I've been playing AACW for a few weeks now. On my current campaign I'm using normal AI aggression, and I've given the AI a Fog of War advantage. To make things interesting, I'm playing with the following stipulations:
1) No divisons larger than 7000 men. No corps larger than 24000 men.
In previous games, I've always created two armies, then created Corps of 35K strength and sent them off in random directions to fight. In those games, the army commander never budged an inch from where I created it. I imposed this rule to force myself to create historically realistic corps structures, and keep army commands stacked with subordinate corps for combat purposes.
2) Slight general randomization.
From experience in the game, this doesn't change things radically. The good generals tend to stay good, and the bad generals tend to stay bad. It also randomizes the seniority ratings for generals when they appear. So some generals show up automatically to be promoted. This introduces a more random aspect to which commanders rise out of the herd to corps command.
3) No conscription until absolutely necessary.
4) Keep one army corps near D.C. at all times.
This was a rubbing point for Lincoln during the war, so I decided to hamstring myself by leaving a large command in Alexandria. (It turned out to be one of the smartest things I wound up doing).
In my most recent campaign, I'm seeing things I've never seen before.
EASTERN THEATER 1861
I was able to mobilize my army and capture Manassas early on. The AI captured Harper's Ferry. I sent reinforcements to capture it, but the turn they arrived a LARGE Reb command showed up and held the town. So I contented myself with holding my ground and recruiting a new army. McClellan came east to create the 2 Corps army with McDowell and Keyes (who showed up with better than average stats and was promotable).
WESTERN THEATER 1861
The Rebs invaded Kentucky, which gave me the excuse I needed to send troops in. I concentrated most of my troops at Louisville, then send one division to Lexington to capture it, and a division to Bowling Greene to make sure it didn't fall to the Rebs. However, Lew Wallace never activated and I couldn't capture Lexington. So I left him in place to keep the city bottled up. Later in the year, US Grant showed up. I immediately sent him to Louisville, created a division under his command, and pushed him to Lexington to assault and capture the city. His success was enough to promote him to 3* status. For reasons I will explain below, I decided to send him East, to assume command in Virginia. I won't say it was a bad decision, but it was definitely a choice I questioned later.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI THEATER 1861
In the Western US, I focused on recruiting militia units to garrision the strategic cities, and cavalry units to chase down the eventual radiers, partisans, and indians that crop up. A random event awarded me control of Dallas, TX. The St. Louis Massacre gave me Nathaniel Lyon.
My usual goals for Missouri are to capture Rolla and Jefferson City, then fight for Springfield before winter comes. If Lyon appears in the game, he is a great general to this end. And his high seniority makes it very easy to promote him to 2* and even 3* status. My intention was to get him promoted and take Springfield in the process, then pack him east to take a higher command, depending on where he would be most useful. In 1862 I would use another general to march south into Arkansas. It was a good plan on paper...
What happened is that I withdrew my cavalry unit from Ft. Gibson, IT. Until I can get a stronger force there, it isn't practical to leave them in place. I gave them orders to march to Springfield, MO. My intention was to get an idea of what kind of troops the Confederates would have in place when Lyon arrived there. But instead of fighting for Springfield, the Rebs didn't contest the city. There was a small fight with a militia unit, but it wasn't a commendable victory. With winter close at hand, I sent Lyon further south to Fayetteville, AR. There were signs of a Rebel force there, and I was spoiling for a fight. But again they put up only a minor fight, and didn't contest the city.
So at the end of 1861, one of the better commanders that I was counting on getting into higher command was stuck in NW Arkansas.
No picture or maps to offer in this AAR. I apoligize for that. I've already played through the end of 1862, and it only dawned on me to share my experiences afterwards.
My plans for 1862 were very straight forward.
1) In the East, I wanted to dislodge the Rebs from Harper's Ferry and Winchester, then drive South towards Richmond. With Grant at the head of the army, I had high expectations for accomplishing this. I also planned to start nibbling at the South with small amphibious operations, starting in Florida.
2) In the West, I intended to secure Kentucky, then capture the forts at Island #10, Henry and Dondelson. My ultimate goals were to take Memphis and Nashville.
3) In the Trans-Mississippi area, I had garrisoned all cities in Missiouri and parts of Iowa. When the raiders showed up, I believed I would be ready. Meanwhile, Lyon would push south to Ft. Smith and Little Rock, AR.
Some of these plans went out the window, almost right from the start. But read on to get the details:
EASTERN THEATER 1862
Grant's arrival in the East made the AotP a much better force by miles. His abilites as an army commander turned mediocre commanders like Heintzelman and McDowell into generals who could actually fight. I left McDowell with his corps in Alexandria, to meet the requirement of protecting the captial. Grant's command and three other corps, commanded by Keyes, Heintzelman, and Mansfield, marched towards Winchester with a combined strength of 80000 men. I continued to use Manassas as a collecting point for new divisions and corps. My intention was to capture the city behind the Reb force at Harper's Ferry, and induce them to fight towards me.
