New to the Confederates....

[ETF]

Is there a strategy link for the first time Southern player?

Thanks guys

[ETF]

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=6772

Ah this might help a little. Any other links guys?

[Longshanks]

Umm... strategy varies depending on AI or Human, new player or experienced player, and desire to try something new.

Here are some suggestions:
1. take care of War Supplies (WS) - this is foremost a game of logistics. You can build brigs and send them to the boxes, or spend money on Economics. Most folks think brigs work best early.
2. Will you respond or attack? If attacking, it's pretty much into Maryland and/or Pennsylvania - there's not enough in Missouri to make it worth your while - just St. Louis.
3. If responding, you'll be picking off weak stacks and using interior lines to suddenly concentrate, using your superior generals and National Morale to wreak havoc. It's a counterpunching technique.

The AI won't likely invade, but a good Union player will give you no peace on your coasts. You'll need to be prepared for this as soon as August 1861.

Kentucky - If you're Attacking, then consider invading it. It's fun, but there's no much of real value to take: Bowling Green, Louisville and Cincy if you really do well, but none of those will break Union morale. Otherwise, stay away.

That's the basics. Good luck!

[RebelYell]

Umm... strategy varies depending on AI or Human, new player or experienced player, and desire to try something new.

Here are some suggestions:
1. take care of War Supplies (WS) - this is foremost a game of logistics. You can build brigs and send them to the boxes, or spend money on Economics. Most folks think brigs work best early.
2. Will you respond or attack? If attacking, it's pretty much into Maryland and/or Pennsylvania - there's not enough in Missouri to make it worth your while - just St. Louis.
3. If responding, you'll be picking off weak stacks and using interior lines to suddenly concentrate, using your superior generals and National Morale to wreak havoc. It's a counterpunching technique.

The AI won't likely invade, but a good Union player will give you no peace on your coasts. You'll need to be prepared for this as soon as August 1861.

Kentucky - If you're Attacking, then consider invading it. It's fun, but there's no much of real value to take: Bowling Green, Louisville and Cincy if you really do well, but none of those will break Union morale. Otherwise, stay away.

That's the basics. Good luck!

+1

Also you cant fixate or get attached to any lines you "must" hold. You have to be fluid and be prepared for the worst in every front. This means having alternative communications, positions, supply sources etc.
CSA needs to utilise all factors as good as possible, you should always get the best possible ground, weather is also important factor.
You might have to change from passive to active, conventional to unconventional over night.
Something the CSA never did in real life mostly.

[GraniteStater]

Good advice above. Having played both Longshanks and P. Cleburne in PBEMs and currently playing some CSA games vs the AI, I would observe:

* Building a Fort in Paducah, KY will give a human US fits - I know, I was lackadaisical against PC and he built one there - it's a real dead ox in the doorjamb. Worth it to invade KY at this point to do so.

* The line Charlottesville - Culpeper - Fredericksburg can be an excellent defensive choice - the Rappahannock protects the eastern and northern crossings; MTSG gives mutual support (with Corps) among three or four Corps dug in there. Again, I've been on the pointy end of the stick here.

* South of Paducah, down to Memphis, the land is flat, but cut by rivers. Use them to set up defensive lines to slow down movements towards Memphis. 'Shanks was a master of this terrain.

Having played the CSA for a little bit now (still learning much), I would say that:

* Be prepared to spend a lot of your budget on unglamorous Replacements. A lot. Quite often, it's all you can do that Turn. They may be unglamorous, but it is better to use the South's Leader advantage to have fully fleshed formations under good Leaders than a whole buncha weaker units, some of which are led by 3-1-1s, conferring nothing, really. Use those Hills and Magruders and Andersons and Taylors to build strong Divs that you pack into strong Corps under good to excellent Corps commanders - then put them under Lee or Joe Johnston or PGT in an Army and watch the Yankee blood flow.

* I have gone against convential wisdom and Industrialized to a very, very modest extent in the early game - first with SC/LA, then with GA. Seems to help a little bit. It is true that Brigs are a good way to go, though. A few Turns back, I had some coin and built about six more Brigs; cha - ching!

[rattler01]

Cupeper is the key to Northern VA. If Union take it they can have a 1 zone front vs a 4 zone front. I was able to take it in a recent PBEM an placed 5 divisions there, forcing him to commit at least 7 or 8 to guard all three approaches while blocking movement from F-burg by gunboats. This allowed me to commit 3 divisions to a landing at Norfolk. Which forced him to garrison Petersburg and graysburg.

[Spharv2]

Didn't mention whether vs the AI or a Human, but based on your sig I'd guess the latter.

For grand strategy, I actually think exactly the opposite of Longshanks. Yeah, the big serious targets aren't out west, but when it comes down to force utilization, you get a LOT more bang for your buck with forces out west.

