Matrix Games Forums

I have a few questions on proper usage/placement of ground HQs (for both sides but really focused more on Axis):

1. I know 5 hexes is the range you want to be in for supply/SU reasons and that a corp/soviet army HQ gives more SU bonuses if it hasn't moved. Therefore, is it typically better not to move an HQ until after all it's units have moved beneath it?
Or should you always keep the corps/soviet army HQ within 5 range and move it up as the troops advance in case they fight more battles?
2. I believe best practice is to keep a corps/soviet army HQ within 5 hexes of the units below it and preferably on a supply depot at end of turn (to boost depot). Is this correct?
3. For army/soviet front and higher HQ's, when/where/how often should they be moved? I'm struggling to know when to move these and where, other than the fact that I try to keep them within command range.
4. Other than helping to prevent command capacity overload on corps, is there any reason/benefit to have divisions attached to an army (Axis) HQ? I've typically been reassigning these to corps if I can.
5. The manual in 4.13.2 mentions:

"Command Ranges: When leader rating checks are
conducted the range to the HQ is important. Keep your
Units within Command Ranges of their HQ Units. The most
important relationship is the unit should be less than 6
hexes away from its direct commanding HQ."

I'm assuming this is speaking about corps/soviet armys only, correct? Or are they saying, for example, Army Group Center needs to be 5 hexes away from OKH?

1. SU deployment changes if the HQ is moved. A moved HQ will only check for SU deployment for Deliberate Attacks - no SUs will be deployed for Hasty Attacks. Leadership rolls become harder when you are outside the HQ range so try to keep the HQ within the range if you wish to pass leadership checks.

2. Correct.

3. That is up to you. As long as they are within command range they will give support and have the best chances to pass leadership checks. Remember that the higher the HQ the more it will help depots move supplies so this might help in your decisions.

4. There is actually a leadership check penalty for the Soviets in 41 for bypassing Corps level HQs. Other than that and the loss of having a Corps level leadership check (with better chances than any other HQ) there are no penalties.

5. By the time you get to the OKH level the command range is 90 hexes and there is no reason to keep within the five hexes. The five hex range is the furthest that SUs will be deployed. Since you are rarely depending on OKH or Army Group HQs to deploy SUs the five hex range is less important.

Both sides have a shortage of HQ capacity which can be mitigated to some extent by using Assault HQs. Also Leaders are very important so you want your best units operating from low level HQs within command capacity and with good leaders.
Aim to have:
As many combat units as possible within 5 hexes of a low level HQ. Fight your combats without moving the HQ if possible but be prepared to move them up when required.
Sometimes you want to position your HQ at the end of the turn so that they will be within 5 hexes of where the combats are going to be next turn.
Usually the medium level HQs on depots to help with supplies.
To take Axis as an example, there may be situations where it works better to have some units reporting to an Army HQ to get a maxim number of SUs activated and minimise cross command combat penalties. Typically this would be where you are doing massed assaults with multiple units.