Looking for tips on managing stragglers

Command Ops: Battles From The Bulge takes the highly acclaimed Airborne Assault engine back to the West Front for the crucial engagements during the Ardennes Offensive. Test your command skills in the fiery crucible of Airborne Assault’s “pausable continuous time” uber-realistic game engine. It's up to you to develop the strategy, issue the orders, set the pace, and try to win the laurels of victory in the cold, shadowy Ardennes.
Command Ops: Highway to the Reich brings us to the setting of one of the most epic and controversial battles of World War II: Operation Market-Garden, covering every major engagement along Hell’s Highway, from the surprise capture of Joe’s Bridge by the Irish Guards a week before the offensive to the final battles on “The Island” south of Arnhem.

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Major SNAFU_M
Posts: 585
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:36 pm

Looking for tips on managing stragglers

Post by Major SNAFU_M »

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice here concerning stragglers.

Based on reading I have done on the forum, I have often been clicking this off to ensure that, especially the HQ unit, does not end up "out in front" during an attack, etc.

However, I ran across another post recently that mentioned that doing this will probably really slow up the advance/attack because, of course, you are telling the HQ to not proceed unless everyone can move forward.

So what is the correct balance here between never having an HQ advancing on its own and not having too many stragglers slow everything down. Is it better to detach really exhausted units to rest while moving the remainder forward? But then the rested unit will be behind and will use up most of its regained rest in catching up.

I know there is no set answer, but I am looking for guidance as to how to best manage this during an advance or attack.

Thanks,


(edited b/c the original title implied that *I* was giving out tips.)
"Popular Opinion? What I suggest you do with 'Popular Opinion' is biologically impossible and morally questionable." -

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One ping to link them;
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simovitch
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Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:01 pm

RE: Looking for tips on managing stragglers

Post by simovitch »

Sometimes I detach really exhausted units but usually I just order the whole Bn to rest. I rarely uncheck stragglers.

The HQ in front issue has been reworked quite a bit for the patch so now the HQ will stay well back during an assault or probe if your FUP is far enough away from the enemy.

But you will still have occasional problems if you are moving (not assaulting) into/through an unsecured area and you run into an unexpected enemy.

Either way, if I end up with an HQ in front of my assaulting line - I know something is going bad and I consider ordering a withdrawal or a delay.
simovitch

Lieste
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RE: Looking for tips on managing stragglers

Post by Lieste »

It is much better in the patch - for now, I group all forces in a Regiment into 3-4 groups, roughly - Bn in each of the assault groups, with Regimental Support/Base in a distinct separated group - Divisional supports also go into a distinct group from Division HQ/Combat elements... This means they never get caught up in the front-line unless I explicitly detach them & put them there (which I will do sometimes to get AT use from artillery etc, or to improve the 'angle' for supply routes to avoid some losses).
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Major SNAFU_M
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Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:36 pm

RE: Looking for tips on managing stragglers

Post by Major SNAFU_M »

Thanks for the tips.  My impression of this game only improves with more time spent with it.  MY gaming hours are few and precious and the overall simplicity of getting things going and then trying to figure out what each feature does and how to best apply it really fits with the time I have and the depth I want.


"Popular Opinion? What I suggest you do with 'Popular Opinion' is biologically impossible and morally questionable." -

"One ping to find them all,
One ping to link them;
One ping to promote them all,
and in the darkness sink them"
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