Cmsf Marines Game Manual v1.10

8/3/2019 Cmsf Marines Game Manual v1.10

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Combat Mission: Shock Force

MARINES

Module Manual

(c) 2008 battlefront.com, inc.all rights reserved. v1.10

Combat Mission Shock Force: Marines is in no way affiliated with - nor endorsed by- the United States Marine Corps


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Introduction

Welcome to the first Module designed for the Combat Mission:Shock Force environment. The purpose of this Supple-ment is to describe the elements unique to the MarinesModule which are not found in the main game manual. Sincethe game itself plays exactly the same for all customers,no matter what Modules they do or do not have, the maingame manual is still the primary source of information abouthow the game itself works. Therefore, the bulk of thisSupplement covers the units contained within the Marines

Module and, to some extent, tips and techniques for usingthem.

Installation

Installation from discIn order to install the game, insert the game disc. The Com-

bat Mission: Shock Force Installation Menu should appearif you have CD Autostart enabled on your computer. Clickon the Install Game option to begin the installation pro-cess. If you have CD Autostart disabled, or if the InstallationMenu does not appear, please browse the contents of thedisc and simply double-click on the file called CMSF_Marines_Setup.exe or autorun.exe. That will

manually launch the game installer.

Installation for Download versionAfter you have successfully downloaded the Combat Mission:

Shock Force - Marines download file (filenameCMSF_Marines_Setup.exe), copy this file to a temporaryfolder (or anywhere on your hard drive) and then double-click on it to launch the installer.

Note: downloads from www.battlefront.com are limited to 365 days or 10downloads. It may be a good idea to keep the file(s) you down-loaded and make a backup copy to CD/DVD, USB stick, etc. Or, ofcourse, you can simply order the download&hardgoods deliveryoption right away, which will give you an original CD as backup.


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License OverviewCombat Mission: Shock Force is protected by an online acti-

vation system called eLicense. eLicense is a tool to restrictthe illegal distribution of the software without being annoy-

ing or intrusive to the legitimate customer. Details abouthow to license and unlicense your Battlefront games canbe found in the CMSF Manual.

With each license key, you can have up to two copies of thegame installed and active (licensed) at the same time. Ifyou would like to install and activate on a third computer,you need to first unlicense the game on one of the previ-ously installed PCs.

Note: Unlicensing and uninstalling the game are two different things!

There is no limit as to how often you can unlicense andrelicense games. The key never expires, provided thatyou do not forget to unlicense unused games.

For more information about how licensing works, please visit:www.battlefront.com/faq

ModulesModules are not standalone games! They require the base

game (in this case, Combat Mission Shock Force) to play.It is therefore VERY IMPORTANT to install the Module inthe correct location, i.e. inside the previously installed CMSFbase game directory.

Note: if you purchased the bundle, then this is taken care of automati-cally during installation of course!

The installer will try to find out where the base game is in-stalled automatically and suggest the correct location, butthis may not always work 100% correctly, especially ifyou didnt use the default installation paths, or if you havea non-Battlefront localized version of CMSF. Pleasedoublecheck your installation folder therefore BEFORE in-stalling the Module (the Installer Menu will remind you ofthat).

If you have a non-Battlefront version of the base game whichrequires the CD to be in drive in order to play, then by


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installing the Marines Module this will no longer be re-quired.

After you have the Marines Module installed, you will neverneed to patch the base game of CMSF separately anymore. All future Marines Module patches will also includethe corresponding patch to the base game of CMSF al-ready (if any).

The Installation program adds a number of useful links intoyour Windows Start>Programs group by default, such as:

Direct link to the PDF manualIf you purchased the Download Only version then the game

documentation is included as an Adobe PDF (Adobe Readerrequired from www.adobe.com) file, and it can be accessedquickly from here.

UNLICENSE linkThis is a quick way to manually unlicense your game before

uninstalling (or e.g. before making any major modifica-tions to your PC).

Version Check linkThis is a quick way to check for updates online. The link is

pre-coded to know which version of the game you haveinstalled, and will automatically inform you if any patchesor updates for your specific game combination are avail-able.


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Tactical Considerations

New units mean new things to take into account when forming

and executing your battle plans. While the fundamentalsof combat remain largely unchanged, the new units re-quire adjustments regarding how operational and tacticalproblems are dealt with. This section gives players somethings to keep in mind as they learn the pros and cons ofthe units unique to the Marines Module, as well as how bestto use them with the forces found in the main CM:SF game.

General Tactical TipsFirepower is king in modern warfare. Use it well and the

enemy will crumble before you, use it poorly and youllquickly find your casualties mounting quickly. The Marines,in particular, have a massive amount of firepower at theirdisposal. This is something for both sides to keep in mind!

Generally the attacking player has enough time to proceed at

a slow to medium pace. If the time is available, use it.Remember, the more you degrade the enemys forces at adistance with massed firepower, the easier it is to get inand take your objectives. Put another way, a half hour ofsaturated fire on enemy positions may save you an hourof difficult and costly close combat.

Armored vehicles are vulnerable to a wide range of weapons,many of which are carried by regular infantry. Forgetting

this is sure to produce excessive friendly casualties. Haveyour armor follow your infantry from covered position tocovered position along the cleared routes. If done cor-rectly, the only enemies capable of engaging your armorwill be those that your infantry is already engaging, whichhopefully will be suppressed or at least distracted so yourarmor can dispatch them without significant risk.

