What is your starting trategy for the Union side?

[marcusjm]

I liked the CSA thread so I thought Union would have a similar thread.

I guess noone would want to emulate the ultra careful strategy the real Union forces used. I have just got the game so I haven't even thought about trying a Grand Campaign yet.

Hopefully some good ideas shows up here.

marcus

[tagwyn]

Take your time, organize your force, upgrade your transport, grow a lot of irregulars and militia. Tag

[marcusjm]

If you take your time, can't you skip the militia an go for a quality only army?

Marcus

[Clovis]

If you take your time, can't you skip the militia an go for a quality only army?

Marcus

you will not have time, as you need to garrison your cities against CSA cavalry raids. Buying in the firts few turns militias will give you the minimal protection needed whe n your other ressources should be devoted to naval blocus, industrial growth and last building regular land units for an active campaigning during 1862 Spring.

[marcusjm]

Thanks. So to summarize:

First year - build mostly militia and upgrade navy. Prepare for a regular army in 1862.

No point in trying early for Richmond then? I thought the Union had the bigger force altogether.

Marcus

[Uncle Billy]

I think your goal in the east needs to be to contain the confederate army and take manassas, winchester, and harpers ferry. I intially detached some divisions from McDowell and moved them to prevent the CSA flanking my forces in Alexandria and making a bid for DC. One of my McDowell divisions also went by rail to secure harpers ferry. Beauregard flanked me and left a small force at manassas, which I took, but the delay for both CSA armies of a turn let me get enough forces in place in MD and PA to bottle them up and counter attack with Hooker when he shows up. If you can take the above cities and beat back the CSA armies anything else, like taking Fredericksberg, is a bonus in '61.

One important thing I think is a good move in the first turns of the game is to take the various elements of the patterson command and use them to secure the three areas of WV below western MD that are enemy held. If you notice the rail network goes straight through there from harpers ferry, and once you've taken these areas your supplies and armies have a straight shot from the DC area to ohio. Each force in the patterson group has its own supply, and it will take a few turns of them sitting for control to be asserted.

I also take Norfolk with Butler's command plus a few extras, and I usually send Keyes to lead this as Butler has horrible stats. If you blockade Norfolk and do it quickly you have a chance to destroy the merrimac, I think, but I've always had it slip away.

As Tag and Clovis say go for militia in large quantities, and buy some cavalry to go all along your border areas. Many of the militia turn into regulars by the end of the year. I also tend to build a lot of ships, because soon you'll have to take ships from the boxes and have them go to port. Having the ships to do brown water blockades and amphibious assaults on the confederate coast is important. A couple of river ironclads are going to be useful for bombardments in the west as well.

I pull the regulars and cannon from CA and other western territiories and raise Far West militia to take their place. I either keep them both in southwestern MO to defend against Stand Watie or use them with Lyon.

I always go for a blockade policy, and either ask for volunteers or pay 1k per company in the draft. I prefer to wait a few turns to do anything that yields more for higher VP totals, like exceptional taxes or conscription, as you VP totals climb pretty quickly. Waiting two turns for exceptional taxes can net you 100k more.

Building more transport is a must, but I'm starting to think industrialization isn't worth it as the union, certainly not initially. I've haven't played beyond mid '62 though, so all my advice is colored by my limited experience in the early phase of the game.

[Spruce]

the Union strategy is very simple =

- step 1 = build militia like hell to guard border towns and cities,

- step 2 = throw everything you get at them, let manpower be your tool of victory ...

I achieved victory in the end of 1863 with my first Union game and basicly you can easely outmanoeuvre the battered confederate forces after some time ... before Lee get's ready.

[tagwyn]

Pay Attention And Reinforce Your Supply Lines!! Tag

[mayonaise]

maybe i'm crazy but thats not the strategy i used at all

i built only regular troops concentrating one army in the east, one in louisville and one along the mississippi. i go defensive in the east after taking winchester and manassas, and just build up my forces in the west. i got lucky in that i was able to get a small force to hold bowling green right off the bat which preoccupied a ton of the confederate forces as they unsuccessfully sieged it for all of the summer of 61. beginning in 1862 you should have your armies organized and large enough to take nashville, memphis, new orleans, norfolk, and i took new bern. i just focus on defense in the east and push hard everywhere else.

i never had any problems with confederate raiders because i was always pushing deep into confederate territory in the west. in the east he would break his forces on my entrenched fortifications. by 1863 i controlled the mississippi and was pushing atlanta, the eastern theater was slowly swinging in my favor primarily due to attrition, and my forces were advancing on richmond.

