Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

The team behind the award-winning game Advanced Tactics is back with a new and improved game engine that focuses on the decisive early days of World War II! Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris is the first in an innovative series of operational World War II wargames that also include a strategic element. The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris simulates Germany’s military successes in Poland and France in 1939 and 1940 (including also a hypothetical “Sea Lion” invasion of Great Britain).

Moderator: Vic

Post Reply
User avatar
sandman2575
Posts: 315
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:02 pm

Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

Post by sandman2575 »

I am about 99% certain these questions are not addressed in the manual or in these threads -- apologies in advance if there is something i've just overlooked here that is already addressed in those places...

It seems to me there are some mysteries about Supply, HQ's, and some related matters. I've been keeping a running list and want to post some of these now in the hope that someone (...Vic??) can provide answers.

Questions re: Supply:

1. How much supply is consumed "per round" of combat? For ex., if Rounds of Stock = 2.6 for a given unit -- what exactly does this mean?

2. In "Unit Base Info," what does "Supply Consumption" (the icon w/ 3 Jerry cans) represent? According to the tooltip, this means "% of supply consumed for optimal functioning." However, from what I can tell, this value is *always* 100 -- ? In what situations would this value *not* be 100?

3. Occasionally, units do not recover 100 AP in a new turn. A unit may only get, say 92 AP. Why does this occur?

Questions re: HQs:

4. How is Staff per unit calculated? How can I tell how many more units an HQ can handle? (My own observation: a full division requires 171 staff points...but no idea why).

5. What effect do HQ's *above* Corps level in the OOB have on units/Hq's *below*? I understand that a Corps HQ lends its % bonus to all divisions and units under its command, provided they are within HQ range. However, if an Army HQ has a leader with "75%" bonus... what does this mean for the Corps/units below it? What about Army Group? Theater HQ?

6. Is it a good idea to attach Army-level assets -- for example, an Artillery regiment -- to Corps HQ's in order to get an HQ bonus? I assume it is a good idea to attach reserve infantry divisions to a specific Corps HQ, since Army HQ's and above are likely to be completely out of HQ range. Also, Air units are usually completely out of range of the Theatre-level HQs they are attached to -- is it a good idea to attach them to Army HQ's?


Thanks for any help!
User avatar
sandman2575
Posts: 315
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:02 pm

RE: Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

Post by sandman2575 »

*sound of crickets*

well, i can see this thread has gotten off to an inauspicious start...

I can now answer my Question #3 at least.  Units only recover 100AP if they are at 100% readiness.  Any units that start a new turn below 100% readiness only get a proportional percentage of Action Points for that turn.

On the subject of percentages, I did discover a good tip along the way.  When your Corps commander has an Action Card to play on a division under his command, make sure all 4 regiments of the division are within range of 100% HQ Power (8 hexes I think).  Anything below 100% HQ power, and the regiment will only get the same percentage of the Card bonus -- for ex., if you commander has "Haste II" to play (+40 AP bonus), all units have to be within 100% HQ power to get all 40 bonus AP.  A regiment only within 60% HQ range will only get 24 bonus AP (60% of 40).

Anyway, I would still love to find out the answers to my other questions.  Decisive Campaigns is an absolutely superb game, and it's a shame the manual seems only to cover the basics of gameplay, and leaves a lot of what is going on 'under the hood' completely unexplained.....
User avatar
Barthheart
Posts: 3079
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2004 3:16 pm
Location: Nepean, Ontario

RE: Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

Post by Barthheart »

Hey Sandman2575,
Glad you're enjoying the game. It really is great.
I'll take a shot at your questions:
ORIGINAL: sandman2575

I am about 99% certain these questions are not addressed in the manual or in these threads -- apologies in advance if there is something i've just overlooked here that is already addressed in those places...

It seems to me there are some mysteries about Supply, HQ's, and some related matters. I've been keeping a running list and want to post some of these now in the hope that someone (...Vic??) can provide answers.

