How to capture units?

PC : Turn based WW2 goodness in the mold of Panzer General. This promises to be a true classic!

Moderators: Slitherine Core, Panzer Corps Moderators, Panzer Corps Design

Post Reply
Vulcan54
Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
Posts: 92
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:55 am

How to capture units?

Post by Vulcan54 »

Can anyone explain how to capture units? I've ready many posts of players who mention using captured units. I was under the impression that there is a very limited number of units which can be captured, and that they only appear in certain scenarios when certain conditions are fulfilled. Is this correct, or is it possible to capture other units as well? Any help much appreciated.
El_Condoro
Panzer Corps Moderator
Panzer Corps Moderator
Posts: 2112
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:32 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by El_Condoro »

Found this doing a search on "captured".

Basically, a unit is scripted by the designer to appear when a designated hex is occupied by the player. In most cases - other scripting events can be done.

SPOILERS in the thread.

viewtopic.php?f=121&t=29212&hilit=capture
brettz123
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 586
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by brettz123 »

windtalker wrote:Can anyone explain how to capture units? I've ready many posts of players who mention using captured units. I was under the impression that there is a very limited number of units which can be captured, and that they only appear in certain scenarios when certain conditions are fulfilled. Is this correct, or is it possible to capture other units as well? Any help much appreciated.
to directly answer your question all you have to do is capture the city in which the captured unit is located in order to get it into your CORE. You have to do this before the last turn of the scenario though. There are not a lot in 39 and 40 but you start to get a large amount in 41 and 42.
blacknight13
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by blacknight13 »

is it possible to trade in captured units or core units for different classes of units? for instance my core force is skewed heavily to infantry and tanks when i'd like to balance my force with an artillery unit or strategic bomber...unfortunately i keep capturing tanks
DownriverRick
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:44 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by DownriverRick »

blacknight13 wrote:is it possible to trade in captured units or core units for different classes of units? for instance my core force is skewed heavily to infantry and tanks when i'd like to balance my force with an artillery unit or strategic bomber...unfortunately i keep capturing tanks
Use the captured unit for the rest of that scenario (or not, up to you). During the deployment phase before the next scenario, disband the unit. That way you can reclaim the prestige and use it to get that artillery or strategic bomber.
blacknight13
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by blacknight13 »

how to do that?
blacknight13
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by blacknight13 »

DownriverRick wrote:
blacknight13 wrote:is it possible to trade in captured units or core units for different classes of units? for instance my core force is skewed heavily to infantry and tanks when i'd like to balance my force with an artillery unit or strategic bomber...unfortunately i keep capturing tanks
Use the captured unit for the rest of that scenario (or not, up to you). During the deployment phase before the next scenario, disband the unit. That way you can reclaim the prestige and use it to get that artillery or strategic bomber.
how to do that?
brettz123
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 586
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by brettz123 »

When you start a scenario you will be in the deployment screen. This is where you are allowed to place your units on the map. You can press the 'd' key which will allow you to disband units and gain back the prestige. I wouldn't suggest doing this too often as you are going to need a lot of tanks later in the DLCs and you will lose whatever experience and kills you got with the tank during the previous scenario.
blacknight13
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by blacknight13 »

brettz123 wrote:When you start a scenario you will be in the deployment screen. This is where you are allowed to place your units on the map. You can press the 'd' key which will allow you to disband units and gain back the prestige. I wouldn't suggest doing this too often as you are going to need a lot of tanks later in the DLCs and you will lose whatever experience and kills you got with the tank during the previous scenario.
thanks
PantheraTigris
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:44 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by PantheraTigris »

I've never been able to capture any units. They either retreat or I destroy them. Surrender/capture as of yet has not been an option.
sigp210
Private First Class - Wehrmacht Inf
Private First Class - Wehrmacht Inf
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:40 pm

Re: How to capture units?

Post by sigp210 »

I never seem to be able to capture the following unit:

Ilovlya

KV – 1C ( r ) Tank at Sector B Rail Line 3, 23 (Bottom left corner)

Even when I clear the entire area. I've tried leaving my unit on multiple locations - but nothing. Can someone help?
captainjack
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1908
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:42 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by captainjack »

I think that the Ilovlya unit can only spawn on one specific hex. If that hex is occupied, it doesn't appear.
BUT I'm reasonably sure that if the hex is emptied in the following turn it does appear.

There are some "captured unit" threads from a year or two back which may have accurate instructions on how to get the tricky ones like this.
sn0wball
2nd Lieutenant - Elite Panzer IVF/2
2nd Lieutenant - Elite Panzer IVF/2
Posts: 733
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:22 am
Location: Germany

Re: How to capture units?

