Combat Events

When your forces are engaged in combat, they may trigger a Combat Event . The effects of these events last for eight hours of game time. You will have an increased chance for a favorable event if you have a HQ Division involved or in a province adjacent to the battle. In version 1.3, the likelihood of getting an event was also enhanced for fast moving units:

- The chance for a Encirclement or Breakthrough will now happen 10% more often for every 1 km/h over 3 km/h. There is a cap on 40%.

- Units retreating to enemy-controlled territory with enemy units in both target and source province will now be eliminated.

Four events benefit the attacker and three help the defender. They usually affect the strength and/or organisation damage a unit suffers. Some reduce damage for one side. Some give a tradeoff between the Strength damage inflicted on your units and the Organisation inflicted on the enemy. This is beneficial for the battle in question, because units retreat based on their organisation level.

Combat events add flavour to the game and help it model some aspects of doctrine that otherwise wouldn't. However, you have very little control of them.

Land Doctrine and Combat Events

The events that occur are determined by your doctrine - which tree you are on and how far you ave researched.

The German tree is exceptionally strong on the events that aid the offensive, particularly Breakthrough and Encirclement. Stronger defensive events turn up later on. On the whole the German tree gets the most events. The German tree also gets the most effect from HQs.

The US tree is slightly balanced towards defensive events, particularly Counterattacks. The main offensive event is the Assault. The US tree is very strong overall.

The Russian tree focuses on events that sap enemy organisation at the expense of its own units strength. On the offensive this means Assaults and on the defensive Counterattacks. Until 1941 it is very weak of defense, and thereafter moderate on the defensive. It gets later on strong breakthrough chance.

The Grand Battle Plan tree starts off the strongest tree, with a high number of Counterattack and Delay defensive events. However, it is totally eclipsed on attack by 1940 and a very poor offensive performer until 1942, when it splits.

From that point, the Japanese (Infiltration Assault) tree develops many Ambush events; the French (Attritional Containment) tree develops many Assaults; and the British (Operational Stages) tree is well-balanced.

Superior Firepower

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.0	4	3
6010 Firepower Focus	1936	1	1	1	1	3	1	1	1.0	4	5
6020 Superior Firepower	1936	3	1	1	1	3	1	1	1.0	6	5
6040 Delay	1937	3	1	1	1	5	3	3	1.1	6	11
6050 Mobile Defense	1938	3	1	1	1	7	5	5	1.3	6	17
6060 Stand Off	1939	5	1	3	1	7	5	5	1.4	10	17
6070 Integrated Support	1940	7	2	5	2	11	5	5	1.6	16	21
6080 Regimental Combat Teams	1942	7	4	6	4	11	7	9	1.9	21	27

Combined Arms Defense

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1942	7	4	6	4	11	7	9	1.9	21	27
6090 Combined Arms Defense	1943	7	4	6	4	13	9	13	2.2	21	35
14050 Air Land Battle	1946	7	4	6	4	13	9	13	2.2	21	35

Mechanized Offense

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1942	7	4	6	4	11	7	9	1.9	21	27
6100 Mechanized Offense	1943	9	6	6	6	11	7	9	2.2	27	27
14050 Air Land Battle	1946	9	6	6	6	11	7	9	2.2	27	27

Grand Battle Plan

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.0	4	3
6010 Firepower Focus	1936	1	1	1	1	3	1	1	1.0	4	5
6030 Grand Battle Plan	1936	2	1	1	1	3	3	1	1.2	5	7
6120 Trench Warfare	1936	2	1	1	1	3	7	1	1.2	5	11
6110 Mass Assault	1938	4	3	3	2	7	7	1	1.2	12	15
6130 Preplanned Defense	1940	4	3	3	2	7	11	3	1.3	12	21
6140 Central Planning	1942	4	3	3	2	9	11	3	1.4	12	23

Attritional Containment

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1942	4	3	3	2	9	11	3	1.4	12	23
6150 Attritional Containment	1942	7	4	3	2	9	11	3	1.7	16	23
6180 Assault Breakthrough	1944	13	4	5	4	9	11	6	2.0	26	26
14070 Assault Concentration	1946	13	4	5	4	9	11	6	2.0	26	26

Infiltration Assault

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1942	4	3	3	2	9	11	3	1.4	12	23
6160 Infiltration Assault	1942	6	4	8	4	9	11	3	1.7	22	23
6190 Infiltration in Depth	1943	6	6	14	6	9	11	3	2.0	32	23
14070 Assault Concentration	1946	6	6	14	6	9	11	3	2.0	32	23