Remember that you have a wide range of armored vehicles

in terms of offensive and defensive capabilities. Above all,remember that light and medium armored vehicles suchas AAVs and BMP-3s, are NOT tanks. Defensively, theygenerally can be destroyed by a first hit from any signifi-cant infantry or vehicle weapon system. Second chancesare rare! Tanks, on the other hand, can often shrug off


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small to medium hits at least once. Hits from other tanks,however, are usually fatal. The best way to avoid beingdestroyed is to avoid being shot at. Sounds simple, but onthe battlefield only a gifted tactician can consistently keephis armor from harm without diminishing its contribution

towards victory.

If a unit doesnt appear to be doing anything productive, andyet isnt needed/optimal for the primary mission, have itperform a secondary role to guard against the unknown.Guarding flanks, providing overwatch, and acting as a re-serve may not seem an exciting use of a particular unit,however it sometimes happens that such boring assign-ments prevent potential success from turning into failure.

Conversely, when attacking one should never assume thatall the enemys forces are identified even after an hour ofintense combat. An improper, hasty maneuver towardsthe end of a battle can still turn into a victory squashingdisaster.

Heavy support fire from artillery and aircraft can turn the tideof a battle in the right direction if used correctly or thewrong direction if not! Get to know your Support Assets

and learn how to use them effectively as quickly as pos-sible. Misusing Support Assets is a quick way to undermineyour chances of victory. If you dont understand the rangeof options youll be less likely to form and execute an opti-mal plan! For example, often the best course of action isto hold off from doing anything major while a Support Mis-sion is getting under way. Moving too soon may lead tounnecessary casualties and/or delays and moving in too

close may mean getting hit by friendly fire. Conversely,moving in as a mission ends might catch the enemy com-pletely disorganized, demoralized, or otherwiseincapacitated.

Smoke can be both your best friend or your worst enemy.Defensive smoke can lessen the chances of an enemy en-gaging you, but it also may reduce your chances to putdown effective covering fire. Units that have access to

thermal aiming/observation devices can see through mostsmoke, at least to some degree, which means that pop-ping smoke can sometimes blind your unit and yet donothing to blind the enemy. Also, do not presume thatsmoke will stay where you want it to! Wind, time, andother conditions affect the location, direction of movement,


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and effectiveness very quickly. Expect only a few secondsof optimal screening from smoke unless quite a lot of it isused.

Coalition

United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps Armor

United States Marine Corps Infantry

The Big DifferenceWhat makes the Marines different, in game terms, from all

other forces within CM:SF? The answer is very simple: theMarines Rifle Platoon. The Marines Rifle Platoon is by farthe largest, most heavily armed infantry element in thegame. Each Squad has 13 men compared to the more

typical 7-9 found in other US and Syrian formations. Insimple terms this effectively gives the Marines an extraSquads worth of infantry per Platoon and an extra Platoonper Rifle Company.

Not only are there more Marines when comparing formations,but they are also heavier in firepower. The Rifle TeamLeaders each have a dedicated multi-barrel 40mm gre-nade launcher, for example. Almost all Marines are armedwith the M16 which extends their reach out and touchrifle range considerably over other forces. Instead of hav-ing a squad AT capability like the US Army and Syrians,the Marines have their guided (Javelin) and unguided(SMAW) missile systems in the hands of dedicated crews.This means that a Rifle Platoon not only has more riflemenin the line in absolute terms, but also in relative termsbecause none of them have to pull double duty as AT hunt-

ers. Not that the Marines dont haul around a bunch of AT4and M72A3 missiles just in case, because they most defi-nitely do!


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Field OrganizationThe Marines organize their forces using a very flexible task

oriented doctrine. The basic TO&E (Tables of Organiza-tion and Equipment) is used more for non-combat andlogistics purposes than combat assignments. While it istrue that the majority of Marine TO&E is maintained in thefield, there are some regular instances where reality andtheory differ. Because of this, and with the blessings(more like insistence!) of our Marines testers, we have madeseveral significant changes to the standard Marines TO&E.The two major changes we made are as follows:

1. There is no Infantry Battalion Weapons Company. Instead

the dismounted assets of the Weapons Company are al-ready task assigned to the Rifle Companies. The Humvees,on the other hand, are reorganized into a Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) platoon, which is discussed in moredetail below. This gives a more realistic feel to the organi-zation as a whole. It also greatly simplifies purchasedecisions since the plethora of small support units are al-ready integrated into the large formations they wouldnormally be attached to.

2. The Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU) exists as an organicforce. A MEU is a large and complex force which has unitsfrom nearly all of the Marines specialized formations. Itwould be very difficult for a player to create one of theseon the fly without extensive knowledge of how the MEUsare organized. Even then, the effort needed to create onein the game would be significant. Therefore, weve cre-ated a typical MEU for players to utilize. Note that the MEU

most likely needs to be downsized for most scenarios byselecting a MEU and removing portions that are deemedexcessive for the task in hand.

The Combined Anti-Tank Team (CAAT)It is safe to say that the Marines love to wield overwhelming

firepower against their adversaries. It is also clear thatthe Marines have a special love for combined arms superi-

ority. The CAAT is a theoretically ad-hoc force organizedfrom the Infantry Battalions Weapons Company vehicles,which are armed with M2 .50cal MGs, Mk19 40mm Gre-nade Launchers, and TOW-2 ATGMs. The concept is builtaround Teams of Humvees armed with one M2 and oneTOW. Two such Teams equal a Squad, which is led by a


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senior NCO in a Humvee armed with a Mk19. Three Squadsare in turn commanded by an officer in a Humvee with aMk19.

