Are there supporting/flank attacks?

[Suiken]

Do units benefit from "support" attacks? For example, if I surround an enemy unit with my units, will the enemy receive penalties (or my attacking units receive bonuses) during combat?

Also, is there a resource somewhere outlining the game mechanics in more detail? There is alot going on that is not explained in the manual.

Thanks for the help. I just got this game on the iOS sale, and I think I'll like it, but for now I don't really understand what is going on so its hard to judge.

[Suiken]

Anyone???

[Solo4114]

Do units benefit from "support" attacks? For example, if I surround an enemy unit with my units, will the enemy receive penalties (or my attacking units receive bonuses) during combat?

Not exactly. I'm relatively new to the game, but here's what I understand to be the case.

There's no "support/flank" factor in offensive combat. "Support" is a defensive modifier for some units, which allows them to fire at an enemy that attacks an adjacent unit, when that enemy is in range. So, if you have a heavy bolter support unit, and it's touching a baneblade, a conscript unit, and an artillery unit, when any of those other units are attacked within 1-3 hexes of the heavy bolter unit, the bolter will fire back along with the attacked unit.

So, ork slugga boyz run right up next to the artillery unit to smash it to bits. The artillery unit will fire back (if it has a minimum range of 1, rather than 2 or higher) AND the heavy bolter will fire on the slugga boyz (because heavy bolters have a 1-3 range). If another ork unit then attacks the baneblade (and the baneblade doesn't kill it outright), the heavy bolter will fire on THEM as well. And it will keep doing this for every enemy that attacks an adjacent friendly and which is within range of the heavy bolter.

This, however, does not translate into offensive tactics. So, let's reverse the story. Heavy bolter and artillery are touching each other. Both are within range of ork infantry. If the artillery fires, the heavy bolter WILL NOT fire in "support" of the artillery. In truth, if the heavy bolter were able to do that, the game would end really, really quickly because it'd pretty much go to whomever got the first move in (assuming you set up your attack right). You could utterly destroy enemy forces if you could "stack" your attacks (and, likewise, end up utterly destroyed if the AI did that to you).


Now, practically speaking, you can still support your units, and this mostly comes down to deciding which unit fires first, based on the range of the unit to target and based on how much potential damage the target can do to the attacking unit. So, let's say you are facing a Grot Mega Tank unit with 5 tanks in it. Right next to it, you have an Ogryn unit that took a few hits and is now at 15. You have a Shadowsword at full strength 4 hexes away. You have an artillery unit with a 6-hex range stationed 5 hexes away. Who fires first? Personally, I have the artillery fire first because it can't be retaliated against, so it softens up the enemy. Probably won't even kill one enemy tank, but it'll damage them at least. Then I have my shadowsword fire, because the Mega Tank can't really harm it, and the shadowsword will probably kill 2 enemy tanks. Lastly, I have my ogryn assault it. They may not destroy the enemy unit altogether, but they'll take way fewer losses now that they've been softened up.

Also, is there a resource somewhere outlining the game mechanics in more detail? There is alot going on that is not explained in the manual.

Thanks for the help. I just got this game on the iOS sale, and I think I'll like it, but for now I don't really understand what is going on so its hard to judge.

There are some threads here on the forums that explain many of the mechanics. Here are a few I found helpful.

viewtopic.php?f=235&t=63308 -- "Guide to understanding Unit and Weapon Stats." This one is probably the most helpful of the bunch.

viewtopic.php?f=235&t=66214 -- "Unit stats - what are they and how do they work ?"

viewtopic.php?f=235&t=66137 -- "Best Bang for the Buck Question"


Check out the Steam guides here, too. They're helpful in giving a general overview of the units themselves (rather than just "Armor penetration value works like this"). I can't post the links because apparently the board thinks that's too "spammy," but run a Google search for "rough guide to steel legion units" and it'll get you where you need to be. There are guides for the Space Marine units and Ork units, too.

[Suiken]

Thanks for the reply. I'm really surprised those threads you linked are not stickied, especially since the developer doesn't have anything better as a resource for players.

I've read elsewhere that surrounding enemy units reduces their initiative. I hope this is the case and will test it, because right now the tactics of this game seem a bit dumbed down.

[Solo4114]

Thanks for the reply. I'm really surprised those threads you linked are not stickied, especially since the developer doesn't have anything better as a resource for players.

I've read elsewhere that surrounding enemy units reduces their initiative. I hope this is the case and will test it, because right now the tactics of this game seem a bit dumbed down.

That'd be news to me. Are you sure you aren't thinking of WH40K: Chaos Gate? That was the 40K X-com-alike that came out in the late 90s (it's on GOG, by the way). You could surround an enemy with assault troopers and issue a "beat-down" where each trooper did an attack on the enemy without them being able to retaliate.

I don't think you can reduce initiative, since it's a base stat for each unit. What I think you can do is reduce morale (which, taking attacks and damage/losses does), and reduce the enemy's ability to move the unit away if you position near it.

The game isn't what I'd call "dumbed down." It doesn't have all of the elements of other similar games, but there's plenty of depth to the game. It's simple on the surface, and the initial fights with basic units are pretty simple, but as the variety of units you have access to increases -- and the variety of enemies you face increases -- it begins to show its depth. The first few missions are fairly simple and straightforward. By the time you progress to Act 2 (which is where I am), you're doing more on the offense and have to manage more objectives, more unit types, more enemy types, etc.