I'm hosting and Sedgwick has returned his first .ORD file. Before I run the turn, here's my approach to this contest. I've read all of Sedgwick's posts to this forum - however, he just started posting recently so there's not much there... IF Sedgwick follows the strategy he describes in this post we may be in for a fun game (what happens if no one invades Kentucky?).
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=20960
ASSESSMENT
Let’s look at the map and gather intelligence to inform the plans.
The Objective City list names the cities that I must keep or take to win. Each Objective city has an equal value to both sides except that Washington DC is worth 50 points to the USA versus 10 points to the CSA. The USA-controlled Objective cities / points are: Washington DC / 50, Saint Louis MO / 2, Philadelphia PA / 1, New York City NY / 1. The CSA-controlled Objective cities are: Richmond VA / 10, Memphis TN / 2, New Orleans LA / 3, Nashville TN / 3, Atlanta GA / 3, Little Rock AR / 1, Mobile AL / 2, Vicksburg MS / 1, and Charleston SC / 1. Contested cities are Norfolk VA / 1 and Louisville KY / 1.
More than likely, destroying the CSA Army of Northern Virginia and taking Richmond will end the game, but let’s keep going with the Assessment.
The USA starts with Money of $200 on hand plus $189 per turn; 50 Conscript on hand plus 39 per turn; and 50 War Supply plus 129 per turn. The USA starts with the capability to raise Money from: selling War Bonds ($104 to $313); Printing Money ($235); and imposing Taxes ($117 to $376). The USA can Draft Volunteers (139 to 357 Conscript) and Mobilize (536 to 734 Conscript).
The CSA starts with Money of $150 on hand plus $55 per turn; 50 Conscript on hand plus 34 per turn; and 40 War Supply on hand plus 43 per turn. The CSA starts with the capability to raise Money from: selling War Bonds ($97 to $292), Printing Money ($219), and imposing Taxes ($109 to $350). The CSA can Draft Volunteers (154 to 323 Conscript) and Mobilize (462 to 616 Conscript).
These values may change from game to game (I really don’t know), and will certainly change due to Victory Point changes and Industrialization. The values are included to give some perspective on the contributions from each city versus exercising the manpower / financial / economic / political options.
Washington DC is important to the USA not only as an Objective City and a Strategic City and a Depot, it provides $65 and 7 Conscript and 7 War Supply points to the USA per turn (starting values). Saint Louis Depot provides 1 Conscript and 4 War Supply. Norfolk Depot provides 3 War Supply. Philadelphia Depot provides 1 Conscript and 7 War Supply. New York City Depot provides $40 and 7 Conscript and 14 War Supply. Louisville provides 1 War Supply.
For the CSA, Richmond Depot provides 8 Conscript (25% of Conscript per turn) and 5 War Supply (more than 10% of War Supply per turn); Memphis Depot provides 1 War Supply; New Orleans Depot provides $10 (almost 20% of Money per turn) and 2 War Supply; Nashville Depot provides 2 War Supply; Atlanta Depot provides 2 Conscript and 6 War Supply; Little Rock Depot provides 2 Conscript; Mobile Depot provides $4 and 1 War Supply; Vicksburg Depot provides 2 Conscript; and Charleston Depot provides $4 and 2 Conscript and 1 War Supply.
The list of USA Strategic cities includes: Baltimore MD Depot with 1 Conscript and 3 War Supply; Wilmington DE Depot with 1 War Supply; Harrisburg PA Depot with 1 Conscript; Pittsburgh PA Depot with 1 Conscript and 7 War Supply; Harpers Ferry WV Depot with 1 War Supply; Wheeling WV Depot with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Jersey City NJ for some odd reason; Buffalo NY with 5 War Supply; Boston MA with $14 and 4 Conscript and 14 War Supply; Cleveland OH Depot with 4 War Supply; Cincinnati OH Depot with 1 Conscript and 5 War Supply; Detroit MI Depot with 1 War Supply; Bowling Green KY; Indianapolis IN Depot with 1 Conscript and 4 War Supply; Milwaukee WI Depot with 1 Conscript and 3 War Supply; Chicago IL Depot with 3 Conscript and 9 War Supply; Springfield IL Depot with 1 Conscript; Dubuque IA Depot; Fort Leavenworth KS with 1 Conscript; Fort Laramie WY; Denver CO; San Francisco CA Depot with $68 and 1 War Supply; and Tucson AZ.
CSA Strategic cities include: Winchester VA; Charlottesville VA; Fredericksburg VA Depot; Petersburg VA Depot with 2 WS; Raleigh NC Depot with 2 Conscript; Wilmington NC Depot with $5; Camden SC Depot; Savannah GA Depot with $2; Columbus GA Depot with 1 WS; Jacksonville FL Depot with $1; Tallahassee FL Depot with 2 Conscript; Pensacola FL with $2; Montgomery AL with 2 Conscript and 1 WS; Chattanooga TN Depot with 2 Conscript and 2 WS; Lexington KY Depot with 1 Conscript; Corinth MS Depot; Meridian MS Depot; Jackson MS Depot; Baton Rouge LA with 2 Conscript; Fayetteville AR Depot; Galveston TX with $3; and Houston TX Depot with 2 Conscript.
Other interesting USA cities include: Annapolis MD with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Dover DE with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Warren PA Depot; Grafton WV Depot; Trenton NJ with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Albany NY Depot with 1 Conscript and 4 War Supply; Plattsburgh NY Depot; Ironton OH Depot; Dayton OH Depot; Columbus OH Depot with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Lansing MI Depot with 1 Conscript; Vincennes IN Depot; Rock Island IL Depot with 7 War Supply; Quincy IL Depot; Tolono IL Depot with 1 War Supply; Salem IL Depot; Cairo IL Depot; Lexington MO Depot; Des Moines IA Depot with 1 Conscript and 1 War Supply; Council Bluffs IA Depot; and Portland OR Depot.
Interesting CSA cities include: Manassas VA Depot; Garysburg NC Depot; Goldsboro NC Depot; Lexington NC Depot; Augusta GA Depot with 1 WS; Pulaski TN Depot with 2 WS; Knoxville Depot; Madison AR Depot; Fort Smith AR Depot; Rolla MO Depot; and Jefferson City MO Depot with 1 Conscript.
Just for fun, at the start of the game these USA cities have War Supply: Reading PA with 1 WS; Lancaster PA with 3 WS; Allegheny PA with 1 WS; Newark NJ with 2 WS; Brooklyn NY with 3 WS; Rochester NY with 3 WS; and Toledo OH with 1 WS.
For more fun, these CSA cities have Money or War Supply: Suffolk VA with $1; Columbia NC with 1 WS; New Berne NC with $1; Lumberton NC with 3 WS; Athens GA with 4 WS; Macon GA with 4 WS; Berwick LA with $1; and Matagorda TX with $1.
Considering all that information, taking Richmond will still probably win the game. However, knowing for example that Jefferson City MO Depot produces 1 Conscript per turn makes it a tasty morsel if I happen to have some troops nearby.