In Contact determination
 

Is the determination if a unit is "in contact" just a die roll or do other factors effect it?

Is there any way to have a better chance of keeping on board artillery units "in contact"

I seem to have mortar units lose contact if they move or if the HQ unit moves too far away but I don't know if these are correlated.

Re: In Contact determination
 

Do both sides have radios?

is HQ close by (like 3-5 hexes). If not there is a small random chance, even if the non-radio units were 10 KM off. gives a chance for someone a long way away to "get sorted out". Those who like to whine and moan about such things can assume that runners or dispatch riders or MPs got to them. (it was probably put in so that the AI had a chance with elements that had run away a long distance. Humans can pick up "perma-pinned" damaged units with a truck or H/T, AI is too stupid for that).

Is your own company HQ nearby? - your company commander can provide contact, as well as rallying. As can A0 as Bn commander, if close by.

Skilled units, suppression levels. Lots of things determine contact, as well as many random rolls in the various routines.

Off map units go off the net more if the BN HQ is dead or fled, or suppressed. Do not get A0 into combat - this is not SP1 where you only had ~24 core units so making the commander go all Rambo was worth it. A0 (provided you leave him as the default HQ class) is a second class observer - use him as such. In addition he is the "back link" for rear area comms as I just mentioned.

So if you want an HQ to be generally in contact, keep its subordinates close by (within 3 hexes, 5 at a push). You may want to organise your on-map artillery park as a company and keep it tight-packed with the coy commander in the pack as well, maybe put A0 there too. But then again, that would be a juicy counter-battery target...

Re: In Contact determination
 

Tends to be more of an issue with mortars assigned to a company by the OOB from my experience as commander gets distant from it.
Larger battles I tend to buy an artillery park commander, buy a company delete everyone but the commander and assign your arty to him because he stays back with them. Some OOBs have arty company lead by a FOO that works if he's your second and is not going to go forward to try and get eyes on.

Re: In Contact determination
 

Good to know.

I have been keeping my A0 close to the front to rally troops. I guess if he has a radio he can do it from the rear and shorten the smoke breaks of the artillery crews.

Re: In Contact determination
 

A0 always has a radio.

If he is up front, he risks getting hit with a bombardment. If you have changed him to another unit type like a tank, then enemy planes may decide he is a lovely target to strafe. Losing A0 (except in the human v. human campaign) loses the campaign if you are playing one.

He is not there to be risked, at best he should maybe sit up on a hill, with no friends nearby (like AAA, SAM, arty etc) that may draw enemy attention. On the hill, he can act as an arty observer if visibility is good.

He could be shifted in a jeep and plonked down in the far rear of a mass rout, where he may rally a few runners that pass him by, provided the enemy is not actively shelling the herd of routers.

Re: In Contact determination
 

It's from the MBT forum but could be helpful.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=51883

Re: In Contact determination
 

Interesting. Now I don't know if it is better to keep the A0 near the front to assist with rallying troops or to keep him "in the rear with the gear" to keep the artillery fire coming.

In campaigns I have kept the A0 near the front and used it to finish off weakened units to assist with quickly raising its experience and thus its arty and rally ratings.

Re: In Contact determination
 

In the early battles, it may be worthwhile to keep an APC by the A0 (and artillery observer(s)) and when the enemy is in a routed panic at the end, bring them forward to deal with a few running crews etc. to pick up the first 5 kills that help most in experience gain.

But there is a risk that they may run onto a hold-out AAA battery, or some reinforcement unit pops onto the map in front of them. My A0 stays in the rear with the gear. I probably had a bad experience running him forward many years ago, and ending up under a concentration of arty the AI brought in...

You pays your money and takes your choices - its up to you.

Re: In Contact determination
 

In all my campaigns I always keep my A0 in the rest and out of harms way, till near the end to try to rack up some kills, if safe.

Re: In Contact determination
 

I like to consider my A0 unit as not a physical unit at all! but rather a personification of the communications link to higher command.


Hide with pride! Will usually be assigned a jeep or such to scurry away from artillery strikes or provide an extra level of rally to some beleaguered troops.