Bug?: Reinforcements not arriving

[stonestriker]

My Trappenjagd campaign is coming to a close, and, as my supplies are constantly low, I have kept any reinforcements as cards instead of placing them on the map. However I have noticed that you cannot have more than 21 units waiting as reinforcements. Any more than that and they are just lost.

I think this is fine as it is, as I guess high command see no need for further reinforcements, but it would be nice to get a message about this in Reports. Just a simple:

"With the overwhelming reserves at your command, STAVKA is turning back new reinforcements and sending them to other theatres (you can have no more than 21 cards in your Units pool)"

[Reconvet]

No comment on not placing reinforcements on the map. But as it seems that you felt this need due to supply problems here are some hints on supply-killers and supply-savers:

1) Moving units costs supply. Compare supply stock in your units before the move with after the move. Moving units max distance eats a lot of their supply stock.

2) Moving units makes them lose readiness. Moving units in mud conditions costs a lot of readiness. Readiness is recovered via supply consumption. Therefore moving units around deals a double whopper on your supplies.

3) Railing units leaves them on 50% readiness, that's 50% to be recovered via supply consumption. Don't rail around too much if you have supply problems. Never ever rail around units as carelessly as you can in WitE...

4) Fighting costs supplies - ammo spent - plus readiness for envolved units. Attacks with artillery and ships cost tons of supplies to refill the arty ammo stock. Cutting back your attack numbers for a few turns can help a lot to build up supply reserves at your top HQ.

5) Take care of your supply lines. Repair bridges as supply travelling over rivers significally ups the length from your top HQ to the unit to be supplied. Once movement points for supply path go over 100 only part of your unit's supply need reaches it's target. Keep your formations within 5 hexes of the HQ they are attached to and keep all your units close to roads/railroads which have as short a path as possible to your top HQ to minimize the length of your supply paths.

6) Avoid sea supply lines at all cost where you don't have air superiority. Sewastopol can't be supplied by the red player in stock scenarios if Axis places some idle combat units near the Crimea and/or bombs the harbour out of commission each turn. Supply interception with resting planes is one of the greatest "weaknesses" this game has right now. You'll lose tons of supply on sea supply paths where you can't contest the skies.

7) Don't do sea invasions where you can't secure a harbor asap or your supply situation will decline fast (harbor = coastal city with the anchor symbol).

These are conclusions I drew for myself from my ongoing Trappenjagd pbem, game started and running on 1.04beta. I hope some of this may help you to improve your overall supply situation next time you try. I hope I never ever end up in a situation where I don't dare to put reinforcement units on the map...

[stonestriker]

Thanks for the tips Reconvet. All are great advice.

However the reason for my current supply issues are my pursuit of the german army. ALL my units are currently moving forward each turn, and even while I try to avoid fighting as much as possible, I do have to crush all the pockets. I am also experimenting a bit with my navy, which is burning alot of supplies.

The smart way to fight would be to moving only an army, or three, each turn, but I am trying to win this one fast

It is currently August 26th and I have just reached 600.000 german casualties, and I hope to reach Odessa by mid-september. So there will be no slowing down!