the "sentry" command

[nin9abadga]

hey everyone i have a question about this command (i think it's this one, the one that looks like a stick )

as i understand it, selecting that command sends the unit to sleep until an enemy unit comes close, then it is activated ready for action. however it doesn't seem to work!

there's been a few incidents recently. i had destroyers and the germans had only wooden frigates and galleons, my destroyers were sentried by my fishing boats protecting them. yet somehow, the enemy ships were only spotted once they had dropped off about a million troops (after sailing right past my destroyers). i took them out but then it was too late, as the troops had already been dropped off. i had the destoyers there to protect my coastline!

what's the deal then? is there a specific distance before the unit is activated? does it work with all units or just specific ones? it works with catapults i think?

anyone who could explain will be most welcome!

nin9abadga

 

[ADHansa]

I have a related question. Sometimes when clicking on squares i accidently wake fortified units. At that moment i must give the unit some other order that turn and usually go for wait one turn. Then refortify him next turn.
Am i missing a way to refortify him immidiatly?
Does the unit loose his bonus for multiple turn fortification?

 

[ShaLouZa]

Just click an active unit before ending your turn, the fortified one will go back to sleep. I don't know if they lose their bonus, but I don't take any chance.

 

[Aratirn]

The unit will wake up at the begining of the turn right after a unit other than yours enters itsview distance (that is, if that unit enters your territory but it is too far away for the sentried unit to 'see' it by itself, then it will not be waken up).

Of course if the entering unit has enought movement points it could very well pass through your sentried unit and 'do its thing', like landing some troups.

 

[thordk]

if there's another unit on the same square you can unselect it by shift-clicking the little unit icon.

waking him up end sending him to fortify again shouldn't alter the fortify defense bonus.

and sentry units wake up when there's a enemy unit on a adjacent square.
so if the enemy rushes by and unloads it's troops the unit will wake up the next turn.

 

[Aratirn]

Does the unit loose his bonus for multiple turn fortification?

If you DO unfortify it, it will loose the bonus. But if you just clicked it it won't be automatically unfortified; just click on another unit, or if none available end turn. At the begining of the next turn, though, you will have this very same fortified unit selected, so be sure to click on another unit that has movement left.

 

[ShaLouZa]

That's why putting units on the most likely paths is useful. And upgrading your ships with the +1 movement bonus too. You dispatch some guards, and keep an intervention force somewhere central. You need a stack of at least 5 or 6 upgraded destroyers, coz the AI usually sends stacks of frigates with the galions, and if you don't have enough units to kill them all in one turn the galions will get to your coast and land the troops.

 

[Malarkey]

I like to use subs for sentry units at sea, and upgrade them to flanking I, and +1 visibility, then space them out all the way to other civ borders along other continents. The only problems are, your sentry units won't wake up unless the enemy passes within 1 square of one of your units. So you pretty much have to keep an eye on things every turn to watch out for suspicious activity. I would prefer if there was an option to wake up your sentry units whenever any unit, enemy or not, passes within visual range of your sentries. It would just make a lot more sense that way, since a sub isn't going to ignore other ships, friendly or not in real life. To top it off, having +1 visibility almost seems useless, since it doesn't increase your sentry range, but just means, you can use less subs to cover more ground. I basically just use them as an advanced warning system, so I'll have time to position my destroyers/battleships into place before the enemy gets a chance to land on my continent.

 

[Innocence]

I like to use subs for sentry units at sea

If an enemy Frigate accidentally sails into a tile containing one of your subs, will this trigger an attack?

 

[nin9abadga]

thanks for the response people.

I would prefer if there was an option to wake up your sentry units whenever any unit, enemy or not, passes within visual range of your sentries. It would just make a lot more sense that way, since a sub isn't going to ignore other ships, friendly or not in real life.

this is how i thought it was supposed to work and it would make much more sense to do it this way otherwise what's the point? it makes it very time consuming when conducting a war if for every turn you have to check around every costal city.

maybe they should introduce a "patrol" or something, similar to the air planes in RoN. might make it easier.

nin9abadga

 

[Malarkey]

If an enemy Frigate accidentally sails into a tile containing one of your subs, will this trigger an attack?

