- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Revised game format is here! How exciting! Read on for more.
If you're just now seeing this, the Germans are still taking players.
What is Combat Mission?
Combat Mission is a tactics wargame series with real-time action and physics simulation. Launched in 2000 with Beyond Overlord, the series is now on its second engine with more than a dozen titles covering WWII and the modern era. Most importantly, it also provides a battleground for goons to claw each others’ eyes out.
The game can be played in full real time, but most avoid this as there is too much going on and your Tiger is on fire and you have no idea why oh god why is there artillery falling on my troops and what is going on….
Most sane people play in turn-based “wego” mode, where both side input their orders and then the simulation runs for one minute. It makes a nice fog of war and allows you to manage a lot of troops. No, it’s still not easy, but we’ll get to that in the next section.
You Mentioned Format Changes?
Yup. These LPs have always had issues. Command via forum post is clunky even for CM regulars. LOS checks are a pain and tend to cause backseat driving. And then there’s the GM messing up some of the hundreds of orders they have to input.
For this match I’m implementing a new system that’s actually an old system. Years ago Abongination ran a match where each team chose an “inputter” to handle all the in-game stuff for their units and to record the turn videos. It seemed to work out well. Having a teammate do the job makes control less of a headache since you can be more general with your orders. A teammate can understand your and the team’s intent, and execute the details accordingly. They have a better sense of what the team really wants to see in the turn videos too. Inexplicably though, we never played that way again… until now!
My goal for this match is to showcase the “Inputter Format” in the hope that it makes everything more smooth. So if you’ve been turned off by these problems in past Combat Mission LPs, I hope you’ll give it a fresh try!
The Basics
This LP is a Goon vs Goon team game. Each side will have a chain of command with goons commanding platoons up to possibly battalions. Each player receives orders from their superior, issues commands for units immediately under their control, and gives orders to their own subordinates if any.
Both sides will place orders for their pixally soldiers, and the Inputter will implement them. The Inputter will run the turns, record and narrate the video, and throw it back to you!
To sign up, just say so in this thread and add your name to this sheet. No CM experience is necessary to play! You can sign up for a particular type of command if you wish. Teams for this match are Americans and Germans, and we'll be playing a scenario set during Operation Lüttich! Overall the teams will be smaller than in Grey's recent matches and as this is a German attack, they’ll need more players.
If you’re willing be an Inputter, please say so when you sign up. You’ll need to be available to play CM at some regular interval (which we can discuss). You’ll also produce turn videos with voice narration. A team can even have multiple Inputters if you want to split the workload.
Format Stuff
- This match will use Battle for Normandy, v3.12, no expansions. Your Inputter is free to release the save files.
- The game will be set to Warrior difficulty.
- Updates will be three minutes. The first update will be six minutes, or until significant contact. Either Inputter can decide that “significant contact” has been made.
- Inputters can modify commands each turn of the update. Inputters must reasonably follow the orders of the players. To keep the game moving, Inputters may not consult their team between turns of the update. Players, please write orders that leave the Inputter some flexibility and cover general contingencies. Remember that updates will be longer than before, so plan ahead.
- The orders phase is ~48 hours unless the Inputters want something longer. We’ll have extensions if an Inputter is not available. I’ll grant few extensions due to missing orders, though, so get them in on time.
- There’s no force selection phase for this match as it’s a crafted scenario.
- Don’t be bummed if you don’t get your chosen spot. There just might not be enough tanks or whatever. Also, the team as a whole generally gets to voice their pick for team commander.
- Reinforcements will become more of a thing cause I’m tired of matches where a team blindly rushes and gets stomped. Please understand that you might need to sit for a bit before your units appear. Hopefully the Inputter format will allow a faster pace so it won’t be too long.
- Reinforcement positions always go first to players who haven't had a command yet.
- I’ll reveal reinforcement waves when they are “on deck.” This will happen at least one update before they appear in-game, so there’s time for reinforcement players to claim positions.
Rules
I want to give the metagame a tune-up to go with the new format, so a few things are going to change. Expect me to have a somewhat more strict definition of micromanagement than Grey does. With the advent of inputters I'd like to re-emphasize the primacy of roles, chain of command, and individual agency. Since I won’t be running the actual game, I see the GM role as more a moderator of the metagame, so I’ll try to take a more active role in your threads and discords than Grey does.
