Section Leaders:
Fionn
Kelly & Madmatt
Ambush:
A Pictorial Essay
It separates the master player
from the amateur. The Elite from the Broken and you had better learn
how to do it if you want to pull off victories against your buddies and
the AI. Ambushes sprung at the critical moments can turn the tide of
the largest battles and devastate your enemy for days to come... Just
ask Michael Wittmann.
Combat Mission provides a very
fluid and dynamic system to prepare and execute Ambushes and since the
demo was released last year they have become even more versatile.
This feature will show in picture and word some of enhancements and
sheer brutality of a properly executed ambush... Or at least it will
shows lots of tanks and explosions!!!
First off, lets set the scene. I have whipped up a nice little
British armored column making its way through a densely wooded dirt
road. The sky is bleak and overcast so they won't have the benefit of
any pesky air cover... Oh, the clapping and cheering is coming from
Fionn.
Now the fun begins... I have increased the scale for better visibility
of the units. Notice that this selected Panzerschreck team can now
place its' own Ambush markers! That adds a whole new level of
flexibility to AT teams. Vehicles and AT-Guns along with all
other forms of Anti-Tank teams can now place their own Ambush markers.
These markers function exactly as they do in the demo and can be freely
targeted by other friendly units. Note however, in order for any
other units to target ambush markers they MUST be within Command and
Control of a valid HQ unit.
After a initial hectic minute of action the British column pops smoke
and begins to deploy along and up the lane. 10 Bonus Cool Points if you
can identify this tank by its unique turret silhouette alone! Isn't
that new smoke AWESOME?!?
Figure it out yet? Another great shot which shows the cumulative
effects of multiple smoke clouds... Consider me impressed.
This 88mm gun however, is not impressed. Just another day
of dispatching invaders from across the channel.
A Firefly gets a little too 'Hot Under The Collar' thanks in part to a
Flamethrower and 'Schreck combo. You can clearly see the German rocket
as it just misses the rear of the British tank.
After just a few moments of intense action the British column is
brutalized and tries to reform. Its all for naught as the advance has
been halted and the German teams have begun to withdrawal. Just another
day in a long bloody war...
Final Comments:
Of course this battle was rather
orchestrated to provide you with some great pictures and info. When I
first made up this little 'show' I had a problem with the AI (British)
playing too smart! They would immediacy drop smoke and
pull back and try to flank my ambush spots through the trees. It wasn't
until I took control of both sides of the game that I was able to get
this ambush to be as brutal as I wanted! Just goes to show you how far
the AI has come...
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