Supply Chains

[semper fi]

How do supply chains of depots work? Must the chain of depots originate in a home province (directly controlled) or may they start in a protectorate?

[jkBluesman]

A protectorate is fine.

[semper fi]

Thanks...

[jkBluesman]

The chain may even start in a province counquered during a war, e.g. France conqueres Kent, is still at war with Britain therefor gets income from Kent but does not own the province, however may install a depot there that is not part of a chain from France. This sometimes helps when you try to fight nations far away from your home base, like France fighting in Russia.

[Johnus]

The army drawing supply must be "adjacent" to a depot. Does that mean the army must be in a province which is adjacent to a province containing a depot ??

[jkBluesman]

That is exactly what it means. Beware of Kosaks though and leave one unit (irregular cavalry or the like) to protect the depot, otherwise your army might not be able to draw supplies.

[Johnus]

JkBluesman:

Thanks.

[1LTRambo]

Also, keep in mind that you can dissrupt an enemy supply chain by moving one of your units into or through an unprotected province. His units will no longer be in supply and can possibly suffer greatly if they are too large to forage. The will also break faster during detailed battles when out of supply.[;)]

[1LTRambo]

Keep the enemy supply chains in mind also. You can dissrupt the enemy by moving one of your units into or through an unguarded province. An enemy unit can suffer a great number of casualties and, in detailed battles, their morale will break easier when out of supply.[;)]

[1LTRambo]

Ok that was weird. My first response did not go through and I re-wrote it. When I posted the second one, the first one showed up.[X(]

[semper fi]

[font=arial]I find myself having to reconsider the previous responses concerning supply chains. I’ve re-read the rules about supply chains and it states “depots can only be created in supply chains that extend back to a province directly controlled by the nation.” According to the rules, a “directly” controlled province is a province that has the solid shading of the nation’s color. Furthermore, I noticed in a recent game that AI countries established supply chains to their protectorates that originated from a “directly" controlled province (solid shading) i.e. Spain was running a supply chain from Catalonia (a directly controlled province) through the Mediterranean Sea (including Sardinia) to Calabria (a protectorate). [/font]
[font=arial] [/font]
[font=arial]I would like to put this question to the developers/moderators…Must supply chains originate in a “directly (solid shaded)” controlled province belonging to that Naiton?[/font]

[jkBluesman]

You may easily find out yourself - just go for it and try. Put a large army in a province where it cannot forage next to a protectorate of yours with a depot. If the army does not suffer any losses (i.e. non-combat) and the depot is not destroyed, then you may find your answer.
I forgot, you want to use a supply chain, so put a depot in a protectorate and try to put one in an adjacent province.

[ericbabe]

You should be able to start supply chains from your protectorates.

You may even be able to start them from conquered cities, though we were considering changing that rule and I can't remember off the top of my head whether we actually did that or not.

[semper fi]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe

You should be able to start supply chains from your protectorates.

You may even be able to start them from conquered cities, though we were considering changing that rule and I can't remember off the top of my head whether we actually did that or not.

Thanks for the response(s). A couple of comments...
1. Would you verify the supply chain part concerning conquered countries.
2. Why are the AI nations running supply chains to their protectorates from a "Directly Controlled" province?
3. Do divisions, corps or armies set to forage still receive the benefit of being in supply for reinforcements and detailed combat if they are within range of supply depot?
4. The rules should be re-written to avoid confusion on this subject.

[1925frank]

I vaguely remember that if a supply chain runs through the ocean/sea areas, you have to keep at least one ship in the same area.  Is that correct? 
 

[jkBluesman]

No, but enemy ships may destroy your chain of supply or interrupt it.

[1925frank]

Thank you.  That was a lot simpler than flipping endlessly through the manual.