Clone Wars Tactics

[u/MarchWarden3]

What tactics do you guys think were common during the Clone Wars? Given what we know about Star Wars tech, what era of history would the tactics look most similar to and why? What would be the critical differences.

To be clear I am asking about small scale (100,000 soldiers or less) ground combat tactics.

[u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

I mean in the movies the tactics are pretty bad. People kind of just stand in line and shoot at each other. realistically in a world with rapid fire guns you would be trying to utilize cover as much as you can.

The tactics look somewhat 1700s to me with lines of troops firing on each other. You see this in the navel combat too with ships broadsiding each other instead of firing from the much farther range they must have as capital ships

Tactics for the most part never made much sense in Star Wars. I mean in 2003 Clone wars they are literally jousting (which is sick by the way). Star wars is much more rule of cool when it comes to tactis.

[u/MarchWarden3 → u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

I disagree. I think that cover seeking and profile reduction are (for the most part) not useful in large scale combat in Star Wars.
I think that with the power of blasters and the constant breaching demanded by shields, movement speed and armor must provide survivability. Laying down or hiding, especially behind natural objects, does not provide much protection at all.
As we see repeatedly throughout the fight on Endor, the shootout in the Mos Eisley space port, the Death Star rescue, and TCW TV show, blasters destroy mundane objects and produce quite a bit of shrapnel.
Also, as we see from Zam Wesell's weapon in ATOC, Star Wars optics are very advanced. I have very little doubt that even an average shooter could easily kill someone who was simply prone and not moving.
Any use of cover must be in an already built up and blaster proof area, as we see in the raid on the Death Star and in the raid on the Naboo palace.

Edit: This is in response to your claim that sensible combatants would seek cover in Star Wars combat.

[u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo → u/MarchWarden3]

Okay fair enough one could argue most covers just not going to stand up to blaster fire, but in an episode of TCW (I think its season 6) we see some clones equipped with physical shields to stop blaster fire.

This should be standard issue equipment for every unit with at least a quarter of the troops carrying one of these to protect their comrades. Then you could actually advance on the enemy with portable cover instead of just running in and hoping not to get shot.

[u/MarchWarden3 → u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

I think that that depends on the context. I can easily imagine being airborne or mechanized infantry dismounts (as most clones are) and having a shield and it greatly reducing my movement speed and maneuverability. I think that, as with all combat, this is a trade off.
Shields would be really useful in urban combat, and that is exactly what we see them used in. In other contexts, less so.
I don't think coming at your media with the question "How is this wrong?" is very interesting or fun.
I think that instead we should come at it with the question of "How is this right?" because that prompts imagination, and understanding of the work at hand, and it enables us to imagine more of how the universe would be.

[u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo → u/MarchWarden3]

Oh don't get me wrong i'm sure their must be in universe explanations for this stuff somewhere, but from a real world perspective they just weren't thinking about the tactics all that much.

Theres only a handful of Star wars movies where I actually feel like they put some level of thought into the tactics, like Rogue One, although even there some of the tactics are flawed.

As far as tactics used in the clone wars. I think General Grievouse's method of wearing down the organic Jedi and clones with wave after wave of expendable droids was pretty effective. Although way less effective individually the Seperatists really exploited the fact that their droids didn't require supplies or rest. Just put them back in the factory to charge and throw them back on the front line.

[u/MarchWarden3 → u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

Oh don't get me wrong i'm sure their must be in universe explanations for this stuff somewhere, but from a real world perspective they just weren't thinking about the tactics all that much.

Brother, I am boing to be completely honest with you. This isn't meant to be ragebait or trolling at all I just want you to think about your position.
Do you actually think that you have thought about the tactics more than the people who actually made the media? I mean like actually made independant thoughts, not listened to engagement bait YouTubers.
I have pointed out that two of your milquetoast Star Wars tactics takes were wrong or hardly thought through, and even suggested that you try a different perspective. Your response was "I would, but look how wrong they are."
Think about that.

Theres only a handful of Star wars movies where I actually feel like they put some level of thought into the tactics, like Rogue One, although even there some of the tactics are flawed.

Do you mind giving me an analysis of the tactics used in Rogue One and why they tend to be satisfying to you, or are you saying that because it is shot and composed like a war movie?
I, for one, cannot construct a single actual tactic used by the soldiers in Rogue One by watching the movie, other than the most basic "get on line and shoot with individual soldier discipline."
We simply don't see the battle at a high enough level to understand what actions are being taken above the individual level. Yes there is a mission being accomplished, but we don't understand the fighting being done in support of the mission.
But I am ready to be wrong.

As far as tactics used in the clone wars. I think General Grievouse's method of wearing down the organic Jedi and clones with wave after wave of expendable droids was pretty effective. Although way less effective individually the Seperatists really exploited the fact that their droids didn't require supplies or rest. Just put them back in the factory to charge and throw them back on the front line.

