Retreat?

[BK6583]

Playing the CP 1914 scenario - first turn. When I did an air recce the Serbs had three or four corps stacked in Belgrade. I attacked it anyway with the Austrians and on the first impulse to my surprise the combat screen said the attack was successful. On the second impulse I went to move the Austrian corps south out of Belragde and couldn't (HQ was activated). When I scrolled over Belgrade, I discovered that three depleted Serb corps were stacked with the Austrians. For the next three impulses combat occurred in Belgrade with the Austrians always being successful and the Serb corps becoming more and more depleted, until at the end of the last impulse the Serb corps were all eliminated. Is this supposed to happen?

[Lascar]

ORIGINAL: BK6583

Playing the CP 1914 scenario - first turn. When I did an air recce the Serbs had three or four corps stacked in Belgrade. I attacked it anyway with the Austrians and on the first impulse to my surprise the combat screen said the attack was successful. On the second impulse I went to move the Austrian corps south out of Belragde and couldn't (HQ was activated). When I scrolled over Belgrade, I discovered that three depleted Serb corps were stacked with the Austrians. For the next three impulses combat occurred in Belgrade with the Austrians always being successful and the Serb corps becoming more and more depleted, until at the end of the last impulse the Serb corps were all eliminated. Is this supposed to happen?

I have seen this happen many times when attacking cities. Paris especially can be contested for many impulses. You can withdraw depleted corps from the contested stack and move in fresh corps to continue the battle. You don't need to expend an additional HQ point to do so.

[Mosby]

Speaking of Paris, in my last game it was held by a very low lv corps, and 3 arty pieces, and I couldn't take it....ever. Even with my own arty support, plus gas. What's the deal?

[FrankHunter]

Hi Mosby, there could be a number of reasons. Did you use siege artillery on Paris or is the fortress still intact? Regardless, if you have a saved game of an assault on Paris I can look at it and let you know exactly why it held.

[Mosby]

It was probably due to the fact that I didn't have siege artillery. I'm trying a new plan right now that....uses siege pieces, sigh.
And while I'm throwing questions that really don't have anything to do with the original post, is there a reason why I should take out serbia? I usually just let them wander around while the Austrian troops take on the Russians.

[Lascar]

Another question related to this discussion comes up. In a current game the Russians were engaged with the Austrians in a contested battle for Vienna. On the first impulse of the battle for Vienna the TE player said he saw a message that Vienna had fallen. I as the CP player never saw that message but Austrian morale did drop dramatically even though AH troops were still in Vienna for at least a couple more impulses fighting the Russians.

What determines if a city has fallen if the city hex is still being contested (units of both sides occupying the city.)?

[FrankHunter]

Mosby, well, it depends on your over Austrian strategy. But taking out Serbia and bringing Bulgaria into the alliance allows you to ship Ottoman raw materials back to Central Europe which helps the CP war effort. Plus of course it gets rid of a front.

What determines if a city has fallen if the city hex is still being contested (units of both sides occupying the city.)?

I believe its the side with the most units in the city with the original side getting a +1 "home town" bonus.

[FrankHunter]

I should add that's if there's no fortress.

If there is, there has to be a moment when there's no friendly, ready troops in it.