Matrix Games

Welcome back, Commander. I hope you had time to go over our last lesson several times, as your grasp on the basics of Broken Arrow is essential if you want to learn how to apply those principles in actual combat. If you need a quick refresher, here’s the rundown: we took a look at what Broken Arrow is, how it plays, what unique mechanics it has to simulate the challenges real-life commanders face on the battlefield, what kind of units are at your disposal, and what Broken Arrow’s “Speciality” system entails. You can review the class materials here (LINK).

Today, we are going to go over the following topics:

• Tips and Tricks For Beginners
• Victory Conditions - How Do They Work
• Strategies to Win: Learning From Experience

Take your notebook out and pay attention, Commander. This is where it gets serious.

Tips and Tricks For Beginners

As you now know, Broken Arrow, the highly anticipated large-scale real-time strategy and real-time tactics game, features a host of unique mechanics that set it apart from other titles in the genre, particulary given its modern warfare setting. Let's dive into 10 essential Tips and Tricks for beginners I've compiled, exploring each in detail. Hopefully, by the end of this section, you'll start to get an idea of how all of these come together to give you an edge on the field.

1. Pause Often: In single-player missions, Commanders can pause or slow down time. We know how challenging it can be to manage everything on a dynamic battlefield, which is why Broken Arrow includes an active pause feature for single-player missions where you can still give out orders, even when paused. Use this mode to strategize your unit deployment, properly position them, and study the terrain before committing to the fight. Leverage this feature to get comfortable with the game's mechanics and learn without unnecessary stress.
2. Use the Terrain: Broken Arrow maps are far from flat. Rolling hills, depressions, forests, and urban environments are all integral parts of the game, and each can be used to your advantage. Utilize high ground to station recon units that will relay vital information on enemy movement, or to establish deadly fields of fire overlooking key areas of the map. Use depressions in the terrain to conceal troop movement and safely reposition your units; however, be aware that the enemy can exploit surrounding high ground to pin you down. Small and large patches of forests and urban areas are perfect for hiding infantry and catching unsuspecting enemy convoys off guard. Crucially, the terrain is also the determining factor for our next topic: Line of Sight.
3. Make Ample Use of the Line of Sight Tool: By pressing ALT on your keyboard, the game’s dynamic Line of Sight tool instantly becomes available, allowing you to see exactly what your units can observe from any given position. Never underestimate the utility of this tool, as it automatically adapts to the optics of the selected units; always be on the lookout for new and superior firing positions for your units. In Broken Arrow, units don’t immediately open fire on the enemy; depending on the unit, they might require a few seconds to develop a firing solution before engaging. This means it's not enough to simply place units where they have a clear field of view of the enemy; their position must also afford them enough time to engage and destroy the target.
4. Recon Often and Strike First: Modern military weapon systems are extremely deadly, and Broken Arrow is no exception. It should therefore come as no surprise to astute Commanders like yourself that the first to fire holds a massive advantage. Use your recon units to pinpoint enemy force locations, ascertain their composition, and predict their movements. This intelligence is essential for effective decision-making; even the best troops are of no use if they're not fighting in the right places. Furthermore, utilize reconnaissance defensively to avoid being caught offguard by flanking maneuvers.
5. Use Infantry: While Broken Arrow's arsenal might tempt you to field a plethora of powerful tanks, advanced fighter jets, and gunships, you'll still need boots on the ground to secure victory. This vital role can only be achieved by the "Queen of the Battlefield": your infantry units. They play an essential role in the game's dense urban environments, as they are the only units capable of securing buildings. Even destroyed buildings can garrison infantry, so always keep an eye on opportunities for hiding infantry in defensive positions within buildings to ambush unsupported armor. It's incredibly difficult to defeat a well-garrisoned building simply by firing at it, especially if your forces are exposed in the open. Fortunately, in Broken Arrow, infantry can assault enemy-occupied buildings, but to do that successfully, you'll need to learn all about what comes next.
6. Learn How to Master Active Abilities: Every unit in Broken Arrow is unique, offering far more tactical depth than simply a collection of hidden stats. Commanders have direct access to a range of active abilities, allowing them to precisely influence unit behavior on the battlefield. For instance, Infantry is equipped with "Smoke Grenades" and "Sprint," invaluable for rapidly traversing open ground to minimize casualties or breaking line of sight when under heavy enemy fire. Planes and Helicopters utilize flares and can dynamically adjust their altitudes to counter enemy anti-air defense systems (missiles are more effective against high-altitude aircraft, while anti-air guns excel against low-flying ones). Similarly, Tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles deploy smoke and utilize APS (Active Protection Systems) to break enemy line of sight and protect themselves from anti-tank weaponry.
7. Fix and Flank: Broken Arrow features robust suppression systems and mechanics, which you must master. Infantry units under heavy fire won't be as effective as those operating under normal circumstances; they can become disrupted and even face destruction. Use this to your advantage: wisely suppress enemy infantry squads with overwhelming firepower while simultaneously advancing on their flanks to deliver the finishing blow. This principle extends to every unit type, as vehicles also boast modular damage models. This means you can immobilize them by destroying their tracks or engines, rendering them unable to operate and making them easy targets for long-range artillery or airstrikes.
8. Supplies Are Essential: The old adage, "An army marches on its stomach," highlights that logistics are as critical to an army's performance as its morale and equipment. While Broken Arrow, a fast-paced real-time strategy and tactics game focused on tactical operations, doesn't simulate consumables like food and water, that doesn't diminish the importance of supplies. Commanders must constantly monitor their supply levels and seek out ammo storage. These vital resources are used not only to rearm and resupply your troops but also to provide your support teams with the necessary means to repair damaged vehicles. As previously mentioned, vehicles feature modular damage; if a tank gets "tracked" and immobilized, you'll need to repaiit, a task accomplished by placing supplies near the affected vehicle.
9. Don’t Let Your Men Die: Unlike other games in the genre, Broken Arrow emphasizes the vital importance of preserving your forces. While it's an undeniable reality of war that units will be lost in battle, that doesn't mean every squad and vehicle should fight until they're completely exhausted and out of ammo. Commanders are rewarded for taking care of their men: you'll receive extra requisition points if a squad successfully exfiltrates from the battle. Is a vehicle too damaged and far from supplies? Send it back to base. Is an infantry squad depleted and at risk of being overrun? Sprint them back to safety and send them to the rear. In Broken Arrow, every requisition point can make a massive difference in even the most balanced battle.
10. Overwhelming firepower: In our first lesson, I mentioned that Broken Arrow centers on modern military and combined operations. In practical terms, this means achieving tactical superiority by bringing every military branch together to employ overwhelming firepower. Combine the devastating armored thrust of tanks with fast-moving Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), all under the cover of artillery and airstrikes, to pin down your enemies and move in for the decisive blow. Combined Operations isn't about fighting fair; it's about bringing every gun you can to bear on the enemy to win decisively and with minimal losses. Remember, ammo can also be replenished, so don't hold back.

