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HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:42 pm
by wolf727
Hi
I have just started playing Advanced Tactics after a long time.
I remember there was a quick rule regarding how close an HQ should be to other units if the other units were to receive a benefit or advantage. I can't remember exactly the number of hexes units had to be within HQ distance to receive this special bonus. Was it 5 hexes, for example?
Furthermore, what advantage does the HQ give to units that are within hex range? Was it moral, attacking bonuses?
I do realise the HQ affect units under its command with all the other factors like moral, readiness and so on, but what was the close proximity rule referring to in particular?
Thanks.
wolf727
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:43 pm
by Grymme
Hi
I am at work, so not entirely sure. But i think the basic radius is 4 hexes. At 5 hexes its 80 % HQ effect, 6 hexes 60 % and so on. (there should be a small square called HQ power or something like that). And the HQ gives a special HQ bonus up to 100 % independent of other factors, applied to both defensive and offensive combat.
This is just of the top of my head.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:13 pm
by wolf727
Hi Grymme
Thanks for your "off the top of your head" information.
I wish I knew what page of the manual I can find the information.
Hey! Shouldn't you be working instead of reading the forums? I just noticed you're still online. Shame on you. Don't worry, only kidding.
Thanks for your input - I do appreciate it.
Wolf727
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:14 pm
by Lunaticus_matrixforum
As an additional input:
Iirc there are three boni you can get from a HQ but I think they are only for land units:
First one is the mentioned above combat bonus. It is listed for each unit in the small table under the unit where it says Staff and HqPw. The exact range and boni depend on the scenario being played but I think for most scenarios the values from Grymme above should be close to the real thing.
Second one is that HQs help the units regain lost morale quicker (details are on p 42).
Third one is that HQs help units gain XP faster (page 42).
Hope this helps
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:14 pm
by wolf727
Hi Lunaticus
Thanks for your helpful feedback from Germany.
wolf727
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:39 am
by british exil
I tend to use three kind of HQ's.
1st Main HQ, which handles the supply and pp.
2nd Battle HQ's which follow battle units and give them moral boost.
3rd Training HQ's who train the new units to a certain amount of xp, so that they can be used to rebuild damaged units or build completly new units.
Thus my battle HQ's dont need to carry so much weight with them and can move along with their battlegroups.
Training is behind the frontline so no green troops will be used straight away, unless the front is collapsing.
Of course it costs a bit to have an extra HQ sitting around not doing much in the way of fighting (staff, trucks, supply)but in the way of getting fresh trained men to the frontlines, is worth it from my point of view.
Any other ways of doing things? I am willing to learn more efficent ways of doing things. Doing the HQ thing the way I do was learning from PBEM games.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:19 am
by wolf727
Hi british exil
That was an interesting way of handling HQs - I must try that out the next time I play Advanced Tactics.
I haven't played the game for a long time so I'm a bit rusty and have forgotten some of the minor intricate details like rules on "xp". You mentioned a third HQ for Training. Do new units gain xp just by being present as times goes by? - I forgot how they gain xp.
Thanks for that information - very informative.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:04 am
by british exil
As far as I understand the game, yes new units gain XP from their HQ.
They "train" while being under HQ influence. But of course they gain more XP being on the frontline and in battle.
HQ's also gain XP as the game moves along. A training HQ will still need time to build a strong fighting force, but will not send raw recruits into their deaths.
Tis better to have 30xp on the line than 8xp, which new troops have.
Plus when rebuilding a unit 30xp will benefit a veteran unit than using an 8xp.
It is just really a matter of time, when to place the units on the line. Using the Training HQ is just giving units a few turns before they are ready. So units that have been built 4 turns prior, join the line. Still with a bit of xp but can hold their position.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:30 am
by Ande
you shouldn't replace veterans with new troops at all when possible, it is better to merge veteran units and create another separate green unit . You can think of it as trying to get as much free xp from the game as possible. If you add 20 rifles at 10xp to a unit with 20 rifles at 70 xp the resulting unit will get 40 xp. I think the game stops give you xp at 50 and that means the game will only give you 10*40=400 xp, if you instead let the 20 new rifles be in their own unit you will may be given 20*40=800xp if the new unit doesn't fight.
This works on subformation level so you can transfer away crack rifles and fill up the unit with fresh troops together with with elite AT-cannons and mortars
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:47 am
by wolf727
Thanks "british exil" and "Ande" for the information. I really have to look into this "xp" issue. I gather units don't need to be inside HQ to gain xp.
I never really looked at the issue of xp before - I just assumed it was of minor importance. I see now that it probably does make a big difference.
Thanks for the input.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:57 am
by british exil
@ Ande,
Thanks for mentioning that.
But you are 100% correct. I noticed this when I played a PBEM, was transfering greens to the vets, weaking them further.
Often I find myself being a bit reluctant to "desolve" a vet unit. And transfer new (trained)units in. Hoping that they will still be strong enough. Will try to keep that in mind when I play PBEM. Better to recreate the unit and fight another day, than weaken it by refilling - only to lose it in the next battle.