Instead of going according to plan, the Rebs shifted their forces to Winchester almost immediately and over the course of the year I fought a series of battles to break their hold on the Shedendoah valley. Casualities weren't very great (roughly 3K per fight), but I was surprised at how much they contested my advance! Worse still, few of my generals were getting any real commendations for the battles.
Then in June 1862, Beauregard popped up outside of Alexandria with at least one Reb corps in tow and immediately attacked McDowell's corps. But McDowell, bolstered by Grant's commander abilities, turned into the "Rock of Alexandria." He fought off three successive attacks--two by Beauregard, and one by Braxton Bragg who appeared to have snuck up the west bank of the Potomac River from Fredricksburg. In the three fights, McDowell inflicted over 20000 casualities to a loss of 4000 of his own. But the Reb move had the desired effect. A newly formed Corps under Franklin was to be rushed from Manassas to reinforce McDowell. And Grant's army was to be moved back to Manassas to protect that town as the army's forward base of operations.
But suddenly Longstreet's corps popped up and attacked Franklin at Manassas that very turn! I believe he moved up from Charlottesville, VA. Grant's army wasn't able to march to the guns, so Franklin fought a bloody defensive battle to hold the town.
All of these offensive moves by the AI had surprised me. I know I bled some of their commands white, but my mobile corps had done a lot of marching and no fighting. When it was clear that the D.C. was safe, resolved to rest my corps in place. In early September, I sent four corps on a flanking train ride north to Harper's Ferry. But this time the Confederates evacuated in the face such large odds. Huger put up a fight in Winchester, but his command was virtually wiped out. So at the end of the year, I had finally cleared the Valley of Rebels. But their spoiling attacks towards D.C. had totally disrupted my planned march towards Richmond.
Early in 1862, I sent two divisions totalling ~14000 men south with Farragut's naval squadron. They occupied Tampa, FL, then spent several weeks rebuilding cohesion to capture and occupy Ft. DeSoto. A force of Delaware milita soon followed to garrison the town, and the small force moved north to capture Jacksonville, FL. The AI had sent a division under McLaws to blunt their advance, and several intense battles were fought along the railroad line running into Jacksonville. Concerned about their strength, they withdrew back to the protective safety of the coast. In August, they marched back North along the train tracks. Instead of finding McLaws again, the town was lightly defended and was captured after a frontal assault.
1) In the East, I wanted to dislodge the Rebs from Harper's Ferry and Winchester, then drive South towards Richmond. With Grant at the head of the army, I had high expectations for accomplishing this. I also planned to start nibbling at the South with small amphibious operations, starting in Florida.
2) In the West, I intended to secure Kentucky, then capture the forts at Island #10, Henry and Dondelson. My ultimate goals were to take Memphis and Nashville.
3) In the Trans-Mississippi area, I had garrisoned all cities in Missiouri and parts of Iowa. When the raiders showed up, I believed I would be ready. Meanwhile, Lyon would push south to Ft. Smith and Little Rock, AR.
Some of these plans went out the window, almost right from the start. But read on to get the details:
EASTERN THEATER 1862
Grant's arrival in the East made the AotP a much better force by miles. His abilites as an army commander turned mediocre commanders like Heintzelman and McDowell into generals who could actually fight. I left McDowell with his corps in Alexandria, to meet the requirement of protecting the captial. Grant's command and three other corps, commanded by Keyes, Heintzelman, and Mansfield, marched towards Winchester with a combined strength of 80000 men. I continued to use Manassas as a collecting point for new divisions and corps. My intention was to capture the city behind the Reb force at Harper's Ferry, and induce them to fight towards me.
Instead of going according to plan, the Rebs shifted their forces to Winchester almost immediately and over the course of the year I fought a series of battles to break their hold on the Shedendoah valley. Casualities weren't very great (roughly 3K per fight), but I was surprised at how much they contested my advance! Worse still, few of my generals were getting any real commendations for the battles.
Then in June 1862, Beauregard popped up outside of Alexandria with at least one Reb corps in tow and immediately attacked McDowell's corps. But McDowell, bolstered by Grant's commander abilities, turned into the "Rock of Alexandria." He fought off three successive attacks--two by Beauregard, and one by Braxton Bragg who appeared to have snuck up the west bank of the Potomac River from Fredricksburg. In the three fights, McDowell inflicted over 20000 casualities to a loss of 4000 of his own. But the Reb move had the desired effect. A newly formed Corps under Franklin was to be rushed from Manassas to reinforce McDowell. And Grant's army was to be moved back to Manassas to protect that town as the army's forward base of operations.
