Microsoft Close Combat - Manual (Page 60)

Chapter 3 Tactics 59
• Don’t order units too far in advance of Victory Locations until these locations
have been neutralized. Doing so is asking for an ambush.
• Make sure you order adequate fire against Victory Locations. Remember, you
don’t necessarily need to hit enemy soldiers to drive them from a position; a
high volume of fire can reduce the morale and effectiveness of an enemy team
to make them panic and run.
• Don’t keep your teams too close together. This makes them more susceptible
to casualties from grenades, mortars, and artillery. Close proximity can create
another problem; if one teams panics, those in close proximity may panic, too.
• Move only one team at a time. This is not an ironclad rule; there may be times
when ordering more than one team to move is an advantage. However, you
want to use as much suppression fire as possible, and teams fire more effec-
tively when they’re not moving.
• Use short moves to protect your teams. Teams that move long distances are
more susceptible to ambush; the enemy may react to a long move by assault-
ing the moving team’s flank. Ambushes and flanking fire reduce effectiveness
and morale. Orders to move a long distance also increase fatigue, which in
turn reduces the team’s effectiveness.
• Don’t order a team to move or fire if their condition is not conducive to the
order. For example, if you order a fatigued team to move fast for a long
distance, their effectiveness, performance, and team quality will drop. The
team is more likely to cower or break; the team’s accuracy of fire will drop.
• Move teams to locations that provide adequate cover. If soldier units feel
overexposed or vulnerable, they may not go to the exact point you’ve
designated.
• Moving fast over short distances allows soldiers to recover and keeps them
from early fatigue. Remember that some foot soldiers can be carrying up to
70 pounds of gear. Running will tire them quickly.
• Note that many Recon (Reconnaissance) team members are armed with
submachine guns. These weapons have a high rate of fire but their effective
range is limited.