Fray’s Rules of Order
- No Backseat Driving: Don’t respond to someone’s orders with “ACTUALLY, YOU SHOULD…” unless you're their superior and they've seriously misunderstood something. To help newer players with tactics, post general guides instead!
- No Puppetmasters: Focus on your role and don’t try to be a general manager for the team. Mainly talk to your direct superior, your direct subordinates, and anyone you’re closely coordinating with (such as a tank assigned to support your infantry platoon). This doesn’t really apply to pregame strategizing though, everyone can participate in coming up with plans!
- Don’t Micromanage: Orders to your subordinates shouldn’t include any commands for their individual units or their own subordinates. Think of your subordinate formation as a single entity that you need to perform a mission within general guidelines. Leave details up to the subordinate cause that’s their whole job!
- The Escape Clause: Despite any other rules, anyone can ask for advice at any time, and anyone can give it when asked. I’m not looking to shut you down when someone genuinely wants help. However if you need help, you’ll ideally go to your superior first!
- Absences: If a player drops out or is going to miss a turn, their superior assumes their role. The superior should try to re-delegate it if there’s time. I want to avoid one person collecting many roles. Please let your team know promptly if you’re going to miss a turn.
Yes, this all applies on Discord too!
Artillery and Prefire Rules
Thanks to the inputters, artillery czars are going away and fire missions will be more decentralized. Units can’t be commandeered from their formation and have to be treated as organic parts of their company/battalion/etc. For example, a weapons platoon needs to operate within its company and not be called by HQs outside the company. For artillery that isn’t associated with a specific formation, the team commander should attach it to subordinates for them to command with their own spotters. FOs can be permanently assigned to a formation to let them use its artillery assets.
Prefire missions are going to be quite restricted compared to previous matches. I want to reign in certain longstanding practices where they basically get used as virtual TRPs, and encourage more normal fire missions in general.
- Only attacking teams may use prefire missions.
- Prefires may not use tubes smaller than 105mm, smoke missions excepted.
- Prefire missions cannot be canceled.
That's it! Get to posting!
Discord: https://discord.gg/AUQQwGd
Signup: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dzZ7yBYXm6xbAsUnGrOIiTkwVVaEjIq-87jXuW8W3uU/edit?usp=sharing
Fray fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Jan 22, 2019
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Jan 15, 2019 04:52
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Apr 25, 2024 07:48
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- oystertoadfish
- Jun 17, 2003
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on the phone but I'll be on the baddies the German side the baddies. happy to wait for a reinforcement role. am a complete newbie
not a wehraboo, I just like being on the less popular team. for exampleI get to talk to Europeans and other quaint peoples
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Jan 15, 2019 05:27
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- Malick23
- Sep 10, 2001
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I bought all my friends forum accounts and all I got was this lousy custom title
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I signed up for the Germans. Only played in the last game with Grey but my guys never fired a shot in anger. Hopefully this will change.
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Jan 15, 2019 07:24
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- Centurium
- Aug 17, 2009
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Neat. I'll sign up for the Yanks.
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Jan 15, 2019 07:37
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- Comstar
- Apr 20, 2007
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Are you happy now?
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Signing up for a tank.
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Jan 15, 2019 10:19
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Team threads will go up once we get some more people. Going to polish them today and get the map files ready to distribute.
If anyone’s apprehensive about recording, here’s the software Grey uses and that he recommended to me: https://obsproject.com/
Having never done this myself, I found it pretty simple and had the map review video done within about 20min.
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Jan 15, 2019 15:57
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- Hubis
- May 18, 2003
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Boy, I wish we had one of those doomsday machines...
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Team threads will go up once we get some more people. Going to polish them today and get the map files ready to distribute.
If anyone’s apprehensive about recording, here’s the software Grey uses and that he recommended to me: https://obsproject.com/
Having never done this myself, I found it pretty simple and had the map review video done within about 20min.
I really like Bandicam, but it's not free.
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Jan 15, 2019 16:13
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- Dark_Swordmaster
- Oct 31, 2011
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I can't edit the sheet but can someone put me down as a driver? I was the German driver for Abong's original and it was fun.
I have ample time.
e: I put Google Sheets on my phone for this. You're going to make me buy a drat patch.
