+1 range.

[stormbringer3]

Is it worthwile to have a StuG with a +1 range? Right now I've 3 10.5cm with a +1 range. What platforms should I eventually change them to? I've read a lot of posts about this but many of them are years old. Perhaps there are some new thoughts?
Thanks for any opinions.

[goose_2]

I have a StuG3B with +1 Range, that I enjoy using, but is extremely limited in the kills it can acquire, so it has stayed stuck with only single +1 Range hero for quite a while.

I have 2 Wurfrahmen both with +1 Range Heroes which makes them better, but they are still extremely vulnerable.

My best has been my 17cm artillery that has +1 Range +1 Movement hero that I finally changed to a 30CM Nebelwerfer.

These are absolute beasts, I have 3 30cm Nebelwerfer's and they are my best artillery units hands down. They are absolutely devastating and I fully expect to be able to get Triple heroes on all 3 Nebelwerfer's.

[captainjack]

A 2-range Stug or StuH is nice, but I like a 3-range nebelwerfer for soft target suppression while keeping it reasonably safe from return artillery fire. I find the 21cm works very well for soft targets and the 5 ammo is just enough to avoid spending too much time reloading. Having said that, the odd 4+ range gun is useful for counter battery fire or for suppressing AA guns behind the artillery line so that your aircraft can get to work.

[hugh2711]

I really like the R + 1, i usually farm quite a few towed artilliary and usually get a couple of R+1's out of it. they end up as 17inch and are pretty good for most things. the extra range means you have to have fewer units in range taking losses when attacking a strong point. I also farm some non-towed ary as there are some situations where you need to travel a long distance and attack in the same turn so I usually have one or two R+1 sturmpanzers and wurfrahmen. The wurfrahmen are essential as they can go a long distance then attack and with the +1 range they are less exposed so rarely get hit, although enemy airforce seems to love them. They do get massive experience quickly. They seriously munch infantry from a long distance without losses.
I am currently doing afrika corps at field marshall and I find bizzarely I have two +2 wurfrahmen, yes that is two +1 range heroes on not one but two wurfrahmen. [ see my post in scenario design entitled " 'random' heroes my ar.." ] its positively freaky!

[proline]

I've mentioned this before, but units are generally balanced by their weaknesses. For example, the nebelwerfer series hits soft targets really hard but has limited range. Negate that disadvantage, and you get an uber unit, whereas if you enhance a unit that already has good range you won't see the massive increase in effectiveness. So use it on something with a range of 1 or 2.

Now the exception is the rail gun with a range of 4. Because it has limited mobility (can't go off the tracks), an extra range point really helps give it more targets.

[PoorOldSpike]

Is it worthwile to have a StuG with a +1 range? Right now I've 3 10.5cm with a +1 range. What platforms should I eventually change them to?..

I'm a relative newcomer to PzCps and am still analysing the 9 members of the Stug family (below) but all I know so far is that whether we use them in the artillery or anti-tank role, their valuable armour protection is something towed guns don't have.
Inset- some of them have special capabilities (circled) namely bunker-killing capabilities (bk) and some can switch the elevation of their guns (sw) for use in either the arty or AT role.



PS- regarding artillery in general, I'm a self-propelled fan (Wespe/Priest etc) because SP's can move and fire in the same turn, whereas guns being towed can't..

[ycloon]

I put my range heroes on Wufrahmen as well. These units are fragile and one way of protecting them is to increase their range so that they can fire and still stay out of (at least) some counterbattery fire. That is not enough though, because the Wufrahmen's AD is also poor. So, even with range heroes, you should consider an air escort (directly over the Wufrahmen) or an AA escort.

[stormbringer3]

There was a thread quite awhile ago where a poster stated that a +1 range on a 8.8 cm Flak helped the AA side but not the A-T side because 0+1 still gave you the adjacent hex. However, if you had two +1 range than the A-T side would go out two hexes. Then another poster said they didn't think that was true and the topic went no further. Does anyone know if two +1 range heroes would give the A-T side a two hex range?
Thanks for any opinions.

[PoorOldSpike]

...Does anyone know if two +1 range heroes would give the A-T side a two hex range?

I don't know, but if anybody can tell me how to put heroes into scenarios with the editor I can test it out.

PS- there was a topic about hero ranges at Steam-
http://steamcommunity.com/app/268400/di ... 767698771/
Here's a bit from it-

"The +1 hero only working on the AA part of the 88 flak is a bit tricky topic. Basically the way the game works internally all units with range of 2 or more are considered to shoot in indirect mode as enemy units can not retaliate when attacked by them. This isn't exactly something you want for example for tanks or AT guns. People trying to mod some tanks to 2 range encountered the same problem as well. This obviously causes problem in the case of a unit switchable between AA/AT mode like the 88 flak so when it swaps to the AT mode the range hero gets disabled.
...a real shame about those 88 flak i would have loved to use them from range against those annoying matildas."

