Land combat, a bad joke?

[AlbertoHA]

I've started recently to play again to HOI3. Playing with Germany I needed 2 months to conquer Benelux, the reports of fighting were all of this style, casualties for either side 1k or 3k kills after more than 40k soldiers for both sides were fighting, my advasntage in Infantry tech and land tech is important (Inf V vs. Inf IV, and 1+ land tech adv). When I see the battle screen I have a big advantage but I see that only the org of the enemy goes down, but when they fall down they go every time where they close the gap and not only that, they regain a lot of org during the retreat and they are able to make battle after they complete the retreat. Because of that the units I try to use to open the gap are being stopped for this cheat.

How I can make a blitz?

The french are few but the URSS is another thing......

 

[The Starfox]

To make a breach, you need to have several waves of forces working together. The first wave attacks the first province and moves forward to take it. Once the first province is taken, send the second and third waves forward into the first taken province. Use the second wave to attack the second target province. When the second wave takes the second province, immediately send in the third wave to attack and take the third province. By now the attack delay of the first wave should be over, so you can now move them forward to attack a fourth province.

The scheme is designed to overcome the very time consuming attack delay that units experience after attacking. It also works alot faster using mobile troops. Attack delay can be reduced with high officer ratio (140% is best), researching the tech that reduces it, and researching the blitz doctrine to maximize its use, which reduces delay after the battle is over. Also attack delay is scaled to how long the unit was in combat. If the battle lasted only an hour, then the delay is very small.

I do agree that land combat casualties seem quite low. The best strategy for a quick victory is to encircle and destroy the units, rather than wear them down through attrition.

 

[misterbean]

As Starfox said, there are 2 ways of destroying enemy ground forces:

1) encircle them so that they have nowhere to run to after defeat. The border of neutral countries or coastal provinces are the best for this.
2) If you win a fight and you can send your second wave in (as Starfox explained), if they get to the province where the enemy is RETREATING TO, they will surrender as well.

 

[sgt.stickybomb]

lol combat casuality is low? you apprently didn't play after 1944, where a significantt chunk of your manpower is gone after each battle.

 

[Kovax]

To clarify, immediately after your initial attack wins the battle (long before your troops actually take the province), you should send your second group racing to take the next province. If they're faster than the retreaters, they should arrive first, unless the enemy has a second line already established. Still, if you can beat that second line quickly enough, a couple of armored or motorized divisions can often still win and reach that next province in time. Once you've got a few mobile units behind their front, you can pretty well place them in the way of any retreaters at will, forcing them to surrender and be removed from the map.

 

[The Starfox]

To clarify, immediately after your initial attack wins the battle (long before your troops actually take the province), you should send your second group racing to take the next province. If they're faster than the retreaters, they should arrive first, unless the enemy has a second line already established. Still, if you can beat that second line quickly enough, a couple of armored or motorized divisions can often still win and reach that next province in time. Once you've got a few mobile units behind their front, you can pretty well place them in the way of any retreaters at will, forcing them to surrender and be removed from the map.

Right, the only caveat I would say is that if you rush your second wave in before the province is taken, you run the risk that an enemy reserve unit will get there first. Thus your second wave will have to attack and get stuck in delay, like your first wave. I usually like to wait until the first wave has taken the province. Even if enemy reserves counter attack the taken province, your second wave rushing in wont suffer a delay, since defensive battles don't incur delay penalties. Reconnaissance will show which method is appropriate for a given situation.

 

[unmerged(186889)]

Playing trench warfare and asking how to blitz while at the same time saying the land combat is a joke.

Marvellous.

 

[Kovax]

Good point, Starfox, which is why in practice I tend to send ONE unit ahead, and the rest when the province is taken. It only takes one combat-capable brigade to force an overrun. If the enemy reinforcements manage to beat me to the first province, I've only got one more unit on Delay (briefly, if I can break off quickly enough). The down side is that sending one lone division ahead to the second province tends to attract a lot of serious concentrated attention, and it can take a fair amount of abuse (even though an Armor division is pretty tough) before reinforcements arrive.

