Reserves

[dks]

maybe I missed it somewhere in the discussions.

been bugging me for some time.

how come I can't replace damaged units with reserves?

not disband them....place them back in the reserve pool any units I start with in a scenario. then....that opens a slot and I can use my reserves just as a general would. they are reserves.

left out of the initial opening days of a specific battle yes....but....still are reserves. that's why I have reserves. to add to my fire power as it is weakened.

if I find the enemy is fielding more air power I need to adjust to that threat with my reserves.

I understand the replacements to a damaged unit. rather than spend the prestige for that....I feel that I should be able to send it to the rear/pool and bring in a needed reserve unit?

[Razz1]

It is too much of an advantage over the AI

[Kamerer]

It is too much of an advantage over the AI

I agree. What you propose is a very logical, soundly historical suggestion. But it would just kill the AI.

Here's one way to go about it: Think of yourself as Churchill talking to Gamelin. Ask, “Où est la masse de manœuvre?" As Gamelin explained, there isn't one. Live with it. Endure, conquer.

Here's another way: Consider you do not have to deploy all your allotted units. Leave 3,5, 9 undeployed and then deploy them as your battle develops and you see the battlespace better. I did this a lot my first time through most all games/scenarios. I'd even have 10 undeployed slots in some scenarios. You can create your own "masse de manœuvre." I have fought many scenarios with spots held back, forgot to fill them, and one handily. Akrika Korps is the biggest challenge here; you can win the final scenario decisively with turns to spare down 8 units.

[dks]

AI vs. human reserves: it's true....too much an advantage....but....would be fun to use

House rules: I like that (not) deploy method. I can see if playing on the lower difficulty settings for a reeeeeeeelaxed game, house rules can be used to make things a bit more historical.

beginning to see what the AI does and how it reacts to given traps set for it. house rules may be in order sooner than I expected.

having a great time trying out different equipment in PzC. using reserves during battle/scenario would have made the use of (all) the equipment types as part of my core a real desire.

well: just gonna have to employ some house rules and see what happens.

[shawkhan]

This looks like a situation where one might want to use the 'add to core' cheat, to only be used at need.

[dks]

add to core cheat: been thinking about that shawkhan.

I want to use all the equipment types in my core. kind of hard playing with two panzers. just got done playing from DLC 39 Oslo thru DLC 40 Eben-Emael using only infantry. no panzers. this on col level.

was a lot of fun.

at Arras now using only (4) panzers of which one is a captured Samua S35(defense). don't know if the decisive is possible yet. have a large (4) strat-bomber force and (5) fighters and (1) Ju 87B....but sure could use my (2) infantry I have in reserve. oh man....live with it, endure, conquer. just gonna have to do that for sure

back to the cheat: trying to figure in my head what balance in prestige, experience and strength playing at field marshal to offset me using the cheat. just enough to make it hard using a variation of the equipment types available.

the extra slots using some house rules would always be there for that withdraw of weakened say green unit. having a pre determined city hex behind the front if possible for a must place here hex.

got me thinking hard on the cheat now.

thanks guys....hmmm might be going back to 39 start again

[shawkhan]

We two seem to be almost on the same timeline!
I just played Arras and won with just 4 panzers. Keep your '88's close if you want to survive this one. For Poland I find the Recon units better than panzers. In Norway, a couple decent panzers can come in handy. I just finished 1940 today still using just 4 panzers. IMO the Gebirgsjagers with a few grenadiers work fine as long as they are backed up with artillery. I fielded 6 artillery by the end of 1940, 1 Stuka, 1 Me110 for its increased range, 5 fighters and 2 Strats.
Later today I will start 1941 with some better tanks; 2 PzIIIH's and 4 PzIVE's(2 of which are green). Hope to build some experience before going into Russia.

[dks]

shawkhan Arras: just finished and on the last turn thought I had more turns for some reason. will not do that again hate to rush the last objective....risk using toooooooooo much prestige on rebuilds next go around!!!!

doing pretty good here so far with my core prestige wise. have 13815 on last turn Arras. had to spend some prestige on replacements for two of my Pz IIIF's. the British Infantry hurts them the most so far when using the PzIIIF to attack them on clear terrain for some reason. must be the limes in their pockets

(4) panzers to finish 40'....that's great! looks like I'm gonna have to do the same. my Do 17Z's is what really hurt the Matilda II's at Arras. each has 325 experience. starting to take chunks out of enemy units when I use them now. takes a long time for the 200 kills with them though. that's my emphasis with them at the moment....the kills add up. with the lousy fuel of the Do 17Z's makes getting those airfields close to the enemy a must. I like that. puts more of a strategy to the battle.

ran that extra 88 asap to my Moeuvres defense along with the two 3.7 cm Pak 36. knocked the dickens out of those Britisk tanks there with them. strats and 88's....what more could you want?

here's my core including my reserves at end of Arras:

(7) infantry. Wehrmacht and Gebirgsjager. one Grenadier....got a attack 3 with this one.

