Report on a PbeM (not an AAR)

[GraniteStater]

I don't think havi will mind this (he's asleep right now), 'cuzza our email exchanges and this is on past moves. It is Early October 1862.

I am Union. Apr61 start. Lessee, HistAttrit - Medium Battle Delay - pretty 'historical' for settings.

* Most recent noteworthy clash was in Norfolk about two or three Turns after I landed there (two Turns to take it). I had about 1100 Pwr under 4 1*s. Good mix, sharpies, some Morale units, my usual fetish for guns. All in Divs, nothing loose. Two Wagons, an Eng & Med, I believe. So I took it the Turn after landing. havi had taken Lee at 2200+ Pwr from the Yorktown peninsula (where he was giving Butler at 1300 one big hairy eyeball) and was in Tappahannock. He railed him all the way around the landscape, thru P-burg, down to Suffolk and terminated the move. I was sweating. Four 1*s, level 3 trench at best, yes, a river for Lee to cross, but it's Lee (Sept 62) at twice my strength. I cast about for Solutions - OK, I can bring in Franklin from Delaware and one lone Inf Bde, fat lotta help, other than a potential CP relief...hey, Butler! I rivered him down the James, but the journey was 12 Days - Lee could be across in 9. Well, maybe it'll keep the Norfolk EF from getting drowned...

* havi attacked! OMG, the boys in blue did it! Four 1*s held Lee off, even gave him a good sock in the nose and shed some blood. Butler was there for the popcorn.

* And havi got totally scr****d by the program on the retreat - put him south, in the Dismal Swamp. Poor bas***d. He didn't deserve that. Now he has Problems in the Tidewater and I have a credible threat against the Petersburg RR.

***

* IMHO, havi spent too much on Cards in the beginning. I think he got to 63% of Union Combat Power at one point, but he's at 50% now.

* I haven't spent a lot on the sea-borne navy, at least for me. I haven't bothered with Brown Blockade. I was putting together a New Orleans EF, but decided to go for Norfolk, instead, after he played a Fortification Card there and started shooting up passers-by. Whether the Card enabled this, I dunno. I decided to take that gnat right out with the EF.

* I would recommend more effort in the river navy. You have to build almost the whole thing from scratch, anyway. Hollis for the CSA wiith the starting line-up on the river can be Trouble. So I quietly put together about nine or ten 'clads, some lil' brother gunnies to help and a few extra TPs for luck. havi has contested manfully, but Foote and Porter have been having the best of it and making life much easier for Grant & Co. in the vicinity of Nashville (yet to be taken).

* havi caught a 10%er KY Goes South roll, but George Thomas is a Beautiful Guy, and Porter, too. Thomas, of course, is awesome on D and Porter ain't bad. havi made a small tactical error and Thomas & Co. rivered to Louisville and retook it. KY is now pretty much mine, but they still hate my guts, except for Louisville, whose denizens appreciate a connoisseur of fine bourbon. Buck's likes to see me come in the door (and how I wish I were truly there - what a classy joint and what fine bourbon).

* Patiently established The Cordon in NoVa. Building the NEVA Army more & more and getting ready for Phase Two. HF has been secured for a while and just said 'Hello', in Winchester in force. The maneuver to C-ville is on the horizon. The Problems in the Tidewater will help this.

* Patience pays - took Springfield, MO, four Turns ago. It is mine. The Arkansas Hook will come in due time. I go for Jeff City first, not Rolla. I like JC's position better, even with having to build a Depot. Rolla fell three Turns ago, to Rosecrans.

Lotsa Support builds. Good amount of Wagons. As usual, sprinkled liberally with 10 & 20-lber persuaders. Went heavy on early Cav builds, particularly beyond the Appalachians. HorseArty, of course.

All in all, not bad for the fall of 1862. A lot to do yet - all Southern ports unmolested, really. No Memphis. No Mississippi campaign yet, he still has Paducah (but hasn't built a Fort there - shh).

havi has played well and could stretch it out to the Election, maybe, but I have much confidence in prospects. havi is getting better with every Turn and showed much daring & creativity with the Norfolk attack. A better dice roll and my boys could have been swimming.

[Mickey3D]

I* And havi got totally scr****d by the program on the retreat - put him south, in the Dismal Swamp. Poor bas***d. He didn't deserve that.

