Barbarossa tactics and strategy Options

[ScrapyardBob]

(because I can't sleep at the moment)

So let's talk about the odd, the crafty, the nifty, and the common sense of the Barbarossa map. Focusing primarily on "base assault" mode, although the map is also well suited for CTF. (Definitely a favorite map of a lot of folks.) Apologies in advance if I get long-winded and please try to keep it civil. There's a lot of opinion when folks talk about tactics and just about any idea works at least part of the time. If you don't like a tactic, please explain how you would beat that tactic rather then deriding the poster.

First off, my impressions of the bases.

Russian #1 (N flank)
- Moderately difficult to defend. German attack is usually through the W pass, but sometimes they come up the river valley to the south. Or, if Russian #3 has already fallen, germans can swipe tanks and attack along the back road. Germans also tend to slip into the house on the SW side where the anti-tank weapons are stored. The tank parked near #1 is a prime theft target.
- This base tends to be ignored by most allied players, making it more difficult to defend, but easier to attack.

Russian #2 (S flank, forward position)
- Moderately to extremely difficult to defend. The germans can attack this base from the S riverbed, through the town that is downslope, from the hilltop pass to the NW, or from the N flank. Tanks have to be rushed forward (on a constant basis) from the rear to protect this base.
- Strategically, only worth defending if you are behind on points. Same problems as German #1. Only inexperienced players attack this base first (or plant bombs here first). Smart players leave this base alone, forcing the enemy to spawn at a base without any nearby tanks.

Russian #3 (SE flank, rear position)
- Easiest to defend, unless everyone is playing offense and nobody is minding the store. Germans can sneak in through the houses or sneak in via the right flank into the russian spawn area.
- If the germans fail to destroy this base before the other 2 bases, the round typically ends up as a stalemate (or loss).

German #1 (S flank, forward position)
- Difficult to defend. The russians have multiple approaches to the base (south riverbed, the town bridge, down the hill from the hilltop pass, or up the valley from the N bridge).
- Strategically, only worth defending if you are behind on points. Same problems as Russian #2. Only inexperienced players attack this base first (or plant bombs here first). Smart players leave this base alone, forcing the enemy to spawn at a base without any nearby tanks.

German #2 (S flank, rear position)
- Moderately easy to defend, but only if actively guarded. Russians either sneak through the tank park, attack via the N road, or sneak up the S road.
- A lot of players ignore this base until it's too late. They won't start defending it until it's open and has been planted once. An early russian offensive on this base typically results in a win for the allies. Leaving this base for last usually results in a stalemate or loss.

German #3 (N flank)
- Moderately easy to defend. Attacks are typically from the N bridge, the hilltop pass to the SE, or russians sneaking up the back road or past the bush at the german anti-tank gun.
- This is a strategically important base for the germans. Guarding #3 also allows them to guard their N flank. Losing #3 typically results in germans forgetting to watch the N flank, allowing the russians to attack the german spawn.

[ScrapyardBob]

More newbie moments.

1. Never assume that the spawn is safe territory. We saw multiple tanks exit the german spawn on the N side and drive right past a prone russian who was hiding in the weeds. (*waves* at Dolphin Girl)

2. When you spawn, LOOK AROUND.

3. Never, ever, plant a base without packing a satchel. Never storm a bunker without a satchel down the stairs or down the vent pipe. But be on the lookout for russians camping on the stairs. Also watch out for TheRapist, who camped *outside* the base and waited for a defuse team to rush down the stairs. At which point, he was about to toss a satchel down after them.

When it gets late and I'm on my last game of the night, it's relaxing to curl up with a suicide satchel and my arty binocs in the basement of a bunker. As soon as I hear a jeep that does not appear on my radar, I pop arty off then prime my satchel. If they get inside, me chasing them with a live satchel down below gives them the choice of running away (into the arty above) or staying and dying.