[jam3]

The Union had some severly incompetent generals. Burnsides was a complete idiot, McDowell not to far behind, McClellan was a good organizer and an incompetent field General, Hooker was a good organizer and incompetent in the field (an egotist who lost his nerve), and Meade was competent just not great,Grant was really the only true quality general. Anyone who knows anything about the civil war and has half a strategic mind can play the union and win in this game once they've figured out the rules.

Its better to try and play it historically try and re-enact 1st Manassas (meaning move out early late july with whatever you have and engage P.G.T Beauregard even if you have to move past manassas. The politics of the day basically forced the army to move out and engage the confederates. If you win keep McDoweel in charge in you lose put McCleland in. Keep playing semi-historical and it will get alot more interesting.

Remember first Bull Run is supposed to happen 'late july' in game terms. I kinda cheat a little due to the strategic rating thing I will form a corps with one of the 2 stars and move out with the Corps by late july if McDowell is activated (and at a 2 he rarely is, he should get a free activation in late july).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Bull_Run_Union_order_of_battle

The union almost won first Bull Run if McDowell had pressed his advantage instead of waiting 2 hours at noon the union would have most likely carried the field.

[Uncle Billy]

I kinda cheat a little due to the strategic rating thing I will form a corps with one of the 2 stars and move out with the Corps by late july if McDowell is activated (and at a 2 he rarely is, he should get a free activation in late july).

What 2 star generals are you using? I've played this many times, and one of the chief limitations is there aren't any 2 stars generals to create corps with (that I'm aware of), just 1 stars and 3 stars (who all suck). Or are you just using corps to refer to a stack with a divisional commander and a few odd units?

I pursue the same strategy, McDowell doesn't seem to attack unless the odds are heavily in his favor (maybe I'm reading into it). In my current game I did eventually get some fight out of the guy, and he's currently wintering in Fredericksburg in winter '62, waiting for me to reorganize things around the new crop of union generals.

[jam3]

C. Hamilton and R. Milroy are both 2 stars in your starting generals pool in Washington.

[Uncle Billy]

I just fired up fresh April and July 61 campaigns and those generals aren't there. Is there normally a 'starting generals pool' in DC? If so, I've never seen it in the July 61 campaign outside of the demo.

[Crimguy]

I don't think Burnside was a complete idiot. He admitted his limitations, and in fact stated he was not able to command the AotP. McDowell - pretty hard to say. IIRC he showed some competence later in the war. Regarding McClellan, the more I see his plans for the Peninsular campaign, the more brilliant I think it is. However, he showed a serious inability to fight a large scale battle. He was also an a$$hole, if you've read his letters ;-D

[Candew]

I don't think Burnside was a complete idiot. He admitted his limitations, and in fact stated he was not able to command the AotP. McDowell - pretty hard to say. IIRC he showed some competence later in the war. Regarding McClellan, the more I see his plans for the Peninsular campaign, the more brilliant I think it is. However, he showed a serious inability to fight a large scale battle. He was also an a$$hole, if you've read his letters ;-D

In my current game, I used Burnside to capture New Orleans. He is tops in my books (for now)

[marcusjm]

I wonder if 1.06 means that any of these strategies need to be re-addressed.

Obviously the less suicidal raids and better awareness must have some impact. Especially the increased focus on operation hot spots.

Marcus

[Candew]

Seeing as how I appear to have the rebs on the ropes in my current game, I'm going to restart and see what 1.06 has in store.

I have learned an awful lot thanks to everyone here on the boards

[Jacek]

July Campaign 1861

EAST:

1) THE FIRST THING. Build a depot in Alexandria! This place has no harbor so your supplies will be stuck in Washington.

2) Optimize your army in the east. Group, regroup in Alexandria until you are satisfied. Build lots of cavalry in Maryland and Pennsylvania to give Reb cavalry a hard time.

3) FORGET THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY. Let CSA take the Shenandoah Valley. Holding it is completely useless. With your optimized armies take Manassas (it isn't a strategic city and CSA puts weak stack, if any, to guard it), cut rails in Stafford,VA and those rails leading to the Valley. Finally, get hold of the whole Fredericksburg-Washington axis with your unlocked Elite brigades. Let the Rebs starve in the Valley.

