Edit: This post was enhanced and is now a War Academy article: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=444783
NOTE: the discussion about the ZOC issues with units having movement bonuses is still very interesting in this thread.
Bonsoir,
I tried to explain below the main aspects of the ZOC rule because I think it is not the simplest rule of Civ 5 and I found no article about this quite difficult aspect of the game.
I hope I understood it right
(I used current release 1.0.1.383 for testing)
Introduction
The zone of control (ZOC) is an important aspect of the unit movement during combat. The ZOC rule limits the movement of units that are adjacent to ennemy units and can be useful, for example to protect ranged units during combat.
Key concepts / abreviations
Combat Unit – a military unit that can engage in combat against other units or against cities.
Non-Combat Unit - a unit that cannot fight, i.e. Settlers, Workers, Work Boats, and Great People (in particular the Great General)
MP - movement points
Definition of the Zone Of Control
(Civilization V manual, page 53)
"Combat units exert a “Zone of Control” (ZOC) over the tiles around them. When a unit moves between two tiles within an enemy’s ZOC it expends all of its MPs."
What does it mean exactly?
If a unit moves DIRECTLY from one tile to another tile of the ZOC of the SAME ENNEMY COMBAT unit, it expends all its MPs for the current turn:
Ex. 1: the archer's movement is limited due to the ZOC of the ennemy lancer
All words in the ZOC rule above are important:
1) Only COMBAT units exert a ZOC: so, non-combat units do NOT. But non-combat units must respect the ZOC of ennemy units.
2) the move must be done within the ZOC of AN ennemy unit: so, the rule does NOT apply if a unit leaves the ZOC of unit#1 and enters the ZOC of unit#2 .
3) the move must be direct: so, the rule does NOT apply if a unit exits a ZOC and reenters it.
Special cases
Cities
- Cities exert a ZOC, too. Even if there is no garrison. A city ZOC applies to naval and to land units.
- Combat units also exert a ZOC on units that are stationed in an ennemy city.
Ex. 4b: the catapult's movement is limited by the warrior's ZOC
Embarked Units
Embarked combat units do NOT exert a ZOC.
Ex. 5: the trireme is not blocked by the embarked horseman.
Naval Units vs Land Units
Naval Units exert a ZOC on ennemy naval units.
It seems that naval units also exert a ZOC on ennemy land units but land units do not exert a ZOC on ennemy naval units.
Ex. 6: the scout's movement is limited by the barbarian galley.
Ex. 7: but the trireme is not blocked by the archer.
Units with movement bonus
Units with a movement bonus (like Persian units during a GA) may move between two tiles within an enemy’s ZOC, and yet continue their movement due to the extra MPs (see examples reported in this thread).
NOTE: the discussion about the ZOC issues with units having movement bonuses is still very interesting in this thread.
Bonsoir,
I tried to explain below the main aspects of the ZOC rule because I think it is not the simplest rule of Civ 5 and I found no article about this quite difficult aspect of the game.
I hope I understood it right
(I used current release 1.0.1.383 for testing)Understanding the Zone Of Control
limiting the ennemy movements
limiting the ennemy movements
Introduction
The zone of control (ZOC) is an important aspect of the unit movement during combat. The ZOC rule limits the movement of units that are adjacent to ennemy units and can be useful, for example to protect ranged units during combat.
Key concepts / abreviations
Combat Unit – a military unit that can engage in combat against other units or against cities.
Non-Combat Unit - a unit that cannot fight, i.e. Settlers, Workers, Work Boats, and Great People (in particular the Great General)
MP - movement points
Definition of the Zone Of Control
(Civilization V manual, page 53)
"Combat units exert a “Zone of Control” (ZOC) over the tiles around them. When a unit moves between two tiles within an enemy’s ZOC it expends all of its MPs."
What does it mean exactly?
If a unit moves DIRECTLY from one tile to another tile of the ZOC of the SAME ENNEMY COMBAT unit, it expends all its MPs for the current turn:
Ex. 1: the archer's movement is limited due to the ZOC of the ennemy lancer
All words in the ZOC rule above are important:
1) Only COMBAT units exert a ZOC: so, non-combat units do NOT. But non-combat units must respect the ZOC of ennemy units.
2) the move must be done within the ZOC of AN ennemy unit: so, the rule does NOT apply if a unit leaves the ZOC of unit#1 and enters the ZOC of unit#2 .
Ex. 2: the swordsman can reach the wheat tile
3) the move must be direct: so, the rule does NOT apply if a unit exits a ZOC and reenters it.
Ex. 3: the horseman may attack the swordsman because it may exit the ZOC of the lancer et reenter it before attacking, due to its 3 MPs.
Special cases
Cities
- Cities exert a ZOC, too. Even if there is no garrison. A city ZOC applies to naval and to land units.
Ex. 4a: the swordsman's movement is limited by the city's ZOC
- Combat units also exert a ZOC on units that are stationed in an ennemy city.
Ex. 4b: the catapult's movement is limited by the warrior's ZOC
Embarked Units
Embarked combat units do NOT exert a ZOC.
Ex. 5: the trireme is not blocked by the embarked horseman.
Naval Units vs Land Units
Naval Units exert a ZOC on ennemy naval units.
It seems that naval units also exert a ZOC on ennemy land units but land units do not exert a ZOC on ennemy naval units.
Ex. 6: the scout's movement is limited by the barbarian galley.
Ex. 7: but the trireme is not blocked by the archer.
Units with movement bonus
Units with a movement bonus (like Persian units during a GA) may move between two tiles within an enemy’s ZOC, and yet continue their movement due to the extra MPs (see examples reported in this thread).
