Arithea

It's 2140. Ice is creeping its way at an alarming rate south through Europe and northern Asia and has now reached the 49th parallel, narrowing the PAC's passageway south to the Mediterranean. Barring their path is a company of EU soldiers with A8 Tiger main battle tanks manning the infamous Maginot Line. Their mission: to prevent the PAC from gaining a foothold in the Mediterranean, the only part of Europe still free of PAC military influence.

Again, this is a head-on map, so we'll use one discussion thread for both sides. Verdun's layout lends itself easily to vehicles, yet at the same time allows for the success of infantry units, as well. (It also happens to be one of my favorite maps. ) Like many of the other larger maps, it's fairly symmetrical in its placement of control points. With this in mind, what's your first point of attack? Do you try to take the furthest control point first, or do you head straight for Church? Most, if not all, of the control points on the map spawn an APC, a walker, and a tank; does the choice of vehicles available affect your decision when it comes to which point to take first? What's your favorite point to defend? Do you use any special or unusual tactics?

Discuss.

__________________

DaBrit

I'm very inexperienced with this map, and I would love to see some discussion here from some of our squad leaders who've been around the block. Any suggestions? I've seen the usual take-a-point-and-hold it.

The area which forms the 16-player version of the map (around church) tends to be more infantry-oriented, while the rest of the map is mostly vehicle oriented. Which flags are easiest to defend? Which ones are hardest?

__________________

TG-9th - By Any Means

Arithea

I haven't played Verdun in a while, with the exception of one or two rounds last week, but we had some great defense going on the couple of rounds I did play. I don't remember exactly which flag we were defending, but it was the outlying flag closest to the wall. Basically, all we had to do was sit a tank and/or a walker at the giant gap in the wall to the southwest and situate some infantry and maybe an APC close to the control point. As long as we had mines on the entrances to the flag, we were golden. The other team couldn't fit enough infantry through the smaller holes in the fence fast enough to make it through to the flag with an APC, a tank, and a walker all homing in on them.

I know that's not much to go on for a discussion, especially since I can't remember which side I was playing or which control point we defended, but maybe it'll jog someone else's memory and provide some fuel for discussion. Next chance I get to play, I might stage a pub raid on a server running Verdun just to jog my own memory.

__________________

Sir-Nerd

GET THE OUTLYING FLAGS AND GET A BLEED.

thank you

__________________


NOW POWERED BY WINDOWS VISTA 64BIT!!!

When you can't run anymore, you crawl and when you can't do that, you find someone to carry you.

daithi1

Take a squad take a flag defend it.

It's a simple enough map there isn't mush flag hopping involved or at least I think there shouldn't be. In 32 or 64 regardless I like to try and stop enemy armour from getting through of that involve Wait, FAV, Take, Hold. It's also fun to take and hold Church. and get lot's of kills .

__________________

Razcsak

I find Church to be the easiest to defend, if only because I am much more comfortable on foot. That said, if you're going to attack a flag, make it Church. The buildings make it much easier to keep a squadleader alive and launch a more persistent attack. The other flags really must be taken in one push, Church has enough hiding places for a squad to entrench there for a while.

__________________

Jakaleel

The maps for Verdun vary based on size:

16 Player Map:


32 Player Map:


64 Player Map:


Titan Map:

__________________
|TG-21| Jakaleel
SAAW Team

Jakaleel

The 16 player map armor is limited to a walker and APC per side. Eastern Outskirts and Glacier Rim only appear on this map. This map extends further north than all by the titan map. PAC can secure Eastern Outskirts faster than EU secures Western Outskirts. EU can bring vehicles slightly easier to Church. The map is mostly infantry with much of the fighting centered on Church. The bleed is on when the opponent holds two flags.

The 32 player map is used by TG and is the one most familiar to us. This map is an armor fest. Each side begins with 2 tanks, 2 FAV, an APC and a gunship. The flags hold 3 walkers, 3 FAV, and 2 tanks together. My favorite strategy is to hold the flag nearest the enemy uncap: EU attacking Hillside Farm and PAC attacking Valley Farm. A secondary strategy is to hold the nearest flag to prevent the first strategy and let the other squads join the slug fest at Church. Again, the bleed is on when the opponent holds two flags.

