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"I have noticed in this game if your men are not well trained and rested, you don´t have anything."

It is very important. It directly effect the munber of MP's you have which translates into how many shots per turn you can get off and the causalties you cause.

"Unit quality seems VERY important, not numbers."

Number can be important. There is nothing worse then firing your last shot half way through the fight

Building high experianced full strength units takes a long time but it can be done.
There are basically two ways to get an 80+ experianced unit. You can try to limit the number of losses a unit gets in a battle so when you add replacements the experiance doesn't drop much or you can use the disband feature to combine two highly experianced units. If you can get a core group of full strength 80+ experianced units you can really kick butt.

July
Week Three
1775

In the Boston area Sullivans exhausted army retreats north to Portsmouth. I was hoping the British wouldn´t follow me up but Clinton & Murray did...with 9,000 men and 15 cannons. Set his Army to retreat if attacked. The British force is made up of mostly badly trained militia.

South of Boston the situation went unchanged. In the Mohawk River valley the same. Seeing Waynes readiness very low I think they need a break before continuing to that Mohawk village. His men also need training badly. His 6 cannon had a massive experience of ¨10¨ [:'(]

Those guys shouldn't have even been allowed to touch a cannon much less operate one in a battle. But at the time Wayne attacked those indians I wasn`t sure exactly what experience was nor did but now I do. So there in a pretty pitiful state. I was wondering why that cannon couldn`t hit those indians. [:D]

Once Waynes men readiness recovers though I will keep driving to that Mohawk village.

In New York I called up 2 Regiments and a militia unit and placed them under Smallwood for 2 reasons. One, because James Ward said here I need to insure that city doesn´t flip sides. It has mixed loyalty. The other because of Smallwoods training ability. I`m going to have to start building a professional Army if I`m going to be able to win battles here in the east.

National Zeal is 61.

I found out that ¨battle¨ Wayne won against the Indians was actually considered an ¨engagement¨ and I was only givin 100 points for it. Not 300.

The British have 7,700 points
The Americans have 7,700 points

There have been 1,953 American casualties and 15 cannon lost in 7 weeks. The British have lost 1,368 men, 10 cavalry and 14 cannons.

Been nice to have seen this game include the French and Indian War too.

Got the name wrong in the Pic...it`s Clinton and Murray. Morgan is American.

July
Week Four
1775
North of Boston

Clinton again moves to attack Sullivan. I had Sullivans army set to retreat I believe but he did not retreat. As such I was forced to give battle. I already new what the outcome was going to be but tried to cause as many British casulties as I could.

How far will the British chase me? To Canada?

In the south Washington and companies positions do not change and the British do not attack. That's good. They need the rest and the training.

July
Week Four
1775
North of Boston

How far will Clinton go?

July
Week Four
1775
The Mohawk River Valley

I got greedy on this one. I wanted to get to that Mohawk village and burn it to the ground so much it costed me a fight. I knew I should have waited...but I didn`t. I did have fewer casulties but morale is what counts. British score another victory.

July
Week Four
1775
The Mohawk River Valley

As Waynes beaten force falls back I recruit some riflemen. Perfect for this indian war I think and send them down to reinforce Wayne. Notice the 3 space movement by Spencer. Leader bonus. You see, I`ll figure this game out before I lose...I hope. [:D]

July
Week 4
1775

Don´t worry keep the faith! News for the week...

August-Week 1-1775

British General Clinton again moves north closing in on Portland fighting and winning another battle against Sullivan. These are not really battles now but rather a series of routes as Sullivans Army is so exhausted.

British lose 21 men
Americans 115

I`m thinking it really needs about 5-6 months rest and training before his Army will worth anything again. Once Clinton gets Portland I`m thinking...where will Sullivan get supplies from?

South of Boston British General Grey drives out Stirling from Norwich. Sterling retreats southwest and joins Washingtons Army who have been resting. This is perhaps a small opportunity. Grey just fought a battle. The forces are somewhat even and Washingtons men are probably fresher. If I have Washington attack I MIGHT be able to squeeze out a real battle victory. I`m debating.

During the battle at Norwich and being so heavily outgunned in cannons yet having cavalry the option was obvious. Charge his guns!

