We Sail the Ocean Blue...

[GraniteStater]

...and our saucy ship's a beauty.
We are sober men and true
And devoted to our duty..."

- HMS Pinafore

Hey, whaddaya say to a Big Navy?

Sometimes, things can just be a good idea. Maybe ol' GS has found his.

Lessee, we got ten or twelve BlkSqdns now, a good number of BrigSqdns and a whole buncha TPs. Charleston and Wilmington were blockaded first, then Apalachicola (an Arsenal there) and Savannah, to which RebelYell responded with Semmes and some frigates and other vessels and basically forced the Savannh blockade to withdraw. I lost a TP sailing in there alone, but that's me the gambler. I'll make more. Was waiting for the rest of the naval builds. In the meantime, RY had put up a good defense in the Tidewater and the Peninsula. I had, of course, sacrificed land builds to do this, notably in Support units, but had been able to keep up enough to keep the ANV and JJ out in TN honest. Because of the fighting in SE VA, I had ended up with a good amount of men recovering and resting in Monroe.

Grant had come East and taken over NoVa. We have the Valley and the Cordon around DC.

Hey, I know what! Take McDowell, two 2*s for Corps Cdrs, and about four Divs, three Sailored. Meagher is one of them. Sharpies, some Morale units - a good mix. French, for emphasis in arty. An Engr & a Med, with three Wagons. Put all these on Farragut's sailing Fleet (fast).

Bring Atlantic Fleet along for insurance - can't get there on the same Day, but not too late - same Turn.

Bring the the two BS+BrigSqdn combos over to the Big Easy (Apalachicola has slightly lighter blockade req'mts, but needs two zones). I'm almost dead sure RY thought they were there for the blockade only. He brought three 'clads in from Mobile to shoot the NO blockade up and did, but twenty hulls against three starts to tell after awhile - he shot 'em up pretty good, but one of his 'clads needed repairs badly and one was dented good, too. By this time, Farragut with McDowell's EF is one Turn from Landing. Almost reconsidered Mobile, instead, but the Battle Report persuaded me that the 'clads wouldn't stop the landing.

Went as planned, almost 100%. McD landed with four Divs, Whiting had one Div to oppose and a Redoubt still a-building (scouting by the BlkSqdns helped). Whiting won the fight on the beach technically, but withdrew to Ft Pike. Now NO has a 45 Pwr garrison against an almost 900 Pwr stack that's not at full Cohesion.

"Mmm-mm, now that's good eatin'!"

Keys: scouting with the BlkFleets, Sailors, four (4) Divisions, a decent overall Commander, and surprise.

Frankly, if I may, to all CSA PbeM players - build a Fort at NO right away - I think four 6-lbers and a Wagon to build one , but I could be wrong. Hold it in strength.

Lesson: Forts do not stop a determined fleet operation. Yes, I got shot up, but landed in good order and am there in strength. I noticed this first with the blockades of Wilmington, Charleston, and then Savannah and Apalachicola - the gunners are asleep half the time. Do not fear CSA coastal gunnery, not, at least, if you go in strength on the water.

"When the balls whistle free
O'er the bright blue sea
We stand to our guns all da-ay..."

[RebelYell]

Congrats on a big win, but Whiting had to be drunk.

[GraniteStater]

I'm not trying to boast, just give a report. I hope other Union players are encouraged.

I think I did surprise you - I can't know what your map is showing for my movements, but I think you saw the two BlkFlts in NO as just another annoyance, a serious one, yes, on a big and important port, one to which you brought the 'clads in response, but I don't think you saw the landing coming up.

[GraniteStater]

And as I alluded to in another thread - I finally got sick of battering my head against CSA Leadership, big Bdes, and enhanced Replacement rates. The Union has a very one-sided advantage with her navy - well, I said, we're gonna build a real, live, shark guts for breakfast navy. And we're gonna use it.

We're gonna make the Rebs dread the sight of a sail or smoke on the horizon.

[GraniteStater]

Didn't get away scot-free. Lost some ships on the way out. You will take losses. You must balance the objective against the cost.

[RebelYell]

I'm not trying to boast, just give a report. I hope other Union players are encouraged.

I think I did surprise you - I can't know what your map is showing for my movements, but I think you saw the two BlkFlts in NO as just another annoyance, a serious one, yes, on a big and important port, one to which you brought the 'clads in response, but I don't think you saw the landing coming up.

I just think it can come any day and try to prepare best I can, better general and maybe some more troops would have done that.
Not impossible to be little better prepared, just took a bet you would try some other place.
NO is risky as it can turn little bloody, Buchanan got some frigates from the landing fleet and the forts sunk your blockade squadrons.

[RebelYell]

When you feel you can be open about your naval losses during the NO operation would be nice to know them.

[GraniteStater]

It looks like you have better reports than I do.

This last go-round, I think I lost a whole BlkSqdn.

I just don't think, much too often. I should've parked them in NO before going anywhere.

