Thoughts during my first campaign

[Lparsons7641]

Which is basically a failure But who cares? I am enjoying it.

--Turn times are good. Not spectacular, but alright
--Music is okay, I usually listen to my own however.
--Graphically I was not a fan at first, but it has grown on me. Very well done!

My campaign has not gone the greatest so far. Its June 62. I'm still besieging New Orleans. Waiting, and waiting. I should've assaulted, Butler was never activated and now there is a big stack bearing down. I have another division forming to make a naval assault, but I put all my dice in Farragut, who is now stuck on the Mississippi for the time being with a beaten up fleet.........

The CSA pushed initially into W. Va. They have since settled down in the Shenandoah. My army beat them once, and I think I could again. It's big, but not very well organized. It's gamey but I could probably run a corps to at least Fredricksburg.

I am suffering a bit out west. I lost a good amount of navy to Island 10, and can't approach by land (it takes forever!) My stacks are not quite big enough, and my troops are scattered about. Same problem as the east, I am not organized enough. Missouri is a mess, Stand Waite is running around, uncatchable in the north and in Illinois. I had to take an entire division I was going to use on the Mississippi to attack him.......

I want to make Buell an army, but Banks is next..........i loathe to give away NM, but might.

FI is high, in the 70s. I am surprised.

I am struggling a bit in New Mexico and Arizona, the California column is to slow to reach Tuscon, their cohesion can never make it. As intended?

Basically I am getting some basics down, but still have a heck of a time organizing all my stacks of commanders and brigades. Never sure whom to give commands to..........who to send to Maine on vacation.........

[ArmChairGeneral]

Very nice work, my first several games (AACW) did not go as well as yours has!

Lparsons7641,
I am struggling a bit in New Mexico and Arizona, the California column is to slow to reach Tuscon, their cohesion can never make it. As intended?

I think so, it is a LONG way across that desert. Athena rarely brings the California columns across either, they spend the war marching back and forth between the other OMB's, and the time she managed to get them into NM I was waiting for them, bloodied them hard and they evaporated on their withdrawal back to the OMB (she came through Pinos Altos that time).

Even if you could get through with the California troops you would have a lot of trouble feeding them. You might have better luck taking Tuscon using New Mexican troops coming from the East. Bring the wagon, obviously. Once you have Tuscon, the California column will have an easier time making the trip since they won't have to fight when they get there. Mtd Volunteers can capture the city (unlike early cav) but you will not gain VPs from it unless you have regs there.

Stand Waite is running around, uncatchable in the north and in Illinois. I had to take an entire division I was going to use on the Mississippi to attack him.......

I am never sure whether to chase down marauders or just garrison the depots and ignore them. It sounds like you needed that division.

As a general (no pun intended) rule I am willing to take the NM hit a couple of times a game to get the best leaders in charge if I think it will make a difference. If you are less than 100, you will make it back soon enough anyway from the automatic NM correction. It is more expensive to do this for Armies than regular promotions, but may well be worth it if it leads to wins in the field.

Glad you are having fun, keep us posted!

[GraniteStater]

If I may make a suggestion, mostly from AACW experience, but at least three times now in CW2:

I'm still besieging New Orleans. Waiting, and waiting. I should've assaulted, Butler was never activated and now there is a big stack bearing down.

How to take New Orleans

This works against the AI. A human is not going to let NO sit unguarded. Athena never, in my experience, does enough here.

* First, I'm always puzzled about people decrying the Mighty Forts. Piffle, I say, piffle. I have never failed to sail past them and land. Occasionally, yes, I get shot up, but that doesn't stop the landing and with, what, 2000 Supply or more, a big city and harbor, your naval elements have a more than adequate rest stop after the shouting's over.

* For a very long time, I would wait for the Armored Frigate, Hartford, to deploy and go down with Farragut. Then I got smart, which has only been quite recently. I use Palmer (hmm..., there is a point to Farragut - maybe I'll start using him again, a Leader switch is not terribly time consuming) and the All-Sail fleet I almost always build around him. Why? Because the Sailers are faster. Maybe it's just a day or two, but those days might be the difference in getting there before Athena rails something in or builds and deploys unwanted hosts there. Also, I know I'm going to be there in no more than two Turns. Four TPs, maybe more.

* Your NOEF (New Orleans Expeditionary Force) should be (this is all my preferences, supposedly for reasons, but, then again, I'm an ornery cuss), ideally (I do go with the NOEF Lite sometimes, but this is what I really want):

> At least two Divs, but you really want at least three and four is much better, for reasons I shall come to in a bit. You want at least moderate to full Divs, the smallest at least 300 PWR. The total I seek is darn near 1000 PWR; I'll kick it off with 750; 600 is a bit too skimpy. You want to descend like an Assyrian in purple and gold (14,735 brownie points to those who catch the allusion without Google), you want to impress posteriors first and worry about nomenclature later.

> You want 12-lbers in those Divs, at a minimum; no foolin' around, no economy-size cannon. If I can, no 12-lbers, but 10-lb Parrots. Try to have three in each one, I like to have four.

> A 3* as NOEF overall Top Guy, at least one 2*, preferably two. Naturally, a 1* for each Div. Two batteries of 20-lb persuaders loose in the NOEF. At least two Wagons, three or four is better.

> To make this an Army? Yes, no, whatever gets you going - I've done it both ways. A slim edge to an Army, maybe more than slim - the 2*s, naturally, can form Corps, which are always to be desired. I've used Butler and Banks - room for improvement here, I'm sure.

* Sail these bad boys down there in two Turns with all your Buttons set. Evade Combat, G/G; you wanna land, not get into fishing disputes. Sail past those vaunted piles of brick at the mouth of the Mississip'. Take your lumps as they come - I have never, never lost a TP - ever.

* Land and attack on All Out Crazy. If you have Activation issues (a Landing forces R/R, AFAIK), break out a Div, maybe two, separtaely - someone's gonna be Active soon enough.

* Take the city, which I usually do very quickly.

* Split off about 500 Pwr and dash to Ft Pike and seize it in an R/R Crazy, if you can. Bring a Wagon and both 20-lb convincers. If not, siege. You have more than enough Supply to party 'til Mardi Gras in '65. Try to make it a short siege, if that's the deal, and use those Parrots!

* Park the naval elements in NO & recover.

Hey, guess what? If all went well, you have NO in considerable strength, Wagons to tote with you, good Arty and Ft Pike. Pike is important, not for Supply (you have oodles in NO), but so reinforcements can sail or steam in without getting the brasswork dinged.

Let those awesome piles of masonry at the mouth of the river gather moss and, we hope, starve. Now, it's up to you. I put a high priority on Baton Rouge. Do not let sneaky Rebs backdoor you from the swamps. 500 PWR in NO at almost all times.

Go from there. Who needs Grant on the upper river? NO and a push north is not very far from Vicksburg. If Johnny Reb is touchy about this, go for Mobile. Bring in More and make out like the Allies in Normandy.