It worked for a brief moment and they routed a few cannon while destroying some. Having infantry support however and more guns the cavalry paid a high price for the glorious calvary charge. 90 horsemen lost, their morale broken and then running off the map, then the battle ended. British victory.

Nothing happened in the Mohawk River Valley as Wayne and his men rest. Those Rangers did join up with him though.

Game Comment- On these tactical battles. The way the morale system works is quite good. When a unit breaks and runs this effects other units close by driving down their morale who in turn may also run. This may drive down other units morale close by causing them to run! So you get like a chain reaction event. I`ve read about battles of the period how fear was infectious in them and you can certainly see it in this game. Enemy units seeing their opposition running away are given a morale bonus as well. So when one side starts beaking they REALLY start breaking!

Ahh...yes. I upgraded to the 1.81 patch.

August-Week 1-1775
Strategic Overlook


To get a better understanding for anyone reading on what I'm talking about and how all this ties together I`ve made this map.

Game Comment- I would have liked to have had an accesible 3rd, ¨strategic overview map¨ set to about this scale with the in game units on it to help get my bearings in the game but it doesn`t come with one. The little jump map you can access next to the panel on the left is fine for jumping around the map but the scale is zoomed out so much that as a strategic overview map it`s pretty useless.

August-Week 2-1775
Victory at Norwich

After debating with myself if I should attack the British at Norwich and looking Washingtons Army over well I decided to attack.

Washingtons Army consisted of

7,403 Infantry
873 cavalry
59 cannons

...and I must say such a large Continental army looked mighty impressive setting up on the field.

Greys Army consisted of

3,629 Infantry
281 cavalry
38 guns

I held a decent numerical advantage against the British but these were Redcoats and so far these guys had thrashed me around like a child. This was not to be the case this battle. Washingtons Army was well rested and the British had just pushed Stirling out of Norwich the turn before. I had 3 of my best leaders combined. Washington, Morgan & Putnam. I also got a good initial setup against the British. The battle lasted 34 turns and over this time the Continentals really pounded the British. The Redcoats never did entirely break and run. At the end of the battle we were reduced to Bayonet charges back and forth as the ammunition was gone and they were getting the better of them. Still though...the Continentals won a major engagement and really bloodied the British.

British Casualties

1,736 Infantry
9 cavalry
7 guns

American Casualties

622 Infantry
37 Cavalry
2 guns

A big win for the Americans. I needed one badly as the British had won every battle up to this point and ran away with the scoring. National zeal had crashed as well. After this victory national zeal sits at 58.

So Washingtons army marches into Norwich in triumph. North of Boston Sullivan continued to run from Clinton. I`ll have him run to Fort Western. In the Mohawk River Valley Wayne and his men still sit resting in front of 1,000 angry indians.

August-Week 3-1775
Indians on the Warpath

In the east Washington´s army sat at Norwich recovering from his huge win last week. In the north it does look like Clinton is going to chase Sullivan all the way to the artic if need be to destroy his army. Sullivan will soon be at Fort Western so I`ll try to have him hold up there. It is a fort. I`ll have to check the rules to see how all that works.

But the real scene of action occured in the Mohawk River Valley where 900 indians turned into 2,000 under Colonel Sharpe and they attacked.

The easily over ran Sullivan & Gansevoort cannon or no cannon. Indians move fast and have a high melee rating. After forcing the Continentals to retreat they attacked again in the same week. Winning another easy victory and forcing the Americans back to within 3 spaces of Albany.

So any dream of taking that Mohawk village anytime soon is now up in smoke.

August-Week 4-1775
Indians threaten Albany

Over in the east Clinton has pushed Sullivan to within one space of Fort Western. Looks like we may have a siege soon. Washingtons Army sits at Norwich, indulging in the gratitudes of the cities women for liberating them from the British. [;)]

Out in the Mohawk River Valley the Continentals have been routed back all the way to Albany. Albany itself now is under threat to be captured by these savages.

The latest battle...

2,032 Indians-vs-1,782 Continentals with 4 cannon.

The Indians lost 31 men. Continentals lost 54 men and 3 cannon.

The only reinforcements I had left to call up for Albany with was one militia. The city is fortified though but I still give it`s chances 50/50.

