Whistling Dixie : Gunnulf (Rebs) vs Q-Ball (Yankees)

[Ol Choctaw]

Let me point out the obvious in the west.

1.Build all you can afford from KY before you have to leave it.

2. Copperheads have no command costs make sure you build them and keep them safe with a fast mover or raider. They also upgrade to regulars if you put them with Taylor when he shows up.

3. I don’t see any Texas Rangers. They also have no command cost and very fast moves. They work well with Shelby or for raiding the line of forts to cut off the Colorado lines. Build all you can at this point and may as well keep them in one stack.

4. Build all your free partisans each year from your RGD list. You also have some you can build in KY you should build and the ones in Arkansas-Missouri too. They also have 0 CP but never fight with them on clear ground.

5. You should use your demonstrations in important locations. Early in the game New York and Boston are good to cut money and conscripts. Nevada, Golden Co., and Sacramento are also good places to cut the gold mines. If they are more than 50% pro confederate you may be able to capture them with a copperhead or a partisan. They don’t cost if they don’t work and you get them back if they fail.

Unfortunately the game is developed so you may only get 4 rangers. If you build them early you can have 7 plus the 2 from New Mexico and sometimes 1 shows up if the Union gets the 2 Sam Huston Cavalry in Texas. Also some of the eastern cities are now solid Union so effecting loyalty will be more of a problem.

[veji1]

How many men does Butler have in fort Monroe ? Your situation in Virginia is so good that you could just pretend to put Lee in Manassas, behind the lines, but actually prepare for him to storm to fort Monroe and storm the place at once. It is always a risky manouver, it has to be accomplished quickly, but if the Union are reorganizing and resting, they might not have time to take advantage of it.

regarding reconquering some of the Forts in the south, do you know how heavily he garrisons them ? Forts tend to become POW camps if not garrisonned enough, you could have a div led by a general with the proper fort bursting abilities grab some POWs by doing a tour of the Forts taken, or at least force him to bring more men in. The idea is to force him to disperse his forces so that you can then better use your interior lines.

[Ace1_slith]

Investing FtMonroe is risky, because, fleet at Hampton Roads can block land movement to and from the fort. So, you risk being cut off. But it is a tempting target. Getting Richmond free of the blockade should be a priority.

[Ace1_slith]

ORIGINAL: Ol Choctaw

5. You should use your demonstrations in important locations. Early in the game New York and Boston are good to cut money and conscripts. Nevada, Golden Co., and Sacramento are also good places to cut the gold mines. If they are more than 50% pro confederate you may be able to capture them with a copperhead or a partisan. They don’t cost if they don’t work and you get them back if they fail.

The problem with this strategy is Union can issue Habeas corpus on all rebelious cities. So, you are in fact spending 10 $, and the Union is spending only 3 VP to get that loyalty back up.

[Ol Choctaw]

The Union is a bit more limited in the number of these, though the use of Habeas Corpus should be more expensive than that (actually it should have a NM effect). I think counter intelligence also works on them but it is a matter of keeping up the pressure. In the end, the Union put everyone under martial law until 1866. Historically, Lincolns measures were used as the model for population control by the Russian Communists and the Nazis.

[Gunnulf]

ORIGINAL: Ol Choctaw

Let me point out the obvious in the west.

1.Build all you can afford from KY before you have to leave it.

2. Copperheads have no command costs make sure you build them and keep them safe with a fast mover or raider. They also upgrade to regulars if you put them with Taylor when he shows up.

3. I don’t see any Texas Rangers. They also have no command cost and very fast moves. They work well with Shelby or for raiding the line of forts to cut off the Colorado lines. Build all you can at this point and may as well keep them in one stack.

4. Build all your free partisans each year from your RGD list. You also have some you can build in KY you should build and the ones in Arkansas-Missouri too. They also have 0 CP but never fight with them on clear ground.

5. You should use your demonstrations in important locations. Early in the game New York and Boston are good to cut money and conscripts. Nevada, Golden Co., and Sacramento are also good places to cut the gold mines. If they are more than 50% pro confederate you may be able to capture them with a copperhead or a partisan. They don’t cost if they don’t work and you get them back if they fail.

Unfortunately the game is developed so you may only get 4 rangers. If you build them early you can have 7 plus the 2 from New Mexico and sometimes 1 shows up if the Union gets the 2 Sam Huston Cavalry in Texas. Also some of the eastern cities are now solid Union so effecting loyalty will be more of a problem.

Some very good points. I have been building all I can in KY, especially prioritised the supply of 20ib Parrotts as not many places I can build those. A major reason to hold Bowling Green for sure. But there is A LOT of infantry in that pool, probably too much really and if I built it all then half the CSA army would come from KY right now which doesn't fit with the realism play. But we have at least a Div+ of KY troops.
I have started with the Copperheads in northern Missouri and all but 2 of the Rangers are recruited and serving out in New Mexico with Baylor. I havent said too much about that theatre as quite quiet, but secure. We build a TX brigade and the rangers to protect NM and west Texas and so far not too much pressure from the Union here.
Demonstrations is something I haven't experimented with yet but definately will look into it.


