Question about supply consumption by units not moving or engaged in combat

[clark_x_zhang]

Hi everyone,
Can someone tell me what governs supply consumption by units not moving or engaged in combat. I've noticed sometimes units that completely cut off seem to decrease in supply and readiness even if I don't attack them. I haven't noticed a similar effect with units that are just poorly supplied (say those that can out get 5% resupply max per turn based on the poor supply routes to them), but perhaps the effect is too subtle to easily notice. There are situations such as when one has unit that can trace a supply route but only a poor one, and one has to decide whether to withdraw it. It'd be nice to know what governs supply consumption for such units.

Thanks for your help,
CZ

[ogar]

The supply rate is what is shown in the hex, if you toggle the Supply button to show the rate. As you stated, this rate depends upon the length of the supply route to a supply point or "pipeline" (rail, main road leading to suppply point).

Digging in does use supply and readiness (to piggy-back on another of your questions). And what happens in your opponent's turn as well as in the 'dark phase of the a player's turn' (when you start a turn, the TOAW engine goes through a number of calculations on interdiction (air/artillery) as well as supply calcs). So, an opponent's attack _or_ some interdiction (which you will not see in the pbl) can degrade supply. And, of course, readiness cannot surpass supply - so if your unit gets re-supplied and has 60% (for example), then its readiness has a max of 60%.

Another possible effect of low supply is called "pestilence" -- when supply drops below 33%, units lose more equipment than normal. And even when doing no movement, no combat, units can lose equipment (breakage, theft, ...) I do not know if that starts up a cycle of reducing supply or readiness, but if -- that is a big if -- so, then that is another possible cause.

As you point out, the solution is to keep units near to good supply lines when possible, rotate them out of the line when supply is poor at the front line, and use HQ and/or suppply units to temporarily increase the supply rate near units.