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Module Manual
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 Supplement is to describe the elements unique to the Marines Module which are not found in the main game manual. Since the game itself plays exactly the same for all customers, no matter what Modules they do or do not have, the main game manual is still the primary source of information about how the game itself works. Therefore, the bulk of this Supplement covers the units contained within the Marines Module and, to some extent, tips and techniques for using them.
Installation
Installation from disc
In order to install the game, insert the game disc. The Combat Mission: Shock Force Installation Menu should appear if you have CD Autostart enabled on your computer. Click on the Install Game option to begin the installation process. If you have CD Autostart disabled, or if the Installation Menu does not appear, please browse the contents of the disc and simply double-click on the file called CMSF_Marines_Setup.exe or autorun.exe. That will manually launch the game installer.
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License Overview
Combat Mission: Shock Force is protected by an online activation system called eLicense. eLicense is a tool to restrict the illegal distribution of the software without being annoying or intrusive to the legitimate customer. Details about how to license and unlicense your Battlefront games can be found in the CMSF Manual. With each license key, you can have up to two copies of the game installed and active (licensed) at the same time. If you would like to install and activate on a third computer, you need to first unlicense the game on one of the previously installed PCs.
Note: Unlicensing and uninstalling the game are two different things!
There is no limit as to how often you can unlicense and relicense games. The key never expires, provided that you do not forget to unlicense unused games. For more information about how licensing works, please visit: www.battlefront.com/faq
Modules
Modules 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 in the correct location, i.e. inside the previously installed CMSF base game directory.
Note: if you purchased the bundle, then this is taken care of automatically during installation of course!
The installer will try to find out where the base game is installed automatically and suggest the correct location, but this may not always work 100% correctly, especially if you didnt use the default installation paths, or if you have a non-Battlefront localized version of CMSF. Please doublecheck your installation folder therefore BEFORE installing the Module (the Installer Menu will remind you of that). If you have a non-Battlefront version of the base game which requires 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 required. After you have the Marines Module installed, you will never need to patch the base game of CMSF separately any more. All future Marines Module patches will also include the corresponding patch to the base game of CMSF already (if any). The Installation program adds a number of useful links into your Windows Start>Programs group by default, such as:
UNLICENSE link
This is a quick way to manually unlicense your game before uninstalling (or e.g. before making any major modifications to your PC).
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T actical Considerations
New units mean new things to take into account when forming and executing your battle plans. While the fundamentals of combat remain largely unchanged, the new units require adjustments regarding how operational and tactical problems are dealt with. This section gives players some things to keep in mind as they learn the pros and cons of the units unique to the Marines Module, as well as how best to use them with the forces found in the main CM:SF game.
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small to medium hits at least once. Hits from other tanks, however, are usually fatal. The best way to avoid being destroyed is to avoid being shot at. Sounds simple, but on the battlefield only a gifted tactician can consistently keep his armor from harm without diminishing its contribution towards victory. If a unit doesnt appear to be doing anything productive, and yet isnt needed/optimal for the primary mission, have it perform a secondary role to guard against the unknown. Guarding flanks, providing overwatch, and acting as a reserve may not seem an exciting use of a particular unit, however it sometimes happens that such boring assignments prevent potential success from turning into failure. Conversely, when attacking one should never assume that all the enemys forces are identified even after an hour of intense combat. An improper, hasty maneuver towards the end of a battle can still turn into a victory squashing disaster. Heavy support fire from artillery and aircraft can turn the tide of a battle in the right direction if used correctly or the wrong direction if not! Get to know your Support Assets and learn how to use them effectively as quickly as possible. Misusing Support Assets is a quick way to undermine your chances of victory. If you dont understand the range of options youll be less likely to form and execute an optimal plan! For example, often the best course of action is to hold off from doing anything major while a Support Mission is getting under way. Moving too soon may lead to unnecessary 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 completely disorganized, demoralized, or otherwise incapacitated. Smoke can be both your best friend or your worst enemy. Defensive smoke can lessen the chances of an enemy engaging you, but it also may reduce your chances to put down effective covering fire. Units that have access to thermal aiming/observation devices can see through most smoke, at least to some degree, which means that popping smoke can sometimes blind your unit and yet do nothing to blind the enemy. Also, do not presume that smoke will stay where you want it to! Wind, time, and other conditions affect the location, direction of movement,
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and effectiveness very quickly. Expect only a few seconds of optimal screening from smoke unless quite a lot of it is used.
