Army Reserves, Corps Command

[Q-Ball]

Have a question on Army command structure. Let's say you have the Army of N. Va, under RE Lee, and several Corps under some of the usual suspects.

What is the difference between keeping units in Corps, or having units under direct command of Lee in the Army command?

1. Do units in Corps get more modifiers because all the command benefits "Stack"? I understand Division-Corps benefits stack, but does it also stack Division-Corps-Army Commander? So, units under AnV Stack lose a level......is that right?

2. In RE Lee's case, he has a couple important attributes that apply only to units in the "Stack" under his command. This means that those benefits ONLY accrue to those units under his DIRECT army command, right? So the rest of the AnV does not receive benefit from "Loving" Bobby Lee (can't recall the exact benefit).
If the answer is YES, does it make sense to put some units under AnV stack in order to gain those benefits?

3. Units in the AnV Army stack are committed kind of like reserves, if Lee is in overall command...correct?

4. What do other players typically have in the Army stack? Or is it many times empty? Maybe just a Cav escort?

Many thanks in advance, need some help here on Army structure

[Aurelin]

For #4, from a different thread.

. Army stack does not get targeted in combat, only its corps. That is why people generally put only artillery in the Army stack, or only the lone Army commander.

[Slick Wilhelm]

So the Army stack does not get targeted in combat - and if it contains artillery elements in the stack - those artillery elements participate in the battle without worry of destruction?

[Philo32b]

I don't think it is true that the army stack can never get targeted if it marches to the sound of the guns to help out a corps. My understanding it will less likely get targeted because it is usually arriving at round 2 and the enemy will more likely target the unit it already fired at in a previous round (i.e., the corps from round 1). Also keep in mind that supporting elements such as artillery typically aren't destroyed in a unit until most/all of the non-supporting/infantry/cav elements are destroyed. So if someone had a bunch of artillery in their army stack, it could have looked as though they were spared because they were in the army stack, when really it was because they were supporting (and arriving late to the battle). I would welcome being corrected on this point of the army not ever being targeted, as that would be good to know.

One reason to have corps instead of just an army unit is because an army unit by itself absolutely cannot initiate an attack by itself if there is any other friendly unit in its area. Even a supply wagon traveling through the area at the wrong moment can cancel an attack, which can totally screw up things for you. Another reason to use corps is supporting each other in different areas, of course.

The army stack has a 25% greater chance than corps (iirc) to march to the sound of the guns to support another corps. So putting a bunch of artillery in there they have a greater chance of being used to help any of the different corps in trouble, rather than dividing them up among all the corps, who aren't as likely to help each other.

You ask about bonuses stacking. Depending on how high the army general's strategic rating, bonuses are shared with his dependent units, but they do not need to be in the general's stack. At least in some other AGEOD games, an army general's strategic rating of 1 = you have to be in the same region the general is in. 2-5 = adjacent region. 6+ is two regions away. The bonuses include additional command points as well as improving the strategic, offensive, and defensive points of subordinate generals, and special abilities of the army general.