Sieging cities

[Stamos22]

Hello everyone.

This is my first time ever playing a game like this and I've really been enjoying digging into the complexity of it. I've always been interested in WW2 history and this has encouraged me to read a lot more about it, particularly the eastern front.

Anyways, I have a question regarding the best strategy for taking a city. I'm currently playing through the Velikie Luki scenario on my own for the first time. I followed the manual and managed to take the city but now on my own playthrough, with a higher difficulty setting (normal instead of easy) I've ended up in a situation with even odds attacking the city. They are encircled which is good, and I've driven off their reinforcements but I'm not exactly sure what the best course of action is in this scenario.

If I have a city encircled I know they aren't getting supplies. How long do I wait before attacking? I don't want to just throw my forces into a stalemate and lose cpp/men and equipment. However I also don't want to sit here forever while their reinforcements regroup.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, I've managed to figure out a fair number of things using the manual and youtube videos, but this is something I'd like some help with.

Thanks in advance.

[Bamilus]

I'm not an expert on this by any means but some tips:

1. They can stay supplied for a long time, especially in bigger cities. I've found starving out doesn't do much tbh, but it can help a bit.
2. Make sure all units surrounding a city, as much as possible, are in the same corps. You get penalties for using troops from different corps/armies in the same attack.
3. Make sure the corps HQ has many engineer support units and as much heavy artillery as possible.

If a city is fort level 3 or higher, you'll often have to make attacks to reduce the fort level. Not always, but often and depends on weather. It's really hit or miss though, I took level 5 Sevastopol in one fell swoop but it's not always the case.

[Milman]

I usulay surround city and in that turn send few pioners to corps HQ which will attack city. Air supremacy helps to prevent air transfer of supplies. If it is a port things become complicated becouse than i use naval patrol and bombing of port for two turns before attack. Odesa is pain in the ass, it had 150 CV in my first campaign, in second it was 70 which can be dealt even with romanian units.

[Stamos22]

Thank you so much for the replies!

When I send the engineers to the corps HQ they automatically get brought into the fight by the ai right? (assuming the leader passes the roll?) Is it guaranteed that they will send engineers for a city attack if they are in the pool? Or am I better off attaching them directly to a unit?

[Bamilus]

ORIGINAL: Stamos22

Thank you so much for the replies!

When I send the engineers to the corps HQ they automatically get brought into the fight by the ai right? (assuming the leader passes the roll?) Is it guaranteed that they will send engineers for a city attack if they are in the pool? Or am I better off attaching them directly to a unit?

If the combat units are within 5 hexes of corp HQ and they pass the checks, yea. It's not guaranteed unless you attach to division directly, but you lose the flexibility from having it at a corps level. See 23.6.1 on support unit commitment in combat.

[MakeeLearn]

Siege Mortars and Super Heavy Artillery, if they are in the scenario.