[Floyd3124]

Hey all, I've tried firing blindly into areas where I think the enemy may be, and after I've unloaded on the area and send my troops in thinking its safe. A MG or an enemy unit will pop up a few meters away from where I was originally firing, and they destroy my advancing units. What is the best way to spot a enemy unit and also how do I effectively assault an enemy unit without taking mass casualties. Thanks.

[Dauphin]

use smoke to assault
use recon unit
don't let them always run

In fact what would yo do if you were in that place

[shilka18]

hi
as Dauphin Sargent has said dont let them run and in the same time try to provide a fore support from the angels ! may it will not work always but sometimes it is the safe way !

[Pzt_Crackwise]

Using bounding overwatch is a good tactic when moving your troops. One team, especially a team with an MG should stay back and have LOS on the places where your other team is moving. That way when your team spots something, the team behind can provide supressing fire. I have also heard that sneaking and moving is better than the move fast option when it comes to spotting.

[Digs]

Taken from the manual.

Sneak
When sneaking, your men crawl forward cautiously and quietly. Sneak is the slowest of all
movement types. In addition to being stealthy themselves, sneaking troops have an
improved chance of finding concealed enemies. Sneaking troops never initiate combat;
this makes sneaking undesirable in potential close combat situations. Using Sneak through
a minefield is the best way for infantry to traverse this type of terrain. Engineers/Pioniere
teams will clear minefields when they sneak though them. You may want to check the
overview map to see if the minefields changed to green to verify the clearing of minefield
elements on the map.
When a squad of men has moved to a location using Sneak movement, they then revert
to Ambush mode.

Move
This orders infantry to cautiously advance. Infantry on the move are not quite as stealthy
or as observant as men who are sneaking, but they are faster. Moving infantry initiates
combat if the opportunity arises. Using Move through a minefield is dangerous.
When infantry reach a location they have Moved to, they then revert to Defend mode.

Move Fast
These orders cause infantry to move as quickly as they can. While running, soldiers focus
on getting to their destination and do not try to use cover at all. They engage in hand to
hand combat if the enemy gets in their way. Running men are not observant and tire
quickly. Using Move Fast through a minefield is very dangerous for your troops.
Infantry that Move Fast will revert to Defend mode when they reach their destination.

[Senior_Drill]

There is no one way to effectively find hidden enemy units each and every time.  What works in one situation causes a slaughter of your teams in another.  Advancing slowly with Sneak or Move orders gives you the best opportunities to observe where the enemy is, but if you are working against the clock, Move Fast may be your only option.

I prefer to save my limited smoke to blanket a must-have position for an all in rush.  Probing attacks that eat up that smoke capability a bit at a time have hurt me worse in the long run than using sacrifical lambs to suck up some fire.  Over the years I have observed the AI moving to contact and, when needed, use a page from the AI's playbook.  The AI uses a series of short Move Fast and Defend orders, issued much faster than any human can.  (And this applies to playing H2H as well as against the AI as combat is AI controled and resolved.)  

Lead with scouts or a rifle team - a rifle squad if necessary. They are fodder, and expect to lose them.  As Pzt_Crackwise says, use Bounding Overwatch, which is having at least one team and preferably two teams in position to fire on the suspected area while one team moves to or past the position.  They are to react to rifle flashes I can observe or already firing blindly into the position(s).  Be careful with that as your own riflemen will not hit your moving team, but MG's could hit your own team if they cross the line of fire at the wrong instant.  Rush your probing team forward with a series of 5 to 10  meter Move Fast orders.  Not one long move; a series of several to cover only 50 meters.  Watch the suspected position for muzzel flashes (yeah, if available)
and order the covering teams to fire just behind observed fires.  Then begin to suppress it and flank it, then close assault it with two or more teams.  This works very well sometimes, sometimes it just chews up your teams for no gain.

There is a major drawback to this tactic:  While you are focused in on one fifth of your force and in micro-management mode, very bad things can be happening for you elsewhere in the battle.  Keep SA!

Edited for spelling.