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Field Organization
The Marines organize their forces using a very flexible task oriented doctrine. The basic TO&E (Tables of Organization and Equipment) is used more for non-combat and logistics purposes than combat assignments. While it is true that the majority of Marine TO&E is maintained in the field, there are some regular instances where reality and theory differ. Because of this, and with the blessings (more like insistence!) of our Marines testers, we have made several 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 already task assigned to the Rifle Companies. The Humvees, on the other hand, are reorganized into a Combined AntiArmor Team (CAAT) platoon, which is discussed in more detail below. This gives a more realistic feel to the organization as a whole. It also greatly simplifies purchase decisions since the plethora of small support units are already integrated into the large formations they would normally be attached to. 2. The Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU) exists as an organic force. A MEU is a large and complex force which has units from nearly all of the Marines specialized formations. It would be very difficult for a player to create one of these on the fly without extensive knowledge of how the MEUs are organized. Even then, the effort needed to create one in the game would be significant. Therefore, weve created a typical MEU for players to utilize. Note that the MEU most likely needs to be downsized for most scenarios by selecting a MEU and removing portions that are deemed excessive for the task in hand.
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senior NCO in a Humvee armed with a Mk19. Three Squads are in turn commanded by an officer in a Humvee with a Mk19. In combat each Team operates as a single entity, with the M2 providing protection against light targets and the TOW against heavier ones. The Squad Leader, with his Mk19, supports whichever Team needs additional firepower. The Mk19 also provides cover fire while the M2 and TOW Humvees break contact with the enemy. Because Humvees are very lightly armored, the CAAT relies on speed and firepower in order to overcome its inherent defensive weaknesses. When used correctly for recon, screening, and mobile fire support purposes, the CAAT is extremely capable and can be quite deadly. Thinking a CAAT force is capable of going toe to toe with a mechanized or heavily entrenched defender is not a good idea!
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They arent included simply because each has different weapons configurations and it should be left to the scenario designers to choose which ones are appropriate for their scenarios. Therefore, when MEUs are used it should be common for Harriers and Super Cobras to be available for support.
AA and MTVRs Vs
It is important to make sure there are not too many AAVs and/or MTVRs proportional to infantry units found in a scenario. From a passenger capacity standpoint the two vehicles are nearly identical, so it is helpful to think of them as 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 should not have more than one platoon of transport. Note that it is possible to purchase the AAVs in Company strength, which is enough capacity to move an entire Marines Infantry Battalion.
Assault Squads
Each Rifle Platoon has a dedicated Assault Squad of two SMAW Teams each. Think of the Assault Squad as a general purpose demolition unit. Not only are they armed with the powerful SMAW rocket launcher, they also carry some C4 explosives with them as well. The Assault Squad is best used split into Teams, with one up front with the Rifle Squad on point and the second with the supporting Squad. The Assault Squads more than make up for the shortage of Javelins, as you will find out once you become comfortable with how to use them.
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Sniper Squads
Snipers are organized into Squads, but they should always be split into Teams at the earliest possible opportunity. Snipers are best used to cover very large geographical areas from the most advantageous firing positions possible. On the attack, they are best used to keep an eye on flanks or to silence distant enemy heavy weapons teams. In the defensive they are also good for covering flanks, but are also exceptionally good at causing casualties on an attacking force which is not using cover well. Snipers dont mind a target rich environment, however they have limited ammo and can be taken out quickly if they stay in one place too long. It is best to have close by alternative firing positions in mind when deploying Snipers.
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The primary model is the LAV-25. It s armed with a M242 25mm chain gun and crewed by three Marines. Its primary role is to provide transportation and fire support for a four man recon team which rides in the back.
The LAV-AT is an anti-tank version equipped with TOW-2 wire guided anti-tank missiles. The two launch tubes offer it the ability to engage a target and still have another shot at the ready without reloading. It has a crew of four Marines, with the fourth being a dedicated loader.