But suddenly Longstreet's corps popped up and attacked Franklin at Manassas that very turn! I believe he moved up from Charlottesville, VA. Grant's army wasn't able to march to the guns, so Franklin fought a bloody defensive battle to hold the town.
All of these offensive moves by the AI had surprised me. I know I bled some of their commands white, but my mobile corps had done a lot of marching and no fighting. When it was clear that the D.C. was safe, resolved to rest my corps in place. In early September, I sent four corps on a flanking train ride north to Harper's Ferry. But this time the Confederates evacuated in the face such large odds. Huger put up a fight in Winchester, but his command was virtually wiped out. So at the end of the year, I had finally cleared the Valley of Rebels. But their spoiling attacks towards D.C. had totally disrupted my planned march towards Richmond.
Early in 1862, I sent two divisions totalling ~14000 men south with Farragut's naval squadron. They occupied Tampa, FL, then spent several weeks rebuilding cohesion to capture and occupy Ft. DeSoto. A force of Delaware milita soon followed to garrison the town, and the small force moved north to capture Jacksonville, FL. The AI had sent a division under McLaws to blunt their advance, and several intense battles were fought along the railroad line running into Jacksonville. Concerned about their strength, they withdrew back to the protective safety of the coast. In August, they marched back North along the train tracks. Instead of finding McLaws again, the town was lightly defended and was captured after a frontal assault.
WESTERN THEATER 1862
Don Buell formed the Army of the Tennessee in Louisville. Corps formed under "Bull" Sumner, "Pap" Thomas and A.J. Smith (a random promotion to 2* status). Collectively they marched South towards Bowling Greene, repairing the railroad as they went. In early 1862, Reb cavalry rode cross height of the state, tearing up tracks as they went. A.S. Johnson's command was in Clarksville, TN, just upriver from Fts. Henry and Donaldson. using the combined corps movement command, Buell barely inched south each turn.
After reaching Bowling Greene in April, Buell sent A.J. Smith south to the Tennesse River. Sumner and Thomas would advance towards Clarksdale to test the strength of the Reb army there. If things went well, they would press on and capture the forts guarding the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Another corps was forming under Crittenden at Louisville, and would be brought forward as an emergency reserve. Farther west, John Pope formed a two division command to capture the fort at Island #10. Although his ratings were low (2-2-2), I hoped he could activate and reduce the fort by summer.
A.J. Smith's corps pushed onto Nashville, in the face of no strong opposition. Likewise, Sumner and Thomas faced no heavy fighting as they entered Tennessee. After laying seige for a few turns, Smith assaulted and captured Nashville. The *very* same turn however, AS Johnson's command crossed the Ohio river and went into Illinois.
This was very, very bad timing. At best, I had a few militia and cavalry units in the area to fight off small scale raids. But this was an entire corps romping near Cairo, IL. And this was happening at roughly the same time that the Confederates were knocking on the front door of D.C. in the East. Even though I had been gradually increasing my transport infrastructure, this move caught me with my pants down. I sent Crittenden's command to garrison Nashville, and rushed Smith's corps north by rail to IL. But it would take more than a turn to get there. I also ordered Sumner's corps to move North to pitch in from the rear.
Instead of attacking a strategic city, Johnson and Forrest (did I mention Forrest was a corps commander already? :grr
cut west across Little Egypt, towards the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Even though I positioned gunboats to block progress across the river, they still managed to cross over and immediately attacked my garrison near New Madrid. Eventually Sumner's corps caught up in the Missouri bootheel and fought two large battles that he lost. Smith's command took longer to catch up, but eventually the combined weight of both corps forced Forrest to move away from the Ohio-Mississippi River junction.
Having averted that crisis, I sent Thomas and McPherson's corps (previously commanded by Crittenden) to capture Fts. Henry/Donaldson in autumn 1862. Then they turned SW and took Humboldt, TN, in preparation for an attack on Corinth and Memphis. But as in the case of the Eastern theater, I was off my time table for operations in the West. Memphis would have to wait until 1863.
General Pope's attack on Island #10 was a disaster. I've read other posts which suggest that trying to march to that fort takes ages because of the terrain. It took him over a month to get into position. By that time his divisions had virtually no cohesion. When they finally were ready to attack, Pope wouldn't activate. Then he ran out of supplies and with Forrest running around, I tried to move him back to Colmbus, KY to resupply. But by the time he got there his command had disintigrated. I fully plan to leave him awaiting orders for the rest of the war.