Questions re: Supply:

1. How much supply is consumed "per round" of combat? For ex., if Rounds of Stock = 2.6 for a given unit -- what exactly does this mean?

"Rounds of Stock" is how many Turns worht of supply it's carrying. So in your example 2.6 means if it got cutoff completely it would have 2.6 turns worth of supply. I don't think supplies are consumed on the "rounds of combat" level"... at least I can't remember that happening.
2. In "Unit Base Info," what does "Supply Consumption" (the icon w/ 3 Jerry cans) represent? According to the tooltip, this means "% of supply consumed for optimal functioning." However, from what I can tell, this value is *always* 100 -- ? In what situations would this value *not* be 100?

This is a seeting you can make to have a unit use less supply at the risk of lowering it's effectivenes. It's useful for far rear area units when you need the supplies to go to the front. Clicking on the 100% should change it to 75% - %50 - %25 - %100 in order.
3. Occasionally, units do not recover 100 AP in a new turn. A unit may only get, say 92 AP. Why does this occur?

You answered this correctly your self.
Questions re: HQs:

4. How is Staff per unit calculated? How can I tell how many more units an HQ can handle? (My own observation: a full division requires 171 staff points...but no idea why).

I can't remember the answer for this one sorry.. It has something to do with combat points per staff point, maybe 1 staff can command 10 combat points, but I forget the exact formula. It should be somewhere in the forum here though as you are not the first to ask.
5. What effect do HQ's *above* Corps level in the OOB have on units/Hq's *below*? I understand that a Corps HQ lends its % bonus to all divisions and units under its command, provided they are within HQ range. However, if an Army HQ has a leader with "75%" bonus... what does this mean for the Corps/units below it? What about Army Group? Theater HQ?

Yes each level of HQ will gives it's bonus to all units below in chain of command as long as they are within range. So Army HQ's give bonuses to all Corps below it etc.
6. Is it a good idea to attach Army-level assets -- for example, an Artillery regiment -- to Corps HQ's in order to get an HQ bonus? I assume it is a good idea to attach reserve infantry divisions to a specific Corps HQ, since Army HQ's and above are likely to be completely out of HQ range. Also, Air units are usually completely out of range of the Theatre-level HQs they are attached to -- is it a good idea to attach them to Army HQ's?

Yes attaching Army level arty to a Corps is a good idea but only if it doesn't reduce the Corps HQ's command %. Same for reserve infantry div. only if it doesn't reduce the HQ %.

I don't think air units are affected by HQ bonuses... but I could be wrong there. I've never attached air units to front line Corps HQ's.
Thanks for any help!


Enjoy the game!
[8D]
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming "WOW, what a ride!"
User avatar
jhdeerslayer
Posts: 1210
Joined: Sat May 25, 2002 3:24 pm
Location: Michigan

RE: Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

Post by jhdeerslayer »

Thanks for answering as I had similar questions. How do you find a HQ's range?
User avatar
sandman2575
Posts: 315
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:02 pm

RE: Some technical questions re: Supply & HQ's

Post by sandman2575 »

Barthheart, many thanks for taking the time to reply. Really glad to get clarification on some of these issues. Just a couple of observations on your information, if I may --

2. In "Unit Base Info," what does "Supply Consumption" (the icon w/ 3 Jerry cans) represent? According to the tooltip, this means "% of supply consumed for optimal functioning." However, from what I can tell, this value is *always* 100 -- ? In what situations would this value *not* be 100?


This is a seeting you can make to have a unit use less supply at the risk of lowering it's effectivenes. It's useful for far rear area units when you need the supplies to go to the front. Clicking on the 100% should change it to 75% - %50 - %25 - %100 in order.



