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Old 2007-04-06, 12:50   Link #70
4Tran
Senior Member
 
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by SinsI
The main advantage of an infantry is its high manoeuvrability and very fast targeting, and KFs are even better at both of these tasks(well, they are bigger but can do moves humans can't).
That isn't quite true. The main advantages of infantry are small size, adaptability to terrain (cover, fieldcraft, etc.), relative inexpensiveness, and the ability to counter other infantry. Knightmare Frames aren't very good at any of these roles. Instead, they seem to be employed in as frontline assault units. The main reason they don't get slaughtered by enemy defenses can only be attributed to generous writers. Curiously, they seem to perform very badly in defensive roles - this is the very opposite of the way infantry units work.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SinsI
That faster targeting is the main reason ordinary RPGs wouldn't work that well against them - KFs would spot that soldier and kill him before he can take aim.
The speed of targeting isn't really a factor in why infantry are effective. Usually, RPGs are employed defensively, and only when the infantry are in hidden positions. That's why you have to use your own infantry to remove them from those positions. Armor-infantry combined arms operations are very effective, but they aren't nearly so successful if either is fielded by itself. Note that RPGs aren't very effective offensively (you have to get far too close to enemy vehicles to kill them).

Quote:
Originally Posted by SinsI
Also, there might be a problem with artillery shots penetrating through its thin armor and exiting on the other side without exploding, doing only minimal damage.
It's not really an issue. KE penetrators don't explode in the first place, and HEAT and HESH rounds explode right on contact - using thin armor is not a good form of protection against these weapons. Moreover, having really thin armor means that you're now vulnerable to anything from heavy machine guns and up.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SinsI
Btw, what's the minimum height of a KF? Those 4-5 meters are for the "standing" mode, but we did see them fitting into an ordinary room, and that's 3m at most...
They probably wouldn't fit into regular buildings - even if they're physically small enough (which they aren't), the floors wouldn't be able to hold their weight.
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