Combat Mission Basics: Firefight 4 MOUT Edition

[@CrowDawg11]

An anecdote from real-world training: "proximity negates skill. The closer you get to them, the less it matters how much better trained or equipped you are." Any random civvie-street punk can pick up a rifle and defend a doorway from three meters away with zero training or experience and have an even chance of wiping a squad of the most elite killers on the planet. The best thing to do then is to not go through the chokepoint they are defending and either create an unexpected avenue of entrance or simply bring the building down on top of them.

[@run2u520]

Generally, I find that the key to winning any urban engagement, especially if you have superior firepower to the defending enemy is to level the structure and finish off survivors in the rubble. Of course, this doesn't work 100% of the time since some buildings are just too big to be effectively brought down by armor or artillery, so rocket launchers such as the rpg, smaw and panzerfaust in CM:SF2 will generally work pretty well against enemy infantry concentrating in a house or floor.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Definitely seems that clearing a building is a lot easier once it stops being a building.

[@MadraktheRed]

I’m so glad I someone else knows the FISH&CHIPS acronym, you never could tell how much cadet instructors were pulling your leg

[@sullybiker6520]

The worst buildings for me - and they're often objectives in CMSF2 - are the deep and tall ones. You can easily lose a squad moving from one cleared room to the next, and sometimes the fire is from floors above and below. It's a difficult problem to solve. The temptation to clear with artillery is so strong. The point about the streets is really vital; for the same reason you've got to be careful about groups of buildings. You end up in a cross-fire so easily, and go from "I AM KING OF URBAN WARFARE" to "OH GOD ALL MY GUYS ARE DEAD" in about ten seconds.

[@Tephoon]

9:01 That poor building didn't deserve the amount of ordinance spent to absolutely vaporize it

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

Russian tactic in Stalingrad AFV (T34) for the top floor AFV (SU122) for the bottom floor infantry does the mercy killing. Australians in Binh Ba (6th June 1969) did something similar. Centurion with the 105 mm breach the wall with HE followed by Cannister Shot, Infantry took care according to rules of engagement. For some reason, these tactics work too in all the Combat Mission games.

[@KaB__1]

Your videos made me grab CMSF2 and I love it, keep doing them!

[@rsraiderscdc6855]

Thanks again for this video and the CM Basics playlist. Very useful for newcomers and veterans on this title!

[@usuallyhapless9481]

No worries man, thanks for watching!

[@DrewShotsFan]

UH, you continue to provide very watchable, but more importantly, informative videos. Urban Warfare is the scenario that is the least appealing to me, and therefore the one that I am the least experienced in. This video will really help me to investigate and explore urban warfare with more enthusiasm. And everyone loves fish and chips. I just hope my pixeltruppen don't become mushy peas 😊

[@willv3462]

This is some of my favorite content on youtube! Thanks man, this stuff is really well presented.

[@Thomathan]

Man you put so much effort into your videos I really wish you had more viewers. Just found the channel and it’s a gold mine.

[@gogogomes7025]

I've just tried the Piccadilly Circus scenario, i didn't go very well, but your video really gave a nice perspective on how to aproach it. Massive firepower is basically the only thing i learned from the american campaing, but creative navigation might just be what i needed to try.

[@georgeofazgad2176]

Two questions: 1. In the event where you have to storm a building which movement order do you use ( walk, hunt or assault). 2. How to deal with infantry equiped with long range anti tank weaponry in defensive positions (buildings or trenches). These guys (dont know what they are called but they use an at weapon that needs to be deployed first) are probably giving me the most headache as they can vaporize a stryler or immobilize an abram in one hit at a long distance before you properly set up a base of fire. And you cant rely on recon to actively spot them due to thier small unit size, they also seem to constantly move from building to building alot. A good example is this single unit set up in the final tutorial (usually located in the central building of the town but tends to move a lot). Which effectively prevents me from moving up my strykers just from its mere presence. Anti tank infantry is my biggest fear

[@norwegianwiking]

Personally I use quick and assault in MOUT. Quick is used to breach into a building, as I want them to get in fast. Assault is used if I want them to bound up to the outside of a building, then switch to quick to get them inside

[@georgeofazgad2176]

@@norwegianwiking Which orders make them more effective when they are inaiwde the building? E.g. moving from first floor to second floor when there are enemies on the second floor

[@usuallyhapless9481]

1. Usually quick. Hunt is very risky (the pixeltruppen will stop when they spot an enemy, potentially in the middle of the road), Assault has the same problem because the TacAI decides how long it's bounds will be and doesn't understand that stopping in the open is bad, Straight-up Move is a little slow for my tastes: I want to get to the building as fast as possible. 2. Sounds like you've discovered the AT-14 Kornet! ATGMs like that are absolutely the boogey-man for NATO for exactly the reasons you describe. Solutions generally rest on spotting it first (Javelin teams are good for this because they have thermals, but can still be very tough) or spotting the launch signature and killing the operator before the missile hits (also tough with extra risk). Keeping trees between you and potential ATGM teams can be a good idea (the missiles might be intercepted by the trees) and staying hull down is almost always worth doing.

[@georgeofazgad2176]

@@usuallyhapless9481 how to hull down properly? Still too used to wargame where long range weapons have a relatively high chance to miss. In combat mission everyone seems to have pinpoint accuracy Also how to properly use sniper teams. As scouts or shooters?

[@callyfow9397]

@@georgeofazgad2176 On the topic of Sniper teams, both, as they come they make good scouts and the cost to make them elite is quite low making them good shots, usage wise they can be either or whenever you need them to, provided you've positioned them well ofcourse

[@HentiSenpai]

Great informative video like usual Hapless

[@nbr1rckr]

FISH&CHIPS... I like it. Saw a "private video" in the basics playlist... Had a feeling it was something like this :p

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Yep, well spotted ;)

[@hmabboud]

Oh my God!! Finally!!!! I’ve been waiting for a looong time for the fourth session. Please don’t be late again

[@kashk42]

This video was, lets just say, "needed". New player here, doing pretty well in the campaign, but the damned canadian campaign with it's two starting MOUT maps keeps stumping me. I "win" in the end, but keep taking way to many casulties so it counts as a "minor loss" instead, because I just keep assaulting buildings way much. Slowly learning the hard way.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

That Canadian campaign is tough, especially against insurgents who are too crazy/stupid to realise they're beaten.

[@Daz30]

Great video. I hope you do more on this topic and including how to best deal with preventing your men using balconies with fencing opposed to those which have actual cover. The forums have some advice but some are quite involved. For a new player this can be frustrating. But i guess the best practice is to use ground floor or avoid those types of buildings. The other thing is some campaign missions are time based and you are forced to not take your time through a town, any advice for this situation?

[@alarminglyfastmovingskelet7289]

Coming to this video after slogging through Venafro: Back into Hell from CM:FI Imagine taking all of the worst parts of urban combat, but you also have to fight elite enemies with SMG's while using green troops with semi-autos. Never again.

[@hamishneilson7140]

You use a lot of very good and accurate technical terms in your videos, did you ever serve in the military or have you just picked it all up from reading forums and so on? Either way, I'm impressed with how well you explain a lot of things. Your MG theory video was actually excellent, might have to send that to my section as a good explanation with visual examples. We're the weapons det for an infantry platoon, so it's important stuff for us!

[@usuallyhapless9481]

No, I never served or anything. Just pick it all up I guess.

[@hamishneilson7140]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Honestly that's pretty impressive! Usually people that "just pick it up" are good enough but have little gaps in understanding of application and so on, especially in terms of use of ground and technical terms for weapon systems/their applications, but you seem to have an excellent handle on both!

[@jht5225]

Thanks for another amazing video. Love it. Please keep it up. Is it possible to maybe do a video about movement orders in specific examples. Kind of like a combo of this and you’re infantry movement video. Maybe that’s a muddled idea. Anyway. Thanks again great video!