The 64 player map expands the 32 player uncaps to additional flags plus Guard Gate Flag and adds new uncaps. A tread head’s dream or nightmare, this map starts each side with 5 FAV, 3 tanks, 2 APC, a gunship and a transport. The flags hold a total of: 6 walkers, 9 tanks, 2 APC, and 10 FAV. My strategy for this map is again to hold Eastern Farm as EU and Western Farm as PAC. Holding Eastern Farm is easier than Western Farm. PAC has only one road down hill (and PAC tanks don’t do hills well) and Eastern Farms has a lot of armor that spawns relatively protected. Western Farms for PAC on the other hand can come under fire from the EU uncap (hull down) and has two roads leading out. With 6 flags I believe 4 are required for the bleed. An additional note, this map was really made for 64 players, one runs out of players to crew vehicles.

The Titan map is similar to the 64 player map with a lot less armor. The map extends the north and south borders. The Silos are: Silo 1 is the Guard Gate, Silo 2 is the Church, Silo 3 is Eastern Farm, Silo 4 is Western Farm, and Silo 5 is between Valley Farm and Hillside Farm on the west side of the wall. Each side starts with a titan, 2 tanks, 1 APC, 2 FAV, 1 gunship and 1 transport(s) (2?). The five Silos hold: 1 walker, 2 tanks, 2 APC, and 5 FAV. Silo 2, Silo 5 and Silo 1 are in a line from the north east to the south west. I only played this map two or three times. Most of the fighting for silos were for 2, 5, and 1 as the titans could move to their closest silos and cover them with their guns.

__________________
|TG-21| Jakaleel
SAAW Team

Arithea

Thanks for the maps, Jakaleel! I'm quite fond of the 32-player version of this map, and I don't think I've ever played it in titan mode before. I also like the 64-player version.

This seems to be a recurring theme across many of the discussions, so let's go this direction for a bit. The way that Verdun is laid out, it's very difficult to bottle up armor, as is usually the aim with this sort of strategy. All the control points and both of the uncaps have enough exits that at least one vehicle can escape a bottleneck attempt. For that reason, I have found that laying mines in the approaches to the places the armor will be heading to capture a control point is one of the best ways to deal with the plethora of vehicles on this map. For instance, a walker can approach the Church flag from all four directions. However, there are plenty of places to hide motion mines on each approach in the urban setting surrounding the flag. Since this map tends to breed engineers like a dump breeds roaches, you generally don't have a shortage of motion mines, and this is a viable option.

__________________

spiff913

A couple of points -

1 - if PAC takes Valley Farm and they're defending toward the west, there is a lot of open space but only a few places where armor can cross the river. So it is possible to bottle them up there.

2 - I think this map, maybe more than any other, shows the need for coordinated action with armor supported by infantry.

__________________
.

LordKelvin

I think I've died on this map so many times that it is single-handedly responsible for the 1000-plus amount of deaths I have than kills. So now what I do is: Spawn Engineer, take an A-8 Tiger out to the west side of the map on the outskirts, and shell people from afar. I only get out to repair, and like the giant fields there that allow for maneuvering. Its the only time I've been able to engage a walker with a tank, and win.

__________________

Cpt.Pierce

Not only that, but also Church has many hiding places for engies and motion mines for taking out armor, so it often becomes an infantry based combat area with the occasional support of armor. Plus, the open terrain surrounding church make it easier to push out from there with minimal resistance (on foot at least), as you can easily skulk around the low walls and large craters.

Another point I don't think has been mentioned. The wide open area on any version of Verdun allows an APC to position itself in a good spot and wreck extreme range havoc with its mortars on several flags/silos. I've only seen it happen a couple times but the results can be devastating, especially when firing over a hill or one of those wall things, so your enemy cannot easily locate you. Even if they do, when positioned properly you can escape an orbital strike or an infantry push to take you out with little trouble. Just watch ot for those Rorsch and tank users that like to think of their high powered heavy shells as large sniper rifles

Mixa

I really hate this map because it is too much vehicle weighted, and it is almost impossible to seed...

