How do you determine in which direction the infantry will throw their smoke grenades ... I'm havin' a time with this 🤔
In Combat Mission, infantry smoke is driven mainly by the unit’s facing—not by free-choice AI targeting. The TacAI will generally deploy smoke out in front of the squad, aligned with their current facing or covered arc (which you control with the Face command or by how they last moved). It may be slightly influenced by perceived threat, but facing is the dominant factor.
Once deployed, wind has no effect on where the smoke is thrown—only on how it drifts and spreads afterward.
In practical terms: set the unit’s facing first, then pop smoke—because that’s where it’s going.
If you’re not sure where the Face command is: it’s in the Command Panel under the Combat Commands (same section as Target, Target Arc, etc.). Select the unit, click Face, then set the direction before issuing the smoke order.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
I struggle with popping smoke as planned as well. I cannot reliably get squads to lay smoke in the right location or even throw it at all. Tanks usually do what I ask. One thing I have learned is that once you give the facing command and then the smoke command, if you then give a movement command after a suitable pause the facing command will shift before throwing smoke. This bit me many times before I noticed this change. Youtuber AR has a good overview of smoke usage that you might want to check out.
It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you!
In Combat Mission, infantry smoke is driven mainly by the unit’s facing—not by free-choice AI targeting. The TacAI will generally deploy smoke out in front of the squad, aligned with their current facing or covered arc (which you control with the Face command or by how they last moved). It may be slightly influenced by perceived threat, but facing is the dominant factor.
Once deployed, wind has no effect on where the smoke is thrown—only on how it drifts and spreads afterward.
In practical terms: set the unit’s facing first, then pop smoke—because that’s where it’s going.
If you’re not sure where the Face command is: it’s in the Command Panel under the Combat Commands (same section as Target, Target Arc, etc.). Select the unit, click Face, then set the direction before issuing the smoke order.
Thank you sir for the understanding 👍
I struggle with popping smoke as planned as well. I cannot reliably get squads to lay smoke in the right location or even throw it at all. Tanks usually do what I ask. One thing I have learned is that once you give the facing command and then the smoke command, if you then give a movement command after a suitable pause the facing command will shift before throwing smoke. This bit me many times before I noticed this change. Youtuber AR has a good overview of smoke usage that you might want to check out.
/p>
Thank you too sir 👍
Also, while on the subject of smoke grenades ... are the German smoke suppose to be black/dark in color cause mine are 🤔
Smoke’s identical across nations in CM—no gameplay difference at all. What you’re seeing is just lighting/rendering, not a German-specific effect. And historically it wasn’t ‘black vs white’ either—most smoke was some shade of white/gray depending on conditions.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
I’m only speaking from the WWII titles, as I don’t play the modern ones.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Right on sir and thank you once again 🥂