Victory Conditions: How Do They Work?

Commander, there are several ways to achieve victory in Broken Arrow, depending on the mission or match you're playing. Let's start with the single-player campaign.

Singleplayer Campaign

In the game’s massive campaign, which places you at the helm of both US and Russian forces as they battle for the fate of the Baltic States, your victory conditions are dictated by your senior commander. Later in this guide, we will delve into two specific missions, offering practical examples where you'll learn to apply all the tips and tricks explained above to their full potential.

War Goals Multiplayer 

The War Goals is the multiplayer mode of Broken Arrow, and it is played in three distinct 15-minute phases. During each phase, six War Goals are active:

• Three Conquest Goals: These require you to capture more objectives than the enemy.
• Three Annihilation Goals: These focus on inflicting maximum damage by destroying more enemy units.

At the end of each 15-minute phase, the number of goals won is tallied and added to the overall score. Points for each phase increase gradually:

• Phase 1: Each objective won is worth 1 point.
• Phase 2: Each objective won is worth 2 points.
• Phase 3: Each objective won is worth 3 points.

The team that has earned the most victory points at the end of the third phase wins the match. However, it’s also possible to end the match earlier by capturing and holding all the objectives at once. It is called Sudden Death.

Strategies To Use- Learning From Experience

Commander, we're now going to examine a couple of scenarios that we've already successfully simulated and won. However, in a real-world conflict, you'd be fighting these at the very start of the war.

