First off, this is my first game playing the full campaign (I couldn't resist) so I've made plenty of mistakes and yet I still have some questions. I'm about 95 turns left. I've fully secured my side of the MDL W-SW of Washington and have it stonewalled with 3 powerful corps. I'm about to take Nashville, I've got a 1 pt NM lead (97-96) over the Rebs, a 43-50 city deficit that should soon swing in my favor, and a solid 40 or so VP lead.
Idiot Error #1: Not correctly using the posture indications for my troops. I managed to grab winchester pretty early (I really wanted a solid Winchester-Harper's Ferry-Manassas line) and waited turns wondering why 2 divisions couldn't take a city held by depleted milita. Yeah, I wasted a lot of time by not using the red-posture setting and just taking the city on the initial assault.
Idiot Error #2: Wondering forever why I couldn't create basically an 'Army of Northern Kentucky'. The icon to get a new Army HQ built made me overlook for turns and turns. I've finally gotten one ordered, now I think I'm going to have to turn McLellan-Halleck-Fremont into a single army to burn my way down the MI river.
Idiot Error #3: Neglecting the West. Yeah, Reb cavalry and a spare brigade or two and some native division caused me a lot of trouble. Burned out a lot of my territories, killed some key rail lines before I could order and place cavalry to trap them and take them down. Turns out next time I will order a lot more cavalry early on out west to protect my key supply lines and to trap and squash those jerks asap. I had some garison's, but all were mostly light cannons and line infantry in some of the forts and surprisingly...cavalry road right by and through and past them into the area I was trying to protect. D'oh!
Idiot Error #4: Not using Cavalry correctly either. Cavalry is just too darned useful in this game as far as I can see. I can easily slide a whole unit under super cautious mode right by enemy cities and destroy their rail lines and then zip back out as a unit for fresh supplies. I've now got about 4 separate units sweeping around west of the Richmond area, quite ready to swoop down and harass.
Idiot Error #5: I tried to uber-power my ranks far too much early on. By that I mean I went for every option to build conscripts and then to add a LOT of money in hopes of building up a massive troop front from there. Problem is that I ran into a bigger problem: War supplies. All the Cash and conscripts in the world, I caused a 4% inflation for nothing (I haven't dropped under 650 in cash yet), and no supplies to fund it all. I ordered a lot of troops but have wavered constantly in the 80-120 WS range. I eventually got some good bonuses and put it into more idustrialization which tends to increase my production about 5-10 points per turn overall and after 20-25 turns I'm finally at a point where troop levels are good and I can build up a surplus so I can work on my bigger cost needs.
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Okay...questions...
1) How in the name of God does one build a depot? I've had a fully commanded stack with 2+ full wagons in union controlled territory and not been allowed to build a depot. Is there a minimal control % that must be reached? Certain troop types needed to build one? I've got to make that fatal little push from KTY northern down to the northern TEN where there are no cities and few rails and I need depots to help supply troops. Not to mention I want a few NW of TEX so I can start taking that corner of the map.
2) I'm guessing you must be within the radius of influence of an Army commander to actually get a 2+ star leader to be a corp commander? Hence why it's so easy around WAS and McDowell right now but I can't get any of my 2+ stars guys out in KTY and further west? Once named a corp leader, will he suffer penalties from being outside of that influence? I.e. Can I 'redeploy' a general to near WAS, name him a corp commander, and then redeploy him back to Louisville and have full corp leader powers? I do know outside of the radius the leaders won't gain the special attributes the army leader generates.
3) Is it normal to be really hamstrung by war supplies early on and waver to and from 80-130? Wouldn't it be a bit more realistic if the US could say, oh, buy war supplies at a high rate? I find it hilarious how there are mechanisms to increase income (taxes, bonds) and troops (drafts, mobilization) but it's impossible to get more war supplies like guns and raw iron for ships and cannons with all of the money I have.
4) What is the hardest victory for the north, in your opinion? Crushing the CSA's morale to only 25 points? Taking all of the objective cities? Somehow I think you'd smash their morale and ability to fight in terms of production and income if you've taken most of their major cities if not all. Has anyone taken the cities but not won in the NM way or does pursuing one usually create a sub 25 NM victory?