In combat each Team operates as a single entity, with the M2providing protection against light targets and the TOWagainst heavier ones. The Squad Leader, with his Mk19,supports whichever Team needs additional firepower. TheMk19 also provides cover fire while the M2 and TOWHumvees break contact with the enemy. Because Humveesare very lightly armored, the CAAT relies on speed andfirepower in order to overcome its inherent defensive weak-nesses. When used correctly for recon, screening, andmobile fire support purposes, the CAAT is extremely ca-

pable and can be quite deadly. Thinking a CAAT force iscapable of going toe to toe with a mechanized or heavilyentrenched defender is not a good idea!

The Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU)The MEU has just about everything in it except for the kitchen

sink (if a sink had a gun on it, Im sure it would be includedtoo!). There are LAVs for recon, armed Humvees for vari-

ous hit-and-run assignments, Abrams tanks for heavy killingpower, Marines galore mounted in tracked AAV personnelcarriers, Snipers, Engineers, attack aircraft, forward aircontrollers, artillery forward observers, and of course lotsof artillery and mortars. This large and diverse force isroughly the size of one and a half battalions, though with afar more diverse range of capabilities than any single for-mation could ever hope to have.

It should be obvious that the main purpose of packing allthese units together is to give the commander on the groundthe widest possible range of options when tackling specifictasks. Sometimes an armor heavy force is used with in-fantry playing a supporting role, while other times aninfantry-centric force deploys with very little armored sup-port. From a scenario standpoint that means not everysingle thing assigned to a MEU needs to be included tohave a realistic force mix. Rather, each scenario shouldhave Marine forces picked specifically, and intelligently, forthe nature and character of the mission at hand.

Note that each MEU usually has six AV-8B Harriers and sixAH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters assigned to it, yetthese are not included in the MEU formation within the game.


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They arent included simply because each has differentweapons configurations and it should be left to the sce-nario designers to choose which ones are appropriate fortheir scenarios. Therefore, when MEUs are used it shouldbe common for Harriers and Super Cobras to be available

for support.

AAVs and MTVRsIt is important to make sure there are not too many AAVs

and/or MTVRs proportional to infantry units found in a sce-nario. From a passenger capacity standpoint the twovehicles are nearly identical, so it is helpful to think of themas interchangeable in terms of how much infantry they can

hold. Each Marines Rifle Company can fit into an AAV/MTVR Platoon, which means the typical scenario shouldnot have more than one platoon of transport. Note that itis possible to purchase the AAVs in Company strength,which is enough capacity to move an entire Marines Infan-try Battalion.

Antiarmor (Javelin) TeamsUnlike the US Army, which gives out Javelins like lollipops, a

Marines Infantry Battalion has a total of eight Javelins avail-able to it. To put that into perspective, eight Javelins iswhat two Stryker Rifle Platoons carry! Because of the lim-ited number, the Javelins are assigned to dedicated twoman Anti-armor Teams, making them the only users of theweapon. Additionally, these Teams have no organicallyassigned transport. What this means is that you will notfind Javelin CLUs stowed in any Marine vehicle for general

use.

Assault SquadsEach Rifle Platoon has a dedicated Assault Squad of two SMAW

Teams each. Think of the Assault Squad as a general pur-pose demolition unit. Not only are they armed with thepowerful SMAW rocket launcher, they also carry some C4explosives with them as well. The Assault Squad is best

used split into Teams, with one up front with the Rifle Squadon point and the second with the supporting Squad. TheAssault Squads more than make up for the shortage ofJavelins, as you will find out once you become comfortablewith how to use them.


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Sniper SquadsSnipers are organized into Squads, but they should always be

split into Teams at the earliest possible opportunity. Snip-ers are best used to cover very large geographical areasfrom the most advantageous firing positions possible. Onthe attack, they are best used to keep an eye on flanks orto silence distant enemy heavy weapons teams. In thedefensive they are also good for covering flanks, but arealso exceptionally good at causing casualties on an attack-ing force which is not using cover well. Snipers dont minda target rich environment, however they have limited ammoand can be taken out quickly if they stay in one place toolong. It is best to have close by alternative firing positions

in mind when deploying Snipers.

Heavy Weapons PlatoonsIt is possible to purchase Heavy Machinegun (M2 and Mk19),

Antitank (TOW), and Antiarmor (Javelin) Platoons in theirreal world organic form instead of having them parceledout as part of an Infantry Battalion or MEU (which, by de-fault, they are already). The HMG Platoon consists of two

HMG Squads and one Grenade Launcher Squad, the TOWPlatoon has four Squads with two TOW launchers each, theAnti-Armor Platoon has a total of eight Javelin launchersorganized into 8 Teams. As a rule it is best to have theHeavy Weapons Squads split into Teams at the earliestpossible opportunity and to keep in mind that they tend tomove very slowly at great cost to physical condition (Jav-elins much less so than the others). Therefore, it is best tothink of good starting positions that are likely to be rel-evant for the entire game or to have transport madeavailable to them. NOTE - if any of these Platoons areused, then the corresponding units in an Infantry Battalionor MEU, if present, should be deleted. The Heavy Machine-gun and Antitank Platoon units are all in the CAAT Platoon,while the Javelins are sprinkled throughout the various in-fantry formations. Since these are Battalion level assets,it is very unlikely that a CM sized battle would see more

than one Battalions worth of these weapons.


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Marines

Vehicle and Weapons DetailsNote that the Marines use a large amount of equipment com-

mon to the US Army. Instead of repeating the documentationfor the US Army weaponry, the following sections coveronly those things new and unique to the Marines.

M1A1 Abrams FEPThe Marines made a decision to upgrade their existing M1A1 Heavy Common (HC)

Abrams instead of replacing them with current Army models, such as the M1A2 series.The Firepower Enhancement Program (FEP) brings capabilities to the fire controlsystems similar to those available on the US Armys M1A2 SEP model of Abrams.

