bombarding bridges and disbanding units

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

I have read in AAR that those actions are possible but I don´t find how to do them...anyone can help me?

[Bonners]

I never seem to have enough units left to destroy bridges, but it is possible with ground units, it uses up their APs in doing so, you can also bombard by air. There is a symbol in the bar on the bottom of the screen with a destroyed bridge, so I presume you press that as the action.

As for disbanding units, I dont think you can actually disband, but what you can do is feed the component parts of that unit back to HQ.

Example:

The Soviet player wants to build a new tank corp, i.e. to get combined tank and motorized infantry types in one unit.

The Soviet player creates the new unit and places it on a hex. When it is created it will have no component parts. He then sets the reinforcement level to priority.

To get some tanks into the unit he selects one or more of his tank brigade units. He then sets the reinforcement level to disband on the tank brigade.

What will then happen is that the tanks from the 'disbanded' tank brigade will feed back to Stavka at the rate of 20 (IIRC) per turn. Starting from the following turn these tanks will then feed out to his other units. In this case, providing no other units are on priority reinforcement, they should feed back to the new tank corp at 20 tanks per turn (plus any other reinforcements available).

Eventually the tank brigade will end up with a strength of zero, but will still be on the map as a shell. I'm not sure if a shell of a unit will effect command, I dont think so, but if it does it might be worth putting under control of a front command or Stavka.

So the unit doesnt actually disappear (although it will be destroyed if attacked) but you can move its component parts to other units via Stavka.

[James Ward]

Bridges can be destroyed during combat but I am not sure how the process works. You will see a red mark on the bridge hex if it is destroyed.

[LiquidSky]

Just pick the hex (either end of the bridge). Launch an air attack. The more planes the better....I use a 400 stack of planes and havent seen it fail yet. When I use a 200 stack of planes, it works most of the time. If I use a 100 stack of planes it is seldom that the bridge is blown.

Basically it is a side effect of the bombing. The bridge is not targetted specifically...the hex is. Units will be bombed, installations will be destroyed (if Urbanish), and there is a chance that any/all bridges in the hex will be destroyed.

The same with artillery, although it will take an awful lot of artillery.

For land units, there it costs AP's ( I think around 50?), and there is only a chance. My friend (who blows bridges as much as possible) says engineers seem to work much better. He has had two rifle divisions of 6 counters fail at blowing a bridge...but engineers seem to work most of the time.

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

ORIGINAL: Bonners

I never seem to have enough units left to destroy bridges, but it is possible with ground units, it uses up their APs in doing so, you can also bombard by air. There is a symbol in the bar on the bottom of the screen with a destroyed bridge, so I presume you press that as the action.

As for disbanding units, I dont think you can actually disband, but what you can do is feed the component parts of that unit back to HQ.

Example:

The Soviet player wants to build a new tank corp, i.e. to get combined tank and motorized infantry types in one unit.

The Soviet player creates the new unit and places it on a hex. When it is created it will have no component parts. He then sets the reinforcement level to priority.

To get some tanks into the unit he selects one or more of his tank brigade units. He then sets the reinforcement level to disband on the tank brigade.

What will then happen is that the tanks from the 'disbanded' tank brigade will feed back to Stavka at the rate of 20 (IIRC) per turn. Starting from the following turn these tanks will then feed out to his other units. In this case, providing no other units are on priority reinforcement, they should feed back to the new tank corp at 20 tanks per turn (plus any other reinforcements available).

Eventually the tank brigade will end up with a strength of zero, but will still be on the map as a shell. I'm not sure if a shell of a unit will effect command, I dont think so, but if it does it might be worth putting under control of a front command or Stavka.

So the unit doesnt actually disappear (although it will be destroyed if attacked) but you can move its component parts to other units via Stavka.

Many thanks for the info, BTW how do you set the level of replacement for units?

[Bonners]

ORIGINAL: Iñaki Harrizabalagatar

Here you go, click the circled bit on the screenshot:

[Redmarkus5]

I don't think air units can blow bridges at a distance - only the bridges they are sitting next to...

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky

For land units, there it costs AP's ( I think around 50?), and there is only a chance. My friend (who blows bridges as much as possible) says engineers seem to work much better. He has had two rifle divisions of 6 counters fail at blowing a bridge...but engineers seem to work most of the time.

Engineers are very good at blowing bridges provided they have enough Engineer points. Some bridges take more points than others to blow and it is not always guaranteed to blow. Sometimes you need the engineer to sit in the hex with the bridge for a turn or two to get enough points built up to try to blow it. You can blow it even if you don't control both sides of the bridge
It seems like bridges all repair at the same cost, 25 EP's, which just about any size engineer will get in a single turn. It seems to easy to repair the bridges, I've never had a repair fail. All you need is start the turn with an engineer next to the bridge, repair it and then you can even move your engineer. I think you need to control both sides of the bridge to repair it.

[Bonners]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

I don't think air units can blow bridges at a distance - only the bridges they are sitting next to...

Yup, just been experimenting, that is the only way they can deliberately blow a bridge, i.e. using their ground element at an airbase I guess. So it is a case of doing massed air strikes on a hex and hoping the bridge blows as explained up there.

[stonestriker]

Is really correct that you are unable to completely remove a disbanded unit from the map? It seems that it should be possible do so when it does not contain any units.

Otherwise my Case Blue will end up with a lot of empty Nebelwerfer units...

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: stonestriker

Is really correct that you are unable to completely remove a disbanded unit from the map? It seems that it should be possible do so when it does not contain any units.

Otherwise my Case Blue will end up with a lot of empty Nebelwerfer units...

When it is empty I think the counter is removed.

[Bonners]

Cheers James, I wasnt sure if that was the case. I'm going to experiment in my Soviet game agaisnt the AI to double check and see what happens.

[James Ward]

As the Soviets if you survive early is decent shape there are a lot of units worth disbanding to build Mech Corps and Artillery Divisions (VERY handy units). I started disbanding my fortified regions and naval brigades once I had enough reinforcements.

[Bonners]

Yup, my opponent would appear to be doing that as I've come across a couple of units with zero strength which was what made me think that disbanded units stay on the map; I cant believe he has left them ther by mistake, he must be disbanding them to make new units.

EDIT: Right, done an experiment in my game against the AI, it is as James says. The turn after it goes down to zero the unit disappears.