HAL generously awarding Superior Maneuver Hero

[scorehouse]

how do you maximize this Hero? Aircraft? Recon? Infantry with longest range transport or does the transport even count? Paratroopers?

[adiekmann]

how do you maximize this Hero? Aircraft? Recon? Infantry with longest range transport or does the transport even count? Paratroopers?

It is tricky, and I struggle to take advantage of it too. In theory you should add it to any unit that has superior movement over its counterparts. So, putting it on say a tank with a movement of 5 doesn't give you much since most tanks in the game have 5 movement. Same with most fighter aircraft. Recon already has high initiative so it's not really giving you an edge that you didn't already have. That's the challenge of this hero, and why ultimately it has limited real value IMO. I probably have used it most on special units that also have built-in movement bonuses or heroes, like one of the infantry heroes that gives +x movement. Most infantry do not vary in movement ability other than 2 or 3, so Superior Maneuver gives that Oleh Dir or Helmut Wirnsberger equipped unit that extra initiative advantage over other infantry. But then again...they already have +x initiative bonus so...back to square one. Sorry...I don't have a good answer either. Maybe a captured T-34 tank with 6-movement?

[Magni]

Long-range fighters or fighter-bombers are probably your best bet.

For example the Bf-109Z will get +4 intiative before movement against the many range/speed 12 single-engine fighters. Which is kind of a lot, considering it has a native initiative of 1. ME-410 would be another good candidate. +4 initiative basically means it'll have equal initiative when fighting a Spitfire Mk.VB. At which point the Spit has +1 air attack and the 410 +1 air defense and they're otherwise equals.

[dalfrede]

Long-range fighters or fighter-bombers are probably your best bet.

If you add to Bf110 along with Galland it will be your best fighter.
Used this combo to get 2x A+3 Bf110 by end of AO43E

In PcC this hero will be big because P38 and P51 both have Mv=16. Makes P51 a jet killer.

[Scrapulous]

Before I get fighter-bombers, I usually have a tank that is faster than average - the Verdeja 2 or a BT-5 or BT-7. That's where it goes in those cases.

Another thing I did with it before fighter-bombers was to pair it with Oleh Dir (who gives +2 initiative and +2 speed) on a Cavalry unit. That gives the Cavalry 7 move and a base of 6 initiative, going up to 10 initiative when it faces a standard, 3-move infantry unit. When it attacks any non-cavalry infantry, all of this unit's attacks go first. When it attacks cavalry, a mere 80% of them go first. It's a strong combination and nice to have a super-mobile, tough infantry for exploiting opportunities.

[Tassadar]

Agreed on the planes part. Not only because it's easiest to get the largest differences between movement values on them as listed below, but also since initiative is most important for planes anyway. The one shooting first will usually deal so much damage, that any return fire becomes extremely weak.

It is also a good hero on 6 movement tanks that do not yet have Steamroller - it helps them get those overruns as it reduces the possibility of the weakened enemy units shooting back for one damage which would prevent it from triggering (with Steamroller this stops being an issue).

[Bee1976]

Another thing I did with it before fighter-bombers was to pair it with Oleh Dir (who gives +2 initiative and +2 speed) on a Cavalry unit. That gives the Cavalry 7 move and a base of 6 initiative, going up to 10 initiative when it faces a standard, 3-move infantry unit. When it attacks any non-cavalry infantry, all of this unit's attacks go first. When it attacks cavalry, a mere 80% of them go first. It's a strong combination and nice to have a super-mobile, tough infantry for exploiting opportunities.

This is a really nice idea!
Thx for sharing!

[adiekmann]

Yes, I have considered various fighter-bomber units but the difference in movement to gained initiative usually isn't great enough to compensate. For example, a Bf 109F has a 3 movement disadvantage to a Bf 110F. But the 109F has a 5 initiative advantage. So when that Bf 110 gains three initiative with the Superior Movement hero, it still has less initiative than the fighter. ( I use the 109 as an example because it was faster and easier for me to look up, but British fighters usually have very close or the same initiative as 109s and Soviet fighters suck until later in the war.)

Now I pulled up an old save file from the end of AO1942. The 109Z has 18 move, 1 initiative. Compare that to a La-5 in the scenario. It has Move 12, Initiative 7. This is best case scenario. Or the Beaufighter has 2 initiative but its movement advantage is reduced to 4 compared to the 6 for 109Z. It all means with Superior Move the best outcome is for their adjusted initiative will match at 7 for the 109Z, but usually be lower depending on which aircraft. It only is helpful when it's fighting inferior enemy aircraft or when your unit is buffed with a star or two more experience over your enemy. Once your units' experience grows over that of the AI, it will ultimately give you the advantage, but probably not in Spain or AO39 or in late war. So yes, on a tac fighter but you have to be careful and smart.

[Magni]

Yes, I have considered various fighter-bomber units but the difference in movement to gained initiative usually isn't great enough to compensate. For example, a Bf 109F has a 3 movement disadvantage to a Bf 110F. But the 109F has a 5 initiative advantage. So when that Bf 110 gains three initiative with the Superior Movement hero, it still has less initiative than the fighter. ( I use the 109 as an example because it was faster and easier for me to look up, but British fighters usually have very close or the same initiative as 109s and Soviet fighters suck until later in the war.)

Now I pulled up an old save file from the end of AO1942. The 109Z has 18 move, 1 initiative. Compare that to a La-5 in the scenario. It has Move 12, Initiative 7. This is best case scenario. Or the Beaufighter has 2 initiative but its movement advantage is reduced to 4 compared to the 6 for 109Z. It all means with Superior Move the best outcome is for their adjusted initiative will match at 7 for the 109Z, but usually be lower depending on which aircraft. It only is helpful when it's fighting inferior enemy aircraft or when your unit is buffed with a star or two more experience over your enemy. Once your units' experience grows over that of the AI, it will ultimately give you the advantage, but probably not in Spain or AO39 or in late war. So yes, on a tac fighter but you have to be careful and smart.

La-5 is also a 5 core slot fighter. Pushing a 2-3 slot fighter-bomber up to being just slightly worse or equal to that (while also retaining the ground attack capability) is still pretty big.