Second generation FLIR, Far Target Locator (FTL), integrated GPS navigation, laserrange finder, and other enhancements to aid gunnery make the Marines Abrams FEPa formidable weapon on the battlefield. The M1A1 HC is still found in the field asupgrading progresses.

The Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) FamilyLong before the US Army started its Stryker program, the Marines integrated wheeled

armor into their basic combat forces. Specifically, the LAVs are found in the MarinesLight Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Company. Like the Strykers, the LAVs are

based on the Swiss Piranha 8x8 light armored vehicle. There are three primary LAVvariants in CM:SF Marines: LAV-25, LAV-AT, and LAV-C2. All three variants haverecently been upgraded to A2 standards, which includes better armor, suspension,and targeting systems. The A2s are the standard model used in CM:SF, however theolder versions can be selected as well.


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The primary model is the LAV-25. It s armed with a M242 25mm chain gun and crewedby three Marines. Its primary role is to provide transportation and fire support for afour man recon team which rides in the back.

The LAV-AT is an anti-tank version equipped with TOW-2 wire guided anti-tank mis-siles. The two launch tubes offer it the ability to engage a target and still haveanother shot at the ready without reloading. It has a crew of four Marines, with thefourth being a dedicated loader.

The lightest armed of the three LAVs is the LAV-C2, armed only with a M240 machine-gun. The primary purpose of this vehicle is to observe and direct the actions of theLAVs under its command. It is crewed by three Marines with room for two more in therear. Generally only the Company HQ rides in a LAV-C2.

Assault Amphibian Vehicle (AAV) FamilyThe AAVP-7A1 (personnel) and AAVC-7A1 (command) vehicles are the Marines pri-

mary armored fighting vehicle for their Rifle Platoons. Over the years the Marineshave been transforming from a predominantly water borne assault force to one thatis expected to conduct operations well inland of the sea. As a result, the AAV wasdesigned to be far more similar to a traditional armored fighting vehicle, unlike theprevious vehicles used which were designed more for their abilities to get to shorethan to fight inland.

Of all the AAVs features, the most notable for players is its massive size and corre-sponding passenger capacity. Measuring just shy of 8m in length, the standardAAVP-7A1 can carry about four times as many combat equipped soldiers (25) as theArmys Bradley IFV. This large capacity allows the Marines to transport its combat

forces in far fewer vehicles than a similar sized Army force. Additionally, the pervehicle capacity is about the same as the 6x6 MTVR truck, which makes the logisticsof moving forces around by different transport easier to plan and execute.

The small turret at the front of the vehicle has both a 40mm Mk19 Grenade Launcherand a co-ax mounted M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The combination gives the AAVquite a punch against enemy infantry and lightly armored targets. The Mk19sprovide excellent suppressive capabilities while dismounted Marines move into better


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combat positions.Although the AAV is armed with significant weaponry, it must be remembered that its

armor is fairly light. Although it has reactive armor (ERA) on top of 45mm of steelplating, in battle it can only safely shrug off hits from small arms and light shellfragments. It has the ability to defeat some RPG rounds, however it depends heavilyon the type of RPG round and the circumstances of a hit. What this means is that theAAV should be treated as an infantry support vehicle, like the US Armys Stryker,

rather than an infantry fighting vehicle, such as the Armys Bradley.The AAVs are not organically assigned to any infantry formation. Instead, they are held

by higher commands and task assigned to carry Marines based on the mission athand. This is very different from the Armys Stryker and Bradley vehicles. A singleAAV Platoon is capable of carrying a Marines Rifle Company, while an AAV Companycan carry an entire Marines Infantry Battalion.

The Command variant of the AAV-7A1, the AAVC-7A1, is designed to transport theBattalion HQ element of a Marines Infantry Battalion. The vehicle is loaded with avariety of high tech communications and planning gear at the expense of passenger

and fighting capabilities. Instead of the AAVPs 25-passenger capacity and turretedweapons systems, the AAVC can accommodate only 10 passengers and has fixedweapon mounts.

AAVs come with a mix of infantry weapons and ammunition, such as small arms rounds,M136 (AT4) rockets, etc. One thing they do not not come with are Javelin CLUs. Thereason is that Marine Javelins are carried by dedicated crews instead of being stowedfor general purpose use.

Mk23 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement(MTVR)In order to simplify logistics the Marines standardized on one family of medium trucks

to perform the bulk of their tactical needs. Because Marines Rifle Battalions do nothave organic motor transport, the same Mk23 MTVR might find itself hauling food inthe morning, a M777 155mm Howitzer in the afternoon, and a bunch of grumblingMarines in the evening! With a maximum off-road payload of 7 tons (15 tons on-


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road) it is capable of performing all these missions and more.There are two versions of the MTVR in CM:SF: standard and armored. The armored

version allows the Mk23 to protect its cargo, be it supplies or Marines, from light smallarms fire. A dedicated gunner is part of the standard vehicle crew of three Marines.The gunner mans a ring mounted M240 machinegun on top of the trucks cab. TheMTVR is capable of transporting around 25 fully loaded Marines.

M1046 TOW HMMWVFor light, mobile anti-tank capabilities the Marines utilize a TOW-2 launcher on a

standard HMMWV platform. This provides Marines with a very light, maneuverable,fast, and easy to maintain tank busting capability. They are primarily used alongsidethe M2 heavy machinegun and Mk19 Grenade Launcher armed HMMWVs of the CAATPlatoon (see previous section for details). In theory, each Infantry Battalion has eight

of these vehicles, but in reality two have their TOW launchers swapped out for Mk19sor M2s in order to supply the CAAT Platoon with the correct balance of vehicles.


