Tactical Gamer vs Texas Team Players #3: Kashan Desert

Battle Plan for Tactical Gamer (MEC)

We've all played Kashan about 10,000 times, so there isn't really a whole lot of secrets left to uncover about this map or some silver bullet strategy that will guarantee us victory. In this scrimmage we will play as the MEC, which gives us some advantages over the US Army, but we also have a couple of disadvantages. I'm not going to go over what I feel each is, my point is that we just need to work together, do our jobs as assigned, communicate, be willing to react to situations outside of our plan and we should be able to defeat TTP once again. I feel very confident in our team and our abilities.


Overall Strategy

Our strategy isn't that much different than what it is in a normal round of Kashan on TG. We are going to get into the bunkers ASAP and establish a presence there immediately, constructing FOBs and establishing defenses. We are then going to hold the bunkers until the time is right for us to move onto North Village and begin the end game for the US team. We will be swift and deadly, but we will also be patient and not overly aggressive to the point of stretching ourselves too thin so that we are forced backwards. We will dictate the terms of each engagement and maintain the initiative.

Usage of armor:

My philosophy is to keep all of our tanks together at one time. I will set up a teamspeak channel for our armor squads to use for coordination. Once our AAVs spawn in, I would like them to remain with the tanks as well. I do not want to see our armor squad split apart. Unless TTP also keeps all of their tanks together, we should win every armor engagement with minimum loses and more likely, only slightly damaged tanks. I would prefer that we also work out a priority for targets for each of the tanks so that we bring maximum firepower onto targets and eliminate enemy threats with each salvo, but I will leave the details of this up to our armor squad leaders.

Our apcs will be in direct support of our infantry in the bunkers and will not engage enemy armor unless absolutely required to in defense of the bunker complex.


Usage of attack choppers:

While I know we are opening ourselves up for losing a chopper with no resistance in our main, I would like to have a single chopper up at a time. I will leave it to the Transport squad to also run main base defense while they are not flying transport choppers, manning TOWs and AA emplacements. For the attack chopper, I want to establish a safe area to orbit the chopper and keep it there until we have targets confirmed that produce a minimal threat to the Havoc (meaning - no known AA in the vicinity). Keep it high and use the attack markers provided by the CO to focus your attacks.


Usage of transport choppers:

This is critical!!! I do not want those choppers in the air unless you are given a mission from the CO. I want permission asked each time before lifting off. When the time comes to take north village and US outpost we will absolutely require maximum mobility and speed to take those flags, and the best way to do it is via our choppers.


Phase 1: Roll-out



Overview

In our roll-out we will send all of our armor and infantry squads north to the bunkers save a few exceptions that will be detailed below. We will require the use of both of our transport helicopters in this phase, but one will be used in a purely scout/spotting roll while the other is crucial in it's roll to capture South Village. Make sure you study the asset assignment picture and get your squads to spawn in the proper position on the map. Spawning most of the team on two rally points will be a little chaotic, so to reduce the chaos I strongly suggest that no specialty kits be taken from these initial rally points and that squads wait until they have reached their destination and established their squad rally before taking kits. This will also keep kits in the pool in case of disaster while trying to reach the bunkers.


Squad Vehicle Assignments



Armor 1 and Armor 2 (Squads 2 and 3)

Use the northern-most spawn point, immediately next to the tanks, to spawn your entire squad on. Move immediately north, on the east side of the bunkers to a position near the village north-east of the bunkers but careful to remain in a favorable defensive position until we can determine the location of the enemy armor to the north. Engineers should bring up the engineer trucks separately for maximum flexibility and mobility.

Infantry 1 (Squad 5)

Bring both the CO truck and the Vodnik to the South Bunker flag. Secure the CO truck inside the South Bunker at the flag and use the vodnik to protect the entrance. We will determine the best position to build once the first wave of the US armor has been located, engaged and destroyed.

Infantry 2 (Squad 6)

Bring both the CO truck and the Vodnik to the North Bunker flag. You will be escorted to this position by the APC squad. Speed is of absolute essence here. Make sure you deploy a rally in the southern portion of the bunker complex prior to moving on the north, and you should stow the CO truck in the bunker opposite the South Bunker flag and use the Vodnik to transport your squad to North Bunker flag. Once it is secured you can then retrieve this CO truck and bring it north to build.

APC (Squad 4)

The APC squad will bring one or both apcs north (I leave this to Cougar's discretion) and secure the northern bunker on the flag. If you bring both, place one on the flag and the other in the bunker directly opposite the northern flag.