Don Buell formed the Army of the Tennessee in Louisville. Corps formed under "Bull" Sumner, "Pap" Thomas and A.J. Smith (a random promotion to 2* status). Collectively they marched South towards Bowling Greene, repairing the railroad as they went. In early 1862, Reb cavalry rode cross height of the state, tearing up tracks as they went. A.S. Johnson's command was in Clarksville, TN, just upriver from Fts. Henry and Donaldson. using the combined corps movement command, Buell barely inched south each turn.
After reaching Bowling Greene in April, Buell sent A.J. Smith south to the Tennesse River. Sumner and Thomas would advance towards Clarksdale to test the strength of the Reb army there. If things went well, they would press on and capture the forts guarding the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Another corps was forming under Crittenden at Louisville, and would be brought forward as an emergency reserve. Farther west, John Pope formed a two division command to capture the fort at Island #10. Although his ratings were low (2-2-2), I hoped he could activate and reduce the fort by summer.
A.J. Smith's corps pushed onto Nashville, in the face of no strong opposition. Likewise, Sumner and Thomas faced no heavy fighting as they entered Tennessee. After laying seige for a few turns, Smith assaulted and captured Nashville. The *very* same turn however, AS Johnson's command crossed the Ohio river and went into Illinois.
This was very, very bad timing. At best, I had a few militia and cavalry units in the area to fight off small scale raids. But this was an entire corps romping near Cairo, IL. And this was happening at roughly the same time that the Confederates were knocking on the front door of D.C. in the East. Even though I had been gradually increasing my transport infrastructure, this move caught me with my pants down. I sent Crittenden's command to garrison Nashville, and rushed Smith's corps north by rail to IL. But it would take more than a turn to get there. I also ordered Sumner's corps to move North to pitch in from the rear.
Instead of attacking a strategic city, Johnson and Forrest (did I mention Forrest was a corps commander already? :grr
cut west across Little Egypt, towards the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Even though I positioned gunboats to block progress across the river, they still managed to cross over and immediately attacked my garrison near New Madrid. Eventually Sumner's corps caught up in the Missouri bootheel and fought two large battles that he lost. Smith's command took longer to catch up, but eventually the combined weight of both corps forced Forrest to move away from the Ohio-Mississippi River junction.
Having averted that crisis, I sent Thomas and McPherson's corps (previously commanded by Crittenden) to capture Fts. Henry/Donaldson in autumn 1862. Then they turned SW and took Humboldt, TN, in preparation for an attack on Corinth and Memphis. But as in the case of the Eastern theater, I was off my time table for operations in the West. Memphis would have to wait until 1863.
General Pope's attack on Island #10 was a disaster. I've read other posts which suggest that trying to march to that fort takes ages because of the terrain. It took him over a month to get into position. By that time his divisions had virtually no cohesion. When they finally were ready to attack, Pope wouldn't activate. Then he ran out of supplies and with Forrest running around, I tried to move him back to Colmbus, KY to resupply. But by the time he got there his command had disintigrated. I fully plan to leave him awaiting orders for the rest of the war.
beefcake wrote:WESTERN THEATER 1862
Don Buell formed the Army of the Tennessee in Louisville. Corps formed under "Bull" Sumner, "Pap" Thomas and A.J. Smith (a random promotion to 2* status). Collectively they marched South towards Bowling Greene, repairing the railroad as they went. In early 1862, Reb cavalry rode cross height of the state, tearing up tracks as they went. A.S. Johnson's command was in Clarksville, TN, just upriver from Fts. Henry and Donaldson. using the combined corps movement command, Buell barely inched south each turn.
After reaching Bowling Greene in April, Buell sent A.J. Smith south to the Tennesse River. Sumner and Thomas would advance towards Clarksdale to test the strength of the Reb army there. If things went well, they would press on and capture the forts guarding the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Another corps was forming under Crittenden at Louisville, and would be brought forward as an emergency reserve. Farther west, John Pope formed a two division command to capture the fort at Island #10. Although his ratings were low (2-2-2), I hoped he could activate and reduce the fort by summer.
A.J. Smith's corps pushed onto Nashville, in the face of no strong opposition. Likewise, Sumner and Thomas faced no heavy fighting as they entered Tennessee. After laying seige for a few turns, Smith assaulted and captured Nashville. The *very* same turn however, AS Johnson's command crossed the Ohio river and went into Illinois.
This was very, very bad timing. At best, I had a few militia and cavalry units in the area to fight off small scale raids. But this was an entire corps romping near Cairo, IL. And this was happening at roughly the same time that the Confederates were knocking on the front door of D.C. in the East. Even though I had been gradually increasing my transport infrastructure, this move caught me with my pants down. I sent Crittenden's command to garrison Nashville, and rushed Smith's corps north by rail to IL. But it would take more than a turn to get there. I also ordered Sumner's corps to move North to pitch in from the rear.