Yes, sometimes you have really weird retreat path
I think it happens when the game engine have to decide between several regions with the same Military Control. Ideally, it should keep track of the region you are coming from and give preference to this region (except if occupied by the ennemy).

When this happen in a PBEM I ordinarily agree with my opponent to let him/me move to what should have been the right retreat region.

[havi]

yes bad rolls indeed in Lee in that fight i was sure that lee would but those boys in blue in swimming school but it was not to happen. But in our game is really hard to get places back when union invades usually GS has lot of firepower and superioty but i try to hang on and give a smack or to? i was certain that i had grant in fort doneldson surrounded and eating his supply empty but the monster just bulldozed my defenses and took ky. but fight is going on so let see what happens.

[GraniteStater]

It definitely has been fun.

havi, I broke out from Donelson & attacked with Foote 'cuz Hollis was interdicting Supplies, as far as I could tell. Seems you were right, the big fat pig was eating things up.

[havi]

Yes i think grant is a bit of slop. Yes it was my plan to cut the suply line in river and surround or motittaa as we Finns say and strangel grant in the fort or force him to leave back to Illinois but I wasn't strong enough in defense.

[GraniteStater]

Here's something that may be of great interest to all, not just Union players.

I am the Union against havi. It's Late July 63. His NM has been skyrocketing recently - at 131 (yikes!). The last Turn I assaulted Nashville with Grant's forces, about five Corps, one from across the Cumberland, at near 3:1, a couple of my stacks were at 2000 Pwr, JJ in Nashville at 2500, call it. Things did not quite go off the way I had hoped and the assaults were repulsed bloodily, thus a 10 NM increase for him. I'm at 97 NM.

So I'm looking at the map. havi made an error and I acquired Charlottesville for a song, flanking Stonewall on the Rapidan. PGT is in F-burg. Lee is SE of C-ville, at 1650. The others mentioned roughly the same.

I have had Petersburg for quite a while, Franklin at 2200 Pwer (under Butler); Heintzlemann at 690, holding City Point open. I have rail to Norfolk, held by Butler. Longstreet is guarding in Burkesville, to the NW of Franklin.Things are not going as well as I had hoped even six game months ago.

Then something occurred to me. I have control of the James.

I took Franklin, RR & R'ed him across the James, through the small Region SSE of Richmond (not New Kent, IIRC), held by a militia. I do the same with Heintzlemann, both Corps under Butler - and assault Richmond, showing four (4) units only, "Richmond Garrison". A few non-incorporated leaders there.

I had it set up and was awaiting his files. I should've checked it out one more time & put Heintzie on R/R (he was Active, Franklin wasn't), but whaddaya gonna do? I did it.

Richmond did not fall right away (level 1 redoubt), but I have decent Pwr and can Assault this Turn against 17 Pwr.

havi can fall on me with his Rappahannock forces, but then the NEVA Corps come down the pike, crossing the river lines. Lee can attack from his position SE of C-ville, but same thing, he yields the position.

I have some makeshift forces in semi-respectable strength in Petersburg, and Longstreet can attack at 2:1 against light trenches, but I have RR-Retreat available all the way to Norfolk. City Point is unoccupied for the moment, but we'll see what happens.

If forced out of Richmond, Franklin & Heintzie have New Kent available (blue on MC, believe it or not - he never retook it after some Peninsula warring) as a retreat, Williamsburg is gray but the town flies Old Glory and James City is gray, but Loyal. Seems like my retreats are acceptable.

So he either lets Richmond fall with little counterattack (Longstreet and his buddy next to him can't cross the James, my vessels are there) or comes loaded for bear and gives up the Rappahannock and Rapidan and has Milroy hot on Lee's heels, unimpeded from C-ville.

Yes, I could get waxed here, but I had to do something.

Not bad, eh?

[havi]

yes good move GS but i was basicly waiting it for a long time and mentally prebaired it and i think it backfired on u now i have peterborough i kicked u in face in richmond and KY is totally dominated by forrest cavalry! but thinks change really fast in our game i think and u keep throwing those rabits in the hat all the time so im waiting your next move! btw u killed rugles that old bastard didnt surrender he is now one of the southern martyrs!!

ps. sorry about my english but hey way better than your finnish

[GraniteStater]

You could be seeing the map better than I.

