Neutralized White Flag?

[Rokkorfan]

Sometimes after bombing a city the flag changes to white and I get the message "Neutralized". There's nothing in the manual re. this. When I attack the city still defends so I don't think it affects the attack/defence calculations. What does it mean, and what are the implications of not attacking it?

Thanks, Rokkorfan

[Bentusi]

I guess it is impossible to reinforce from a neutralized town at least, so an early bombing campaign might prevent a point from being full of artillery and anti air by the time your ground forces appear. Also I suppose the enemy loses the spotting range around the point, although I have no way of verifying this without trying it in multi-player. But I have been wondering a bit about the neutralization myself, since there is nothing in the manual about it.

[Razz1]

It means you can't get supply from the city or place new units in it or use it as a victory hex.

[terje439]

Neutralizing cities works quite well on the larger maps where your opponent (be it human or AI) does not have garrisons in all his cities. By neutralizing those empty cities he cannot build new units there, and he is left with the choice of either;
-leaving those cities empty, or
-send other units from the front to retake his own cities.

Against the AI I tend to send a strat bomber to bomb the enemy cities neutralizing all empty ones. Then I will sneak one of my scouts through the enemy lines and head for those empty cities and capture them with ease.


Terje