Or I'll just play dead on the floor with a primed satchel (press and hold the L mouse button). More then once, I'll get germans planting on top of me without noticing I'm alive. I'll simply press the R mouse (while still holding the L mouse down) to start the timer, then chase them around the bunker.

4. Listen to your teammates when they cry for help or shout out enemy positions.

Best example of this: I was in a tank, attempting to provide overwatch for a bomb team to go below at Russian #1. First german goes down the hole, gets cut to ribbons by a portable MG setup in the basement of the bunker. So I warn the next german to use grenades before entry... he goes right in, dies. I watched three more teammates go down into that bunker and die before the russians counterattacked and drove us off the R1 ridge.

Next example: Germans are warned of a russian hiding in the bunker by G1. German tank ignores the warning, drives right past the bunker and gets a rocket up the tailpipe.

Last example: Russians leave the north road undefended. Constant reminders to check the north road go unheeded. Germans manage to get 3+ tanks and infantry to Russian #1 which then goes up in flames. (The russians then had a rough time getting that many germans off of their right flank.) We've seen the same thing with G3 and G2.

...

Outtakes:

Russians manage to take down all 3 german bases to their foundations, but all of the russian bases are undamaged. I think that round ended in about 17 minutes, 3-0. We're not sure what the germans were doing that round. There was a lot of griping in the open channel by germans who were frustrated at their teammates' inability to shell any russian bases. The russians had a huge advantage that round because they could go minimal on defense without worrying about bases being planted.

Germans managed to get R1 and R3 in the first few minutes. Yet we spent the entire rest of the round attempting to take and destroy R2. That round ended up as a 2-2 stalemate. Someone was heard to quote "I thought R2 was supposed to be the easy base?".

Another quote heard this week boils down to: "It's up to the germans to win or lose."

...

5. Whoever controls the map will probably win. Which basically means:

- guard the flanks
- spread out for maximum coverage
- don't let infantry onto your side of the map
- whittle / disable / destroy / warn against any enemy incursion
- engage and destroy any enemy that you see
- watch your teammates, help them engage anything they're shooting at

(A lot of times a tank driver will manage to corner and trap an enemy infantry. But, if the tank driver gets out of the tank, they run the risk of dying and their tank being stolen. A good teammate watches for this and will go in after the trapped infantry while the tank driver keeps them pinned down.)

[Undertow]

Or I'll just play dead on the floor with a primed satchel (press and hold the L mouse button). More then once, I'll get germans planting on top of me without noticing I'm alive. I'll simply press the R mouse (while still holding the L mouse down) to start the timer, then chase them around the bunker.

I've done that when protecting the bunker I just planted. Sometimes they kill me and run out knowing I had a satchel primed. But sometimes they think I'm already dead & they ignore me and run to defuse. Thats when I stand up and bash them!

[Hellfighter]

Or I'll just play dead on the floor with a primed satchel (press and hold the L mouse button). More then once, I'll get germans planting on top of me without noticing I'm alive. I'll simply press the R mouse (while still holding the L mouse down) to start the timer, then chase them around the bunker.

I've done that when protecting the bunker I just planted. Sometimes they kill me and run out knowing I had a satchel primed. But sometimes they think I'm already dead & they ignore me and run to defuse. Thats when I stand up and bash them!

If you have half the bomb timer left and still alive, toss smoke nades to cover your carrying a primed satchel.
Actually, also when a satchel tossed down vent you will stay alive if you get to go onto the bunker stairs leading to the roof, whereas the roof and entrance of the bunker = death in such a situation> normally.

With about half the time left and no smoke nades to cover your planted bomb, have hilarious fun running arund the middle shelves in the bunker with satchel in hand as a defuser chases you around. You can usually last 5 seconds depending on what the chaser has for a weapon. You can last very long against 2 or 3 pistol defusers- they know they have to kill you asap if you have satchel in hand and timer running out. But toss that satchel and the 2/3 mark of the timer at the latest; by the time it goes off the only live defusers arriving in the bunker won't have enough time to defuse.


This post has been edited by Hellfighter: 02/05/06 7:04pm