[@Spider-Too-Too]

first, you install multicam camoflage mod for US troopers. second, you win

[@usuallyhapless9481]

2007 is a bit early for multicam right? :P

[@celladoor_uk]

I really struggle once in buildings. One enemy usually ends up killing 5 guys, even though they have superior fire power. I assume I should take things slower. Currently lost easily 20 guys on one of the last scenarios on the British campaign. Hopefully I will have enough left for the rest of the scenarios. I am well into Damascus now, fingers crossed I can see it through after this last shit show of a battle. I would definitely love some more help videos on some different urban scenarios. Thanks for your hard work man, keep it up! :)

[@AR-GuidesAndMore]

Use Breaching Units to enter, when the Wall goes boom, the enemy inside usually braeks. Plus you arent forced to use the doors.

[@jhudrickwrayterrado8791]

Watching this because i'm stumped on what to do with the Baker 1-1 Scenario

[@LDZMarder]

MOUT also know as nuke it from orbit just be sure. The last place you want be second only to jungles.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Honestly, nukes would make CM a lot easier in general

[@d.c.6065]

Not if there's a "preserve" objective... ;)

[@kirkyoung4147]

Thank you so much for helping me understand this fantastic game!

[@radkin6913]

im glad you released another one cant wait to see what it instores today! But im having a problem since im a nooby I have decided to play atgm ambush and I am struggling so badly I need help anyone got any ideas!?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Watch this space ;)

[@konebrieber2390]

do the developers of CM have a roadmap of new engine, new content, new game ect?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Not particularly. In order at the moment I think we're looking at the next Red Thunder Module (Eastern Front late '44 to end of the war), followed by some kind of Black Sea (possibly Marines and VDV) or Final Blitzkrieg module (Commonwealth Forces most likely). It's a very small team.

[@celladoor_uk]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Man, it has become my favourite strategy game of all time. I can't wait for Black Sea and the WW2 ones.

[@HolgerHendel]

Thank you!

[@wgrundmeier]

Does this game ever model civilian in urban areas? That's what makes it harder to follow your firepower tactics in real life.

[@kashk42]

Closest thing is certain insurgents DRESSED as civilians, who just get a bonus to their ability to not be spotted, so no. The game "abstracts" civilian population with a civilian density setting, which can increase or decrease that bonus.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

It doesn't make it harder to use firepower-based tactics, it just makes it morally and ethically questionable. That said, in some mission NATO will be penalised for excessive collateral damage.

[@Phvpark]

this is why IRL the army warn the population about a attack before hand, and it shows why collateral damage is inevitable.

[@zogger5281]

Nice! Thanks!

[@taylormueller1654]

2 questions: -how do you split a squad into 3 groups instead of 2 and -without an assault button, what movement order do you give a split team that's about to enter a house in combat?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

1. Squads are organised into fire teams and can only split down to the number of fire teams they have. So in SF2, a regular US Army infantry squad with 2 fire teams can only ever split into two elements. A MOUT organised squad- under a separate formation- has 3 fire teams and can split into three elements. 2. Whatever movement order gets them inside fastest. It's generally more dangerous out in the open.

[@taylormueller1654]

@@usuallyhapless9481 thanks, though I have more questions that I posted on Reddit and didn't get an answer. First is regarding the advice people (and you) give to attack and destroy enemy positions from afar when possible "even if I have 5 Strykers firing hundreds and hundreds of rounds at an enemy house, there always seems to be guys still laying down on the ground in cover, and they may be killed eventually, but then you have another house that needs tons of rounds, and another, and eventually your Strykers run out of ammo before you're able to complete your final objective. This was particularly bad in mission 3 (CMSF2), which took repeat after repeat to win, and even then I only managed a major victory with 11 men lost." My other question is, how do you isolate buildings when there is (often) no way to isolate building due to many of them being outright defensive lines or the location where you need to be in order to isolate them is under heavy enemy covering fire. Then, and this is a big one, "Units who cut corners unto other streets, or getting into houses that look down the street, so that they can lay down cover fire for the advancing squad that'll be moving down it, well, they immediately get cut down because they're the first one providing cover down the street (and thus don't have someone covering them themselves). These covering squads usually near instantly become annihilated by massed fires, and IFVs/Tanks get hit by an RPG".