Instead of attacking a strategic city, Johnson and Forrest (did I mention Forrest was a corps commander already? :grr
Having averted that crisis, I sent Thomas and McPherson's corps (previously commanded by Crittenden) to capture Fts. Henry/Donaldson in autumn 1862. Then they turned SW and took Humboldt, TN, in preparation for an attack on Corinth and Memphis. But as in the case of the Eastern theater, I was off my time table for operations in the West. Memphis would have to wait until 1863.
General Pope's attack on Island #10 was a disaster. I've read other posts which suggest that trying to march to that fort takes ages because of the terrain. It took him over a month to get into position. By that time his divisions had virtually no cohesion. When they finally were ready to attack, Pope wouldn't activate. Then he ran out of supplies and with Forrest running around, I tried to move him back to Colmbus, KY to resupply. But by the time he got there his command had disintigrated. I fully plan to leave him awaiting orders for the rest of the war.
A better solution for Island No 10 is to move your corps onto transports (5 days) and then on the next turn offload them onto Island No 10 (5 days). Marching through the swamps is a killer.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'Nous voilà, Lafayette'
Colonel C.E. Stanton, aide to A.E.F. commander John 'Black Jack' Pershing, upon the landing of the first US troops in France 1917
'Nous voilà, Lafayette'
Colonel C.E. Stanton, aide to A.E.F. commander John 'Black Jack' Pershing, upon the landing of the first US troops in France 1917
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI THEATER 1862
As I mentioned earlier, general Lyon was sitting in NW Arkansas. Impatient for the spring thaw and hungry for glory, he marched his divison south towards Fort Smith. Despite the mountains, mud and supply exhaustion, he pushed his troops through and captured the city without a fight.
The spring thaw brought signs of life from the Confederates. Stand Watie's command charged up out of the territory and started rampaging across the countryside. Although I had safely garrisoned all the towns, they focused on capturing the harbor sites along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The cavalry forces I had recruited all through winter were in position, and they relentlessly chased him away. General Lyon waited until he had enough supplies, then his command floated downstream to capture Little Rock.
Right about the time I was scrambling to react to the fighting in the East and West theaters, the Confederates captured Tuscon and used it as a spring board to send raiders far North. Raiders were romping across Missouri all the way into Illinois. A confederate force attacked and recaptured Fort Smith, forcing General Lyon to race back to capture the town again. A large group of raiders threatened Lawrence, KS. To respond, I created a divison around Samuel Curtis, and sent it west into Kansas. But by the time Curtis got there, the raiders had already moved on. Soon the map was covered in a spider-web of cavalry tracks as I tried to shuffle forces to meet all the threats. Late in the year a group of raiders appeared as far north as Milwaukee (by way of Ft. Laramie). By happy coincidence, I just received a group of cavalry forces there, so the threat was beaten back quickly.
After recapturing Fort Smith, Lyon moved to Little Rock again. He still hadn't fought any decisive battles; the Rebs were content to get out of his way, then retake positions after he was gone. I decided to make use of my control of Dallas by sending Curtis to capture Tuscon, then establish a base of operations in North Texas. Curtis' ratings were very good (4-3-3), so I hoped he would show some promise as a fighter and get promoted.
But nothing went according to plan. Earl VanDorn had occupied Tuscon with two divisions, and Curtis got a beatdown for his troubles. He retreated to Texas and licked his wounds. Lyon tried to advance on Madison, AR and lost almost 50% of his troop strength in a lopsided battle. The biggest surprise was that Wharton's divsion came out of practically nowhere to capture Springfiled, MO under my nose. I didn't have any troops in position to react to this move, so I had to form an impromptu division under Ord to try and dislodge them. Ord wasn't my 1st choice for the assignment (2-2-1), but he was the only general nearby who wasn't already trying to put out a fire.
Year's end
This was by far the most exciting year I've played in AACW so far. In the East there was little gain. In the West, I accomplished some of my stated goals, although Island #10 is still in Rebel hands. In the Trans-Mississippi area, my control of the region is in serious question. Ord is still sitting outside of Springfield and the winter freeze is coming. Lyon is trying to reform his command in Little Rock, and Curtis isn't strong enough to challenge Rebel control of Tuscon. I was reduced to swearing and pounding my fist during the summer months as the Confederates disrupted almost all of my intended goals.
Worst of all, many of the generals I need to get into senior leadership are still languishing in divisional commands. I don't have anybody suitable to take command of a 2nd army in the Western theater. Not getting either Curtis or Lyon to 2* or 3* status was especially frustrating. And I fear I'm going to have to commit at least another 20000 men to Missouri before I can neutralize the Reb theat in Arizona.
