I just noticed the little arrow at the bottom when you select a corps that puts your troops on an offensive. In my current game as UK I have beaten [European] axis by 1943 without using it. So is it helpful, when should I use it?
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As it increases your ESE, it makes your troops faster. Use it when speed is an issue, i.e. for encirclements and movement in rough terrain.
"Offensive Supply" => costs lots of Supplies (and Oil if applicable) => increases SE => increases ESE => increases: movement speed, Soft & Hard Attack, Defensiveness and Toughness, Air Attack and Air Defense, re-ORG rate, and reinforcement rate.
Especially useful in bad infrastructure places. I try and produce an excess of resources and put it on units that i want to do best . What forces me too do it is if i want reinforcements to arrive quickly for a desperate defense 
I find myself using offensive supply less and less as I use my ICs for units instead of supplies.
I generally use it in africa where it can take a month to move one province, or if one of my army groups has done a lot of the fighting and needs to reorg to keep up with everyone else, I use offensive supply to let them reorg faster. I might use it on the lead element of my armored group as well if I'm rushing for bitter peace for the movement bonus. Outside of those 3 areas, I generally dont use it.
If you're running out of manpower (easy to do unless you're Russia or China) Offensive Supply is an excellent way to get more performance out of the units you have. I will also use it when I have units in a desperate defense (under attack and outnumbered). It seems to pay off quite often.
Some players (including I believe Kanitatlan in his AARs) put all their units on offensive supply all the time when they're at war.
It also conserves Manpower slightly, by increasing Defensiveness and Toughness and boosting your attack stats (which will shorten the battle).
Offensive should be used during an amph. assult not only to assure victory but to get it over with as soon as possible. Troops at sea are at high risk.
I have also use it as the US at war start to help in delaying the Japanese attack on defending troops on islands (in anticipation of a Japanese attack) and in the Phillippines.
I always use it as the UK in North Africa when I am ready to attack out of the Alexandria area. In a month I can normally race to Tripoli and isolate the Italians.
I have also use it as the US at war start to help in delaying the Japanese attack on defending troops on islands (in anticipation of a Japanese attack) and in the Phillippines.
I always use it as the UK in North Africa when I am ready to attack out of the Alexandria area. In a month I can normally race to Tripoli and isolate the Italians.
I think you cannot attach a brigade while a unit is on offensive supply - can someone confirm that they've seen this behavior? It makes sense since a number of calculations have to be done upfront.
That is correct, you cannot add a brigade to a unit on Offensive Supply, and for exactly that reason.
Generally, I put every unit that's attacking on OS. Not sure if it's the best use of IC but I do it anyway.
Agreed. OS all the time as long as you have the oil. OS all the time for non oil using divisions. You get a 12.5% boost in your combat modifiers along with extra speed which makes OS especially beneficial when you play at higher difficulty levels where the AI gets better combat modifiers and you get worse combat modifiers.
The cost in given in the tooltip for the OS icon. Note that the cost varies with infrastructure, so you pay a little more in poor infra provinces than you do in 100% infra.
The cost in given in the tooltip for the OS icon. Note that the cost varies with infrastructure, so you pay a little more in poor infra provinces than you do in 100% infra.
I didn't use it in the past but started using it in my last game... it's great for everything like easier to surround enemy armies on offense to allowing to win defensive battles or hold out until reinforcements arrive
I'm very frugal with oil supplies though so I tend to use it for regular infantry but only for tanks and motorized if there's a clear objective to achieve like closing an encirclement
I'm very frugal with oil supplies though so I tend to use it for regular infantry but only for tanks and motorized if there's a clear objective to achieve like closing an encirclement
The advantages have already been mentioned. I use it for armies when I want to conduct a large assault, or when they are in trouble. Sometimes, I manage to save up a lot of supplies, in that case I use it for the entire front whenever possible to score quick victories.
You can hover the mouse over the button to see how much supplies it costs for the units you're currently selecting.
After 42 I usually have IC up to my ears, so I just highlight everyone and put them on offensive every month.
I use it for all units likely to come in action, as long as I have the resources for it.
Think of Offensive as a 'adrenaline-rush' for your units. Its costly, but very effective and can and has turned the tides in battle with me. Getting those African based units under UK control booted out of the continent as Italy is a big ask.
I often use it for re-ORG-ing a badly damaged unit, especially in low-Infra provinces.