Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

Gila sums it up pretty much, HQ is in effect a large scout unit with reasonable FOO capability & quite good armament for a scout type so what you lose depends on what you change it to.

Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

I would encourage all players everywhere to change there A0 unit into something bigger and more apt at fighting. Please, please please change your A0 into something that I can find easier and blow the crap out of faster than that pesky, 6 man team that seems to disapear under my sights and tend to route any infantry I sent after them. :D

If you want them to match the rest of your moutain troops, rename them.

Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

Another important capabilty the HQ has and would hate to lose, is the extra smoke it has.

Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

You'll usually only use it to cover your own retreat though

Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

If you are popping smoke to cover your retreat, you are in deep doggy-poo, as pointed out. (You should never let the enemy locate your HQ).

If you are not detected and pop smoke from your HQ, you have just sent your PBEM opponent a very interesting message in the replay. Expect mail. If you are playing the AI, then popping smoke is a high AI interest item, and so may well lead to some incoming mail. Again, if you are popping smoke while undetected then it probably will be to aid some other team - and what is your HQ element doing so close to their firefight?

"HQ fires weapon " type messages in the replay are also highly interesting to a human opponent.

Firing events are AI interest items as well, so may well result in special deliveries. So even parking your HQ "weapons tight" with other troops to aid their morale in a fight is not star-bright as it will get some of the subordinates mail - put the HQ a ways to the rear of the fight to deal with broken troops in that case.

The job of the HQ is to hide with pride. It's the rear comms link to all the off-map units. If it dies, the comms of the off map support gets worse for the rest of the battle. More likely to be out of contact. Your overall force morale gets worse too. A decapitated force is an unhappy one. Rallying gets worse. Chance of your force getting to "force broken" status increases with decapitation.

At the most - put it on a feature in the rear where it has a decent view of a significant sector of the battlefield. It can then act as a part-time FOO. Don't place fire attractors next door to it (e.g., do not fire off a battery of mortars from right alongside it).

You no longer have the SP1 limit of 48 units. You have hundreds. Therefore using the HQ as Rambo is not likely to swing any balance your way, on the contrary it is more likely to help your opponent.


Cheers
Andy

Re: Changing the AO unit.
 

I don't use A0 in or near the front for better obs. that's what FOO are for right?.

Also don't arbitrarily pop smoke, just in the very rare cases where my opponent has either snuck around to the rear (where i almost keep the A0)
Or has dropped forces in close mainly to get the arty i suppose .

Then it's a use it or lose it situation as they already know where it is and using smoke to cover retreat (imminent incoming arty. mail) would make no difference anyway.