From: Lesli Arbuthnot Subject: A Bridge Too Far Tactics and Strategy To Enthusiasts of Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far -- The following information was excerpted from the most recent Microsoft Games Monthly Mailer, and I thought I'd forward it along to you. Some useful tactics and strategies for you to keep in mind when playing ABTF. ************************************* A Bridge Too Far Tactics and Strategy ************************************* We can't emphasis enough how important tactics and strategy are for Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far. Here's just a few that will hopefully help to bring your troops back home alive. * Infantry Although infantry seem like lowly grunts, they are the workhorses of any army. Infantry teams are effective in assaults and hand-to-hand combat. Because of their low cost and high numbers, infantry are the most expendable of your teams. However, don't waste them in assaults on enemy tanks; for the most part they are useless against armor. German infantry, on the other hand, oftentimes carry single-shot, Panzerfaust antitank grenade launchers that can destroy any Allied tank from as far away as 80 meters. Allied tanks beware. * Tanks Tanks are great for tackling anything on the battlefield, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security. With their poor visibility they are easy prey for antitank weapons. It's best to clear the vicinity first with infantry before rolling in the big boys. Every tank has its strong and weak points. The Allied tanks are faster in addition to very strong frontal and side armor. However, they do have a weaker rear armor and gun. German tanks have strong guns, very strong frontal armor, but penetrable side and rear armor (except for the dreaded Königstiger Heavy Tank otherwise called King Tiger. The best strategy against this tank is to run away - fast). For the most part, the German tanks are slower with the exceptions being the Panther and Jagdpanther, the former being nearly as fast as the British Firefly. The best strategy if you're playing as the Allies is to avoid head-to-head battles and either flank the German tank or use numerical superiority. If you want a tank to retreat, use a short range Move command to the rear. This will make the tank move in reverse, while keeping its stronger frontal armor towards the enemy. Don't use the Move Fast command unless you want to turn your tanks into burning trash cans since this will force the tank to turn all the way around, exposing its weaker rear armor. * Machine Gun Teams The primary function of machine gun teams is to suppress enemy fire and support your infantry. Machine guns offer good penetration ratings (the ability to shoot through cover), and their high rate of fire cause many soldiers to cower in their foxholes. Be careful not to order your machine gun teams to move too far or too fast, since they will fatigue easily and their fire will be less accurate. Also, keep in mind that unlike most other infantry teams, they cannot fire while moving. * Antitank Teams If you are the Allies, and you have no armor, these teams are your only defense against enemy tanks. While not as effective as the German Panzerschreck (which have a range of around 150 meters), the British PIAT is capable of destroying any German tank - given the right circumstances. Frontal assaults are suicidal, your best chance of knocking out a tank with a PIAT team is through ambush. If the enemy tank is buttoned up (the entire crew is inside the vehicle) then you can hide and let the tank pass by or sneak up on the tank. Your best bet is a shot at either the side or rear armor within 20-40 meters but, if necessity dictates, you can fire at a target up to 60 meters away. Good luck! * Flamethrowers Flamethrowers are the most deadly, yet most vulnerable team. They consist of one or two soldiers carrying mass quantities of flammable liquids on their back - not a very enviable position when there's lots of hot lead flying through the air. Even so, you can use flamethrowers to attack strong defensive locations, tightly grouped infantry and even tanks with great results. Just remember, when flamethrowers go down, they tend to explode and will kill anyone (including friendly troops) nearby. * Using Cover There are four types of cover in A Bridge Too Far: Linear cover: walls, trenches, gullies - Provide good protection from enemy fire coming perpendicular to the line of cover, but poor concealment and protection from parallel fire. Light cover: high grass, bushes - Provides good concealment, but very poor protection from enemy fire. Medium cover: trees, crests, embankments - Protects from the front, but gives almost no cover from the side or the rear. Heavy cover: buildings, foxholes - Offers excellent protection and concealment from multiple angles. Keep this in mind when placing troops before battle. * Ambushing Setting an ambush is the most effective way to dispatch the enemy. Use ambushing when your opponent doesn't know your location. Deploy your troops in good cover and order them to hide. When the enemy is exposed and within close range, fire on them. (If the enemy comes within 30 meters, your troops will fire on their own.) * Rallying Separated Soldiers To get a solder who has become separated from his group to rejoin a team, move the squad that the soldier became separated from closer to him. The better the squad leader, the better the chance that the solder will join the team. A solder may rejoin his original group without encouragement given enough time. * Promoting Morale and Cohesion Good morale and team cohesion are essential for good performance. Troops with bad morale may not listen to their leader and might eventually run from battle. Here are some good tips to keep your teams in higher spirits: Allocate sufficient teams to a maneuver. Avoid isolating teams unless it's strategically advantageous. Minimize the likelihood of death or injury. (as if we needed to really state the obvious.) Keep your troops away from areas with a lot of friendly dead or wounded soldiers. It would be very bad for morale to have your troops camped out in a building full of corpses, think about it. These are just a few hints, but should give you good start. Good luck soldier.