Post by sn0wball »

PantheraTigris wrote:I've never been able to capture any units. They either retreat or I destroy them. Surrender/capture as of yet has not been an option.
You never capture units upon attacking them. Under specific cicumstances, an enemy unit retreats after being attacked. If there is no hex to retreat to, it surrenders. A unit that surrenders just disappears. You do never get to keep (=capture) it.
captainjack
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1908
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:42 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by captainjack »

The Legacy of Versailles mod has a variant where instead of capturing a unit when you take an objective, you can capture some units by destroying them. A turn or two later, the destroyed unit is repaired and added to your core. However, the repaired units approach is not used in the official releases.
PantheraTigris
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:44 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by PantheraTigris »

sn0wball wrote:
PantheraTigris wrote:I've never been able to capture any units. They either retreat or I destroy them. Surrender/capture as of yet has not been an option.
You never capture units upon attacking them. Under specific cicumstances, an enemy unit retreats after being attacked. If there is no hex to retreat to, it surrenders. A unit that surrenders just disappears. You do never get to keep (=capture) it.

Oh, ok. As of yet I have not had a retreating unit run out of space to retreat to. I guess my generals are earning vicious reputations.... :twisted:
captainjack
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1908
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:42 am

Re: How to capture units?

Post by captainjack »

The easiest way to force surrenders is when you have a defensive scenario. The AI isn't so smart at attacking so all the troops press forwards at once. This is where your lighter artillery (the 10.5 cm guns) are good - they fire at 100% (so 12 strength fires 12 shots and if experienced have a good chance of suppressing soft targets. In contrast, while heavier guns are more likely to kill units, they only fire at 70 or 80%, and you want suppression not kills for surrenders.

1. pick a unit that is completely surrounded either by units or terrain it can't enter. Recon units with their ability to sneak round units are handy here to plug any gaps.
2. check the unit stats. Any unit that is partly suppressed and has limited entrenchment (2 is easiest but 3 or 4 is still OK and higher entrenchment can be managed if you are well organised).
3 Fire artillery at the surrounded unit or attack with a strategic bomber or ship. This will cause suppression that lasts until a ground unit attacks.
4 Check suppression (place mouse over unit and check the unit stats screen - suppressed strength shows blue) and entrenchment (the spade sign).
5 Your ground unit attack will kill some units, suppress a few extra and remove one entrenchment. If this leaves your target with no entrenchment and all strength suppressed AND it has nowehere to go, it surrenders. Not enough suppression or more than 1 entrenchment? Hit it with another air attack or artillery (or a ship if in range). Check stats again and repeat as needed.
6 When sufficiently suppressed AND no more than 1 entrenchment (1 is OK as your attack will remove the last point), launch your ground attack. You will either kill the unit or leave only suppressed strength. The unit, unable to move, with no entrenchment will then surrender. You will get half the prestige value of any strength remaining after the attack.
7 Feel very smug and taunt the AI.
8 Repeat as necessary.

Tips
If you have a big crowd attacking, you can pick your surrender targets to get rid of as many as possible. That means you usually can't take out units next to each other, as the first one leaves a space for the other. The exception is when the first unit is in terrain the second unit can't enter.

For some dangerous or expensive units, forcing a surrender can be a better way of dealing with them than trying to destroy them. You may need to fire at it and bomb it a lot to get enough suppression - a little planning will get the best out of whatever is in range, so that if you do fully suppress it you still can target some other potential victims. Strategic bombers are particularly useful for this role as they strip ammo, so even if you can't force a surrender it will run out of ammo quickly and if it's surrounded can't resupply properly. If facing an IS2 or an ISU152 this is a very good thing.

Once enough strength is suppressed, launch the final attack. with It is best to use a unit that will only just cause the surrender. This is because the more strength it has when it surrenders, the more prestige you get from the surrender. This will get easier to pick with practice.

Remember that forcing a surrender is firstly a way to get rid of units quickly and the prestige is normally best viewed as a bonus. Having said that, you get extra prestige if the unit is overstrength. Look out for units with a base strength of 5 or less - they are more common in Afrika Korps but there are a few in other scenarios. If you can force a surrender when it's near full strength (especially if the base strength is 1, so even at strength 2 it is twice the strength it could be), you get a nice big pile of prestige. This has saved me from certain defeat more than once in Afrika Korps.

And finally, forcing surrender is less important than meeting scenario objectives.

Good luck.
Post Reply

Return to “Panzer Corps”