The lightest armed of the three LAVs is the LAV-C2, armed only with a M240 machinegun. The primary purpose of this vehicle is to observe and direct the actions of the LAVs under its command. It is crewed by three Marines with room for two more in the rear. Generally only the Company HQ rides in a LAV-C2.
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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 steel plating, in battle it can only safely shrug off hits from small arms and light shell fragments. It has the ability to defeat some RPG rounds, however it depends heavily on the type of RPG round and the circumstances of a hit. What this means is that the AAV 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 at hand. This is very different from the Armys Stryker and Bradley vehicles. A single AAV Platoon is capable of carrying a Marines Rifle Company, while an AAV Company can carry an entire Marines Infantry Battalion.
The Command variant of the AAV-7A1, the AAVC-7A1, is designed to transport the Battalion HQ element of a Marines Infantry Battalion. The vehicle is loaded with a variety of high tech communications and planning gear at the expense of passenger and fighting capabilities. Instead of the AAVPs 25-passenger capacity and turreted weapons systems, the AAVC can accommodate only 10 passengers and has fixed weapon 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. The reason is that Marine Javelins are carried by dedicated crews instead of being stowed for general purpose use.
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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 small arms 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. The MTVR is capable of transporting around 25 fully loaded Marines.
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A V-8B Harrier
Harriers 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. Like the F/A-18, the Harrier has a wide array of weapons capable of taking on any enemy force in any terrain at any time of day or night. Unlike the F/A-18, the Harrier has a 25mm gun pod which it can use to strafe enemy positions.
MARINES WEAPONS
M16A4
This 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 and functionality. It fires the standard 5.56mm x 45mm round accurately up to 300m and for 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.
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Launcher instead of the M32 MGL because of weight and bulk issues, though they use the same exact grenades. M203s are most commonly seen in the LAR Platoon and as a support weapon for Snipers. The M203 fires the M406 High Explosive (HE) and M433 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) rounds.
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PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
Most of the units in CM:SF have very specific equipment assigned to them because, in real life, there isnt significant variation to speak of. However, some types of equipment are more variable and therefore are assigned to units semirandomly. The main CM:SF Manual describes, in detail, how to influence the games equipment selections. This section arms you with the specifics unique to the Marines Module.
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Sniper Squad
Good ........ M40A3 Bad .......... M82A3 Normal ..... Mix of both M40A3 and M82A3
LAV Family
Good ........ A2 Model Bad .......... Standard Model
Mk23 MTVR
Good ........ Armored Bad .......... Unarmored
M1114 HMMWV
Good ........ M2 HMG, Mk19 GL
Syria
Syrian Airborne (Special Forces)
Airborne Forces
The majority of new units added to the Syrian side belong to the 14th Airborne Division, which is organizationally part of the Syrian Special Forces. The organization of the forces themselves, however, is significantly different. They are more or less a hybrid of a standard Mech Infantry force and Special Forces, which reflects the fact that in practice the Airborne designation is more name than practical fact. There are two types of Airborne Companies: Airborne Infantry and Mech Airborne Infantry. The basic difference is that the Mech Airborne use BMP-3s for transport and combat support, while Airborne Infantry are without armored support. The Airborne Infantry Platoon has a Sniper Team which isnt present in the Mech Airborne due to the limited seating capacity of the BMP-3s. The Syrians do not have enough BMP-3s for the entire Division, therefore the standard Airborne Infantry formations are the more common of the two.
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viable option. Using your tanks together gives them the ability to offer mutual fire support, which in turn increases the chances of both survival and the destruction of enemy units.
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which can be fired and guided one at a time. Although the AT-5 is superior to the AT-3 in all ways, it is still an old missile technology that needs fairly good circumstances for 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 relocating to another firing position may be tactically possible, however try to make sure the path between firing positions is obscured so that the enemy cant track and engage while moving. Remember that once the AT-5 launches, the enemy has quite a bit of time to spot, aim, and engage before the ATGM has finished its guided flightpath. Giving the enemy even more time to engage, either while stationary or on the move, is a very bad idea.
