In Command Ops you have the ability to create your own battlegroups and have them work together as a unit. The best part is you don't have to micromanage all of the units, just select them all and give the order. The AI will work within your constraints to complete the mission.

You can use the Order of Battle screen to CTRL select multiple units or just drag and highlight a bunch. If you directly combine both armor and infantry they will work as a combined arms team if you give them a Successive Lines formation when attacking.

So let's put it together and see.

First it's worth noting that when you give an attack order the units will move to a Form Up Point (FUP). The FUP is where the units stage, get orders, and wait for the attack hour. It's very helpful to first set a MOVE order near the current position then set the ATTACK order.

Why?

This moves any indirect fire support units you have to that area and you don't run the risk of them being too far away later.

Artillery can be left at the higher command level or you can directly attach it. If directly attached other units can request it. If directly attached, that particular battlegroup has exclusive use and is more likely to get a mission.

Our opening Order of Battle shows how it would be as the units go about daily operations. But we need to tweak this for our mission.


As you can see we have three companys of armor and a bunch of recon units. A single artillery unit backs up the brigade. We've also got a rather under powered anti-tank company. The first question is how to attack? We'll keep it simple for this example.


We'll use three battlegroups. The first group will be unsupported. The second will get the artillery and the third will get the AT company. Each will be given similar orders, a MOVE followed by an ATTACK order.

It's worth noting that if I had a forested map and a combined infantry-armor battlegroup I'd select Successive Lines for the formation. And it also seems that they won't always work together. I have a feeling the tactical AI might make some choices there.


Click and Drag.


Or we can use the Order of Battle and CTRL click to select our units.


Which brings us to the finished OOB. At this point we have three battlegroups and an HQ.

I've set an ATTACK order for each of the battlegroups on the secure objective. At this point about all I can see are a few Italian tank units. But as it's 3 in the morning who know's what out there?


First you set your order, then once those orders are relayed to the units you can see the path they'll take if you select the entire battlegroup. The first unit is moving into an unknown area. They send out the two recon units in front while the other follow behind.

The second battlegroup, with artillery support, moves out in a wedge. At around dawn they make contact, and whammo! It's on!


You can see the Vee formation along with where the AI has called in artillery onto the Italian armor company.


The last company has a unique formation and moves to the west a bit of the straight on path.


They run into a few Italian units defending the objective. I check the Anti-Armor power and range and see it's not too bad. Compared to my Crusaders...


I'll need to get closer but they are much more effective. This is a handy tool to see very quickly how screwed your units might be.

Both the 2nd and 3rd battlegroup drive off the Italian defenders. However the 1st group, without artillery, have been unable to dislodge the defenders. If I'd left it attached at the Brigade level then they might have had a chance at using it.

Artillery can be very effective at halting attacks and breaking defenders.

So I re-attach them to the 1st battlegroup and almost immediately they start firing on the hostile positions. Now I didn't give any orders to tell them to do that, those orders came from the battlegroup HQ trying to fulfill its mission.


Come nightfall we are in a precaious position. We hold two objectives and almost a third. But even worse is a ton of Italian reinforcements slowly working in. We've got reinforcements coming, but will it be soon enough?

For the rest of the night I'll leave the artillery at the brigade level so each of the HQ's can request it throughout the night.