- I'm still confused by this. I understand what you are saying about being able to lower a unit's supply request priority by 100-75-50 %. As you know, this toggle appears in an oval below the "Retreat %" toggle, to the right of the Unit Base Info. icons. But I'm referring to the "Jerrycan" icon for Supply Consumption, which I think must be different. If you lower a unit's supply priority to, say 50% in the 'oval,' the Jerrycan Icon still reads 100. It just seems unnecessary to have an 'icon' for this, if it always reads "100" and never changes. Am I still missing something? In short, what is the relationship between the Supply Consumption Jerrycan icon and the Supply Request toggle?


5. What effect do HQ's *above* Corps level in the OOB have on units/Hq's *below*? I understand that a Corps HQ lends its % bonus to all divisions and units under its command, provided they are within HQ range. However, if an Army HQ has a leader with "75%" bonus... what does this mean for the Corps/units below it? What about Army Group? Theater HQ?


Yes each level of HQ will gives it's bonus to all units below in chain of command as long as they are within range. So Army HQ's give bonuses to all Corps below it etc.

- This makes sense, although a bit surprising to me about the HQ range requirement for HQ's *above* Corps level. I always try to keep my Corps HQs in close range of their divisions to get the 100% general's bonus. But logistically it seems very difficult to keep your Army HQs, and even moreso, your Armygroup and Theatre HQs, within the 8 Hex range of their sub-HQs.
6. Is it a good idea to attach Army-level assets -- for example, an Artillery regiment -- to Corps HQ's in order to get an HQ bonus? I assume it is a good idea to attach reserve infantry divisions to a specific Corps HQ, since Army HQ's and above are likely to be completely out of HQ range. Also, Air units are usually completely out of range of the Theatre-level HQs they are attached to -- is it a good idea to attach them to Army HQ's?

Yes attaching Army level arty to a Corps is a good idea but only if it doesn't reduce the Corps HQ's command %. Same for reserve infantry div. only if it doesn't reduce the HQ %.

- Makes sense, and I agree, although it seems to me that there are many instances where it's preferable to take a hit to a Corps general's % Bonus in order to attach a new division. Reserve divisions are often attached to Army or Armygroup HQs, and for me, they are almost always completely out of range of those high-level HQs. I'd rather give that reserve division to a Corps general who has a little Staff:Troops Ratio to spare (say, 1.20), if it means that division will now be able to get a 100% general's bonus by being within range of the Corps HQ. Of course, 1.20 Ratio is not nearly enough to take on a new division, and the general's % Bonus is now going to drop for all the divisions under his command. But better to have 4 divisions all getting, say, 65% Bonus from their slightly overloaded Corps general, than to have 3 divisions all getting 80% 'full' Bonus and a 4th reserve division getting 0% bonus by virtue of being completely out of range of its parent HQ. (those % numbers are rubbish by the way, just making them up by way of example.)

I guess this is personal preference -- I don't have the hard numbers to back it up! But because it's very rare that a Corps general has enough Staff:Troops Ratio to be able to take on a full division *without* a hit to their % Bonus, it seems an inevitable recourse to me. That said, I have yet to attach a Army- (or above) level Artillery regiment to a Corps HQ if it means it will overload the general's command capacity. Taking a % Bonus hit for a full division seems worth it, but not for a single Arty asset.


Anyway, thanks again! Can't say enough how much I love this game -- and look forward to its continued evolution (and expansion?? I hope!)


@Deerslayer -- the HQ range is 8 hexes, if I'm not mistaken. But easiest way to find out if a unit is within range of its parent HQ: you can find the HQ range by clicking on "Unit Details" tab for the unit, and under "Stats" you will see "HQ Power." If the unit is within 8 hexes of HQ, HQ Power will read 100% (unit is getting full benefit of bonus from that HQ) -- for each hex a unit extends beyond 8 from its parent HQ, HQ Power diminishes by 20% increments, until you get hit HQ Power 0% and that unit no longer gets any bonus from its HQ.
Post Reply

Return to “Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris”