Command
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Headquarters units (HQ’s) have a
large impact on the effectiveness of
other units in game. There are many
different levels of HQ units
represented, the highest level of
which is an Army Group. An Army
Group is made up of several Armies
and an Army is made up of several
Corps. A Corps is built upon several
Divisions and a Division in turn has
several Regiments in it. Each of
these levels may potentially have an
HQ represented as a unit on the
game map. This HQ unit performs a
number of game functions such as
providing Supply, and assistance in
recovery of Disruption and Broken
units.
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The state of Disrupted indicates a breakdown in Command in a unit. In
addition, for Headquarters, the state of Out of Command represents an
inability to support subordinate units. Disruption can occur as a result of
combat. When a unit must take a Morale Check as indicated by the Combat
Results and fails that Morale Check, then the unit becomes Disrupted. If it fails
while being Disrupted, then it becomes Broken. Broken units cannot fire or
assault attack and cannot spot enemy units in detail, only as Unknown enemy
units. Disrupted units suffer effects to their combat ability and their ability to
perform special functions.
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Headquarters
Headquarters units are not combat units in a true
sense as they and cannot fire on nor assault other
enemy units. They can defend as well as provide
AA fire. Each HQ unit has a Command Range
whose Nominal value (see below) is indicated in
the alternate Hex Info Area values as the HQ value
in the Scenario Editor and Main Program. The
Command Range of a unit will vary depending upon the Nation, the HQ Level
(example: Army, Corps or Division) as set in the Order of Battle Editor by the
Scenario Designer. For example, an Army will usually have a larger Command
Range than HQs under its control, but the Command range itself can vary from
10 hexes to 25 hexes. A Corps HQ will have a range of usually 10 to 15 hexes
and a Division HQ is normally in the order of 5 to 10 hexes.
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Nominal Command Range
The Command Range of an HQ unit as given in the Order of Battle is modified
by the Quality of the unit to give the Nominal Command Range of that unit:
• HQ’s of Quality A have 2 added to their Command Range.
• HQ’s of Quality B have 1 added to their Command Range.
• HQ’s of Quality D have 1 subtracted from their Command Range.
• HQ’s of Quality E have 2 subtracted from their Command Range.
• HQ’s of Quality F have 3 subtracted from their Command Range.
The Nominal Command Range is the value displayed in the alternate Hex Info
Area as the HQ value.
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Modified Command Range
The Nominal Command Range is modified according to certain conditions:
• Disrupted HQ’s have a 1/2 Command Range.
• Broken HQ’s have a Command Range of 0.
• HQ’s in Travel Mode have a 3/4 Command Range.
This modified value is then used in the determination of command and
recovery as explained below.
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Note: there is no other penalty or automatic loss command status for moving
an HQ unit. An HQ unit that moved in the previous turn is treated no differently
than one that has not moved, subjected to range modifications above such as
HQs in Travel Mode.
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Detached Units
When a unit is beyond the Nominal Command
Range of its HQ unit, or that HQ does not exist,
then the unit is considered Detached. Units that
are Detached have their unit name shown in
Yellow. In addition, the Detached option of the
Highlight menu can be used to identify those units
currently Detached. When only Detached units are
available to spot for indirect fire or air strikes, then the attacks are half value.
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The Command Test
At the beginning of a player’s turn, a Command Test is performed for all HQ
units for that side. The Command Test begins with the highest level HQ units
for that side and for that scenario. Given a Global Supply Value of X% for the
HQ side, the HQ will be in command if a randomly generated percentage is
less than this Supply value.
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Example: suppose that the highest level HQ for the German command is a
Panzer Corps and that the Supply Value is 80%. There is thus an 80% chance
that this HQ will be In Command in any given turn.
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The highest level HQ units are marked as Out of
Command if they fail this test. The Command
Test then proceeds down the chain to the next
level of HQ units. For these HQ units and all
others in the test, the HQ has two chances to pass
the Command Test. The first chance is based on
the Supply test previously mentioned. If the HQ
fails that test, then it is given a second chance provided that its superior HQ is
not Out of Command. If the range from the HQ being tested to the superior
HQ is R hexes, and if the superior HQ has a Modified Command Range of C,
then the HQ unit passes the second test provided that a randomly generated
number between 0 and 1 is less than C / (R + C). The Command Test
proceeds from higher level HQ’s down to the next level until all HQ units have
been tested.
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Example: We will continue with our example from above where that Panzer
Corps passed its Command test. Suppose the process moves down to the HQ
of the 3rd Panzer Division where that Division HQ fails the Command Test
based on the Global Supply value (which was set at 80% in the above
example). Since the Corps HQ is In Command, then a second test is
performed. Suppose that the range from the HQ of the 3rd Panzer Division to
the 24th Panzer Corps HQ is 10 and that the Command Range of the Panzer
Corps HQ is 15. Then there is a 15/(10+15) or 15/25 = 3/5 chance that the 3rd
Panzer Division HQ unit will pass this test and thus be In Command.
