Exit Objectives, Are they worth It?

[Grrr]

According to the Manual;

"An objective hex worth "0" (or "?" for the enemy with Fog of War active) at a scenario's start, is an Exit Objective. This objective earns Victory Points for its side whenever a friendly unit is removed from the map at its hex. Exit Objectives are found at a map's edge. To exit a unit, move it onto an Exit Objective and with it selected use the menu options Command and Remove From Map. The unit will permanently exit the game and the value of the Exit Objective will increase. Exit Objectives never change ownership but the presence of the enemy will deny its use."

Now I've rarely had the opprotunity to reach and use exit objectives but in some games and or scenarios, the decision to use the exit objectives seems to me to be problematic. The Bulge is one game that comes right to mind. If, as the Germans, you reach and Cross the Meuse River, most likely around the 20th of December, are the points gained by using the exit objectives worth the lose of valuable combat strength?
Is there anybody who has removed several divisions by way of the exit objectives and still won the scenario? I would appreciate any insight anyone has on the subject.

[HirooOnoda]

Exiting at the end of the game, when the units use on the map have decreased is worth it.

Exiting too soon with too valuable of a force may spell doom for your still on-board forces.

[Grrr]

Exiting at the end of the game, when the units use on the map have decreased is worth it.

Exiting too soon with too valuable of a force may spell doom for your still on-board forces.

That's pretty much what I have always assumed. This would seem especially true in a game like Bulge. The window for exiting units is pretty small. After the 20th, Allied strength begins to strengthen in the Meuse region Just exiting units will be difficult, let alone the affect of seriously reducing the level of on map strength. Of course you could try to wait until the scenario is nearing the final turns, but I would argue that it's likely that once the scenario reaches that point, The allied player will have locked up the North side of the Meuse and any attempt at reaching the exit hexes would be very difficult. Of course if you manage to keep the exit hexes open until the end of the scenario, I suspect that the need to exit units for points will be unnecessary, and just piling on.

[fastphil]

Smolensk I think gives you the option as do I think Tobruk and EA. It's always a question of choices. The question is do you need to exit to win? If you don't, don't. If you do?

[Krak]

Yes exiting early is a mistake. What needs to be incorporated in to the design is that if side A exits (x) amount of force then side B does not receive (x) amount of reinforcements. This is especially true in S41. Where the Germans can exit the map and head down the Moscow road only to find that Ivan returns down the same road with a wad of extra troops. Logic would dictate that those extra Russians would be holding the Germans that left the map. So removing reinforcements to counter units exiting would make exiting early worthwhile. Just my 2 cents. :)

[Panzer VI]

What I do is get to the exit hex first,and slowly withdraw my force.When playing with FOW deciding which units to carry is a guessing game especially without recon.

[fastphil]

Yes exiting early is a mistake. What needs to be incorporated in to the design is that if side A exits (x) amount of force then side B does not receive (x) amount of reinforcements. This is especially true in S41. Where the Germans can exit the map and head down the Moscow road only to find that Ivan returns down the same road with a wad of extra troops. Logic would dictate that those extra Russians would be holding the Germans that left the map. So removing reinforcements to counter units exiting would make exiting early worthwhile. Just my 2 cents. :)

Well that is a two-edged sword-you can argue it both ways. In the case of Smolensk if it's going really bad for the Soviets, wouldn't STAVKA release more reinforcements? Logic doesn't necessary dictate the Soviet troops are being used to hold the Germans. Couldn't they be driving into the flanks to pinch off the Germans and isolate those advanced troops? It makes more sense to me to NOT allow exit points for Victory, if you can't trace a line of supply to the exit hex. Afterall, those troops might be cut off and wither on the vine.:chin:

[Krak]

Maybe just make the map deeper :)

[Liebchen]

Is there anybody who has removed several divisions by way of the exit objectives and still won the scenario? I would appreciate any insight anyone has on the subject.

Depends entirely upon the scenario. In a recent game of Drive Over the Dnepr (S' 41) my loss was entirely due to my opponent's getting a bunch of units off the map edge in the last few turns. The ones that stuck around were really only there to keep the escape corridor open.