Hidden units. What do you say about this?

[10-3 SquadLeader]

I have not read the guide thoroughly. I have a lot of experience in PzCampaigns but not in PzBattles.
One of my units tried to enter a hex but this was not possible because there were not enough movement points to assault; probably there was a hidden enemy unit there but this attempt is not enough to reveal the hidden unit so my unit cannot fire at this unit.

[Dog Soldier]

That is correct. The use of hidden units is a powerful tool for the defending player in Panzer Battles. Best you do read up on the subject.

Hidden units are what make the attacking player's recon units so much more valuable in Panzer Battles than ever were in PzC. A game of cat and mouse in PzC was just a matter of either bumping into enemy units or moving to where there was a good LOS on the suspected enemy posiitons. Then the other side would just throw their hats in the air and say "I see you, now you can see me."

Panzer Battles makes it a bit tougher to tell where the enemy is positioned. this makes defensive fire so much more deadly when attacking troops take it point blank in the face.

The trade off is hidden units have no ZOC.

Dog Soldier

[ComradeP]

Hidden units also don't automatically expose themselves when you schedule an assault, which can feel a bit odd sometimes when a large stack is suddenly revealed after assaulting.

I guess it is necessary, however, as otherwise people might cancel an assault when they notice the opposition is greater than expected.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

No zoc leaves the possibility of bypassing them, but also leaves them in your rear. Most scenarios don't really leave enough time and troops to move through every hex. I think if you find them, take them out unless leaving them in your rear doesn't pose any threat to what you are doing or have to do. The problem I have is it seems the Russian communications was nothing to brag about at best, but seem flawless in the game. We've all read about Russian tank comms, and it seems the infantry comms weren't much better if in fact they were. Somebody with much more knowledge of that would be better to talk about it.

[ComradeP]

C&C in all its shapes and sizes is heavily abstracted, and the player always has full knowledge of the state and position of his units.

As small units take less damage than larger units even well below the 125 men (equivalent) point, small units can take a long time to clear out. It has been said that such units would try to hide if they were reduced to a dozen or so men, but it can usually take an assault or two.

That, combined with most units being able to spot for the heavier artillery is one of the things I don't like about the hidden mechanic, as it encourages leaving small units behind to act as artillery spotters. It is unlikely those units, particularly Soviet units, would've had radios, but in the game there is no reduction in their effectiveness as spotters until they are out of command range.

[Dog Soldier]

All good points as to why one should look to their recon units as more than just reserve infantry. Recon troops can lead the way, or be used for rear area security. Or both, if one has enough of them. Only one recon unit is needed with an infantry company to secure the rear after the front line troops have moved on if the player is worried about leaving behind hidden enemy defenders.

Despite the issues raised, without hidden units the game would just be a simple push through the enemy territory shooting every thing in sight. Attackers can concentrate forces for the 'big push'. The trade off is clever defenders infiltrating troops into your rear to make mischief. This is where the larger scenario maps can shine.

The goal of this game design is to give players options, but with tradeoffs for any command decision. There are counters to all moves your opponent makes. It is up to the player to decide what matters most to them. Then live with the decisions they make.

There are no 'safe' moves like other games that work every time.
I like that.

Dog Soldier