How to use Gebirgsjager?

[Kamerer]

I can't figure out how to use my core Gj dismounted/mountain mode. Do you need to "upgrade" the motor unit away before deploying them? Presuming they were motorized as part of your core and not a newly purchased unit.

[El_Condoro]

You need to have them without transport, then they will move faster over mountain terrain. Makes sense - trucks and half-tracks slow infantry down across that kind of terrain. Although I think you can keep the transport if you only move up to 3 hexes? Need to confirm.

[brettz123]

You can still move three hexes with transport if my memory serves me correctly.

[deducter]

The way movement with transports is not clearly explained at all. As far as I can tell, this is how it works: the game calculates the pathing with both the unit and transport, and in every hex where both the unit and transport can move to, the unit will move without switching to transport mode. If it is beyond the reach of the unit but within reach of the transport, it will switch to a transport. If it is impossible for a transport to move onto a certain hex, then it will not allow such a movement at all.

My explanation is confusing, but it can be illustrated with examples.

Assume there are 3 hills hexes.
A Gebirgsjager equipped with an Opel Blitz. Opel Blitz has 8 move and is wheeled, which consumes 4 movement in hills. This unit can move onto 2 hill hexes while staying as an infantry but not the third.
A Gebirgsjager equipped with a Sdkfz 251/1. The Sdkfz 251/1 has 6 move and is halftrack, which consumes 2 movement in hills. This unit can move onto all 3 hexes while staying as an infantry.

[Kamerer]

What I meant was specifically mountain terrain. I find that if I have motorized Gj, they will only move one hex in mountains - they won't "abandon" their transport and act as mountain infantry. You have to start the scenario with them dismounted. Seems a bit illogical - I can understand leaving the transport and then being non-motorized until upgraded again.

I recall playing a scenario - perhaps the demo? Where it worked that way. As you started to move into mtn., it prompted a question, "Abandon trucks?" or similar. I am playing the 39 campaign now and it works differently. Odd - I was wondering if there was something I was missing. I got to Norway after carefully building up some Gj to find them unable to act as Mtn. infantry after starting the scenario, and no way to change that during the scenario.

[deducter]

Well mountains consume all movement for trucks an halftracks, so that's why your mountaineers equipped with transports can only move 1 hex at a time in mountains.

There is a way around this using cheat codes. You can unequip your mountaineers and use cheats to refund the prestige (50 for Opel Blitz, 100 for Sdkfz 251/1). I personally think there should be some way of keeping transports in the reserve pool too, but this is the easiest solution for now.

[Longasc]

Gebirgsjäger work only as intended without any transport.
It's similar to paratroopers and the workaround cheats people use to place them either on ground or in the air.

But I really can't think of a way to change Gebirgsjäger, after all they are working as intended. It's just BADLY communicated, how shall people know that?
I think this should become part of the unit description or another way must be found to communicate to players "hey, use no transport if you want real mountain infantry movement!"

[RichardL58]

I can't figure out how to use my core Gj dismounted/mountain mode. Do you need to "upgrade" the motor unit away before deploying them? Presuming they were motorized as part of your core and not a newly purchased unit.

If you want to use them in mountain terrain, refund their transports for that scenario. Otherwise I use them as fast infantry with SPW-transports, as complements to the slower heavier grenadiers or as flank protection in key areas.