Pay close attention to the maps, force compositions, and the movements we executed during these simulated engagements. You'll now witness two distinct battles unfold: one from the perspective of the United States Army on its advance toward Kaliningrad, and the other from the perspective of a Russian battalion HQ near the city of Narva.

While these missions may be drawn from the single-player campaign, the fundamental principles you'll learn here will be equally invaluable in a multiplayer environment against human combatant.

Mission 1 - Tracked and Furious 

Location: Highway to Kaliningrad, Russia.

Objectives: Capture the highway strong points on the way to Kaliningrad and protect the armored brigade convoy.

Forces: 4 M1A2 Abrams tanks, 6 Bradley IFVs armed with APS, and 6 infantry squads. Players can requisition the needed units as needed. Airpower is available later in the mission.

Tactics: Strike fast and decisively using armor on the highway, and use the high ground on the sides to flank the enemy using the Bradleys and infantry squads to move quickly. Use mortars to support the advance and use helicopters to defend the convoy as it moves along the highway

Commander, war is upon us. We need to strike fast and decisively today if our Armored Column is to reach Kaliningrad before the Russians can react and even realize what hit them! They are currently disorganized and won't be bringing their best forces to bear on you. However, they hold defensive positions all along the highway, meaning that the few forces available are still formidable foes.

You have been assigned an ad-hoc armored company, tasked with clearing the highway and securing it from possible Russian counterattacks as the rest of the Armored Brigade moves through.

On the map, you can see:

• Five key locations you must capture.
• Blue lines indicating your main avenue of attack down the highway.
• Purple arrows representing the movement of your flanking forces.
• Yellow lines showing three small defensive positions, and the direction you should establish them upon capturing each identified objective.

Your force, though small, is powerful: all vehicles come equipped with APS (Active Protection Systems), allowing them to absorb direct hits from RPGs and ATGMs and continue the fight. You'll need these capabilities, as each strong point on the highway has plenty of buildings where enemy forces can ambush your vehicles. It's inevitable some will get hit. Just don't overextend yourself and get hit with more anti-tank rockets than you have APS charges. These will activate automatically, so you don't need to worry about deploying them.

Take a look at the map below: Your force is composed of 4 M1 Abrams and 6 Bradleys with 6 infantry squads.

Let's examine the terrain before we commit to the assault on Point A.

The highway is consistently depressed, and this holds true for every capture point. This topographical feature allows us to utilize the surrounding high ground to flank enemy defenses. Be aware, however, that this high ground won't be undefended. Advance carefully with your infantry, using the treelines for concealment and cover, and eliminate any scattered enemy forces you encounter.

Deploy your Cavalry Scouts to pinpoint enemy positions. Keep your tanks on the highway, forming the tip of your spear, as they will bear the brunt of the fighting.

As soon as possible, acquire a couple of M1287 MCV mortars and always keep them positioned on the backline of your armored thrust. These will be invaluable for stalling potential counterattacks at every capture point.

Upon securing each objective, friendly forces will arrive to reinforce and hold the position, so don't allocate excessive troops to defense. This mission is all about momentum; you must keep the Russians constantly on the back foot.

Apply these tactics at every objective, adapting to the terrain as necessary. Your troops will require ammunition and battlefield repairs. Therefore, keep an M548A3 support unit loaded with supplies close at hand, ready for deployment. With that being said, your allies will continuously deploy supplies along the way, so if your supply vehicle is empty, you can load it up on those supplies. These units cost only 30 requisition points (compared to 325 points for a new M1A2 Abrams), making it far more efficient to repair and resupply your existing units than to replace destroyed ones. Given the fast-moving nature of this battle, a tank with a disabled track is a critical problem. Deploy supplies near it immediately so mechanics can conduct repairs and keep it in fighting condition..

Once every point is captured, you'll need to defend the column against an inevitable counterattack. It's crucial to swiftly redeploy your infantry to protect all possible avenues of approach into each captured objective.

The HQ is lending you a couple of Apaches for aerial assistance. Keep them flying low along the highway to minimize exposure, then raise their altitude to engage targets at longer ranges with precision.

These tips should be enough to get your troops on their way to Kaliningrad! Remember to punch first, and punch hard, Commander; you might not get another chance. Godspeed!

Mission 1 - Snow Castle

Location: River Narva, Estonia.

Objectives: Capture the HQ of the Reserve Troops of the Estonian Defense League and move in to capture the city.