Dark_Swordmaster fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Jan 15, 2019
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Jan 15, 2019 19:47
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- Generation Internet
- Jan 18, 2009
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Where angels and generals fear to tread.
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I just want to kill a Panther, is that too much to ask
I wish I had a gif of the Panther from Abongination's first game bouncing ~20 HE shells.
I'm down to do some of this, it's been forever since I've touched CM.
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Jan 15, 2019 20:19
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- koolkevz666
- Aug 22, 2015
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I'll take anything which is a scout team or vehicle doesn't matter which side.
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Jan 15, 2019 20:55
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Looks like we have our inputters. Allies can be Ace/GI and Germans can be DSM/glynn. I won't turn away more backup candidates of course!
We have about the absolute minimum number of players we need to begin, though I'll hold out for some more.
Do we have players on each team willing to be the team commander?
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Jan 15, 2019 21:10
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- FrangibleCover
- Jan 23, 2018
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Nothing going on in my quiet corner of the Pacific.
This is the life. I'm just lying here in my hammock in Townsville, sipping a G&T.
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Oh go on then, lets have a go at this. I'm signing up for German vehicles that aren't tanks. TDs, assault guns, halftrack infantry, a Blitz full of rifle ammo for everyone. Whatever's going.
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Jan 15, 2019 22:38
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- FrangibleCover
- Jan 23, 2018
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Nothing going on in my quiet corner of the Pacific.
This is the life. I'm just lying here in my hammock in Townsville, sipping a G&T.
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I'm up for team command, I don't own the game but I've done a ton of these Goonplays in all sorts of capacities. I have the time to do it and promise not to leak the OOB, surrender when only a quarter of my players have arrived on the board, delegate my entire task to my subordinates or any of that other silly stuff.
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Jan 16, 2019 00:10
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- Frances Nurples
- May 11, 2008
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Maybe a real dumb question but: Do I need to have the game to participate?
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Jan 16, 2019 02:56
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- Dark_Swordmaster
- Oct 31, 2011
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Nope!
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Jan 16, 2019 03:12
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- dublish
- Oct 31, 2011
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Maybe a real dumb question but: Do I need to have the game to participate?
Short answer: Nope, not at all.
Longer answer: It can be helpful to load up the map to see the terrain for yourself. The way these LPs work is whoever is running the turns for your side will record a ~5-10 minute video showing 1 or 2 minutes of game from a bird's-eye-view of the whole map, plus whatever specific events they feel are important to show in more detail. Maybe the video won't give you the information you want, and there's no guarantee that they'll make an extra video just for you if you ask. These games usually have the same person running the game for both sides, which puts two teams' worth of information requests on the shoulders of Grey Hunter one person. Here, we've got one person dedicated to each team, which makes things easier in two ways: one, it's easier to ask for and get information that you think was missing from the video, and two, whoever's running the turn can tweak your orders on the fly to correct for anything you didn't know was an issue, all of which makes it less important for anybody to load up the map themselves.
All I'd really recommend is using Paint or something to draw maps showing how you want your dudes to move, which is easier to interpret than plain text.
Also, buying the game gives money to Battlefront, which should be avoided if at all possible.
dublish fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Jan 16, 2019
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Jan 16, 2019 03:25
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Yeah, don't let it stop you if you don't have the game. Half the motivation for the new format is to make it more friendly to play without the game.
I'm finishing up the team threads and intro videos now. I'd like to get at least 1-2 more players for the Germans but we probably have a viable enough roster.
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Jan 16, 2019 03:31
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- pthighs
- Jun 21, 2013
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Pillbug
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I just signed up for the Germans
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Jan 16, 2019 03:40
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- Dark_Swordmaster
- Oct 31, 2011
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Two people means opsec which is a great thing. I legitimately will shoot where ordered or I think it's best to but I won't know there's a tank behind that bush unless our side does. It's wonderful when run with two separate blind people.
The last time I played people used both Paint/Gimp to make some good orders and then also each team had a Roll20 with a detailed map we would routinely update with markers and orders and it was fantastic.
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Jan 16, 2019 06:09
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- Dark_Swordmaster
- Oct 31, 2011
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Has anyone made a primer video/post for new players so they can see what Combat Mission is?
