Northern population management

[loborugger]

Howdy.

First off, the great game. I have lost a lot of time playing it.

I am currently in a PBEM game as the Union. In a word, I am doing poorly.

One of the biggest problem is that for the last 6 or so turns, the Reb Army is about the same size as the Union Army - both more or less at 200 Infantry units.

I figure if my army is as big as the Reb Army, I have done something grossly wrong. I rarely get new militia units - about 6 to 10 new militia units in a whole year. I am hanging in the low 900s/high 800s, so I have been avoiding a draft. I am guessing that was a mistake. However, I wanted to stay close to 1000 so I could take advantage of a Strat Victory and declare the EP & start recruiting black troops. That has never worked out - won some Strat victories but couldnt get the 1000.

It was suggested by my opponent to have more drafts. However, I was under the notion that a draft gave a temporary surge of units before the recruiting dries up. Is this correct?

Any suggestions or game clarifications would be great.

Thanx

[Erik Rutins]

As a Union, the draft is really mandatory. Keep in mind that during 1861/1862, the cost of Union militia in terms of population is relatively low. In these years, the draft represents a call for volunteers and later a real "draft".

I think a well played Union can have 1 Draft (on Turn 1) in 1861, then 2 Drafts in 1862. You do want the Emancipation Proclamation, but that first draft makes getting the points and victories to get it much easier. Generally you should be entering 1862 with enough PPs to start your second draft and still be close to 1,000 so that your first SV can allow you to declare the EP.

Keep in mind the Confederacy in effect gets a "free" draft during 1862. If you don't use the draft/call for volunteers at all, they will end up keeping things too close manpower-wise. Note also that if you let your PPs get low, the cost of your militia will increase, thus drying up new recruitment as your population sees the war failing and becomes more reluctant to join up.

Regards,

- Erik

[wargamer123]

I have seen a couple of players up around 300 or so Infantry very quickly for the Union. The Draft may cost, but it is definitely worth it if you can take several key pieces of real estate

I think the key is doing it early, as Erik mentions, so that the #s force the CSA on the defense

[loborugger]

Thanx,

Also, in the same PBEM game, for the last year of the game, I have been unable to replay the Reb turn.  I press the replay button, the little graphic comes up on the screen, I put the mouse over the play icon and press it, but nothing happens.  I have to deduce what happened in the previous turn.

[JAMiAM]

That happens occasionally, and the only thing that seems to fix it is reloading the turn. If you reload from a previously played from save, it will increment a load in the load counter, indicating a potential cheat. So, make sure you mention this to your opponent if you do so. Also, you can try saving the turn, exiting and restarting the program and seeing if loading from the mid-turn save clears the viewer. Loading mid-turn saves, as long as they are sequential and not *re*-loaded, should not trigger the cheat counter.

[Treefrog]

Union must draft early and often. Provided you have sufficient supplies you will get a bonus of troops the draft turn and the turn after. I always look for opportunities to achieve conditions for Emancipation too, just to add to the bonanza.

You'll needs these guys; it takes more than 100 troops just to garrison Kentucky, Tennessee, some portions of the Transmississippi and Atlantic Coastal areas typically occupies early by the Union.

Although some have suggested that later drafts are not necessary, I continue to draft up to the point that the cost to feed them limits other operations.

When you draft, have officers in the cities the troops arrive in. This may result in training some of them before you get a chance to move them. I also set up militia training areas in cities that require large garrisons like St. Louis, Nashville, New Orleans, etc.

[GShock]

Lobo the key to keeping the CSA manpower low is by hitting their cities. You must swarm times and times again for you can produce more men than they do. You will pay the losses with PP, and leaders' death but the more you go on, the sooner CSA will deplete its manpower till it can no longer defend effectively.

It's not easy to do as it is to mention it, but if you successfully blockade the Mississipi and keep high blockade factors along the CSA coast you will put CSA on their knees. CSA has distinct mobility problems with defending Texas for example and you can gnaw them some manpower from there. Also, if you keep the pressure on the VA border you will certainly have more men in the western theater. Your gunboat production will help you control Ohio and the Confluent and it's another distinct advantage in TN/KY theater.

U need to forsake PP and call the needed drafts to keep your numbers increase. That is intended and how it really was historically. Always remember that CSA can't keep up if you keep fighting. While u will lose more men than CSA, you will have a steady flow of reinforcements while CSA won't. Then it's all about hitting the right spot at the right moment and sooner or later you will notice their lines will crumble. The most wonderful thing is ... that you think u have plenty of time but u don't because u mus make up for those PP lost. Brilliant game...nothing else to add.

[loborugger]

Thanks GShock.  I have started another game vs the A/I.  Its early 1864.  I have 240 (or so) infantry units & another 120 militia units.  I have had three drafts, and I have the EP along with black soldiers.  Meanwhile the Rebs have about 110 infantry and but a few (5 or so) militia units.

Obviously, the results are vastly different.  I am knocking on the door and about to push it in in Richmond, I have control of the River, own Tenn, most of Miss, half of Alabama, and even a good chunk of GA, including Atlanta. 

I largely followed what you said, but I also had some battles & events go my way... like Kent not joining the Confed.  It goes without saying, this game has been a lot more enjoyable!

[spruce]

I'm really fighting to win the game as the Union. I did a draft in 1861 and one in 1862. I fear to do more drafts. Generally I get the idea of winning as the Union - that is making it very hard for the rebels to get supplies and also to grind down their standing troops by jamming all their remaining factories with repairing troops.
 
However, a few things have made me concerned - the commerce raiders are so overpowered. I have Farragut and 12 cruisers fighting 10 raiders - and each turn it costs me pp. Farragut has good naval leaders attached to his stack. Very troublesome.
 
Another thing that's really annoying is the fact that Lee swarms the map like a bee. Sorry, but AC shouldn't go everywhere. I had Lee defening Georgia, next turn he was defending Memphis and a few turns later he was back in VA invading Maryland. Very troublesome.
 
My problem is to get a strategic victory, probably I'm doing something wrong - but what ?

[tran505]

Loborugger -- If you have 240 infantry and 120 militia -- I think you may need to pay more attention to training. Set up 4 itr rated officers in "training centers" like Baltimore and Saint Louis. Keep them chuck full of militia. Later, when McClellan is obsolete as a field commander, send him out training in city garrisons like Louisville. When you have a big militia turn, you can send out the fully trained infantry and use militia for garrison duty. Mix and repeat as necessary.

Spruce -- Get more cruisers out hunting down raiders sooner. They build up experience and can be the dickens to get rid of if you let them fester too long. Think of them like cockroaches. Get the "Orkin Man" out there before they take over!

- P

[loborugger]

I see your point. And maybe I you are correct. However, I usually just run militia to occupied territory. I never really worry about training them up.