an answer to this situation would help alot!

[jack54]

Hi all,

I am trying to get the hang of this game and this situation would answer multiple issues that I have...

In the attached situation I would like Totenkopf to act as a fire brigade for XXXXI Panzer corp.
Totenkopf is attached directly to 4th Panzer Army HQ, XXXXI’s superior HQ.
1- must Totenkopf be set to reserve to respond?
2 --will it respond at all while attached directly to 4th Panzer Army or do I have to attach them directly to XXXXI Corp?
3 –is there a better chance of it being added to a battle if attached to XXXXI directly?

Thanks! I haven't given this game the time it deserves...

[gingerbread]

1) Yes
2) 4th Pz will work
3) Yes, provided XXXXI does not go over its command limit

Edit to 3) It mostly depends on the INI rating of the HQ:s leader, so pick the HQ with the highest.

[jack54]

Thank you... I think I got it now...

[Zonso]

As a predominantly German player, I would like to improve this aspect of my game. In my limited experience, the Soviet Reserve activations seem disproportionately higher than the German. I think having high Initiative helps but it isn't the only, or even most important, factor obviously. It seems the quantity set to reserve counts for a lot, as does MPs and how well supplied. However, even after ticking those boxes I still don't seem to get the number of activations when there appears to be many opportunities for it to occur.

The example above got me thinking. Would having Totenkopf assigned directly to Fourth Panzer better facilitate reserve activations to other Corps versus being attached to a Corps? My historical meter says yes, but game wise I do not know, likely not. Any thoughts on this?

[Tarhunnas]

I agree Zonso, Soviet reserve activation appears to work just as well as German, while hostorically, one would expect the Soviets to be somewhat more sluggish. After all, timely counterattacks was the forte of the Wehrmacht.
 
I have played this game for a year now, and have no idea of the answer to your final question.

[Flaviusx]

It's the law of numbers, folks.

On a one to one basis, Soviet reactions are far less likely to occur than German ones, because on average, Soviet initiative ratings are bad. There's only a handful of high initiative leaders, and you'll be stuck using a lot of guys with 4's and 5's in the bulk of your HQs. And until 1943 there's a severe shortage of Front command capacity, so that entire command layer drops out of the equation (either in the form of overloads or STAVKA armies.)

The Soviet makes up for this by:

1. Sheer numbers of units placed in reserve, and;

2. Comrade Zhukov. No matter how bad Soviet initiative may be, it's being backstopped at the STAVKA level by his 8 rating. Now that STAVKA doesn't overload, this matters a lot.

The German can mimic this trick to an extent via breakdowns to increase their unit count, but on the whole, the Wehrmacht relies heavily on their superior command ratings. Note that Halder isn't the guy you want for this, he needs to be replaced at some point with a high initiative general, or OKH will underperform.

[Tarhunnas]

Not sure if this is realistic. Let's say we have Comrade Dorkovich with a rather slow thought process commanding a sector of the front. Would he be more likely to manage to send in the reserves in a timely manner if he had 5 formations to chose from rather than 2? Rolling per commander instead of per reserve unit might be more appropriate?

Edit: And I am not sure Zhukov sitting in Moscow should be able to send in brigades in reserve from Leningrad to the Black sea?

[Walloc]

I can understand u thinking Tarhunnas. Problem i see is that the command structures for the 2 sides are different. This in it self would create a greater dispondancy if u were to "streamline" as u suggest. Taken that together with the current state of attack vs defense, the current state of '41 u would in effect skew 41/42 more than it alrdy is. Im not sure thats the right direction to take as is currently. How ever much sense the suggestion makes.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

[Flaviusx]

Taken on its own, perhaps not very realistic. But it's a godsend in a game with poor forts, high movement rates, IGOUGO mechanics, and loose logistics. The defense doesn't have a lot going for it besides reserves.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Taken on its own, perhaps not very realistic. But it's a godsend in a game with poor forts, high movement rates, IGOUGO mechanics, and loose logistics. The defense doesn't have a lot going for it besides reserves.

Yes, but it isn't really good when it should need two wrongs to make a right.

[Helpless]

: And I am not sure Zhukov sitting in Moscow should be able to send in brigades in reserve from Leningrad to the Black sea?

That's the way it was. Stavka representatives were dealing with reserve "brigades", front commander Vatutin was issuing orders for the battalions in the Armies, etc. Micromanagement was not something very exceptional.

I see nothing wrong in current situation, but probably some roll reduction for the high command leader rolls is required as it could be overused to some extent right now.

The example above got me thinking. Would having Totenkopf assigned directly to Fourth Panzer better facilitate reserve activations to other Corps versus being attached to a Corps?

It should be better attached to the same Corps, then to the Army up the chain and then to other Corps, which is still much better than Soviet units in "adjacent" Armies, or to the Front. Units attached to the Front/Stavka/AG/OKH get immediate unconditional penalty. In my tests German units react much more often when proper setup is used.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Taken on its own, perhaps not very realistic. But it's a godsend in a game with poor forts, high movement rates, IGOUGO mechanics, and loose logistics. The defense doesn't have a lot going for it besides reserves.

Don't forget, reserves can be helpful on the attack as well. As the Soviets usually have a lot more units, I think it tends to be an advantage to them. When I attack as the Sovits in 1942, I usually have all the units I can stack in the attack, I then put everything nearby on reserve, and there will normally be one or two additional units joining the attack.

[randallw]

It should also be remembered that if the initial odds are one sided then reserve units will not be committed. In the original poster's screen shot if those two motor divisions go after a single Soviet division Totenkopf may decide "ehh, we aren't needed; you guys can handle it on your own".