MnB:Tactics

## Overview

This page will provide information about basic tactics which you can use in both campaign and classic, but remember that it is up to you to decide which one is best suited for your use. As a veteran of the Mud and Blood series or a new player hopping in into the game, this page will help you as best as you think it can.

Tactic is a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks, this actually applies more than just military such as football tactics and much more. Though of course, we're in the middle of a damn war and so we will not be talking about football tactics as we're going to talk about how you can defeat your enemies, win the war, and then get home for a fresh slice of apple pie.

The battlefield is not the type of place where you can be as reckless as you want without any sort of consequences, oh you will be dead the first moment you come out. As a commander you always need to plan ahead, and think on foot whenever there's difficulties. Remember that even though planning is important, a plan never survives first contact intact so you always need to be ready for changes.

Here are several key details that you need to understand:

* Your men are not bulletproof, fireproof, or explosionproof, they **do not** respawn.
* Your men have different skills from each other, learn how to utilize them properly.
* Vehicles and emplacements will prioritize other vehicles over infantries, this applies to infantry targeting too.
* Cover **DOES NOT STACK.**
* Do not panic, respond accordingly to the situation.
* There's a fine line between reckless action and calculated risks, take on risks you can handle.
* Winning the exchange of fire is vital to a successful engagement.

## Tactics

### Offensive

In offensive your goal is to reach the end of the map, the sooner the better. The longer you stay on the battlefield, the higher the chance of an enemy counter attack appearing. Tactics will be focused on gaining and keeping momentum, keeping the Germans under pressure, and consistently gaining ground. Here is the basis of a successful offensive:

1. **Cover:** Always assume that there's an enemy ahead ready to take a shot at your men, it is ideal to move up while utilizing covers to keep your men more safe as exposing your men to unnecessary danger is just plain stupid. A higher cover value gives better protection to your men, but think if it is worth the risk taking control of that cover.
2. **Sacrifices:** Objective comes first before the lives of your men unfortunately, sooner or later you will have to sacrifice them. In Mud and Blood, as a commander, it is your primary job to evaluate if risking a man for a task is worth his sacrifice ultimately.
3. **Speed:** The longer you wait, the higher the chance that you will get a counter attack. A counter attack is always bad, so complete each patrol swiftly and you won't have to deal with them. Engaging Germans will delay the counter timer.
4. **Sweeping Corners:** Line of sight blockers (notably trees, rocks and non destroyed buildings) will be your best friend and your worst nightmare. Make sure that no German is behind those blind spots, the last thing you want is getting a squad wipe from a flamer.
5. **Battle Conditions:** Every new sector, you will get 3 randomized Battle conditions. These may have positive, negative, or neutral effect so understand each of these if you wish to adapt your plan.
6. **Plan ahead:** Whenever you see a structure with cover or a blind spot behind a tree, then always expect a German is stationed there. Flush out suspected German location using support or explosives before assaulting. Again, the last thing you want is getting squad wiped by a flamer behind a tree.

Now we have laid out the common grounds, it's time to get to the planning. Several commanders were asked on how they progress in the campaign, and after compiling and analyzing data given from them we can point out several things that can serve as a good squad setup:

* **Prioritize getting an officer first**, as they will provide a morale boost which in turn will help establish a consistent fire on the enemy forces.
* **Designate a pointman (Aka meatshield)**, having a pointman will make it easier for you to preserve your more valuable units and lessen the risk of danger when scouting danger zones.
* **Explosives capabilities**, having a unit such as an engineer will help you deal problems that conventional ways can't such as dealing with a vehicle or an overcrowded house.
* **Never stack**, stacking a class (more than 1 of the same class) will put you in a disadvantage because the Germans will take note of this and find a way to exploit that class weaknesses.
* **Promotions**, just because your guy got a promotion means he have to upgrade right away. You can hold off promotions until you gather enough exp to get what you want, this is efficient for leveling up a would-be engineer and other classes.

This squad is ideal for a fresh player as it is well rounded and if played right can carry you through the campaign. You may customize this squad further on your own taste or preferences once you get the hang of things.