It's the coming out that kills ya.

[RebelYell]

It looks like you have better reports than I do.

This last go-round, I think I lost a whole BlkSqdn.

I just don't think, much too often. I should've parked them in NO before going anywhere.

It's the coming out that kills ya.

Yep but this time Buchanan was not victor but got pounded, would have been nice to get those frigates.

[RebelYell]

We had to run the turn again and it was totally different result in the sea battles, they seem to be very much based on luck.

[GraniteStater]

REPORT ON THE BLOCKADE

First, a C&P from the stickied reference above:

Blockaded Harbors
Those harbors blockaded via naval units (or forts) will add a certain percentage of blockade, as follows:

Region / (Harbor name) : / Blockade %

James City, VA (Hampton Roads) : 1
Richmond ,VA (Richmond) : 1
Norfolk, VA (Norfolk) : 5
Warwick, VA (Suffolk) : 1

Currituck, NC (Edenton) : 1
Tyrell, NC (Plymouth) : 1
Hyde, NC (Swan Quarter) 1
Beaufort, NC (New Bern): 3
Carteret, NC (Beaufort) : 3
New Hanover, NC (Wilmington) : 8

Georgetown, SC (Georgetown) : 1
Charleston, SC (Charleston) : 8
Jasper, SC (Hardee's Station) : 1
Beaufort, SC (Beaufort) : 1

Ebert, GA (Augusta) : 1
Chatham, GA (Savannah) : 6
Pullman, GA (Jacksonville) : 1
Wayne, GA (Brunswick) : 1
Calhoun, GA (St. Mary) : 1

Franklin, FL (Appalachicola) : 1
Leon, FL (Tallahassee) : 1
Duval, FL (Jacksonville) : 1
Levy, FL (Waccasassa) : 1
Saint John, FL (St. Augustine) : 1
Volusia, FL (New Smyrna) : 1
Hillsboro, FL (Tampa) : 1
Escambia, FL (Pensacola) : 3

Mobile, AL (Mobile) : 5

Gulf, MS (Mississippi City) : 1

Iberville, LA (New Orleans) : 16
St Joseph, LA (St. Joseph) : 1
Alexandria, LA (Alexandria) : 1
Pierre, LA (Plaquemine) : 1
Berwick, LA (Berwick) : 1
Baton Rouge, LA (Baton Rouge) : 1

Beaumont, TX (Beaumont) : 1
Galveston, TX (Galveston) : 5
Matagorda, TX (Matagorda) : 7
Cameron, TX (Brownsville) : 2
Kleberg, TX (King Ranch) : 1
Nueces, TX (Corpus Christi) : 1
Jackson, TX (Indianola) : 1


Non Blockaded Harbors
Those harbors that are NOT blockaded via naval units (or forts) will remove a certain percentage of the accumulated blockade (to a maximum of -16% if all are left unblockaded), as follows:

Region / (Harbor name) : / Blockade %

Norfolk, VA (Norfolk) : -2

New Hanover, NC (Wilmington) : -2

Charleston, SC (Charleston) : -3

Chatham, GA (Savannah) : -1

Escambia, FL (Pensacola) : -1

Mobile, AL (Mobile) : -1

Iberville, LA (New Orleans) : -5

Matagorda, TX (Matagorda) : -1

* I have Blocked, besides the James River ports and Pensacola (almost by default for the forts):

Wilmington
Charleston
Savannah
New Orleans (taken & occupied)
Matagorda

Apalachicola briefly (Arsenal there, although no RR connection, so it's debatable how useful this is to deny)
Mobile (briefly - RY fought back with some 'clads and I exercised discretion)

RY has also counterattacked at Savannah with Semmes

> I still have some vessels amd at least two BlkFlts to spare, a BlkFlt for me being one BlkSqdn and two BrigSqdns and a TP.

> Mobile requires two BlkFlts

> Apalachicola requires 2 x 8 pt fleets

> Matagorda denies the CSA a Card, afaik

> Look at the second list pasted: Mobile is the only one open right now.

> Look at the first list: I have almost all the major ports accounted for. Because you start out with Pensacola & the VA ports by default, the rest aren't that insuperably difficult.

You have to make a commitment. You must start building BlkSqdns early and often - they're expensive and take a long time to build. You really aren't going to start doing this mid-game - the Real Blockade won't be online 'til 1862, anyway.

Afaics, the only real counter to ironclads is either your 'clads coming down the Mississip', or the Armored Frigates, which are 360 Day builds. I've been tardy with those - you can't do everything and you do have an army to take care of, after all - in the end, it's all to make life easier for the grunts.

I made a comment to RebelYell and let him know no need to confirm or deny, but he did imply that it does affect CSA production.

I've been darn near 85 - 90% for the Blockade Value. 42% of all CSA port production probably does hurt.

Some other benefits, too, from Up Close & Personal - some intelligence and Landing Sailors.

I would urge Union players to give a strong blockade very serious consideration.

