New to game, many questions

[donagel]

Hey, been trying to play through some of the learning, but figured it was time to just ask the experts. I have played through 1861, always as the Union.

1) When playing campaign "w/Kentucky" I always wait for CSA to invade before I do in order for the state to go union. However, if I send my troops in after the CSA, they instantly drop strength/org. Why does this happen?

2) Do you advise against using the naval simplification options? I have been playing at the first level so I don't have to monitor my supply on the high seas.

3) The 10 lbs are much more expensive than the 12lbs. What do I lose if I go the cheap route?

4) Is a single militia brigade sufficient to garrison your rear area VP and production cities? Or should these be bulked up?

5) In the east, is the AI wrong or is it me? Once McDowell is activated, I usually take Manassas with the Army and 8 or so divisions and have Calvary sever several rail lines in Northern and Central Virginia.. However, this does not seem to threaten the CSA forces around Winchester. I would think that with Manassass taken, they would have to seriously consider moving south, or re-taking it due to supply. I know its just the AI, but am I not seeing something? (and if you could tell me how to stop ridiculous attempts to take Pittsburgh...but I have seen many posts in the forum about that.)

Thanks. Enjoying the game...

[Jim-NC]

Welcome donagel to the forums.

Answers:

1. After they declare an invasion, you must wait 1 turn or take terrible cohesion losses. That's the way it is set up.

2. I don't but I am very detailed oriented about these things.

3. Go cheap (12lbers are the best bang for the buck).

4. Depends. You should have strategic cities (those with NM) more strongly defended. Later in the game, you need larger forces to stop raiding. Early on, 1 Militia is usually good enough.

5. That's Athena for you. She does some interesting things on occasion. For a more difficult challenge, you could try your hand at PBEM.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Welcome to the forum!

As to the questions I will take on a couple of them until those who know more chip in.

1) There is a penalty for going into KY for 3 turns after it is invaded. Your cohesion drops to nil.

2) I have never played with the simplified naval rules. It takes a little more management but it is workable.

3) Don’t know... I usually build by power from the top down unless I need Lt. Artillery for forts.

4) militia is fine in your own territory but it is no good as a garrison in an enemy area where the population dislikes you. It just doesn’t count as garrisoned. This includes MO, MA and KY as well as the other Southern States.

5) This may just be the AI. But the AI does seem to keep supplied longer than you can. It will also try suicide raids deep into your territory only to die if it does not capture a supply center.

Have fun!

[donagel]

re: Kentucky.
Assuming the south enter first, do they also get a cohesion penalty> Is it the same length and severity for both sides?

Assuming yes, then it is right to say that the various garrisons are really safe from falling during the initial phases of a Kentucky invasion. I guess, sending a spare unit or to to fix the rail lines would be all that you need to do until the penalty subsides.

[Ol' Choctaw]

No, the invading force suffers no penalty in that regard.

The suffer from a loyalty problem for invading but not a cohesion problem.

[Citizen X]

3) Build both. while the 10lb has higher range of fire, higher offensive fire, higher initiative and higher ranged damage the 12lb has higher defensive fire and much higher assault damage.
Thus during battle resolution the former helps you inflicting damage earlier and in your own offensive actions especially during the ranged phase, while the latter helps you during the opponents offensive actions, especially during the assault phase.
There is an artillery primer here somewhere.

[Carrington]

My understanding on KY: if you enter on the turn immediately following invasion, your units get a significant morale/cohesion hit.

If you wait a (further) turn, this does not occur.

[donagel]

Thanks for all the info.


Also, The forums seem all over the place on Naval boxes.

Is it best to have all your transports and some defenders in one stack and then another stack dedicated to fighting CSA ships?

DO "scout" ships help in the boxes?

Does disposition (assault, offensive, defend, evade) matter in the boxes. I see they matter in terms of maintaining cohestion, but does it increase the chances of engaging the enemy. So far, I have not noticed any difference, but as I said, I have yet to reach 1862 in any game..

One last one, is it best to just switch to the SVF mod right from the beginning, or stick with the "original".

Appreciate the answers.

[GraniteStater]

Thanks for all the info.


Also, The forums seem all over the place on Naval boxes.

Is it best to have all your transports and some defenders in one stack and then another stack dedicated to fighting CSA ships?

DO "scout" ships help in the boxes?

Does disposition (assault, offensive, defend, evade) matter in the boxes. I see they matter in terms of maintaining cohestion, but does it increase the chances of engaging the enemy. So far, I have not noticed any difference, but as I said, I have yet to reach 1862 in any game..

One last one, is it best to just switch to the SVF mod right from the beginning, or stick with the "original".

Appreciate the answers.

* I would recommend the following:

> Play on 'standard rule', to get all the money. etc. Put some TPs with fleets that are blockading, etc., they'll stay out longer, long enough to justify the expense of building TPs. It's really not that much of a hassle - once TP'd, they'll stay out for half a dozen Turns or more. Even the occasional fleet with no TP will be decent, just keep an eye on these.

> I put about three frigates and one brig in with my Shipping Box TP fleet. That's all you need. Every once in a while, you'll lose a TP to a CSA raider. Not a big deal, not worth worrying about, really. If you've lost three or four in a year, just build some more. Heck, I build more sometimes just to increase my Overseas Supply and increase income.

> One can put the fleets to and from the Shipping and Blockade Boxes on Attack (orange) if desired, to catch the occasional CSA ship, but it's a minimal gain. If you have close blockade fleets cruising the coast, you can put them on Attack, but they get 'tired' more quickly. You can just put everything on Defend (blue) and forget about the rest, it doesn't seem to make a tremendous difference. I put my Shipping Box TP fleet with escorts on Retreat (green) and Evade Combat, though, just to do it and play safe. Other than that, you can keep everything on blue settings and you're perfectly OK.

* In general, the naval game is important and can be very useful, indeed, but even an overwhelming river and ocean presence is not decisive in and of itself. A very useful tool, yes, but it's the troops on land who decide things.