War in the Transmississippi

[KillCalvalry]

I've always had a soft-spot for the Transmissippi Dept in the ACW, and while I am still getting my arms around this game, I am wondering what the best strategy is for either side. I'

RE: MS/AK: At the outset, it's clear that both sides want to get to Rolla/Springfield to secure the Depots ASAP. Lyon should win the race to Rolla, Springfield may be contested. After that, what's the objective?

As UNION, you have to secure Missouri, but I wonder if invading NW Arkansas is really a great idea. You have to protect your supply lines back to Rolla via Springfield, Fayetteville, and even if you approach Little Rock (over good defensive terrain), by that time you may have the river cleared from the other direction. I wonder if it's worth it to even invade Arkansas from the NW corner, when resources may be better invested by invading up the Arkansas river from the Mississippi, once you have the MS cleared to that point.

As REBS, seems like you can raid supply lines to keep the Yanks out of NW Arkansas, or at least threaten to. It's pretty easy to build a bunch of Ranger units to raid, but what's the purpose in that? You can burn forts and otherwise terrorize the frontier, but is there really any gain there? I'm not sure there is.

I guess this all points to the question I have on what's worth fighting over beyond the Arkansas/Missouri line. Leavenworth is the only strategic town out there, and the Union has to secure the gold mine in Colorado, but that should be easy enough if you retain the US Regulars in CO, and maybe add a volunteer or two. Otherwise, no industry, no strategic towns, not many people, just a bunch of fairly useless stockades and villages. Am I missing something out here? I suppose Rangers are cheap, but I can't see why it's worth much more than minimal effort.

Finally, New Mexico. This looks like a trap for the Confederacy. The Yanks have to take any threat to California seriously, but it's easier for them than the Rebs. Rebel supplies to El Paso appear to be easily interdicted with Cavalry, and any Rebs are kind of on an island out there. There is nothing that can help the Rebel war effort, and the only Strategic town is El Paso. Even if that falls, it's unlikely the Union will launch a major overland effort from New Mexico into Texas. I suppose you could, but there are more economical ways to invade Texas.

Anyway, this is alot of rambling, but in summation, I wonder what the overall best strategy is, and basically, what is worth fighting for? How important is it vs. the West or East, and what kind of effort does it deserve?

[RebelYell]

Missouri is for the CSA an opportunity to force Union divert troops from the big river valley.
If they dont react to the CSA threat, CSA can push for the Missouri river line and St. Louis.
Loosing those will give valuable time and resources for the CSA, Union can take them back but that effort is away from some other theater, win-win for the CSA.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Just a light overview:

As long as there are no hostile Indians to fight the Transmississippi is a diversion for the North but an important area for the South.


In the far west the Union needs only to hold Missouri and New Mexico and keep the South out of Kansas. Anything more is a waste of effort. If you find you are attacking into the IT or Texas you are wasting your troops. It is a side show you don’t need.

Once Memphis is taken you can work on Arkansas from both sides. Use rivers and don’t waste too much time on the back country.

Take on Louisiana and Texas from the sea. All the important things are on the water or on a river. Just threatening these places will tie down a lot of troops against a human opponent if it is a PBM.

If it is the AI you will have to put troops on the ground.



For the CSA it is more a matter of tying up Union troops. Raise hell in New Mexico, burn all the Union forts you can reach from Texas and the IT. Take Missouri, as much as you can and Kansas too, at least the few eastern towns. Take Cairo if you can. If you take St Louis your raider can chew up rails and tie up more troops.

The more pressure you can put on the Union there, the less pressure will be on Kentucky and Virginia.

The Missouri Guard under Price and the Army of the West should keep the Union out of Arkansas for a long time. Send some river transports to Little Rock to help speed your movements up into Missouri.

[KillCalvalry]

Thanks 'Ol Choctaw....you sort of confirmed my thinking that advancing overland from Fayetteville is a waste of time as the Union. In fact, you may be better off torching the depot in Springfield, to deny it to the Rebs. And if you do reach Fayetteville, torching that depot is definitely a good idea as Yanks.

The rivers are so key for the Union..........it's the decisive factor for them

[Captain_Orso]

All the stockades heading west starting in Kansas are both a blessing and a curse. They gather supplies allowing your forces to ranger further away from the main and "major" cities of Missouri/Arkansas. That is a blessing. It can allow your enemy to do the same; and that is a curse.

One thing you have to be very aware of it that the supplies that arrive in new Mexico are coming from Fort Leavenworth, Counsel Bluffs, Sioux City etc, and moving along that line of stockades. If that thin flow of supplies is disturbed of broken, you will soon see a large number of very hungry soldiers in the far west.