Download Now - Steel Beasts

1. Installation 2. Finding online games 3. Tactics 4. Sharpening your skills 5. Goodies 6. Etiquette 7. Credits
Smoke - A User's Guide
Okay, you're running ahead at full, heading for the objective. You're almost there. But wait, on your flank! A
bunch of bad guys that weren't there a minute ago, hidden, just waiting for you to present a nice flank shot. You
can kiss your platoon goodbye. Even if you turn to face them, you'll present a flank to the other guys. The ones
guarding the objective you were in reach of. You're done. Right?
Wrong.
Your tank has smoke grenades, and M1s have a smoke generator. Every tank in your platoon has smoke
grenades and possibly a smoke generator.
Well so what? Smoke doesn't stop gunfire.
Well, actually it does. Not directly, of course, but it does something for you that armor alone can't. It makes you
invisible. Your tanks, whether M1s or Leopards, have a thermal imaging system (TIS). Your opponents,
assuming they're pre-T80 Russian, don't. A TIS lets you see through smoke, but if the other guy doesn't have a
TIS...
That's right, they can't see you. And if they can't see you, they probably can't hit you, either. That's the primary
advantage of smoke, and that's why your tank is equipped with smoke grenade launchers, and a smokescreen
maker. You can't be seen when you make smoke. You can't be seen if you're hiding behind smoke, and if you
can't be seen you probably can't be hit. It also means that, for all intents and purposes, the enemy has given up
the advantage of first shot, of any shot, to you. If he can't see you, he's going to have difficulties hitting you,
difficulties which you and your TIS will not suffer. Sitting behind your own smoke screen, you could conceivably
blaze away at someone and not worry too much about return fire. I wouldn't recommend doing it, myself, but it
could be done.
Smoke Sources
In Steel Beasts smoke comes in three forms. Artillery can fire smoke. There are the smoke grenades that come
with your tank, and there is the smoke generator that also comes with your tank. Note that (Shift) TAB will start
everyone in the platoon making smoke, while TAB will fire only the smoke grenades for the tank you're currently
in.
Using Smoke
To pop smoke grenades hit the TAB key. For the smoke generator press SHIFT and TAB at the same time. To
use artillery smoke, move the cursor to the top of your screen, and select Support from the menu that will
appear and select Smoke from the submenu. Or go to the map screen, right-click, select New Arty Field, then
Smoke.
Note that hitting TAB will launch only the smoke grenades on your tank, while pressing SHIFT and TAB will get
everyone in your platoon making smoke, for the tanks that are still able to make smoke. Note also that smoke
grenades can only be fired twice, per vehicle.
Non-player vehicles (vehicles that you can't assume gunner or TC positions in), can still be commanded to use
vehicular smoke and/or smoke grenades, if otherwise able. The keys that activate smoke for your tanks do the
same for these otherwise non-playable units.