Fort Pickens and Fort Monroe

[alexander seil]

July 1861 Campaign...

Fort Pickens:
What do I do with that? I'm on the first turn of my first campaign game (won Gettysburg and Bull Run a few times as the CSA first). I'm sending one general and a thousand-men SC regulars brigade down to Pensacola, and will call out all 3 units of the Florida militia. Also ordered an artillery battery in Alabama for this purpose. Is there any chance of breaching the fort walls before the Union reinforces, and will they even try to reinforce?

Fort Monroe:
I've detached the cavalry unit from the nearby Confederate force, and sent it away. The rest of the force is moving in to lay siege. Another artillery battery ordered up in VA.

What are the chances of my taking these places by August, at least? Do I have to commit more forces?

[blackbellamy]

IMO leave both alone. Just make sure all the structures within three regions or so are garrisoned by militia.

You won't be hurting the Union because it doesn't need those forts - they can land anywhere and take any of your coastal regions at will. And you won't hold them because the Union will show up with a giant fleet and shoot your guys to shit.

If some dudes walk out of Ft. Monroe, just send whatever you have sitting in Richmond to squash them. And if they march out of Ft. Pickens it means they're not invading New Orleans and besides the terrain there is so bad it's easy to contain them.

The CSA AI usually tries to take Ft. Pickens. If my supply wagon and leader make it down there they never do. If they assault beforehand they get in half the time - but it costs them around 5k men. That's five thousand guys I won't have to fight in Tennessee.

[patryn8]

The stack that you use to take Ft. Sumter, rail it to Santa Rose after taking FT. Sumter. Besiege Ft. Pickens and as soon as you have a few spare generals send them down along with one or two peices of artillery. With Ft. Monroe use a force such as McGruder with a few generals to besiege. However, use some siege artillery that you have built or taken from Norfolk. Ft. Monroe is the harder of the two to take.

[Nial]

I leave Pickens alone. Takes too many men and resources, too far away from the front. As for Ft. Monroe? Wait a few turns. Butler will either sally forth to get wupped by Magruder, or be pulled out to reinforce the forces you've (hopefully) depleted on the Virginia front. (usually within 4 turns in my games) Then you only face the 3 brigades stationed there. A much easier battle. After you take it you can use Magruder to reinforce the AoNV. Sooo patience young grasshopper. Wait till the time is right to strike. It will save you many much needed men and resources.

Nial

[Pdubya64]

I would agree with the others here. Either leave them be or watch and wait until circumstances force the Union to pull enough units out to make things manageable.
Otherwise you are expending manpower you can't really afford and losing battles, VP and possibly NM. Not worth the effort.

[PBBoeye]

I've noticed if you confront the AI in Norfolk, they bail and start moseying around in VA.