How to get more out of recon missions in AtD?
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 6:09 pm
Hello from a lousy KP player! (How much years it will take me to achieve a victory in this game?)
AtD is characterized for large extensions of terrain that are devoid of units. This allows a lot of room for maneuver. This is a thing that I love when I play as the Germans.
If playing with FOW enabled, recon has a vital role for the German player. In particular if you use the real life operational concept of encirclement with your Panzer Divisions: you have to now very early where those "to-be-encircled" forces are, how likely and far they will move from where they are at this turn, if they do, which will be their likely strength, etc. So the question is how to get the maximum information out of your recon units and keep them safe (they unlikely will withstand any attack, even from a lousy Russian infantry Regiment).
I wonder if this approach could work:
1) Mentally mark what is the maximum range of the least mobile Regt. Of the Panzer Division, both in normal and extended moves. This marks how far you can move it conserving its fight capability in this turn (normal move, mark 1) or not (extended move, mark 2).
2) Move the recon unit half of its movement allowance in individual, one hex moves.
If enemy units are revealed is very likely that they are within the reach of the Panzer Division (remember, we used only half of the recon’s unit movement allowance). Now
is decision time: attack the enemy units, bypass them or encircle them?
The decision of attacking, bypass or encircle usually depends on several factors. But the most important for me is if the planed action is worth for the operational plan.
About attacking, I try to avoid battles that are not absolutely needed to reach my operational goals. This is sometimes opposed to what the game may ask you (i.e. kill enemy units and get points for it). A single event of bad luck (i.e. a failed overrun) could result in the enemy reinforcing the position in the next turn: you get stuck, likely accumulating losses that HEAVILY reward the Russians with victory points. Not a good situation. If I decide to attack, the recon unit is already in a good position to support the attack. After the attack, the Division will likely be unable to make anything else for the rest of the turn.
Bypassing enemy units sometimes is required because the enemy units are not worth to attack (why expose a precious resource like a Panzer Division to unwanted attrition and more importantly why to stop it?). Bypassing a group of enemy units is many times the first step for encirclements. A new suitable waypoint has to be chosen for this purpose.
Regarding encirclements: they could be an operational objective, planed before you start an operation, or they could just be decided on the spot to support the operation, like mini-encirclements that help big encirclements. Again, a new waypoint for the Division is chosen.
3) If no attack is decided, move recon unit towards the new Division’s waypoint but just until mark 1. Again, do this in individual, one hex moves. If new enemy units are revealed at any time, is decision time again and repeat what I stated above. The main difference is that now the bypassing and encirclement options will probably be completed in the next turn. This is because if you bring the Division to the spot where the recon unit is sitting, they will not have as much movement allowance left if they produce overruns.
4) If no enemy units are revealed, move the recon unit towards a desirable waypoint just until mark 2. Activating the recon’s unit extended move mode may be necessary. The task of the recon unit is now done. Now move the rest of the PzDiv with the recon unit.
The central ideas are:
-Join the PzDiv with the recon units at the end of the turn so the latest don’t finish the turn dangerously exposed to the enemy. Keeping the eyes on marks 1 and 2 help you avoid that problem.
-One hex hoping by the recon units avoids unnecessary bumping into enemy’s ZOC, which in turn reduces mobility.
Would this work?
AtD is characterized for large extensions of terrain that are devoid of units. This allows a lot of room for maneuver. This is a thing that I love when I play as the Germans.
If playing with FOW enabled, recon has a vital role for the German player. In particular if you use the real life operational concept of encirclement with your Panzer Divisions: you have to now very early where those "to-be-encircled" forces are, how likely and far they will move from where they are at this turn, if they do, which will be their likely strength, etc. So the question is how to get the maximum information out of your recon units and keep them safe (they unlikely will withstand any attack, even from a lousy Russian infantry Regiment).
I wonder if this approach could work:
1) Mentally mark what is the maximum range of the least mobile Regt. Of the Panzer Division, both in normal and extended moves. This marks how far you can move it conserving its fight capability in this turn (normal move, mark 1) or not (extended move, mark 2).
2) Move the recon unit half of its movement allowance in individual, one hex moves.
If enemy units are revealed is very likely that they are within the reach of the Panzer Division (remember, we used only half of the recon’s unit movement allowance). Now
is decision time: attack the enemy units, bypass them or encircle them?
The decision of attacking, bypass or encircle usually depends on several factors. But the most important for me is if the planed action is worth for the operational plan.
About attacking, I try to avoid battles that are not absolutely needed to reach my operational goals. This is sometimes opposed to what the game may ask you (i.e. kill enemy units and get points for it). A single event of bad luck (i.e. a failed overrun) could result in the enemy reinforcing the position in the next turn: you get stuck, likely accumulating losses that HEAVILY reward the Russians with victory points. Not a good situation. If I decide to attack, the recon unit is already in a good position to support the attack. After the attack, the Division will likely be unable to make anything else for the rest of the turn.
Bypassing enemy units sometimes is required because the enemy units are not worth to attack (why expose a precious resource like a Panzer Division to unwanted attrition and more importantly why to stop it?). Bypassing a group of enemy units is many times the first step for encirclements. A new suitable waypoint has to be chosen for this purpose.
Regarding encirclements: they could be an operational objective, planed before you start an operation, or they could just be decided on the spot to support the operation, like mini-encirclements that help big encirclements. Again, a new waypoint for the Division is chosen.
3) If no attack is decided, move recon unit towards the new Division’s waypoint but just until mark 1. Again, do this in individual, one hex moves. If new enemy units are revealed at any time, is decision time again and repeat what I stated above. The main difference is that now the bypassing and encirclement options will probably be completed in the next turn. This is because if you bring the Division to the spot where the recon unit is sitting, they will not have as much movement allowance left if they produce overruns.
4) If no enemy units are revealed, move the recon unit towards a desirable waypoint just until mark 2. Activating the recon’s unit extended move mode may be necessary. The task of the recon unit is now done. Now move the rest of the PzDiv with the recon unit.
The central ideas are:
-Join the PzDiv with the recon units at the end of the turn so the latest don’t finish the turn dangerously exposed to the enemy. Keeping the eyes on marks 1 and 2 help you avoid that problem.
-One hex hoping by the recon units avoids unnecessary bumping into enemy’s ZOC, which in turn reduces mobility.
Would this work?