Some Tactics Explained...

[recklessmind]

Offensive Tactics

Fire and Maneuver As I understand it, fire and maneuver is the primary means of taking ground for US non-elite forces. From what I have read it seems like a sound principle as long as the odds are not overwhelming. While one part of a unit pours heavy fire on all of the bad guys that they know about, the other part of the unit maneuvers forward into ‘cover’. They then become the base of fire and the other part of the unit moves forward, past them if possible.

Please keep in mind the difference between cover and concealment. When you are under ‘cover’ you are in a place where it is very unlikely that an enemy weapon can kill you. If you are under ‘concealment’ you are in a place where it is unlikely that the bad guys will be able to see you, but, if they shoot in your general direction, they may hit you. A combination of cover and concealment is, naturally, better than either one alone.

Movement This is a great link on tactical movement....read it.

Reconnaissance is the military term for methods of gathering information about an enemy. It is often referred to as recce or recon depending on the role.

Ambush An ambush is a military tactic in warfare where one force uses concealment to attack a second force that moves into the area. Ambushers strike from concealed positions such as among dense underbrush, behind hilltops, and in camouflaged dugouts. This tactic is generally used by units below and up to platoon size, to attack units up to company size.

Frontal assault The military tactic of frontal assault is a direct, hostile movement of forces towards enemy forces in a large number, in an attempt to overwhelm the enemy. This is often referred to as a "suicide strike," because it is often a commander's last resort when he has run out of strategies.
Before the 19th century, a frontal assault against a line could be effective when conducted by horse cavalry. However, as the accuracy and range of firearms increased, this procedure proved increasingly suicidal.

Pincer movement The pincer movement (double envelopment) is a basic element of military strategy which has been used, to some extent, in nearly every war. The maneuver is mostly self-explanatory; the flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it. At the same time, a second layer of pincers attacks on the more extreme flanks, so as to prevent any attempts to reinforce the target unit.

Flankattack A flank is the side a military unit.
The parts of a military unit are regularly called the "left flank", "right flank" and "center". The use of these terms came from a time when armies would clash in an open field, but is still used today. Throughout military history, a common tactic has been to try to catch the enemy forces in the flank.



Defensive Tactics

Mutual Support (e.g by crossfire Alternate meanings: Crossfire)

The placement of multiple machine guns so that their paths of fire cross, like this:


\\ / \\/ /\ / \ / \ (gun) (gun)
The advantage of setting up machine gun emplacement like this is that no one can cross the lines of fire as it is difficult to find cover from both guns. When multiple crossfires overlap, the machine guns provide each other with mutual protection, and it is theoretically impossible for infantry to reach the guns. Tanks, airplanes, and crawling along the ground are all effective counters to a crossfire by itself. When combined with land-mines, snipers, barbed wire, and air cover, crossfire became a difficult tactic to counter in the early 20th century.

Crossfires were first used in WW1, shortly after the invention of the machine gun. The guns were placed in groups, called machine gun nests, and they protected the front of the trenches. Thousands of soldiers' lives were lost as generals repeatedly attempted to charge through the killing zone called no man's land where these crossfires were set up.

Crossfires are limited in application, however, because they require a flat plain for greatest effect. This weakness is minor, however, because crossfires are best at destroying large blocks of infantry, which also require large, open planes.

The biggest weakness of overlapped crossfires is that they are stationary defensive positions and vulnerable to armored vehicles (especially tanks).

more soon.....

[LtJamesWatts]

This forum is getting more interesting by the minute

Let's hope we can use those real life tactics in the game.
Not easy for a novice, but once you get it down you will feel really proud of yourself

Keep on posting more recklessmind, I leave the honor to you

[measter]

didn't the old english army(17th or 18 century i think) get pwned by a bunch of tribesmen with spears and wooden/leather sheilds with the pincer movement?

[recklessmind]

Hmm. Im not familiar w/ that story. Im sure it could've happened though.

Alot of things weigh into what tactic is the best solution for a given situation. Everything has some sort of weakness.... thats why THIS game will be so cool, because you'll really have to think on the fly. The person who is able to consider all the + and -'s, when deciding on the BEST coarse of action, should really have the upperhand.

[DuvalMagic]

The concept of fire and maneuver is simple.

It's not just about covering movement with a base of fire, but it's really about pinning the enemy with one team while another maneuvers to a position to kill him from a flank (from the side).

Brothers in Arms is all about fire and maneuver tactics.

The interface is easy, but the tactical options are infinite.

Brothers in Arms is as much a game of wits as it is a game of skill.

[TalkingElmo]

didn't the old english army(17th or 18 century i think) get pwned by a bunch of tribesmen with spears and wooden/leather sheilds

LOL... that just hit my funny bone. I'm sure they called it "getting pwned".

Re: Duvalmagic,
Man, this game sounds cooler every time I read about it. I have some friends that like games and have been in the military and have all the tactical training. I've been telling them about this game, and they think it sounds really cool. My one friend, Mick, loves Halo to death but isn't the best player mostly because of reflexes and stuff. But I think with a game like BIA, his military training would give him a leg up on the competition. He kicks butt in paintball because he knows how to use fire and manuever tactics. I'm sure almost all of that knowledge would transfer over to BIA.

[LtJamesWatts]

The more I read about it, the more I'm sure that this will be one for the gaming history books.

Makes the waiting very hard you know

[TarnishUK]

didn't the old english army(17th or 18 century i think) get pwned by a bunch of tribesmen with spears and wooden/leather sheilds with the pincer movement?

You're think of the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 where 1700 British soldiers were wiped out by around 24000 Zulu tribesmen. "pwned" is an understatement!