Matrix Games Forums

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this game (and hex wargames in general) and I've just finished going through all the tutorials. I think I've grasped the essential stuff with a lot of details still being fuzzy.

I went for the KP scenario but after seeing the scale of it I changed for the smaller (but still big for a newbie) 1st Ukr Front.

So far I really like the game and think it's very well done, especially for helping newbie like myself to get into the "circle" of hex based wargames. I'm looking forward to play against a human player as soon as my knowledge of the game will be strong enough.

Untill then, there's something I'd like to understand. In the tutorials the combat advisor was always displaying the correct odds but now that I'm playing the scenario it doesn't seem to be accurate. Sometimes it's impossible to get the displayed odds with the units available and sometimes it shows me more unit than needed to get the odds

There is probably something I'm missing. Your help will be highly appreciated.

The Combat Advisor is fabulous for uwe veteran wargamers. Previously all the calculations were done by hand.

But I have discovered that the Combat Advisor is not perfect.

It is possible to INCREASE the odds, by using forced march and moving a unit adjacent to the combat. That unit cannot participate in the combat but he can eliminate the rule that says that if adjacent enemy units, not involved in the combat, have more steps than the friendly units in the same hex, then the shift does not apply.

It is possible to have LOWER odds if you make an error. For example, if you attack a hex from 3 sides you get shifts.

If you are attacking with 3 units it is possible that you move each unit to the wrong hex and as a result you only attack from 2 hexes and therefore you do not get the shift and the odds are lower.
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Have you moved artillery? That is what I usually overlooked in the beginning. (And even nodays occasionally

You should normally be able to get the odds displayed by the combat advisor without issue, but be aware that the advisor does not take divisional integrity into account and can be confused in areas of high unit density, so it's entirely possible to get better odds than displayed.

Cheers Chris

Good tips by all !

Hi Hurkyl - welcome to our obsession.

It is possible under all circumstances, to AT LEAST achieve the odds the combat advisor advises. If this is not happenning, it is liekly that one of the instances that has been noted here is happening ie. artillery not being moved, units not attacking from correct hexes (and therefore not getting shifts) etc.

As Joe and Chris also noted, by utilising some of the game functions that the advisor does not take into account, such as divisional integrity and the ability to 'overcome' the not enough steps rule, you can in fact better the advisor's odds.

Here is a tip: the combat advisor only reports the maximum odds it thinks ( I say thinks because of the comment above) is available - the upper level of this being 10:1+ Therefore, it is quite possible that there are many many variations available to achieve the (maximum) odds (and therefore result) you desire.

If you see the advisor telling you 10+ is available, study the combat carefully to see how you can best utilise available forces to achieve your aim AND still have other units available for other actions.

Look forward to seeing you on the battlefield.

And the Combat Advisor, need to re-calculate after each battle.

EG: the CA says thta a hex has possible odds of 9:1 and a nearby hex has possible odds of 8:1

After you complete the first battle, re-calculate the odds. Turn the CA off and then on again. The odds of the second battle will be much lower because you have used the units in another battle.