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Jan 16, 2019 14:04
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- Hob_Gadling
- Jul 6, 2007
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by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
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Grimey Drawer
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Maybe a real dumb question but: Do I need to have the game to participate?
For such a fun game it's really terrible to actually play. Not touching the game but still playing is the superior way.
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Jan 16, 2019 14:47
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- Dark_Swordmaster
- Oct 31, 2011
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I meant like a ten minute overview for goons who want in but don't know how the game operates.
Although an understanding of tactics and such will help anyone involved as well.
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Jan 16, 2019 16:02
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- Saros
- Dec 29, 2009
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Its almost like we're a Bureaucracy, in space!
I set sail for the Planet of Lab Requisitions!!
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Here's a boot camp post I wrote up for the previous game. It's pretty german-specific in the second half but the fundamentals are valid.
 If you have not read this do so right now it's crucial to understanding how to command in combat mission.
Combat Mission Boot Camp
The manual is available here. - it has some nice walkthroughs to help you understand whats going on.
Move orders
Most of these are fairly self explanatory - faster movement means less time to be shot at, but tires your men out - slow is the trap here, as it means crawling through the dirt on all fours - great for not being shot, but is actually the most tiring movement mode in the game!
Move orders are done by waypoints, so you can plot a good number of moves in advance if you want - pauses can be issued at any waypoint and go in five second increments and you can also issue target orders at the end of moevments.
Movement types
All sorts of movement reduce your spotting capabilities.
Fast = A flat out sprint - in combat situations you want to be using this to change location, 1-2 minutes will leave your men exhausted which will reduce their combat effectiveness.
Quick = A jog - Good for covering ground across multiple turns but in combat please use fast instead. Using for multiple minutes will exhaust your men especially in snow.
Move = Walking places - Good for moving long distances without tiring but suicide to use in combat. If you tell a squad to 'move' somewhere without specifying a speed Grey will probably use this and if they are shot at they will all die.
Slow = Crawling along the ground. Extremely tiring but good for moving short distances without exposing yourself. If you are being shot at and need to move a little bit to a better spot use this.
Hunt = Move forward while seeking the enemy and stop as soon as you see something. Use for slowing advancing through woods seeking combat and the like. No good for actualy combat as your men will immediately be interrupted by seeing someone.
Assault Noooooooo please don't use this. It basically splits a squad and tries to have your men use a bounding overwatch move up but the AI is uh, not very good at it.
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Fire orders.
Target - if you can see an enemy unit this order will tell them to focus fire on that unit.
Target area - The squad will fire at an area specified by you as well as shooting targets of opportunity that present themselves. Be specific with your target you have to set it to a single square. (combat mission maps are divided into 'squares' of terrain.) Best way to give this order is via a top down view with a red or otherwise line from your squad to the area/contact you want to fire on. Can be tacked on the end of a move order.
Target briefly - Same as above except you set a time e.g. 1 minute of fire onto X location.
Hide - This means your men will hit the dirt and not even attempt to fire back or spot. This should only be used for specific situations like last game when we were hiding in buildings from artillery. If used in a firefight it means you will lose because your men will not even try to fire back.
Again, fairly simple, Arc fire is another trap for the newer players, as it actually massively restricts your fire arc and range - it should only be used for ambushes or when you don't want your troops giving away their location by firing at something a kilometer away.
Area fire allows for firing at a location you suspect has a target, but cannot spot.
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Special Orders
Smoke - You throw some smoke grenades, good for providing a bit of extra cover.
Deploy - means set up a crew served weapon.
Blast - blow a hole in a wall or side of a building to create an access point.
Mount/Dismount - ride around in Trucks, Halftracks and on the back of tanks.
Unit splitting options. So you don't have to get your entire squad killed!
Split orders
Split = Halves the squad. For most of your squads this will split the unit into a 4 man MG/rifle team and a team with 2-3 rifles and 1-2 SMG/Semiauto. The split happens along the vertical lines between the men in the unit card.
Assault = Splits an assault team i.e. anyone with SMG/Semiauto off - because of the scarcity of them in small Panzergren squads usually a rifleman or two will end up in there as well.
Antitank Team = Splits off your Panzerfaust carrier with a buddy. Good for sneaking up on tanks.
