Newbie Questions

[Janaka]

I've consulted the game manual to find the answers to a lot of questions but would still like to ask about the following:

1. I have a HQ unit showing a supply value of 5(8), rather than just a single number like other units. What does 5(8) mean?

2. I notice numbers above air units resulting from air combat (-1, -2 etc), but the numbers don't match the strength losses of my units. Is this perhaps a fog of war thing, symbolising inaccurate information instead of actual losses, or is this something else?

3. The manual states that naval surface vessels can mine enemy waters where red hatching appears. I have sent vessels to these areas but no mining occurs. I see no option to manually order a vessel to mine and it doesn't happen automatically. Can somebody please explain how mining works?

4. Sometimes, when I have a naval vessel selected (I think it may only be subs) I see blue and yellow hatched hexes. What are these?

5. When a naval vessel is in raider mode is it less effective if surface combat occurs? Or to put it another way, what penalties are there for leaving a vessel in raider mode all the time?

6.Artillery: I read comments regarding best mode for artillery be kept in, auto or silent. When is it best to use either mode and does counterfire reduce the number of shells available come your turn?

[Xsillione]

1. HQ generates extra supply, 5(8) means it gets 5 supply, and than generates a supply source of 8 on its own hex, so the unit next to it can get 7 (one less for one distance), instead of 4, since it is probably toward less supply than the HQ. This can even be daisy chained, if you are willing to do manual attachemnt for HQs, so the first gets 5, and generates 8, the next HQ gets 7 from it, and generates 10 from it, a third at three distance get 7, and generates 10 again, to give 9 to its adjacent unit, at a total of 5+1+3+1=9 distance from the 10 supply source, quite nice.

2. The number appears over the unit which is getting damaged. So your losses are over your units, and the numbers over your enemy is their loss.

3. In the WWII variant it is done under the surface (as a good mining should be done), if you stops in a red strafed hex, you "mine" that hex, causing economic damage to the nearby ports, cities, and other stuff, like mines and such. No actual mines that damage actual units on the map.

4. Probably the hexes that you are not able to rech but should, if not opponent units where there.

5. Surface units has no difference on or of, but if on, and can raid, it will raid, and that eat a supply per turn, so this is why you might want to turn it off. For subs, off raider is silent, you can go under most enemy ships, but with reduced range. Also in silent mode, subs are much harder to find, unless you use destroyers.

6. Counter fire uses a shell per counter firing, so it could easily eat up all your shells. The when to use is tricky, counter fire is good for defense, but three shell before an attack can make a hard breakthrough a piece of cake.

[Janaka]

Thanks for the reply.

In Q2, what I was getting at is that the numbers that appear above the unit as it receives damage doesn't always match the actual strength points it loses.

Further to my mining question: How can I tell that the hex has been mined. I sent a surface vessel to an enemy red-hatched hex, but see nothing to indicate mining has occurred. Is there perhaps a minimum number of turns your vessel has to remain in the hex?

Next questions:

1. Is there any benefit to which hex a HQ is in. I get that the closer to the units it commands is better for 'pushing' supply, but does the HQ benefit itself from say being in a city rather than sat on a mountain for instance.

2. What's the general consensus on balancing reinforcement with experience loss? For instance is it always better to fully reinforce a unit, even if this removes all experience; or is it better to reinforce to a strength of say 7 or 8 in order to retain some unit's existing experience?

3. In my current Axis game (only my second attempt at playing) it is 1942 and I'm advancing into Russia. Elsewhere, British troops are landing in Italy and allied ships and bombers are softening up Cherbourg (presumably in preparation for invasion) does the Allied AI tend toward a much earlier than historical invasions in this game?

4. To the devs really: The sea defences event that fires for the Axis allows gun emplacements in northern France to deter/defend against Allied invasion - but its very noticeable how vulnerable Cherbourg becomes as it is the only likely invasion point left undefended in the same manner. Could the event be modded to include some love for Cherbourg too?

