Matrix Games Forums

I have a couple of questions which I haven't been able to find within the old forum entries:

1) Unloading troops from my transport ships - I couldn't seem to make this work. How do I do it? Do I already have to own the area first? How do I secure a beachhead then?

2) Anti-supply. When I'm playing the AI, the AI will occasionally break through my lines. However, when he does so, MY troops seem to lose their supply, even though they're not completely cut off (a narrow band of red-dot-marking supply line availability) while the AI's troops do NOT lose their supply when they're also not completely cut off (though they'll have a far narrower gap of red-dot-marking supply line than I do). So...is it required to have units ALL ALONG THE SUPPLY ROUTE until you get back to the open supply lines or just have the red dots mark your supply route availability? What's keeping my supply cut off?

3) When #2 happens, my units who are supply-cutoff are COMPLETELY IMMOBILE AND USELESS. It seems like this shouldn't happen IMMEDIATELY, as I then have no way at all of extracting them by "backing away from the front" and must instead either write them off as dead or expend a lot of my other forces in trying to retrieve them. I wouldn't mind the latter if I had some capability to self-extract them first (understanding it would be very limited).

@ 1.: You have to select the to-be-unloaded unit first, than the unload button will be available. Click it and unload the unit onto a bordering coastal hex.

Re. 2 and 3...
Select your unit's headquarters and then click on the Supply icon to see how much supply is getting to the unit. You may find that the cut off unit is a long way away from a viable supply route (no close roads, mountains, rivers and forests between the units etc). Also check that the headquarters is receiving adequate supply.

ORIGINAL: Woodruff

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3) When #2 happens, my units who are supply-cutoff are COMPLETELY IMMOBILE AND USELESS. It seems like this shouldn't happen IMMEDIATELY, as I then have no way at all of extracting them by "backing away from the front" and must instead either write them off as dead or expend a lot of my other forces in trying to retrieve them. I wouldn't mind the latter if I had some capability to self-extract them first (understanding it would be very limited).

I'll let some other answer more fully, but when units are cut off from supply, they dont lose (at least they shouldnt be loosing all mobility immeditately). Unit can "carry" more supply than they use, so they should be able to maintain readiness for a while. I watch the Unit's supply level (stock, in, request mainly), to check supply status. if stock is 0, then I try to improve my supply, since I know I could get into trouble fast if cut off.) If I understand it correctly, in the unit in stock slot, the number in parentheses is the number of turns a unit can last without supply coming in.).

Also, check the right-hand part of the unit panel aand make sure supply is set to 100%. Apparently some scenarios have some units wehre that is set to 0, so units don't request full supply.

Rick

one thought re unloading, It takes one turn to load, and another to unload.. I do not think that can be worked arround in the editor although I am not sure, but it always works in the current games// scenarios that way.

The supply system is difficult. I am paying the price in our pbem right now .
By far the biggest challenge in this game imho.

Ok, I think I understand what you guys are saying regarding the anti-supply rules. One more question on that...does that mean the red "hex-coverage/ownership" lines are relatively meaningless? Because I'll have a clear path to my units in that regard (though a narrow one), and they'll still be considered cut-off. If that's the case, what does the red line mean then? Am I presuming what it is incorrectly?

I am new to AT too, but I think the red lines you refer to is the path of POTENTIAL supply, if there were no interdicting factors.  The main thing, as pointed out, is to check the stock of supply.  And it is the colors of the HEX the unit occupies that show you if it is in supply.  You can click on an enemy unit and then on the supply overlay to see if it is in supply.