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MARINES AIR ASSETS

F/A-18C/D HornetThe standard multi-purpose fixed wing support aircraft for the Marines is the carrier

based Hornet. It is capable of carrying a wide array of missiles and bombs designedfor all types of ground targets. Advanced sensors and guidance systems allowHornets to get in close and hit hard.

AV-8B HarrierHarriers are never far away from Marines because they can be launched from just

about anywhere, be it a mid sized ship or a small patch of unimproved ground. Likethe F/A-18, the Harrier has a wide array of weapons capable of taking on any enemyforce in any terrain at any time of day or night. Unlike the F/A-18, the Harrier hasa 25mm gun pod which it can use to strafe enemy positions.

AH-1W Super CobraThe Cobra got its start during the Vietnam War and has subsequently been upgraded

over the years to remain the backbone of the Marines ground attack capability. Itsprimary weapon is its 20mm three barreled gatling gun. It can also be outfitted with2.75 inch Hydra and 5 inch Zuni unguided rockets for area suppression. Forprecision attacks, the Super Cobra can be outfitted with Hellfire missiles, which areone of the most accurate weapons in the US military arsenal.

MARINES WEAPONS

M16A4This is the standard rifle of the Marine Corps and will be for many years into the future.

It is an improved version of the Vietnam era design in terms of reliability andfunctionality. It fires the standard 5.56mm x 45mm round accurately up to 300m andfor suppressive fire up to 500m. This gives the M16A4 about double the effective

range of the M4A1. It can fire single rounds or three round bursts.

M32

Multiple Grenade Launcher (MGL)Traditionally the Rifle Team Leader was armed with a M16 and a 40mm M203 grenade

launcher. Starting in 2006, the Marines began adopting this stand-alone shoulderfired 40mm grenade launcher as a replacement for the M203. The M32 fires the

Hellhound High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) and Draco Thremobaric roundswith a sustainable rate of fire of 18 rounds/minute. The lighter M4 rifle is also carriedin place of the heavier and bulkier M16A4.

M16A4 Rifle

w/M203 Grenade LauncherSome soldiers are still equipped with the older single shot M203 40mm Grenade


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Launcher instead of the M32 MGL because of weight and bulk issues, though they usethe same exact grenades. M203s are most commonly seen in the LAR Platoon andas a support weapon for Snipers. The M203 fires the M406 High Explosive (HE) andM433 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) rounds.

M240G Machine GunThe standard Medium Machine Gun (MMG) of US ground forces fires the NATO standard

7.62mm round. It is effective against point targets at 800m and can suppress targetsout to about 1800m. Functionally is the same as the US Armys M240B MMG.

M82A3 Special Application

Scoped Rifle (SASR)Almost identical to the Armys M107, the M82A3 is a 10 shot semi-automatic .50 caliber

anti-material sniper rifle. The large caliber assures the sniper that a hit will equal akill against soft targets. It is also very effective against lightly armored vehicles. Ithas a maximum range of about 2000m, though it is more likely to hit targetsconsistently under 1500m. The differences between the Armys M107 are very minorand not performance related.

M40A3 Sniper RifleThe M40A3 is an improved version of the M40 which has been in service with USMC

snipers since 1966. It is a single shot, bolt action rifle system which fires a special

load 7.62mm round. Combined with a high powered scope, the M40A3 has aneffective range of about 1000m.

M2HB Heavy Machine GunThe oldest weapon in the US inventory, the M2 (or Ma Deuce as it is called by soldiers)

.50 cal HMG can trace its origins back 90 years. Its primary use is on vehicles as ameans of offering anti-personnel and light anti-armor capabilities. The M2 can tearinto most light and medium armored vehicles, buildings, and many other forms oflight/medium cover without difficulty. While normally mounted on vehicles, the M2can be mounted on a tripod and fired from ground positions. It is very heavy and

difficult to redeploy, so when used in a ground role it is effectively a static weaponmuch of the time. The Marines Heavy Machinegun Platoon uses its M2s in the groundrole when not mounted on Humvees as part of a CAAT Platoon.

Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault

Weapon (SMAW)The SMAW is a reloadable crew served rocket launcher, similar in concept to the WW2

Bazooka or modern day RPG-7V. It is a light weight launch system which can firethree different types of 83mm rockets: Mk3 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP),Mk6 High Explosive Anti-Armor (HEAA), and Mk80 Novel Explosive (NE). The latterrocket type is a new thermobaric round which increases lethality within confinedspaces. The SMAW is capable of defeating most hardened targets, be it a concretebunker or an armored vehicle. It has a maximum effective range of about 500m, butis most effective in the 150-250m range.


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Mk19 Grenade Launcher

(Dismounted)Although generally used mounted on vehicles, the Mk19 can be dismounted and used

on a tripod for static defensive fire. It uses a 40mm M430 HEDP (High Explosive DualPurpose) grenade which is much more powerful than the HEDP rounds used by theM32 and M203 launchers. The extra power gives the Mk19 a fairly long range(effective out to about 1500m) and excellent lethality. A single round can killanything within a 5m radius and wound out to 15m. It is also capable of destroyinglight and medium armored vehicles and bunkers, while having a decent chance ofdamaging heavier armors more vulnerable components. Because of its size andammo weight, the dismounted Mk19 should either be left where it starts or relocatedusing motorized transport.