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Janaka



Further to my mining question: How can I tell that the hex has been mined. I sent a surface vessel to an enemy red-hatched hex, but see nothing to indicate mining has occurred. Is there perhaps a minimum number of turns your vessel has to remain in the hex?

When you have a ship or submarine on a red hatched hex at the end of a turn you'll receive a message at the end of your turn stating that some merchantmen were sunk in that location along with some random amount of MPP damage done to your opponent. I don't think there are any mines per se in this game. At least I've never seen them mentioned in the manual. The raiding location hexes probably just represent heavy concentrations of merchant traffic. A target rich environment so to speak.

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Janaka

Thanks for the reply.


1. Is there any benefit to which hex a HQ is in. I get that the closer to the units it commands is better for 'pushing' supply, but does the HQ benefit itself from say being in a city rather than sat on a mountain for instance.

In general, you’ll want to move keep HQs as close as practicable to railheads and roads to ensure frontline units have Supply 5+ if you plan to reinforce them at all, 6+ for maximum reinforcement and upgrades.

In the picture below, you'll note that the more northern Japanese HQ in the roadless area near the Mongolian border is generating some lousy supply levels to the surrounding hexes. The Japanese HQ down south near Peking is providing much better numbers. Sometimes, in primitive locations you won't be able to get the most ideal spots, but for the most part you want to keep your HQs in the best possible infrastructure.

[Xsillione]

Mines: they are not represented as anything, it happens every turn (and you get an event message from it), it is just what the ship landing on the red hex represents, but the event is the damage to the ports and such.

1. HQ: not really, but. The HQ needs to stay as close to the supply as it can, esp in enemy territory, where you won't get 10 sources, so you capture a town, it gives you 5 supply, HQ sets up shop on it and gives 8 towards the units, great, you move one hex to a mountain, one distance, and +2 movement penalty, so a total of three lost supply, the HQ boost 2 to 5, same as the town, the HQ does nothing. HQ should be either in town, or on a road, to help it getting good supply, and good way to distribute its supply boost. Of course special situations can happen.

2. Reinforcement: damaged unit lose power, 10% per lost str, also tends to go for lower morale and readiness, further reducing its effectiveness, so in most case, a 10 unit is better than an 8 with one star, and you really cannot keep your xp. in most case, you units will have little to no xp, as the war rages on, maybe your art, or protected bombers can get some xp, but you will take damage, and you want it to be reinforced.

3. The AI has some strict scripts, but also very flexible, if you are defeated in the med by the UK, they will land before the US arrives, if you defeat them in the med, than the UK might skip Italy and focus on Normandy, and if the US AI agrees, it will do it earlier than happened, or they will do multiple small landings to harass you. If the SU struggles, they try faster landings, if SU doing well, they go for japan a bit more.

4. Europe Fortress: consider most hex unprotected unless it has a corps on it, garrisons, coastal guns and such just a speed bump for a well done landing.

[Elessar2]

When invading an enemy country, note maximum city supply is 5 [denoted by the blue 5 in the hex]. Usually your best best is to park one HQ on a city while linking it to another nearby HQ near the front/point of attack or defense, which will get a high supply level itself, which it will then share with its subordinate units. Note aircraft will NOT get any extra supply unless linked to an HQ [in Russia I typically have 2-3 HQs devoted solely to the Luftwaffe], which is what the red crosshatching indicates [not linked and in low supply]--ANNNND said air HQ can do double duty by distributing supply to other nearby HQ's as said above.

Years ago IIRC there was talk of the reinforcement algorithm being "gentler" on your experience if the unit was reinforced slowly over several turns (representing veterans training the green rookies)- not sure if or when that got changed.

[Janaka]

Thanks again for the replies. I have reached September 1943. I am fighting on the outskirts of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad but definitely feel my advance has run out of steam as morale is dropping. And now the USA has landed in Sicily.

I have two more questions:

1. I'm sure I didn't notice this before, but some units have strength numbers showing in bright green, instead of the usual white. What does this signify?

