Supplies and replacements

[Philippe]

I'm a bit confused about replacement supply units.

Simply put, I'm not sure I understand what their function is.

As I understand it, depleted supply units fill up on supply from cities and depots that are part of/connected to your supply grid.

So what do supply unit replacements do?

The only thing I've been able to think of is that (possibly) they add a new element to an existing supply unit.

[lodilefty]

I'm a bit confused about replacement supply units.

Simply put, I'm not sure I understand what their function is.

As I understand it, depleted supply units fill up on supply from cities and depots that are part of/connected to your supply grid.

So what do supply unit replacements do?

The only thing I've been able to think of is that (possibly) they add a new element to an existing supply unit.

Correct, sometimes you lose an elemennt. Plus, having a replacement available for a weakened unit (elements with hits) will speed up the recovery of its strength. Remember, to use a supply unit to build a fort or depot, you'll need 4 elements >50% strength.

[colonel hurst]

I have built a fort using the supply unit from the Army of the Potomac. I think it starts out at less than 50% strength, and I almost never buy replacements for supply units as CSA.

[Jim-NC]

Philippe,

Replacements make your damaged units whole. Supply replacements allow your damaged/weakened supply units to be repaired.

As stated by Lodilefty, the primary use for replacements is building depots/forts. The secondary use is to keep elements from disappearing. A supply element with 1 hit carries the same amount of supply as an element with 10 hits, however, if it takes say 2 points of damage, the element with 1 hit is gone, and the unit with 10 hits still has 8. If you have a unit missing an element (they normally start with 4), then the replacement may replace one of the missing elements (if other conditions are met).

As Colonel Hurst states, it is up to you as the player to decide if you want to fix up your supply wagons. Depending on my situation, I may or may not purchase supply replacements (I usually buy in the beginning of the game, or when I have excess CS points).

[oberst_klink]

Philippe,

Replacements make your damaged units whole. Supply replacements allow your damaged/weakened supply units to be repaired.

As stated by Lodilefty, the primary use for replacements is building depots/forts. The secondary use is to keep elements from disappearing. A supply element with 1 hit carries the same amount of supply as an element with 10 hits, however, if it takes say 2 points of damage, the element with 1 hit is gone, and the unit with 10 hits still has 8. If you have a unit missing an element (they normally start with 4), then the replacement may replace one of the missing elements (if other conditions are met).

As Colonel Hurst states, it is up to you as the player to decide if you want to fix up your supply wagons. Depending on my situation, I may or may not purchase supply replacements (I usually buy in the beginning of the game, or when I have excess CS points).

Kamerad Tarheel,

what about the general effect of depleted units with experience when they received replacements? Is there a general formula that calculates it? Just curious, couldn't find any reference so far in the AACW Wiki or the manual. Some players even argue that it's not worth using replacements but always buy new units. I am aware that this was done mostly for the Union, 'ecpt some western states that didn't raise endless numbers of new regiments but sent'm replacements.

Klink, Oberst

[Captain_Orso]

Replacements (inexperienced) filling out a regiment (experienced) cause the average of that regiment to drop. I don't know if there is a formula outside the game coding for this. Were there one it would actually be an exercise in futility and massive micro-management. The only way to prevent replacements from reaching depleted regiments would be to never buy them. Right after a battle that you have won, much of your losses will be replaced from the replacement pools.

I've been told that the drop in experience/quality is not equivalent to the number of replacements. The new troops are supposedly gaining quality from mingling with and being lead by the old pros.

Also, because you will inevitably be working with division, there is a limit to the number of regiments in a division, be they depleted or not. They may be experienced, but the elements become thinner and are that much easier to loose completely in a heated battle.

Also the number of division that can be organized in a corp is limited regardless of the actual number of theoretical men in that corp. Leaving your looses unreplaced will eventually make your division and corps weak and vulnerable.

[Jim-NC]

Kamerad Tarheel,

what about the general effect of depleted units with experience when they received replacements? Is there a general formula that calculates it? Just curious, couldn't find any reference so far in the AACW Wiki or the manual. Some players even argue that it's not worth using replacements but always buy new units. I am aware that this was done mostly for the Union, 'ecpt some western states that didn't raise endless numbers of new regiments but sent'm replacements.

Klink, Oberst

Hello Klink,

I had done some testing a while back, and replacements lowered the XP count (in 1.16 you no longer see the XP count, only the stars, in 1.15 you were able to see how much experience you had e.g. 5/10). See my thread HERE