Offensively using smoke.

[highfivingbears]

This is a thing I see players literally never do. If you load up five smoke shells, sit on a point, you can control the whole battlefield.

A prime example of this would be the B point on Berlin. From there, you can launch a smoke shell (which usually have extreme drop) on any enemy you'd like, with some careful aiming. Using this tactic, you're able to stop the enemy from sniping friendlies who might be advancing. Additionally, if a friendly needs backup, you can shoot a smoke shell at any enemies who might be shooting at them and tow them into safety.

Is it a bit of a cheesy tactic? Can it get very annoying for the enemy? Yeah, it can. But then again, they're the enemy, and this is a way to get an advantage over them.

The obvious downside of this is that, obviously, your team won't have a clear shot on the enemy either. As such, I only recommend to do this when you're doing a big push or when there's a really, really pesky sniper who you need to be silenced for 10 to 15 seconds.

[Egro]

No, never use smoke shells. They are more of a nuisance than a useful tool thank to the fact that you can't switch shell on the fly. Playing support in this game reward you nothing excluding assists ofc, so no one really care. Unless you get more reward for capturing points and for winning then sure but Gaijin do not promote such play style.

[DaVinki]

smoke shells in chaffee, really fun to use and push with when used right. amazing team play as well

[highfivingbears]

Originally posted by Egro:

No, never use smoke shells. They are more of a nuisance than a useful tool thank to the fact that you can't switch shell on the fly. Playing support in this game reward you nothing excluding assists ofc, so no one really care. Unless you get more reward for capturing points and for winning then sure but Gaijin do not promote such play style.

Do you know how far a tank at 7.0 can travel in roughly 10 seconds, which is about the time the smoke shell lasts? More than enough to get far, far away from where the enemy thought they were before. In any case, you're not to be using these offensively, but rather defensively (i.e. sitting on a point and defending it). While you're defending, you can still be useful to your team by covering the advance of a teammate. Because of the extreme drop of smoke shells, you can literally lob them onto enemy positions like artillery shells do.

As for the switching shells, again, you're not out and about on the battlefield. this is most useful when you're sitting on a point, where you'll be replenishing ammo. Unless your reload is stupidly long, it won't be a problem.

[Happyguy22]

tbh only useful when coordinated. Very rare to have teams that cooperate though so you're better off loading more offensive shells than support in my eyes.

[Mods]

i did that constantly with Shermans all the way into the late M60A Lineup, works great until you start getting uptiered into 1980s tech with thermals.

[★ Dedieu ★]

if you can smoke them by hitting them, why don't you kill them instead of smoking and keeping them alive

[burg4401]

Originally posted by Mods_o_joy:

i did that constantly with Shermans all the way into the late M60A Lineup, works great until you start getting uptiered into 1980s tech with thermals.

can you explain how thermals work with smoke please, tks.

[Pumpkin]

one smoke shells can stop enemy rylly well . Just shoot them in places where enemy rushing at the start of a battle will stop them sniping your allies

[burg4401]

Originally posted by redned:

Originally posted by burg4401:

can you explain how thermals work with smoke please, tks.

only engine smoke (ESS or what ever it is) don't stop thermals so I'm pretty sure the guy could just keep using them.
don't know what the reasoning here is.

i was after why Mods_o_joy: thought thermals made a difference with smoke.

I know as you do how the smoke works with thermals,
you unlike some peoples are not making stuff up.

Personally, i find smoke as someone else said a hindrance, when I shoot someones engine, smoke will not stop me killing them.....they have no engine....shoot the same spot.

When someone is in trouble, they are in trouble as they have been hit.....covering the area in smoke means I can't see to help them, they still die........

The only time I've seen it used well is towards top br, being fast, something gets hit, still has an engine, fires smoke and is half way across the map backwards in reverse.

I find it funny as I drive forward to see a leo or abrams on fire in reverse race past me backwards.

smoke works on some maps to get to a cap, most don't use it then, they charge into the open.........

anyway, have fun all.

[highfivingbears]

Originally posted by ★ Dedieu ★:

if you can smoke them by hitting them, why don't you kill them instead of smoking and keeping them alive

In the situation where you have a direct line of sight to the enemy, you should absolutely try and kill them. However, you might not have a direct line of sight to your enemies. Using the B point of Berlin again as an example: much of the point in either in the river valley or a small ditch situated perpendicularly to the river. From the position of the ditch, you're able to lob smoke shells onto enemy positions all across the map--assuming you have the range correctly figured out.