I usually turtle up in VA for the most part, unless I spot a significant weakness, then funnel a lot of power to the west. It's much easier to hold what you have in the East with a reduced force than it is in the west. A corps in VA might make a difference, a corps in MO or KY definitely will. In addition, it's much easier to reinforce VA quickly than it is the western areas. Once you start rolling up the Union's western flank, things will start to get a bit frantic. And if you can do enough raiding to keep the short rail routes between the east and west cut, the Union can be in big trouble.

For the rest, things are pretty spot on from my experience. WS is the big bottleneck, I prefer industrialization over brigs, but that's only because my brigs die early and often, YMMV.

One other thing, if you're playing a human, make sure you keep a couple of coastal defense forces available. They don't have to be huge, but something centrally placed in each area ready to respond to at least contain any Union landings. Even if you don't toss them back onto their boats, just keep them locked in place so they can't cause any mischief.

[RebelYell]

Cupeper is the key to Northern VA. If Union take it they can have a 1 zone front vs a 4 zone front. I was able to take it in a recent PBEM an placed 5 divisions there, forcing him to commit at least 7 or 8 to guard all three approaches while blocking movement from F-burg by gunboats. This allowed me to commit 3 divisions to a landing at Norfolk. Which forced him to garrison Petersburg and graysburg.

Excatly, i was cursing when i lost Culpepper, i knew it would make me thin and not mobile, i hate that.
Even considered leaving Ritchmond and i should have looking back, New Orleans is much stronger in the present game.

[colonel hurst]

I wouldn't agree with the letting Missouri go as the CSA. You may not be able to take St. Louis, but you must hold Springfield. Keeping Springfield gives you a base to threaten Lexington, Jefferson City, and Rolla.

I completely agree with the idea of building a fort at Paducah however. Adding a coastal gun or even a Columbiad will make it painful for the USA to send ships by. If you can afford it, place a division in Paducah and you should be able to hold it for quite a while.

I also agree with Spharv's plan of building a mobile coastal defense division. I actually build two, one for defending Mobile/New Orleans and one to defend Charleston/Savannah.

Yes, war supplies are a problem at the beginning of the war for the CSA but won't be by mid-'62 if you get 10 or 12 brigs out in the blockade box.

I will sometimes lightly industrialize Tennessee to keep building supplies near the front, and only industrialize Virginia if I am worried about my forces getting cut off.

[rattler01]

Excatly, i was cursing when i lost Culpepper, i knew it would make me thin and not mobile, i hate that.
Even considered leaving Ritchmond and i should have looking back, New Orleans is much stronger in the present game.

Tell me about it, I think you have a large brigade in every city/fort in LA along with several Ironclads.

[Franciscus]

A few tidbits about playing as CSA (vs AI, I am a solo player):

- regarding AI: even in normal difficulty, if you give her FOW bonus (I usually set it the middle choice) and give her "more time", she can give a good challenge, specially in the Virginian theatre and specially if you do not exploit her weaknesses. In my last campaign, in 1861 we fought two "Manassas", and she could even manage to besiege Richmond . In 1862, she apparently has a tendency to go for the Shenandohah (not completely unhistorically, but a bit blindly).
The problems AI have are an initial (as USA) lack of good commanders, suboptimal force organization (although this has improved a lot in latest patches), lack of adequate support forces and a tendency to allow herself to be easily cut out of supplies. But IMHO the main AI shortcomings are: naval invasions - although she tries, a couple of times (again in my last campaign she invaded Pensacola region with a couple of divisions, that gave me some troubles), lack of efective harbour and box blockading, and usually a passive stance in Kentucky and in the west (some unsuported raids, and almost nothing more). More frustrating is that coming 1863, she seems unable to know what to do with Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, etc. . Nevertheless, one of the best AI's that I know.