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Disruption Recovery
At the beginning of each player turn, there is a test to determine if Disrupted
and Broken units on that side recover. Broken units at Maximum Fatigue
cannot recover. The closer a disrupted or broken unit is to its HQ and the
higher its morale, the better its chances of recovery are.
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For all other units, a preliminary range test is performed for the unit. If the unit
has an HQ with a Modified Command Range C that is In Command at a range
of R from the unit, then the range test is passed if a randomly generated
number between 0 and 1 is less than C / (C + R).
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Example: Suppose you have a Disrupted unit at a distance of 12 hexes from its
Divisional HQ. This HQ is In Command (not Out of Command) and it has a
Command Range of 8. The range test for this unit would be based on the
probability 8/ (8+12) or 8/20=2/5.
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You can see from the above formula, that if the Disrupted unit was at the limit
of the HQ Command range it would have a 50% chance of recovery as if the
Command Range were 8 ( C=8 ) and the Range in hexes was 8 ( R = 8 )
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C / (C + R)
8 / (8 + 8 ) = 8/16 or 50 %
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If the unit passes its range test, it moves to the next test based on Morale. If
the unit fails its range test, then 50% of the time it too moves to the morale test
and 50% of the time the test ends at this point in failure and no change of unit
status.
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Otherwise, the current Morale value of the unit is determined based on its
Quality and all applicable modifiers. This is converted into a value between 1
and 6 using the mapping A=6, B=5, …, F=1. The unit will pass the test and be
recovered from Disrupted or Broken, if a random die roll from 1 to 6 is less
than or equal to the Morale value. When Broken units recover, they become
Disrupted.
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Example: Continuing from our example above, If the range test were to fail,
then based on another random determination, 50% of the time the test would
fail at this point. Otherwise, if it were to succeed, the test would then move on
to the Morale value of the unit. Let us say this unit has a morale of A. Since
A=6 in this test, this test would succeed and the unit would be recovered from
Disruption. But if the Morale of the unit were a D, and D=3, than there word
only be a 50% chance of Disruption recovery.
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If a Disrupted units HQ is Out-of-Command or eliminated and not in play, then
the unit may still recover, based on 1 the probably of the recovery based
solely on the Unit Morale check.
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HQ Recovery
Headquarters units that have been eliminated are eligible to be restored on a
subsequent turn. This is automatically determined at the beginning of the
player turn and reported in the Command Dialog of the Main Program. The
probability that an HQ will be restored is based on the Quality of the unit with
higher Quality units having a higher probability. An HQ unit that has been
eliminated is eligible to be restored on each player turn following its
elimination. However, the HQ does not perform its functions on the first turn it
is restored. The HQ unit is restored with a randomly determined strength and
is Disrupted on the first turn it is restored.
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Corps Attachments
It is possible in both the Scenario Editor and Main Program to make changes
in the Corps assignment of units. The Corps Attachment rules allow a player
the opportunity to change which Corps a Division or other unit is subordinate
to.
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The distance a Division HQ is from its Corps HQ has a large effect in the
Command Test as described above. During game play, Corps Attachments
can only occur during the turn at midnight (or if no midnight turn, during the first
turn thereafter). The purpose of changing a Corps Attachment is to streamline
the Command structure so that a Division HQ can receive support from the
closest Corps HQ in its sector.
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For a unit to be reassigned, it must exist in the Order of Battle within a Corps-
level organization. The reassignment must assign it to another Corps-level
organization in the Order of Battle. Corps Attachments are also possible in the
Scenario Editor when creating a scenario.
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Note: for the Russian forces starting in 1942, the Corps Attachment feature
applies to their Armies, not their Corps. That is, starting in 1942, it is possible
to reassign units and organizations attached to Russian Armies to other
Armies, but the Russian Corps are not changeable.
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For More Information
The following contain more information on features of the Main Program that
are related to Command:
• The Show Organization item of the View Menu can be used to
highlight specific organizations on the map.
• The Divisional Markings item of the View Menu can be used to color
units according to their division or other controlling organization.
• The Command Range item of the Shade submenu of the View Menu
can be used to show the Modified Command Range of a selected HQ
unit on the map.
• The Headquarters item of the Highlight submenu of the View Menu can
be used to highlight HQ units on the map.
• The Detached Units item of the Highlight submenu of the View Menu
can be used to highlight units on the map that are outside of the
command radius of their commanding HQ.
• The Organization item of the Highlight submenu of the View Menu can
be used to highlight units in the same organization as the selected unit.
• The Corps Attachments item of the Units menu of the Scenario Editor
or Main Program can be used to view and change Corps Attachments.
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