Quick Noobie questions

[karchad]

Getting my butt kicked in this game, but I love it. A couple of questions:

1. What's the strategy as far as replacements vs. elite replacements? What does the decision depend upon, when do you do one or the other?

2. Does surrounding unit(s) cut off supply in this game and make such units easier to destroy? In other words, is there some sort of supply line off the edge of the board for my side or the opponent?

3. Similar to question 1, when creating a new unit, say a tank, do you go for the better more expensive unit, or get more cheap (and less effective ones)? How do you make the decision?

4. I love reading about the North African theater, is the Afrika Corps game as good as the original one?

Just a note, I'm getting better, I finally see the value of combined arms. Sometimes I'm impatient, send my tanks out ahead, and get killed.

[ThvN]

Welcome!

If you are looking for anything specific, there is also a FAQ thread where a lot of game mechanics are explained: viewtopic.php?f=121&t=27283

1. What's the strategy as far as replacements vs. elite replacements? What does the decision depend upon, when do you do one or the other?

Depends on how much prestige you want to spend, but a lot of players usually take elite replacements in between scenarios, as it is cheaper to do (and green replacements are free then). During battles reinforcement strategy is more difficult, for a unit that can quickly gain experience green replacements can be fine, but some units really need a lot of experience to be very effective, especially in the later years. Please note that the cost of the transport is added when replacing, so an infantry unit with an expensive halftrack will be very pricey to reinforce.

2. Does surrounding unit(s) cut off supply in this game and make such units easier to destroy? In other words, is there some sort of supply line off the edge of the board for my side or the opponent?

Yes, but you need several units touching the opponent for the best effect. A surrounded unit is not automatically penalized, but if you are able to attack it with several units it will suffer an initiative penalty, due to 'mass attack'. If a unit runs out of fuel it is less effective in combat, and if it's out of ammo it can't shoot back, obviously.

3. Similar to question 1, when creating a new unit, say a tank, do you go for the better more expensive unit, or get more cheap (and less effective ones)? How do you make the decision?

If I have a lot of prestige, usually the only limitation is the amount of core slots available. If I can only buy one extra tank, I'll try to pick the best one. If I have little prestige but can fill several core slots (happens a lot in multiplayer), I'll try to get units which are good value for money or can be upgraded cheaply later (if a unit belongs to a certain upgrade family, you only pay the price difference when upgrading, for example a Panzer III or a Bf 109 fighter plane.)

4. I love reading about the North African theater, is the Afrika Corps game as good as the original one?

Better, I would say. The scenarios are much more varied, and it not so much a race against the clock but force management and good supply tactics play a much greater role.

Just a note, I'm getting better, I finally see the value of combined arms. Sometimes I'm impatient, send my tanks out ahead, and get killed.

When in doubt, use some artillery to soften up (supress) the target, it might not kill much but it can prevent them from shooting back if they are attacked after bombarding them. And yes, those early German tanks are very vulnerable. Happy hunting!