Slitherine

I was wondering how you guys go about it. At deployment stage it is so tempting just to use non-elite replacements to save a massive amount of prestige. Of course this ends up giving you units of lesser experience values.
How do you guys get a balance in this area?

This depends on quite a few factors. If my prestige count is low i obviously go for normal replacements, if i am swimming in prestige i go for the luxury version for all of my units unless i know i am expecting huge upgrades available soon (the times when Fw 190, or Tiger becomes available) and i am saving up for it. In most of the times when prestige is moderate i am keeping units that are not likely to take much damage, like artillery, bombers and to a certain extent fighters at as high experience and as much overstrengthed as possible. Front line fighting units, especially early in the war, can do with normal replacements.

On difficulty levels below field marshal one can usually afford to use mostly elite replacements if playing carefully. On higher difficulty levels it needs a bit more attention.

In the DLCs another factor comes in: the EXP there is limited so when the units are reaching the limit it is possible to save some prestiges by using normal reinforcements as the units will gain that lost exp usually easy back in the next fight and reach the cap again.

I played the DLCs on FM. This may not be the "best" strategy for replacements, but it worked for me.

During the replacement phase, I would give regular replacements to all my front line fighters till they got the first hero. Once that happened they got only elite replacements. Arty and air always got elite replacements.

Only in the most dire circumstances would I use replacements in game. I almost never did that.

I played through twice the DLCs on FM. Except for the very first few Poland scenarios, I was able to give most all units, and certainly all critical ones, elite replacements - arty, infantry, armor and air. Method I used for this was:

1) Fight hard to avoid damage - lots of artillery suppression and mass attack.
2) In field, don't "elite" past 10 - is much more expensive than in deployment phase.
3) If a unit become badly damaged, just move it to the rear area and render it hors de combat. Elite replace it in next deployment when cheaper instead of diluting its experience. Only rarely is it necessary to reinforce any single unit in order to secure a victory.
4) Once a unit gets a really nice hero bonus and is clearly going to be a workhorse unit, it always gets elite bonuses.

I find the style of play that works best, and others mention it too, is to go slow, steady, deliberate. Artillery support, no gaps in lines, careful recon where possible. Keep in mind units can do their own recon - stop two hexes away from an unknown city hex instead of rushing into it blindly, etc. slightly slower, but a more casualty-conscious way to go. In the DLCs, time and prestige are very rarely an issue, unlike the main PC game.

Awesome info guys, thanks for that!
This is why I like asking in the forums, no sense me 'reinventing the wheel' when you guys can pass on great info like this

The great thing with this game is when your mouse goes over the replacements icon, you see just how much youll spend and what their experience will be when replacements are giving. I agree with alot from above, one other thing I try is in a battle, a unit at an 8 or up always gets reg replacements, anything under that gets elite. But as Kamerer mentions, if a unit takes a big hit and i can hold that unit back till end of the game I will, and give elite replacements then between the next mission.

Here's another consideration: If I understand the game mechanics correctly, experience "counts" in units of 100 (100 = star). So if regular replacements would cause the unit to drop below the next "100" down (100, 200, 300, 400), I am more likely to give it elite replacements,if I can afford them. If regular replacements will keep it above the next 100 down, then I usually don't buy them (at least not in-scenario).

robman wrote:Here's another consideration: If I understand the game mechanics correctly, experience "counts" in units of 100 (100 = star). So if regular replacements would cause the unit to drop below the next "100" down (100, 200, 300, 400), I am more likely to give it elite replacements,if I can afford them. If regular replacements will keep it above the next 100 down, then I usually don't buy them (at least not in-scenario).

You are right and this is the approach i generally use unless of course the prestige is really tight then i have to stick to normal or i am swimming in it then you can afford elite all the way. Another point to consider in the DLCs there is a exp limit per DLC. If your units already reached it or are very close and the DLC still got a few scenarios left you may as well use normal reinforcements as your units will regain the prestige before the DLC end and there is no point in hitting the cap way to early.

Tarrak wrote:

robman wrote:Here's another consideration: If I understand the game mechanics correctly, experience "counts" in units of 100 (100 = star). So if regular replacements would cause the unit to drop below the next "100" down (100, 200, 300, 400), I am more likely to give it elite replacements,if I can afford them. If regular replacements will keep it above the next 100 down, then I usually don't buy them (at least not in-scenario).

You are right and this is the approach i generally use unless of course the prestige is really tight then i have to stick to normal or i am swimming in it then you can afford elite all the way. Another point to consider in the DLCs there is a exp limit per DLC. If your units already reached it or are very close and the DLC still got a few scenarios left you may as well use normal reinforcements as your units will regain the prestige before the DLC end and there is no point in hitting the cap way to early.

An alternate technique I would recommend in this instance is to "rest" that unit/those units and field green or lower experience ones. It's better to have four units at 200 experience than one at 400 and three at 50. As the DLC progresses you will need larger numbers of units. It's much safer and easier to earn experience in the earlier campaigns. Also, it gives you a platform to earn more hero bonuses. Then the units with better bonuses, you campaign more, obviously. A bit like buying stock options in a way. By 44/45, you need six to eight very good infantry units minimum, so building them up early is the only way to get them.