Spotter positioning

[ak.fiore]

Some maps has terrain that make the off map arty spotter positioning very difficult; flat but low visibility (forests, high bushes, etc...) or lots of urban settlements hiding from having clear views, making zero ins almost impossible.
How do you guys deal with these specificity? Any idea on how to make good use of arty boys?

[Bambi]

The downslope of a large hill is usually a good spot with plenty of visibility. If the spotter can't see individual enemies in a town then you can always use observed fire to make them fire in the general direction and hope to hit something.

[ak.fiore]

Thanks. But my question was about off map arty, and non scheduled (=on demand fire with zero ins in deployment phase). Agree 100% with you for on map arty.

[Gunnerr]

I tend to focus them in one specific area only. During defensive, it best to try to hold one spot with less forces while put more of your strength in area where artillery cannot hit. Bring your enemy to fight in your turf, don't hastily try to win the suppressive fire (stalling their advance)early on. Examine your own area as well, where there may be a good place to stall approaching enemy with your spotter.

For attack, where the most difficult part. If you can't do it, don't force them. I always risk spotter on the front, especially with preplanned fire mission. Guard them well.

Achieve fire superiority so your spotter can move freely, don't go thirsty over large enemy forces. Drop concentrated barrage instead of area barage. You cannot win blowing all enemies to smithereens, but few concentrated shells can at least help your infantry platoon a breathing space to advance. There is no shame shelling a single trench of enemy squad. If you can do it, go for it.

I had lost spotters to risky manuever, maybe being artillery dependent is not a good idea. Best to rely on whatever forces avaliable to do the job.

[Hellian]

Sometimes I wish I could designate an off map artillery mission and the spotter would move themselves until they could see the target. I'm sure there's some kind of problem with that suggestion. But I don't know, I spend alot of time trying to micro a spotter into various positions, sometimes I just give up and not even use off map artillery.

[ak.fiore]

-=LOL=-Noo
Yes good points here. I always tend to hide them far behind the line, ending up doing almost nothing during the battle… But the risk is real, as the lost of spotter is a permanent one. Will give a try to keep them near the front while advancing.

Hellian
Yeah that would be a cool feature!! I guess the parameters to take into account are too difficult to integrate in a game system. Same here, for larger battles, wanting to avoid excessive micro, some of the spotters are simply forgotten…

[-I-]

This is very easy.
Unfortunately, the secret of this simulator is a simple truth.

1.The enemy advances directly to the marked points as ants.
All you have to do is put observers at these points, and when they arrive, you have fire squares for long-range artillery.
2.Then it will be destroyed by off map artillery.

3.Only now can you counterattack. Only after the enemy was almost completely destroyed.
The enemy will march on you for about 3 hours. He'll leave you for the last 1 hour because he's running out of infantry. So you attack the enemy's empty positions and take over the entire map almost without loss.

4.As long as the enemy is still marching like an ant, you are still defending yourself. You must play the setting for 4 hours. This is realistic.

[-I-]

Originally posted by Hellian:

Sometimes I wish I could designate an off map artillery mission and the spotter would move themselves until they could see the target. I'm sure there's some kind of problem with that suggestion. But I don't know, I spend alot of time trying to micro a spotter into various positions, sometimes I just give up and not even use off map artillery.

It is not possible . That would be too easy. It's a funny and good proposal.
It would then be too easy to fight.