Two tradeoff questions

[Heldenkaiser]

1. Generals that never activate in command of large stacks: Is it useful to have them advance into enemy territory anyway, knowing they will switch to offensive automatically, or at least gain ground and be attacked, or are the combat penalties too severe?

2. Units with extremely low cohesion in enemy territory in poor supply: Sit tight in passive posture, or return to better supplied regions?

Yes, I am new to this game, and at the start of a campaign ... is it showing?

Thanks!

[arsan]

Hi!
Lets try again!

1- Well the penalties are severe (-35% i think) so, it can be useful if you want to risk a little and think you are not going to get attacked on that turn. Next turn you will be one area further on and on defensive again and with no special penalties for being inactive, so its a slow but decent way of advancing.
If you are positive about being attacked by a dangerous enemy while on offensive / inactive i would not do it

2- I will say pull back before they get out of supply and/or are mauled by the enemy while on such a sorry cohesion state.
But its depends of the situation... if you think supply will improve there (wagons/depot on the way), you can sit and recover/entrench while waiting for them.
Regards!

[Jabberwock]

1. Generals that never activate in command of large stacks: Is it useful to have them advance into enemy territory anyway, knowing they will switch to offensive automatically, or at least gain ground and be attacked, or are the combat penalties too severe?

2. Units with extremely low cohesion in enemy territory in poor supply: Sit tight in passive posture, or return to better supplied regions?

Yes, I am new to this game, and at the start of a campaign ... is it showing?

Thanks!

These are both situational judgement calls, with many factors that could affect them.

For 1: supporting corps, opposition, overall strategy, opponent aggressiveness, etc.

For 2: terrain, weather, opposition, naval support & transport, possible resupply points, etc.

Sorry this isn't more helpful, but these questions straddle the border between the science and the art of wargaming strategy.

I try to have dedicated offensive (high-strat, rifled artillery, high mobilty) and defensive/occupation (low-strat or high-defense, smoothbore artillery) corps. I try to keep my deep penetrations close to riverine or coastal escape routes, and have sufficient naval transport (which can also act as a mobile supply base) in the area.

[Heldenkaiser]

Sorry this isn't more helpful, but these questions straddle the border between the science and the art of wargaming strategy.

No, it's fine. That is an answer in itself. It's just that when one is new to a game, one never knows whether there is a canned answer to a certain dilemma or not. Hence the question. Thanks.

And thanks to Arsan again, too.