HQs and leader skills

[Arkham]

Hey folks. Trying to understand how to best optimize my various types of HQs and what sort of leaders I should be putting into each type.

I know for example that leaders with high leadership are good for training air squadrons as the high leadership skill (not the air skill) helps gain pilot XP in the various catagories.

However what I don't understand is what skills like admin do and where they are most useful.

So if I have the following chain of command:

Army
Corps
Division
Regiment

What sort of leaders should I be putting into each of those? Also, when I look at the leaders it might say 'best for a rear area HQ' or 'Assault HQ'. What does that exactly imply?

Oh, and whats the difference between an Amphibious Corps and and Amphibious Force?

[Leandros]

To answer the last part of your question: An Amphibious Corps is a certain type of unit. An Amphibious Force is a combination of single or multiple units, amphibious and/or otherwise.

An Amphibious Corps can be an Amphibious Force in itself, but not vice versa - I think.....

Fred

[RangerJoe]

There is a chart posted somewhere . . .

[Arkham]

To answer the last part of your question: An Amphibious Corps is a certain type of unit. An Amphibious Force is a combination of single or multiple units, amphibious and/or otherwise.

An Amphibious Corps can be an Amphibious Force in itself, but not vice versa - I think.....

Fred

These are two different HQ types. One I think sits offshore and directs an Amphibious landing, is the other basically just like an army corps but basically should be for US Marines?

[Yaab]

The manual does not define "rear area" for LCUs/HQs.

Basically, all your LCUs not in contact with enemy/not 1 hex behind a frontline/not moving in whatever move mode towards an enemy/ can be considered "rear area" and be saddled with leaders with lowest Land skill/lowest Aggro.

HQs, since they are less numerous than LCUs, are either on frontlines (corps HQs) or some hexes behind frontlines (army HQs, command HQs). Those behind frontlines are probably planning for a target ( a base) so you want for those HQs leaders with high Land/Aggro or just leaders with 51+ skill in everything (other than Air skill).

Sadly, I cannot tell you what Admin skill really does. All I have observed so far is that it doesn't governt replacement rates or exp gains.

[Arkham]

The manual does not define "rear area" for LCUs/HQs.

Basically, all your LCUs not in contact with enemy/not 1 hex behind a frontline/not moving in whatever move mode towards an enemy/ can be considered "rear area" and be saddled with leaders with lowest Land skill/lowest Aggro.

HQs, since they are less numerous than LCUs, are either on frontlines (corps HQs) or some hexes behind frontlines (army HQs, command HQs). Those behind frontlines are probably planning for a target ( a base) so you want for those HQs leaders with high Land/Aggro or just leaders with 51+ skill in everything (other than Air skill).

Sadly, I cannot tell you what Admin skill really does. All I have observed so far is that it doesn't governt replacement rates or exp gains.

Thanks. It's still a pretty murky subject, and what testing I've done on the admin skill also revealed it doesn't change planning speed either. My next WAG is that perhaps it helps reduce supply usage in the back areas? Dunno.

So I guess I want to just load up all my HQs with high aggression/land skills from the division level upwards? Or maybe I should just ignore all this stuff. Dunno

[Yaab]

No info about HQ leaders, but interesting info about HQ effects per se
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 9#p4132499

[Arkham]

No info about HQ leaders, but interesting info about HQ effects per se
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 9#p4132499

Yeah, I'd read that. Pretty interesting. Does it matter WHERE the unit is prepared for? If I am fighting in China and my unit is 100 percent prepared for San Fran, does that matter, or does prep really matter most for amphibious landings?

Also, what do these subscript letters on the first column mean? Looked in the manual but it didn't seem to explain it



I'm guessing N is naval HQ, c is corps, A is air HQ, M is....mobile? Dunno Is that the one I want leading a landing?

Y I assume means it leads corps?

[Yaab]

m = Marine (USMC)
y = army

[dmaramba]

For the most comprehensive discussion of what kind of leaders to assign to what types of headquarters, see the post "How to Choose Leaders" by wwengr: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... s#p2208886.

