here in the forums for both MBT and WW2 but couldn't find anything so here goes.

Does anyone use the tactic of plotting artillery support while at the same time turning off the actual guns themselves in the unit view so as to not actually fire them but create a ready mission to use later if the need arises? I do this from time to time during play and I've found it to be useful but the only drawback is that when you play another human it can tip them off as to where and with what you are planning to fire at a later time (at the end of their turn when the rounds would normally hit the screen scrolls to the area, plays the sound effect of the firing, says what units are "firing", but since the weapons were "turned off" no rounds actually hit the ground). This gives your human opponent a warning and I was wondering if this is just a limitation of the game engine or something that might be able to be altered in the future.

Never thought about doing this. It borderlines on cheating, if not for the "warning". Still, not sure I see the point unless you are playing with a small map and/or many artillery units.

The intent was not to cheat but as more of a time saving device I would use from time to time so I wouldn't have to shift any artillery units every turn, I just have to remember not to use the technique during a PBEM game.

[Wdll]

I didn't say it was cheating. I said it was borderline. Not because it was unrealistic, but because the game doesn't let you plot artillery and have them ready at 0.0 time to fire, without firing. The game makes you move (plot) the artillery even a little if you want to delay them firing. In that sense for me is a bit iffy because the game doesn't let you do it normally.
But, as with any "shortcuts", If the opponent is aware of it, I see nothing wrong with it.
Obviously it is up to you what you do/say or not.

[Dion]

Sounds like a tactic I could use. Going to keep it in mind, could come in handy. It would be quicker and less tedious than shifting, though you would have to remember turning them back on.

[Suhiir]

Once-upon-a-time I trained as a Forward Observer (long before counter battery radars were a common thing, and before MLRS etc.) Timing your mortar/artillery strike is something we learned. WinSPMBT doesn't really support that outside scenario creation, and even then it's limited. Keep in mind each turn in WinSPMBT is minutes not seconds long, so when you fool with adjusting your strikes around to get them to land when you want it's still a window of a couple minutes not a few seconds.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Excellent point!! It's sometimes in the "heat of battle" to forget the "game clock" (I can't remember, but, I think it is 3 min for each player (2) for a 6 minute full turn cycle(?).) thus finding yourself asking why am I waiting whatever turns for your fire mission when you're being"pressed" on the battlefield.

It's just one of those things that makes it interesting out here. It'll force to think about possible enemy lines of advance and plotting some of your fire missions along that line of advance.

Regards,
Pat
:capt:

[georgesedlak]

Sometimes I just use one tube out of 3 or 4 for the initial barrage and after correcting for fall of shot I cork them all. When my prey comes along I then uncork all the tubes and they get the whole enchilada. This I think gives a more accurate initial barrage. Am I seeing this correctly?

[DRG]

If your FOO has eyes on the target then certainly using one tube as a kind of spotter round if you are conserving rounds is perfectly acceptable and then when you have the enemy units in your field of fire you can use all tube as a "fire for effect" mission


Fire for effect is a military term. According to NATO doctrine: Fire which is delivered after the mean point of impact or burst is within the desired distance of the target or adjusting/ranging point. Term in a call for fire to indicate the adjustment/ranging is satisfactory and fire for effect is desired.