WEST:

1) Build lots of militia in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio. Rebs like to raid those states.


That is it! Of course you have tons of WS, money and manpower to build WHATEVER you want! Wait for those 1862 generals to build more armies.

Voila!

[McNaughton]

Well, it all depends. Do I play to outwit the AI, or to have fun? Outwitting the AI isn't much of a strategy, just knowing what the AI will do, and exploiting it. As the Union, I am finding more and more ways in order to try and handicap myself, over that on how to win faster.

I really don't worry about raiders. The Northern economy is so great I can afford to have a few cities lost temporarily. I never buy militia, you generally get enough to start with, plus, there are plenty of events sending you militia should Confederate cavalry break through.

Tend to try and play according to the situation. In all reality, McClellan should have been in Richmond in 1862, especially if there is someone in command who cares not for casualties, and knows what they are up against. There is no way to have the computer simulation replicate McClellan making strategic choices so that the player will command like him. Even though he wins battles, he is unwilling to press his advantage. Players don't care about casualties, players all play according to Grant's 1864 Eastern strategies in 1861, which is why the game is always over in 1862.

Play according to the generals commanding your armies. (Same can be done for the Confederates).

Basically, the Union Eastern commanders didn't like casualties. Play according to this, by pulling your armies back to washington after a critical battle (ala McDowell, McClellan, Pope), instead of pushing on to Richmond. Even the more aggressive Union Leaders (Hooker and Meade) were relatively slow at following up.

Have a significant chunk of your force protecting your capitol. Lincoln was a constant drain on resources, insisting that Washington be protected (1/4 of McClellan's 1862 army was kept defending Washington instead of sent south to support the operations in the Peninsula).

Basically, play with a set of house rules, not designed to guarantee failure, but, to make victory much more difficult to achieve.

As McClellan, the way to win is to outmanoever the Confederate army and seige Richmond, or, to get an overwhelming victory with very minor casualties. Anything else, even if it is a victory (but you suffer casualties), requires you to fall back, rebuild, and get reinforcements. Campaign again when your force is fully at 100% and larger than the last campaign.

[Sheytan]

in my current pbem game hooker took harpers ferry in a counterattack. hes my current hero ;}

In my current game, I used Burnside to capture New Orleans. He is tops in my books (for now)

[Jagger]

Here is a heads up if you are playing PBEM games as the Union.

Expect the Rebs to max out volunteers and conscription and print money from the very beginning. I was very surprised in a couple of PBEM games to find myself outnumbered in the early part of the game. Facing very large rebel armies combined with your very poor Union leadership is not a good situation to find yourself early in a game.

Should be interesting to see if the penalties of inflation exact enough of a cost to discourage the max armies/max money CSA strategy.

[denisonh]

Same here. Human CSA players will be able to build and field significant quality forces quickly, so think about securing a solid defense first before going "whole hog" on the offensive. I under estimated my opponents strength and nearly lost the game in 1861 as a result (I instead have lost it over time, but that is a different issue)

As for a "silver bullet" strategy, there is none against a human opponent. Strategies dependent on the weakness of the AI are like stealing candy from a baby. I play only human's now, as it results in a much more interesting game and I actually have to adapt my strategy. In one PBEM, I had an opponent who was aggressive and in another one who was not. Different strategies had to be applied to each.

Try some of the mentioned suggestions against a solid human opponent without asssessing his strength and intentions, and he will eat your lunch.

As for humans, they will not give up Fredericksburg like the AI and "open the road to Richmond". Harpers Ferry is key against a human, as it defends the routes into PA and opened a much needed alternate attack route through the Shenendoah to pressure my opponent. I took Charlottesville and forced my opponent to retake it and I then took Fredericksburg right afterwards.

I recommend being deliberate in your approach to building the Army, but do try to engage the CSA early. Without engaging, your better one stars will not get promoted.

Here is a heads up if you are playing PBEM games as the Union.

Expect the Rebs to max out volunteers and conscription and print money from the very beginning. I was very surprised in a couple of PBEM games to find myself outnumbered in the early part of the game. Facing very large rebel armies combined with your very poor Union leadership is not a good situation to find yourself early in a game.

Should be interesting to see if the penalties of inflation exact enough of a cost to discourage the max armies/max money CSA strategy.