Matrix Games Forums

Guys,

When a unit routs from in front of a big river ( because say defenders on the other side make it over stack) seems to get away without the x 3 retreat attrition or am I incorrect?

I would like a function that lets me have all my HQ on the top of stacks in my turn while I am doing orders - this would be a big help? Actually I still do not understand why RR , Eng battalions and HQ count against stacking anyway.

In mud turns it seems reserve units never commit is that the case? Also Engineers may not be reducing Forts?? Or is it just reduced.

And last...my air units ( I am axis and its September/ Oct 42)seem to be causing almost no casualties since the last patch or is that my imagination?

Thanks.

Actually I still do not understand why RR , Eng battalions and HQ count against stacking anyway.

I'm obviously not on the dev team and I have never nor will I ever see the code, but I can fully imagine that the idea of a 3 unit stacking limit is pretty deeply and intimately worked into it. One hopes that there is some maxStackSize=3 constant, but it's very possible the assumption of 3 was so obvious that this wasn't done. Changing it would be quite difficult, and that's assuming that anyone even wanted to. Furthermore, you'd need to redefine what a unit is from the ground up so that non-combat units wouldn't count against stacking, although I suppose that would leave the value at 3 in the end. Regardless, it wouldn't be a trivial task, and it's not even really a problem anyway.

In mud turns it seems reserve units never commit is that the case? Also Engineers may not be reducing Forts?? Or is it just reduced.

The manual makes it clear that units need enough MP to get to the battle, take part in the battle (as an attacker, regardless of whether you're attacking or defending), and then go back to where they started, plus a liittle extra for the trouble, and even more if your leader sucks. This would take a huge amount of MP for motorized units to do in mud, so they won't. And you wouldn't want them to anyway, because their attack value would be near nil, just like everything else.

And last...my air units ( I am axis and its September/ Oct 42)seem to be causing almost no casualties since the last patch or is that my imagination?

Check whether your airbases have ammo. Amazing how often I overlook that seemingly obvious problem (uh hey guys I'm at the target... did anyone remember to load bombs????). Aside from that, air units don't cause many casualties, they mostly cause disruptions.

I would like a function that lets me have all my HQ on the top of stacks in my turn while I am doing orders - this would be a big help?

Why? Assuming you've turned on command links, just click on any unit and the lines connecting it to the command chain make it more than clear where your hq units are.

Cavalry

Ctl-1 highlights your HQ's they are color coded red orange yellow blue for high command front army and corps - best I can offer

regarding airpower damage, let me suggest that the combination of airframe, distance, terrain, air settings, spotting level, morale, concentration of units unit selection into combat, weather, supply, and enemy response all play a factor.
My experience suggests that concentration of airpower is the underlying principle. get the best airframes and units into the guard airbases and get them on rails near HQ's. cycle out every air unit below national morale, and bring them back
after they are above.

Look to make a dozen to two dozen ground attacks per turn,

get some scrap paper and write down the casualties you are making. My experience has been that the IL2 dive bomber is the best at delivering damage. Check carefully your mix of airframes and morale issues. take a snap of your air units sorted by morale and experience and airframe type. It should be revealing

And of course, attack clear hexes when you have options

ORIGINAL: cavalry


I would like a function that lets me have all my HQ on the top of stacks in my turn while I am doing orders - this would be a big help?

And last...my air units ( I am axis and its September/ Oct 42)seem to be causing almost no casualties since the last patch or is that my imagination?

Thanks.

Kind of building off the OP's Air question, is it ever worth strategically bombing cities or ports?

I understand the air war is kind of a 2nd player in WitE but its so strange since its such an important aspect of Ostfront...

Anyway I cut off Leningrad from its railways however I cannot reach the port, the AI has gone mad with defending Leningrad with the majority of its army there. I want to bomb the only port that is supplying Leningrad and its troops but cant seem to inflict any damage.. Not worth it?

ORIGINAL: RoflCopter4

Actually I still do not understand why RR , Eng battalions and HQ count against stacking anyway.

[] I can fully imagine that the idea of a 3 unit stacking limit is pretty deeply and intimately worked into it. One hopes that there is some maxStackSize=3 constant, but it's very possible the assumption of 3 was so obvious that this wasn't done. Changing it would be quite difficult, and that's assuming that anyone even wanted to. Furthermore, you'd need to redefine what a unit is from the ground up so that non-combat units wouldn't count against stacking, although I suppose that would leave the value at 3 in the end. Regardless, it wouldn't be a trivial task, and it's not even really a problem anyway.

[/quote]
I can imagine the 3 stack limit comes from the heritage of board games days when some ended up using tweezers during the movement phase. Unless there is a different graphical interface the developers might view a larger stack as harming playability so a worthwhile constraint. Without knowing the code it might be imaginable that the constant stays at 3 but the auto rail repair units are considered like SUs - in effect off map units. Perhaps you could have a map filter to switch on to see where they are, but switching it off normally to leave the map less cluttered and more playable? But I guess that is a suggestion for developers.

As a workaround you can return rail repair to HQ and sequence your play to do hasty attacks of the direct reports first then expend MPs moving HQs out of the way etc.

ORIGINAL: cavalry
When a unit routs from in front of a big river ( because say defenders on the other side make it over stack) seems to get away without the x 3 retreat attrition or am I incorrect?[] In mud turns

[/quote]

If it is mud are the ice levels high. If it is frozen perhaps it is not treated as a cross river retreat?

ORIGINAL: HermanGraf

Anyway I cut off Leningrad from its railways however I cannot reach the port, the AI has gone mad with defending Leningrad with the majority of its army there. I want to bomb the only port that is supplying Leningrad and its troops but cant seem to inflict any damage.. Not worth it?

I have the same issue. I have seen forums raving about the effectiveness of bombing ports especially Lgads - but I have never replicated it. Was this the result of a code change?

ORIGINAL: cavalry
I would like a function that lets me have all my HQ on the top of stacks in my turn while I am doing orders - this would be a big help?

[/quote]
My request would be for an auto move HQs closer for quick less micro managed games. Just like you can auto assign units to the nearest HQ why not an AI to move HQs after you have moved their direct reports?

L'grad's ports can be bombed if sufficient LW force available. Do this after all hexes south of L'grad are invested, then believe you can ignore the large L'grad port. Bomb the one port of the Eastern peninsula. There are several ports east of the peninsula that supply L'grad. Bomb these also.

Port damage goes up in various amounts, but repairs quickly. Get a position on the peninsula and L'grad eventually falls.

Not sure, but after 3-4 weeks bombing supply to L'grad is materially reduced; still, L'graders defend well.

OK thanks for all the replies - I will be digesting al this.

I once successfully bombed the last port supplying Leningrad. Granted it took me 6 turns of bombing, and took moving tons of bombers north from other fronts, and took a significant (nearly shameful) amount of save scumming to do so. I probably saved, reloaded, and tried again 30-40 times before finally damaging it enough each turn.