Transport (Squad 8)

We will need one pilot to spawn at the chopper on the runway and transport Squad 7 (SpecOps) to South Village with the CAS squad to capture this flag for the team. You will wait there on the flag until it is captured and we being Phase 2.

Your other pilot is to spawn near the helicopter pads and fly his helicopter to the area designated on the map to the north. This pilot must keep his helicopter alive and be able to spot the enemy armor movements from their main. Additionally, he must be able to also relay intelligence on enemy movements from North Village, and do all of this while flying high enough not to be easily seen but still low enough to see and identify targets on the ground. This is a crucial role to the success of the team in the first 15 minutes of the round!

I may move one of the pilots from this squad to the CAS squad to act as a spotter once the Havocs spawn.


SpecOps (Squad 7)

Spawn near the bunker at the main. For kits I have reserved 1 H-AT and 1 AA kit in addition to a SL kit. You will then ride to South Village and capture this flag for the team. The real fun starts for you in Phase 2, which begins immediately after South Village flips.

CAS (Squad 1)

This squad will accompany SpecOps in the transport helo to provide additional manpower to speed along the flipping of South Village. Both can spawn in as medic to provide medical assistance as required. You will return to the main with the helicopter at the conclusion of Phase 2 and await your Havoc.






Phase 2: Secure bunkers



Overview

In this phase we will capture the bunker flags, engage and destroy the enemy armor, build our FOBs at the bunkers, and lastly, deploy our SpecOps squad to a position to employ our Shock and Awe phase.


Specifics

The large circles on the map are areas of control for our armor. I would like the tanks to maintain their mobility, engaging targets of opportunity as required, but I want their presence to control the northern half of the map. Please do not sit in one place for too long!

If we can reduce or eliminate the first wave of the US armor, we are in great shape. If we can force them to use the hills in the center of the map, we have reduced their mobility and effectiveness and made them easy prey for our Havoc once it spawns.

The APCs in the bunkers will provide a considerable deterrent for the US forces from entering the bunkers. I expect that their presence will give them absolute fits. I would encourage the squad leaders of the infantry squads there to provide 1 member of their squad as an engineer to support the APCs.

For the transport squad, your spotter chopper will maintain this role as long as feasible. We will also utilize the supply crate to assist the troops in the bunkers as required.

Now for the fun part...

Shock and Awe

Once South Village flips, the transport chopper is to take the SpecOps squad (along with the CAS pilots) to a drop area as designated on the map. The route can be along the edge of the map - they must make it on the ground safely and with a minimal risk of detection. CAS pilots are to fly back to main with the chopper and await their Havocs.

Once delivered to the LZ, the SpecOps squad is to begin it's trek to the US Operations Base (with the tents, and more importantly, the unlimited ammo supply). You must exercise extreme caution and reach this destination undetected.

Your mission: Obliterate the US Apaches on the pad prior to lift off. The H-AT assigned to your squad will come in handy, as will the AA kit. In my eyes, this is by far the most critical mission in the scrimmage. If we can get at least one Apache down with the H-AT prior to lift-off, we have an excellent chance to dominate the map with our armor. Be advised, you will probably die during this mission. Kill as many targets as you can prior to this. Set the squad rally in the tents, keep the H-AT kits alive, and use smoke liberally once you've fired and given away your position. Killing at least one Apache is success!! Get them both down and you'll hear the cheers of your teammates over coms!



Phase 3: Win

After this, we'll just play it by ear. I don't have a specific plan laid out to take North Village, US Outpost and cap their main. We know what to do and how to play, so we'll just go from there.



Bad things that can happen

1) Our armor could get ambushed and wiped out in the first 10 minutes. The US armor could take to the hills in the middle of the map and take our tanks from behind. I'm counting on them going north to start the round.

2) Our APCs bite it rolling into the bunkers. Taking the APC over the dragon's teeth is risky, and if one bounces and touches barbed wire it's over. This will significantly reduce our presence in the bunkers. It's not the end of the world, but it makes the infantry's job a lot harder.

3) Shock and Awe. Yes, this is a gambit. Sending two valuable kits to certain death. If they are spotted and eliminated before they can do their job, or the chopper is shot down or crashes, then we lose two important kits for nothing. However, I'm willing to take the chance and trade a HAT for an Apache or two.

4) Baserape. I expect them to see if we will protect our main and the Havocs. We're not really doing it. This worries me. We'll adapt and overcome.

If worst comes to worst, we'll turtle up somewhere and force them to come after us. I don't honestly intend to let this happen, but we shouldn't underestimate our foes, they have some skilled players on their side.

Good luck everyone!