BGM-71 Tube-launched, Optically-tracked,

Wire-guided 2 (TOW 2)The TOW 2 heavy ATGM system is capable of destroying any vehicle, including those

with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) at a range of about 3500m. Usually the TOW2 launch system is found on a HMMWV, however like the Mk19 it can be dismountedand used on a tripod. Unlike the more portable Javelin ATGM system, the TOW 2requires continuous LOS to the target during the missiles flight. Because of its sizeand ammo weight the dismounted Mk19 should either be left where it starts orrelocated using motorized transport.

M72A3

Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW)A one shot, disposable 66mm dual purpose anti-tank and anti-personnel shoulder fired

rocket. Originally used in Vietnam, this weapon system was replaced by the heavierand more capable AT4 (M136). However, as a result of combat experiences inAfghanistan and Iraq, the Marines determined that Rifle Squads would benefit fromhaving more firepower for the same amount of weight/bulk. Therefore, the M72 wasdusted off and slightly improved to become the M72A3. It is now in use alongside the

AT4 and can effectively engage targets 150-200m away.

PURCHASING EQUIPMENTMost of the units in CM:SF have very specific equipment as-

signed to them because, in real life, there isnt significantvariation to speak of. However, some types of equipmentare more variable and therefore are assigned to units semi-randomly. The main CM:SF Manual describes, in detail,

how to influence the games equipment selections. Thissection arms you with the specifics unique to the MarinesModule.


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Sniper SquadGood ........ M40A3Bad .......... M82A3Normal ..... Mix of both M40A3 and M82A3

Abrams Main Battle TankGood ........ M1A1 FEPBad .......... M1A1 HC

LAV FamilyGood ........ A2 ModelBad .......... Standard Model

Mk23 MTVRGood........ ArmoredBad .......... Unarmored

M1114 HMMWVGood........ M2 HMG, Mk19 GL

Syria

Syrian Airborne (Special Forces)

Airborne ForcesThe majority of new units added to the Syrian side belong to

the 14th Airborne Division, which is organizationally partof the Syrian Special Forces. The organization of the forcesthemselves, however, is significantly different. They are

more or less a hybrid of a standard Mech Infantry forceand Special Forces, which reflects the fact that in practicethe Airborne designation is more name than practical fact.

There are two types of Airborne Companies: Airborne Infan-try and Mech Airborne Infantry. The basic difference isthat the Mech Airborne use BMP-3s for transport and com-bat support, while Airborne Infantry are without armoredsupport. The Airborne Infantry Platoon has a Sniper Team

which isnt present in the Mech Airborne due to the limitedseating capacity of the BMP-3s. The Syrians do not haveenough BMP-3s for the entire Division, therefore the stan-dard Airborne Infantry formations are the more commonof the two.


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Airborne Rifle SquadThe basic structure of an Airborne Rifle Squad is similar to the

standard Army Mech Infantry in some ways, but not inothers. The primary difference is that the Airborne forces,like Special Forces, are trained to operate in two Teamslike US Army Squads. This gives them more tactical flex-ibility than the more common Syrian Army forces. Airborneforces wear the same camouflage uniform as the betterquality Syrian Army units do.

The standard rifle is the modern AKS-74U, which is a morecompact version of the standard AKS-74 that has abouthalf the effective range. Team As punch comes from its

modern RPK-74 squad automatic weapon (SAW) and a AKS-74 with GP30 under barrel grenade launcher. The bigfirepower, however, is found in Team B in the form of themodern RPG-7D or, less commonly, the older RPG-16. Moreammo is carried for the Team Bs RPG than in Army forma-tions, giving the Squad far more firepower than standardforces.

Because of its particular mix of weapons the Airborne Rifle

Squad has certain benefits and limitations in terms of range.At close range (100m and less), it is capable of using all ofits weapons to great effect. At medium combat ranges(100-250m), it is a little less capable since the accuracy ofthe AKS-74U starts to drop off. At longer ranges (over250m), the Squad is only capable of light suppressive firefrom its RPK and RPG. Therefore, range must be treatedas a very important tactical consideration when employingAirborne forces.

Airborne Engineer SquadThe Airborne forces have one Airborne Engineer Company

per Airborne Battalion, consisting of two Platoons each.The Airborne Engineer Platoon has only two Squads in-stead of the normal three, however there are ten soldiersper Squad instead of eight. The Squad is similar to thestandard Airborne Rifle Squad, consisting of two Teams

with an RPK in Team A and a RPG-7D in Team B. Thedifference is that there are a lot of explosives carried inboth Teams, thanks to the additional soldier in each.


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Airborne Anti-Tank CapabilitiesThis is the special two piece airborne variant which is lighter

than the standard RPG-7V. In addition to being lighter,which makes the Team more mobile, the standard rocketsare the OG-7V (HE), TBG-7V (Thermobaric), and PG-7VR(Tandem Anti-armor). However, the older airborne RPG,the RPG-16, is probably still in service and therefore foundoccasionally.

For heavier anti-armor weaponry the Airborne forces havethe AT-13 and AT-14 ATGM systems at their disposal. Theseare the best available for Soviet/Russian equipped militaryand are quite formidable weapons. The ATGMs are few in

number and allocated to the Battalion HQ, so they are notcommonly seen on the battlefield.

Using the T-90SAThe T-90SA represents the best, most modern export tank

from Russia on the market today. It is equipped with awide variety of offensive and defensive features which fi-nally bring the Syrian tank capabilities into the 21st Century.The T-90SA is small, fast, and extremely maneuverable as

well as having good defenses thanks to its plentiful Explo-sive Reactive Armor (ERA). The offensive punch of the125mm smoothbore cannon can take out any US armoredvehicle, though with some difficulty against the M1A2 SEP.

