Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: bcgames

Units start the scenarios in their historical locations ready to play. Starting with stacks by type is a good option to select for those wishing to change things up dramatically. I don't know how easy it would be to code that capability.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Profender
I do not want my artillery on the same stack with the infantry as an example. In my mind that does not make sense. I would my artillery 1 hex behind the infantry.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Profender
Due to the large stacks and trying to manage these to stick with the right HQ moving forward is a greater challenge then keeping my mind on the tactical/ strategical part of the game. Making it a game where I can only play this when I truly have the mindset for it and the time. And that is a shame because there hardly games set in the North African Campaign.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Okayrun3254
I have been working around how AA works so I can understand, for example, what happened when my unit gets hit by a Stuka attack. I set up a Ground attack with a Stuka unit on a stack including a AA unit. I wanted to better understand how the AA CRT table works. It seems the attack showed 2:1 AA, with a 1 die roll, but was a full attack. I thought, based on the AA CRT it would be an aborted attack. The actual stack AA is about 8, and Stuka defense is 8, so it is really a 1:1, but the stack getting attacked was still concealed at a 2-3 level. See below.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Saint Ruth

quote:

ORIGINAL: Okayrun3254
I have been working around how AA works so I can understand, for example, what happened when my unit gets hit by a Stuka attack. I set up a Ground attack with a Stuka unit on a stack including a AA unit. I wanted to better understand how the AA CRT table works. It seems the attack showed 2:1 AA, with a 1 die roll, but was a full attack. I thought, based on the AA CRT it would be an aborted attack. The actual stack AA is about 8, and Stuka defense is 8, so it is really a 1:1, but the stack getting attacked was still concealed at a 2-3 level. See below.

Oh, you've found a bug. I've had a look and discovered the wrong dice image is being shown. So the result is valid for those odds, but dice shown is wrong. Will fix!

quote:

ORIGINAL: jack54

Question Using the 'O' hotkey

Before moving a Unit I usually set a stance for the hex they're in... does this make sense or does the movement order void this?

My theory is if they get attacked before they start moving they would follow the Hex order.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bcgames

quote:

ORIGINAL: jack54

Question Using the 'O' hotkey

Before moving a Unit I usually set a stance for the hex they're in... does this make sense or does the movement order void this?

My theory is if they get attacked before they start moving they would follow the Hex order.

I believe this to be correct but St. Ruth would need to confirm or deny your theory.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bcgames

COMBAT TIPS

On Ground Operations.

• Use Combined Arms. Shock-neutral (shock=0) units can attack with tank units and not degrade their Shock modifier. If you attack using shock-capable units with leg infantry, then you will dilute your Shock and have reduced odds.

• Fight for intelligence. It’s not just the job of recce to get intel. Get infantry, artillery, and engineers into the process of fighting for intelligence. If you want intel—you need to go and get it with whatever means are available. Fight if you have to to get it.

• Maintain a Reserve. The last side to commit its reserve WINS! If there are two units left on a side – one of them is in reserve! If you commit your reserve--designate a new one--every time.

• Maintain Organizational Integrity. Don’t commit units from two different divisions to an attack against the same hex. Generally speaking, there is no benefit if you do; most often you will be punished with unfavorable odds shifts by combining the attacks or defenses of units from different HQs. If you must do it, use a Main Effort Ground Asset (if available) to overcome the disadvantages.

• Don’t Mix Corps and Division Artillery Attacks. You decrease the potential attack strengths of these units by combining them. They too fall under the organizational integrity rules. But...if the final numbers generate the odds that you need – do it.

• Keep HQs units out of range of enemy artillery. HQs units are easy to destroy if left exposed to the combined attacks of enemy artillery units and/or air assets. HQs units provide MANY easy victory points to the enemy. Their loss SEVERELY degrades the capabilities of their subordinate units. Protect your HQs units; move often – protect always.

• Anti-tank Are.... Always place your anti-tank units so they are in position to face the enemy’s tanks. AT units twiddling their thumbs in distant locations where their armor-negating capabilities can’t be used are wasted resources.

• Ambush Avoidance. Avoid use of road movement mode to enter enemy territory; ambushes can devastate an entire road column. Have security forward and don’t out-run it. On the other hand? Use road movement to run a corps around an open flank into the enemies rear...Fortune favors the bold.

• Choose The Right Defender. Tanks are not the best choice for defending the following terrain types; their defense factor is cut in half:

- Depression x.5
- Woods x.5
- Stony x.5
- Mountain x.5
- Town x.5

Infantry is your best choice if they are available.

On Air Operations.

• Fly 'em, Rest 'em. Don’t fly your Air Assets turn after turn without rest. Never fly more than 2/3 of your air assets unless the situation demands it, and/or you have a rest plan that supports it. 50% on and 50% off is the way to keep your air assets rested. If they are not rested you will find them absent when you need them the most.

• AA exists for a reason. Place your AA units so they protect those units in your main effort that are most vulnerable to air attack. While defending, identify where the enemy’s main attack is and protect those units facing it. HQs and artillery units behind the line that are supporting the main effort should be protected with the same vigor as those critical points on the front line.

• Counter-air is important. Supporting ground operations requires much more than just providing close air support to individual attacks and/or attacking individual enemy units on the battlefield. Air superiority helps insure unfettered ground unit movement, the resupply of fuel and ammo points, and sustainment of command and control ranges.

On Naval Operations.

• Threaten. The threat of naval bombardment can be just as useful as its actual employment. Once employed – that threat is gone.

• Destroy. If you find an enemy HQs within range of naval assets, attack! Throw in some air assets if available and artillery if in range. Strike the HQs – Kill it. This impacts the supply status of all its subordinate units.

On Logistics Operations

• Spend Supplies Wisely. Don’t be stingy with your supplies; Fuel and Ammo points that remain at the end of a scenario are unused combat potential.

• Manage Supplies. HQs consume Move+ and/or Combat+ supply points based on their most costly subordinate unit. The most costly units are armor, mechanized, or motorized units.

• Think Supplies. Supplies and the lines of communications along which they travel represent the combat power potential of ground units. Never start – nor end a turn – without checking the supply status of your units – and taking action to fix or mitigate any logistics issues.

• Offense vs Defense. Generally speaking, you will use more fuel than ammo. Burn off that “excess” ammo by providing Combat+ supply to organizations that have artillery units in position and ready to expend it. Corps artillery units with Combat+ supply are sledge-hammering destroyers of enemy units.

General

• Rest your units. After each third turn (3, 6, 9, 12, etc.) there is a “night” phase during which units recover readiness at double the normal rate; use this opportunity every time--unless you have a really good reason not to.

* Attack, attack, attack!. Defense is slow death for armored forces. Find a way to offensive action and the results will be in your favor.

* Efficiency vs Maximum Effort. There will come a time in your game play when you start to see the difference between having an efficient system that sustains combat power over time...and knowing the critical time to go ALL IN--regardless of efficiency. This isn't something connected to the arrival/departure of reinforcements; it has to do with "knowing" you have an advantage through your reconnaissance efforts and then acting aggressively on that "knowledge"--Maximum Effort at the decisive place and time.

Got a Combat Tip? Share it below.