How does one take a fort or other such structure, especially when held by numbers?

[LCcmdr]

How does one take a fort or other such structure, especially when held by numbers?

As the Union, I had difficulty getting down the MS River due to the pesky forts. As the CSA, I can take Ft. Sumter but nothing more to date. How, then, is this done? I'm frustrated!!!!!!


And, why are RR lines in my territory repaired without my knowing or doing?

Thanks fellow warriors.....

[LCcmdr]

To add to this ......


As Grant, I failed to take the MS River Redouts for several tries, finally amassing > 4:1 odds. As the CSA, I can't yet produce or spare such troops. Perhaps, just keeping the fort bottle up and forcing the Union to supply and augment it is enough.

[Cromagnonman]

If you are US against AI, those forts should be a cakewalk. The mortarboats are a must on the Mississippi, way more mobile than the siege artillery; you should also be blockading them. Your beseiging force should have plenty of artillery, and should have >75% MC in the region. Also you can use the landmine RGD. I usually use Pope for seiges while Grant is free for pitched battles

[ArmChairGeneral]

First thing to consider is not Assaulting and just sieging until they surrender. If you outnumber them and have enough artillery to make breaches then they will soon surrender when they realize they cannot win. It can take several turns but you gain 1 or 2 NM and eliminate the enemy without a fight.

If you have good intel, and know that you are 3:1 odds or better you should be able to take them down with an assault. Wait a turn or two before assaulting: you want to make sure your cohesion is fully recovered, get a breach or two, and give them a chance to surrender. Once you have everything in order, go ahead and assault. Sometimes I assault if I think I can net more NM through eliminating them in combat (they won't be able to escape) or if I want to get my leader some experience or a promotion. Usually I just siege til surrender because then I don't have to pay for replacements

[LCcmdr]

First thing to consider is not Assaulting and just sieging until they surrender. If you outnumber them and have enough artillery to make breaches then they will soon surrender when they realize they cannot win. It can take several turns but you gain 1 or 2 NM and eliminate the enemy without a fight.

If you have good intel, and know that you are 3:1 odds or better you should be able to take them down with an assault. Wait a turn or two before assaulting: you want to make sure your cohesion is fully recovered, get a breach or two, and give them a chance to surrender. Once you have everything in order, go ahead and assault. Sometimes I assault if I think I can net more NM through eliminating them in combat (they won't be able to escape) or if I want to get my leader some experience or a promotion. Usually I just siege til surrender because then I don't have to pay for replacements

How does one army parle surrender with the other (via human vs AI)?

[LCcmdr]

BTW, I'm in an easy AI game (on vacation, basically 24/7 indulging myself)--just learning how to play--and experienced the answer to this question: 75k Union troops descended upon Manassas (Beaureguarde, 14k, defending with adjacent access to 3k more). Yes, I lost; but in the one turn, the Yanks sacrificed nearly 1/5 of that assemblage. Most of my primary divisions--all spec'd out with sharpshooters and arty--suffered nearly 75% casualties--BUT walked away with all that experience to fight another day.

Learning to play this monster is fun!!!!

[Cardinal Ape]

Any force besieged in a structure that has run out supplies can surrender. You just sit and wait for them to eat all their food and they will eventually surrender. There is nothing you need to do in-game.

[ArmChairGeneral]

That is what you are looking for, making the enemy attack you on unfavorable terms. If you had had 25000 men the Union would have been in a world of hurt. Did you gain any NM?

[LCcmdr]

That is what you are looking for, making the enemy attack you on unfavorable terms. If you had had 25000 men the Union would have been in a world of hurt. Did you gain any NM?

Yes, with that and a string of West victories (I'm in Iowa, Kansas, IL, IN, and just took Cincinnati, OH), I went from 113 to 121. It's so slowwwwwwwwwww. The biggest hit is on the Union moral, which has dropped to low 80s.

wheeeeeeeeeeee

[Gray Fox]

Back to OP.

Grant and some other Generals have a special ability to aid in sieges. Pontoon units have a similar ability as do some big guns. Since these are different icons, I believe that the effect is additive. So don't pound nails with a screwdriver. Use the right tools for the job. Here's a link that explains things:

http://www.ageod.net/agewiki/Sieges_and_breaches

Forts are like fly paper, though. Let a big army sit on one, waiting for it to hatch and your opponent gets a green light to attack elsewhere. Athena may be too much of a lady to exploit this, but not all of us are gentleman. Good luck!

[pgr]

In my experience, the river forts aren't too difficult to take. A full division with arty tends to do just fine even when assaulting straight away. Now if there is a division sized force in there...then you do have a bit more of a challenge. Of course, if there is a really big force in there, it is actually to your advantage because they will suffer overclouding penalties.

Oh, and the guy who talked about mortar boats, how do you use them. Do you just park them next to the fort, or do you have to activate shore bombardment for them to work? (when ever I have mortar boats set to shore bombardment against a fort...I tend to loose a lot of mortar boats.)

[Cromagnonman]

Mortarboats just have to be adjacent, no special setting