How Large a Pocket Should Be?

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's War in the East Series >> How Large a Pocket Should Be?

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How Large a Pocket Should Be? - 5/19/2016 2:38:51 PM

bin618

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/19/2016
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I know the axis should trap as many Soviet units in pockets as possible, especially in the first several turns.But how large a pocket should be? What's the best distance between the units that are conducting the trapping mission? Do you divide a division into smaller units when you are trapping the soviet units? I am a beginner. Can anyone help me? Thanks.

Post #: 1

RE: How Large a Pocket Should Be? - 5/19/2016 2:47:42 PM

morvael

Posts: 11762
Joined: 9/8/2006
From: Poland
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Early pockets are really big, sometimes 20-30 hexes in diameter. Later in the war it is very hard to make them those big, so even 10 hexes would be considered big. It all depends whether you need to screen the hexes of the belt or not. Early not much can hit you back, and the belts are wide, so you're safe to even split your divisions and put one every 3 hexes. Later you are hard pressed to make a narrow corridor so must guard every hex with full division or more. Then it boils down to the number of divisions you have, they determine the size of the encirclement.

(in reply to bin618)

Post #: 2

RE: How Large a Pocket Should Be? - 5/19/2016 2:48:22 PM

jwolf

Posts: 2493
Joined: 12/3/2013
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Best answer IMHO is to experiment with some of the "Road to City X" scenarios and see first hand what works well and what doesn't. Ultimately, the answer to "how large" is "as large as you can secure" and in actual games there have been some enormous pockets, larger than you would believe.

Splitting a division into regiments can help to close out a pocket and this can work well early in the war. But you have to be careful as the smaller units are more vulnerable to counterattack. It won't matter against the AI but against a human player you might get burned. Another problem with the regiments is that they have a bit higher movement costs so you lose mobility that way. As with all things, it takes practice.

(in reply to bin618)

Post #: 3

RE: How Large a Pocket Should Be? - 5/19/2016 2:55:16 PM

bin618

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/19/2016
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: morvael

Early pockets are really big, sometimes 20-30 hexes in diameter. Later in the war it is very hard to make them those big, so even 10 hexes would be considered big. It all depends whether you need to screen the hexes of the belt or not. Early not much can hit you back, and the belts are wide, so you're safe to even split your divisions and put one every 3 hexes. Later you are hard pressed to make a narrow corridor so must guard every hex with full division or more. Then it boils down to the number of divisions you have, they determine the size of the encirclement.

Thanks morvael.

(in reply to morvael)

Post #: 4

RE: How Large a Pocket Should Be? - 5/19/2016 3:00:32 PM

bin618

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/19/2016
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: jwolf

Best answer IMHO is to experiment with some of the "Road to City X" scenarios and see first hand what works well and what doesn't. Ultimately, the answer to "how large" is "as large as you can secure" and in actual games there have been some enormous pockets, larger than you would believe.

Splitting a division into regiments can help to close out a pocket and this can work well early in the war. But you have to be careful as the smaller units are more vulnerable to counterattack. It won't matter against the AI but against a human player you might get burned. Another problem with the regiments is that they have a bit higher movement costs so you lose mobility that way. As with all things, it takes practice.

Thank you jwolf.

(in reply to jwolf)

Post #: 5