It is generally accepted that, in order to have a decent chance of success, an attacker must field at least three times as many units as their opponent, or even ten times as many in certain circumstances, according to some authors. While I cannot comment on the accuracy of this statement, either in real life or in the game, I can nevertheless affirm that a certain numerical superiority is essential during an assault.

That said, we are faced with a problem. Even though The Troop provides the attacker with more resources than the defender, I find that the difference is too small in most cases to be comfortable. This is probably by design, but it means that, in most cases, large-scale frontal assaults are not feasible, as they would further disperse your already insufficient forces. Instead, it means that you will have to concentrate your units in one or two battle groups, aimed at weak points in the enemy line, with the aim of achieving local numerical superiority.

This superiority is all the more important because casualties are inevitable; you will suffer casualties, and probably heavy ones with that. However, it is possible to mitigate this fact by keeping in mind this simple motto: fire and maneuver. Firing without maneuvering is a waste of ammunition, and maneuvering without firing is a waste of human lives. You must constantly shower your enemy with shells and bullets, while moving as quickly and constantly as possible. The goal here is less to inflict casualties on the defenders than to force them to keep their heads down and thus reduce the effectiveness of their own fire.

-

But if the main objective is not to destroy enemy units and thus lower their morale, you may wonder what it is. In The Troop, the attacker has the luxury of choosing between two ways to win: they can, just as the defender is forced to do, try to wear down the enemy's morale by destroying the majority of their units, or they can play for the objectives. There are usually numerous capture points scattered across the map, and it is generally enough to control two-thirds of them to force the defender off the field. This is why maneuvering is so important in offensive play; it alone can guarantee victory if used correctly.

You don't even need to destroy or repel all enemy forces on an objective to take control of it; you just need to outnumber them (yet another area where numerical superiority is important).

-

Here are two little tips that might be useful if you don't already know them. First, you can reveal the position of enemy units by opening fire on them. Sometimes, simply aiming with a tank or cannon can reveal an enemy positioned in the way. This means that once one or more of your units are revealed (and there is no longer any reason for them to hold back their fire), you can simply fire at tiles that could be ideal defensive or ambush positions, such as well-placed buildings or visible openings in hedges. Secondly, at very short range (2 or 3 tiles), tanks have a 100% chance of hitting their target if it is a vehicle or heavy weapon. This makes tank charges viable in certain circumstances, where you can simply rush at an enemy and deliver an often devastating blow to their flanks or rear, which are more vulnerable.

- When it comes to the composition of the force itself, it goes without saying that tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) are essential, as they perfectly combine firepower, protection and mobility, all of which are key characteristics in fire and maneuver tactics. Their role is to lead the charge, absorb fire and neutralise the most troublesome enemy units, such as well-entrenched tanks or heavy weapons.

- But that doesn't mean that infantry don't have a role to play, quite the opposite. Especially in urban and densely wooded areas, where the potential of vehicles is limited, infantry are essential for clearing buildings or entrenched combat positions of their defenders (mainly using grenades) and thus taking control of the terrain.

- Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) accompany infantry, providing them with the mobility and protection they generally lack, enabling them to follow tanks in the assault and quickly take up advanced positions. If you cannot afford to deploy APCs, you can transport your soldiers in soft-skinned lorries and cars, or even in the back of your tanks, but at the expense of their protection. If you choose this option, get them out as soon as contact with the enemy becomes likely. However, I do not recommend using APCs for direct combat. They are lightly armoured and open, and their armament, if they have any, is geared towards self-defence. They can, however, be used as reconnaissance vehicles, but in this case, do not count too much on recovering them.

- Dedicated reconnaissance assets in the form of light tanks or armoured vehicles could be a useful, though not essential, addition to your forces. They could be sent ahead of the main force to locate enemy tanks and heavy weapon emplacements. Their chances of survival are limited, however, and depend almost entirely on their mobility. Also, be sure to keep them as far away as possible from buildings and thickets, where hidden infantry could destroy them with a single well-placed grenade.

- It may also be wise to keep one or two long-range guns or tanks at the rear of your forces in order to neutralise enemy armour from a distance, especially on open maps. A hidden Panther or Tiger could give you a very nasty surprise, but a Firefly or Archer destroying it unexpectedly would be an even worse surprise for the enemy.

- Finally, let's not forget artillery support, mainly in the form of mortar and artillery observers. Their role is to cover the advance of friendly forces and blind enemies with smoke screens, as well as to target fixed weapons and entrenched infantry. Although these tasks may seem fairly secondary, they are actually very important, and a single team of mortar observers will usually very quickly justify their deployment cost.

Otherwise, the exact composition of your units obviously depends a lot on the map you are on: favor infantry on dense urban/wooded battlefields, and vehicles on more open battlefields.

- Attack forces will be concentrated into one or two groups targeting weak points in the enemy's defences. Reconnaissance units will come first, followed by tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, infantry and their transport, and finally support units, like long-range tanks or guns and artillery observers.

- Reconnaissance vehicles will attempt to penetrate deep into the enemy's line of defence and beyond, in order to spot as many units as possible before being destroyed, either by sighting them or by attracting their fires. In all cases, any friendly unit that has been spotted must open fire on tiles that may harbour potential defenders, while support units cover their advance with smoke screens.

- Infantry should occupy buildings and dense wooded areas after clearing these positions with grenades and armoured/artillery support.

- Once revealed, enemy units that pose a major threat, such as tanks or heavy weapons, must be quickly neutralised using artillery and/or tank charge tactics.

- Once the line has been broken at one point, mobile friendly units can flood into the enemy's rear, harassing their own support assets (mortars, observers) and attacking defenders from being, scoring easy kills, with the aim of occupying and securing as many objectives as possible.

- Keep in mind that at this stage, the arrival of potential enemy reinforcements could pose a significant threat, trapping your units between them and the defenders still in position.



Here this quick guide end. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on the matter in the comment section and have a great day.