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neuromancer -> RE: GE rail repair discussion (5/6/2021 11:44:09 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jallison86
Hopping onto this thread for a total newb question about rail repair. I'm playing through Road to Leningrad as the Axis against the AI. I made good progress initially, but now my units are bogging down due to poor supply. Looking at rail damage, it's clear why: may rail net is a disaster! Heavily damaged. Per the rules in 21.6.1 and 22.6.1, I got the impression that rail repairs would happen automatically as repair units spawned from HQs. But I'm not seeing this happening. Seems like I'm missing some obvious step, but I'm not sure what. Any advice appreciated.
I made this mistake in my early games too, until I finally figured it out.
There is automatic repair, but in that scenario it is just 2 units attached to either OKH or AGN. The problem is that because of the wide control area those two units will hop all over the map in what is seemingly random repairs. The only limitations on where they will go is that it must be German held terrotiry at the beginning of the turn, and a broken rail hex next to a functional rail hex.
One important note: I said HEX. The rail they are repairing does not have to actually be connected to the functional rail in the next hex. I discovered this by accident when they decided to repair the end of a dead end track simply because there was another rail line in the next hex over.
I don't know if this is as designed, or a bug.
You also have an FBD unit. It is a really useful rail repair unit as it is directly under your control and it can repair several hexes in one turn. It can only repair lines that are currently in German held territory (could be captured this turn, but entering the hex will cost more MP), and the rail must be connected to an undamaged line, or a line that was repaired this turn (1 damage). I don't know if it can work on the next hex over even if not directly connected as I've never wanted to.
Here is the thing I had a problem finding, with the FBD selected, look to the unit panel on the right side of the screen. There is an entry in the second column labeled RRC, if it is yellow and has a number it means you can repair the rail in that hex for that many MPs (the Rumanian FBD usually costs 3 MP to fix a hex, while the German ones almost always cost 1 MP). Click on that to repair the rail in that hex, then move on to the next hex to be repaired. You can also just use the 'r' hotkey to make it repair.
If you don't have the FBS selected, or if you do but it can't repair for whatever reason, the 'r' key will bring up the rail damage overlay.
As carlkay said, with the FBD selected, it will highlight the rail hexes that need to be repaired within move range. Not all those hexes CAN be repaired as some will be connected only to other broken track. But just move from good track to broken track and repair as you go and you'll be fine. You are only limited by the FBD's MP, and it does have to pay MP to both move and repair, but fixing 5 or 6 hexes a turn isn't uncommon.
Remember, you can go from good track to broken track, or a track that was repaired this turn to a broken track. That includes tracks that were repaired by the KRAD units at the start of the turn. If you turn on the rail damage overlay ('r' key) you can see the state of the rail network. Green is good track that is connected to the network and probably being used by trains, yellow is good track that is isolated from the network, orange is repaired track (will be yellow or green next turn), and red is broken track.
As suggested above, use the FBD on double track rail (thicker black and white dashed line) over a single track when possible, although there may be times you want to make short jaunts in other directions. You also may have no choice as the Soviet rail network is a mess at the best of times and double track isn't always available where you need it.
I mentioned the 2 automatic units before. They are the KRAD Labor Detachments. You can make them more useful by transferring them to a corps HQ (same way as any other support unit), use a corps HQ with no combat units; I typically use L corps in Road to Leningrad, but it doesn't matter which one, just make sure it doesn't have any combat support units either as that would be a waste. Maybe some AA, but I don't even bother with that.
You could use two HQs (1 for each KRAD), but you usually can't spare more than one. In the campaign probably one per AG is about the most you could spare.
You can make this a rail repair unit and send it where you want. The two KRAD units will - at the start of each turn - appear on a rail hex that can be repaired, within 5 hexes of the HQ. By using the 5 hex range and the restrictions on what can be repaired, you can guide the construction to a large extent. They prefer to repair lines that are going towards depots, but will sometimes go off on useless lines, so positioning the HQ carefully is necessary to keep them properly on task.
With a little luck and careful positioning you can get a rail line all the way from Tilsit to Riga to Parnu to Tallinn by the end of the scenario, leaving your FBD to focus on the double line from Ebenrode to Vulnius to Pskov and further North.
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