2. Like I said above, the USA has landed in Sicily and took the two cities in one turn. I responded immediately with lots of German and Italian units, but its a narrow access across the strait. I was convinced it wouldn't take me long to expel the invaders. Anyway, I was disappointed to say the least, when an event soon fired regards the removal of Mussolini from power, and with that every Italian unit in the map disappeared. This left holes in my frontline in Russia. What are the triggers for this event. Surely the appearance of Allied units in Sicily (not even mainland Italy), and units I'm confident of defeating, isn't the immediate end to Italy's participance in the war?

[Xsillione]

Green numbers: it can be reinforced (or upgraded of it is the tech lvls)

Italy: below 20% (or around) NM, italy has low starting value, and lose lot of morale for africa, i you also lose the italian navy, than you just need a bit more for the italian collapse. Sicily is a morale loss trigger, as well as one of the city in sicily too, if they even just one hex inside the mainland italy, one more trigger. Italy is quite easy to knock out, if you lose in africa. And yes, that is a bad stuff in short term (you lose lots of italian units), but can be a blessing in disguise, as you get all the italian income into Germany, better tech, better industry, better everything. Sadly the italian airforce is irreplaceable, since you probably already at max with the Germans.

[ElvisJJonesRambo]

is the green numbering something new or did I bump settings? Weeks ago, the green numbering didn't exist or maybe my new glasses kicking in

[Bo Rearguard]

I believe he's referring to those green numbers that appear on the lower right of counters when you press "R" for reinforceable or "U" for upgradeable.

[Janaka]

Thanks Xsillione for the Italian explanation. I lost North and East Africa early on. I didn't bother to defend them - mostly as the RN was well placed to threaten my attempts to sail transports across the med.

I had Sicily fully defended though, upgraded corps in both cities and one corps and anti-air on the island too. However, amphibious landings seem super powerful; USA destroyed all Italian defenders within 2 turns. I would thought it would make more sense that an amphibious landing would suffer a malus to combat on the turn it lands to represent the difficulties of 'hitting the beaches' (disorganisation, unable to bring full strength to bear on initial landing etc).

Even though Italians have capitulated, Germany retains all of mainland Italy, presumably as I have German units stationed throughout.

[Janaka]

Regards the yellow/blue hatching I mentioned earlier. Usually its just a few hexes here and three - in this case its one large area full. I still don't understand what this signifies.

[Bo Rearguard]

The hatching represents the area in which that Japanese carrier projects air power. You may have noticed that land-based fighter units have those same hatching areas too. Clicking once on a fighter unit unit will show its movement range. Click again to see its intercept/strike range (shown with yellow-green cross hatching), and a third time for its air escort range (shown with blue cross hatching).

With a carrier you have to click a few more times since the second click always displays the naval cruise range of the carrier.

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Janaka

Thanks Xsillione for the Italian explanation. I lost North and East Africa early on. I didn't bother to defend them - mostly as the RN was well placed to threaten my attempts to sail transports across the med.

In future games you will probably want to make at least some effort in defending North Africa. Both Tripoli and Tobruk are national morale centers for Italy. Of course, I don't what your circumstances in your game were, but getting transports across the Mediterranean usually isn't difficult unless the Royal Navy is standing directly in the way. Once embarked, a transport can make the trip to a Libyan port in one go if the way is clear. Also, you can reinforce Libya before Italy goes to war with no risk at all although the window to do so is short.

Ethiopia, well that you can afford to lose although it still helps to hang on as long as possible.

[Janaka]

My next question: How do you make best use of aircraft carriers in this game?

In the war they were the new power at sea to which even battleships were now becoming inferior, but that is definitely not the case in this game. Carriers don't use aircraft in defence, allowing enemy surface vessels to move quickly up to them to engage at close contact, and in attack air strikes launched from carriers are ineffectual. At a loss as to what to do with them. At the moment I'm considering hiding them away so they don't become a liability due to NM losses.

In the attached image I have two carriers targeting a crippled US battleship. I launched two strikes from the first carrier but caused no damage to the battleship but had several aircraft shot down (hence only 3 aircraft strength remaining). The second carrier is about to launch strikes at the same 0-1 odds (hoping for luck). Surely a carrier should have some chance of sinking an enemy ship?

