Optimal organization of naval groups / squadrons?

[unmerged(17791)]

I'm sure this has been asked many times, but frankly I'm getting confused between one Paradox game Vs. another. In Vicky, is it the case that anything over 12 naval units fighting together under a single leader suffer a penalty? I'm inclined to say no, based on what I've seen from the AI - who doesn't hesitate to group 49 ships under one leader (or un-leader, whatever the case maybe), plus I think I've read it before... just checking. Any other outstanding pearls of wisdom on this topic are welcome as always. In HoI it was pretty straight forward, each leader could command so many units, based on his rank. So, you just gave him what he could efficiently handle. What about Vicky?

Also, feel free to comment on how you feel is best to organize your fleets for battle...

edit: P.S.... what about land units? o

 

[Gen. Skobelev]

There is no "over command capacity" penalty as in HoI2. Naval units get stacking penalty so the optimum number of ships in battle is 26. As to how to organise them, just stack biggest and meanest capital ships you have to stacks of 26 and rule the waves.

Land units don't have any "over command capacity" penalty either. For them it's simply matter of how high attrition you're willing to tolerate.

 

[Dysken]

There is no "over command capacity" penalty as in HoI2. Naval units get stacking penalty so the optimum number of ships in battle is 26. As to how to organise them, just stack biggest and meanest capital ships you have to stacks of 26 and rule the waves.

Land units don't have any "over command capacity" penalty either. For them it's simply matter of how high attrition you're willing to tolerate.

Don't listen to him! Put all ships into enormous stacks! I usually rule the waves with my 400-500 ship stacks because it is essentially impossible to sink any ships in the enormous stack.

 

[unmerged(86954)]

Kind of a related question, are Battlecruisers supposed to have more firepower than DN's? I noticed this in a 1914 Australia game (don't ask).

 

[unmerged(17791)]

Don't listen to him! Put all ships into enormous stacks! I usually rule the waves with my 400-500 ship stacks because it is essentially impossible to sink any ships in the enormous stack.

I noticed during the Crimean War (I as the UK stayed out of it) the Russians used that tactic to devastating effect on the French. They had this 'stack of doom' they used to attack one place at a time, and the French were just hurling one squadron at a time into the battle (a la the bad guys in any Kung Fu movie) and they essentially got totally spanked at sea. I almost felt like intervening with my RN just to help them save face. We had all these Russian ships laying the smackdown on the Frenchies right there in the English Channel, then setting up a blockade. My ships just stayed in their ports.

Hey, Napoleon wasn't that long ago!