Forrest has Lexington...and that's it right, at the moment. KY is not entirely settled, but it doesn't hamstring me in the Nashville area. KY Loyalty is grossly CSA, yes - you should thank the code for catching the 'KY secedes' roll.

The Richmond ploy could turn out disastrously - havi has a Corps pinned down by Lee in New Kent & cannot retreat.

I did not buy any Reinforcements, 'cuz I needed Replacements so badly, but don't know if it helped as much as I wished, even withh oodles of Cash - War Production chits are still very crimson. Men And WS are not a problem at all.

Gotta find another rabbit...should've seen the P-burg to Richmond move much, much earlier. But the Rapidan is vacated, only PGT remains at F-burg.

[havi]

yes the virginia front is moving and winter is coming! i have to wonder what was on the south leaders mind to but capitol in richmond it isnt logical place when u compare it to atlanta what is spot midlle of confederates? is there some historical value of richmond or why because it is way to close washington and easy to move by foot in big army for north i dont understand why u but your capitol there?

[GraniteStater]

It was prestige, mostly - VA was the most populous southern state and probably the wealthiest and most developed. New Orleans was the largest city.

Wait for the results of this Turn - it just goes to show, you can never tell in this game what the results, retreats and positions are going to be after battles. Not for sure, anyway.

havi's NM is 140; mine 124. Interesting positions, though.

[GraniteStater]

Some more thoughts on Union game strategy:

* I anticipated that by mid-game (it's now Late Sept 63), serious fighting would preclude Reinforcements and call for more Replacements. How much more, with the campaigning in summer 63 we have had, I did not anticipate. I have built no Reinforcements at all for two, three Turns now. And I'm still "in the red". I didn't "buy" any chits directly the first go-round - probably a mistake. I have bought some now and shall see how it goes - I bought quite a few, quite a few.

* Going for the Serious Blockade and taking some coastal Forts might be a really good strategy. Even being fond of the navy in AACW, I didn't get down & dirty that much. I haven't taken New Orleans, nor have tried yet, against havi, going for the Sea Island landings in SC instead, with Charleston as the objective. This is a much more modest effort than my usual NO Exp Force. The point is, a human player gets no advantages like Athena does - it's a level field for Cohesion recovery, unit speed, etc. Reducing CSA economic prowess might be a preferred strategy. Translation - yer gonna need a bigger boat, and lots, lots more of 'em, if you want to do this. I have a fair sized effort against havi, particularly riverine craft, but I am far, far from Outright Superiority - Buchanan and Hollis are pesky and I have taken Norfolk and landed in SC, but that's it.

* havi is using all the game's tools well - now, I'm starting to 'get' Cards. Taking a page from another thread, I've slapped quite a bit of Habe on grumbly places which produce $$ (the bottleneck).

* I haven't Mobilized at all, not once, and have had plenty of Men after the EP. Did about three rounds of Heavy Industry and I have 1500 - 2000 WS. The constraint is $$ - built more TPs for the Shipping Box for this, also.

* Trying to move havi outta places he wants is Not Easy at All - I'm starting to look for atomic crowbars. The numbers are starting to tell, starting to...it has taken a long, long time to persuade him to move against his will.

[havi]

sorry mate but im finnish and i have SISU go ask stalin how good idea it was to tell finnish people to move when we dont want to we will kick and bite and this is the method what i do all the way!! great fights at litle rock i destroyed one division of blue bellies 10900 prisoners took there and charleston we will not back there! when u play south the NM will help about conscriptsno need to mobilize or bounty because people will come to defend right couse even the slaves will go up and took the guns against dictator of north we will fight and we will win no surrender

[GraniteStater]

Yes, that was gruesome at Little Rock - I knew I was taking a risk with the river landing & next to no recon - I should learn, I guess.

[havi]

well u were in military show u should now that recon and suply will win the fight! that was really blody probe for u but south will thank u for those cannons=)

[GraniteStater]

I knew I was taking a risk, but the overall Combat Strength shows you at less than 60%, close to one-half. You can't be everywhere in equal strength.

(a) a river landing, and (b) your NM is really, really high (I'm at 118 now).

All it takes is a string of defeats and Union NM starts to go down quickly, it seems.

A lot of this is impatience on my part.

