I want Kentucky & Bowling Green

[Coregonas]

Hi all.. I have tried to achieve a CSA double success in Kentucky, but always failed!

Objectives:

1) Capture Bowling Green AND
2) Turn Kentucky a CSA state

I believed the main event launcher was militia attack.

But seems to me building a militia in a void city () kicks my ass and gives Kentucky to the Federals.. When my Lexington CSA-militia-garrisons is out of the city and a new militia is build there, the invasion event goes wild... and KY is for the north.

If I assault Bowling Green, well... I got a best defensive position, but lose KY as well.

If I dont build / dont go for B.G. -> bad final results... Well KY is CSA useful of course, but not enough--->

some ideas?

[stars&bars]

When I used to play on the normal setting, taking Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville & even St.Louis is achiveable. Now I play on the Hard setting, I cant afford to send a force past BG, as the Union will overun me around Nashville. Usally now I like to hold a strong line with Paducha-Island10-Fort henry & Donalsen-Nashville. I know Louisville is an objective city, but it is achiveable to win the game, by holding your ground and winning battle victories over the Union, and keeping them back.

[Coffee Sergeant]

PBEM or AI? If PBEM, I don't bother about it too much (although Kentucky does give you access to some nice units that you will cap out at later in the game) The west is hard enough to defend as it is, and if you make a grab for Kentucky even if you beat the Union army their navy can easily cut you off if the Union makes an early move for Donelson. Defending Donelson properly means ceding something else (Missouri & Arkansas, Texas). But thats just my opinion.

[GlobalExplorer]

I've seen it too: build one militia in Kentucky and the CSA incades Kentucky event is fiured, meaning it will go for the north.

Another mistake I made: transfer a general to Springfield. It appears in that case I dont get Sterling Price -> means that I dont get the 20% partisanship bonus he supplies -> means that Missoury also turns Union (at the moment rebel support in most regions has dropped to 40%).

Well, securing the border states is important if you are the CSA, but a lot can go wrong ..

[GlobalExplorer]

PBEM or AI? If PBEM, I don't bother about it too much (although Kentucky does give you access to some nice units that you will cap out at later in the game) The west is hard enough to defend as it is, and if you make a grab for Kentucky even if you beat the Union army their navy can easily cut you off if the Union makes an early move for Donelson. Defending Donelson properly means ceding something else (Missouri & Arkansas, Texas). But thats just my opinion.

In my last game I built a stack in Texas and moved it to Arizona, and from there on to Missouri. This really worked well.

I have defeated the Union in Ft. Donelson with the usual two stacks in Nashville and Paducah, and if it hadn't been for the winter weather, I could have attacked St.Louis with all three stacks. But now I am expecting them to regain their strength until the weather has improved.

[arsan]

I've seen it too: build one militia in Kentucky and the CSA incades Kentucky event is fiured, meaning it will go for the north.

Another mistake I made: transfer a general to Springfield. It appears in that case I dont get Sterling Price -> means that I dont get the 20% partisanship bonus he supplies -> means that Missoury also turns Union (at the moment rebel support in most regions has dropped to 40%).

Well, securing the border states is important if you are the CSA, but a lot can go wrong ..

Hi!
Misouri case is different. The system is much more straightforward than in Kentucky.
It all depends on the St Louis Massacre event which have a 60% chance of happening in the first turns of the April campaign.
If the event fires, USA gets Lyon and some troops and the CSA gets Price some milita and a heavy shift towards pro southern on the Missouri loyalty.
If the event does not fire, there are no free leaders or units for either side and Missouri will remain pretty neutral on loyalty
There is no more. It does not mind if you send troops or leaders to Springfield or anywhere in the state.

About Kentucky, the vanilla events doesn't seem to work to well. Specially against the Ai who will always mange to get the state against her by attacking first leure:
I have not tried it, but Clovis seems to be working on a very complete and interesting set of events for his mods about KY. Maybe in the future his system could be discussed for inclusion on the vanilla...

