Matrix Games Forums

As far as I can tell, the larger formations seem to be mostly useless:
- They are still just 5 units + HQ.
- For almost the same manpower, I can get 4 Brigades. Wich can be in 4 times many places. If I need more troops/hex, I can just concentrate them a bit.

The only advantages I can think off are:
- better scouting. 36 subunits of even infantry get some pretty good accumulated recon (36 or more). While 120 should basically never run into an ambush/poor recon fight
- more troops before the multiple OHQ penalty becomes an issue. But I have the fear the stacking limit will hinder here anyway, even with complete encirclement
- Justus2 pointed out, that you can also affect more subunits with high leadership skills or postures for a lower cost.

So, what is your opinion on the Echelons past B&B?
Have you used them?
Were they usefull?
Do they have advantages I do not see or just underestimate?

I’ve been using corps as offensive formations with brigades mostly reserved for holding territory. It’s probably suboptimal but a light tank corps coupled with a motorized infantry corps has incredible striking power that can collapse a front in just a couple turns. The lack of OHQ malus helps, but the sheer weight of 180 tanks or 7200 infantry is really difficult for the AI to bear. I often make attacks with just one unit and still force a retreat.

I did you use that when you want to give as much unit to a good OHQ or require to hold vs AI massing units and need hard to rout formation. else the smallest one is good enough.

You also need to remember that there is limit of 16 units per hex. It might be problem in longer games (if units are retreating from combat - for example - I dont know what happens when this limit will be reached). But for most game batalions are good enough.

I usually make regiments eventually and in one game I made a couple independent divisions of Infantry.

I use Corps of Siege infantry for offensive operations, as mentioned above it's nice when a single unit (regiment) can force retreats as you approach the objective, and a siege rgt has enough artillery to be useful in indirect attacks to prep a target while other units get into place. I still used multiple MG Inf Brigades to guard flanks/road network, or deal with rebels, when I want to cover a lot of hexes or be able to easily surround a unit. In my last game, I had saved up the IP and metal/rares for a Mech Assault Corps, until I got to the second screen and saw the fuel cost, which would have exhausted my entire stockpile! [X(] So I used brigades (one armor, one mech) on each front which worked out well for encircling units.

As for advantages, two that haven't been mentioned are leaders and posture strategems. I don't worry too much about using a Junior on an MG Brigade, but for my lead assault forces, I want the best leader and the ability to use an effective posture (Infiltration works well for the Siege corps). If I had an equivalent # of brigades, I don't think I'd have enough posture stragems for all of them, and definitely couldnt count on using Mercs with high combat skills for each bde.

Early on, I found it easier to build siege brigades, and then upgrade them to corps as I had the resources, that way the leader and sub-units can gain some XP, then you fill them out to make the larger attack force. It's especially useful when preparing for a war, you can raise the brigades at a city, then position the brigades on the front line, upgrade them as you invade and within a couple turns (as long as you buy all the replacements) they build their strength as they get closer to the enemy cities.

I have not yet used anything larger than a brigade, mostly because of manpower limits. Usually it's all I can do to scrape together a brigade. Maybe my population is too small? How big a population should one have before one can start building a corps or army?