Scout team = Splits off a two man scout team with rifles you can send ahead to scout die.
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Example Orders
There are two very important rules about giving orders to Grey:
1) Draw Pictures
2) Keep it simple
Here is an example.
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Understanding screenshots.
A few important points. If you get a screenshot with your unit selected the individual parts in it will be the highlighted in a lighter color on their unit symbols. The interesting quirk here is that if you select a unit it will only show what that specific unit can see in terms of other units.
Reading unit Datacards.
Here is the infantry version.
1 - How tired a unit is, past 'tired' status you can no longer sprint and have reduced combat effectiveness.
2 - Morale. Taking fire and casualties will reduce your morale which reduces combat effectiness and how likely they are to cower under fire. Being near your HQ means you will recover morale faster but some damage is persistent so squads that lose morale will break easier in the future.
3 - Your command structure, red means there is a break in the Command chain as units are too far apart to communicate.
4 - Ammo count for the squad.
5 - The symbols mean you can both see and hear your direct HQ so are under full command. The triangle below them in teh 'pinned' meter - if it is full your squad will not be able to return fire.
6 & 7 - The halves of the squad. Yellow weapon symbol means a minor wound and yellow weapon with 'casualty' scrawled over it menas dead or incapaciated.
8 - HQ command link.
9 - HQ unit, you can see the fellow units in the platoon highlighted in a pale grey while other unit symbols are a darker grey. When you select a unit its other platoon members are highlighted like this.
Special equipment and symbols
Command and Control
By now you have probably begun to wonder just what the HQ units with flag icons are good for. These units contain your leaders. Usually, every section, platoon, company, and battalion possesses a HQ unit. Leaders fulfill two very important functions: they exert a leadership modifier on their subordinate units, and link units to the Command and Control (C2) network.
If you select your platoon leader, you will notice a "+1" next to his name in the unit information panel (1). This means that he exerts a positive leadership bonus on all units under his command. The details of what this bonus entails are intentionally murky, but the gist is that units under his command will perform their jobs better than units under the command of a leader without a bonus. In order for a leader to exert his influence over his subordinate units, he must have command of them. A leader must be within visual signaling or shouting distance of the unit he is seeking to influence. This is usually about 50 meters but will vary dramatically with the terrain; the more dense the terrain, the closer your HQ unit must be to have command of his troops. Note that most armored fighting vehicles use radios to stay in command and don't need to stay within a short distance of each other.
In the lower left corner of the Unit Info Panel you will see what organizational C2 levels the unit is linked to, and whether they are currently connected to them. A green dot means that they are connected, and a red dot means that they are not. If they are connected, then information and leadership bonuses can be shared. How efficiently this sharing happens depends on the type of C2 established. This is very important as units will pass on spotting info as well as pull down leadership bonuses from higher levels as long as they stay linked in the C2 network.
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Specialist roles.
Artillery.
Here is an example of an artillery strike. You need to specify several things for an artillery order.
HQ to call it: The HQ you specify to call the mission needs to be able to see the target area.
Target and type: Point target, linear target (a line) or area target (a circle). You need to be able to see
Guns: How many tubes of the battery to fire.
Mission: How fast to fire the guns, range is Harassing - Light - Medium - Heavy - Emergency.
Duration: Fairly self explanatory.
Effect: HE or Smoke are the usual options.
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The PanzerGrenadiers (Pioneers are similar but usually don't have as many SMG/Semiauto.)
A Panzergrenadier squad consists of three squads of 8 men plus a HQ unit with four. The squads have the following weapons/roles.
-1 Light machine gunner (MG34 or 42)
-6-7 Men with bolt action rifles, one of these will be the gunners assistant.
-1-2 men with SMG's or Semiauto rifles. The leader always has one.
-Mayyybbe if you are lucky a sharpshooter with a scoped bolt action rifle.
-Usually 1-2 men with have a Panzerfaust 60 or 100 which is a very short ranged single shot anti-tank rocket.
Basically all your firepower is provided by the light machinegun (LMG). It does not need time or specific orders to deploy like the heavier machineguns but there is a small innate setup time after a move (5-10 seconds afaik).
Using German Panzergrenadier squads effectively.