Regards
Regards

[GlobalExplorer]

Thanks I didn't know that about the St Louis Massacre. Yes but now that you said it, it did indeed not fire.

And yes, I aslso learned to not do anyhting in Kentucky until the AI does it first

[MarkCSA]

This explains why I have it so easy I've had the massacre twice and the AI always attacks Kentucky, beating the population firmly into my open arms.

[Cleburne]

This is my little tip for taking bowling and louisville on normal setting , At the start only use the Vol brigade to take Fort Sumner , tthen put the rest on a train to take bowling green just assualt it should take 38 days 3 turns , while doing that Gen Polk becomes active form a Div with him with you units he has and by rail or boat take Paduach.By this time you will have bowling green , leave 1st Tenn at paduach , move Polk to Bowling combine rest of forces there and move up to louisville , that should secure Kentucky just remember to reinforce Kentucky form Tenn instead of trying to reinforce the army east this seems to work fine for me .

[Coregonas]

This is my little tip for taking bowling and louisville on normal setting , At the start only use the Vol brigade to take Fort Sumner , tthen put the rest on a train to take bowling green just assualt it should take 38 days 3 turns , while doing that Gen Polk becomes active form a Div with him with you units he has and by rail or boat take Paduach.By this time you will have bowling green , leave 1st Tenn at paduach , move Polk to Bowling combine rest of forces there and move up to louisville , that should secure Kentucky just remember to reinforce Kentucky form Tenn instead of trying to reinforce the army east this seems to work fine for me .

This way loyalty goes to the north... Although you have of course a good defensive ground...

Seems CSA has little options to decide on KY loyalty... As seems USA can send lots of troops easily thorough the railroad to Bowling Green (the key to an easy defense of the area) without turning KY a rebel state.

[GlobalExplorer]

At the start only use the Vol brigade to take Fort Sumner , tthen put the rest on a train to take bowling green just assualt it

I also did that and railroaded half of the Carolina force to the West (the other half assault Fort Sumter). I used these early reinforcements in an (inconclusive) attack on Cairo, but in the end I was at least strong enough to take Paducah.

But in the end it is as you said. The earlier you get forces to the West, and defend the strategic towns, the better.

[Hilti Rebel]

You can take Sumnter with just the Volunteers. I send 1 brig to Paducah to help Polk's assault, and the other brig and the two cannons to assualt Bowling Green with a general or two from the East.
Split the Cavalry out of Polks command and river transport it to Cairo and you'll get there, can destroy the depot and leave just as the union troops arrive.
I then use the troops in B.G. and the brig I loaned to polk to Threaten Louisville and reinforce Lexington. I lost Lexington temporarily and after I re took it got an event message of Kentucky sucedes from the Union! I don't know exactly what triggered it but I can't complain, I have the strategic position and the state in the CSA.
I did get the usuall message of CSA invades Kentucky earlier.

[Coregonas]

Rare event this... So
Seems first you assaulted B.G. / Paducah

But if you lost lexington, this means the USA attacked you also in KY?

It was the same turn?

If USA attacked you first, this explains the event.

[Mangudai]

I play on hard settings and I find taking Louisville is very doable for the CSA in 1862 and after. It's too hard in 1861 though.

Supply lines are key in the west.
It is fairly easy to destroy many of the depots in IL and IN with raids.
St. Louis is the first major objective the CSA should try for.
Cairo is easy pickins after St. Louis.

With these objectives accomplished the CSA can concentrate forces in Nashville and whoop butt.

The US might sneak down to Memphis or Vicksburg and capture them, but with their chain of depots broken, they wont be able to capitalize on the victory, and CSA should be able to retake them.

Oh yeah, I should mention that to accomplish my first three objectives in the west on hard settings I had to borrow 2 divisions from VA, that led to disaster but I managed to hold Richmond.