[Panzerpimp]

how to put heroes into scenarios with the editor

As far as I remember:
Place a unit on the map in the editor. Shift-click on a unit. You'll get "unit parameters" menu. There you choose "heroes" button.

[PoorOldSpike]

how to put heroes into scenarios with the editor

As far as I remember:
Place a unit on the map in the editor. Shift-click on a unit. You'll get "unit parameters" menu. There you choose "heroes" button.

Thanks, I just had a crack at it but couldn't do it. I could be wrong but it seems we can only edit Heroes who are already in the Campaign, and can't actually create them ourselves in the editor. I'll google around and try again later.

[captainjack]

You can add heroes to a unit in the editor. If you don't have an image simply type an image name that matches the hero name - eg SpeedHero has image SpeedHero.png. It works even if teh image doesn't exist. However, leaving the image name blank won't work.

What you can't do is change thechances of allocation of heroes in game, add new types of heroes, change existing heroes, add heroes to player units.

[PoorOldSpike]

You can add heroes to a unit in the editor. If you don't have an image simply type an image name that matches the hero name - eg SpeedHero has image SpeedHero.png. It works even if teh image doesn't exist. However, leaving the image name blank won't work.
What you can't do is change thechances of allocation of heroes in game, add new types of heroes, change existing heroes, add heroes to player units.

Thanks but just to be clear I'm not talking about campaigns, I simply want to put heroes into standalone scenarios that I create with the Editor.
Just had another crack at it with no success, I placed an infantry unit on the map, hit 'Heroes' and typed some stuff into the screen that opened (below), but when I ran the game the unit had no hero in it and its stats were unchanged (sniffle) what am I doing wrong?
PS- that pic of Eddie sits on my desktop but I've no idea how to get it into the unit.

[Panzerpimp]

what am I doing wrong?

Here's algorithm for You:

1. Go to Panzer Corps/UI/Heroes folder.
2. In the folder you'll see standard hero pictures from the game.
3. Choose one. For example "air1.png". (If you want to add your picture to the game better ask about It in the modding subforum)
4. Open the editor. Load the map.
5. Place a unit on the map in the editor. Shift-click on a unit. You'll get "unit parameters" menu. There you choose "heroes" button.
6. Fill in hero information including .png picture. For example "air1.png"
7. Save map. Play.

HeroHow1.png (17.45 KiB) Viewed 6352 times

HeroHow2.png (236.76 KiB) Viewed 6352 times

[PoorOldSpike]

1. Go to Panzer Corps/UI/Heroes folder...

Aha, that's the one, thanks, I put a hero and his picture into a unit and tested him in combat and the 'L' screen shows he used his attributes..
Just one more question-
During play, a unit with a hero in it looks exactly the same onscreen as a unit without a hero in it, so the only way we can tell if a unit contains a hero is to right click it and select 'Battle History' to see the hero's mugshot and his attributes, is that right?

[CrimsonStorm]

Units with a hero have dots under the strength number, 1 per hero.

[Panzerpimp]

is that right?

HeroHow3.png (42.27 KiB) Viewed 6319 times

[PoorOldSpike]

Thanks guys, my lame excuse is that the dot is pretty hard to see. I was due to pick up a new pair of glasses from Specsavers today but couldn't tear myself away from the computer, maybe I should have made the effort..

[Moniker]

I've had multiple pairs of glasses since I've owned PanzerCorps and never noticed the dots under the strength numbers! I rename my units when they receive heroes - Att+3 Rng+1.... Thanks guys.

[PoorOldSpike]

..Does anyone know if two +1 range heroes would give the A-T side a two hex range?

No they won't. I just ran this test with 2x heroes, each with a +1 range, but the 88 in AT mode could only fire at adjacent enemy units, note I had to wheel it adjacent to the tank to fire.
I also tried even longer range bonuses but nothing would increase the 88 AT's range above '0'.
HOWEVER, the two heroes DID increase the AA mode range to 5 hexes (ie 3 normal range and +2 for the heroes), note in the bottom pic it's engaging a B-25 at 5 range.
Two heroes also add their skills to the Attack strength and initiative etc, I fired at the tank and the key 'L' readout showed the guns Attack strength had a +6 hero bonus.
BTW, as an experiment I tried having just one hero with a range of 30, and although he had no effect on the '0' AT mode range, he DID give the AA mode the ability to shoot at enemy planes 30 hexes away, it was totally unrealistic I know but I just wanted to see if it could be done.
incidentally, when the game automatically assigns heroes, what are the maximum skill bonuses possible, +3 or what?