Hi All - I'm new to the forums but had played AACW and BOA2 (more recently). Finally took the plunge for this title and WOW!!! The creators have certainly reached new heights. I was raised on Avalon Hill board games and I have to say...this game makes you not miss them anymore. Kudos to everyone involved.
I did have a few questions I was hoping to get some help with that I didn't see in other threads. Any help you can offer is appreciated. I have played one game of the full campaign mode as the Union up to April of 1862 and realized I spread myself thin in VA. Am going to start over and not try to rush things.
1. How do I access the Battle Planner? I am thinking that may be impacting some of my battle results as I am just doing frontal assaults. Want to save those for 1864/1865 I presume.
2. How do I utilize/initiate Marching to the Sound of the Guns. I believe I saw that I had to have corps setup. Do I need to do anything special otherwise?
3. In BOA2, you pretty much have to go into winter quarters and not move your units out of supply zones. In my first go around with this game, I noticed the AI was fairly active in movements during the winter months in snowy areas. Maybe a stupid question but can I be very active during the winter months. Or do I have to worry about losing troops when moving (while supplied)?
4. My troops appeared to get fatigued very easily in my 1st attempt at this. Are there recommended time periods that troops should be rested?
Thanks all and sorry about any typos. Typing from phone.
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Union Bear
- Conscript
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Hello and welcome to the forums Union Bear. 
1. The battle planner is activated if there are enough troops, and high enough generals. You don't get it for brigade fighting brigade.
2. MTSG is only usable between corps of the same army (and the army stack). That happens in 1862 (March I believe). They will automatically attempt to help each other (depends on several factors, such as distance to travel to get to battle, leader activation, others).
3. Yes, you can be active, but you will suffer losses. From what I understand of BOA (I haven't played), it's supply system is not as forgiving in winter. In CW II, you can move in winter, just don't do it too often.
4. Depends on what they are marching through. If swamps in mud, then a long time. If you look at your unit, it will tell you your cohesion, and the amount it is increasing each day. So if you cohesion is 30/80 (missing 50), and your recovery is 2.00 per day, it will take 25 days to recover all your cohesion (that's 2 turns). You can increase/decrease cohesion recovery by unit stance (passive being the best), and by being inside a town/depot (the best).
Hope this helps.
1. The battle planner is activated if there are enough troops, and high enough generals. You don't get it for brigade fighting brigade.
2. MTSG is only usable between corps of the same army (and the army stack). That happens in 1862 (March I believe). They will automatically attempt to help each other (depends on several factors, such as distance to travel to get to battle, leader activation, others).
3. Yes, you can be active, but you will suffer losses. From what I understand of BOA (I haven't played), it's supply system is not as forgiving in winter. In CW II, you can move in winter, just don't do it too often.
4. Depends on what they are marching through. If swamps in mud, then a long time. If you look at your unit, it will tell you your cohesion, and the amount it is increasing each day. So if you cohesion is 30/80 (missing 50), and your recovery is 2.00 per day, it will take 25 days to recover all your cohesion (that's 2 turns). You can increase/decrease cohesion recovery by unit stance (passive being the best), and by being inside a town/depot (the best).
Hope this helps.
Remember - The beatings will continue until morale improves.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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Union Bear
- Conscript
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Captain_Orso
- Posts: 5766
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- Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Hi brother Bear and welcome to the forum
I'm not sure what the low-water-mark is or if it's just the size of the stacks involved. About 3 or four full divisions on each side in corps and/or army stacks will generally cause the battle planner to trigger. Also, I believe the commanders, if only corps, must have strategic level 4 or higher, but I'm not sure of that.
BTW your stacks will lose cohesion every time they move; the worse the conditions the more they will lose, eg, winter, difficult terrain, low development level of the region, enemy MC of the region, lack of CP's of your stack, etc.
Always keep your stacks in supply; give them a supply unit if their size warrants it or if you are sending them into an area with little or no supply.
I'm not sure what the low-water-mark is or if it's just the size of the stacks involved. About 3 or four full divisions on each side in corps and/or army stacks will generally cause the battle planner to trigger. Also, I believe the commanders, if only corps, must have strategic level 4 or higher, but I'm not sure of that.
BTW your stacks will lose cohesion every time they move; the worse the conditions the more they will lose, eg, winter, difficult terrain, low development level of the region, enemy MC of the region, lack of CP's of your stack, etc.
Always keep your stacks in supply; give them a supply unit if their size warrants it or if you are sending them into an area with little or no supply.
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Ol' Choctaw
- Posts: 1642
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Must confess that despite playing wargames for 40 years I am at a loss with this game. Several starts on easy as UNion. By late '62 getting nowhere. CSA can field big armies everywhere. Failed attempts to get New Orleans and unable to produce enough stuff to win war and nightmare in getting big enough armies with any organization.
I have read tutorials over and over but game system defeats me - I am sure there is a great game in there somewhere. Going to get out Gary Grigsby's Civil War and have another go at that.