Compared to an american squad you are outnumbered and on an individual level outgunned by their Semi-auto Garand's against your bolt action rifles. However US squads do not have a decent LMG only BAR rifles. Essentially your squad exists to support and be ablative armor for your light machinegun (LMG.) Getting in close range firefights with American riflemen is a losing proposition but even there you can leverage your amazing LMG to suppress them via target area orders to keep their heads down.
The Volksgrenadiers
A Volksgrenadier company OOB.
 
A Volksgrenadier 'Sturm' platoon is a little more varied than a Panzergrenadier. It has two specialist sections as shown above, Panzershreck (anti-tank rocket launcher) and Gwehrgranaten (Rifle grenade section.) The weapon details are covered in the weapons section but it's important to note the Panzershreck can have trouble firing from inside buildings due to the backblast. However I still advise deploying inside buildings to avoid enemy artillery fire and getting them out to shoot when tanks come close.
  
The bulk of the platoon is made up of two nine man 'Sturm' squads and a 'Grenadier' squad as shown above. The Sturm squads are interesting as most of the unit have StG 44 Semi-auto rifles or MP40 SMG's so they are capable of putting out a terrifying amount of firepower at close range but do not have a machinegun to provide long ranged backup. The 'heavy Sturm' squad is similar but has at least one light machinegun the same as the Panzergrenadier squads and about a 50% chance of having a second machinegun. These squads should be used as your fire support squads while the Sturm squads are up front.
The third platoon in a VolksGren company is the 'heavy Sturm' platoon, these have three heavy Sturm squads instead of the 2:1 ratio of the other two platoons. This adds up to 5 or so machineguns which is quite a lot and this platoon should be used in a fire support role to lay down MG on the enemy while the others duke it out at closer range.
Finally, Grey has turned our VolksGren Green which basically means they will get suppressed easier, rout easier and just be generally more all round useless. the most important thing is for you to keep your HQ squads close to the platoon squads - inside shouting range (~40m) so that the platoon HQ can bolster their morale and stop them running away as soon as someone dies nearby or a shell lands somewhere within a kilometer.
Suppression
The key to winning an infantry vs infantry fight is suppression and morale. There is a little pyramid on squads unit cards that indicates how suppressed they are - generally this is how much lead is flying around near them and taking less fire causes it to go down while other things like casualties and wounds also influence this. Once it hits a crucial level they will basically stop firing back (become pinned) or doing anything at all except trying to hide and if this is maintained they will break and run which usually results in them getting mown down. having a bad time is cumulative across the battle so units who get pinned once are easier to pin in the future as their morale erodes.
The key thing is you don't need to have a specific target to generate suppression on men. Once you have a good idea where they are you can simply pour fire onto the probable contact and this will generate a lot of suppression - something German LMG means you are much better at than US squads. Once the enemy is keeping their heads down you can send the non-MG part of your split squad closer to get a better spotting and finish off the suppressed troops with grenades or just shooting them at point blank. Pouring fire on also results in things like wounds and casualties from ricochets (CM has a delightful ballistics model) which will further impede the enemy effectiveness.
Basically to win infantry vs infantry you need to put more fire on the enemy - even if some of it is not hugely accurate - than they are putting on you.
Using Heavy weapons (HMG and Mortar)
The main difference between heavy weapon (HW) squads and normal squads is they tend to be smaller (3-5 men) and obviously carry a heavy weapon. The main trick with HW's is that they need to be specifically ordered to deploy after moving or they will not be set up and will not fire (its usually best to give them a facing too. Some specific heavy machine-guns can be 'semi deployed' and will fire less effectively but generally you want to deploy them which can take 30-60 seconds and while doing it the squad is very vulnerable.
Heavy machine-guns are incredible weapons once set up properly. The bigger HMG generate more suppression than your squad base LMG and also are much more deadly due to higher rate of sustainable fire, bigger rounds and much more dangerous riccochets and penetration ability. HMG can usually tear up anything up to an armored car in toughness which includes things like halftracks and non-stone buildings will have their rounds easily go right through the walls.
Mortars are a bit more tricky, they also have to be set up but as we saw last game are very effective in the direct fire role.
