Unity of Command II – Units Guide

Units

Units on the map generally represent divisional-sized units, regardless of their actual command level designation. For the Soviet faction, units generally represent corps.

Units of one type all share the same basic characteristics: attack, defense, movement and armor (which can be offensive or defensive). Each unit type is represented by a model that best illustrates either the uniform worn by the troops or the prevailing equipment.

The most important unit properties are shown directly on the map, but not all. Click on a unit to select it, and a comprehensive unit sheet will be shown, detailing all the unit’s properties.

Unit Strength

A unit’s manpower and equipment are considered to be equally divided into steps. Each unit has a maximum number of steps, representing its full complement. The maximum number of steps is 7 for axis units and 6 for allied units.Certain units such as US Combat Commands have a lower maximum (4).

Each step can be active or suppressed (grey). Active steps represent combat-ready troops. They contribute to both attack and defense, and are first in line to take losses in combat. Suppressed steps take losses only if there are no more active steps left in the unit.

Steps can become suppressed as a result of combat or poor supply, and will recover to active status over time, provided the unit is supplied.

Specialist Steps

In addition to regular steps, a unit may have specialist steps attached. These steps represent smaller specialized units attached to a divisional-level formation. Allied units can have up to three specialist steps, while Axis units can have only one.

Tow Suppression

Specialist steps that have towed equipment – such as towed artillery, AT or AA guns – will become suppressed when they move (“tow-suppressed”). Tow-suppressed steps automatically become active again at the start of the following enemy turn. This means that towed steps cannot move and attack in the same player turn, but can still move and set up in time to defend against attacks in the following enemy turn.

Experience

Seasoned units fare much better on the battlefield than green ones, and unit experience (xp) in UoC II is a measure of that aspect of unit quality.

Units gain xp in combat, and lose xp when reinforced with fresh troops. The value of xp goes from 0 to 400. Unit xp accrues rapidly for green units, and more slowly the more experienced a unit becomes, as shown in the following table:

Green (0-99)

• +20 xp for each KIA/SUP inflicted, incl. stragglers (both attack and defense)
• additional +20 xp for every combat in which it does not retreat (both attack and defense)
• can be reinforced without loss of xp, but cannot be reorganized

Regular (100-199)

• +10 xp for each KIA/SUP inflicted, incl. stragglers (attack only)

Veteran (200-299)

• +5 xp for each KIA/SUP inflicted, incl. stragglers (attack only)

Veteran or Elite (300-400)

• +1 xp for each KIA/SUP inflicted, incl. stragglers (attack only)

Summary of Experience Effects

Green Units

• combat shift: xp shift
• combat loss shift: armor fright (+armor shift for attacker)
• air combat shift: air fright (+1 shift for attacker)
• out-of-supply: 3 sup
• out-of-supply recovery: 1/turn
• out-of-supply recovery in MTN: 0/turn

Regular Units

• combat shift: xp shift
• out-of-supply: 2 sup
• out-of-supply recovery: 2/turn
• out-of-supply recovery in MTN: 1/turn

Veteran Units

• combat shift: xp shift
• combat loss shift: +1
• out-of-supply: 1 sup
• out-of-supply recovery: 3/turn
• out-of-supply recovery in MTN: 2/turn

Elite

• combat shift: xp shift
• combat loss shift: +2
• out-of-supply: 1 sup
• out-of-supply recovery: 3/turn
• out-of-supply recovery in MTN: 2/turn

Reinforcements

Regular reinforcements: for each step added, the unit loses 20 xp. Green units do not lose xp when reinforced.

Elite Reinforcements: available via AFHQ/SHAEF card, for each step added, the unit loses 5 xp.

Unit Movement

At the beginning of each turn, every unit receives movement points (MPs) equal to the Normal Movement property for its unit type (see unit sheet).

When moving, a unit expends MPs for each hex it enters. The movement table lists the MP cost required to enter hexes of each terrain type, and weather condition. Each unit uses the appropriate column for its movement type (infantry or mobile). Mountain units move like infantry, except entering MTN terrain costs 2 instead of 3.

Units cannot move through hexes occupied by enemy units. They can move through hexes occupied by friendly units, without any additional MP cost.

Certain types of terrain, or combinations of weather and terrain, make unit movement exceptionally difficult. The cost to enter such hexes is shown as “A” in the movement table. A unit must have full MPs and AP to enter this type of hex. All MPs are spent to enter, and the AP is locked upon entering.

Hexes which are completely impassable are shown as “X” in the movement table (see rail and roads for exceptions).

