Set Direct Fire Target Vs Fire Weapons at Target
 

Although a player may engage his or her infantry units using the "F" key, I have observed that when I select target using the "T" key and thereafter selecting a weapon with the "W" key, the assaulting unit is not suppressed, even from within 50m. In this exercise I selected cavalry scouts assaulting T-62Ms with AT4 LAWs.

1. Press "T" key. Select Direct Fire for Current Unit
2. Press "T" key, Select this Unit as Target
3. Press "W" key, Fire Only the Selected Weapon

See unit D3:


When scouts engaged T-62s with direct fire using the "F" key, the scouts experienced substantial suppression in the range of 11. See unit E1:


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Re: Set Direct Fire Target Vs Fire Weapons at Target
 

Because the "F" key leads to an assault with all weapons.

The "W" key fires the selected weapon line only, with no assault.

Assaults can destroy the largest AFV, but are stressful to the assaulter (depending on morale and luck etc).

I often use the W key to fire the AT weapon only if someone is at 1 hex and I do not want an assault that may leave them pinned at close range beside an angry tank.

SP has always been this way, for 20 odd years.

Re: Set Direct Fire Target Vs Fire Weapons at Target
 

An additional benefit of using the "W" key, is that the attacking unit is more often able to got off an additional shot, if needed, resulting in a kill; whereas, a suppressed unit will often miss and suffer damage if the player uses the "F" key.

For AFVs, using the "W" key enables the unit to keep it's hull orientation while traversing the turret; this is especially helpful when engaging multiple targets. Furthermore, using the "W" key will help perserve the unit's main gun (120mm, etc) ammo. Example, using the main gun engaging an infantry squad at 100m, when an M240 CMG would do the job, is one or two less shots that maybe needed against an enemy tank or fortification in a later turn.

So, the take away is to exercise patience so as to engage targets wisely with appropriate fire.

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Re: Set Direct Fire Target Vs Fire Weapons at Target
 

The "W" key in the targeting sequence is useful as noted in an earlier post; however, it limits unit fires to only the selected weapon, while firing all the weapons other than the main gun may result in equivalent suppression and even a kill. Given, this situation, say an M1A1 firing upon an infantry unit at 100m and wanting to preserve main gun ammo, right click on the unit, then inactive the main gun. In the case of the M1A1, it will not lay down fires from it's three CMG and AAMGs whereby putting more lead on the enemy than the "W" key sequence.

Note: The main gun should be activated before going to the next turn.


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Re: Set Direct Fire Target Vs Fire Weapons at Target
 

'W' is your friend, as is inactivating a weapon you want to conserve ammo on (which I almost always do on infantry ATGMs).