Enemy Contact

[EarlyDoors]

What are the mechanics behind Enemy Contact?
Sometimes my [naval] units stumble across a foe and a yellow circular cursor is activated and they can then move or attack.
And sometimes they have a red circular cursor and an engagement occurs and my unit is usually wasted.
Does this represent surprise or initiative and how can i do better with it?

[Kornstalx]

Page 106 of the manual, section 6.2.7.

Fog of War is only calculated and revealed when the unit stops. Each unit has a vision range (on their properties page, for example most naval units is 1 hex at sea, except carriers) and this is how far they reveal when they stop. BUT, a unit will only reveal its full range on the *first* stop it makes, after that its sight follows different rules that limit what it can see. This means you can't really take a unit with a big sight range like a carrier or a Recon land unit and keep inching forward to reveal around it in a wide area. The "big reveal" only happens at the first stop. If you keep moving, you are potentially blind.

If you stumble upon an enemy that was previously unrevealed mid-move the rules are defined in detail in section 6.2.7. This tells you how the attacker is determined in that situation (the mover or the person pounced upon) and rather there is a damage bonus for ambushing. Most subs get a big bonus for this.

[Kornstalx]

As far as how best to avoid being ambushed at sea, if you suspect enemy activity try and make sure you send Destroyers out first as screens to the location you want to go. Sometimes recon in force is fine if you'd rather just move your Battleship, because if the BB does run upon an enemy he's probably going to do heavy damage. The exception is subs -- notice the attack/defense values of BBs verses subs. Battleships are the only naval unit with a default zero sub defense, which means you don't want them running into them alone.

Cruisers (especially with modest ASW tech) make fine picket ships as well in a pinch to pioneer a fleet move. But enemy subs that are submerged have a good chance to go undetected by your passing ships, unless the passing ship is a Destroyer. Destroyers are the best naval unit at spotting ambushing subs first.

Also note that enemy subs cannot react to your ships if they are moving using Naval Cruise. Submerged/Silent submarines (red dot) cannot react fast enough to cruise-mode ships, and they will pass right by them. However if you are using naval cruise and you run into an enemy ship, it forfeits the entire rest of your move and you will be stuck directly next to them (after the surprise attack is finished, if applicable).

[EarlyDoors]

Thanks
That's helpful

[balto]

Hi,

"reveal its full range on the *first* stop it makes, after that its sight follows different rules that limit what it can see."

I do not see that in manual.

[Kornstalx]

ORIGINAL: balto

Hi,

"reveal its full range on the *first* stop it makes, after that its sight follows different rules that limit what it can see."

I do not see that in manual.

Page 104, 6.2.4: Unit Spotting Ranges During Movement (Emphasis mine)

If a unit has moved its full distance in one move, i.e. without being
deselected at any point, then its full spotting range will remain after its
movement. However, by moving its full movement all at once the risk of
Surprise Encounters with hidden enemy units is high.

The only way to avoid these Surprise Encounters is either to reconnoiter
with aircraft first, or to deselect an advancing unit, have it spot, and then
move it again. But when a unit moves or attacks, after its second committed
move (i.e. when it has been deselected a second time) its spotting range is
reduced to 1 hex. Thus it retains its full spotting range after its first move,
but loses it once it moves a second time.