Against an AI opponant: I find that the AI doesn't exploit that failiure. And as I have played the AI more that H2H, I tend to make mistakes that harm me in H2H games. Wishing that there was an undo button when it comes to transfers.
Good that we have the forum here to form us into better players.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:46 pm
by wolf727
Hi british exil
Yes I am beginnig to see how much importance this "xp" is according to you and "Ande".
Now you mentioned about the AI, has this improved at all lately? Because when playing against an AI+ it just "churns out" units to such an extent that it is hard to beat and seems a little unrealistic or atrificial. Just wondered if lately they have made the AI at level "AI+" a little more realistic ot reasonable?
Juat a thought.
Just noticed you are playing from Germany. Myself I am playing from Italy for the time being.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 2:45 pm
by british exil
Coming back to HQ's.
Does anyone use pure SS staff as a HQ? Do they have andvantage compared to normal staff? As SS units have compared to normal units.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:31 pm
by wolf727
Sorry british exil, I certainly don't know the answer to your question on SS Staff HQ.
I am trying out your three types of HQs (Main HQ, Battle HQ and Training HQ) when a question came to me whilst playing a game.
The Battle HQ you have it to follow units around giving them a moral boost, but does it still give a moral boost to units that do not belong to that particular HQ - units that do not have the same colour as the HQ?
wolf727
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:57 pm
by Barthheart
ORIGINAL: wolf727
Sorry british exil, I certainly don't know the answer to your question on SS Staff HQ.
I am trying out your three types of HQs (Main HQ, Battle HQ and Training HQ) when a question came to me whilst playing a game.
The Battle HQ you have it to follow units around giving them a moral boost, but does it still give a moral boost to units that do not belong to that particular HQ - units that do not have the same colour as the HQ?
wolf727
@Exile - SS staff (in WaW I assume) don't give any more bonus that regular staff.... But i use them 'cause it looks cool!
@Wolf - HQ's only give moral/comabt to units that belong to them (ie have the same colour.)
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 2:20 am
by wolf727
Thanks Barthheart for the info. Now on looking at it again, it was kind of a silly question I made.
And there will be more... Once again thanks for replying.
wolf727
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 8:15 am
by british exil
ORIGINAL: wolf727
Thanks Barthheart for the info. Now on looking at it again, it was kind of a silly question I made.
And there will be more... Once again thanks for replying.
wolf727
There are no silly questions mate.I think we all had/have the same problems. Ask and you will get an answer.
Some questions may seem silly, but I think you will find someone here who has thought about the sme thing but just hasn't had the courage to ask.[;)]
But question such as the SS HQ get answered in such a nice way. Cool optics in AT!!! Never saw it that way Barthheart, but will try it out myself.[:D]
But strange,silly questions? That is another reason for the forum.
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:53 am
by wolf727
Ok british exil, thanks for your message of confort!
I think, I too, should start using SS HQs "'cause it looks cool!".

Don't worry just kidding around.
If you want to see really cool looking uniforms, you should see what the Italian police - the Carabinieri - wear here in Italy. They have the "coolest" looking uniform in all of Europe.

RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:22 pm
by rjh1971
ORIGINAL: british exil
I tend to use three kind of HQ's.
1st Main HQ, which handles the supply and pp.
2nd Battle HQ's which follow battle units and give them moral boost.
3rd Training HQ's who train the new units to a certain amount of xp, so that they can be used to rebuild damaged units or build completly new units.
Thus my battle HQ's dont need to carry so much weight with them and can move along with their battlegroups.
Training is behind the frontline so no green troops will be used straight away, unless the front is collapsing.
Of course it costs a bit to have an extra HQ sitting around not doing much in the way of fighting (staff, trucks, supply)but in the way of getting fresh trained men to the frontlines, is worth it from my point of view.
Any other ways of doing things? I am willing to learn more efficent ways of doing things. Doing the HQ thing the way I do was learning from PBEM games.
I'll have to use the HQ gained while capturing Kiev, Minsk and Riga for training purposes rather than have them sitting idly. Thanks for the tip
And also I must stop from reinforcing frontline units directly with just recently built forces...
RE: HQs - how far from units?
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:19 pm
by wolf727
Hello rjh1971
I too have to learn how to best use the HQs. At the moment I'm trying to figure out how to use them. Sometimes I end up doing the old way by reinforcing frontline units with recently built units.
However, I have a question. When I do start up a new HQ which is to be used only for training, then do I not have to start wasting time and resources in supplying that new HQ with trucks? The trucks will be needed to be able to send the units to the front. Without a sufficient quantity of trucks, the HQ would be useless. Previously it was my first main HQ that I had to supply with trucks only. Now I would have to supply two HQs with trucks! One HQ (the first one) that would provide supplies and PP, and the other HQ for the training.
No one yet has mentioned about the need to spend the extra time and resources just to provide the new HQ (for training units) with trucks. I just discovered that when I started to designate an HQ for training purposes.
wolf727