An amphibious headquarters (HQc) is a corps-level headquarters, no different from any other HQc.

An amphibious force headquarters (HQm) is a different animal. I'll quote what wwengr has to say about their employment:

-- Load these HQ's onto AGC's in their own TF set to Do Not Unload.

-- Have the AGC TF arrive in the invasion landing hex in the same phase as the first wave landing TF's.

-- Keep them in the landing hex until the base is captured or the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first, then skeedaddle away to safety where the AGC will not get sunk. You only get three of these HQ's (if you are the allies...the Japanese get none). They will respawn, but better not to lose them too many times.

-- Amphibious Force HQ do not function as Corps HQ [HQc]. A good invasion should have a Corps HQ land with the invading forces.

[RangerJoe]

For the most comprehensive discussion of what kind of leaders to assign to what types of headquarters, see the post "How to Choose Leaders" by wwengr: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... s#p2208886.

An amphibious headquarters (HQc) is a corps-level headquarters, no different from any other HQc.

An amphibious force headquarters (HQm) is a different animal. I'll quote what wwengr has to say about their employment:

-- Load these HQ's onto AGC's in their own TF set to Do Not Unload.

-- Have the AGC TF arrive in the invasion landing hex in the same phase as the first wave landing TF's.

-- Keep them in the landing hex until the base is captured or the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first, then skeedaddle away to safety where the AGC will not get sunk. You only get three of these HQ's (if you are the allies...the Japanese get none). They will respawn, but better not to lose them too many times.

-- Amphibious Force HQ do not function as Corps HQ [HQc]. A good invasion should have a Corps HQ land with the invading forces.

Or if you can arrange it, have the Corps HQ at a base next to the invasion but prepped for the invasion target along with a higher echelon HQ within range as well.

[Heclapar]

No definitive list exists except for this thread for stock witp (which is undoubtedly out of date) and can give you can an idea for the general philosophy that later changes in AE possibly followed https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 04#p741104

[Chris21wen]

I've followed this for years, well mostly anyway. E.g. I have air as the most inportant for CAP/Escort. It appears to work but don't ask where it came from.

Leader Selection.jpg (470.13 KiB) Viewed 1088 times

[Arkham]

I've followed this for years, well mostly anyway. E.g. I have air as the most inportant for CAP/Escort. It appears to work but don't ask where it came from.

Leader Selection.jpg

My God, that is amazing. This should get stickied. :p Thank you so much for that.

[Platoonist]

It appears to work but don't ask where it came from.

Davbaker originally posted that chart along with a lot of other info back in 2009. It's been stickied for a long time in the War Room but being posted in a sub-forum probably makes it easy to overlook. Hopefully it's all still valid after years of patches but a visual guide of any kind is nice to have.

Original thread from October 2009--
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 6&t=167065

[LargeSlowTarget]

Yes, very useful chart indeed. I have replaced the "credits" screen that shows up when hitting the "m" key with that chart (and some other useful info like port (un)loading rates and rearmament port levels) for quick in-game reference.

[Arkham]

Yes, very useful chart indeed. I have replaced the "credits" screen that shows up when hitting the "m" key with that chart (and some other useful info like port (un)loading rates and rearmament port levels) for quick in-game reference.

How did you do that?

[Platoonist]

How did you do that?

He likely replaced the credits1024.bmp file in the game's ART folder with a custom bitmap of his own.

[PaxMondo]

Yep, I stole (borrowed?) that idea from LST long ago as well. Created a custom screen that has a bunch of the Dave Baker stuff, eng build rates, etc. IE, my lookup sheet of stuff that I'm always using, but forget the exact numbers. I suspect a LOT of us have done this ... all part of your personalized version of the game.

[Arkham]

Yep, I stole (borrowed?) that idea from LST long ago as well. Created a custom screen that has a bunch of the Dave Baker stuff, eng build rates, etc. IE, my lookup sheet of stuff that I'm always using, but forget the exact numbers. I suspect a LOT of us have done this ... all part of your personalized version of the game.

Can you link that image if you don't mind? I'd love to crib that off you.