Old school I guess.
You "nailed-it".
Saw my point etc.
Thanks, I'm learning something new (or old) every day.
I agree with the eastern use. Let's hope the A.I. understands too.
I think the beauty in using ENG to fortify the formations in the East is that the AI doesn't really need to understand how to use them. The terrain (both mobility-wise and combat-wise) means that using ENG is a net bonus in nearly all situations, if you can keep them in supply. The fortification is a nice plus, especially since the AI likes to shuffle troops around a lot, but the really useful things are the attack bonuses and the extra mobility. It could be a lot more optimized of course, but that goes for pretty much everything the AI commands.
The AI isn't big on optimisation... but that makes things interesting... you need to expend more resources to attain the same goals, and you need to make sure the AI gets units that will be, at least somewhat effective in the environnements they could end up fighting in.
It is very true you can squeeze a lot more out of specialist units like ENG if you micromanage them. In fact, like I've expressed, I don't think regular infantry should have ENG in the European front in any situation. There, the terrain is far more conductive to operating without them, which is pretty much in line with reality to be fair. I just can't find a compelling argument to use ART+ENG with INFx3 over ART+AT or even ART+AA if I expect heavy enemy air activity and less tanks. Assault units can and should still get ENG, but they usually have some hard attack in the form of tanks, TDs or assault guns anyway, so I can justify swapping out the AT for ENG while ART is of course replaced by tanks, TD, SPART or assault guns. In the East... I really like firepower that ART brings, but having 5 slots available means I have one empty slot left since I sure as hell am not going to slap AT on them and AA seems rather like a waste, too, considering the sparsity of airfields and that hard attack will be most likely useless, unlike the attack bonuses into urban areas (not many, but important) and rivers (there are a lot of them). Plus, I am a fan of maneuver warfare, so the movement speed bonus is a hard one to ignore
Pretty much my thinking on the matter... no point in AA or AT in the East, and bad terrain... let's add Eng...
In the end, it depends on a lot of things. What kind of war will you be fighting, where and with what infra, against whom, who will lead... I think Markkur is correct in saying that they are best employed to support special forces, which will need to be able to move quick, fortify quick and attack fortified locations. I would use them also in places where the terrain is inherently counterproductive, which means that infantry will have to do most of the fighting and pushing instead of relying on armoured units to break the enemy line, but that's more down to a personal preference and the assumption the enemy won't have armour either.
I also like Engineers with Marines, and other specialised units.
Man, Italy is getting hammered. I'm starting to wonder if, between the rapid advance and the relentless convoy hunting, the Italians won't actually be able to eliminate those French troops. Movement across the desert and mountains is slow, and the Italian supply situation seems to be going from bad to worse.
I doubt it... unless the
Italians entirely run out of supply, the tiniest amounts will be sufficient to clear a province, and as there are only 4 provinces left to capture, I think the supply shortage will be too little, too late... Moreover, it should be noted that the vast majority of Allied convoy-hunting is happening around Malta and in the Aegean, which means that Supply convoys sailing from Genoa to Tunis, for example, remain relatively untouched. If those
French troops are entirely out of supply, they can only flee, so even if they aren't eliminated, units will shatter from attrition in the long run, and even if they don't they'll be essentially useless... The
British probably aren't moving quickly enough to save them, but who knows... if the Brits launch a Naval Invasion into Casablanca and south of there, they could still save the French troops by giving them an escape route and offering a distraction for the
Italians. I'm not betting on the UK AI being that clever...
I'm glad that the
British took out most, or all of their TPs, which means that we definitely won't have to face any of those heavier units in Europe...
Great to see another fleet carrier, too! It's a shame, really, that both existing ones and the one in construction are so out of date, but luckily the air wings are much more modern since they are what matters most.
At least we have Fleet Carriers, in 1937, that means we're part of a very small group of Navies... The Air Wings are state of the Art, soon including the latest Air Launched Torpedoes... that's one big advantage of CVs, all the Small Aeroplane Tech improves your CAGs...
