Close Assaults

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Brian61

I also raised an eyebrow at higher AFV speeds making them more vulnerable to close assaults. In close terrain speed should certainly not make AFVs invulnerable to close attack but in open terrain it pretty much should. In any case it makes no real world sense whatsoever for a fast moving AFV to be more vulnerable than a slow moving one.

Unless the assaulting infantry has the aid of a barrier, a high point (tree/overpass/building) to drop magnetic? mines or grenades from, a slit trench to allow infantry to slap a magnetic mine on an AFV as it passes over, a remotely detonated mine or similar such devices, close assault against an AFV moving 25+ mph seems far fetched at best.

Then again, this is a game. Limits of the game mechanics and engine may make this necessary to avoid exploitation. Still I think a fast moving AFV in open terrain should have, if anything, a bonus against close assault.

A fast-moving vehicle is not exercising caution. The crew focus is on the terrain ahead in order to avoid crashes etc into unseen ditches or whatever. The crew do not have your player's "God's eye view" of the map!. The passengers, if any, are getting much more interested in hanging on for dear life, avoiding biting through their tongue as they "chin" the deck while trying to peer out the hatches. Little unseen ground ridges produce real jarring "bumps" - even with a suspension system.

In any case - the usual complaints are coming from those who are into "micro dot details" - it is an abstracted game mechanism to represent the fact that vehicles who blunder into waiting and healthy infantry do not do well. Just try not to charge into infantry at over large speeds (>1/2 MP expended), or in fact, at all. "Track attacks" and "squashing crunchies" did not really happen much at all in reality, the tanks hold back and let leg infantry clear enemy positions.


Cheers
Andy

[Brian61]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

A fast-moving vehicle is not exercising caution. The crew focus is on the terrain ahead in order to avoid crashes etc into unseen ditches or whatever. The crew do not have your player's "God's eye view" of the map!. The passengers, if any, are getting much more interested in hanging on for dear life, avoiding biting through their tongue as they "chin" the deck while trying to peer out the hatches. Little unseen ground ridges produce real jarring "bumps" - even with a suspension system.

Right, no disagreement there. The fast moving vehicle should have little if any opportunity to inflict casualties on the attackers in response to the close attack, absolutely no argument.

On the other hand, the close assaulting infantry is also at a disadvantage. Climbing aboard is nigh impossible, and getting close enough and/or being fast and accurate enough to slap a mine on the tank or throw a satchel charge into the treads would be rather difficult.

But yeah its a micro detail. It just seems a bit at odds with tactical teachings of the German army for panzer units in certain situations: charge out of smoke screens and cross open terrain at a rapid pace. I would have to think that the risk of getting successfully close assaulted by unknown/unspotted infantry had to be significantly outwieghed by the advantage of decreasing accuracy from enemy ATG positions (also unknown/unspotted).

While not as well-read as some, I've been led to believe that successful close assaults by non-dug-in infantry (especially prior to the advent of PIAT/Bazooka/PzFaust) against fast moving AFVs in open terrain had to be every bit as rare as 'assault by tread overrun'.