Has additional strength any use?

[Lokesz]

At first I thought it was a good idea to choose an additional company as upgrade, especially for low strength unit types as artillery and anti-tank. I thought adding 1 strength to a 7 strength artillery unit would result in 17% extra damage. I'm no longer sure this is how it works.

When I look at the combat resolution, the only thing that changes is the lost strength indicator. In stead of 7/7 it says 8/8. This could indicate that additional strength only prevents dropping combat effectiveness a little bit when taking casualties. The loss of a strengthpoint would result in 87,5 % in stead of 85,7%. A completely useless addition I would say. Even with low strength unit types.

The manual also says 'durable+1'. This could suggest it was meant to be 8/7 and the first loss does not reduce the fighting abilities.

I hope someone can explain to me what the possitive effects of an additional company realy are.

[ComradeP]

The effect is, I believe, just the mathematical increase in effectiveness.

Personally, I'm happy with that, considering how quickly overstrength units could unbalance scenarios in PG/PC, but you might expect more based on experiences with other games.

The benefit for artillery in particular is not substantial I think, but there is a benefit for other units. Even though the difference in performance is not significant, there is a difference in the chance a unit will still be combat effective at the end of the scenario or after being attacked. That's why I tend to take the upgrade once, to give my units just that edge, and tend to focus the other points on combat effectiveness and 1 ammo/fuel upgrade. Some unit types have only a limited number of available abilities/bonuses, though, so in those cases the additional strength can be the most effective upgrade.

[Lokesz]

I agree that attaching a specialized company in GaW feels a better then overstrength in PG/PC.

But from an 'real life' additional company I expect some kind of firepower. Not just a 2% improvement after taken casualties. That indicates something like improved medical care. No use with a healthy army, a few soldiers cure a little faster.

In stead of 'additional company' the naming should be 'additional medic'.