Regaining readiness

The development team behind the award-winning games Decisive Campaigns: From Warsaw To Paris and Advanced Tactics is back with a new and improved game engine that focuses on the decisive year and theater of World War II! Decisive Campaigns: Case Blue simulates the German drive to Stalingrad and into the Caucasus of the summer of 1942, as well as its May preludes (2nd Kharkov offensive, Operation Trappenjagd) and also the Soviet winter counter-offensive (Operation Uranus) that ended with the encirclement of 6th Army in Stalingrad and the destruction of the axis minor armies. With many improvements including the PBEM++ system, this is a release to watch for wargamers!

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klarson56
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:26 am

Regaining readiness

Post by klarson56 »

I'm playing the Soviets in Operation Uranus and I've reached a point where some of my armor units and most of my air have very low readiness. To be expected from how I've been using them, but.....

I've been letting them rest, especially the air and even though they are in full supply and within the span of control of their headquarters, readiness just isn't going up....at least not by much.

Any tips on how units can regain readiness?
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The Red Baron
Posts: 167
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:40 pm
Location: Adirondack Mtns, NY

RE: Regaining readiness

Post by The Red Baron »

I'm on turn 25 or so of the same scenario as the Soviets. Here is what I've learned so far: to rapidly regain lost readiness or maintain it, your units need to have a supply stockpile on hand. You can see this value by clicking on the "Unit Details" tab then the "Basic Detail" tab. It is expressed in the number turns of supply the unit has, which is based on the unit's current readiness value. All units with the exception of naval units will attempt to accumulate up to 2 full turns (4 days) of a supply stockpile, which is used to maintain or replenish readiness. HQ power has no effect on this value (unless you are playing the with the more restricve HQ supply rules which can be adjusted in the editor). To max out and maintain your unit's readiness, set it's supply request to 100% and make sure it occupies a hex receiving 100% supply. Let it sit idle (if, of course, you can spare it) until readines reaches 100 AND your "Rounds of Stock" shows 2. You will then be able to fight the unit longer than you otherwise could, and it will regain readiness faster. Once the supply stock drops to 0 and your readiness drops below 90, it's going to take more than 1 turn to reach 100 readiness again.

Any unit will consume 100% of its supply request to regain the 1st 10 points of lost readiness. If the unit has at least .5 Rounds of Stock, it can combine this with the 100% of supply stock it received during the last supply distribution to regain a maximum of 30 points in readiness in one turn. As an example, a Soviet tank BDE with 2 rounds of stock (and set to request 100% of its supply needs each turn) with a readiness of 70 would start the next turn with 100 readiness but only 1.5 Rounds of Stock, having consumed 100% of its supply request plus 1/2 a turn of its supply stock to restore its state. If you fight/move the unit again lowering its readiness to 70 a second time, on the following turn (assuming identical supply conditions) it would reach 100 readiness but only have 1 Round of Stock in its stockpile (and so on). If you have no supply stockpile from which to draw, and your readiness is low, it can take a hell of a long time to reach 100 again, since you will only regain 10 points of readiness per turn.

I've discoverd Soviet tank BDEs and air units do not consume very many supply points, even when set to request 100% of their supply needs (their supply point needs are low compared to other types of units), so I leave them set to 100% all the time. It's the Soviet rifle divisions & brigades, artillery groups, artillery divisions, etc which consume the most supply; basically any unit with infantry and/or artillery. You need to watch that Rounds of Stock number carefully. If it's 0, a good rule of thumb is to rest the unit until you build up some supply stock, at least 1/2 a turn. With that 1/2 turn of supply plus 100% of unit's supply request, you regain 30 lost points of readiness in only 1 turn. As your game continues, you will need to tweak the supply settings of whole Armies and Fronts in order to maintain the offensive in one or two critical sectors.
James Ward
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RE: Regaining readiness

Post by James Ward »

^ Also I think artillery and naval units require a lot of supply if they are attacking/moving. Keeping them out of action will leave more supply for the grunts who are bearing the brunt of the fighting.
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