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Janaka


In the attached image I have two carriers targeting a crippled US battleship. I launched two strikes from the first carrier but caused no damage to the battleship but had several aircraft shot down (hence only 3 aircraft strength remaining). The second carrier is about to launch strikes at the same 0-1 odds (hoping for luck). Surely a carrier should have some chance of sinking an enemy ship?

What air operation mode do you have your carriers set for? It's one of those buttons down on the bottom of the screen. If it is set at CAP you will always get lousy results since you are sending fighters to do a naval bomber's job. You want it set for naval tactical or mixed if attacking ships.

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Janaka

My next question: How do you make best use of aircraft carriers in this game?

In the war they were the new power at sea to which even battleships were now becoming inferior, but that is definitely not the case in this game. Carriers don't use aircraft in defence, allowing enemy surface vessels to move quickly up to them to engage at close contact, and in attack air strikes launched from carriers are ineffectual. At a loss as to what to do with them. At the moment I'm considering hiding them away so they don't become a liability due to NM losses.

Aircraft carriers in this game shouldn't operate without a screen. They are very vulnerable to surface attack. If you don't want surface vessels sailing up adjacent to and then directly attacking your carriers with gunfire you need to physically put a barrier or screen of surface ships around them in adjacent hexes that enemy ships have to attack through first. That's the way carrier task forces work in this game. It also gives all those cruisers something to do.

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: Janaka

My next question: How do you make best use of aircraft carriers in this game?

Carriers can be potent and versatile weapons but they need to be utilized properly. Like any air unit they are nullified by bad weather. Carrier strikes against land units can impact the land unit's morale and readiness, but usually doesn't do much physical damage. Carrier strikes against ships in port can be devastating as at Pearl harbor. You also want to be careful about a lone carrier operating by itself, especially around land based air. It's probably best to use them in groups of two or more. One carrier providing CAP, the others set on strike. You also want surface ships out in front of them to run interference against any surface marauder which might come barreling after them.

They are also greatly enhanced by any upgrades you can afford to give them.

Long range aircraft research enlarges their spotting range. With a few levels of upgrades you could probably scout out the whole eastern or western Mediterranean with a British carrier.

Advanced fighters research makes them lethal against maritime bombers on defense, and assists on escort.

Naval weaponry research increases their staying power in surface combat and increases their carrier attack power against ships.

[Janaka]

Thanks guys.

CARRIERS

I did have a screen in the situation above, but the US navy sank them all or drove them back leaving the carriers exposed. Yes, I had the carrier mode wrong; my bad. I've set it to tactical now, except for the escort carrier which is using full cap. Didn't stop a disaster though: The US navy was approaching so I set up a screen with everything I had, my carriers were held two hexes further back, but the US vessels again pummelled my screen and broke straight through, continuing directly into my carriers (no fog of war for the AI?). I had one of my carriers sunk by a land-based RAF bomber in this same turn - no CAP from my escort carrier (or any carrier) intercepted.

Next turn came and I thought at least I'll get to launch my torpedo bombers this time to see how they work and how effective they are - guess what! It poured down with rain everywhere and nothing would take to the air!!!! [:(]


AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS

If I thought my last two turns in the East were bad, Northern France was worse. Is there any point in stationed defenders on the coast of France? I watched full strength, fully upgraded corps entrenched in city-ports be destroyed in a single turn by an enemy as they landed. Defending corps were attacked from sea as the landing craft arrived for 5 damage and then the landing enemy troops immediately attack for another 5 damage. I lost several corps and garrisons in the first turn of landings. On the second turn following the Allies landing, I'm defending Paris already. I know a lot of what hasn't awry in the game is down to my mistakes as I learn the game, but amphibious invasions definitely seem over-powered - bordering on broken.

Also, the sea-wall gun emplacements I received after paying for them by event are useless. They don't fire at the approaching landing craft; they only fire manually during your own turn, which is too late. Landing craft appear, land and off-load in a single AI turn. No defensive fire takes place.


This game will be the death of me. [:)]