Matrix Games Forums

1. Do the remaining movement points influence the probability of successfully changing entrenching? The manual says that an engineering check and a quality check is done. As far as I know, neither depend on remaining MPs. Is there any advantage to digging in before any other actions are taken, such as attacking, moving etc?

2. Is there any advantage to keep units mobile? The manual states that artillery will not provide long range support if mobile and that tactical reserve is good to retain artillery mobility and supportability. Is there any movement bonus for keeping units mobile?

3. There is an option to show Defense Strength modified by terrain on the counter. I suppose this takes into account only the terrain modifiers applied to Defense Strength of units. Why isn't there an option to show Attack Strength modified by the terrain modifiers that are applied to AT and AP?

1. Yes, when a unit defends it's entrenchment is based on it's remaining movement potential. If left in defense an entire turn than all potential will be applied.
2. For one mobile units will be more likely to retreat rather than take even minimal losses if the odds are against them. There is no movement bonus on the next turn for mobile status, while I think there should be a loss of MPs for leaving a defensive position along with movement reductions for any in hex activity like division/combinations entraining/disembarkation.
3. Probably because defense calculation is straight forward. Attacks receive wild modifiers and would be confusing to a player who actually uses them to attack another hex's terrain and get different results.

Good information!

Do not dig in if you plan on attacking, wont that use all MP's for the turn? Attack and then if possible dig in after attacking.

ORIGINAL: mccartyg

1. Yes, when a unit defends it's entrenchment is based on it's remaining movement potential. If left in defense an entire turn than all potential will be applied.
2. For one mobile units will be more likely to retreat rather than take even minimal losses if the odds are against them. There is no movement bonus on the next turn for mobile status, while I think there should be a loss of MPs for leaving a defensive position along with movement reductions for any in hex activity like division/combinations entraining/disembarkation.
3. Probably because defense calculation is straight forward. Attacks receive wild modifiers and would be confusing to a player who actually uses them to attack another hex's terrain and get different results.

Thanks.

4.Local Reserve - The unit will attempt to react to enemy attacks into locations within a movement radius defined by the unit’s remaining Movement Allowance. Regardless of the radius, the reaction movement is only one hex per combat.(from the manual)
I imagine then that if I dig in or use all my MP moving there will be no use then to change deployment to Local Reserve, since there will be no movement points left. Is that so?

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to set a group of units (or a region) for which the unit should react. Or even just a maximum range. Sometimes I find myself hoping that some distant units won't be in range, in order to be able to set my unit to Local Reserve to give support to a closer and more important group that is not adjacent, so that I can't use Tactical Reserve. I simple solution to program could be perhaps to allow players to set a range and archs of reaction (NW, NE, E, SE, S, SW, based on the hexes vertices) with check boxes. If the player chose NW and NE, for instance, the unit would react only inside the triangles of hexes that have the chosen vertices as bisectors and only inside the choosen range. A lot more control, without much change to the interface.

5.Still about MP left. Disengagement chances are improved if "Your unit began the Turn with a very high Movement Allowance relative to the enemy units it is adjacent to [...]". How is the enemy unit remaining movement calculated after end turn bookkeping. At the beginning of my turn, my units will have full MP allowance. Consider an opponent's unit that didn't move, one that moved partially and one that just attacked during the whole turn, but didn't move. All of them will see their MP allowance drop while the turn advances, reflecting the flow of time. Yet, on bookkepping, how are the remaining MPs calculated in order to establish disengament chances. Will my full MP allowance be compared with the opponent's unit full MP allowance or my unit have a greater chance to disengage from units that moved a lot on the opponent's preceding turn?

ORIGINAL: Cabido

4.Local Reserve - The unit will attempt to react to enemy attacks into locations within a movement radius defined by the unit’s remaining Movement Allowance. Regardless of the radius, the reaction movement is only one hex per combat.(from the manual)
I imagine then that if I dig in or use all my MP moving there will be no use then to change deployment to Local Reserve, since there will be no movement points left. Is that so?

No. Both side's unit movement points are refreshed each player turn. (Twice per turn) - that's assuming you are using New Turn Order Rules, of course.

5.Still about MP left. Disengagement chances are improved if "Your unit began the Turn with a very high Movement Allowance relative to the enemy units it is adjacent to [...]". How is the enemy unit remaining movement calculated after end turn bookkeping. At the beginning of my turn, my units will have full MP allowance. Consider an opponent's unit that didn't move, one that moved partially and one that just attacked during the whole turn, but didn't move. All of them will see their MP allowance drop while the turn advances, reflecting the flow of time. Yet, on bookkepping, how are the remaining MPs calculated in order to establish disengament chances. Will my full MP allowance be compared with the opponent's unit full MP allowance or my unit have a greater chance to disengage from units that moved a lot on the opponent's preceding turn?

"Movement Allowance" is the term you quoted. It is constant throughout the player turn. "Movement Remaining" is a different parameter.

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

5.Still about MP left. Disengagement chances are improved if "Your unit began the Turn with a very high Movement Allowance relative to the enemy units it is adjacent to [...]". How is the enemy unit remaining movement calculated after end turn bookkeping. At the beginning of my turn, my units will have full MP allowance. Consider an opponent's unit that didn't move, one that moved partially and one that just attacked during the whole turn, but didn't move. All of them will see their MP allowance drop while the turn advances, reflecting the flow of time. Yet, on bookkepping, how are the remaining MPs calculated in order to establish disengament chances. Will my full MP allowance be compared with the opponent's unit full MP allowance or my unit have a greater chance to disengage from units that moved a lot on the opponent's preceding turn?

"Movement Allowance" is the term you quoted. It is constant throughout the player turn. "Movement Remaining" is a different parameter.

Oh, thanks. You're right. I didn't pay attention to the subtle difference in terminology.

6. I remember that in the original TOAW (I bought it, but almost didn't play it at the time, so I may be wrong) there was something about a bonus to artillery in peak hexes. I was unable to find it in the manual. Was (is) there a bonus, or is my memory playing tricks on me?

ORIGINAL: Cabido

6. I remember that in the original TOAW (I bought it, but almost didn't play it at the time, so I may be wrong) there was something about a bonus to artillery in peak hexes. I was unable to find it in the manual. Was (is) there a bonus, or is my memory playing tricks on me?

There is a benefit for firing "down" from a Major Escarpment. (13.12.8) Not from a peak hex.

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

ORIGINAL: Cabido

6. I remember that in the original TOAW (I bought it, but almost didn't play it at the time, so I may be wrong) there was something about a bonus to artillery in peak hexes. I was unable to find it in the manual. Was (is) there a bonus, or is my memory playing tricks on me?

There is a benefit for firing "down" from a Major Escarpment. (13.12.8) Not from a peak hex.

Thanks. Yet, since I was curious about it, I found a link to a copy of TOAW II manual in which the following is stated (I never owned TOAW II, but now I remember this was also in the original TOAW manual):

Terrain Effects and Observation (Advanced Rules)
Mountain peaks within observation range of the combat location increase effectiveness of long range fire.

Ok, not exactly a bonus for artillery in peak hexes, but I would like to know if this is still in effect.