Industrialization or blockade runners?

[Baste]

What is more profitable for the CSA? Industrialization or blockade runners? I did not count, but it seems to me that or blockade runners bring more income. Perhaps playing against a player (Now I'm playing against the AI) blockade runners is not as effective, because player can expose more ships.
I want to hear your opinion.

And another question. At CSA can reduce the level of blockade?

[Ace]

Industrialization.
Brigs cost 40 $ and WS. It takes a lot for ROI. And that is without your ships getting sunk which can always happen.

You cannot reduce blockade unless Brits come in and chase Union ships away. You could send more brigs though.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Industrialization. The runners seem far more likely to sink thus far. Industrialize first and then bring in your ships in groups to spread the damage done by the Union fleets.

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

Go for Industrializtion. (No I'm not just jumping on the band wagon)

[Baste]

Thanks for the answers.

Does it make sense for CSA, to build warships that would fight for the window of the blockade?

Does it matter how the blockade runners are located inside the window of the blockade. All one stack or each separately?

[Ace]

CSA cannot break the blockade, they cannot build large enough fleet, unless half of North is already taken.
Single units stacks are more difficult to catch but I would keep them together because damage is then spread on multiple ships, not concentrated on single one.

[ancient seaman]

Early on runners are fine since the blockade isn't strong enough,eventually you will have to industrialise somewhat,truth to be told the CSA has to make a mix between setting industrial base/importing things/strengthening the army and you shouldn't be able to do all of them easily.

[Ol' Choctaw]

I would be a little leery of that. Even with only the 35% starting blockade I keep losing ships in the early turns. I don’t mean just individual elements either. Whole squadrons or even two in a single turn.

The blockade is much more effective than in the last game, or even historically. For the first 6 months the blockade existed in name only.

[Jim-NC]

As to reducing the blockade percentage as the CSA, there may be a way. In AACW I, certain ports added to the blockade percentage if they were blockaded or taken by the union. I suspect that there is the same mechanism in 2. If that is the case, you can slightly lower the percentage by taking those ports back (if union controlled). I don't have a list of the ports for 2, but I did (still do I think) have the list from AACW I.

If this is still the case, then the union can gain blockade % by taking those ports, and the CSA can lower by taking them back. It's not a large swing, but it could be a few % points.

[Ol' Choctaw]

As to reducing the blockade percentage as the CSA, there may be a way. In AACW I, certain ports added to the blockade percentage if they were blockaded or taken by the union. I suspect that there is the same mechanism in 2. If that is the case, you can slightly lower the percentage by taking those ports back (if union controlled). I don't have a list of the ports for 2, but I did (still do I think) have the list from AACW I.

If this is still the case, then the union can gain blockade % by taking those ports, and the CSA can lower by taking them back. It's not a large swing, but it could be a few % points.

I am pretty sure that Norfolk counts for 10% of the current starting level (35%).

[StoneWall Jackson]

Industrialization is best.

To make the blockade runners you do have last longer, I advise that you set them to defend/retreat upon contact, and also the avoid setting. Since I have started doing that I rarely loose any whole ships or elements.

[MarkCSA]

Ok, I am going to be the lone dissenter here and advise Runners, as they can also generate cold hard (well, CSA dollars, so not that hard) cash. If Industrialization now generates cash (of which I am not aware at this point) please let me know!

Cash, not WS is usually my restraining factor when building up my troops, but apparantly I am weird as I use very small (but highly motivated) forces, mainly defensively (I do not see the point of attacking large entrenched stacks).

As for CSA Navy, build a nice mix of Steam Frigates and Frigates, get Semmes to lead em and raid Union shipping.

[Ebbingford]

Most of the industrial structures generate cash each turn in various amounts.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Ok, I am going to be the lone dissenter here and advise Runners, as they can also generate cold hard (well, CSA dollars, so not that hard) cash. If Industrialization now generates cash (of which I am not aware at this point) please let me know!

Cash, not WS is usually my restraining factor when building up my troops, but apparantly I am weird as I use very small (but highly motivated) forces, mainly defensively (I do not see the point of attacking large entrenched stacks).

As for CSA Navy, build a nice mix of Steam Frigates and Frigates, get Semmes to lead em and raid Union shipping.

Most Industrial structures generate 1 or 2 money per turn in addition to their WS, general supply, and or ammo production.

There is nothing wrong with runners, so long as they are not being sunk at a quick rate. Unfortunately they do seem prone to that. Industrialization is more stable so long as you can keep the Union out of the cities.

Semmes is also locked from the time CSS Alabama enters the game and never unlocked again.

[MarkCSA]

Most Industrial structures generate 1 or 2 money per turn in addition to their WS, general supply, and or ammo production.

There is nothing wrong with runners, so long as they are not being sunk at a quick rate. Unfortunately they do seem prone to that. Industrialization is more stable so long as you can keep the Union out of the cities.

Semmes is also locked from the time CSS Alabama enters the game and never unlocked again.

I merge my runners into single fleets, as soon as you have about 4-5 in a fleet, you should be safe from (most) Union ships. Semmes locked is being looked into by AGEOD as far as I know. Even without a leader the SF + F fleets seem to do ok on sinking the Union shipping and economy.

[Baste]

Yes, Industrial structures generate money. For example, Arsenal generates + 2 money, Powder Mill +1 money. This can be seen by hovering on the structures in the city (Click + Ctrl on the city).

What it means - Land Constr. Capa.:?

[willgamer]

Be sure to examine what you are receiving per dollar invested with industry.

For example (Union), best return for money invested: profit/turn are Armory and Arsenal- 25:1, then Powder Mill- 50:1, lastly Iron Works- 100:1.

[Ol' Choctaw]

For the Union it is just some place to spend money and WS. The CSA actually need money, WS, and Ammo.

[sorta]

For the Union is their a trade-off between putting transports into the merchant fleet vs building an armoury?

[Captain_Orso]

I haven't collected any statistics for ROI (Return on Investment) for the Union in CW2, but I suspect it is not so very different from AACW relative to the income levels.

Putting transports in the Shipping Box will generally bring a lot of cash. Looking back to a game in AACW, in Early Feb. '62 with 97NM I have 37 transport squadrons in the shipping box and took in $134 and 4WSU. At that time my income from cities etc as about $137. So it was practically doubled.

Just over a year later at 63NM with 39 transport squadrons in the Shipping Box I was still getting $122 from shipping and $107 from cities. How much you get depends on your NM.

In a CW2 game in Late Nov '62 with only 9 transport/merchantman squadrons in the Shipping box and at 108NM I see $60 and 14WSU from shipping with $476 from cities (yes, far more income, but everything is also more expensive). Judging from that, shipping income may be a bit lower, but if you just want cash, it's probably the way to go, to some extent at least.

But the ROI will at some point start to level off. You don't gain the same for each additional squadron in the Shipping Box. Count on about only 95% for each additional squadron, although it's a curve and not a straight line.

Also remember, the more raiders the South puts into the Shipping Box, the less the Union will get from shipping.

[Pat "Stonewall" Cleburne]

Shouldn't it cost the CSA money to operate these industrial structures once they are built? Someone has to pay for what gets produced.

[Captain_Orso]

Yes, you do every time you purchase a unit.