Any strategy tips? Tigers are wiping me out.

[joe6778]

I've played all the Microsoft CC series and I thought I would come back after all these years and try Gateway To Caen.

The game documentation/online support for the Game is lacking, however.

For instance, there is absolutely no way I can defeat the Tigers. The battle begins with the Germans having about six of them, and whether I have six Churchill tanks or three 6 PDR AT guns for support against them, they completely wipe out my force, even at night. I can't even eliminate one Tiger after six tries.

It seems that every German barrage hits a bulls eye- they always know exactly where my hidden units are. And even if my ATs/tanks can get off a shot at a Tiger, the Tigers kill them with one shot.

The PIAT is a joke, and if I try to ambush using my teams, the Tigers/artillery know exactly where they are and wipe them out.

This is total frustration. I hope I didn't waste $39 on this.

[SchnelleMeyer]

Try not to fight against Tigers on open ground maps... Actually try not to attack them directly at all if you can avoid it. Instead cut them off from supply and wait for them to attack your map.
Cutting them off from supply will make them ripe, they will run out of fuel and ammo etc..

Try to meet Tiger Panther battlegroups with your best trained units - ie those that are green and have good morale.
Leave your AT-guns and PIATS on DEFEND or AMBUSH - If you use manual fire they will immediately be destroyed. - This seems to be a bug in the game... - But the AT-guns will hit very well on their own.
Try to place them so they can shoot in the flank of the enemy armor. - 6pdrs can easily penetrate the side of a Tiger if they can hit it.

Kill any infantry following the Panzers. - It will blind them somewhat, because infantry have better recon skills than tanks.


Hope this helps mate

[joe6778]

Let them come to me? I'm not sure how to do that. I have two infantry groups (no armor) facing them at the beginning, so I have to battle in the open ground. What am I missing here?

Regardless, I just had a battle against five Panthers where I controlled the map and there were buildings all around, but they destroyed my three Churchills before I even got a shot.

The only thing I see happening so far, is that the Allies don't have a chance in any battles against Tigers or Panthers.

[CGGrognard]

@joe6778: Retreat from the map you're on facing the Tigers and encircle it. This way you can cut off their supplies and create a more favorable position for your forces.

[SchnelleMeyer]

A couple of more thing you can try: Always attack each enemy tank with several of your teams/tanks at once. This increases the likelihood of a fatal hit and it will lessen your losses.
Never go ONE on ONE with Tigers or Panthers. - You will loose.
 
Make sure that you isolate your target tank from the other enemy tanks either so they cannot support with fire. You can do this by terrain that blocks their line of fire (Best solution) or with smoke.
- Narrow fields of fire works best for your AT-Assets.
 
Did you try my tip with leaving the AT-guns on defend or ambush? 

[joe6778]

Thanks for the tips.

I always set up AT guns in cover and set to defend or ambush. As soon as they take their first shot, they're either hit with a barrage and destroyed, or the enemy tank kills them.

I also try to get multiple tanks to fire at an enemy tank. In one battle I had five Churchills set up behind bocage, and they were destroyed without damaging one Tiger.

I'm having less trouble with other battles, but whenever I'm up against Tigers/Panthers, I get destroyed.

There is obviously a lot I don't know about Strategic turns and how to move/control my battle groups.

[CGGrognard]

Hang in there. The tactics posted here are sound, but they require some experience. Try keeping your AT guns on ambush rather than defend, and if possible set up for a side or rear shot. You'll have to anticipate the path the enemy armor will take, to identify the best spots to ambush Tigers and Panthers. For the Churchills, shoot and scoot is another option. That is, once the Churchill has fired at the target, back it behind cover. Move out of cover, take your shot, then back into cover. Rinse and repeat, and don't forget tanks can deploy smoke.
One last tip; have the enemy armor come to you. Infantry will usually lead the tanks, so keep a squad near your tanks. Good Hunting! [:)]

[joe6778]

I had Five Cromwell and one Sherman tank in a battle area with Tigers (my mistake!) and I had them set to Ambush/Defend. Regardless of where they set up to await the Tigers, two of the Tigers destroyed three of my Cromwells without any damage to the Tigers. Luckily, time ran out. Granted, the Cromwells and Shermans are much weaker than Tigers, but they didn't even have a chance against them regardless of tactics.

Like I said, I've played many CC series games in the past, and I've even had Infantry/PIATS ambush and destroy German tanks in those games, but in GtC, the Panthers and Tigers are unbelievably strong. They're immune to hidden nearby infantry and my Churchills can't hurt them, either.

[joe6778]

What total bullcrap!

I had a Firefly FC, four Sherman Vs, three M10s, and a 6pdr AT all hidden in cover ambushing at night, and they were all destroyed in less then a minute. I lost the battle in 75 seconds!

How do I even have a chance when the enemy barrage starts immediately (and is right on target), and my armor doesn't even get off one shot?!

[CGGrognard]

Let's see if a better strategy can be devised with a little more information. What map are you on? What are the settings for each side? What is the time limit you have set? And last, is this part of a campaign?

[joe6778]

Yes, it's part of the Epsom +8 hours campaign. Default settings, both sides have Line quality troops, 30 minute mission limit.

I actually played a few battles beyond my last post, and I was able to take out a couple of Tigers and Panthers with PIATs, tanks, and AT guns, although most times my tanks/AT guns are only able to get off one or two shots before being destroyed. They can't seem to hit anything. But at least I know it's not impossible to kill Tigers and Panthers.

[vobbnobb]

Tigers have many weaknesses a slow turret rotate speed, heavy gets stuck a lot, vulnerable to airstrikes etc. The enemy return fire mortars are a little too accurate agreed. Try to sneak with a bazooka/piat team and ambush in a house for the tiger to drive by, if it's not moving sneak up to it's side AT gun works well so do air strikes. Create indirect fire so the tiger drives toward the sound or you can get it to turn it's sides that way. Many ways to knock out a tiger.. Be the Tiger crew and think of what can destroy me..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOLEqE_YLc

[joe6778]

I've done a little better dealing with Panthers and Tigers although a few things bother me about the AI:

1) even when my AT guns/tanks begin in bocage in ambush mode, the enemy can see them
2) my AT guns/tanks might get a couple of shots off, but they usually miss and then they get destroyed
3) enemy artillery barrages are extremely accurate and devastating

Another question: is there a reason why you wouldn't merge groups?

[SteveMcClaire]

Merging battle groups removes a battle group from your side, which may be a problem if you have more front line maps than battle groups to defend them. It is often good to have two BGs on your front line maps anyway, so you can relieve and rest to keep the fighting groups fresh.

Merging is intended to be something that is used when a battle group becomes too weak to be effective on its own (you can save the teams by merging it into another battle group) or to create more balanced forces (when you have an all-tank battle group and merge it into an all-infantry group.)

Steve

[tigercub]

sounds like a crying baby to me!

[Jagdhund]

Actually the Churhill III can pen them as they have 3-4 Sabot rounds, I think the 6 pdr has them also. It is usually a war of attrition in that be happy if you can knock out 1-2. The germans have a limited supply. Also set up the tanks to have lanes of fire the enemy will cross. If you get into a sluggging match you will lose. Also I team tanks up so 2 tanks can fire on the same target that lumbers into your lane of fire. Often the tanks will lumber into your lane of fire giving you a side shot. Lastly they are Tigers and you understand why they were feared. I think military planner estimations were it took 5-6 shermans to knock out a tiger.