Now, we go into basic actions where you utilize your squad to victory. Here's a list of versatile tactics you can apply on the battlefield:

* **Fire and Maneuver** : some of your men will provide suppressing fire while the rest moves, useful for moving while in combat. Remember, your men cannot fire while moving.
* **Fragging** : Before an assault, enemy positions will be hit preemptively by explosives such as frag grenades or bazookas. This will help buy you precious time by pinning the enemy forces while also potentially wounding or killing them and weakening their structures.
* **Selective engagements** : The lesser the amount of enemies your men has to fight, the better their chances of winning. By engaging specific zones instead of the whole area, you can peel their defenses while limiting the amount of Germans your men has to fight. Utilize LOS blockers, such as trees and buildings to use this tactic. Slowly peeking around a tree or a corner is called *"slicing the pie"*.
* **Organize** : by memorizing the arrangement of your men, and dividing them into teams then you will be able to coordinate their movements much more easily.
* **Falling back** : Sometimes, you need to fall back to gain some breathing space. Falling back can also be used to bait German forces to push up, making them vulnerable. Falling back is also necessary to avoid enemy air/artillery/vehicle support, pushing forward can work though it will be risky.
* **Retreat** : Don't push your luck, retreat and gather your strength. Get fresh men into the fight, patch up the wounded and get ready to do another push. Progress must be made, **no matter the cost**.
* **Melee** : Melee is an extremely risky and unpredictable fight, the only thing that will matter is their HTH skills, exp, and health. A unit in melee cannot shoot their weapon, so sending a man to brawl with a dangerous soldier such as a gunner may be a viable option. It's just the problem of getting them close enough, and it also takes one man away from your firefight. A commando has better HTH skills than all the others, so they're naturally better at it. Special units such as SS and brandens also have this buff, so be careful.

### Defensive

Ah yes, the good ol' classic mode well known in the community. In this mode you will be tasked in defending a sector for as long as possible against the restless German forces. A more in depth explanation is explained in defense mode page, but here's are the things you need to know:

* You have tactical points bank that will be used to get men, more gears, call in support, build defenses, etc etc. You gain tact point every new wave and every blitz you get, another way of getting them is through ribbons and HQ tents.
* Every wave gets harder than the previous ones, expect more veteran Germans coming in at later waves.
* Unless you're playing in a special event, maps are usually a plain grasslands with some trees, scattered about defenses such as tents and trenches, and some other odds and ends.
* Blitz will happen every once in a while, and they are a real force to be reckoned with.
* The Germans WILL adapt to your defenses, so if you're trying to build an armored division then expect more Germans with fausts.
* There may be enemy emplacements in the sector, especially in later waves so thread carefully if you move up.

Now remember, you're the one who's going to be defending and not the krauts. Push up until you find a suitable position then dig in to prepare for the storm. There are 2 main tactics used to gain high waves, here are the main tactics:

### **Open Field**

A commander establishes his defenses in front of an open field with the aims of turning it into a killing zone. This tactic can vary in elements of defenses and other tactics a commander might use here, allowing great flexibility to how one may defend alongside minimal micro managing which are perfect for fresh players. The downside to this is the fact that there will be 0 LOS blockage for your men too, they'll be much easier to be spotted and much harder to avoid a lock on from an enemy aim.

Here's a couple of things you should do when using this tactic:

* Build static defenses such as trenches for your men to hide in and AT guns to deal with Axis vehicles.
* Issue high grade weapons with medium-long range and equip rifle grenades to any men with a rifle/carbine.
* Employ gunners to suppress the Germans and get snipers to exploit the field that lacks any LOS.
* **GET THEM TIN CANS AND OBLITERATE THOSE SOURKRAUTS WITH OVERWHELMING FIREPOWER1!1!11!1**

### Close Quarters

A Commander utilizes LOS blockers such as trees and buildings to force them Germans into close quarter combat. Due to the nature of this battlefield, elements of defenses are limited and so are supporting tactics. This tactic is more suitable for experienced players, as it requires more planning and micro managing.

Here's a few things you can do when using this tactic:

* Your men should consists of troops that are suitable for close combat, such as a commando. Classes such as snipers and gunners are severely limited as their LOS is cut down significantly, though a gunner may still prove to be deadly in close combat...
* Weapons such as a shotgun or an SMG are very effective in these type of situations.
* Static defenses are limited, though not entirely gone as you can still place down buildings such as trenches and sandbags to make your men more secure.
* Your vehicles are much less reliable, unless you're planning to have your men gibbed by a sherman cannon fire.
* Short range equipment such as frag grenades and molotovs are much more effective, just beware of friendly fire.
* You can utilize a flamer gear, and **burn those heretics**.