Forming units?

[Yushal]

If I select a pre-made leader who has attached elements, the "split" button is available. Clicking that obviously splits the leader's elements into their respective parts, and then they can be recombined.

However, if I take a new leader and new elements, the option to combine is not available? Why not? What controls this? Whether the leader is active or not seems to have no bearing. The tooltip just says in red "you have this many units selected", then only one leader allowed, and only whatever else, all of which should be fine, and less than 9 total elements.

Another thing, when I build infantry, it comes with artillery?

[Lynxyonok]

Artillery - yes, usually, unless it is a fortress or militia unit. Of course that artillery is weaker than standalone regiments, and thus does not require ammo. New units - do you click the "enable corps" option? It should be to the right of your plus symbol. You enable the corps, accept a 1-turn penalty to officer's offensive/defensive values, and you can build your unit.

[Yushal]

I completely missed this "enable corps" button. Thanks!

That said, why have such a button? If I don't want to make a corps I just dont make a corps, right? There must be a good reason, but I cant think what that might be. I have other questions, if you have the time...

What is the difference between reserve and regular infantry other than some slight combat power and cost differentials? Are their hidden modifiers?

Is Germany not able to recruit colonial troops (seems not)?

Germany can build "coastal uboot" - I assume these are not good for shipping boxes in the atlantic?

Are their modifiers to using sentry mode other than simply skipping the unit in the "next unit" queue? This button needs more functionality, btw. Say I'm using it. I hit SPACE to select the next unit, then I can hit SPACE to sentry the unit this turn. Now, I must deselect the unit in order to proceed. No offence to devs, but this seems a poor choice. SPACE should just cycle units, if that's the key you want to use, imho. But, I guess de-selection is a big thing in this game - like you must deselect a unit in order to view the corps listing for the next selected unit.

[DrPostman]

Learn how penalty percentages work. Put together as a corps and you
don't have the penalty you do with individual units. Same for an army
formation. Reserve units have higher penalties. Read starting at pg 37
of the game manual

The coastal u-boats can and do get to the shipping boxes. Germany
can recruit colonial troops one at a time in East Africa.

[Yushal]

Learn how penalty percentages work. Put together as a corps and you
don't have the penalty you do with individual units. Same for an army
formation. Reserve units have higher penalties. Read starting at pg 37
of the game manual

All the manual says is that "penalties can be severe", and that it is solely determined by CP, which is not leader dependent or anything? Apparently, if the number is less than the total allowed, you are fine, regardless of whether the units are in a corps or not? (Themanual is really lacking info overall - I think written by ESL writers. Or maybe it's just that simple.)

[Topeka]

Are their modifiers to using sentry mode other than simply skipping the unit in the "next unit" queue? This button needs more functionality, btw. Say I'm using it. I hit SPACE to select the next unit, then I can hit SPACE to sentry the unit this turn. Now, I must deselect the unit in order to proceed. No offence to devs, but this seems a poor choice. SPACE should just cycle units, if that's the key you want to use, imho. But, I guess de-selection is a big thing in this game - like you must deselect a unit in order to view the corps listing for the next selected unit.

Instead of SPACE, try using R, E, T, and Y. R is next land unit without an order. E is previous land unit without an order. T and Y are for naval units

[Jim-NC]

Hello and welcome to the forums Yushal.

As to the colonial troops for Germany. They have a limited pool of troops they can recruit. They start the game with the maximum recruited. So you can't get any more. However, if a unit is destroyed, it can be re-built (from what I have seen, they can only be recruited in East Africa).

As to creating corps, you need to click the button with a commander highlighted (you can also have the other units highlighted), and the commander must be active. The corps units provides several benefits to the units in it (better chance to survive a battle, lower command costs, general's bonus for example). If you combine 4 militia units into a corps, the command cost goes from 24 (4x6) to 12, allowing more units in the group. Damage is spread to all elements in a unit, and as a corps has more elements of infantry (for example), each element takes less damage from a hit. The general should give a bonus for each point of offensive or defensive ability to his corps (offensive when attacking, defensive when defending).

Us other forumites are here to help you with your questions about this (or other AGEOD) games.

[Yushal]

Hello and welcome to the forums Yushal.

Thanks. So, if I have a leader, 2 units of inf (2 inf and 1 art element), and a unit of art (one art element), and I simply have them in a stack, the units battle separately and do not get the leader bonuses? In order to spread hits and get bonuses they must be in a corps?

I did try the R key and it seemed to work well, but also seemed to call up locked units. I'll give it another try.

[H Gilmer3]

I think the reason they have the enable corps button is because it DOES mean something if active or not active. Active you can enable corps. Inactive you cannot. I don't know the reasoning, but that is it.

[Lynxyonok]

Each corps costs money and war supplies to upkeep. Must be a carryover from RUS.

[Yushal]

I fought a defensive battle in Metz and my forces were partially comprised of an 8 element corps. The second element showed about 90% depletion of strength while others within that corps were down maybe 5% or less. So apparently hits/damage is not necessarily shared across a corps.

[gotrek]

overall do you include ** generals in your armies or just leave the brigades loose in the Army? since independant corps are so useful in this game to serve as reserve, fill gapes in the line, etc... I prefer to save my ** general for these roles, but I might be wrong, any ideas?