I have read tutorials over and over but game system defeats me - I am sure there is a great game in there somewhere. Going to get out Gary Grigsby's Civil War and have another go at that.
Chrisreb, so you know how to field units and assemble the units into Divisions and the Divisions into stacks under one commander? Tutorials are good, but have you read any of the After Action play in the "CW2 AAR" section from people who actually play the game? Are you perhaps using attrition? In my PbEM game as the Union it's late 1862 and not much has happened...yet. What overall strategy are you using?
I'm the 51st shade of gray. Eat, pray, Charge!
Trying to balance the many requirements but not enough resource to do what I need.
By Aug 62 on lastest campaign:
Arizona the one area where I have cleared out most CSA forces.
In Missouri CSA kept away from St Louis area so OK.
In Kentucky area did get Nashville but Grant not doing very well around Donelson - CSA keep getting more cohesion etc.
Fluid in W.Va. Burnside got New Orleans but got kicked out by another big CSA stack and now trapped.
CSA has 3 large forces in VA plus big garrisions in major cities so I seem to be outnumbered. Using all my finances and WS but not enough forces to do much else.
Not how the war went from my extensive reading - accepted CSA has better leaders by the US side seems so poor that even forming divisions and the odd coprs in no where near enough to get an effective Union army. Things seem so far from reality I have become a bit disenchanted with the game. Though about developing industry but so expensive it would prevent my building enything.
By Aug 62 on lastest campaign:
Arizona the one area where I have cleared out most CSA forces.
In Missouri CSA kept away from St Louis area so OK.
In Kentucky area did get Nashville but Grant not doing very well around Donelson - CSA keep getting more cohesion etc.
Fluid in W.Va. Burnside got New Orleans but got kicked out by another big CSA stack and now trapped.
CSA has 3 large forces in VA plus big garrisions in major cities so I seem to be outnumbered. Using all my finances and WS but not enough forces to do much else.
Not how the war went from my extensive reading - accepted CSA has better leaders by the US side seems so poor that even forming divisions and the odd coprs in no where near enough to get an effective Union army. Things seem so far from reality I have become a bit disenchanted with the game. Though about developing industry but so expensive it would prevent my building enything.
You don't seem to be doing all that bad actually. If you count up how many Divisions you have and go to the Objectives screen, you'll see a line about the Confederacy. It will list a number that is a percentage of their combat force compared to yours. So if the number were "50", then you could surmise that the CSA only has half as many Divisions as you. You don't need overwhelming numbers to have the right amount of force at the point of attack. Rather than attacking all over the map, try concentrating on one region until you crush the CSA on that front and then move on to the next. Good luck!
I'm the 51st shade of gray. Eat, pray, Charge!
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Captain_Orso
- Posts: 5766
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- Location: Stuttgart, Germany
My experience is, in the first two years as the Union
Once you've gotten through '62 you will start to get good leaders and then the real fun can begin
- In Virginia, only do what you must, unless it's easy. You must try to take Manassas, although unless the CS makes a mistake, it's rather unlikely. In '62 you do have a good shot at threatening Richmond, but don't take it too literally. You must put 40 elements within 2 regions of Richmond for 2 turns. You don't have to do more, so don't try to, unless there is an opening for more. Two regions away can also mean North-East of Richmond by sea. Once done, pull out to where your force is more useful.
- Leadership in '61 and '62 is crap, with the exceptions of Lyon, Grant, Kearny and Sherman in chronological order. Give them all the power you can and use them to attack where you know you will win with as many CS losses as possible so they have a chance at promotion. Grant starts as an Maj.Gen., make him a corps command ASAP. Just give an army to one of those super-crappy Lt.Gen.s, put him close enough to Grant to give Grant a corps and then move him the hell away so that he doesn't ruin Grant's stats with his crappy ones. With Grant as a one-man powerhouse you can do a lot. Use other stacks to threaten and keep the CS off balance. With enough time, even McClernand can take Island Number Ten, and there's no schedule telling you until when you have to take Ten or Donelson.
- When going for New Orleans, take Fort Pike first so that you have a stable supply basis. Then drop the hammer on NO. You can take the Delta Forts later, they don't bother you as long as you have Pike.
- The Far West is still a mystery to me. You can pump thousands of dollars into getting supply paths in place, so that you can support a reasonably sized force and the South will outdo you with no effort. All those stockades east of El Paso will keep it always in supply, unless you take and/or destroy every single one within about 5 regions of El Paso, and the South ain't gonna let you do that.
- Unless you are short on WSU, don't invest in Ironworks. Invest in Powderworks, Armories etc. Put as many transports into the Shipping Box as you can to get money and WSU each turn.
- If you need money, Print it, Bond for it, Tax for it. Don't worry about inflation or anything else. Getting troops into the field is more important.
