[All] On the Offensive

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[cloud234]

I assume the usage of a combined arms approach. For simplicity sake, I will give the example of P4/Sherman w/ Mp40 Volks/Greasegun Rifles. Any combination of a medium tank with assault infantry (upgraded basic inf with grenades/weapons) will do.

REMEMBER FIRST! KEEP MOVING - ALL THE WAY PAST THEIR "LINE"!

Flanking the enemy

When playing EiRR, not everyone makes a mad rush for the city but players often take their time, allowing a fast moving fast to move into a favourable position to attack from the flank.

Assuming you used a HT to help bring your troops up for a flank, charge the enemy from the side. Most players move their units in a "column" without managing it, make it the weakest line to be hit.


                                                                       Enemy Column

Infantry                                                             Enemy Column

                     Tank     ====>                              Enemy Column

Infantry                                                             Enemy Column

                                                                       Enemy Column

A few guidelines in performing the assault.

1. Tanks to eliminate anti-infantry counters (i.e. elite infantry, HMG)
2. Infantry to eliminate anti-tank counters
3. NEVER STOP in the assault.
   a. It is common to assume that there is anti-tank guns/machine guns in the beginning call in, they will turn their arc of fire to face you.
   b. When you keep moving, you run past the arc of fire, wasting their time to relocate to turn against you.
   c. When you have the initiative, all you're doing, is microing to kill specific units. The enemy has to stop what he is doing, micro his units to turn around, then account for the fact you're "blowing" past him, turn it around again etc etc all while you're decimating his force.
   d. Fast and surgical precision will overwhelm the enemy quickly.

Charging a Prepared Position

                                     [--------------------  Defensive Line ---------------------]
Infantry
                           Tank
                                                                   (   KILL ZONE   )

                   Infantry


1. Always attack a prepared position from an angle steepest to the "line".
2. This will keep most of your troops out of the arc of fire. (Attacking from the front, is the WORSE and stupidest thing to do, the sides are the weakest, followed by the rear)
3. As with before, advance fast and sweep past the arc of fire.

Artillery/Offmap Usage

Usage of artillery, mortar and offmap prior to an assault is a timeless classic.

Placing artillery just slightly behind defensive line
Most players will displace forward, moving all their support weapons forward and because of the urgency, will be in disarray. Place artillery/offmap and charge instantly when they move their troops forward into your forces. Do not use if the opponent has better assault infantry (i.e. KCH).

Placing artillery right on the line
Place artillery on the most powerful unit that you will encounter. The standard reaction is often to "scatter" in all directions. Very rarely do two players move the in same direction. This breaks up the integrity of the line, allowing a well concentrated force to kill off the stragglers. Divide and Conquer.

[NightRain]

Otherwise good, however the map sizes often renderers this tactic obsolete due to the fact it is- well far. There's simply nothing that could bring your forces up there to flank the enemy while they are in a column. Their column breaks up once they reach the middle. However certain maps with roads connecting the spawn you have the possibility and element of surprise.



Seen in the image. 2-3 Light vehicles followed up by a Halftrack that contains Shock/assault/Regular infantry for the mob up operation. The light vehicles puts enemy in disray and focuses on everything light and infantry based weapons while the HT brings up the main force so to speak. Forget the Anti tank guns, your ability to bring them is zero because they are slow and there is nothing transporting them. Unless you use AIRBORNE ATGs that can be dropped on the frontline during your blitzkrieg however it takes 30 seconds and the scatter might make it useless.

Sending this light assault force might strike a element of surprise due to the mobility, power and strenght of such attack. If the axis/allies starts with a standard callin. MG, mortar, pak, rifles. It'll work. However this sort of a rush tactic is more recommendable against axis because every axis starts with a mg, mortar pak and 2 grenadiers.

[TheVolskinator]

The only problem i can see with this is it's posting in the first place: now that people know that this is how you assault (I've been doing it this way for 4 years. Nuff' said), everyone is going to l2counter it: starting with units like engies/pios to mine or TT flanks, or starting with light anti-light vehicles of their own -- M10s and upgunned Pumas. I have to disagree with the first of the two artillery placements: artillery in CoH tends to OVERSHOOT wherever you aim it. An aimed 105 barrage, for example, will usually land ~15m farther then you aimed it (counting all of the shells and their general landing location). Aim short of your target because: the tendency of overshoot (people who use grenades will also note the oveshoot effect that is pretty much a flaw/quirk of the relic engine) will compensate and if any rounds do land directly on the reticle/fall short, they might detonate mines the opponent might have placed in front of his line, or destroy wire/TTs that he was planning to use to halt flanks or further funnel units. Well written and as a long time general strat creator/critiqer (mods/stats regardless), all I can say is my trademark "+1". So +1 Volsky likey very muchly.

[shockcoil]

3. NEVER STOP in the assault.

I think this point needs to be particularly emphasised, too many times have I attempted to organise an attack only for my teammates to turn back at the first sign of resistance. If you have the proper resources then you should have confidence in your ability to over run the enemy even if you do take a few units or lose a few units.

Good guide though, hopefully everyone reads it and tries to incorporate this into their play and maybe, just maybe we'll break this spell of monotony around EIR tactics.

[RikiRude]

The most important part of an offensive is coordination between your team. If your team knows what they are about to go against you can better prepare your units. If you saw an ATG on the left side make sure everyone knows of its last position.

Gather intel before the attack. If you can scout around, if you have no scout units, get a vanilla squad and poke around.

Now you coordinate your attack, make sure everyone knows what their job is, and make sure you all attack at the same time, and as you both said DON'T TURN BACK! No matter how bad it looks, retreating will only further hurt you and you will lose the ability to surprise the enemy. Anyone who turns back will hurt the other players.

Next topic, preparing for the counter attack!