[Pocus]

We had to run the turn again and it was totally different result in the sea battles, they seem to be very much based on luck.

I think this has more to do with the butterfly effect. A battle can indeed probably go either way (from sound defeat to glorious victory) by re-running a turn, but the odds are perhaps very skewed. If you were to run the battle fifty time, perhaps you would see a victory 45 out of 50 attempts. And yet, it can go both way, defeat or victory. This is not really 'luck' here. Luck would be that whatever the forces fighting, you have an odd close to 50% (say 45 to 55%) of winning or losing. That is luck.

[RebelYell]

I think this has more to do with the butterfly effect. A battle can indeed probably go either way (from sound defeat to glorious victory) by re-running a turn, but the odds are perhaps very skewed. If you were to run the battle fifty time, perhaps you would see a victory 45 out of 50 attempts. And yet, it can go both way, defeat or victory. This is not really 'luck' here. Luck would be that whatever the forces fighting, you have an odd close to 50% (say 45 to 55%) of winning or losing. That is luck.

Well I would not be against naval battles having more chaotic results, would only be realistic.

This battle was with three CSA iron clads and US had steam frigates, in the first run I sank or nearly sank 1-4 frigates so it was a major victory.

[Gray Fox]

FYI, a Union Blockade Flotilla costs about $187, eight conscripts and 154 WS for eight ships. To blockade an actual waterway zone, you only need X number of ships, not blockade points. You would do just as well with four Union Brig units that cost about $120, eight conscipts and 96 WS for eight ships, with a savings of $67 and 58 WS. You have over one hundred 2 Brig units. Also, Matagorda can still sell cotton if blockaded (I tried that one too).

[RebelYell]

FYI, a Union Blockade Flotilla costs about $187, eight conscripts and 154 WS for eight ships. To blockade an actual waterway zone, you only need X number of ships, not blockade points. You would do just as well with four Union Brig units that cost about $120, eight conscipts and 96 WS for eight ships, with a savings of $67 and 58 WS. You have over one hundred 2 Brig units. Also, Matagorda can still sell cotton if blockaded (I tried that one too).

One problem for CSA is that Texas lacks units to build for defense, units it historically had.

[GraniteStater]

FYI, a Union Blockade Flotilla costs about $187, eight conscripts and 154 WS for eight ships. To blockade an actual waterway zone, you only need X number of ships, not blockade points. You would do just as well with four Union Brig units that cost about $120, eight conscipts and 96 WS for eight ships, with a savings of $67 and 58 WS. You have over one hundred 2 Brig units. Also, Matagorda can still sell cotton if blockaded (I tried that one too).

That would be six BrigSqdns for most zones (12 elements). $180, 12 Men, 144 WS.

BlkSqdns pack a bigger punch - the CSA might run some 'clads out there - or Semmes & Co.

[Gray Fox]

Yes, the 4 Brig units would only replace the eight ships in the Blockade squadron for the big savings I posted. The steam frigate in the Blockade squadron didn't do much to RY's ironclads. You could purchase ironclads with the resources you save by using brigs.

[GraniteStater]

And how does one get 'clads down there? You either build river 'clads, which is tantamount to what you're doing on the rivers and the Center anyway, and even if you have NO, you're gonna steam down there, past Vicksburg, etc., with the lovely addition of Hollis or Buchanan showing up in force (which they can, it's spring 65 in the game with havi & I have yet to put paid to his river fleet, not for lack of trying)? Kind of a gung-ho effort just to get some ironclads downstream, might as well take the river points anyway, I would think.

Don't tell me you'd propose building them in Philly and steaming past the Carolinas and farther south. Please don't tell me that.

The only one-on-one counterweight to CSA 'clads in the Gulf coast & lower Mississip' are Armored Frigates and they can't go past Port Hudson or so. They are good for NO, Mobile, etc. You get four of them, IIRC. Quantity is not such a bad thing, though - in the initial clash, his ironclads got some serious dents put in them. One had one strength point left, I believe.

One shouldn't strive for no casualties whatsoever - you're gonna have 'em, just by running forts. The question is, is the game worth the candle? IMHO, yes, it is.

[GraniteStater]

Yes, the 4 Brig units would only replace the eight ships in the Blockade squadron for the big savings I posted. The steam frigate in the Blockade squadron didn't do much to RY's ironclads. You could purchase ironclads with the resources you save by using brigs.

Incidentally, I haven't had much of a problem with resources as the Union in almost any start, except for $$. WS are hardly an issue, I'm trying to see if I can cut a deal with Japan to dump the excess. I've never had to Mobilize, at all, and tender Bounties just occasionally.

And in this game with RY I have Industrialized out the yin-yang. I have only two options left to choose. Even in 1.03, I don't seem to be hurting for anything except $$, and the Indy seems to help, to some degree.

With the additional funds in RC4, my experiences with Replacements and overall Money Crunch should be ameliorated, at least.