Strategic Hexes?

[deafknight]

The victory hexes are worth prestige. To the point that i often let the computer capture them if i can get them back easily.
Playing on max difficulty on 44' west GC, and boy, am i prestige starved (after salerno i had to use free repairs, only 1k available)

is this a good tactic, or is it wrong? (i exclude ofc, victory hexes you CAN'T lose if the scenario says so)

[goose_2]

This is a great strategy and one I have watched other players do.

I allow this sometimes, but I have to fight the urge not to try and defend them all.

But yes letting them take them over so you can take them back for some much needed prestige is a great tactic especially in the Grand Campaign as the Computer never seems to be as starving for prestige as we are.

I am doing a blind playthrough and am in 1945 East at about 30000 prestige.

You can read my playthrough here:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 98#p558398

But have only had time to type up to Babruysk in the 44 Campaign.

I will catch up eventually.

[robman]

You can earn prestige only once by (re)taking a flagged hex. If a flagged hex was yours to begin with, and the enemy takes it, you can retake it "for credit" once--but only once. This is indeed a good way to earn "extra credit" in defensive scenarios. If the hex was not yours to begin with, however, you cannot earn "extra credit" by taking it, losing it, and retaking it. That being said, there is often good reason to retake a hex even if no extra credit is forthcoming: you may need it for transport, or to prevent enemy spawning, or to earn a victory.

[goose_2]

You can earn prestige only once by (re)taking a flagged hex. If a flagged hex was yours to begin with, and the enemy takes it, you can retake it "for credit" once--but only once. This is indeed a good way to earn "extra credit" in defensive scenarios. If the hex was not yours to begin with, however, you cannot earn "extra credit" by taking it, losing it, and retaking it. That being said, there is often good reason to retake a hex even if no extra credit is forthcoming: you may need it for transport, or to prevent enemy spawning, or to earn a victory.

Good Point Robman

Forgot to say this, thanks for adding.

[deafknight]

prevent enemy spawning is sometimes working, but i had cases (i suppose scripted) when units popped right next to an occupied town
two more questions :

- is there a setting to enhance the AI use of planes? kamikaze bombing near a AA unit isn't awfully clever...
- after cassino, you get a very nice hero, Adler. He comes with a BF109G (althought K were available at that time, doesnt make sense)
i can't upgrade it unless i cheat, so question :
- if i cheat with alleqp, what do i lose apart from self respect?
- is a 109G usable in 44-45, or should i disband it if i don't use alleqp?

Thanks!

[goose_2]

prevent enemy spawning is sometimes working, but i had cases (i suppose scripted) when units popped right next to an occupied town
I had this happen to me as well.
two more questions :

- is there a setting to enhance the AI use of planes? kamikaze bombing near a AA unit isn't awfully clever... no, but that is the fun/frustration of playing any ai
- after cassino, you get a very nice hero, Adler. He comes with a BF109G (althought K were available at that time, doesnt make sense)
i can't upgrade it unless i cheat, so question :
- if i cheat with alleqp, what do i lose apart from self respect?
- is a 109G usable in 44-45, or should i disband it if i don't use alleqp?
I have not played West but I am just starting in 45 East and almost all of my Fighters have been and remain Bf109G's, although I updated 3 to ME262's and they are just unbelievably awesome. So I would say try using as able in 44 as a finisher of planes that you have already softened with your AA or with your more experienced fighters. I do not know about cheats as I do not use, so...

Thanks!

Responses in red above.

[deafknight]

thanks for the reply capt'ain goose!

I have no access to the game atm so i can't check the stats, but i'm quite sure i *had* to upgrade the 109s in 44 because of the spitfires (and the fuel!)
Since the slots are precious, i reasoned that better upgrade to FW than buying sfkdiz, and the 8.8 is too squishy for 44.
If you do East (which i must replay on FM sometimes , you should have the same problems with the yak9U's - from memory - they were tearing my BF109 to pieces.

[goose_2]

Maybe my defensive heroes and high experience is making them very difficult to kill.

I have not lost a fighter yet. (maybe that will change)

Some of those mobile AA's have come awful close, but then I just retreat and refit between battles to save prestige.

[deafknight]

just happened to me before cassino. Sometimes, the fighters impale themselves on your AA, sometimes, two four star spitfires VB gang up on your poor BF109, which is then turned into chaff.

I suspect in the western GC, the conceptors upped the enemy planes' xp to compensate for the disastrous air AI.
Granted, i now selected the last level of difficulty, but i remember the eastern GC as very easy (just a long slug) compared to West. Only the two last scenarios were brutal as far as i recall.

[goose_2]

just happened to me before cassino. Sometimes, the fighters impale themselves on your AA, sometimes, two four star spitfires VB gang up on your poor BF109, which is then turned into chaff.

I suspect in the western GC, the conceptors upped the enemy planes' xp to compensate for the disastrous air AI.
Granted, i now selected the last level of difficulty, but i remember the eastern GC as very easy (just a long slug) compared to West. Only the two last scenarios were brutal as far as i recall.

I had trouble with Oboyan, that is the only one so far that I received a minor victory on, but doing a blind playthrough will have that happen.

[TSPC37730]

The victory hexes are worth prestige. To the point that i often let the computer capture them if i can get them back easily.
Playing on max difficulty on 44' west GC, and boy, am i prestige starved (after salerno i had to use free repairs, only 1k available)

is this a good tactic, or is it wrong? (i exclude ofc, victory hexes you CAN'T lose if the scenario says so)

I think it's a good tactic. Played carefully it can be even more beneficial to you. If you vacate an objective and the AI captures it with a heavy tank, you can counter attack the next turn with say, your SE 43 Grenadier unit & dish out significant damage at low cost. This of course assumes that the objective is a city hex. As noted before, this trick only works once. If the objective repeatedly changes hands there's no benefit - save for you repeatedly picking off a number of heavy tanks that is. You can figure out the upside of this strategy by counting up the number of objective & non-objective hexes on your scenario map. It probably amounts to at most a few k of prestige. This has to be weighed against whatever losses you might incur by employing the strategy. With 1k of prestige you're probably desperate, so, go for it... Good luck!