- Some advices on how I play as CSA vs AI: Build your Virginian forces around Beauregard, and create Corps (and then divisions) as soon as you can, using whatever 2-star generals you have. Later you can switch to your powerhorses, Lee as commander, Longstreet, Jackson, APHill, or Ewell, Kirby, even Magruder, as Corps commanders (I usually create 3 corps under Lee). Keep a small reserve army under Beuregard. Fight "defensively" initially. Let the AI attack your forces in good positions, and watch them bleed while your Ewells and Hills get promoted. Then in 1862/1863, attack, like in history. But to increase your pleasure, I advise you to not go straight to Washington .
Send Joe Johnston to Nashville and Albert Johnston to the west (or vice-versa). Create an army in Nashville and slowly build there your forces. Use Polk to invade (or defend) Kentucky and make him a Corps commander. Then create a couple more Corps and conquer Kentucky in 1862/63. Consolidate, and then who knows, Cincinatti, Indianapolis...
In the west you do not really need an army; 2 or 3 small-division side forces (I go for flavour and use Price, Mccouluch and VanDorn :neener are usually enough to get to St Louis in 1862. Whatchout for the harsh terrain and weather in Missouri, though.
In Texas poor Sibley manages by 1862 to conquer the southwest region, but with some difficulty. And let the Indians have fun .
Everywhere, use militia to garrison some key points (ex, Nashville after you take your army to Kentucky, Richmond, Petersburg), they are unfortunately more than enough usually for thwarting the feeble AI tries to get at them. Have one or two cavalry forces (or divisions) in the main theaters, led by your magnificent cav leaders (Stuart, Forrest, later Morgan, etc.), to scout and to chase the odd AI raid. Keep your mobile forces well supplied (wagons) and do not move them in harsh weather if you can avoid it (keep them in regions with good size structures, to protect them in he winter)
- In the sea, the AI does not play very well, I am afraid. I rarely build more than a couple more brigs besides the ones that show up by event, and they are more than enough to keep the blockade at 30%. Regarding rivers, sometimes the AI sails the Potomac and we get good ironclad/frigate battles, lots of fun. But unfortunately, elsewhere, you can pretty much ignore river-warfare, the AI simply does not use it in other theaters.
- Finally, industrialize, but lightly. I usually rotate one or two factories on a couple of different states each turn, since the beginning. With this and the blockade runners, by 1862 I am rarely in lack of WSU or money. What I lack sometimes are recruits. I also tend to invest in rails and ship transport (specially rail), to keep supplies flowing adequately

Last advice:

Have fun !

[Stauffenberg]

For grand strategy, I actually think exactly the opposite of Longshanks. Yeah, the big serious targets aren't out west, but when it comes down to force utilization, you get a LOT more bang for your buck with forces out west.

I usually turtle up in VA for the most part, unless I spot a significant weakness, then funnel a lot of power to the west.

One other thing, if you're playing a human, make sure you keep a couple of coastal defense forces available. They don't have to be huge, but something centrally placed in each area ready to respond to at least contain any Union landings. Even if you don't toss them back onto their boats, just keep them locked in place so they can't cause any mischief.

I agree with all that and I've elsewhere started to lay out a "Mississippi First" strategy for the CSA--although its a misnomer really, as Virginia remains a "first"; however, a concerted effort is made to have the CSA stronger out West than was historically the case, emphasizing the construction of a strong riverine fleet led by a Buchanan or Semmes. I’m copying some of my notes for that here.

The new 1.16 rc10.a has rolled back additional ironclad construction (for both sides) until March '62, but the Mississippi fleet can be steadily increased at that point. Something has to give in the West obviously, and I've come to see that a strong Miss. River line can be maintained while giving up substantial ground on the far right flank. The idea here is to advance into Kentucky to Bowling Green if possible, feinting a forward defence there, when in fact the plan is to conduct a fighting withdrawal across the Cumberland R., burning the depot in Nashville and tearing up all the tracks down into southern Tenn. into the rough terrain around Pulaski.

The key to this lies in denying the union the Tennessee R. for as long as possible and one idea I am playing out is the early construction of a separate Fort Henry adjacent to Donelson already on the map. Put another fort in Columbus over on the Miss. R. when you advance into Kentucky, and you have two adjacent forts effectively blocking the land bridge of the Jackson Purchase, as well as both river systems heading south. Your main western strike army can maneuver behind this line, and a separate defensive army can be established in S. TN in the Pulsaki area with its main base in Chattanooga. Joseph Johnston and Beauregard are ideal for these, especially if you have a corps under Jackson as part of the former.

In other words, the US can clear the Cumberland R. and capture hard-to-defend Nashville fairly early on, but must be presented with a much harder task on the Tennessee R. in conjunction with a very strong forward line on the Miss. R. itself. Grant was handed a riverine expressway into the south when Donelson fell. Blocking this development early on with a second Fort Henry, it will also become a key feature in maintaining an advanced Mississippi defence line in Columbus, possibly even Paducah, back down through Island 10 and Memphis. The thing to understand is that all of those excellent defensive positions, backed up by a strong riverine fleet under Buchanan, will be for nought if the US blows through your far right flank down the Tennessee, sweeping over to Memphis through Corinth MS. Historically, it was precisely this development that caused A.S. Johnston to come to the (correct) conclusion that an all-out counterstroke at Shiloh/Pittsburgh landing was the best hope to lance this for the South. Denied the river the union will find it very tough slogging indeed on that front as it features rough terrain, river lines and forests in abundance.

Finally, the CSA player should economize on fort construction using 6 lber artillery, and create supply depots on rivers using much less costly 4-element steamship transports. Adding columbiads and coastal artillery in particular, will make these forts formidable.