Question regarding Company HQs

[Evzone]

Good day,

I have a question regarding the use of the Company/Battalion HQ. Should he be with the rest of the Company/Battalion, leading it into battle as one might expect, or should he be kept away, commanding support units that would otherwise be acting independently?

I understand that he can take command of an 'orphaned' platoon, but as long as the platoon HQ is active and his abilities are superior to those of his...superior, shouldn't the latter be kept at a distance, in case the squads fall under his command?

Thanks

[dieseltaylor]

Yes.

Sometimes I have to use them in a sweeper role between the support units and the advancing troops to restore morale to units that are now out of command control of the platoon HQ. Very easily done in blocking terrain.

[Kingfish]

Another useful feature is to assign them parts of other commands to create mini-platoons for special assignments.

For instance, if an enemy unit is defending in a trench and I happen to have a platoon + company HQ available I would break off the strongest squad (or even split a couple of squads and take the SMG-equipped sections) and assign it to the company HQ.

Now you can supress the trench defenders while flanking with your mini-platoon. When it come time to assault the mini-platoon will go in under command, while also benefitting from whatever bonuses the company HQ has.

[MikeyD]

One thing I've always wondered. Say you've got all your platoons properly under command of their platoon leaders. If you place a Battalion commander among them will his command experience (+ stealth, etc.) rub off on the nearby troops? Or does he actually have to have a visible command line between him and the unit? My impression is he should affect everyone in his immediate vicinity, though I can't recall it being stated outright.

[Evzone]

You would think that the company HQ would at least have the platoon HQs belonging to his company under his command -thus indirectly enhancing the squads' abilities.

As there aren't any lines running from the company HQ to the platoon HQs I doubt that this is the case.

[Hensworth]

It is not the case. The company commander's bonuses only have an effect on units directly under their command.

I usually put them in charge of any infantry heavy weapons I have. Spot for mortars, stop MGs from breaking under the least bit of fire, improving the performance of guns.

If I don't have any heavy weapons that need taking care of, I usually send them with their unit to rally broken troops or take over from fallen platoon HQs.

In bigger battles I will try to do a mix of both, sending the HQs with morale and combat bonuses with the grunts while keeping the ones with command and stealth bonuses in the rear.

I've read some hints from people about using them to toughen up your formations by taking out the weakest platoon HQs and replacing them with the company HQ if they have better bonuses. It's probably worth doing, but those black command lines just annoy me.

[DerBlitzer]

Dumb question: how do you assign a unit to a company HQ?

[Kingfish]

Move the unit close enough so that the command line switches from its parent platoon HQ to the company HQ.

[Joachim]

Originally posted by DerBlitzer:

Dumb question: how do you assign a unit to a company HQ?

Plt HQs in command range will alway overrule Co or Btn HQ. Only if a squad is out of range of its designated plt HQ the higher HQs can take over. For weapons teams the nearest HQ (in command range) will usually assume command.

Gruß

Joachim