I haven't ironed out all my objectives for 1863 yet. Richmond is still the goal in the East. Memphis and Chattanooga in the west, but Island #10 needs to be eliminated 1st. Maybe a small miracle in the Trans-Miss department. Depending on my schedule, I'll update what happens and maybe post some screenshots if I remember to take them.
Something I've also noticed from playing--the game has elements of Chaos Theory. In previous sessions, I've never had trouble getting Lyon promoted quickly. But in this game, it's 1863 and he's really struggling to be recognized for his efforts. I honestly believe it is because I took Springfield with the cavalry regiment in 1861. So Lyon didn't get to fight any decisive battles early on, so he didn't get promoted. That in turn has hamstrung my plans for the Western Theater, since I had planned on bringing him east to eventually take command of an army.
As I mentioned earlier, general Lyon was sitting in NW Arkansas. Impatient for the spring thaw and hungry for glory, he marched his divison south towards Fort Smith. Despite the mountains, mud and supply exhaustion, he pushed his troops through and captured the city without a fight.
The spring thaw brought signs of life from the Confederates. Stand Watie's command charged up out of the territory and started rampaging across the countryside. Although I had safely garrisoned all the towns, they focused on capturing the harbor sites along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The cavalry forces I had recruited all through winter were in position, and they relentlessly chased him away. General Lyon waited until he had enough supplies, then his command floated downstream to capture Little Rock.
Right about the time I was scrambling to react to the fighting in the East and West theaters, the Confederates captured Tuscon and used it as a spring board to send raiders far North. Raiders were romping across Missouri all the way into Illinois. A confederate force attacked and recaptured Fort Smith, forcing General Lyon to race back to capture the town again. A large group of raiders threatened Lawrence, KS. To respond, I created a divison around Samuel Curtis, and sent it west into Kansas. But by the time Curtis got there, the raiders had already moved on. Soon the map was covered in a spider-web of cavalry tracks as I tried to shuffle forces to meet all the threats. Late in the year a group of raiders appeared as far north as Milwaukee (by way of Ft. Laramie). By happy coincidence, I just received a group of cavalry forces there, so the threat was beaten back quickly.
After recapturing Fort Smith, Lyon moved to Little Rock again. He still hadn't fought any decisive battles; the Rebs were content to get out of his way, then retake positions after he was gone. I decided to make use of my control of Dallas by sending Curtis to capture Tuscon, then establish a base of operations in North Texas. Curtis' ratings were very good (4-3-3), so I hoped he would show some promise as a fighter and get promoted.
But nothing went according to plan. Earl VanDorn had occupied Tuscon with two divisions, and Curtis got a beatdown for his troubles. He retreated to Texas and licked his wounds. Lyon tried to advance on Madison, AR and lost almost 50% of his troop strength in a lopsided battle. The biggest surprise was that Wharton's divsion came out of practically nowhere to capture Springfiled, MO under my nose. I didn't have any troops in position to react to this move, so I had to form an impromptu division under Ord to try and dislodge them. Ord wasn't my 1st choice for the assignment (2-2-1), but he was the only general nearby who wasn't already trying to put out a fire.
Year's end
This was by far the most exciting year I've played in AACW so far. In the East there was little gain. In the West, I accomplished some of my stated goals, although Island #10 is still in Rebel hands. In the Trans-Mississippi area, my control of the region is in serious question. Ord is still sitting outside of Springfield and the winter freeze is coming. Lyon is trying to reform his command in Little Rock, and Curtis isn't strong enough to challenge Rebel control of Tuscon. I was reduced to swearing and pounding my fist during the summer months as the Confederates disrupted almost all of my intended goals.
Worst of all, many of the generals I need to get into senior leadership are still languishing in divisional commands. I don't have anybody suitable to take command of a 2nd army in the Western theater. Not getting either Curtis or Lyon to 2* or 3* status was especially frustrating. And I fear I'm going to have to commit at least another 20000 men to Missouri before I can neutralize the Reb theat in Arizona.
I haven't ironed out all my objectives for 1863 yet. Richmond is still the goal in the East. Memphis and Chattanooga in the west, but Island #10 needs to be eliminated 1st. Maybe a small miracle in the Trans-Miss department. Depending on my schedule, I'll update what happens and maybe post some screenshots if I remember to take them.
Something I've also noticed from playing--the game has elements of Chaos Theory. In previous sessions, I've never had trouble getting Lyon promoted quickly. But in this game, it's 1863 and he's really struggling to be recognized for his efforts. I honestly believe it is because I took Springfield with the cavalry regiment in 1861. So Lyon didn't get to fight any decisive battles early on, so he didn't get promoted. That in turn has hamstrung my plans for the Western Theater, since I had planned on bringing him east to eventually take command of an army.