Forces: Surplus vehicles near the border with Estonia to be crewed by arriving forces. These include T-72s, BMP-1 and BMP-2, Strela surface-to-air missiles, and various types of artillery.

Tactics: Move to capture the high ground around the bridge before assaulting the HQ. Secure the large buildings along the highway and create a defensive perimeter around the main intersection. Use smoke and sprint to cover infantry movement. Use tanks and IFVs to support infantry as well. Make use of the supplies on the depot to rearm and repair damaged units.

Good morning, Kommander! Hopefully, you've read the papers Elena and I left you in the helicopter on the way to your HQ, because you're tasked with crossing the Narva River, which marks the border with Estonia, and capturing the HQ of the Reserve Troops of the Estonian Defense League in the city of Narva itself.

On the map, you'll see your main avenue of attack along the only way into the city: the bridge.

• The red circles are your objectives, with A being the HQ and B the intersection.
• Blue lines indicate the several stages of advancement to be discussed in detail below.
• The numbered yellow lines represent key firing and defensive positions you should prioritize. Several other positions exist and will be discussed, but keep these in mind.
• The green indicator is the location of the supply depot that will provide the necessary resources to rearm and repair your units.

Your first task is to use the crews provided by Battalion HQ to operate the vehicles in storage. Ensure you utilize every available crew, as they will be constantly arriving throughout the mission, and these storage vehicles will be continuously replenished.

Prioritize crewing your tanks, as you have a couple of T-72s available. Next, focus on BMPs so you can move your infantry around fast and decisively. If you have additional crews, use them on artillery units to bolster your firepower.

Finally, capture the Strela-10MN anti-air platform to protect your forces against potential enemy aircraft. Since you won't have any air support yourself, it's crucial to deny the enemy this capability.

There's only one way into the city of Narva: the bridge, which is conveniently close to the HQ you need to capture. The Estonians are still unaware of what's about to unfold, so they won't fire yet. Be sure to keep your units from firing on them first until you give the order. Click H to activate "return-fire only."

Take a close look at the terrain. To your left, there's an old fortress overlooking the main highway; you should occupy its towers with infantry (Yellow Line 1), as it provides an excellent vantage point over the HQ and surrounding areas. Before the bridge, there's a depression in the terrain, perfect for concealing the main body of your army and preparing artillery positions.

Once that's done, approach the bridge with your T-72s and BMPs. As soon as you cross, the Estonians will open fire on your troops, but your mechanized units should make mincemeat of them, comrade Kommander.

Across the bridge, to your right, are two major buildings. Capture them with your infantry and use the BMPs to provide suppressive fire, destroying the remaining forces at the HQ. Have any available artillery assist as well; don't worry about their ammunition, as you'll be able to replenish soon.

Once the HQ is secured, quickly establish a defensive position to repel the inevitable small counter-attack.

Now comes the hardest part of the mission: moving forward to capture the intersection, with its several tall buildings on either side. A less experienced commander might advise you to destroy those buildings first. However, in Broken Arrow, rubble can also be used as cover. Therefore, you'll need to utilize the cover of the tree line to your right to advance and begin capturing buildings.

Make sure your infantry always has the support of other armored units nearby, because this is going to be nail-bitingly difficult to do on their own. Remember, when moving from building to building, to use the "sprint" ability all infantry have, and if you find yourself in a complicated situation, you can use smoke grenades to conceal your movement or to pull back.

To help maintain fire superiority on the target location, you should move your artillery units to the massive supply depot on the left. There are enough supplies here to keep them firing almost non-stop for the rest of the mission.

In this mission, your units won't be able to be pulled back from the fight if they're damaged, and even if they could, you wouldn't receive any requisition points. So, in cases of extreme damage, send them back to this supply depot to be fixed up. This strategy should allow you to maintain an active fighting force throughout the engagement.

As soon as the intersection is captured, a convoy will pass through it: make sure no vehicle escapes. To achieve this, you must use the Line of Sight tool to position your tanks in ways that give them a clear line of fire. The convoy won't be a sitting duck, and the Estonians will continue to attack, so it's best that you immediately establish a defensive perimeter around the intersection you've just captured.

This briefing should be enough to assure that you and the Colonel emerge victorious today. Good luck out there, Kommander!