Engineers in Combat

[Joselillo]

Hello!

Is there a possibility that engineers (sappers) in combat, supported by other units, can help breaching fortified hexes? I don't see anything in the manual about it.

Thanks!

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: Joselillo

Hello!

Is there a possibility that engineers (sappers) in combat, supported by other units, can help breaching fortified hexes? I don't see anything in the manual about it.

Thanks!

There is no disentrenchment ability built into engineer squads.

[Joselillo]

There is no disentrenchment ability built into engineer squads.

ok! tHANKS!

[SeriousCatNZ]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

There is no disentrenchment ability built into engineer squads.

Huh? Then what are engineers used for in this game? Are they just weaker infantry battalions?

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: SeriousCatNZ

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

There is no disentrenchment ability built into engineer squads.

Huh? Then what are engineers used for in this game? Are they just weaker infantry battalions?

They repair bridges. They also can assist with digging in.

[gbaby]

They also get paid more and get coffee breaks.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gbaby
They also get paid more and get coffee breaks.

The Infantry and Arty have unions but the Engineers are separate and have just a co-opt for now.
They, the infantry and arty, negotiated an extra Ten Cents per hour combat pay but the engineers
are viewed as just a rabble and serious negotiations aren't going anywhere for the engineers.
The engineers are viewed as one of the more ritzey organizations where they have all kinds of
tools and equipment and vehicles that it's sometimes fun being an engineer except when they have
to fix a bridge under enemy fire. They have the use of explosives and can take a bridge down
very easily but building it again is another matter and they aren't especially good at it. Some
of the newer teams are busy building training bridges for the experience. It ususlly pays off
in combat performance. The hardest part of building training bridges is that they have to
disassemble it after they are done. Have to use the parts over and over again. Saves on raw
materials. The engineers think it's busy work. But morale is high and there's a demand for
engineer jobs and the billets are filled quickly. No shortage of engineers in this Army. And
they are considered high-value organizations, worthy of protection. A lot of their work is done
under enemy fire and they get a commendateion metal for every bridge they build under fire.
It acts as encoragement.

[Shadrach]

[Lobster]

Couldn't you use the equipment editor to modify combat engineer units to have the same effect on fortifications you get from heavy artillery. Give them a range of one and a shell with enough weight to effect fortifications? Or maybe someone else has a better idea along these lines. I do believe that having combat engineers that cannot have a special effect against fortifications is somehow not correct.

[Oberst_Klink]

One could indeed give them a range of 1 and some artillery factor built in, yes. A good idea... might check this one out. Problem is though, Jack, that giving them a HE ranged value would literally blast they opposition in open terrain (especially soft targets!) to smitheries... And remember, while actually attacking a hex, it would not reduce the fortification level at all.

Klink, Oberst

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Oberst_Klink
One could indeed give them a range of 1 and some artillery factor built in, yes. A good idea... might check this one out. Problem is though, Jack, that giving them a HE ranged value would literally blast they opposition in open terrain (especially soft targets!) to smitheries... And remember, while actually attacking a hex, it would not reduce the fortification level at all.

Klink, Oberst

Yeah, all that's true, but I think Jack is saying, and I agree, that the "effect" of the modification to the
engineer unit would help the emmersion in the game because it would "feel" like they reduced the fortifications.
That they disentrenched the enemy. That they made a difference to the attack. That now they don't just repair
bridges, they have a value in combat. I think maybe that's it. Jack can of course, speak for himself.

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

ORIGINAL: Oberst_Klink
One could indeed give them a range of 1 and some artillery factor built in, yes. A good idea... might check this one out. Problem is though, Jack, that giving them a HE ranged value would literally blast they opposition in open terrain (especially soft targets!) to smitheries... And remember, while actually attacking a hex, it would not reduce the fortification level at all.

Klink, Oberst

Yeah, all that's true, but I think Jack is saying, and I agree, that the "effect" of the modification to the
engineer unit would help the emmersion in the game because it would "feel" like they reduced the fortifications.
That they disentrenched the enemy. That they made a difference to the attack. That now they don't just repair
bridges, they have a value in combat. I think maybe that's it. Jack can of course, speak for himself.

AFAIK and from fiddling with equipment files, engineers can have additional value to combat, e.g. special combat engineers with a higher AT rate, etc. Alas, giving them ranged attack values or similar might fiddlestick and break things. Alas, one has the option to assign an alternate icon to the engineers, that of the artillery, no? In theory, that might have the same effect. Remember, artillery icons have the special ability to reduce fortifications. So, that might be a more feasible solution, Onkel Larry.

Klink, Oberst

[larryfulkerson]

I say go ahead with it and let us know how it works out. It all makes sense to me. And yes, it WILL break some scenarios.

[sPzAbt653]

Engineers add their combat value to attacks, and there are various types of squads available for use in engineer units, so there is no need to make any changes to the current behavior. Artillery of 150mm or higher is more effective against fortifications than that of lower calibers.