Further thoughts - I'm starting to think that river penalties are worse than in AACW. I fell out of building Marines or Sailors in AACW - maybe one should, on a regular basis, in CW2.

[planefinder]

Your match is making me feel significantly better about mine with Mickey3D. Mickey, playing CSA is similarly adopting a stubborn defensive and has wiped out several large army stacks due to bad decisions on my part. It's mid 1862 and I feel as though I should be in Nashville already rather than being stuck in KY where I actually am. After reading your PBEM report, I don't feel so far behind.

[GraniteStater]

Always glad to make someone feel a bit better.

And the Snowman is a very knowledgeable poster - don't know about his play, but he knew a lot about AACW.

And the Little Rock landing was an out and out disaster - Whipple had a two Div Corps (under Rosecrans) with Lyons and JC Davis as Div Cdrs, with two 20-lber battys loose and a Wagon.

Wiped out - just wiped out, except for two loose battys and a Wagon trying to float back to Ft Smith. Unbelievable, really, they were at about 840 Pwr. I didn't expect that for a defeat.

I'm starting to think that CW2 is harder than AACW, at least in some respects.

[tripax]

What was guarding Little Rock? Keep fighting!

[GraniteStater]

I'd have to look at it again, but just one Div, I think.

He's pushed Schenk with a two Div Corps out of Charleston Region with one Div - at about 66% of my strength - level 3 trenches!

Excellent NM can do wonders in combat. And I wasn't shabby - 130, 125...now down to 108 and he's near 150!

If I'm not careful, he could win on NM!

[havi]

In little rock was on of the lees son waiting for union and he has defending rating of 5 and entrenched good so i think that and the landing bonus did that the one division just wiped off. In charleston I have I think Picketts division defend rating of 3 And entrenched in swamp area so hArd to kick it out. I don't need to b everywhere I just need to b there where u are comming no I think U can plan as much u want in this game but there is allways the countermove that's why I'm not planning too much I just play on the feeling and hope the feeling is right.. Keep throwing those rabbits at me.

[tripax]

Yeah, swamps have such low frontage, defending there may be a bit easier.

[havi]

swamps help a lot for defender they cut numbers of attackers! In RL if u have been a military or ever even been in the swamps there are so few roads where u can go and when u know where the agressor is coming it is easy to defend and ambush them in there! Guerilla country i say and in deep south there is lot of them..

[GraniteStater]

Just sent Early Nov 63 to havi. Seem to have recovered about 90% of my redded out units.

The surrounded Corps in New Kent attacked Lee - didn't do too, too bad, better than I thought. Didn't move him, but not bad. I think (hope) that the CSA might be having some manpower issues, although his NM is so high (now 141)...he called for Vols a Turn ago, with no $$ bounty. Could well be he doesn't need to.

I'm hoping the bloodletting might hurt him faster than me.

Riposted at Petersburg; took Chattanooga with a Cav Div under Mitchell; tore up tracks (plural) with Mitchell & Grierson in SE TN (Nashville has no RR connex now); Sheridan took Corinth. Resting in MO and NW Arkansas. Brought another Div to Beufort, SC - Schenk's Corps got there in OK shape, too.

And although the prospect of losing a surrounded Corps in New Kent, VA is diresome, I still have decent threats in central VA, whose RR connex are torn to blazes and gone.

[havi]

Hello sirs! Yes lots of fighting but i have to disagree about the lees fight he killed 13000 federals and lost only 4000 and union is eating the biscuits out so just surrender all ready and save your mens. We have rats in the house in tennesee but we have called the exterminator so not long we will get the menace out of our house.. Have to say i admire the south leaders and soldiers even more now that they could fought so long and hard in RL what was way more complicated that this game GREAT men and women both side in that day. RESPECTS. let the fight continue

[havi]

Hello everybody! here is something about game. Lee was just attacked about 60000 troops in manchester he had 27000 troops and he dominated the attackers by killing 16000 of them and losing about 7000 of brave southerns. its late feb of 64 and i still have nashville and memphis GS has tried to took both of them but has kicked back bloodly last time in outskirts of memphis and i think grant is loosing faith im cutting the rail lines and blowing every depot behind him what i can my NM is about 150 and his is 97 i think so its looking quite good i think.

[GraniteStater]

Well, after all my griping on another thread, this last Turn (results of processing Early April 64) was much better than of late.