Extended Movement

Units start the turn with exactly one action point (AP). The AP can be used to attack an enemy unit, or to gain additional MPs equal to the “Extended Movement” property (see unit sheet).

When a unit is first selected, its movement outline is shown in orange. All hexes reachable with currently available MPs are within this outline. An orange outline means that the unit can attack after the move.

You can switch the outline to extended either by pressing SPACE or by using the mouse wheel. The extended outline shows all hexes reachable with additional MPs. A light blue outline means that the unit may be unable to attack after its move.

While the unit is selected, the movement arrow is displayed if you move the mouse pointer within the outline. The arrow shows you the route the unit would take to reach its destination. The tip of the movement arrow shows you the state the unit would have if it moves to that hex. It shows the number of MPs remaining, whether the AP will be available or locked, and an undo icon if the move is undoable (see fog of war).

Note that switching the outline from normal to extended doesn’t expend the AP in itself. The AP is expended only if you actually move the unit to a hex that requires extended movement.

Rail and Road Movement

All movement along rail or road costs 1 MP per hex. Even units that are not allowed to stop on a given hex (e.g. mobile unit on a MTN hex) can cross that hex using road or rail.

• unpaved roads are not usable in MUD
• roads on mountain and alpine hexes are not usable in SNOW
• rail on alpine hexes is not usable in SNOW
• anything that passes through a tunnel is not affected by weather

Rivers and Bridges

Unity of Command II distinguishes between minor (e.g. Volturno) and major (e.g. Volga) rivers. Minor River: crossing a minor river without a bridge costs all MPs and is possible only for units that start the turn next to the river. A unit’s AP is locked after the crossing (grey AP icon), meaning it can be used to attack, but not for extended movement.

Major River: cannot be crossed or attacked across without assistance from a parent HQ. Crossing unopposed requires using the river crossing action (see HQs).

Wadi: this is a dry river bed commonly found in the North African theater. A wadi can be crossed without movement penalties, but it gives a defensive shift in combat (see combat).

Pontoon Bridges: these are bridges that the player has constructed in places where there was not already a bridge present. They introduce a measure of supply disruption (see supply network) but are otherwise the same as regular bridges.

Bridges: these are bridges that are part of the existing civilian infrastructure. When crossing a bridge, no MPs are spent other than the cost to enter the hex on the other side.

Zones of Control

Units that are not weak exert a zone of control (ZOC) into neighboring hexes not held by the enemy. Hexes within the move outline that are within an enemy ZOC appear with a dot. Entering a ZOC uses all remaining MPs but the unit must have at least the number of MPs required to enter the hex if there were no ZOC. A unit’s AP also becomes locked upon entering a ZOC. ZOCs cannot be entered using extended movement.

Units that have less than 3 active steps, or units that have retreated in this turn, are considered weak (denoted by a weak marker on the unit model). Such units do not exert a ZOC.

Front Line

Moving a unit into enemy territory will give you ownership of the hexes your unit moved through. Additionally, hexes adjacent to the route may also be converted to your control under certain conditions:

1. Hexes must not be the other side of a river nor contain an enemy unit, ZOC, city, stragglers, supply hub, or HQ.
2. Hexes must also neighbor more of your own hexes than the enemy’s.

Hexes adjacent to any converted in this way will themselves also be checked for possible conversion, using the same rules. In this way, hexes 2 or more hexes away from your movement path can sometimes be converted. For instance, salients or surrounded pockets of enemy territory that don’t have enemy forces in them will often be “cleaned up” through this process.

There are two exceptions to this process:

• Units that have been out of supply for 3 or more turns do not take territory when moving. Such units expend all MPs when moved (i.e. they can only move once). They take ownership of the hex in which they end their movement, but not of the hexes along or adjacent to the movement route.
• Units with an active recon specialist step will always convert adjacent hexes, unless they are on the other side of a river or contain an enemy unit, ZOC, city, stragglers, supply hub or HQ.

Stragglers and Enemy HQs

Hexes containing 3-step stragglers or enemy HQs have a min-3 movement penalty, shown as 3 vertical stripes in Movement View. This means that the cost to enter the hex is at least 3 MPs, regardless of terrain type and weather.

When a unit enters an enemy min-3 hex, stragglers are taken prisoner (see stragglers) and HQs are overrun (see HQs). Either way, the hex is taken and cleared of min-3 for all further moves by friendly units.

Friendly 3-step stragglers (but not friendly HQs) also cause the min-3 penalty. They are not removed when a friendly unit enters the hex however, and the penalty continues to apply for all further moves by friendly units.