A unique thing about smoke shells is because of the drop of these shells, you do not have to have a direct line of sight to hit someone. It's very much like hitting someone from behind a hill with the Centurion AVRE, or the Ho-Ro, or any large-caliber HE shell.

Originally posted by redned:

Originally posted by highfivingbears:

-snip-

1. no you only control what's in line of sight of the cap. you could get the same control by loading regular shells and killing everything you see come close to the cap.

2. why shoot enemy with smoke when you have regular rounds to kill them with. even if you don't have a good angle another friendly may do. all you are doing is covering the enemy from getting killed and/or getting kills for a moment.
better way to do it is to shoot the smoke somewhere between enemy and friendly, this way they need to push out to see around the smoke making them an easier target. unless they just blind fire at the same spot.

3. yeah it's annoying I've had it happen to me. doesn't last long though since you are only blinding people and not killing them you run into the issue of several tanks knowing your position and all it takes is for you to forget about one and they just wait for the perfect moment to kill you.
I got 5 quick kills on 38th parallel some guy smoked me and a few other friendlies sniping.
I just hid and waited for smoke to clear found the guy and killed them. it slowed me down for a minute or 2 at the most.

4. doing it on a push is possibly the best option.
it does also give the enemy a chance to reposition and get another angle while you and your friendlies still think they at the smoked spot.

1. With this tactic, you're able to indirectly control areas outside your line of sight from the cap zone, or anywhere really. I do agree that if an enemy is in your direct line of sight, then it's always the better option to shoot them with a regular shell rather a smoke shell.

2. Each situation is unique. In one situation, you might be doing nothing but hampering your own team with this tactic. In another, you might effectively save the match because your team is able to advance in relative safety. The important thing isn't knowing the tactic, it's knowing when to use the tactic to get the best effect out of it.

3. Again, this tactic is best used when you're in cover and still know the location of the enemy, either through a friendly scout or some other means. If you use the cover and the shell drop to greatest effect, your enemy will be completely blinded and not have a clue where it came from. They might think their own team did it!

4. Yes, that is one of the most ideal times to do this.

[AttackerCat]

Agreed on using them offensively, a few of my favorite setups for this:

20 smoke shells + Calliope. Smoke and fire away.
Smoke against KV-1s, then flank and laugh as they can't turn the turret fast enough to stop you.
Smoking enemy approaches to a cap, just wait for them to appear.
Firing a smoke round at a corner, then going around the opposite side, usually lasts long enough for a good distraction.

[Pozieres]

Smoke is good for locking down sniping spots and allowing the team to push forward into better spots

[Mods]

smacking some fuccywucky with a 105 smoke shell from 2000 yards out is always fun, until you realize that you are in a max uptier to BR's with Thermals. then you realize you just blocked your ability to see them.

[highfivingbears]

Originally posted by redned:

Originally posted by AttackerCat:

Agreed on using them offensively, a few of my favorite setups for this:

20 smoke shells + Calliope. Smoke and fire away.
Smoke against KV-1s, then flank and laugh as they can't turn the turret fast enough to stop you.
Smoking enemy approaches to a cap, just wait for them to appear.
Firing a smoke round at a corner, then going around the opposite side, usually lasts long enough for a good distraction.

ok this is offensively using smoke.
close quarters smoking can work to great effect.
like you explained.
though smoking and going around another angle/corner works if they don't have engine sounds turned up and theirs down. if they stay still and hear you driving around they can track the sound and likely get a kill.
smoking approaches works if they just mindlessly drive through in which case you would have killed them anyway.
these strats are designed to fool the fool, who are typically easy to kill in the first place.

the OP should change it to defensively using smoke since that's how it's sounds.
smoking to rush caps don't work just as smoking on caps don't work. you just leave your self blind to enemy approach.
smoking enemy snipers annoys friendlies snipers as much as it annoys enemies.
pretty much most of the ways the OP explains using smoke does not work.

smoke just attracts attention you really gotta be careful when and how to use it.
otherwise you just get yourself killed and those around you that you may have blinded.

You must've not read my first reply, Redned. I did explicitly state that this is best used as a defensive tactic. Also, I've got about 900 hours, and I've used this tactic more than once to help win a game.

I do think you're misunderstanding what I'm getting at, here. I'm not saying that you should replace your standard firing tactic with the smoke tactic, but rather supplementing the regular firing routine with smoke shells.

[SteT]

There are only 2 situations I find smoke shells useful.

1. To give you cover over open ground so you can advance. This works a treat on some maps.

2. To screw up an enemy that is in a good camping position that you don't have a good shot on.