Here is the second installment of Principles of War.
Unity of Command
Introduction and Definition
In actual warfare a general has to establish effective lines of communication. Simply setting objectives does little if your subordinate commanders do not understand or comply with your objectives. Unity of Command, basically, refers to getting everyone on the same page and having them work toward common objectives. In Heroscape, since you directly control all of your units, communication lines are not relevant, but keeping your army focused on the objectives you have set is vital to mission success.
Activating the Right Units
The first way to focus on Unity of Command is in the placing of your activation markers. Make sure you are activating contributors every turn. By contributors, I am referring to units that when they take their actions are directly contributing to the success of your objectives. Of course, every unit in your build should contribute to the overall objective of victory. However, in achieving each individual objective certain units are more qualified than others.
In my diatribe on objective located here:
http://www.heroscapers.com/community...466&highlight=
I laid out an example of a Nilfheim, Knights, Gilbert, 4th Mass army versus a Samurai build supported by Hatamoto Taro. The first objective that I SHOULD have set was the elimination of Taro as a logistics piece that made all the other units better. Which units should I have activated to achieve this goal. The Knights were too slow, even with Gilberts help and very vulnerable to the elevated ranged Tagawa Archers. In addition, a river bisected the map, slowing my troops even more. 4th Mass was another option, but again, with Taro able to affect his troops from the backfield, I needed them to cross the river to get to him while being shot at from the Tagawa (and with Nilfheim I did not get the Valiant Army Defense bonus). Nilfheim fit the bill perfectly. He flies, has a decent defense, multiple life and could take attacks of opportunity on the Tagawa archers while moving in for the kill on Taro (which might also confuse my opponent as to what my actual target was).
In discovering how important Nilfheim was to the elimination of Taro, my primary objective, it is obvious where my activation markers should have gone. As I touched on in the objective thread, my activations should have been spent entirely on Nilfheim for the first turn. Depending on how much damage he had absorbed from the Archers and Kaemon Awa, I would have placed my markers on a mixture of Nilfheim and the 4th Mass, which brings me to my next point.
All actions should be taken to achieve your prioritized objectives. Stacking 3 activations on Nilfheim when he is at 2 life risks the chance of losing multiple activations. Those actions, when lost, cannot contribute to the achievement of my objectives. Depending on the relative safety of your other units this may still be a risky but worthwhile choice. Always make sure you activate the right figures at the right time. A badly wounded Nilfheim may warrant expenditure of markers on 4th Mass to advance on remaining objectives.
Focusing on the Big Picture
If you find an opportunity to begin moving troops not acting against your primary objective maker sure your are focusing on remaining objectives in prioritized order. Say Nilfheim has killed Taro and has begun to attack Awa with great success. You may be able to expend a marker to move your 4th Mass within striking distance of the Tagawa Archers since they are your tertiary objective. You would NOT activate troops to bein engaging the Tagawa Samurai until the Archers were eliminated. Do not lose focus on the overall plan for success. DO NOT SKIP OBJECTIVES. Do not let proximity alter your objectives. Often your oppponent will throw secondary threats at you first, like Venoc Vipers, to weaken your troops prior to engaging his primary threats. Avoid these altercations and the tempation to engage secondary troops if possible. Shots of opportunity should always be taken by ranged units and melee units with disengage who are not sacrificing movement for the attack.
Conclusion
So, setting objectives is an excellent start. Actually moving and positioning your army to achieve those objectives is the next challenge. Remember to carefully place activation markers in regard to achieving your prioritized objectives. Remember to focus on your objectives in order of importance. Never lose sight of your objectives and plan future actions and rounds based on the achievement of your remaining objectives. Finally, NEVER ENGAGED IN WASTED ACTIONS. Every activation counts. Use them wisely.
Thanks again,
Adam