Defending a town
There are a few things to remember when setting up defensive positions in towns. The first is that you have to be very very precise with your placement orders. Every squad needs FACE orders and to specify which floor of buildings to occupy. Those with HMG need to be specified to be deployed and if you are placing them in buildings I highly recommend splitting squads across floors or even adjacent buildings unless it is a large building as only one guy can shoot out each window most of the time.
You can also have foxholes and the like positioned back from buildings to create keyhole fire zones with buildings shielding your flanks like the allies used to great effect in the suburb in the second game.
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German Infantry Weapons
Exact weapon loadouts per squad are somewhat randomised by the game.
Your standard bolt action rifle, pretty mediocre really compared to the Garand due to slow rate of fire. 6ish of these per squad.
Rifle grenades attached to a bolt action rifle, short range but can be effective against infantry and maybe very lightly armored vehicles. US open top tank destroyers (M10, M18, M36) are also vulnerable.
Basic SMG firing small caliber bullets really fast and not super accurately. 1-2 per squad with the squad leader usually having one.
Babbys first AK-47. Probably the best small arm of the war but usually only found on specialist troops or occasionally replacing a MP40.
Squad LMG's. Covered pretty extensively above. 1 per squad but some rare lucky squads get 2.
The weapon of your HMG squads. Pretty great overall.
German Antitank weapons
Panzerfaust
The Panzerfaust (literally "armor fist" or "tank fist") was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon. Basically a short range single shot bazooka. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead, operated by a single soldier. The projectile traveled at just 30 meters per second and could penetrate 140 mm of armor.
A German bazooka capable of breaking pretty much any allied tank. Generally only found in specialist AT squads.
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Vehicles
Our halftracks. Armored against rifle fire mostly but the gunner is very vulnerable as we have seen. Carries 11 men plus gunner and driver.
Flakpanzer 38t
20mm rapidfire AA cannon in a tracked mount. Great for mowing down infantry and okayish at shooting at planes I guess.
Stug IIIG
75mm Kwk L43 gun with no turret and a top mounted MG. Very small amount of traverse for the main gun, it's main advantages are that it is relatively light and mobile and very low to the ground which can let it use terrain as cover. In reality the 75mm L43 could penetrate anything the US have except a Sherman Jumbo from the front but in CM they seem to model the Stug IIIG with a much worse gun than reality (perhaps the 75mm KwK L38) so it can have difficulty penetrating all Sherman variants frontally.
15cm cannon with 100mm of frontal armor means the Brummbar can take hits while blowing the gently caress out of an objective.
King tiger and king of the battlefield.
Panthers. Everything except the allied 90mm gun only found on their superheavy (and rare) tanks and the M36 Tank destroyer will find it very difficult to penetrate the Panther frontally. However they will gently caress up optics, cause injuries through spalling and other misc damage as we have seen. From the side they are much more vulnerable.
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Jan 16, 2019 16:14
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- koolkevz666
- Aug 22, 2015
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Honestly you should probably just choose a side then, if you don't mind.
Generally people who put "no preference" tend to get left til last, even if they posted before other people. You can always switch if teams need balancing before the game starts.
Plus we don't even know if there'll be scout cars in this scenario.
yeah good idea think I'll go for ze Germans.
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Jan 16, 2019 18:32
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Battle for Normandy has a demo. If you're new to CM it'll help some: https://www.battlefront.com/battle-for-normandy/cmbn-base-game/?tab=demo
I think the download includes the manual too, which has an encyclopedia of units.
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Jan 16, 2019 18:51
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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Team threads are up! This thread will stay open for a little while longer. We still have room on the rosters if you want to slide in.
Germans: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3879791
Americans: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3879789
Ask me on discord for team or Spectator roles.
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Jan 16, 2019 18:59
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- Hob_Gadling
- Jul 6, 2007
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by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
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Grimey Drawer
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If either team still needs someone, I'm available.
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Jan 16, 2019 23:59
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- Fray
- Oct 22, 2010
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If either team still needs someone, I'm available.
Germans probably need some reinforcement players.
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Jan 17, 2019 00:45
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Apr 25, 2024 07:48
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- Bacarruda
- Mar 30, 2011
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Mutiny!?! More like "reinterpreted orders"
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Throwing my steel helmet in the ring for the U.S. of A.
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Jan 17, 2019 09:06
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Jan 15, 2019 04:52
team always has staffing issues in these sorts of LPs, in my humble opinion
