Burning Down the House

[Straight Arrow]

It's that time in the game when I'm torching the Far West.


Questions:

After the order is given to burn the house down, how does the process work?

How many days will it take?

What is the chance, percentage, that the order will be carried out?

What is the most efficient way to implement destruction?

[Cardinal Ape]

The unit you give the order to will burn the structure after 15 days, basically a full turn plus one day. You can give the unit orders to move with a destroy fort order active, they will complete the arson and then begin to move.

The destruction is guaranteed as long as the unit stays in the region for the 15 day duration.

The most efficient way to implement destruction? Ask Oppenheimer.. He did a good job in New Mexico..

But ya, there are a lot of stockades out there. I'd go for the ones with the largest stockpiles first. Maybe try to concentrate on creating large dead zones. Mounted partisans might work well to harass forts that do fall to the enemy; they have a pillager trait that lets them instantly burn depots and stockades on capture. There may be some generals who have the pillager trait as well, maybe Quantrill.

[Gray Fox]

If you have some level of attrition on, then every unit you move takes hits and costs you replacements for that unit. If you move them through harsh terrain and/or harsh weather (like a desert in the summer), then you take even more hits. So you destroy empty enemy stockades that contained GS and ammo which cost nothing to produce. However, you lost dollars, conscript companies and WS that you may eventually need elsewhere.

[Straight Arrow]

If you have some level of attrition on, then every unit you move takes hits and costs you replacements for that unit. If you move them through harsh terrain and/or harsh weather (like a desert in the summer), then you take even more hits. So you destroy empty enemy stockades that contained GS and ammo which cost nothing to produce. However, you lost dollars, conscript companies and WS that you may eventually need elsewhere.

Very true, but I’m doing the scorched earth thing in the Far West. I'm hoping that when I'm done, a crow would have carry its provisions when crossing Western Texas. It sure worked for Buckeye.

[Cardinal Ape]

I should have added that ammo can be difficult to come by in the Far West. Make sure to toast any large stockpiles of that before supplies.

If you are worried about incurring costs like Gray Fox pointed out; just use rangers. They cost 5$ and 2 conscripts, about as cheap as you can get.

[Gray Fox]

If this is a strategy for the Far West scenario, then do what you must. Otherwise, I send/rail the rangers to the east where they can be used as great scouts. That's where the war is being won.

[Cardinal Ape]

Ya, rangers as scouts in the east are truly effective, I can definitely attest to that. Though they are probably my favorite unit the game so I am biased.

Their cost is absurdly cheap, they don't get nearly as slowed in mud compared to cavalry scouts, they carry 4 turns of supplies... They are incredible.