Seeing the Elephant: Q-Ball (USA) v Gunnulf (CSA)
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Ace1_slith
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RE: Huzzah!
Just remember if you do not complete second on to Richmond event, there is a third ending somewhere in Sep 62. Historically, Union did get close on the Peninsula...
RE: Huzzah!
ORIGINAL: Ace1
Just remember if you do not complete second on to Richmond event, there is a third ending somewhere in Sep 62. Historically, Union did get close on the Peninsula...
I only saw two in the event, I think, but we paid a penalty. With McClellan in charge, east is quiet for me.
Oct 1862
EAST:
The east continues to be quiet; with McClellan in charge, I am prioritizing elsewhere, and I also wanted to see if a decision can be forced in the western theater.
TENNESSEE:
Tennessee has been quite active the last couple turns.
First, in Nashville/KY area, we deployed the Union Navy along the Cumberland River, cutting Johnston's 25,000 or so men off from supplies and suppport to the south. We followed that up with an attack by Rosecrans on Bowling Green, which won 1 NM and captured 2 building artillery units. Huzzah!
Gunnulf did escape, however, by bringing his ironclads over from Memphis, and clearing the river.
He did well to hold Bowling Green that long; kind of embarassing that it took me that long to clear it.
He holds a good line from Donelson to Nashville; we are probably going to have to either cross to the east of town, or along the Tennesse River, or a bit of both
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RE: Huzzah!
Oct 1862:
WEST TENNESSEE:
Gunnulf did a good job pulling out of Corinth; Memphis is secure for him at this point.
Studying the terrain here, the key for Memephis looks like Hopefield. As long as he has Hopefield, he can draw supplies from Madison/Little Rock via rail, which make cutting the rail lines south of Memphis futile. He has enough trenches to repulse a direct assault.
Meade has a corps on the west bank; he will invest Hopefield, while Grant will take a part of his army eastward leaving enough in front of Memphis to keep the Rebs pinned there
Probably I cannot take Memphis until 1863
MISSOURI:
Another offensive by 25,000 or so Rebs forces me to pull men together at St. Louis. I suceeded in discouraging an attack, as he pulled Joe Johnston's army back to Jeff City. In the meantime, I raided his supply lines, burning the depot at Fayetteville and Ft. Smith via Partisan Raid cards. I don't think he'll be able to sustain that army through the winter, but we'll find out. I don't have the strength to kick them out.
FAR WEST:
It's very strange; I occupy El Paso, and he has Mesilla; neither of us strong enough to push the other. This New Mexican standoff suits me, as I have the objective cities, and enough supplies.
WEST TENNESSEE:
Gunnulf did a good job pulling out of Corinth; Memphis is secure for him at this point.
Studying the terrain here, the key for Memephis looks like Hopefield. As long as he has Hopefield, he can draw supplies from Madison/Little Rock via rail, which make cutting the rail lines south of Memphis futile. He has enough trenches to repulse a direct assault.
Meade has a corps on the west bank; he will invest Hopefield, while Grant will take a part of his army eastward leaving enough in front of Memphis to keep the Rebs pinned there
Probably I cannot take Memphis until 1863
MISSOURI:
Another offensive by 25,000 or so Rebs forces me to pull men together at St. Louis. I suceeded in discouraging an attack, as he pulled Joe Johnston's army back to Jeff City. In the meantime, I raided his supply lines, burning the depot at Fayetteville and Ft. Smith via Partisan Raid cards. I don't think he'll be able to sustain that army through the winter, but we'll find out. I don't have the strength to kick them out.
FAR WEST:
It's very strange; I occupy El Paso, and he has Mesilla; neither of us strong enough to push the other. This New Mexican standoff suits me, as I have the objective cities, and enough supplies.
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RE: Huzzah!
Feb 1863
It's been a bit since I posted; overall, it was not a very active winter, as bad weather and snow basically halted most of my operations for 3 months. Tennessee in particular was snow covered for a solid 6 turns, with freezing in the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.
STATUS:
Gunnulf kindly did a headcount, and I shared mine. We counted mobile formations, excluding garrisons, forts, fixed militias.
Union Army has 318,000 at the new year, and the Rebs have 259,000. The ratio in the Objectives screen is higher, at 1.4 to 1, but the Union numbers on that are inflated by the Navy, and also certain Union garrisons that are pretty useless (like Boston).
The current ratio feels about right in terms of mobile troops; I have enough of an advantage to win some ground, but not enough to run over the south. At the current trajectory, my advantage should grow, forcing him to make increasingly tough choices on what to defend and what not. That would feel like real life.
In terms of the game, I think I was outplayed in 1862, particularly that attack in West Tennessee in July; that defeat halted Grant's army for a solid 2 months, and by the time we had recovered, the path to Memphis was blocked. That was well done.
At the moment, the only signifcant objectives in CSA states I hold are El Paso, Corinth, Island 10, and Jacksonville, FL. The Rebs hold Harpers Ferry, Springfield MO, Jeff City. I do hold the forts at the head of the Mississippi, which blockades New Orleands; that's helpful.
In terms of builds, both of us have punched all treasury options, and bought or drafted recruits to round out our armies. I have purchased alot of artillery, and my production is higher, though I also have to buy more Wagons and Flatboats for supply purposes than he does.
EAST
The biggest battle was out east, where the Army of the Potomac finally crossed it's namesake, and drove the Rebels out of Fairfax.
Lyon was moved to take command, having satisfied our HR with McClellan shunted aside. In his place, I thought about Grant, but decided on Lyon as our man. He is a 4-2-2 as an 3*, not a world beater, but certainly an upgrade over Little Mac.
The other factor is that with all the coastal operations (see below), Gunnulf has thinned out the AnV. Jackson has 1800 AV at Harpers Ferry, leaving Lee and Longstreet with 4000 AV or so around Fairfax, which turned out to be about 45,000 troops.
Lyon crossed the Potomac with other 90,000 men, and you can see the result below.
Next steps are to clear Alexandria, and keep attacking the AnV until they stop me. At that point, I'll likely have to reorganize, and prioritize clearing the Valley first before heading further south toward Richmond. Once I am on the Rappahannock, I think I can keep him pinned enough there to re-take Winchester and Harpers Ferry.
TENNESSEE
This theater of operations has been fairly quiet; I'll post more of a Map when we start to move.
We have a line of Corps at the gates of Memphis, from Osceola, AK, to Holly Springs and Corinth. I have Corps under Thomas, