Ace (CSA) vs Aurelian (US)

[Ace1_slith]

Hi everyone, I'll be doing an AAR. This will be my first AAR, so do not be harsh with your comments.
We will use standard game rules, with no special house rules regarding raiding.
About my game plan, I try to be offensive strategically and defenive tactically.
Initial CSA is stronger, so I'll use this advantage to grab good defensive positions.

In the East, this is obviously Manassas, with 10 NM penalty for US if I hold it by mid September.
In WV, I will try to be thorn in his side, raid and plunder the coun. If I can grab Pittsburg, it will be a mayor addition to my WS production.
Going after Washington would be too much, and going after Baltimore would compromise hold to Manassas plan.

In the Heartland, with Ky locked, Cairo and St Louis are obvious targets. Controling them controls the Mississippi, so I can thus negate his advantage in river ships later on.

In the far west, I'll try to build up forces to grab Colorado mines. Those are nice source of income. I'll try to do that before his Califorina forces can join the fight.

[Ace1_slith]

First few turns are standard, with bond and taxes being collected, fort Sumter taken. My first post is on turn 4. I chose to redeploy Carolina Department starting forces to Western theater.
They are boarding ships in Memphis and heading on to Cairo. There are few forces US can muster there so taking Cairo should be easy. Holding it will be the difficult part:

[Ace1_slith]

I am planning big purchases in far west theater in preparation of taking Colorado mines:

[Ace1_slith]

I am also preparing the terrain with some undercover action behind the lines:

[Michael T]

Is not that just going to alert the enemy you are planning something in that region?

[Ace1_slith]

It could, but I am playing demonstration cards all over map. He may think I am just trying to lower his gold production. The key is to obtain over 50% loyalty. Those towns can be captured by cav and raiders. Moving infantry in far west is so slow, so this might be important. Even if I do not take it, it will lower his production.

[Ace1_slith]

No battles this turn. Winder has landed in front of Cairo. He was supposed to assault it last turn, but failed to do so. He will be attacking it now. Union has spawned few auto reinf this turn, but I should still win the city. With the Ky closed, it is the gate of Mississippi.



No conscripts for recruiting units, so I chose to invest in armories and arsenals in Richmond, Charleston, New Orleans and Mobile.

Price has spawned this turn. I removed the state militias from his stack and went to occupy forts in IT with them. I sent the cav to Jefferson city, and the main column to Springfield.

[Ace1_slith]

Battles from last turn - two battles in Cairo, original assault almost took the city. Lyon rushed in a counterattack, but in assault posture, with command penalty, without supply wagons he suffered a defeat

Eastern armies unlock. Shennondoah army is heading to Harpers ferry and then to Morgantown, taking regions on rail lines to keep future suplly lines open.

Screenshot 1:

[Ace1_slith]

Cairo second battle

[Ace1_slith]

Cairo situation after battles:

[Ace1_slith]

First moves in the Eastern theater. I have no definite strategy here. I will see if WV move will be a raid or something more.

[Q-Ball]

That Cairo move is very clever. The only way to prevent it as Union is to build the 1 Illinois Militia unit you get there, and cross your fingers. There is no way to get any other active unit to that spot in time.

No doubt everyone will copy that, so Cairo will be taken by the Confederacy every time now

Can't blame you for doing it, but not sure I like that for game balance.

I think Union should be able to build troops a turn or two sooner to put a stop to quick grabs like that, just my opinion......

[Ace1_slith]

It was often move in cw1. What Union can do is push its gunboats south of the city in offensive mode to try to intercept my transports before my gunboats unlock.
If they fail and the city falls, Union can still outbuild csa with new gunboats built from the very start, and build some brigades (not militias) in Illinois and Ohio outside Cairo also from the very start.

CSA has initially more gunboats, but this advantage cannot last. Build tinclads as soon as you got them. Once cut off, you 'll cut out CSA forces in Cairo for sure. Starting Winder's force is small and cannot hold city without reinforcements. You will see in next posts I contested the river fiercly. But against determined Union player I would have little chance in maintaining river open. This move often results in complete capture of Winder's starting force. Some veterans called the opening Cairo gambit, some house ruled against it not because it could not been countered, but this is kind of what if CSA choosed to be more aggresive in the beggining of the war scenario.

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: Ace1
but this is kind of what if CSA choosed to be more aggresive in the beggining of the war scenario.

Good to know there is a counter. Still learning the game.

I can tell you though the South was not prepared, in June of 1861, to form a river fleet, load 4000 men into transports, and land in Illinoss. The command structure for the Southern fleet on the Mississippi was interesting to say the least. The politics at the time were not possible; Davis still hoped to be "left alone". There was no Ops sec at all, so the Memphis papers would have spilled the beans on the whole thing before the fleet sailed. And logistics......not well developed at any point for the South, but non-existant in mid-1861.

Each steamboat in Confederate service initially was captained by it's civilian captain, who was also usually its owner. So you can imagine how eager those captains were to risk their livelihood. It was very difficult to get these guys to sail together to protect Memphis, let alone steam 200 miles upriver into Union territory in the first month of the war. This silly command structure only ended after the debacle at Memphis.

It's not really a "what if" modelling history, it's purely mechanic in the game, based not at all on real life possibility

[Ace1_slith]

There is an easy solution to this. Keep csa gunboats locked a few more turns, and Foote's gunboats free few turns before. Olso Cairo garrison could pop up 2 truns before. I'll suggest it to the Team.

[Ace1_slith]

Early July - turn 7


This turn has brought some action in the East, in WV. The WV is certainly more alive than in cw1 by introducing CSA Kanawah starting armies. I have put Magruder in charge over Floyd. My choice was either retreat to Virginia or find suitable supplies since my starting position is untenable. Since Johnson is coming to my aid, I chose to try to grab a depot. Wheeling seemed a nice choice, but I frogot my opponent has something to say about it, railing troops to it. My troops were mainly militias and some cavalry, I had little chance.

[Ace1_slith]

On the Cairo front, Winder was inactive, so I put Bartow in charge and ordered to assault the city. With command penalties, and exausted from the previous turn, the assault was unsucesfull skirmish. I remain in siege though. Winder, inactive and not directly commanding anything, retreated over the river, and watched from Charleston what his subordinates were doing in McClellan style.

[Ace1_slith]

In front of Cairo, whole CSA river navy was gathered. They were met by Foote, who nearly chased an opponent twice its size. If he was in defensive mode, he would still block supply going to my troops, and he would still block troops traveling with riverine points going to Cairo. He would have better chance of blocking me. Gunboats have 4 def fire rating and 3 off fire rating, so they are better in defensive operations. And he can always take hold at all costs posture if he doesn't want to retreat (I think I had the posture on for my forces).



Naval battles consume a lot of ammo, despite what the tooltip says, and after one battle the ships have to return to port. Keeping all those ships supplied with ammo will be a great task.

[Ace1_slith]

This turn, I called for volunteers, selecting 1,5 $ bounty. It should give me 250 conscripts (same bounty gives the Union 500 conscripts).

Next turn orders East theater:

Johnson is incative, so I dispersed his army and ordered them to Morgantown. If enemy was near, such order would be dangerous, but I do not see enemy near, so I 'll disperse them with Jackson leading the biggest stack.
Magruder retreats, while second WW army will try to capture lightly defended city so Magruder can get some supplies. I overcalculated myself, and if my opponent grabs a chance, I'll be in real trouble here.

[Ace1_slith]

Cairo situation is unchanged this turn. I plan no assault, instead I'll rest and keep the siege. Lyon force is camped North of city. I wonder why he hasn't summoned more generals to him, to lower CP cost. He will have trouble dislodging me with 35% CP penalty.