[@arthurbalourdos4212]

Great stuff, thanks!\

[@Roman9441]

Many feature i don't have in CMSF i use to play

[@mikkykyluc5804]

Or a tank round! Or heavy artillery fire! Or a thousand pound bomb! *mushroom cloud* Had me in stitches there, good stuff comrade! When you're forced to storm a building that might have a straggler enemy or two in it, do you prefer Quick or Assault, and why one over the other?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Quick over assault: the assault command automates the fire and movement of fire teams without regard for the terrain, so they could end up stopping in the middle of a road or something like that. Much better to micro it with quick and pauses.

[@KGramgram]

I've been following the series along for a few days now, putting my prior & video knowledge into gameplay of Black Sea, however I'm still stuck on a particular scenario, its the one where you're playing as the Russian forces that need to assault a town square that is heavily defended by Ukrainian infantry and Armour (including BMP's and a tank), since you are quite experienced with the franchise I wanted to ask if you have any specific tips regarding that scenario? Because it basically has become my first "wall" in the game. Still, thanks for making this series, it has made my experience with CMBS much smoother than it would have been if i just dived in.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Thanks! I don't have anything specific for the "Going to Town" scenario (pretty sure that's the one), apart from that going over the bridge is a terrible idea. Urban warfare as a rule is generally messy whatever you do- but it's worth remembering that not all scenarios are created equally and sometimes they are more... about the experience than challenges to complete ;)

[@KGramgram]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Thanks, and yes "Going to Town" is the one i'm having issues with. i just skipped it for now and decided to do the medium sized one where its infantry vs infantry and your in command of US forces advancing towards a entrenched apartment block. it was heaps of fun and I don't think it would've went as well as it did if i didn't watch this video. (only 7 dead, 15 wounded with a Russian surrender after i flanked them and was moments from blasting their remaining buildings with engineers.)

[@stardekk1461]

@Usually Hapless can you Dropbox link me your CMBS HD Pack ? I've seen some of your older videos on CMBS and I see they have some sort of Different models and environment and I can't find anything similar in CMMODs 3\4 .

[@usuallyhapless9481]

They are Kieme's Black Sea Mods. Unfortunately, I think all the links are defunct and even compressed there's about 1.5gb worth, which is far more than I can fit in my Dropbox. I think there's a link to the vehicles here: community.battlefront.com/topic/136042-link-for-kiemes-bs-vehical-mods/

[@Termanater97]

Thank you ! For the video, I love playing Shock Force 2 but urban combat seems very hard to tackle with

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Hope it helps man!

[@Termanater97]

@@usuallyhapless9481 It will! Thank you for the videos I find myself coming back to these vids all the time and everytime I watch them I get motivated to play more and challenge my tactical thinking. A very great job for making these helpful videos.

[@dimazaharov8565]

Hi! Hope you will answer this one, if possible. How did you called up that context menu, when you ordered Stryker to open up? I know that it might be there for some of the mouse settings, but so far it only works when you have your mouse over a unit/icon, and in the footage you clearly howering your mouse over the road away from Stryker while calling up this menu. Hoping for an answer!

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Spacebar ;)

[@dimazaharov8565]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Thank you!

[@doubleemcastillano464]

Tip #2, when crossing roads ( danger areas), there should be a man or two posting security to provide cover fire so you all don't get schwacked rolling across the street like you guys did. Though you said you are on single player so idk if this is something you'd be able to do in game alone.

[@tychokort]

Will you do a German CM campaign?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

I have an interesting Kampfgruppe Engel playthrough that I need to make a series on. It is WW2 Normandy rather than modern though.

[@yamyeeter1185]

I cant help but wonder how these tactics and doctrine would apply to other realistic fps games I enjoy, like Squad or Post Scriptum. Would they work? Surely they would right? After all, those games push realism as much as they can, even going as far as to have punishing suppression mechanics to simulate nerves under fire. However, the ability in those games to respawn and have a near constant flow of reinforcements makes me question it. Not to mention the lethality of PvP games seems astronomically higher than games like combat mission (and real life as well I suppose). Its just too easy to pop out of cover, and headshot that MG pinning your squad while he reloads. After all, you cant program a fear of death into the games, and it's just too easy to be accurate. I'm curious what any of you guys think? Would real life tactics and doctrine work in a game like Squad or Post Scriptum?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

That's a video in and of itself! My take would be that games like Squad and Post Scriptum might be visually and audibly realistic, but a lot of the key components of modern warfare are either absent or overriden by (what I would say are) questionable design choices.

