Advice for mid game border control?

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Advice for mid game border control? - 12/28/2020 11:36:03 PM

kicktothehead

Posts: 29
Joined: 12/10/2020
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Any ideas on how best to defend border mid game?
I have tried stationing units every 2 hexes and they come through the gaps
I have tried (yes I did this) every single hex on all sides and was attacked the entire game on all sides and my economy could not keep up to support the amount of troops I had haha.

I cannot figure out the balance of expand and defend all the hexes and its driving me nuts.

Thanks for any tips

Post #: 1

RE: Advice for mid game border control? - 12/29/2020 6:56:35 AM

zgrssd

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Joined: 6/9/2020
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Generally it is a bad idea to try and control all borders. There simply is way too much of it. And a lot of the space hardly maters anyway. If you are lucky, you find 1 resource every ~50 hexes you own with Prospecting.
Anything past 6 hexes from a city is likely to cause a lot of Adminsitrative Strain anyway.

Instead, try to control the area around important installations like towns, relevant mines, etc. Try to make peace with as many minor neighbours as you can. The only ones worth conquering are ones with cities. And those tend to push back if you encroach.
Even for the belingerent ones, if you beat up their military, that tends to make them more willing to coexist.

Generally a lot of smaler formations are a good idea - only use the bigger ones to take out strongpoints where the "multiple OHQ" penalty would make throwing more formations at it a bad idea.
If you need to pad out a frontline and got no more militia, consider Independent MG Batallions. They are small at 500 Manpower/unit but got a lot of defensive power.

< Message edited by zgrssd -- 12/29/2020 6:57:15 AM >

(in reply to kicktothehead)

Post #: 2

RE: Advice for mid game border control? - 12/29/2020 8:52:44 AM

Hazard151

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Joined: 6/15/2020
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Independent MG battalions, independent AT battalions, mixed MG/AT/Infantry BGs. Grenadier infantry is also pretty potent but more costly at 5500 soldiers for 5 battalions and an OHQ, but effective.

Keep in mind that even the AI doesn't like mountain fighting much and tries to concentrate forces in gaps along the mountains.

(in reply to zgrssd)

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RE: Advice for mid game border control? - 12/29/2020 2:51:01 PM

kicktothehead

Posts: 29
Joined: 12/10/2020
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Ok those answers definitely make some sense. In each game I have been trying to cover all the area I end up taking over and eventually my empire crumbles because I cannot keep up with the economic strain.

How do you defend the supply roads them from one city to another if they are stretched out?
All it takes is a single unit or creature to step on the road and supply is cut off completely.
I have tried to line up troops the length of the roads but again - ends up too much overhead.

(in reply to Hazard151)

Post #: 4

RE: Advice for mid game border control? - 12/29/2020 4:48:55 PM

zgrssd

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Joined: 6/9/2020
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quote:

ORIGINAL: kicktothehead

Ok those answers definitely make some sense. In each game I have been trying to cover all the area I end up taking over and eventually my empire crumbles because I cannot keep up with the economic strain.

How do you defend the supply roads them from one city to another if they are stretched out?
All it takes is a single unit or creature to step on the road and supply is cut off completely.
I have tried to line up troops the length of the roads but again - ends up too much overhead.

"Do not build your major supply roads near insecure territory. I mean seriously, that is just common sense!" - every logistics officer since the age of rome.

As for cleaning, it is propably easier to have a 1 formation to reactionary force quickly react to any disruptions. Buggies would offer a lot of power, but basic infantry is more esily strategically redeployed.
Or pre-emtively clean out the are around roads.

< Message edited by zgrssd -- 12/29/2020 4:50:02 PM >

(in reply to kicktothehead)

Post #: 5

RE: Advice for mid game border control? - 12/29/2020 5:31:37 PM

kicktothehead

Posts: 29
Joined: 12/10/2020
Status: offline

outstanding reply haha .. thank you for the advice

(in reply to zgrssd)

Post #: 6