5) Not so much a question but a thought. Why can't Cavalry have a separate 'scouting' posture. Honestly, in the Civil War half the point of cavalry was to scout the position ahead by 2-3 days. They'd be at the front of any planned maneuvres and spread out into companies and investigate regions. A lot of the time they'd run into other cavalry and lead into small skirmishes before and after big infantry battles. But a cavaley unit in a region adjacant to a division of the enemy should be able to find out where the division is and successfully scout its overall size and strength with some stealth.
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merlin2530
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- Joined: Sun May 25, 2008 5:51 pm
good idea # 5 ...a reduction to fog of war by cav; I hate waiting for the spys
#3 is kinda funny tho n shows your modern age thinking; In todays world $=any raw materials, not so ACW time period.
#4 Hmmm almost impossible to crush the confed morale in game-play; as this is true historically as the upstart Rebs were determined to fight to their last breaths.
#3 is kinda funny tho n shows your modern age thinking; In todays world $=any raw materials, not so ACW time period.
#4 Hmmm almost impossible to crush the confed morale in game-play; as this is true historically as the upstart Rebs were determined to fight to their last breaths.
------Ahhh the generals, they are numerous but not good for much.------
The Civil War is not ended: I question whether any serious civil war ever does end.
Author: T. S. Eliot
New honorary title: Colonel TROLL---Dont feed the trolls! (cuz Ill just up my rank by 1 more post!)
The Civil War is not ended: I question whether any serious civil war ever does end.
Author: T. S. Eliot
New honorary title: Colonel TROLL---Dont feed the trolls! (cuz Ill just up my rank by 1 more post!)
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merlin2530
- Conscript
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun May 25, 2008 5:51 pm
Well this didn't last long...
- Shortly after my post and i think right at the start of 1862 my war supply production shot up like a rocket. I suppose it did help that one turn in late 1861 I pushed 2 states to the highest industrialization level and 2 others into mid level. I now easily saee 5-10 increases per turn in supply.
- So once I figured out how to create an army I created one just NE of Nashville. Then the CPU (Althena I guess is the nickname?) got serious. Serious by dropping about 4 corps of troops via boat ( I spent my gunboats much earlier
) and another 1 or 2 via train through Humbolt. So first I sent cavalry and left a big FU to Humbolt, taking out the rail and establishing dominance over the region with 2 divisions. But the CPU really hammered me. Seriously, it built up a full armies worth of troops in Nashville and then lashed NE and NW with its force while I was still gathering artillary and heavy infantry units.
- Then the joke was on them. With my new Army of Kentucky under McLellan I kicked Polk's rear end. He charged Bowling Greene, I had 3 full corps ready. I lost about 7.3k...he lost 13.6k. He attacked 2 days later with another corps and lost 1.3k to about 2.8k. The good thing is that I massively took their legs out around Nashville with a huge victory. The downside was my troops got so winded I couldn't chase and take them down.
- So, the CPU left Richmond WIDE open. I have no clue why but they left more of their corps SW and W of Richmond. So while I screwed around with Charlottesville I led the leading corp of my army down from Fredericksburg and right into Richmond and sacked it with only a 2k troop loss. Not a corp within 2 regions of its capital.
- The windfall in VP and NM was massive. I pumped in a lot of money into the coffers and built a massive wave of troops. I added militia heavily across the W and NW to better stunt cavalry leaks, added a bunch of river transports, stocked my water and rails back up to the middle of two-thirds, and ordered a solid half a dozen new units as well across the Midwest and East. Now I plan to push the line south of Richmond and then sweep a corps east to Norfolk and Ft.Monroe and once that's done in a half a dozen turns, start ripping apart the south from there.
- Shortly after my post and i think right at the start of 1862 my war supply production shot up like a rocket. I suppose it did help that one turn in late 1861 I pushed 2 states to the highest industrialization level and 2 others into mid level. I now easily saee 5-10 increases per turn in supply.