[@yamyeeter1185]

@@usuallyhapless9481 I'd have to agree with ya there. Then again, I can't say I've ever seen anyone try, or rather, anyone _achieve_ the level of organization and dicipline required to pull off these tactics, but maybe that's just cause they dont work. Your average Squad/Post Scriptum players arent soldiers after all haha. It's an interesting idea though.

[@alarminglyfastmovingskelet7289]

I know this is a late reply but I'm inclined to believe that these things do not work in any game with any sort of respawn system. I think the problem is everything you've stated, in general it can be summed up as most FPS's don't actually punish you enough for mistakes to warrant any kind of methodical approach, realistic or not. For example, most players would rather abandon rear/flank security in favor of assaulting; because to them they would rather die to the occasional flanker than spend 10 minutes watching a flank. Suppression is a difficult topic to tackle for multiple reasons. The first is that it is a departure from traditional FPS gameplay where mechanical skill is king, in simpler terms, most people only like a limited amount of realism in FPS's, and the rest of it they want to just click on heads like you can do in every other shooter they've played. Anything that interferes with the gameplay loop they usually do not like. That is why most games that have "suppression" just might as well not have it at all, because they are afraid to make it an actual obstacle. Squad after the Infantry Combat Overhaul has definitely made suppression an actual force to be reckoned with but the ability to respawn remains. So far the best FPS I've played in regards to everything you've asked is Post Scriptum with the Post Scriptum Realism Mod, where suppression is more effective than in the base game and the majority of events are one-life. Most people aren't too keen on the idea of trying to get a cheeky shot off on the MG42 suppressing them when they might have to sit there bored for the next 30 minutes if it goes wrong.

[@lunarrocks4165]

9:01 when youre not worried about collaterals

[@koolasskiller8440]

i know this is gonna sound stupid but how do i go about installing these mods into my game?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Download, unzip if necessary and then put them in steamapps/CombatMissionShock Force 2/Data/Z. You might need to make the Z folder.

[@koolasskiller8440]

@@usuallyhapless9481 man thank you it works your the best

[@chrisdiaz4876]

There is a game called Graviteam Tactics. Imagine this game but 10x better.

[@dogukan127]

fucking love these videos

[@doubleemcastillano464]

These guys need dispersion when not behind cover or entering or occupying a building. Put a few meters between you and the next man in your fireteam. A grenade or grenade launcher could smoke all of you. Also, someone emplaced could full auto you all with much less effort than if you were spaced out.

[@holoween8103]

Good video but i think youre overly simplyfying to the point of misrepresenting the basics of how to fight. What youre showing here and to some degree already last video is an engagement sequence of find, fix/destroy, move into rubble. This works if you have massive firepower superiority and a cooperative enemy but with either of those being absent you run into problems. Showing a "proper" engagement sequence of find, fix, flank/isolate, destroy would have better represented what to do and not to do in urban combat. that said im still looking forward to the next one

[@usuallyhapless9481]

I am over simplifiying. Apply massive firepower => occupy rubble against a cooperative enemy is the ideal situation and one that new players are most likely to encounter playing the scenarios and campaigns. What to do when you don't have the firepower and the enemy doesn't hang around to get pasted is obviously a lot more complex, so I want to get the basics down and then make things more complicated.

[@karlhungus545]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Yes, this is where I'm at. I'm experienced in CM (been playing since the first day in 2000), but this still tends to be the case, especially in the WW2 games where your firepower advantage is negated, especially when playing as the allies. That, and the difficulty targeting things in places like narrow hedgerows. I recently had a single sniper squad (with an MP40?) take out almost an entire platoon and a greyhound in a narrow street flanked by hedgerows because I wasn't able to get the targeting line on the actual spot and the dummies couldn't see him until they were getting mowed by MP 40 spray (Crossroads battle in the Courage and Fortitude campaign). A single shot from a Stuart that somehow magically spotted them from 40m finally killed it. Very frustrating.