Unity of Command II – Supply

by Falagar / Articles, Misc. Guides / 13 Nov 2019

Supply

Units resupply at the start of each turn. A unit can resupply only if it’s within range of the supply network, i.e. if it’s located in a supplied hex at the start of the turn.

Supply Sources

Supply is traced from supply sources, through supply hubs, to units.

Supply originates at supply sources, of which there are four types:

● rail: land-based supply source (connects to the rail system)

● port: sea supply source (connects to the rail system)

● truck (road): land-based supply source (does not connect to rail)

● ship (beach): sea supply source (does not connect to rail)

Supply from a supply source that is connected to the rail system will spread along friendly-owned railways without restriction.

TODO: illustration of supply sources and rail-supplied area

Supply sources and railways are able to supply only a narrow strip around the railway and the supply sources themselves (one hex deep). Supply hubs are used to push supply farther. Some supply hubs may be present at the start of a scenario, and the player can create additional ones. Supply hubs use truck assets to distribute supply to units away from the railways.

Supply Hubs

Some supply hubs are already positioned at the start of a scenario by the designer. Truck assets are used to create new supply hubs and extend supply range.

A new supply hub is created by deploying a truck asset into a supplied rail hex, or into a road hex not more than 5 MPs away from a supplied rail hex. Up to 5 trucks can then be deployed to the hub. The supply range of the supply hub is 5, 8, 10, 11, 12 MPs respectively, for 1-5 trucks. The supply range of the hub is traced using the supply movement column, without regard to weather. This is because weather affects supply in another way: through supply disruption (see supply disruption).

Note that supply hubs are not affected by supply disruption, only units are. The supply hubs are always supplied if they can trace an unbroken rail line to a supply source. If a hub is not in supply (at the start of turn), it stops spreading supply immediately, and its billboard turns red. In this state, the supply hub does not accept incoming stragglers. Trucks can be removed from supply hubs at any time via truck reorg. The trucks become available for truck deployment on the next turn or later, depending on the following:

● supplied hubs: 1 turn delay

● out-of-supply hubs: 2 turn delay

● supply hubs overrun by the enemy: 3 turn delay

During battle preparation, the player can remove trucks without any delay. If an enemy unit enters a supply hub’s hex, the hub is overrun and removed from the map. The hub’s trucks are returned to the player (as if they were reorg’d) with a 3-turn delay. All enemy units within 1-truck range of the hub become supplied, in the same way as being air supplied or emergency supplied by the HQ. An overrun hub is not restored if the hex is recaptured; the player must re-establish the hub using a HQ action.

TODO: illustration of supply hub range

Supply Value and Disruption

Each friendly hex on the map has a “supply value”. This is generally 100% at a supply source, but may be lowered by supply disruption, as supply is traced further along the supply chain. (In some cases, a lower theater supply value may decrease the starting value at supply sources.) Supply disruption is caused by weather, certain kinds of terrain, stragglers, and having a supply
hub not located on a rail line. As supply moves along, penalties for mud/snow, pontoons, ruins etc. add up, and the supply value goes down. This is how each hex gets its supply value (if there are multiple paths into a hex, the path with the lowest disruption is chosen).

If a unit is within supply range, but its hex is not 100% supplied, the unit will roll for supply at the start of the turn instead of being supplied unconditionally. To clarify: units sitting on a supply source, supplied rail hex or a supplied hub (in short: anything with a barrel icon in supply view) are considered to be in 100% supplied hexes and do not roll for supply at this time.

Disruption:

● each hex of mud/snow: up to -6%/-4%

● hub supplied by truck (i.e.supplied via road not rail): -10%

● pontoon bridge: -10% minor river, -20% major river

● supply across minor river (without a bridge): -10%

● mountain pass: -10% mountain, -20% alpine

● destroyed city: -10%

● 3-step stragglers: -10%

● elite units: +10% bonus

● out-of-supply units: +5%, +10%, +15% bonus 1, 2, 3 turns out of supply respectively

Note that bonuses for elite and out-of-supply units apply only to themselves, and not for supplies passing through their hex.

Supply Effects on Units

Effects of being unsupplied depend on how long the unit has been out of supply already. The effects are somewhat weaker for experienced units, which are more adept at fighting while cut-off or overextended.

1 turn: no recovery of previously suppressed steps

2 turns: no AP, some steps suppressed (green 3, standard 2, veteran/elite 1)

3 turns: no AP, one MP less than normal, all steps suppressed, can’t take terrain while moving

4+ turns: As for 3 turns, plus 3 steps converted to stragglers each turn

Note that, when a unit has been out of supply for 3 or more turns, the reduced number of MPs means that the unit cannot cross rivers or enter terrain with “A” movement cost any more. At 3+ turns out of supply, units do not take enemy terrain while moving. Starting with turn 4 of a unit being unsupplied, 3 of its steps become stragglers (if there is no room in the hex, they become KIA). If the unit loses all steps in this way, it becomes KIA immediately.

Recovery: once back in supply, units are able to recover suppressed steps according to the following schedule:

● Green: 1/turn (in MTN: 0/turn)

● Regular: 2/turn (in MTN: 1/turn)

● Veteran & Elite: 3/turn (in MTN: 2/turn)

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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