Help with Supply and ZOC

[vondee]

I try to read the manual before posting here but I'm having difficulty putting the various references in the manual together into a single understandable story for 2 things. Can someone help by explaining:

a) how you block supply to the enemy? Do you just need units "generally" between the enemy unit and their supply or is there something more scientific here?

and

b) how ZOC works in this game (what its influences are, how its used, etc.)

Thanks!

[tweber]

You block supply by captures hexes around an opposing force and between the force and a production center.  You do not have to cut off all hexes, rives block supply so you can cut off an opponent by capturing the bridgeheads.  You can also cut off or limit supply by capturing ports on an invading force.
 
Units have ZOC points.  If they have enough, they will automatically 'paint' neighboring, unoccupied hexes that are not in an opponent's zone of control.