Tutorial - Engineer Operations

D+22 | 11 August 1989, 07:00hrs - 19:00hrs vs @ Aiterhofen

To begin, navigate to the Help menu within Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War. Open the Field Manuals folder and locate the FM03B Tutorial Operations: Intermediate.pdf file. Follow the instructions provided in Section 3 to launch Engineering Operations.

NOTE: Only playable as Player 1

Engineer Operations are a vital component of combined arms warfare. This tutorial introduces players to the practical application of combat engineers on the battlefield, demonstrating how these specialized units enhance force mobility, survivability, and lethality through construction, demolition, and obstacle-clearing tasks.

Players will take control of U.S. Army engineer units tasked with various critical missions. These include:

Breaching and clearing enemy minefields and obstacles

Removing improved defensive positions

Constructing and employing tactical bridges using Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridges (AVLBs)

Conducting demolitions to destroy key enemy infrastructure, including bridges

Deploying scatterable minefields using artillery fire missions

These operations simulate real-world combat engineering capabilities and provide hands-on experience integrating engineers into tactical plans. The tutorial reinforces how engineers shape the battlespace, enabling maneuvers, securing terrain, and denying enemy freedom of movement.

NOTE: This scenario is intentionally challenging and may sometimes feel difficult or impossible. This high difficulty is by design and offers valuable learning opportunities.

This tutorial is intended for new and returning players. You should complete the earlier tutorials in the series to familiarize yourself with game mechanics, user interface navigation, and basic unit control. A foundational understanding of artillery operations, unit movement, and support coordination will help ensure success in this more advanced scenario.

By completing this tutorial, you will learn how to:

Task engineer units to remove obstacles, clear minefields, and eliminate improved positions

Deploy bridging assets across terrain obstacles

Use combat engineers and CEVs to support demolitions

Coordinate with artillery units to emplace scatterable minefields

Integrate engineer operations into broader tactical and operational planning

Engineer units are integral to executing the combined arms doctrine. Their core functions—mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability—enable maneuver commanders to seize and retain the initiative. During the Cold War, NATO doctrine emphasized rapid engineer support to breach enemy defenses, lay protective minefields, and prepare fortifications under fire. Engineers were expected to perform under extreme pressure, clearing lanes through obstacles or minefields to maintain the offensive and reinforcing key terrain for defense. This tutorial reflects those doctrinal principles, demonstrating how engineers act as force multipliers across the modern battlefield.

Scenario by JohnO | Map by William van der Sterren