Operational Stages

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1942	4	3	3	2	9	11	3	1.4	12	23
6170 Operational Stages	1942	6	5	5	4	9	13	5	1.7	20	27
6200 Branch Interoperability	1944	6	9	6	6	9	13	9	2.0	27	31
14070 Assault Concentration	1946	6	9	6	6	9	13	9	2.0	27	31

Spearhead

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.0	4	3
6210 Mobility Focus	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.1	4	3
6220 Spearhead	1937	3	5	2	3	3	1	1	1.3	13	5
6250 Schwerpunkt	1937	3	7	3	5	5	1	1	1.6	18	7
6260 Blitzkrieg	1938	3	11	3	9	5	1	1	1.9	26	7
6230 Delay	1939	3	11	4	9	5	5	1	2.0	27	11
6240 Elastic Defense	1940	3	11	4	9	7	7	5	2.1	27	19
6270 Kampfgruppe	1941	3	11	7	9	7	7	5	2.5	30	19
6280 Firebrigade	1943	3	11	7	9	11	9	9	2.7	30	29
6290 Spearhead HQs	1943	4	13	7	13	11	9	9	3.0	37	29

Volksturm

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1943	4	13	7	13	11	9	9	3.0	37	29
14090 Volksturm	1944	4	13	7	13	11	9	9	3.0	37	29

Modern Blitzkrieg

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1943	4	13	7	13	11	9	9	3.0	37	29
14100 Modern Blitzkrieg	1947	4	13	7	18	11	9	9	3.0	42	29

Human Wave

Doctrine	Year	Assault	Encirclement	Ambush	Breakthrough	Counterattack	Delay	Tactical Withdrawal	HQ	Off	Def
Type	-	Off	Off	Off	Off	Def	Def	Def	-	Total	Total
Start	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.0	4	3
6210 Mobility Focus	1936	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.1	4	3
6300 Human Wave	1936	3	1	1	1	3	1	1	1.2	6	5
6310 Large Front	1937	5	2	1	3	3	1	3	1.3	11	7
6330 Deep Operations	1940	5	4	3	5	3	1	3	1.5	17	7
6320 Pocket Defense	1941	5	4	3	5	5	3	3	1.6	17	11
6340 Defense in Depth	1941	5	4	3	5	7	6	6	1.8	17	19
6350 Large Formation SOP	1941	7	4	3	5	9	6	6	2.0	19	21
6360 Breakthrough Priority	1943	9	4	3	9	9	6	6	2.25	25	21
6370 Movement Speed Offensive	1943	9	6	3	9	9	6	6	2.5	27	21
14080 Guerilla Warfare	1944	9	6	7	9	9	8	6	2.5	31	23
14060 Mechanized Wave	1946	9	6	7	9	9	8	6	2.5	31	23

Combat Event In-game Text

For the attacker:

Assault

"This represents a particularly forceful sustained attack where the attackers will suffer higher strength losses than normal but will inflict much higher organisation damage to the defenders"

Assaults are most common from nations high up the Russian and French Land Doctrine tree. It also fits well with a "Russian" play style with plentiful units and manpower.

Encirclement

"This indicates that the attacking force has briefly managed to pin down and encircle the defenders in a small area of the province. While this effect lasts the defenders will suffer much higher strength losses and the attacker will rarely suffer very much loss of organisation (although they may sustain the normal strength losses"

Ambush

"The attacker has managed to ambush the enemy forces inflicting much higher rates of strength and morale damage to the defenders while at the same time greatly reducing the amount of those same types of losses that they sustain themselves"

Breakthrough

"The attacker has managed to overrun an enemy's defences in part of the province. This will seriously disrupt the defender's organisation and reduce the strength losses sustained by the attacker"

For the defender:

Counterattack

"This is a concerted attempt by the defending side to launch a minor counter-offensive to disrupt the enemy's plans. While the defenders will suffer somewhat higher strength losses during this period they will inflict significant organisation losses on the attacker"

Delay

"The defending side is employing a delaying action that greatly reduces the amount of strength loss it sustains during this time"

Tactical Withdrawal

"During this period the defender is making a careful tactical withdrawal to a preferred combat location in the province. Both sides will sustain reduced levels of strength and organisation loss but the defender will sustain even lower organisation losses than the attacker"