(4) panzers. one is captured Somua S35

(1) SdKfz 232 8Rad recon

(6) Sturmpanzer I. these make all the difference for me. was always using towed artillery before but once I got use to the Sturm....4 ammo or not....I can get right into the enemies face when I need to and suppress those big guns they might have. also great to suppress those AA/AAA units for my Do's to get at those defenses.

(5) fighters

(2) Ju 87B. one is good old Rudel waiting for his cousin in Russia to show up

(4) Do 17Z's

our core are pretty close in equipment.

going into Calais next. I still will be short 3 slots for my core deploy. decisions decisions decisions....hmmmm. may go for (2) Pz IVD's. like you....I'm thinking of the Bear!

[ThvN]

About the reserves, during the Allied Corps beta a very nice system to rotate units off the map was tried, but was later removed because it interfered with scenario victory conditions sometimes. It is still used in some GC West scenarios and can still be modded in the game, as part of the map for the scenario.

It consists of some evacuation hexes far behind the frontlines (this is a hex with an arrow on it) if you enter it the unit disappears of the map into the reserves. If you evacuate a core unit it frees up a slot, naturally. This means another unit can be deployed on the map, using the normal deployment hexes. It is not a perfect sytem, but I liked it a lot.

[dks]

@ThvN

AC beta evacuation hexes: ahhh this good this is good. like PG III if I remember. that I really liked.

was waiting for the patches to be digested by the people in the mods area. which one is final and which one goes with which mod and so on to give them a try. just reading about them over there makes my itch burn to try them!

simple fix playing with that arrangement is house rules to avoid overwhelming the AI and using the harder levels tool.

too bad they couldn't find a middle ground in AC. hope they change their minds. shouldn't interfere with human vs. human play I would think. worked in PG III.

many pockets battles the Germans had to fight their way out of in Russia. perfect for it.

[dks]

@shawkhan: a little update where I am now before all my honey doooooooooo's must take place tomorrow. such is the life of the arm chair general. the honey do's that is. when the real general gives the orders

just finished France and got a SE Panzer IIIG to start off the Belgrade battle. hey hey hey, now that's the way to start the 41' camp for me.

playing at col, I have now 19843 prestige before upgrades. my Do 17Z's will now become after a long 39'-40' campaign, Do 217E's. now that's going make Ivan mad I think coming up. I know they will knock the limes out of the British shorts for sure in Greece

here's my core going into Belgrade. of course I will have to leave (3) units in reserve. getting better. was 4/5 for awhile.

Core:

(7) infantry

(7) panzers. 2 captured French units with that great ground defense stats.

(1) recon

(6) sturm arty

(6) fighters

(2) Sukas counting Rudel waiting for his cousin to show up

(4) hard hitting strategic bombers aching for some action.

ahh tis a sad day tomorrow indeed. but the honey doooooooooo's got to happen to keep my general happy

[shawkhan]

Did Belgrade last night. The Rumanians had a Somua tank which came in handy for leading the charge. I was also able to use their two cavalry effectively.
I have three SE infantry that I use along with Oleh Dir, 2 grenadiers and 2 Gebirgsjagers.
My 6 panzers I used in Keil(wedge) formation, three panzers in a group with a Sturmpanzer backing them up. My infantry is followed up by 15cm towed artillery.
I found a couple recon units helpful, their special movement particularly useful in capturing victory hexes on the fly.
I play on Field Marshal.
On my first playthrough before the update I got stuck on the final battle, SeaLion 45. Just couldn't make a decisive with it because of the incredible amount of allied armor, all topnotch and three stars experience. Hope to finally win that one this time with the new rules.

[dks]

@shawkhan Field Marshal: played with that setting with the earlier patches.

going to go back to the GC 39' start at Field Marshal now that I'm comfortable with my strats and Sturmpanzer's strategy.

got use to bouncing in and out of my reserve pool for equipment. I think using that approach should satisfy my thirst to use different equipment.

I really like to use everything just to see how I do.

from Reims thru Maginot line, was only using (3) of my newest fighter units to gain some experience. of course all my strats.

as you can see, I have accumulated a comfortable prestige amount on Colonel. will see what the total at FM will be with v1.21 at the same place next.

my first house rule will be I must have all the types of equipment classes at turn one Poznan on. have 1600 prestige to start with.

the hard house rule I'll use is (no) two units the same on the ground. toooo long a wait to try fighters that way. this eliminates the uber core.

if I find at Stalingrad I'm running out of prestige to keep my core up to top strength with elite replacements, then comes the "add to core cheat"

I really want to try that cheat with some added house rules. should be fun at any setting with the right house rules.

well, I'm already behind in my honey do's but my second wife....PzC....was calling!