Demolition Actions

There is a new tool under the Logistics section called Demolition. This is very simple to use. Just click the Demolition button and a list of all engineers in the current map view will appear - only engineer units can perform demolitions. For each engineer unit the closest infrastructure asset will appear as the demolition target; if no targets are within the normal control radius, then the target field will be empty. The following screenshot shows an example of the Demolition tool:

The engineer unit has been highlighted with a magenta border, and the nearest asset target has had its tooltip expanded. Engineers can demolish friendly and neutral assets, including fuel tanks, supply drops, factories, bridges and airbases.

After selection of the target asset, click the yellow commit changes button. This will register the demolition order. If the engineer unit survives the next mission, the asset will be destroyed.

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Things to note:

• Engineers are either in "demolition" mode or in "repair" mode. Demolition mode is when an engineer unit has a demolition order for the next mission. Repair mode is at all other times. As soon as a demolition order is carried out, the engineer will revert to repair mode.

• Engineers can demolish fuel tanks, supply drops, factories, bridges and airbases, but can only repair bridges. If you use an engineer platoon to demolish a bridge, make sure you move it away from the bridge for the next mission or else it will start repairing it (if the Bridge Repair By Engineers option is selected).

• Airbases are not physically destroyed by engineer demolition. Instead, the effect of engineer demolition on an airbase is to destroy ALL aircraft at the airbase (friendlies too) and to reduce airbase fuel reserves to zero. If you occupy a destroyed airbase you will have to transport fuel to it for it to support air activities again.

• There is a small probability that any particular demolition action may be unsuccessful. If a demolition is not successful, you may try again in the next mission.

With this feature, it is possible to take control of an enemy airbase, capture its aircraft, fly them off to safety and then use local engineers to completely destroy all remaining air and fuel assets at the base. Similarly, in the face of an advancing enemy force, you can demolish industrial and other infrastructure facilities in your cities; you can then retreat, leaving only scorched earth behind...