Movement Technique 005 - Hull Down

Hull Down

HULL DOWN:  Hull down is a position taken up by an armored fighting vehicle where its hull is masked from view behind a crest or other raised ground (i.e. a wall, etc.), but its turret and main weapon system is exposed.  Also referred to as hull defilade.  

Leaving just the turret exposed and the main part of the tank masked from enemy view reduces the chances of detection and increases the possibility of survival.

SITUATION: An armored fighting vehicle is attacking an enemy unit and needs to close on the enemy position in order to attack it more effectively while maximizing cover. 

Moving into a hull-down position:

• Understand that hull-down only applies to a specific target or direction... you might be hull-down to one enemy, but exposed to another.  In the following image, the tank is hull down to any enemy unit on the left and center (note: partial hull down is okay), but is fully exposed and will be in clear view to any enemy unit on the right.

• Procedure:
• Add your movement waypoints up to the hill/ridge you want to deploy on
• Select the last waypoint and, using the targeting command, check to see if you can "see" into the target area (area where you suspect or know the enemy is located), if you cannot see into the targeted area, then move the waypoint until you can
• When checking LOS with the target command it will say either "Spotter is hull down" or "Spotter is partially hull down".. either is acceptable.. if it does not say this move the waypoint until it does
• In the following image, the player desires to have the tank masked from enemy observation on the left, while it is hull down to enemy units on the right

• Change the last waypoint to Hunt and your tank should stop to fire immediately upon sighting an enemy unit, you will then be in a nice hull down position

Note: In addition, if I know where an enemy tank is located precisely then I will also give the last couple of waypoints very tight armor covered arcs over that location (not just the last one).