Setting Support elements

[captainwolfer (OP)]

So I can set an HQ to support a formation that is its subordinate, but I can't figure out how to set an independent artillery unit to support another unit

Example: 30k ton brigade with following subordinates: 4 5000 ton battalions, 3 are infantry battalions and 1 is an armor battalion
- My brigade HQ template has heavy artillery in it, so I drag it onto the armor battalion, and so the HQ is set as the supporting element for that battalion
- I want to have artillery formations that are subordinate to the brigade HQ, but support the infantry Battalions.  However, dragging the artillery formations onto the infantry battalions just puts them as subordinates to the infantry, and doesn't seem to set the artillery to support the infantry.
- The battalions are set to Front line defense, and the artillery is set to the support field position.

Am I missing something?

[Ektor]

I've had the same issue, reported that as a bug, but I don't think Steve saw it.

[Droll]

Unfortunately the way the game is programmed artillery support goes down from the OOB. This means that the superior formation provides support for a subordinate formation. For now I suggest you integrate your artillery into the HQ formation - which is going to at least be in the support line anyways.

I however have not tested if FFD controllers can actually allow a formation to receive independent support - I know that it allows for fighters and other ships in orbit to assist.

[Kristover]

In my games,I’ve been able to support an infantry unit with an artillery unit as long as they’re in the same formation.  I do have FFD with all my combat units.

[captainwolfer (OP)]

In my games,I’ve been able to support an infantry unit with an artillery unit as long as they’re in the same formation.    I do have FFD with all my combat units. 

How do you set that up then? as far as I understand, the supporting unit's name should become blue, while the unit being supported becomes orange. 

Edit: it occurs to me that I haven't updated to 1. 7, and it might be fixed in that version.  IDK

[Kristover]

Drag the supporting arty directly onto the supported unit.  You actually have to be exact because I have occasionally missed the unit in a small list and gotten a dialogue box.  The text will change color and some additional text will appear saying who is supporting who.

[captainwolfer (OP)]

Drag the supporting arty directly onto the supported unit.   You actually have to be exact because I have occasionally missed the unit in a small list and gotten a dialogue box.   The text will change color and some additional text will appear saying who is supporting who.

Question: is the HQ rating of your artillery units the same size as the unit they are supporting? It seems that units with a smaller HQ than the unit you want to support are instead put as subordinates.

[Ektor]

Drag the supporting arty directly onto the supported unit.  You actually have to be exact because I have occasionally missed the unit in a small list and gotten a dialogue box.  The text will change color and some additional text will appear saying who is supporting who.

Whenever I've tried to do that, the two units merge. How have you pulled this off?

[Father Tim]

Drag the supporting arty directly onto the supported unit.  You actually have to be exact because I have occasionally missed the unit in a small list and gotten a dialogue box.  The text will change color and some additional text will appear saying who is supporting who.

Whenever I've tried to do that, the two units merge. How have you pulled this off?

It helps if the 'other' unit's HQ rating is 'full'.  If it has enough room to hold the entire artillery unit, Aurora tends to think "You want to join these two things."

[Ektor]

I always round up the HQ number, but it's never more than a couple tens of tons.

[Person012345]

You say it becomes subordinate to the infantry formation? Does the infantry formationhave an embedded HQ unit?

[Ektor]

Yeah, they all do

[Pedroig]

If I'm reading your post right, it can be done:

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=10764.msg127310#msg127310

[Person012345]

Yeah, they all do

I tried that setup at first and yeah, unless the artillery has a superior HQ and is superior it thinks you want to put it underneath the infantry HQ. The system seems to work better if you treat HQ's as their own thing with their own dedicated units intead of rolling some into every division. Idk what downsides this has but for heirarchy it just seems to work better.

[Ektor]

The results I've had so far are that units only support other units in the same formation rank if they're completely equal. I can get infantry to support infantry, but not artillery to do so.