Help Understanding the Chain of Command

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Help Understanding the Chain of Command - 12/29/2015 4:52:32 AM

Redhammer627

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Joined: 12/29/2015
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Hello Everyone! I finished my WitE German campaign last weekend and just picked up WitW during the sale and have been having a blast learning its far more detailed logistics and air war components. I finished reading the excellent handbook (thank you very much to whoever came up with that!) and have been looking through the manual, but one thing before I really dive into it that I feel I need to come to terms with is understanding the Chain of Command in both games.

I understand the need for the Chain of Command in reality, and that it plays an important role in the Leader Checks in the game, but does it do anything else? The only benefit I see from using the full chain of command (from Corps on up) is that you get more chances for leader checks. Are there any other benefits that leaders higher up the chain confer to the combat units? Why should I, for example, put excellent generals like Rommel or Guderian high up the command chain instead of having them lead an elite panzer corps?

I looked up the section on leaders in the manuals of both games but came up dry. If anyone knows the answer or at least the pages in the manual its in that would be great either way! Thanks!

< Message edited by Redhammer627 -- 12/29/2015 6:28:38 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: Help Understanding the Chain of Command - 12/29/2015 9:53:17 AM

Hofstadter

Posts: 81
Joined: 8/27/2015
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I think an added benefit of chain of command is the ability to push and pull support units from the highest command to the lowest

(in reply to Redhammer627)

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RE: Help Understanding the Chain of Command - 12/29/2015 10:36:24 AM

loki100

Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Redhammer627

Hello Everyone! I finished my WitE German campaign last weekend and just picked up WitW during the sale and have been having a blast learning its far more detailed logistics and air war components. I finished reading the excellent handbook (thank you very much to whoever came up with that!) and have been looking through the manual, but one thing before I really dive into it that I feel I need to come to terms with is understanding the Chain of Command in both games.

I understand the need for the Chain of Command in reality, and that it plays an important role in the Leader Checks in the game, but does it do anything else? The only benefit I see from using the full chain of command (from Corps on up) is that you get more chances for leader checks. Are there any other benefits that leaders higher up the chain confer to the combat units? Why should I, for example, put excellent generals like Rommel or Guderian high up the command chain instead of having them lead an elite panzer corps?

I looked up the section on leaders in the manuals of both games but came up dry. If anyone knows the answer or at least the pages in the manual its in that would be great either way! Thanks!

the key in both games is that you have a trade off. A high quality commander leading a corps will have a massive impact on that formation. But if that is on a quiet sector of the front its all wasted. Higher up the chain, they have a slightly diluted effect but on more formations. Remember that apart from morale (at least in WiTE), all skills decay a bit with range from the target unit. So how you deploy your Army/higher commands matters quite a lot as they can have more or less impact according to the map layout.

My rough rules are that with the Germans (WiTE and WiTW) I want my best commanders at the army level. With the Soviets at Front level. The Western Allies have a pretty inter-changeable collection of so so commanders so its a bit less important. But make sure that your main armies are well led.

_____________________________

(in reply to Redhammer627)

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RE: Help Understanding the Chain of Command - 12/29/2015 7:39:17 PM

Redhammer627

Posts: 4
Joined: 12/29/2015
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: loki100

the key in both games is that you have a trade off. A high quality commander leading a corps will have a massive impact on that formation. But if that is on a quiet sector of the front its all wasted. Higher up the chain, they have a slightly diluted effect but on more formations. Remember that apart from morale (at least in WiTE), all skills decay a bit with range from the target unit. So how you deploy your Army/higher commands matters quite a lot as they can have more or less impact according to the map layout.

My rough rules are that with the Germans (WiTE and WiTW) I want my best commanders at the army level. With the Soviets at Front level. The Western Allies have a pretty inter-changeable collection of so so commanders so its a bit less important. But make sure that your main armies are well led.

Thanks for the response! That makes sense, but I didn't think that actually happened in the game, where leaders higher up impart their skills to lower leaders and their combat units. All I could find under the manual that mentioned any benefit to using the full chain of command was this (on page 135, section 11.3.2z of the WitE manual):

quote:

The advantage of having a unit attached at the lowest level is that the unit has more HQ units in the chain, only one of which must pass the check.

And that is all it says, at least that I could find. I instinctively did more or less what you suggested when I played through WitE without really understanding the finer points of the leader units and it worked out fine, but it would make sense either way if skills did or didn't trickle down. Historically leaders at the high command weren't always all that great at the tactical level, their genius I guess came from what we would call the Administrative skill so I can understand keeping a less than able guy like you said at the top for certain armies, like the USSR's.

Is there a section in the manual that mentions more about how their skills trickle down, or is that a part of the leader checks I am missing? Thanks again!

< Message edited by Redhammer627 -- 12/29/2015 9:02:18 PM >

(in reply to loki100)

Post #: 4