 

[Beagá]

Playing trench warfare and asking how to blitz while at the same time saying the land combat is a joke.

Marvellous.

He is obviously a newb. No need to be smug. Every newbie player usually gets stuck due to the rivers.

 

[unmerged(186889)]

Sure, when I first started I'd do the exact same thing yet I would not turn round and then state the land combat, i.e. most of the game, is a joke. There is a way to ask for help, and the OP is an example of how not to do it.

 

[Cpt Crash]

Don't forget about airborne troops. I always use 2 FJ divisions in Holland--I find landing on river hexes helps the drive a bit. Also utilize the "scout area" intel mission--I use 3 for Holland--a bit of overkill, but hey, faster is better.
Use your fastest divisions in the second wave of the attack--following the advice in prior posts.

Manual control of air units helps a bit too--ground attack on the front and interdiction behind.

This may take a few practice runs to get right--so make a save before your big push. If it does not go as desired, try again. Rotterdam in 2 weeks--three at most.

BTW, land combat in this game is pretty damn good. As with any somewhat complicated game it takes a while to get the hang of it. If you are serious about getting it right, do the same campaign over again until you get it the way you want--shoot for the historical outcome in the west.

 

[Secret Master]

First of all, since you are new to the game, and you are facing difficulties fighting France, I would ask what officer ratio you have. The answer to this question might literally determine every other piece of advice you will be given.

I would also highly recommend the strategy guide, since covers all the stuff you need to know about division composition, breakthroughs, encirclements, and so on: http://www.paradoxplaza.com/books/hoi3communistcampaign

It's available on both Kindle and iTunes now.

 

[marat271]

I always just support my land troops with tactical air support to make breeches, that or naval or tank support. Anything that can help you fight, like attacking on multiple fronts helps in breaking lines.

 

[misterbean]

I always just support my land troops with tactical air support to make breeches, that or naval or tank support. Anything that can help you fight, like attacking on multiple fronts helps in breaking lines.

aren't breeches something you wear during the day :huh:

 

[ltccone]

Right, the only caveat I would say is that if you rush your second wave in before the province is taken, you run the risk that an enemy reserve unit will get there first. Thus your second wave will have to attack and get stuck in delay, like your first wave. I usually like to wait until the first wave has taken the province. Even if enemy reserves counter attack the taken province, your second wave rushing in wont suffer a delay, since defensive battles don't incur delay penalties. Reconnaissance will show which method is appropriate for a given situation.

I do that as well. It is especially disconcerting when the 'reserve' unit is a HQ.

I've never liked how attack delay is implemented. IMO you should be able to attack if you have a certain percentage of your starting ORG, like 25%. And 0 width units, like HQs, giving any attack delay is ludicrous.

 

[tommylotto]

Right, the only caveat I would say is that if you rush your second wave in before the province is taken, you run the risk that an enemy reserve unit will get there first. Thus your second wave will have to attack and get stuck in delay, like your first wave. I usually like to wait until the first wave has taken the province. Even if enemy reserves counter attack the taken province, your second wave rushing in wont suffer a delay, since defensive battles don't incur delay penalties. Reconnaissance will show which method is appropriate for a given situation.

This.

If you really have time to plan the breakthrough, place at least one fast exploitation unit in the first wave with the objective of quickly seizing that first province so that you can get your second wave moving as soon as possible.

 

[The Starfox]

It's always worth the effort to plan carefully and micro manage the breakthrough. The AI typically doesn't have reserves, and deploys all units on the front line. If you can breakthrough and encircle them, then you will typically annihilate most of their army. Thus the pay off is enormous, and is the most fun of the combat system if you ask me. That's why I don't like to let the AI control my forces, as it usually turns into a shoving match, where it just pushes the enemy away until it runs into the ocean.