- If you need more troops, pay for them, but be careful. The events will use as much money as you have in the bank to do this. So if you offer bounties and raise taxes in the same turn, the next turn you might get a bunch of troops --or not so many-- but you will have no money to field them. Be aware of this.
Once you've gotten through '62 you will start to get good leaders and then the real fun can begin
chrisreb wrote:Thanks for tips - may try another turn or so next week when I get a moment. I just feel the game lacks acertain level of support for the player and whilst I am happy to learn from mistakes it is difficult when I do not know what the mistakes actually are!
I think the best place to find support is right here on this forum, and we are happy to help you along. There is a let's play on youtube for the first ageod US Civil War game (called AACW) that I used to learn the game (and got me excited about playing the game). The wiki is a bit weak and I am not sure if new accounts can be created, so I don't know how good it is or how much it is updated. The manual is hit and miss and I skipped the tutorials because the let's play covered everything pretty much.
What I try to remember is that this is an indie game made by a small studio which has to undertake a lot of games to make a profit, so they will always cut a few corners (although not many). I think documentation is a big cut corner, but in recompense the people at ageod frequent this board and are very responsive. Good luck!
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charlesonmission
- Posts: 781
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:55 am
- Location: USA (somewhere)
There are also YouTube playlists for the Tutorials in CW2 at www.youtube.com/charlesonmission
le Anders wrote:Hi. Can somebody please explain the calculation for war supplies? The numbers don't add up.
If you hover your cursor over the War Supplies icon on the main game map, you will see a breakdown of how your WS were allocated. Also, take a look at your options menu. There is an option where the ai will buy replacements for you. I had the same issue...couldn't figure out where by resources were going and then discovered that the ai was making massive replacements for me.
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ArmChairGeneral
- AGEod Grognard
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- Location: Austin, TX, USA
chrisreb
I recommend playing the West Theater Scenario as the CSA for beginning players. This is a relatively short scenario (it has a lot of turns but you don't actually have that many force concentrations so is a quick play). You will get a good handle on supply, attrition, Corps vs Corps combat, MTSG, scouting, leadership etc. Both sides start with sub-optimal command structure, so you will get plenty of experimentation and practice organizing your forces, which is super important. The most important thing to realize is that stacks that are on the offensive have a HUGE disadvantage in combat. Maneuvering so that the enemy must attack you, or concentrating overwhelming force before attacking is the key to victory.
After that, play both sides of the Sibley Campaign; it is based on small units in wide open spaces within a very constrained supply situation. It will give you an in depth understanding of the supply, attrition and movement sub-systems. (It is technically unwinnable as the CSA, so don't worry if the game gives you a "victory" or not, just try to defeat the Union forces and take Albuquerque and Santa Fe and count it as a win if you do. Taking El Paso as the Union should result in an official "victory.")
If you are new to the game the full campaigns can give you a lot of decision paralysis. The Union is not able to make much headway in the first two years of the war in Virginia, so it is easy to get ahead of yourself and once you take a few big beatings you can easily get into a downward spiral situation where you have to spend too much on replacements and can't really recover. Concentrate on a "force in being" strategy for 61 and 62 in the East, and winning defensive battles. Long-term planning and focus is the key: the builds you make (in the grand campaigns) are not going to come to fruition until four to six months out, and it is easy to get distracted since there are so many things to do between now and then that it is easy to forget what the original goal was and divert your efforts to something that catches your immediate attention.
I recommend playing the West Theater Scenario as the CSA for beginning players. This is a relatively short scenario (it has a lot of turns but you don't actually have that many force concentrations so is a quick play). You will get a good handle on supply, attrition, Corps vs Corps combat, MTSG, scouting, leadership etc. Both sides start with sub-optimal command structure, so you will get plenty of experimentation and practice organizing your forces, which is super important. The most important thing to realize is that stacks that are on the offensive have a HUGE disadvantage in combat. Maneuvering so that the enemy must attack you, or concentrating overwhelming force before attacking is the key to victory.
After that, play both sides of the Sibley Campaign; it is based on small units in wide open spaces within a very constrained supply situation. It will give you an in depth understanding of the supply, attrition and movement sub-systems. (It is technically unwinnable as the CSA, so don't worry if the game gives you a "victory" or not, just try to defeat the Union forces and take Albuquerque and Santa Fe and count it as a win if you do. Taking El Paso as the Union should result in an official "victory.")
If you are new to the game the full campaigns can give you a lot of decision paralysis. The Union is not able to make much headway in the first two years of the war in Virginia, so it is easy to get ahead of yourself and once you take a few big beatings you can easily get into a downward spiral situation where you have to spend too much on replacements and can't really recover. Concentrate on a "force in being" strategy for 61 and 62 in the East, and winning defensive battles. Long-term planning and focus is the key: the builds you make (in the grand campaigns) are not going to come to fruition until four to six months out, and it is easy to get distracted since there are so many things to do between now and then that it is easy to forget what the original goal was and divert your efforts to something that catches your immediate attention.
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