Objectives vs Victory hexes?

[glenmd]

New to the game, I have been playing the Allied Corps campaign, which is going ok (though it has been awhile since I recorded a Triumph). I did have one loss after I misjudged the situation in Cauldron. I left my Artillery in the reserve pool, and by turn three or four, I realized that trying to take out all those 88's without it would be at best extremely expensive and at worst suicidal. So, not being the sort to restart the scenario, I pulled my entire core force back to the start line and left the poor 150th to its fate.

Anyway, I was wondering about the significance of the regular objectives and ones with a gold box around them. Is the only difference in how much prestige they award?

Glen

PS One bomber upgrade option I would like to see is the ability to add two giant elastics bands to tether the escorting fighters to the bomber, so they don't wander off and leave the bombers to get shot down.

[braccada]

Their significance is for the victory conditions. So the gold ones are the victory hexes.

[dragos]

There are some missions in DLC where the victory condition does not require occupying any location, yet there are some hexes marked with a gold border. Like Dunkirk where you only have to destroy transports to get DV. I guess they only offer more prestige when they are captured, or is there something else about them?

[captainjack]

Panzer Corps without artillery would be an extremely difficult challenge as suppression is crucial to success in attack and defensive fire in defence.
Good on you for sticking with your decision and coming up with a work around.

The gold edged victory hexes are worth 100 prestige the first time you capture them (normal flagged hexes are only 50). The other differences are that you can neutralise a normal flag hex with a strategic bomber but not a victory hex, and you strip prestige from the enemy when bombing a victory hex but (if I remember right) not from a normal flag hex. There are secondary objective hexes (red border) but I can't remember whether thee are like victory hexes or ordinary ones. Their main use appears to be for controlling AI actions, but more experienced modders may know better.

[glenmd]

Thanks everyone. A related question occurs to me. Does losing a previously captured objective cost anything?

I was about to start the scenario in Salerno and was looking at airfields. It seems like the easiest one to secure is South of the river, but the briefing notes suggest I can expect a counterattack in that direction. Plus, there are no victory hexes South of the river. So, my planned strategy is to hold the airfield (and any other objectives I acquire in that area) only until I can capture another airfield. Then, I would withdraw my forces across the river and defend the rive line. This would hopefully free up a unit or two for the main advance toward Naples, plus avoids the dangers of having to retreat across the river under fire.

[Kerensky]

There are some missions in DLC where the victory condition does not require occupying any location, yet there are some hexes marked with a gold border. Like Dunkirk where you only have to destroy transports to get DV. I guess they only offer more prestige when they are captured, or is there something else about them?

The function and behavior of the AI is also linked to victory hex markings.

[captainjack]

In normal play your opponent gets prestige for capturing a hex. Pulling back from victory hexes rarely loses you the game (though you usually need to keep one and some briefings will tell you to hold certain hexes at all times). As a bonus you get prestige when you recapture them, However, you only get prestige the first time you capture a hex.

In theory you could script a scenario so that every time you lose control of a critical hex you lose prestige and then gain some when you recapture it.When I last tried it doing this, it all went horribly wrong, but that was probably operator error, rather than a game limitation.

Back to the key point of your question, sometimes giving ground is the best option. The AI tends to throw everything at you in one go, so a short period of robust defence (for which you will need your artillery) can wipe out enough troops to make the counter attack relatively easy. A good understanding of surrender mechanics can make defensive actions even more rewarding from the surrender prestige.

[Razz1]

Loosing a VH gives the AI 100 prestige IF the AI never controlled it.

If the the AI controlled the hex at one point in time and they recapture it they will get 50 prestige.

So yes, there is a disadvantage to loosing a VH.

[Solo4114]

Sorry to necro an older thread, but I think this may be connected to my question.

I was just playing through Op. Crusader in the Allied Corps campaign. Fun stuff! However, the Victory conditions require that you capture and hold 4 objectives for a victory, and 5 objectives (plus escorting the Service Corps to Point A) to win a Triumph.

Multiple times, I have tried playing this mission and captured 12(!) objectives, but usually not the northernmost objectives in the west, near the British base where the Service Corps starts. Yet each time, I end up with a loss. In examining the map in the scenario editor, I discovered that only a few of the objectives are "gold" objectives -- specifically the northern objectives, one in the south, and...I think that's it. Everything in the east is just icing on the cake, for example.

Am I correct in assuming that the mission briefing text is simply misleading or not precise enough, and that I need to capture specific points (the gold objectives) to actually win? If so, then I'd say either this mission needs to have its intro text substantially revised, or the additional flag hexes need to be tagged as actual victory hexes so the player can decide where to attack.

[turn4441]

Any briefing which mentions capturing or holding objectives is referring to those that are gold. You get prestige for taking other locations (towns, cities, airfields, etc.), but only the gold ones are victory objectives that you need to possess. In Crusader, there are 6 to begin with, 5 of which you need to take and/or hold for a Triumph (Tobruk, El Duda, Sidi Rezegh, Belhamel, and Gabr Saleh). The western airfield starts the scenario as an objective (gold) hex but will no longer be gold if/when you destroy the hangar there with your paratroops. Using the Strategic Map toggle is the best way to locate them and plan your strategy.

[Solo4114]

Yeah, I totally didn't realize that I could do that, so I'm sitting here thinking "What the hell? Why don't my objectives count?!"

[turn4441]

Also be aware that the objective hexes may change during the course of the scenario but, if so, you will get an additional briefing(s).

[turn4441]

Oops, I meant Belhamed instead of Belhamel.