But what I have noticed good tactics to get to the top 10 are (in 32p map):

1.OH NO WE CANT GET THROUGH: If you got squad that is experienced enough to destroy many vehicles and to hold 1 flag long, then you should aim for the opposite side flag (Valley for PAC, Hillside for EU). This is anyway hardest tactic to work with because there will be continous assaults to your point if enemy doesn't have any sideflags. You need many engies with mines (ofcourse), 1 support with EMP grenades and IDS won't kill you. And 2-0 medics. You have to remember that 1 shot to tanks rear and 2 to the flank will destoy it, so engies will own. (Medics are usually needed to kill those lone infrantry squads/players trying to flank you, they can't kill tank anyway, thats for sure.

2.HOLY PLACE: Allright so you want to defend church? Best working tactic is usually 2-4 engies whick will guard east and south sides from armored assaults and also keep that walker that spawns on the flag non hostile (mine around it). At church good snipers give you really tactical advance against foes without UAV/IDS support, or own snipers, so you should not forbid players for using them. There is usually 1 squad on both sides (may be more), trying to get the church, so it isn't easy to take and hold this flag. If you are unable to take the flag you need to postion to the east (if PAC) and to the middle (if EU), and keep pushing.

3. VEHICLE STEALER: This tactic is not good for big squads, because there is never enough armors for every1. Plan is to move fast to flags and take any empty vehicles there. After that you will either try to hold flag (if there is no squads/it is in trouble), or you go assault other vehicles. Once again you need lots of engineers, 100% if possible. Throwin those mines behind hostile tanks when your own gets blown up is deadly and will give your side more vehicles = more fire power = better assaults. Motion mine baits are good if you are gonna drive but otherwise some1 can pick your kit and destroy your own mines.

4. SO MUCH STRESSS!!!!: So you really want to push on every flag possible and it doesn't matter how many times your squad is blown up you will keep going? Then you need to plan it carefully so you don't waste too many tickets. If you are squad leading you really need to know this map. Weak points of every flag and good points to deploy beacon. Flank attack usually works and thats why you need medics. Good build is 4 medics 2 engies. FAV can help your squad a lot because you will have to move fast. Usually you will first assault your closest sideflag, then church and finally start pushing for enemys sideflag (at this point you usually lose your own). Remember still to plan your attacks carefully, shooting tank with PK rockets at the moment of despair is never good : P.

5. BACK UP: Back up squad will usually strike / defend sideflags, but will move to church if possible, this is in many ways like so much stress style, but will give you more relaxed way to play. 3 medics and 3 engies is usually good, try to flank any foes between hill and valley farms and also those heading from these points to church. If your assaults are not doing any damage just fall back and let them come for you.

These are 5 main tactics seen in verdun (though they are writen and planned here by me, but they are almost same). Many squads also mix em together, and if you are fighting with 20-30% less players than opposite side you will usually be unable to get out of you UCB. Always remember to change your plans if you can see way for easier (or cooler ) victory. Don't waste those damn tickets!

Mixa/Silver_Pipe is sorry for all the typing errors in this message.

__________________
|TG-Irr| Mixa (ex Silver_Pipe)

In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.
-Erwin Rommel

DrBeat

Verdun is a very vehicle heavy map. The all assault squad loses its effectiveness here. You really can't move from flag to flag on foot, well, at least on the 32(?) player map.

So in defence then you need:

Engineers, and lots of em. Most attacks come in the form of an frontal armor attack or a flanking FAV run. Engys must take up the rorshes(sp?) and AA guns to be sure that vehicles have a hard approach. Pilums and SAAWs with the engys. Motion minds and PDS are extremely valuable.

Assault: Still important. If a vehicle does strike you need your units up. Also, in the event of a FAV run, you will need that ground power.

Support: Everyone needs ammo! But they also carry EMP grenades, great for putting those vehicles down for the engys.

Recon: Not too much of a role here. It's vehicle centric. The RDX is good on the flag as always though. One on top of a platform can still do damage.

__________________

LordKelvin

Verdun is fun to snipe on because no one expects it.

__________________