Best set-up to trigger reserve activations

[Peltonx]

You need to structure your C&C and leaders to maximise initiative, and you need to rotate armoured units in a mix of regiments and divisions. Once I am on the defensive my standard army package is 2 infantry Korps of 4-5 divisions holding an 8-9 hex frontage, with a panzer korps of 4 divs in reserve split into 6 regiments and 2 divisions. This minimises the C&C penalties and maximises the chances of reserve activation.

With a 9 initiative leader in OKH and in 3 of the 4 Army groups, 8 initiative leaders in armies and 7 initiative leaders in PZ korps, you can trigger activations in 35%+ of battles and 80% of those will produce hold results, so 10+ hold results per turn from reserve activations is easily achieveable.

I ran 2 test 1942 campaigns against 115/95 AI for 100 turns i.e. to June1944, the first without reserves, the second with reserves maxed. The front lines in the 2nd test were 20 hexes east of the first test and Soviet casualties were 800k higher.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Pelton
I ran 2 test 1942 campaigns against 115/95 AI for 100 turns i.e. to June1944, the first without reserves, the second with reserves maxed. The front lines in the 2nd test were 20 hexes east of the first test and Soviet casualties were 800k higher.

That's incredible, thanks for the data point...

[Schmart]

Would there be a diference between having the reserve units attached to the Army HQ vs the Korps HQ? As in, wouldn't the Panzers attached to an Army HQ with a higher initiative leader have a better chance at being committed?

[Peltonx]

I am guessing its based at the army lvl. So they need to be in a corp under it.

[randallw]

I thought commitment tests work with the command level of the units in the battle then work up the chain ( to the higher HQ levels ) for the test.

[juret]

where human on 95 and AI on 115 in this setup?

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: Pelton
I ran 2 test 1942 campaigns against 115/95 AI for 100 turns i.e. to June1944, the first without reserves, the second with reserves maxed. The front lines in the 2nd test were 20 hexes east of the first test and Soviet casualties were 800k higher.

That's incredible, thanks for the data point...

Reserve mechanics are German's best friend in WitE. With Sov is harder to rely on them, but still, an asset to be considered. In one of Helio's AAR's I think I discussed the odds of reserve activation and of the policies available to players to get the most out of them.