T-90SA
The 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 T72 design and therefore shares a lot of outward similarities with the tanks commonly found in CM:SF. Note that it is highly likely that the SA designation is unique to a batch of tanks ordered by Algeria, therefore it may not be technically correct to call the one model in the game as SA. Since there is no official designation for export tanks to Syria, and they are likely to be the same as the Algerian ones, we decided the best thing to do was keep the SA designation. The T-90SA features a modern 125mm smoothbore cannon with laser range finder, dual axis stabilizers, and computer aided fire control system. This gives the T-90SA an excellent fire-on-the-move capability that other Syrian tanks, except for the TURMST, completely lack. In addition to modern HEAT, APFSDS, and HE ammunition, the T-90SA is also equipped with a handful of AT-11 Refleks laser guided ATGMs. The latter is fired like a normal tank round while the tank is stationary and guided to its target by laser. The coax 7.62 MG and roof mounted 12.7mm HMG give the tank additional 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 latter is 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. This means near instant interference with range and aiming lasers during the first few critical 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. The base armor is very well sloped and fairly thick, especially around the front of the turret. Additionally, the front of the turret is covered with Kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) in order to better defend against HEAT munitions. Some older generation ERA blocks are distributed on top of the turret. This formidable armor combination, reactive defenses, offensive weaponry, speed, and small size mean that the T-90SA is more survivable than any Soviet/Russian tank model ever produced. Still, US forces have a number of weapons systems that can destroy a T-90SA in one shot if given a chance, so it is important to not feel impervious when commanding these tanks. Note: in order to get a T-90SA, you have to select Republican Guards/Guard Tank Company, and set the Equipment to Excellent.
RPG-16
In 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 against heavily armored vehicles or vehicles with ERA. On the plus side, the range is roughly double that of the RPG-7V (400m effective, 800m max). It is probable that the Syrians have withdrawn this weapon from service for the most part.
RPG-7D3
To 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 into two pieces for easier use by airborne forces. Unlike the RPG-16, the RPG-7D3 can fire the full range of modern RPG rounds available to the RPG-7V system. This includes tandem warhead, HEAT, HE, and Thermobaric rounds. Effective range is about 200m, though closer is definitely better due to accuracy factors. The maximum range against a stationary target is about 500m.
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
Most of the units in CM:SF have very specific equipment assigned to them because, in real life, there isnt significant variation to speak of. However, some types of equipment are more variable and therefore are assigned to units semirandomly. The main CM:SF Manual describes, in detail, how to influence the games equipment selections. This section arms you with the specifics unique to the Marines Module. Airborne Rifle Squad
Good ............... RPG-7D Bad ................. RPG-16
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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 interface at a glance. Below is a list of the most important icons introduced 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
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T Support ech
Bugs
If 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 .............. support@battlefront.com
Patches
Please 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. In your Start>Program Group you will find a link within the Combat Mission Shock Force sub-group called Check for latest version. Clicking the link will automatically compare your currently installed version of the game with the latest version available for download, and the results will be displayed in your browser.
Licensing
For 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 .............. elicense@battlefront.com
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Credits
Game Design Charles Moylan Stephen Grammont Programming Charles Moylan The Battlefront Team Charles Moylan Stephen Grammont Dan Olding Matt Faller Fernando J. Carrera Buil Tim Orosz Martin van Balkom User Interface Design Stephen Grammont Charles Moylan Jean-Vincent Roy Scenario Makers Kip Anderson Thomas Daxner Mark Ezra James Goodman Stephen Grammont Jean-Charles Hare George McEwan Jon Sowden Martin van Balkom Thomas West Special thanks go out to Jon Sowden for his tireless work on coordinating the construction of the Campaign! Game Manual Stephen Grammont Martin van Balkom Artwork Marco Bergman Mike Duplessis Gordon Molek Dan Kwazydog Olding Jean-Vincent Roy Sound Design Matt Faller Voices Wyatt Barnett Matt Faller Eric Henshaw Jeff Weatherspoon Testers Kip Anderson Elmar Bijlsma David Blakey John Costello Phillip Culliton Thomas Daxner Mike Duplessis Mark Ezra Andy Farley Mark Gibson James Goodman Jean-Charles Hare Jeff Hoolihan Cassio Lima George McEwan Matthew Merrell Max Molinaro Wesley Netcher John Osborne Tim Orosz Jon Sowden Mike Steiger Dmytro Stepanchuk Martin van Balkom Thomas West Tom Wilcox
(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
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