Game Comment- the A.I. itself in this game seems quite good. I haven`t seen it do anything I would call stupid. The tactical battles are very hard to win if you don´t have a superior force. If there is a ¨trick¨ to be found to win against the A.I. in these battles I haven`t found it. In my fight for Norwich I tried taking my 1,000 cavaly to the Britsh rear to destroy all his cannon and I had mixed results.

I destroyed 3 cannon this way. On the opposite side I lost 2 cannon from his Infantry charging my guns in that battle. In the battles with these Indians I have found it hard to even use cannon. The Indians move quite fast and seem to immediateley go to over run my cannon. So with the cannons I didn`t have as much a ¨technical¨ edge against these Indians as I though I was going to have.

Nice AAR, great screenshots! [8D]
 
I'll follow this. [;)]

September-Week 1-1775
Albany falls to the Indians

Four short weeks ago I was talking about capturing that Mohawk Indian village and now wild Indians are running through the streets of Albany! [:@]

Yes I lost a very tight battle....Albany and the entire Mohawk River Valley it seems now. In New York I have had 1,500 men training for a month....so now it looks like they`re going to get the nod to head up that way and get this Indian situation under control.

Battle for Albany....

1,806 Indians-vs-2,496 Continentals with 2 cannon.

Indian lost 226 men....Continentals, 208 men and 1 cannon.

In the east Washington still sits at Norwich. Women and drink seems to be all they`re doing now after their big victory. The ¨Revelry¨ event knocked his readiness down 30 pts so no moves anytime soon.

Sullivan is still heading to Fort Western with British leader Clinton close behind him.

Great AAR!

Remember build and train, build and train. It's a LONG game

September-Week 2-1775
Reinforcements from New York

Sullivan sits one space from Fort Western with 4,000 men hoping to get his readiness up, Clinton with 7,000 men, mostly militia, is opposite him yet doesn´t attack.

Washingtons still at Norwich preparing to attack the British again.

Smallwood leads his 1,500 men from New York he has been training for a month up to join Montgomery in a bid to get Albany back.

September-Week 3-1775
Stalemate at Fort Western.

Smallwood continued his march up to join Montgomery. The Indians seem content to sit at Albany for the moment. They are in the same shape as Montgomery and his men....exhausted. A spy told me so on an event.

Sullivan, having been chased all the way from Boston in the last 2 months has no place left to run. Having cornered him Clinton now has decided not to attack.

Clintons army is mostly badly trained militia. Sullivans is not, his men have just been exhausted.
If Clinton gives him time to rest and recover Sullivan might be able to turn the tide on Clinton.

September-Week 4-1775
Washington looking for a fight.

I`m thinking I`m going to attack again very shortly with Washington and company. His Army seems very powerful. This and the British fleet shell him about every 2 weeks or so.

If Leslie was in a position to attack him he would have attacked by now so I believe Washington has a sizable advantage.

Smallwood linked up with Montgomery outside Albany.

Sullivan and Clinton still stare at each other next to Fort Western.

October-Week 1-1775
Retaking Albany?

Montgomery now has been reinforced with 1,500 men and 6 cannon from New York. Do I attack? I'm sure these Indians are still tired because Montgomery still is.

Yet I still think it's risky. If I don`t attack I will have to fall back because of the supply situation. They are going down.

I think I give it one try and attack. I really need to get Albany back. If I lose the battle then I'll have to fall back and let the Indians have it for a while.

October-Week 2-1775
Washington wins again.

Well for the first time in this game I have seen a Redcoat army break and take to running from a Continental army. Washingtons army attacked Leslie northeast of Norwich and the battle wasn´t even close. From start to finish the Continentals beat on the British...using Morgans and Putnams fire bonus to good effect.

Forces

The British...
2,162 Infantry
214 Cavalry
31 Guns
-VS-
The Continentals
7,941 Infantry
841 Cavalry
65 Guns

Casualties for the Battle...

British...
570 Infantry
67 Cavalry
17 Guns

The Continentals
107 Infantry
32 Cavalry

Unless the British have something really big in Boston I think I might be able to push to the city.

But not all good news this week. Clinton attacked Sullivan outside Fort Western easily winning. Sullivan retreats to the Fort.

Continentals suffer 250 men lost out of 2,136.

British lose 244 out 6,802.