Command Point limits

[Chris21wen]

It's Aug 1941 and I have more units than I have CPs therefore I need to overload the HQs. Where is it best to do so, in the Armies, in the Fronts, or doesn't it matter?

[jwolf]

This is a difficult period for the Soviets from a C&C point of view.  It will improve gradually through the course of the war, but the late summer of 41 is really hard.  I recommend NOT overloading the armies, because their CP limit will go down still lower after a while, eventually to just 18 points.  To some extent you can use the military districts and/or Moscow defense zone, especially for units that just need to rest and rebuild.  But as far as I know you are more or less forced to overload your fronts, in some cases severely.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

This is a difficult period for the Soviets from a C&C point of view.  It will improve gradually through the course of the war, but the late summer of 41 is really hard.  I recommend NOT overloading the armies, because their CP limit will go down still lower after a while, eventually to just 18 points.  To some extent you can use the military districts and/or Moscow defense zone, especially for units that just need to rest and rebuild.  But as far as I know you are more or less forced to overload your fronts, in some cases severely.

Thanks

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

This is a difficult period for the Soviets from a C&C point of view.  It will improve gradually through the course of the war, but the late summer of 41 is really hard.  I recommend NOT overloading the armies, because their CP limit will go down still lower after a while, eventually to just 18 points.  To some extent you can use the military districts and/or Moscow defense zone, especially for units that just need to rest and rebuild.  But as far as I know you are more or less forced to overload your fronts, in some cases severely.

Or not overload anything. I use plenty of armies attached to Stavka..especially for armies in low threat sectors or armies that are specialized like tank armies or pure artillery armies.

[jwolf]

Well, he's talking about 1941 so the specialized armies would come later. I agree that you can put many armies under STAVKA, although I worry about using them right at the front. So which is better, or maybe I should say which is less bad: using a STAVKA army for frontline fighting, or putting that army into a Front HQ that may already be overloaded? At this point in the war the Soviet player is going to have to make some C&C compromises and I wonder which mode does the least harm.

[caliJP]

Chris, as jwolf says, it is a little dicey during summer 41. Of course it depends how well you are doing. If you lost of units, you may be just fine with C&C. If you did very well, you may be bursting at the seems. I seem to be usually "about right" i.e. not too many armies overloaded. There is no silver bullet, but a few tricks:
- I agree with jwolf, don't overload armies. I used to stick to the 18 CP looking fwd to the 1942 Army CP decrease. For Armies on the front line where I expect to lose some units, I now disregard that. I know the Germans will reduce my CPs for me
- when new units arrive as shells, I keep those shells in the rear under STAVKA to dig and fill-up. I only move them into Armies once they are ready. That lightens the load on armies
- I will sometimes create 1 or 2 extra armies. I don't like to do it as I'd rather use APs for better things. But generally the standard allotment of soviet armies is a little light, you will need a few more in 1942 or later, so you will need them later anyhow.
- Keep 4 armies per front to avoid too much overloading. Until late 41 it means you will definitely have some armies under STAVKA. I usually have Armies of Tanks and Cavalry under STAVKA so I can move them around the front.
- I will also sometimes use 1 or 2 Airborne corps to manage border guard units along Finn border and other odds and ends. Also assigned to STAVKA