Hello Antistasi gurus!

I'm attempting to learn how to play this game (without sucking too badly) and from earlier experimentation I have found that:

It's important to keep NATO aggro low to avoid facing more powerful vehicles / helicopters. This way I can strengthen more quickly with less losses, thereby grabbing better weapons / enemy vehicles and gain access to more HR / money without raising the 'war level' too high.

The most effective way to manage aggro is setup situations where one can safely heal and release enemy soldiers that were dropped in combat...

The tough part is that unfortunately the best weapons at my disposal usually kill soldiers outright so it becomes a balancing act between 1) dominating the mission area for maximum winning and minimum losses and 2) healing and releasing downed enemy soldiers...

The strategy I have adopted thus far when I really need to dominate the battle is:

1. Setup most of my MRAPs on top of a hill about 700 meters back from the mission area.

2. Add one to three static MGs (optionally with dug-up trenches dug with ACE tool) to assist further. (If placed well and far enough away these are *very* effective!!)

3. Optionally place a static AT with the AI in 'hold fire' mode to help counter tough situations where NATO sends the higher-tier vehicles.

4. Go in and out quickly with my best vehicles and 3-4 AIs to loot and repair and capture enemy MRAPs / ammo trucks.

5. Get everyone back to base to store loot in arsenal and save the game without losing any gear that was not unlocked.

I have found the above strat most effective to handle the inevitable QRFs that come 2-4 minutes after the initial attack. The best part of the above is that enemy vehicles are usually crippled and not destroyed... therefore supporting my master strategy of placing a priority of repairing / capturing as many enemy armed vehicles as I can for future battles.

Unfortunately the above relies on a lot of 50 cal MGs that unfortunately kill enemy infantry out right thereby not making it possible to keep aggro in check by healing and releasing enemy soldiers...

Q1: What do you do to dominate battles without losses and still heal and release enemy soldiers?

Some ideas include:

1. Try limited usage of mortars. Thus far I have kept their usage at an absolute minimum to 1) avoid helicopter responses and 2) avoid destroying enemy MRAPs. Could they be useful in taking down enemy squads without killing them like the 50 cals do?

2. Try using MRAPs mounted on a hill about 500 meters away but don't place an AI in the 50 cal gunner position (only the less powerful 'commander position') . The MRAP keeps the AI inside alive longer and hopefully the secondary gun keeps enemy alive!

3. Get a squad of 6-7 AI soldiers lying prone on a hill about 500 meters away from the mission area with good rifles. With about 3 medics in the group I should be able to self-heal the squad as bullets come flying back to them... Then I grab a fast MRAP filled with 2 medics and 1 engineer to the mission area to quickly heal and release downed enemy soldiers (while my prone soldiers protect me) . (MRAP is loaded with no one in the 50 cal gunner position)

Q2: Would any of the above work? What do you do to keep enemy soldiers alive can be healed and released to reduce aggro?

Q3: Do you know how the aggro system work? What actions are the worse at raising aggro and how do you choose your first 5-10 side missions to avoid raising aggro?

Thanks!

Jean-Pierre