"Auxiliary Force" Trait

[RandomAttack]

Picked this in a new campaign, and it is a lot more useful than I thought it would be. Several scenarios I am notably short on "unit density"-- I just can't cover certain areas I really need to. Since I typically have enough prestige to spare for a few aux units, it can be quite a "crutch". So far I've limited myself to only a few infantry per scenario when I really need them (Stalingrad & Normandy come to mind), no arty, tanks, etc. It could certainly be abused at levels where you are floating in prestige. This is not the first time I have tried something in this game that I thought was pretty useless and it turned out to be quite powerful. Not sure how this game can ever get old for me. Just pick a different trait combo and it will different every time. Hats off to the devs!

[Duedman]

how does it actually work? Can you keep the units? Or have to buy new every scenario?

[panzeh]

You have to buy them anew every scenario, but it's a way to really make use of overstrength units if you have a way to make tons of prestige.

[RandomAttack]

But I don't like to max them out and gear my entire game to using them. It's just nice to get a few now & then when you simply don't have enough core units to cover enough ground. My "security blankie" if you will (that's a technical term coined by von Rundstedt).

[ErissN6]

This is a trap trait, as it is supposed to be an advantage, meaning it should be good to spend all Prestige in it.
It is an habit a newb' may take by the first scenarios, then suddenly he is even no longer able to fill his core units...
so next time he won't take the trait.

[RandomAttack]

I don't think it's really a "trap". You can't buy ANY aux units until you fill ALL your core slots. Then if you use all/most of your remaining prestige on aux units, without regard to the future, then you are not very smart (no different then spending all your prestige on OS units). Like anything, you need at least a little common sense ("newb" or not).

[Horseman]

I'm not a big fan of auxiliary units as I like to get the kills/xp on my own troops.

However there are a few scenarios I'd have liked to have had a few extra units - mainly to use as shields/guard a flank or just to help me form a decent front line!

[Schlack]

Like the other commentator, my core needs the XP and kills for medals. Auxies are cannon fodder to soak up punishment instead of my guys, specially the navy. Utter carnage in Sealion in a no air force playthrough.

[Horseman]

Like the other commentator, my core needs the XP and kills for medals. Auxies are cannon fodder to soak up punishment instead of my guys, specially the navy. Utter carnage in Sealion in a no air force playthrough.

The thought of doing Sealion with no airforce makes me shudder - looks utterly terrifying. I will be giving it a go someday

[Schlack]

The thought of doing Sealion with no airforce makes me shudder - looks utterly terrifying. I will be giving it a go someday

took me 3 or 4 retries to get over at Dover, managed to finally get the distraction tactics right. Most times the planes chewed up my experienced core units.

[Horseman]

The thought of doing Sealion with no airforce makes me shudder - looks utterly terrifying. I will be giving it a go someday

took me 3 or 4 retries to get over at Dover, managed to finally get the distraction tactics right. Most times the planes chewed up my experienced core units.

Its the hardest mission I've seen so far without an airforce. There's just no way of taking on the RN without it.

Invasion of US would be easier as I think your fleet can hold of the enemy long enough if not win the naval battle. You won't miss your bombers too much but you will miss your fighters to protect your ships!

[Schlack]

Its the hardest mission I've seen so far without an airforce. There's just no way of taking on the RN without it.

Invasion of US would be easier as I think your fleet can hold of the enemy long enough if not win the naval battle. You won't miss your bombers too much but you will miss your fighters to protect your ships!

Yeah managed the US invasion first time, northern assault only for invasion force. not finished yet but have managed even to save most of the fleet so far.

[ErissN6]

no different then spending all your prestige on OS units

This is different: all are allowed OS units, this is not an advantage. Auxiliary is supposed to be a good thing, as you spend points to have it. So, spending the more prestige in this trait appears a not so bad thing when we don't know the game.
Even, it's preferable to spend none than to spend too much... so Auxiliary is really a trap, as it is best to not use it than to use it much.

[SineMora]

The thought of doing Sealion with no airforce makes me shudder - looks utterly terrifying. I will be giving it a go someday

Why? Just deploy at Calais, shell the British and cross over. Even easier if you get to use Fallschirmjäger to cut them off. As for the RAF and Royal Navy, you can just let the Kriegsmarine die valiantly fighting them. The only way this'd be challenging is if you insist on forcing your way across the middle of the Englsh Channel with no air support.

As far as Auxiliary Force is concerned, it's ridiculously good if you know how to farm prestige. You can easily funnel thousands of prestige into extra troops every scenario should you wish to in '41 and beyond, but it is incredibly cheesy.

[RandomAttack]

no different then spending all your prestige on OS units

This is different: all are allowed OS units, this is not an advantage. Auxiliary is supposed to be a good thing, as you spend points to have it. So, spending the more prestige in this trait appears a not so bad thing when we don't know the game.
Even, it's preferable to spend none than to spend too much... so Auxiliary is really a trap, as it is best to not use it than to use it much.