Having said all that, the lifespan of Syrian armored vehicles isusually limited due to the plethora of highly accurate, highlylethal weapons available to the US forces. The T-90SA,while definitely head and shoulders above all other Syrianarmored assets, is still quite vulnerable. From the supe-rior M1A2 SEP to the deadly infantry wielded Javelin ATGM,the T-90SA must be used carefully in order for it to rack upbattlefield kills before being knocked out or forced to with-draw.

Although US weapons are extremely accurate and capable ofhitting moving targets, speed and maneuverability are stillassets which can throw off the aim of an enemy just enoughso that he misses. Therefore, it is usually best to keep thetanks moving as fast and as erratically as possible whenthere is credible threat of being engaged. Because of theT-90SAs very good stabilized computer aided fire controlsystem, firing on the move during such maneuvers is a


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24 CMSF: MARINES

viable option. Using your tanks together gives them theability to offer mutual fire support, which in turn increasesthe chances of both survival and the destruction of enemyunits.

Using the BMP-3One of the more controversial Russian armored vehicles inproduction today is the BMP-3. The design attempts toblend the best features of both the BMP-1 and BMP-2 to-gether with upgraded gunnery equipment and armor. Likemany compromise designs the BMP-3 is in some ways bet-ter than its predecessors, and in some ways worse. Agood tactician can mitigate the downsides while leveraging

the design improvements to have the best impact on op-erations.

The best use of the BMP-3 is similar to the best use of anyIFV: move quickly into a sheltered deployment area, dis-embark passengers, and then follow them as closely aspossible to give them fire support as needed. The 100mmmain gun is capable of silencing even the most stubbornenemy fighting positions. Along with its secondary 30mm

cannon and three medium machineguns, the sheer vol-ume of fire this vehicle can put out is unlike any other inCM:SF!

Having said that, do NOT be tempted to use the BMP-3 toengage heavy enemy armor as the BMP-3, like all BMPs, isnot a tank! It can be shredded by pretty much any USvehicle and infantry unit due to its rather thin aluminumbased armor. Worse, the massive amount of ammo car-

ried is stowed without protection from internal detonation,means that penetrations of the BMPs armor very oftenlead to a catastrophic explosion. If enemy armor is to beengaged on purpose, it should be from ambush positionsor as a precursor to immediate withdrawal to safer posi-tions.

Using the BRDM-2 ATGM (AT-5)In the basic CM:SF, there is a Regimental ATGM Platoon

equipped with the small 4x4 BRDM-2 and AT-3 missilelaunchers. This marginally effective ATGM system, bytodays standards, is the sort of system that the Syrianswould likely have upgraded for their better quality forces.The improved version mounts five AT-5 Spandrel ATGMs,


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CMSF: MARINES 25

which can be fired and guided one at a time. Although theAT-5 is superior to the AT-3 in all ways, it is still an oldmissile technology that needs fairly good circumstancesfor success.

The BRDM-2 is a very small, fast, and maneuverable vehicle.The best use of it is to quickly move into a firing position,fire, then move even quicker to cover. Immediately relo-cating to another firing position may be tactically possible,however try to make sure the path between firing posi-tions is obscured so that the enemy cant track and engagewhile moving. Remember that once the AT-5 launches, theenemy has quite a bit of time to spot, aim, and engagebefore the ATGM has finished its guided flightpath. Giving

the enemy even more time to engage, either while station-ary or on the move, is a very bad idea.

Syrian Vehicle and Weapons DetailsNote that the Syrian forces in the Marines Module mostly use

weapons found in the basic CM:SF game, and thereforethis section only covers those things which are completelynew.

T-90SAThe current top of the line Russian export tank is the T-90SA, which is a slightly altered

version of what the Russians use for themselves. The tank is based on the older T-72 design and therefore shares a lot of outward similarities with the tanks commonlyfound in CM:SF. Note that it is highly likely that the SA designation is unique to abatch of tanks ordered by Algeria, therefore it may not be technically correct to callthe one model in the game as SA. Since there is no official designation for exporttanks to Syria, and they are likely to be the same as the Algerian ones, we decidedthe best thing to do was keep the SA designation.

The T-90SA features a modern 125mm smoothbore cannon with laser range finder, dualaxis stabilizers, and computer aided fire control system. This gives the T-90SA anexcellent fire-on-the-move capability that other Syrian tanks, except for the TURMS-T, completely lack. In addition to modern HEAT, APFSDS, and HE ammunition, theT-90SA is also equipped with a handful of AT-11 Refleks laser guided ATGMs. Thelatter is fired like a normal tank round while the tank is stationary and guided to itstarget by laser. The coax 7.62 MG and roof mounted 12.7mm HMG give the tankadditional firepower against light targets.

Other systems include a fully modern Infrared gunsight, commanders display screen(slaved to the gunners view), and parts of the Shtora defensive system. The latteris a slightly less capable version of the Russians own system, with the capability of

deploying anti-IR smoke automatically when an enemy lazes the tank. Thismeans near instant interference with range and aiming lasers during the first fewcritical seconds of enemy target acquisition and aiming sequences.


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For armor the T-90SA is the heaviest armored tank the Syrians have available. Thebase armor is very well sloped and fairly thick, especially around the front of theturret. Additionally, the front of the turret is covered with Kontakt-5 ExplosiveReactive Armor (ERA) in order to better defend against HEAT munitions. Some oldergeneration ERA blocks are distributed on top of the turret. This formidable armorcombination, reactive defenses, offensive weaponry, speed, and small size meanthat the T-90SA is more survivable than any Soviet/Russian tank model ever pro-duced. Still, US forces have a number of weapons systems that can destroy a T-90SAin one shot if given a chance, so it is important to not feel impervious whencommanding these tanks.