Late July 62 East

Jackson pounces on Von Steirnweir's 11th Div in Morgan in 'west' virginnia nearly wiping the column out. However while personally adjusting the range of a battery a nearby 12ib exploded and killed Alexander. Thats a bad loss for the CSA and he will be missed in the coming big battles for sure.
That kicks the final Union troops in the area back north of the Potomac for now. So we need to decide whether to pursue or consolidate. Erring towards the later but there is still some summer campaigning time left which seems a shame to waste. We'll get a box of cigars and have a 'condor moment'...

[Gunnulf]

Late July 62 West

Meanwhile back out in TN the two armies were sizing each other up on either side of the Hatchie river. Beauregard took it upon himself to follow the mantra that the best defense is a good offense as the west end of the Union line at Pillow was looking the weakest. If we could get there the firstest with the mostest we could cause some mayhem. As often the first part of the battle went well dealing much death and destruction until Grant rocked up with another corps. Holmes small corps of 1 division took the brunt of this and ended up retiring to the west bank of the Mississippi. However the main CSA body of 4 divs under Beauregard saw off Grant and inflicted another defeat on the little Napoleon. Overrated? So once again we are left in control of the field although a single regiment holds out in the Fort Pillow redoubt. Both sides have taken a mauling though in terms of losses and cohesion so there is no chance of a follow up, in fact the smart move is probably to get back south of the Hatchie. We'll find out soon if this was a rash or an inspired move...

Elsewhere the second Union landings in the gulf coast have captured Fort Gadston FL. Same force as took the Mississippi delta forts so he is obviously bouncing around doing as much as possible with a single force. Probably leaving a brigade at each capture. We'll see what response we can rustle up. The important places are fairly secure for now but we can't let a single Union division suck in multiple CSA ones.

[Gunnulf]

ORIGINAL: veji1

Actually to me your Missouri situation would be a perfect use for someone like Forrest, where he could probe Charleston in force but always be mobile and able to go back to the main forces in Missouri if need be. A way to force him to invest on the left bank of the Mississippi to secure his lines, while not investing more troops on your side (you would use one of your Missouri divisions). This is the type of things you want to do to blunt his spearhead.

Very good point for sure, I am going to look into this. I have been surprised that he hasn't even taken New Madrid. He probably should be punished for this oversight. The risk of losing Cairo next would be a logistical disaster for him, but thats a tough nut to crack I think.

[Gunnulf]

Relatively quiet with mostly skirmishing in Missouri between small cavalry columns. Q-Ball trying to interfere with our supply lines there no doubt but Van Dorn beats them off. However out in New Mexico suddenly things burst into action as a Union horde of 2 divisions comes out of the desert and storms Mesila. Baylor was just on route to see about heading to Tuscon and we were caught on the hop with just a small reserve force we were building up. Baylor flew back so we have fairly equal forces now, for the moment anyway. Good to see that we are sucking his forces out here too though. However, I used a partisan decision on Tuscon and it was empty so we walked into the city. Difficult to hold but that will put the cat among the pigeons and keep him cursing.

However, on the other side of the south in Florida it seems like he has 2 divisions at least landed, and has pushed deep inland to capture the plantation at Bainbridge. Seems a shame that this aspect of the game is so abstracted that there are just a few targets like this as they will always be tempting. Better to have much more of them spread out across the map. Or maybe bainbridge was the only place in south Georgia where recruits came from...

Also in Kentucky the Union are trying to outflank our positions in Bowling Green. We transfered one division over from Beauregards army but we will have to evacuate in the not too distant future for sure.

[Gunnulf]

Back east its trench warfare along the potomac. He has noticably more troops but clearly not the quality yet to make any progress. Likely he will accept this and formulate some fox-like plan to land somewhere by sea soon but if he pulls too many troops away I am not averse to the idea of an offensive. We'll see...

So here are the stats so far. Looking reasonably realistic and they speak for themselves really. We are ahead in all measures but not to the point that they can't be closed and reversed at any point. We have parried most of his blows and are doing better than historically in KY & MO. But no killer victories in VA or TN, just bloody noses, and time is marching on. I predict the best we can do is a small points victory as NM always regresses to the mean and its tough to get the Union to breaking point I think. But on the flipside he has got to mount some difficult and bloody assaults to really make some progress in the next 12 months, unless he goes for the economic strangulation route completely.

[Ace1_slith]

Hi, Gunnulf. Your style of play has made a very interesting game to read about, with lots of won battles. But, do you feel your strategic defensive/tactical offensive strategy has bled your resources dry, like in RL. Wouldn't the different approach to conserve CSA troops be more prudent as was historically advocated by gen Johnston and Longstreet.