I think you are missing my point. Maybe all are allowed OS (though the AI almost never seems to use it), but prestige is usually not the limiting factor-- it's available slots. Aux *is* a good thing. On most levels you wind up with plenty of prestige in the bank with nothing to spend it on anyway since SLOTS are the primary limiting factor for your core. So you aren't hurting yourself in any way by buying a few aux units, unless you are dumb enough to spend ALL your prestige on them. But while it can be "cheesy" if you abuse it, in moderation it is very useful and is easier to rationalize than tons of OS units (or Karl & Gustav through an entire campaign) -- now THAT is cheesy.

[Horseman]

The thought of doing Sealion with no airforce makes me shudder - looks utterly terrifying. I will be giving it a go someday

Why? Just deploy at Calais, shell the British and cross over. Even easier if you get to use Fallschirmjäger to cut them off. As for the RAF and Royal Navy, you can just let the Kriegsmarine die valiantly fighting them. The only way this'd be challenging is if you insist on forcing your way across the middle of the Englsh Channel with no air support.

As far as Auxiliary Force is concerned, it's ridiculously good if you know how to farm prestige. You can easily funnel thousands of prestige into extra troops every scenario should you wish to in '41 and beyond, but it is incredibly cheesy.

And when the RN turns its guns on your ground units? Yeah you're going to take heavy loses to those BB's when they open up on your AA & Art units (expensive in prestige)

On lower levels your fleet might last long enough to keep the RN off your back. On generalissimo your ships just get torn to shreds in short order if you even attempt to engage. The RN has a significant XP advantage to go with the natural 20% higher accuracy....some of their ships are at 100% (or near enough) accuracy whilst yours are shooting back at 40% or less a lot of the time!

Getting across from Calais isn't really the issue, winning is probably quite strait forward once you make it across. Its doing it without heavy damage that concerns me. I'm leaning towards a NA route with denied airforce for my 2nd play through so might have to put it to the test soon enough!

[SineMora]

And when the RN turns its guns on your ground units? Yeah you're going to take heavy loses to those BB's when they open up on your AA & Art units (expensive in prestige)

On lower levels your fleet might last long enough to keep the RN off your back. On generalissimo your ships just get torn to shreds in short order if you even attempt to engage. The RN has a significant XP advantage to go with the natural 20% higher accuracy....some of their ships are at 100% (or near enough) accuracy whilst yours are shooting back at 40% or less a lot of the time!

Getting across from Calais isn't really the issue, winning is probably quite strait forward once you make it across. Its doing it without heavy damage that concerns me. I'm leaning towards a NA route with denied airforce for my 2nd play through so might have to put it to the test soon enough!

Having beaten the scenario trivially easy on Generalissimus by simply ignoring the Royal Navy I can assure you it's irrelevant. No heroes needed, no turtling, no fooling around with meaningless battles with the Royal Navy -- push hard and fast and you'll win the scenario before it ever becomes a problem due to the lack of British ground forces.

[ErissN6]

prestige is usually not the limiting factor-- it's available slots. Aux *is* a good thing. On most levels you wind up with plenty of prestige in the bank

But it does not remove that this is a trap. It's not because you are right on slots that I'm wrong about the trap effect on newbs.

[RandomAttack]

You underestimate "newbs", which has no real definition anyway. By that standard, any selection that is not absolutely maximizing capability (which is subjective) is a "trap". It's just a vague statement that doesn't really mean anything. Agree to disagree I guess. Unless you are Admiral Ackbar-- then it really IS a trap!

[Horseman]

And when the RN turns its guns on your ground units? Yeah you're going to take heavy loses to those BB's when they open up on your AA & Art units (expensive in prestige)

On lower levels your fleet might last long enough to keep the RN off your back. On generalissimo your ships just get torn to shreds in short order if you even attempt to engage. The RN has a significant XP advantage to go with the natural 20% higher accuracy....some of their ships are at 100% (or near enough) accuracy whilst yours are shooting back at 40% or less a lot of the time!

Getting across from Calais isn't really the issue, winning is probably quite strait forward once you make it across. Its doing it without heavy damage that concerns me. I'm leaning towards a NA route with denied airforce for my 2nd play through so might have to put it to the test soon enough!

Having beaten the scenario trivially easy on Generalissimus by simply ignoring the Royal Navy I can assure you it's irrelevant. No heroes needed, no turtling, no fooling around with meaningless battles with the Royal Navy -- push hard and fast and you'll win the scenario before it ever becomes a problem due to the lack of British ground forces.

But what loses did you take doing this? Like I said it's not winning than concerns me it's how much damage I'd take doing it.

I did engage the RN (with a decent air force as well as my Naval units) and even then with the RN all but destroyed several ships turned their guns on my ground troops and caused some damage before I'd finished them off. And they like to target AA and Art units (some expensive stuff!)

And that's not including the RAF which will also be bombing you (especially if the RN smashes up your AA)