Note: in order to get a T-90SA, you have to select Republican Guards/Guard TankCompany, and set the Equipment to Excellent.

BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)After many years of delay, this is finally the successor to the aging BMP-1 and BMP-2

designs. The primary weapon of the BMP-3 is a 100mm cannon mounted in its turret.This weapon packs a huge punch when it is used against enemy infantry andhardened positions, but it is also able to fire the 9M117M1 Arkan anti-armor missile.

The primary weapon is the 100mm cannon using HE ammo. It is a deadly weaponagainst infantry and hardened fighting positions, as well as lightly armored vehicles,out to a range of about 4000m. For heavier anti-armor duties there are a limitednumber of 9M117M1 Arkan laser guided ATGMs which are also fired from the maingun up to a range of 4000m. The 30mm cannon mounted next to the main gun alsoprovides excellent offensive power against anything but heavily armored targets.The three PKT (7.62 MGs) also provide good suppressive fire for smaller or morewidely spaced targets.

RPG-16In the 1960s, the Soviets created a smaller and lighter two piece version of the standard

RPG-7 for use with airborne forces. The primary limitation of the RPG-16 is that it


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fires one type of grenade, PG-16 HEAT, which has a very limited kill ability againstheavily armored vehicles or vehicles with ERA. On the plus side, the range is roughlydouble that of the RPG-7V (400m effective, 800m max). It is probable that theSyrians have withdrawn this weapon from service for the most part.

RPG-7D3To overcome the deficiencies of the RPG-16, the Syrians have likely acquired the more

modern RPG-7D3. Like the RPG-16, this RPG is lighter and can be broken down intotwo pieces for easier use by airborne forces. Unlike the RPG-16, the RPG-7D3 canfire the full range of modern RPG rounds available to the RPG-7V system. Thisincludes tandem warhead, HEAT, HE, and Thermobaric rounds. Effective range isabout 200m, though closer is definitely better due to accuracy factors. The maxi-mum range against a stationary target is about 500m.

PURCHASING EQUIPMENT

Most of the units in CM:SF have very specific equipment as-signed to them because, in real life, there isnt significantvariation to speak of. However, some types of equipmentare more variable and therefore are assigned to units semi-randomly. The main CM:SF Manual describes, in detail,how to influence the games equipment selections. Thissection arms you with the specifics unique to the MarinesModule.

Airborne Rifle SquadGood ............... RPG-7DBad ................. RPG-16

Regimental ATGM Platoon (BRDM-2)Good ............... BRDM-2 w/AT-5 ATGMBad ................. BRDM-2 w/AT-3 ATGM

Republican Guards / Guards Tank CompanyExcellent .......... T-90SA


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Icons

CM:SF is making extensive use of various Icons to allow the

player to spot vital information in the game user interfaceat a glance. Below is a list of the most important iconsintroduced the Marines module, and their description.

Special Equipment

M72 LAW

RPG-16

SMAW

SMAW anti-tank missile

SMAW high-explosive missile

SMAW thermobaric missile

Branches

United States Marine Corps Armor

United States Marine Corps Infantry


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Tech Support

BugsIf you run into a bug, or have problems in running or installing the game, please visit

our Troubleshooting Guide at

.............. http://www.battlefront.com/faq

For specific questions not covered there, you can also post at the Tech Support forum:.............. http://www.battlefront.com/community

If you still do not find a solution to your problem, please email us at.............. [email protected]

PatchesPlease also do not forget to check regularly for the latest patches to the game at

.............. http://www.battlefront.com/patches

Your can also do an auto-check to find out if your version of the game is up to date. Inyour Start>Program Group you will find a link within the Combat Mission Shock Forcesub-group called Check for latest version. Clicking the link will automaticallycompare your currently installed version of the game with the latest version availablefor download, and the results will be displayed in your browser.

LicensingFor problems with licensing or unlicensing the game, please refer first to the FAQ at

.............. http://www.battlefront.com/faq.html

If you do not find a solution to your problem there, please email us at.............. [email protected]


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Game DesignCharles Moylan

Stephen GrammontProgramming

Charles Moylan

The Battlefront TeamCharles MoylanStephen GrammontDan OldingMatt FallerFernando J. Carrera BuilTim OroszMartin van Balkom

User Interface DesignStephen GrammontCharles MoylanJean-Vincent Roy

Scenario MakersKip AndersonThomas DaxnerMark EzraJames GoodmanStephen Grammont

Jean-Charles HareGeorge McEwanJon SowdenMartin van BalkomThomas West

Special thanks go out to Jon Sowden forhis tireless work on coordinating the con-struction of the Campaign!

Game ManualStephen Grammont

Martin van Balkom

ArtworkMarco Bergman

Mike DuplessisGordon MolekDan Kwazydog OldingJean-Vincent Roy

Sound DesignMatt Faller

VoicesWyatt BarnettMatt FallerEric HenshawJeff Weatherspoon

TestersKip AndersonElmar BijlsmaDavid BlakeyJohn CostelloPhillip CullitonThomas DaxnerMike DuplessisMark EzraAndy Farley

Mark GibsonJames GoodmanJean-Charles HareJeff HoolihanCassio LimaGeorge McEwanMatthew MerrellMax MolinaroWesley NetcherJohn OsborneTim OroszJon SowdenMike SteigerDmytro StepanchukMartin van BalkomThomas WestTom Wilcox

Credits

(c) 2008, Battlefront.com, Inc. All Rights reserved.Published and developed by Battlefront.com, Inc.

Combat Mission Shock Force: Marines is in no way affiliated with - nor endorsed by- the United States Marine Corps

Documents

Cmsf Marines Game Manual v1.10