Can someone explain to me better how HQ linking actually works?

[OxfordGuy3]

Can someone explain to me better how HQ linking actually works (in 1.10)? The manual says:

"Friendly HQs with a supply value of at least 3 can be linked in a chain to supply other HQs over extended distances. The friendly HQ receiving the supply can receive an increased supply value up to a maximum value of 5, and this will raise its supply distribution value to a maximum of 8. The engine will seek to make lower rated HQs provide supply for higher rated ones, rather than vice versa. "

What I don't understand is - how is this affected by distance? Does the receiving HQ have to be within the command range of the other HQ? How is the amount of supply the receiving HQ calculated - does it just receive supply from the other HQ like other units do (wasn't like this in 1.08, as far as I could tell)?

e.g. say I have an HQ with supply 3 (so has a distribution value of 8) and it's 3 (clear) hexes away from another HQ, that otherwise would only have supply 2 (e.g. it's next to a resource with supply 3 only), how much supply will the receiving HQ get from the other one and what will it's distribution value be?

If the source HQ has a supply value of 5 or 6 (distribution value 8 or 10), how much supply would the receving HQ get in the above situation.

Do both HQs have to be of the same country, or can Italian HQs boost German HQs and vice-versa?

In low supply areas, like North Africa, this is pretty critical!

[OxfordGuy3]

So no one really understands how this mechanism works?

[GeneralFerraro]

I think that we need a tutorial for this particular issue. Could some kind soul write a tutorial as to how to link HQ's?? [&o] This question was always important,and it is even more crucial now, particulary with the new rules regarding supply for air units. I haven't seen any clear explanation as to how to link HQ's anywhere. And the supply for air units needs some clarification as well, oxford-guy has some excellent questions regarding this subject in another post, I will quote that in a future post of mine in this thread, it would be great if we could unify that information...

[Sugar]

- HQs can now only be linked if the first HQ has a supply value >= 3, lowered from a previous threshold of >= 5.

Change in V 1.10.

The 1. HQ in the link is working as a new supply-source, just like cities, towns or ports.

Keep in mind that not the distance is decisive for the amount of supply, but movement-costs.

It doesn`t matter of which origin an HQ is, italian as well as minors will do the trick for all Axis-HQs. Planes not linked up to the best possible HQ will receive their supply from the next ressource (if not an HQ), so if you place them in cities with 6 supply, they will also receive 6 supply, no matter the distance to their HQ.

Example: assuming the hexes between a ressource, the 1. and the 2. HQ all have a movement-cost of 1, and the ressource is a town producing 5, you can place the 1. HQ 2 hexes away from the town. It will produce 8 supply itself, and the 2. HQ further 5 hexes away (receiving 3 supply from the 1.) will also deliver 8 supply.

The second HQ in the link will never deliver more than 8 supply. The Command Rating of the HQs also doesn`t matter.

[sPzAbt653]

I have been wanting to do a tutorial for this, but the rules have been modified a lot so I have been waiting. However, I can give you a simple example [using v1.10].

The HQ in this screenshot will trace supply from one of three resources shown. It will use the best that it can trace, you can trace it yourself one hex at a time from Stalingrad [which has a Supply Level of '6'] to the HQ - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - so the trace from Stalingrad will get the HQ a Supply Level of '1'. The other two locations are too far away and have too low a Supply Level to provide anything but '0'.

[sPzAbt653]

Now let's look at this 6.Army HQ located in Stalingrad. Stalingrad has a Supply Value of 6, so the 6.Army HQ has a Supply Level of 6, and a Supply Distribution Value of 10 [which reads as 6(10) in the Unit Report]. If Stalingrad had a Supply Value of 5, then the HQ would be at 5(8).

[sPzAbt653]

Now let's look at a HQ Link. Based on the previous screen shots, the 17.Army HQ should be at a Supply Level of '1', but it is Linked to the 6.Army HQ at Stalingrad and thereby is at a Supply Level of '5'. Because the 6.Army HQ at Stalingrad has a Supply Distribution Value of '10', you can now trace from Stalingrad hex by hex - 10, 9, 8, etc. - and the trace puts the 17.Army at Supply Level 5 with a Supply Distribution Value of '8'.

[sPzAbt653]

Note that once you add in more Resources and HQ's to the situation, the more difficult it may be to figure out what is going on [as seen in this screen shot]. There are still times when I can't figure things out myself. In the areas where it matters most [Russia and Africa] I've taken to the practice of keeping pairs of HQ's close to each other and separated from others so as not to muddle things up.

Concerning Air Units, they must be attached to a HQ, otherwise they will only trace from Resources. This presents little issue in areas close to home, but in low level supply areas it will handicap your Air Units to not have enough HQ's to attach them.

Currently, these links are performed by the game engine, but it might be a nice future addition if it could be done manually by the player [as we can now do with attaching units to specific HQ's]. [:)]

[Fintilgin]

Might help visualization too if, when you clicked on a HQ it would show a line or something drawn to the HQ it's taking or giving supply to.

[GeneralFerraro]

Excellent explanation by Sugar and absolutely amazing tutorial by sPzAbt653. Now I get this whole issue much much better. Deeply obliged to you gentlemen!!!

[Harrybanana]

Excellent stuff Sugar and sPzAbt653, thank you very much. Wish I had this explanation before I launched my invasion of Tunisia from Libya in my last turn.

[James Taylor]

So terrain and weather(mud) have no effect on the hex count from HQ to HQ to resource?

[Sugar]

ORIGINAL: James Taylor

So terrain and weather(mud) have no effect on the hex count from HQ to HQ to resource?

The weather has no effect, but you`ll have to calculate the movement costs: every single additional point of movement costs reduces the max. possible distance by 1 each.

You may check your placement by hitting the "S"-button twice, it shows the calcualtion of supply in the following turn.

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After placing the HQ too far from its ressource (Voronesh), it will provide just 5 supply in the next turn.

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Supply-Chaining: the operated HQ near Voronesh is providing 8 supply, the receiving HQ (3 hexes further, with 1 forrest costing 2 movement points) receives 4 supply and will provide 8.

[James Taylor]

OK I challenge the community. Set up a German held corridor in the USSR from Cherkasy to Sumy to Kursk with Kursk still possessed by USSR.

Put 3 German HQs in that corridor, Sumy will be cut off from other connections but still German held.

Now move those HQs around in that corridor and observe the supply overlays, present and future.

Can anyone on this planet explain those results. I can get the overlay to change by moving an HQ one hex, then move it back(same hex as origin) and it will be different and Sumy will actually change in supply value. Sumy can be 4 supply as its cut-off, then the next turn(still cut-off) it will be 5 again, overlay changing constantly depending on different HQ positions.

SC has been like this since day one, especially in this Sumy area.

There is no reasonable pattern. I don't have a problem with it as supply should be variable from intangibles in the first place, but I want everyone to know it, deal with it.[;)]

[Sugar]

I don`t understand exactly what you mean; if you move HQs around, I`d expect the overlay to change after every movement. The prediction is meant to forecast the amount of supply in a special hex if the HQs stay where they are at the moment (and in the next turn by hitting the "S" twice), to show where you can place other units in favorable supply.

Keep in mind that units will always receive the most possible supply (except not linked planes), either from a ressource or from an HQ, and that ressources recover from the "scorched earth"-effect (by one each turn up to their max., which will be 5 in case of towns and 6 in case of cities), which will also be pedicted correctly.

If you`re placing a unit in Sumy wich produces 4 supply, the following turn it will receive 5 supply. If the unit in Sumy has an HQ 2 hexes behind, which produces 8 supply, the unit will receive 6 supply this and the following turn (if nothing changes).

Of course there are many events influencing supply which can not be calculated, like partisan attacks, loss of HQ-strengthpoints, siege-effect, or ressource attacks by bombers, ships or rail guns.

[sPzAbt653]

Can anyone on this planet explain those results.

I can try, but only if you provide a detailed screenshot [;)]

supply should be variable from intangibles in the first place

I can agree, but if you know the rules and study the situation, you will see that it is consistent. Generally, I don't study it too much as most of the time it is not that important, but in some circumstances, such as an offensive in the Western Desert, it is necessary to do some planning and calculating before hand. Keep in mind that, as of this posting, only one HQ can be linked, so attempting to chain three or more does nothing.

[sPzAbt653]

I will also mention that I haven't 'hit S twice' in about a year. I found that the computer projection can be misleading, and once I understood the rules it was much better for me to make a prediction [and faster].

[James Taylor]

If Sumy is cut off(no road link & there is no rail) and it degrades to 4 supply that turn and remains that way for the next turn, how does it go up to 5 supply?

Since you can move an HQ one hex and check the future supply overlay then move it back to the exact same hex it originally started from you'd expect the future supply overlay to replicate its original display, right. Wrong!

No other units are moving and all supply giving resources are at 5.

Don't take my word for it, model it, if you're really interested.

[James Taylor]

OK I tracked down the problem(one of them), Sumy will waffle back and forth from 4 to 5 supply turn after turn.

In hotseat you can just park an HQ(German) there with Konotop and Kharkov(the road links) in Russian hands and observe as you end turn time after time, no unit movements.

[Sugar]

Sorry James,

you were right. Also other of those towns without railroad are waffling, and further more in different rhythms:

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What I don`t know is if it`s WAD or just a bug.