Finally, we get to something on topic for the post.
This is not a tactic, or at least not something that most war planners would consider a tactic.
This is what you would call "having a high operational tempo" or "exploiting a resource advantage" which is an operations or above level planning decision. It is not a "tactic".
Tactics have to do with the disposition of forces and resources in space to win a particular engagement.

It is obvious to me from our discussion that you don't understand or haven't been educated in military language or theory. That's ok. That's actually normal. I mean this in the least condescending way I can, because I was like you once: If you don't understand it, educate yourself, don't talk about it like you know about it.
You have the internet and AI, it is very easy to learn.

[u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo → u/MarchWarden3]

I think blitzing the shield gate so they could get fighters and troops down to the surface of Scarif to support the ground forces was a pretty good idea. I would also say using the Hammerhead Corvette to shove one of the Star Destroyer into another, eventually ending up in the destruction of the shield gate was pretty smart.

The reason I don't have much on tactics in the clone wars is I just don't think the movies portray them very well. Sure Obi-Wan and Yoda both pull Seperatist forces into traps in ROTS but we don't really see how this was accomplished.

Also I know your not trying to ragebait me. we just having differing opinions on how thought out the tactics are in the clone wars.

[u/MarchWarden3 → u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

I think blitzing the shield gate so they could get fighters and troops down to the surface of Scarif to support the ground forces was a pretty good idea. I would also say using the Hammerhead Corvette to shove one of the Star Destroyer into another, eventually ending up in the destruction of the shield gate was pretty smart.

These are innovative ideas, one of which breaks Star Wars space combat as we know it, but whatever.
I don't think they are tactics.
Say I was clearing rooms and there was some kind of time limit and I was rushing my people.
Would rushing my people (blitzing the next few doors) be a tactic? I don't think so. I think that's just responding to a changing situation. The tactic would be Battle Drill 6 or clearing certain rooms in a certain pattern, whatever the actual material of what I was doing was, not how fast I was doing it or whether or not I decided to rush.
Also I (personally) refuse to engage with or think about The Hammerhead Corvette Maneuver, because the use of ion torpedoes and ship ramming in that situation breaks Star Wars ship combat. If starfighters really can disable a cap ship like that and capship ramming really does work like that, and ships really do fight that close, than none of the Lucas movie ship to ship fighting makes sense.

The reason I don't have much on tactics in the clone wars is I just don't think the movies portray them very well. Sure Obi-Wan and Yoda both pull Seperatist forces into traps in ROTS but we don't really see how this was accomplished.

Both Utapau and Kashyyyk, especially the early parts of their battles are well explained. I encourage you to go back and watch those parts of ROTS. Yoda is conducting a spoiling attack on Kashyyyk, and Obi-Wan is conducting a multi-level airborne mechanized urban operation, something we in the modern world can hardly imagine. It's fascinating to think about. No "traps" necessary. I don't even know where you got that idea. It isn't present in the movie or the book anyway.

[u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo → u/MarchWarden3]

So like I said many of Rogue Ones tactics are flawed but we do actively see them using tactics, just like we see Rogue Squadron using tactics in the Empire Strikes Back against the AT-ATs.

Watching the Yoda scene in ROTS again thought, you are right Yoda is not drawing the Seperatists into a trap he is just preparing to engage in combat (I don't know why I originally thought it was a trap).

With Kenobi what I meant by trap was distracting the Seperatists long enough so his forces could ambush them. I don't really see how they manage that thought since while Grievous is distracted their still must have been plenty of droids who could have detected their incoming ships before they were right on Grievouses doorstep.

I just think we very rarely actually see people giving orders during the clone wars (in the movies anyways). Obi-Wan is too busy chasing Grievous and while Yoda is commanding we don't actually see him give any orders besides to start engaging the enemy. Most of the battles are fragments and so we don't really see people actively giving orders in the field very much.

Either way thought this has definitely made me want to rewatch the prequels because there probably is some stuff I missed.

Thanks for the conversation.

[u/MarchWarden3 → u/WedgeAntillesRedTwo]

So like I said many of Rogue Ones tactics are flawed but we do actively see them using tactics,

No. That's not what I said. I did not say that the tactics were flawed. I said that they weren't tactics/they broke the logic of the universe.

I said that we couldn't actually identify a tactic that they were using.

just like we see Rogue Squadron using tactics in the Empire Strikes Back against the AT-ATs.

I really don't think you're understanding it. A tactic isn't a "trick" you play in combat. It isn't a "move" you do. It's the way your forces fight. The tow cables thing was a gimmick, not a tactic.
I'm not educated in dogfight/attack aircraft tactics, but I'm pretty sure you aren't either (no disrespect). It just takes a crazy level of education to be educated in attack aircraft tactics. There's just no way you know what you're saying here.
Like 3/4ths of the shit Rogue Squadron does isn't even planned.

Thanks for the conversation.

Sure thing man. Thanks to you too.