* Grant, L. Wallace & Pope all attacked - at once! - in the Region just north of Memphis. A clear Victory and from what I saw on the map afterwards, with AS Johnston in Memphis, I hurt 'em pretty bad, unless there's a Retreat I didn't see. Finally, an Objective beside Norfolk, Louisville or El Paso may be in Union hands. This is the culmination of a good decision I made, I think, to stop investing Nashville with all of Grant's Army of the Cumberland, take him and the two other Corps mentioned and go after ASJ & Memphis - ASJ was next to Fort H&D and was threatened mightily by Lew Wallace alone, but, when thinking about it (he skedaddled pretty good), decided to press to the Objective, reasoning it would draw the enemy to their destruction. Hope that works out as planned, looks real good right now.

* Held my breath and attacked across the James from Henrico to the Region just NW adjacent of Richmond (Buckingham), while, at the same time, attacking with another Corps of the NEVA Army from New Kent, in an effort to try to reduce MTSG. Also, attacked from Charles City, like New Kent, SE adjacent of Richmond, with a Corps from Butler's AotJames. When the Turn started in the Supply phase, the Region NW showed not only Longstreet, but GW Smith entrenched very stoutly - Oh No! I forgot about him! I shuddered....

and beheld in amazement as Longstreet left Buckingham, my MTSGing ended up in a Victory of Richmond Fortifications, and followed by a final CSA Victory (three battles there), but it looks like I may rightfully consider this a marginal victory, at least. Most of the Whole Crowd are in Richmond.

For once, taking the plunge worked; not all I wanted, but an improvement, I think.

Like Alamein, finally, finally, we might be seeing the end of the beginning. I have a feeling if I can get this to start to break and tilt my way, it might snowball.

His NM is still terrific, dropping to 146; I improved to 102.

[GraniteStater]

And won the battle at Memphis! Didn't take it - it's starting to become apparent to me that the mechanism works like this - if you are on R/R, your stack(s) tend to engage the garrison first and even a slight hit to Cohesion can be detrimental once you square off against the main force in the Region. At least, I've seen this, too often for my tastes. So I would say put the attackers on O/R, O/O. Kick the main force out and then assault or besiege.

So, I'm parked at Memphis with two Corps and Grant's HQ stack, recovering. Can't see any really serious oppo in the neighborhood looking to join in. His garrison is around 245 Pwr. Hmmm...

The rest of the Turn was mainly maneuvering - got two Corps into Buckingham, NW of Richmond - another Corps in New Kent, SE of the same, one Corps retreating from Richmond to New Kent, and another Corps in Charles City, SE of Richmond. Finally, on dry ground, no crossings...

This is far, far, from settled, but a bit more encouraging. havi has plenty of counterplay available. I hope he's hurting for warm bodies in good shape, but that's all I can see, a hope. Oh, GW Smith and SD Lee both either WIA or KIA. For Lee, I hope it's the latter, he's a 5 on D.

Getting ready for Little Rock again. Cutting rail in TN again, to cut off Nashville. Some other maneuvering.

My NM is 106; his is still in the 140s, if I recall rightly.

We have an extended hiatus here, havi's moving in RL.

[John S. Mosby]

We have an extended hiatus here, havi's moving in RL.

Ah...but is he moving by rail or river? That's the question.

[GraniteStater]

Good one.

[GraniteStater]

Late May 64 - took Memphis last Turn. Forrest has a boatload of guys, but did not counterattack.

We are just about to take Charleston, afaics.

NM 137/108, CSA and the VP situation is better; I have the per Turn margin, albeit slim - the Turnaround may be beginning.

When the Turnaround happens, if it's done right, well...

havi has plenty, plenty of play left - but the Southern basic economic underpinnings may be starting to fray and wobble. I've sailed fleets past Ft Pillow and gave more hits than received - #10 didn't fire at all. Charleston has a 17 Pwr garrison, afaics and we are about to descend with 1150 Pwr. Menphis is held, but the Central front is still up for grabs - I am trying to be aware of counterstrokes.

If the Union player can turn it around, make it stay turned around, and do it in time, then, if nothing else, it's run the clock out - a lead in VPs and even NM if it goes to Jan66.

But if the Union gets the Big Turnaround and makes it stick - it is hard for the CSA to rally. The resources dwindle too much.