I don't know for certain, but I'm sure that someone else could answer this question. The great thing about subs, is that they get 50% chance to withdraw by default, so even if they get attacked, they have a good chance of surviving. Giving them flanking I just increases those chances.

 

[TerraHero]

sentry is a very useless command. Rather set them to fortify and keep an eye out yorself. Then they got a defence bonus and you got more chances of spotting anyone if you check it yourself, coz units in sentry wouldnt recognize enemy troops if they where painted purple, dancing on a coffee table singing agressive songs with a lampshade on there head.

 

[Innocence]

Rather set them to fortify and keep an eye out yorself.

In wartime I check the F5 Militay Advisor every turn, set to show only my own units (white) and those of my enemy (red). Makes it easy to pinpoint incoming attacks.

Still a shame about the sentry command though

units in sentry wouldnt recognize enemy troops if they where painted purple, dancing on a coffee table singing agressive songs with a lampshade on there head.

Right... does this happen a lot in your Civ games?

 

[Malarkey]

In wartime I check the F5 Militay Advisor every turn, set to show only my own units (white) and those of my enemy (red). Makes it easy to pinpoint incoming attacks.

Good tip. I'll have to remember that.

 

[Jazzster]

In wartime I check the F5 Militay Advisor every turn, set to show only my own units (white) and those of my enemy (red). Makes it easy to pinpoint incoming attacks.

Good tip. I'll have to remember that.

Yup, actually e-mailed it to myself so I won't forget it til I get home. Thanks, Innocence!

 

[_alphaBeta_]

The unit will wake up at the begining of the turn right after a unit other than yours enters itsview distance (that is, if that unit enters your territory but it is too far away for the sentried unit to 'see' it by itself, then it will not be waken up).

Of course if the entering unit has enought movement points it could very well pass through your sentried unit and 'do its thing', like landing some troups.

Well I thought the sentry command says it will wake if a unit moves into an adjacent tile i.e. the 8 tiles surrounding the unit in every direction. This has been my experience as I have not seen units wake up as soon as something is spotted on the horizon. The answer to the OP is the second thing you said. Your coastal defence needs to be farther out to sea. Ships have a lot of movement points, and probably went right past you. Count on your defenses being at least 5 tiles from the coast. This way, there's no way for a fleet to make it near shore in one turn.

The great thing about subs, is that they get 50% chance to withdraw by default, so even if they get attacked, they have a good chance of surviving. Giving them flanking I just increases those chances.

I thought a unit can only withdraw when it attacks. Are subs different?

If you DO unfortify it, it will loose the bonus. But if you just clicked it it won't be automatically unfortified; just click on another unit, or if none available end turn. At the begining of the next turn, though, you will have this very same fortified unit selected, so be sure to click on another unit that has movement left.

If you wake the unit, not move it anywhere and click 'fortify' again, you will not lose the bonus & will continue to accrue the bonus if necessary.

 

[Malarkey]

I thought a unit can only withdraw when it attacks. Are subs different?

Good point, I obviously wasn't thinking right.

 

[ferenginar]

One problem is sentry units spot enemy units not AI that you are currently on peaceful terms with. I have found AI units on the same tile as my sentry. The AI send there stack of ships and land an army on your territory, declaring war in the process, but then it is too late for your sentry to react.

 

[Malarkey]

One problem is sentry units spot enemy units not AI that you are currently on peaceful terms with. I have found AI units on the same tile as my sentry. The AI send there stack of ships and land an army on your territory, declaring war in the process, but then it is too late for your sentry to react.

Exactly the point I was trying to make Zek.

 

[Aratirn]

Well I thought the sentry command says it will wake if a unit moves into an adjacent tile i.e. the 8 tiles surrounding the unit in every direction.

Quite right, my mistake.

If you wake the unit, not move it anywhere and click 'fortify' again, you will not lose the bonus & will continue to accrue the bonus if necessary.

I will check it as soon as I can get to cIV. It looks like I've been living under a wrong impression by being too lazy to check if the bonus was still there after accidentally waking up a fortified unit. Thanks for the info!

To remain on topic, I tend not to use the sentry command either. Better to fortify and keep an eye on every movement the AIs make (either be them friend or foe).