Thank you for the suggestion!1863 and 1864 proved to be anti-climatic for me. By comparison to 1862, I finally got a handle on all theaters of the war.
In the East, Grant manouvered the AoNV west to Lynchburg, opening the road to Richmond. The capture of the capitol forced the Rebs to relocate it to New Orleans. By mid-1864, All of Virginia was in Union hands. Union cavalry divisions were moving south through North Carolina, holding cities until the garrison troops could catch up with them, then pushing farther South. Meade reached 3* status, and the AotP was split into half. Meade's army followed the Reb Army West into Tennessee, while Grant's command marched South towards South Carolina.
My Florida expedition didn't accomplish much during 1863 and 1864. A Rebel force threatened to reoccupy St. Augustine, so I kept both of my divisions in Jacksonville to react to possible moves. In 1864, the Rebs vacated Ft. Marion and abandoned the region. It was nice to see that the AI was trying to react to more serious threats, instead of just defending in place until I got around to attacking them. So my troops got active again, getting as far north as Brunswick, GA, and as far west as Tallahassee, FL.
In the West, the Union armies captured Island #10, then moved south to Memphis and Corinth. Chattnooga fell with very little opposition. Generals McPherson and Thomas both reached 3* status. Even though there was a shortage of quality 2* corps commanders, I created undersized armies for both generals and sent them South along the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, then towards New Orleans. Rosecrans took his independent command south along the railroad to lay siege to Mobile. Buell's army held Chattanooga, then sent corps through the mountains to Atlanta. That city fell after a month's siege. In 1864, McPherson and Thomas captured New Orleans. I expected the game to end right there, since it was the 2nd time I captured the Reb's national capital. But instead they moved their capital to Montgomery.
West of the Mississippi river, the AI tried to attack and capture San Francisco. Even though they put 5(!) divisons in CA, they couldn't overwhelm the garrison there and eventually drifted back to Tuscon. Once I knew what they were up to, it took a lot of the suspense out of the Trans-Miss theater. Knowing that they could have ranged as far North as Iowa was enough to keep several thousand troops tied up in St. Louis as a precaution. But after I saw their intentions, I swung into action.
1) I gave up on catching the raiders that ranged through MO, IA, and into IL. Instead I made sure I could garrison the strategic cities and minimize the damage they could do. I also sent a few engineer units west to aid militia units with repairing the damaged railroads.
2) Lyon's command moved east from Little Rock, and captured Bolivar, MS. He eventually joined McPherson's army and marched South to New Orleans during the campaign in late '63. He finished up the war as a highly ranked 1* general--never could get him to a higher command.
3) "Bull" Sumner's corps crossed west into AR and captured many of the cities in the Red River valley. But after the Rebs moved their capital to New Orleans, I brought him back East to assist in capturing that city.
4) Curtis' command was in Dallas at the end of a thin supply line. Rather than letting his men starve to death, he resolved to float down the river to Beaumont, TX to resupply at the ocean. At the same time, two more divisions from the Eastern theater arrived with David Farragut's fleet and built a supply depot in Beaumont. Two more divisions captured Springfield, MO, then moved South to Tuscon and Laredo. Slowly these combined forces hemmed Van Dorn into the area between Galveston and Houston, TX. After a few small battles, the Rebs retreated NW towards the edge of the map, then disappeared. I checked the map and event log, expecting to see some note that they had gone raiding to the North again. But there was no sign of them. I assume they ran out of supplies and just melted away.
Endgame
By mid-1864, the Rebs had moved their capital to Montgomery, AL. So I swung the army occupying Atlanta towards the West. Now commanded by Oliver Howard, the 60000 men pushed aside all opposition and took the city after a short and bloody siege. Although the game still technically wasn't over, there were few places of consequence left on the map still in Confederate control. Although their NM level was still in the 70s(!), it seemed silly to continue the game.
I had a blast, and enjoyed playing with the parameters I had set. Definitely a game worth my money!
In the East, Grant manouvered the AoNV west to Lynchburg, opening the road to Richmond. The capture of the capitol forced the Rebs to relocate it to New Orleans. By mid-1864, All of Virginia was in Union hands. Union cavalry divisions were moving south through North Carolina, holding cities until the garrison troops could catch up with them, then pushing farther South. Meade reached 3* status, and the AotP was split into half. Meade's army followed the Reb Army West into Tennessee, while Grant's command marched South towards South Carolina.
My Florida expedition didn't accomplish much during 1863 and 1864. A Rebel force threatened to reoccupy St. Augustine, so I kept both of my divisions in Jacksonville to react to possible moves. In 1864, the Rebs vacated Ft. Marion and abandoned the region. It was nice to see that the AI was trying to react to more serious threats, instead of just defending in place until I got around to attacking them. So my troops got active again, getting as far north as Brunswick, GA, and as far west as Tallahassee, FL.
