Strategic Command Strategies

[Der Panzinator]

Hubert,

First off I must say that this is a great game. I have been totally addicted to it for the last couple of weeks since I purchased it!

I think what I like most about it is the fact that it is a very straight forward easy to learn game but it offers many different strategies and surprises.

I always hated the stacks of counters in hex-based games so I really appreciated the one unit per space system.

This game for me is like mixing Panzer General and Axis & Allies. Two of my all-time favorite games!!!

Some strategies that I have discovered that work well against the computer. I haven't played against a human player so much of these strategies probably won't work against a human player.

1) Take over as many neutral countries as possible.

This is a treasure trove of extra money and if done early will provide either side to be well supplied in cash for the entire game. (I'll get more into this later.)

2) Always try to keep your units in range of HQ's and the HQ's in range of cities.

A unit with low supply and readiness is almost worthless. I believe the range for supply and support is 5 hexes.

3) Get your units up in experience level without suffering huge losses.

This can be difficult but the green units should always hit first to get that first level of experience. Let the vets do much of the mop up.

4) Don't let valuable units be left in positions to be surrounded on multiple sides.

If you must place a unit in a 3+ exposed space then don't put a valuable high experience unit there. Use a low experience Corp unit.

5) Invest in technology early.

If possible make some small investments early in the game for technology. The best one to start with is industrial. If you can get the price of purchases down early then once the other researches start happening you won't have to deal with the higher prices.

Also good to start early is anti-tank to get the infantry pumped up.

These are just a few things that I just wanted to get started. I'm sure that everyone has more strategies to contribute.

This is my first post here so I was hoping to get some solid topics started on the game and it's many different strategic approaches.

I have a long list of interesting things that I would like to post but I'll get to those later.

I'm sure that many of these things have been posted before but it was too hard to dig through 65 pages of topics so I started a new one.

[murks]

Hi there!

Most of what you posted is correct and all of the regular players know these things.

I disagree on 3) though: If you hit with your green units first, they will suffer higher losses and inflict lower losses and when receiving replacements they willl loose what little experience they gained. The opposite strategy should be applied: Hit with your experienced units FIRST (when you get a decent loss ratio) and THEN with the green units so they, too, can get a favourable loss ratio. Experience is only gained when you inflict high losses and suffer low losses!!

[JayJay_H]

On which depends the gaining of exp of an HQ? Sometimes Units attached to any Fieldmarshal destroy their enemy (seems from which they earn double of the exp if it only decimates the target)

but their commander wont achieve exp points, occasionally

[JayJay_H]

Originally posted by murks:

Hi there!

The opposite strategy should be applied: Hit with your experienced units FIRST (when you get a decent loss ratio) and THEN with the green units so they, too, can get a favourable loss ratio.

yep, should be handled other way around

[JayJay_H]

Originally posted by Der Panzinator:

I'm sure that many of these things have been posted before but it was too hard to dig through 65 pages of topics so I started a new one.

You should take the time for some digging, its worthwhile

[ November 17, 2002, 05:19 PM: Message edited by: JayJay_H ]

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Hi Panzinator, great to see you here. I appreciate you giving me the heads up on the game. I've enjoyed it so far.

I agree with your points, but I've played the heavy assault to light assault unit sequence described above by Murks, and it does work better. You lose less troops, which saves cash and time from not having to dilute units through replacements.

And I completely understand your points. There is probably a lot of good information buried on those 60-something pages; but there is so much BS in there it's awfully hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were.

We need to get a TCP/IP game going soon. Or PBEM if that suits your schedule better. You've got my email. Let me know.

Thanks again for the heads up.

[jon_j_rambo]

Rambo's takes on these 5 items (FROM the AXIS point of view)

1) Take over as many neutral countries as possible. NO, NO, NO... That's all I will say without getting into specifics. There's more that meets the eye than just the cash. Who, when, & why you wipe-out a neutral is more important than the money (& future money). I prefer to run a tight-ship. No pork-barrel spending for Rambo.

2) Keep you units within reach of a HQ. YES, YES, YES... This is a must. HQ belong where the action is. Always get the HQ into the front line action. Operate them, spend the fee for moving them up! Bait the enemy into attacking them. Keep them in your cities. I have complete break-down documents where HQ's go. There are a few AWESOME locations for the Germans to place their HQ's. This even includes which German General. Hints: Remember the spacing in Egypt, the cities of Russian with rivers & this will determine (pre-determine for me) who goes where. Another good question: As the German's where do you put your Generals for the Kick-Off turn against Russia.

3) Get you experience up. Sure experience is important, but don't let it OVER-CONTROL your plan of attack. There's a fine-line here, that's something you need to draw. (see patent list)

4) Don't leave your valuable left in 3+ hexes. TRUE, TRUE, TRUE... If you care about the unit, be careful about "In Harm's Way" -The Duke

5) Invest in Tech early. YES, YES, YES... This is absolutely the most important thing. The next question is: How much? When? What? Do I split it up? I have a complete gaming strategy help-card on this subject which can be yours for $9.95.

jon_j_rambo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OUT

[Der Panzinator]

The main thing with using green units to attack first is only if they are not going to suffer massive losses. If the odds indicator show that only 1 or 2 hits then go ahead and attack to take down entrenchment and to soften up the enemy unit before the big guns come into finish up.

This will help the unit gain some experience and make it easier for the experienced units to make a successful kill without having to use a lot of the experienced units to take out an entrenched postion. This would also assume that there has been some softening up with air strikes.

[Der Panzinator]

When playing the computer taking neutral countries is so easy there is no reason not to. For neutrals I am talking about Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Iraq, and Turkey.

Doing this early also helps since some of the countries resources will increase over time.

I have played both sides several times and have always been able to take several of the neutrals with no problems. It makes a huge difference for UK to go from making only 140 MPP per turn to 500 MPP per turn.

[Der Panzinator]

Andre,

Guess you must have finally gotten the game in the mail.

I don't know about you but it seems like this game will make for an extremely long PBEM or TCP/IP game. I would like to try a PBEM game though.

If you want we should discuss on Don's forum so our posts won't be buried so quickly.

I'm kinda partial to a 1939 mod made by dgaad. You can get it at the Strategic Command Headquaters.

[dougmangin]

Originally posted by Der Panzinator:

When playing the computer taking neutral countries is so easy there is no reason not to. For neutrals I am talking about Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Iraq, and Turkey.

Doing this early also helps since some of the countries resources will increase over time.

I have played both sides several times and have always been able to take several of the neutrals with no problems. It makes a huge difference for UK to go from making only 140 MPP per turn to 500 MPP per turn.

This is not a bad strategy if you are playing against the AI - and more importantly if your politics are set to historical. If they are set to random then massive offensives will come back to haunt you. The US and Russia come into the war earlier than usual, you wont get your axis minor allies to become active, and you may stretch yourself too thin. It all depends on the situation and what you are trying to do. Personally I prefer the politics set to random, it makes the game more fair just for this reason - it creates a negative consequence for overly agressive behavour. Dont get me wrong, some attacking is good - poland, denmark, the low countries are almost always attacked. But if you have politics set to random then watch how quickly russia and the us come into the war when you take norway, sweden, spain, portugal, yugoslavia, etc.... it will make you think twice!

[Sand Castle]

If the odds indicator show that only 1 or 2 hits then go ahead and attack

Can anyone explain to me how the odds indicator works?

[ November 19, 2002, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Sand Castle ]

[BriantheWise]

What odds indicator?

[jon_j_rambo]

BrianTheWise --- Hey, where did you go for our game? Are you bummed after getting Paris sacked in April '40? If you want to keep playing let me know; or we can even start a new game.

Rambo

[Sand Castle]

The top of the screen where the hex coordinates are located changes when you put the attack cross on an enemy unit and comes up with something like "Atkr=1 : Dfdr=0". Does anyone know how that relates to the outcome of the battle?

[Beserko]

you would think that would mean attacker has a +1 chance to win while defender has 0. In my old board game days this meant go for it. But...... in this game I lose as often as I win with these odds and I have seen att +1 def +3 and I've won.I have never seen - odds. Of course maybe the computer dice gods were with me.

[Der Panzinator]

The odds indicator is simply to show the possible results of combat. Att-1, Def-3 would mean that the attacker will suffer 1 hit and the defender should suffer 3 hits. This is not always going to turn out exactly this way since random modifiers will slightly change the results.

For the most part it is a pretty reliable indicator for combat results though and I use it all the time.

[Beserko]

Ahh.. thanks. This is why I don't do my own taxes.

[Sand Castle]

thanks.....I had never even noticed it until it was mentioned in this thread. I don't believed that it is mentioned in the manual.