- So once I figured out how to create an army I created one just NE of Nashville. Then the CPU (Althena I guess is the nickname?) got serious. Serious by dropping about 4 corps of troops via boat ( I spent my gunboats much earlier
) and another 1 or 2 via train through Humbolt. So first I sent cavalry and left a big FU to Humbolt, taking out the rail and establishing dominance over the region with 2 divisions. But the CPU really hammered me. Seriously, it built up a full armies worth of troops in Nashville and then lashed NE and NW with its force while I was still gathering artillary and heavy infantry units.
- Then the joke was on them. With my new Army of Kentucky under McLellan I kicked Polk's rear end. He charged Bowling Greene, I had 3 full corps ready. I lost about 7.3k...he lost 13.6k. He attacked 2 days later with another corps and lost 1.3k to about 2.8k. The good thing is that I massively took their legs out around Nashville with a huge victory. The downside was my troops got so winded I couldn't chase and take them down.
- So, the CPU left Richmond WIDE open. I have no clue why but they left more of their corps SW and W of Richmond. So while I screwed around with Charlottesville I led the leading corp of my army down from Fredericksburg and right into Richmond and sacked it with only a 2k troop loss. Not a corp within 2 regions of its capital.
- The windfall in VP and NM was massive. I pumped in a lot of money into the coffers and built a massive wave of troops. I added militia heavily across the W and NW to better stunt cavalry leaks, added a bunch of river transports, stocked my water and rails back up to the middle of two-thirds, and ordered a solid half a dozen new units as well across the Midwest and East. Now I plan to push the line south of Richmond and then sweep a corps east to Norfolk and Ft.Monroe and once that's done in a half a dozen turns, start ripping apart the south from there.
Welcome to the forums!
Comments:
2) It's interesting that you considered using Mac, Halleck, and Fremont in the same army. They are all crappy fighters with low strategic ratings. Mac and Halleck have training ability so they are perfect wherever you concentrate new recruits. Fremont has the hated occupier trait which is good in disloyal regions. I tend to use him in the west for a while then send him on a coastal invasion.
3) I defend MO by destroying all the depots and indian villages west of St. Louis. The rebs love to raid IL, IN, and OH. It is necessary to garrison the depots in these states. However I counsel not to garrison the basic settlements (for example, Peoria, etc) because the loyal population will rejoin you and give you a free militia. Don't worry too much about raids that pillage and destroy track. I always try to counter the raids and repair damage with fewer forces than the enemy is using.
5) WS should not be a big problem for the Union. Make sure you put lots of transports in the shipping box. Build more militia and light artillery, and hold off on the heavy stuff.
Questions:
1) You may be unable to build a depot if your wagons are in the same stack as a locked unit. Try peeling off 2 wagons into a separate stack and then building.
3) see comment 5. If you do decide to industrialize the north, DE is probably the best state to do it.
4) It is easier to get Union NM over 185 than to get CSA NM below 25, in my experience.
5) There is an evade combat order in the movement options tab. At an abstract level cav do screen larger forces. Their detect/hide values are good.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
Comments:
2) It's interesting that you considered using Mac, Halleck, and Fremont in the same army. They are all crappy fighters with low strategic ratings. Mac and Halleck have training ability so they are perfect wherever you concentrate new recruits. Fremont has the hated occupier trait which is good in disloyal regions. I tend to use him in the west for a while then send him on a coastal invasion.
3) I defend MO by destroying all the depots and indian villages west of St. Louis. The rebs love to raid IL, IN, and OH. It is necessary to garrison the depots in these states. However I counsel not to garrison the basic settlements (for example, Peoria, etc) because the loyal population will rejoin you and give you a free militia. Don't worry too much about raids that pillage and destroy track. I always try to counter the raids and repair damage with fewer forces than the enemy is using.
5) WS should not be a big problem for the Union. Make sure you put lots of transports in the shipping box. Build more militia and light artillery, and hold off on the heavy stuff.
Questions:
1) You may be unable to build a depot if your wagons are in the same stack as a locked unit. Try peeling off 2 wagons into a separate stack and then building.
3) see comment 5. If you do decide to industrialize the north, DE is probably the best state to do it.
4) It is easier to get Union NM over 185 than to get CSA NM below 25, in my experience.
5) There is an evade combat order in the movement options tab. At an abstract level cav do screen larger forces. Their detect/hide values are good.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
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