In the West, the Union armies captured Island #10, then moved south to Memphis and Corinth. Chattnooga fell with very little opposition. Generals McPherson and Thomas both reached 3* status. Even though there was a shortage of quality 2* corps commanders, I created undersized armies for both generals and sent them South along the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, then towards New Orleans. Rosecrans took his independent command south along the railroad to lay siege to Mobile. Buell's army held Chattanooga, then sent corps through the mountains to Atlanta. That city fell after a month's siege. In 1864, McPherson and Thomas captured New Orleans. I expected the game to end right there, since it was the 2nd time I captured the Reb's national capital. But instead they moved their capital to Montgomery.
West of the Mississippi river, the AI tried to attack and capture San Francisco. Even though they put 5(!) divisons in CA, they couldn't overwhelm the garrison there and eventually drifted back to Tuscon. Once I knew what they were up to, it took a lot of the suspense out of the Trans-Miss theater. Knowing that they could have ranged as far North as Iowa was enough to keep several thousand troops tied up in St. Louis as a precaution. But after I saw their intentions, I swung into action.
1) I gave up on catching the raiders that ranged through MO, IA, and into IL. Instead I made sure I could garrison the strategic cities and minimize the damage they could do. I also sent a few engineer units west to aid militia units with repairing the damaged railroads.
2) Lyon's command moved east from Little Rock, and captured Bolivar, MS. He eventually joined McPherson's army and marched South to New Orleans during the campaign in late '63. He finished up the war as a highly ranked 1* general--never could get him to a higher command.
3) "Bull" Sumner's corps crossed west into AR and captured many of the cities in the Red River valley. But after the Rebs moved their capital to New Orleans, I brought him back East to assist in capturing that city.
4) Curtis' command was in Dallas at the end of a thin supply line. Rather than letting his men starve to death, he resolved to float down the river to Beaumont, TX to resupply at the ocean. At the same time, two more divisions from the Eastern theater arrived with David Farragut's fleet and built a supply depot in Beaumont. Two more divisions captured Springfield, MO, then moved South to Tuscon and Laredo. Slowly these combined forces hemmed Van Dorn into the area between Galveston and Houston, TX. After a few small battles, the Rebs retreated NW towards the edge of the map, then disappeared. I checked the map and event log, expecting to see some note that they had gone raiding to the North again. But there was no sign of them. I assume they ran out of supplies and just melted away.
Endgame
By mid-1864, the Rebs had moved their capital to Montgomery, AL. So I swung the army occupying Atlanta towards the West. Now commanded by Oliver Howard, the 60000 men pushed aside all opposition and took the city after a short and bloody siege. Although the game still technically wasn't over, there were few places of consequence left on the map still in Confederate control. Although their NM level was still in the 70s(!), it seemed silly to continue the game.
I had a blast, and enjoyed playing with the parameters I had set. Definitely a game worth my money!
First-generation jordan shoes
These patterns are based on different foot type, weight, Speed, training programmes, gender and skill level design. These different styles, different prices and multi-purpose products, attracting hundreds of thousands of jogging, making them feel that nike shoes is to provide the most complete variety of running shoes manufacturers, millions of range of ability Running to have that belief. First-generation jordan shoes uppers, there is a conspicuous "Chachi basketball" signs in the use of trapeze signs ago, the first generation and second generation Chachi Jordan basketball shoes are used as signs. First-generationjordan shoes appeared in 1985, 1994 and 2001 NIKE companies produced twice again this shoes. For the classic colors with a red, black, and compared with black. Air Jordans, published in 1991, jordan shoes91-92 season Zhanxue because jordan shoesin the Barcelona Olympic Games 92 wearing this pair of 7 and winning the title, the seventh generation in jordan shoesin the series, it is particularly valuable. 7 and the shape of the shadow of some six generations, the biggest feature is particularly color. Borrow a relatives chinese dress. Sometimes those old chinese dresses are outdated beyond repair, but then again, sometimes theyre not. If you have an (aunt, mom, cousin, sister) who got married in a strapless sheath that would be perfect, theres no reason you couldnt too, assuming theyre open to loaning it out. You can still make the look your own with the veil, jewelry, shoes, a pretty sash. And youll have that “something borrowed” checked off the list.What about the modern cheongsam? With more exchange with the outside world, todays cheongsam combines both Chinese and western characteristics, traditional and modern features. There are bold changes and innovations. Whatever it is, cheongsam on one hand can still create an impression of simple and quite charm, elegance and neatness. On the other hand, blended with modern features, they can also show peoples individuality and distinctiveness. No wonder cheongsam enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.
Return to “American Civil War AARs”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests