HQ lost - what happens

[kyle]

What happens to an army's command structure when someone loses an HQ unit.

I've never encountered it until my recent PBEM when the Union, under McDowell got routed by my southern forces at Manassas.

Do Corps and Army "dissolve"/no longer exist?

I'm extremely tempted to counter attack, particularly if all his massed forces no longer have the army structure, for he will encounter 35% penalty. It's the best opportunity I'll probably have.

Though I'm a little leary, for by the time I reach Washington, he'll likely have another HQ to replace his old one.

[kyle]

From the help section above:
Combat efficiency increase per off./def. Stack Commander ability point: 5%.
Combat efficiency increase per off./def. Division/embedded Brigade Leader ability point: 3%.

What other benefits for 3 star vs. 2 star? Is it that it can be assigned with a HQ unit?

[Coffee Sergeant]

From the help section above:
Combat efficiency increase per off./def. Stack Commander ability point: 5%.
Combat efficiency increase per off./def. Division/embedded Brigade Leader ability point: 3%.

What other benefits for 3 star vs. 2 star? Is it that it can be assigned with a HQ unit?

You need a 3-star to form an army, and a 2 star to form a Corps.

Not having an army structure severely limits the size of your force before you start suffering command penalties. If the unit is "out of the command chain" (i.e. not in a Corps or Army Stack ) it suffers a command point reduction of 50%. That means the best you can do with a 3-star general (12 CP) is 6 CP. With a balloon and a signal corps that would push it up to 9 CP. So at best, two divisions and a regiment/battery.

The other benefit to having Corps is that they will (sometimes) "march to the guns" in neighboring regions to mutally support each other.

I've never had an army HQ destroyed, so I'm not sure if the Corps you already have attached to that army get reverted back to independent force or not.

I know that you can move a Corps well out of the range of the Army HQ and the force will remain a Corps, but obviously if you revert it back to independent force you cannot reform the Corps while it is not in range of the Army HQ.

[kyle]

I completely forgot about the difference in CP's. That's a good point. Thanks.

I think it didn't come to mind because if I have a 2 star general, whether he is a corps or division, I typically have a 1 star that accompanies him.

Someone brought up the fact they were struggling with the idea of promoting Jackson to three stars.

A three star jackson I believe loses some of his ratings/abilities and gets the quickly angered. Thus 3 star jackson corps has no real benefit over a 2 star if you have other generals included in the stack correct?

thus far we have:
1. 3-star can form an HQ
2. and as was just pointed out, than the difference in command points. But the command points is a wash if you have other generals in the stack for there is a limit anyhow.

Perhaps it depends on the general, but it seems like most generals lose abilities as they get promoted. And if the character traits apply to the stack...

Do most people promote generals like Jackson and Longstreet, or keep them as they are?

[Aurelin]

I've never had an army HQ destroyed, so I'm not sure if the Corps you already have attached to that army get reverted back to independent force or not.

Well, I did. The corps commanders lost the gold stripe.

[DirkX]

if you lose an army all your attached corps become independent and lose alot of CP, basically corps with 2 divisions are around a 20% combat-penalty.

[DirkX]

Do most people promote generals like Jackson and Longstreet, or keep them as they are?

Jackson is your best corps commander, dont promote him since his stats go down, and Lee is enough as single army commander in virginia.
Longstreet is a good choice to promote to 2-stars since you lack good corps commanders, but same as Jackson, theres no need for a 3-star Longstreet.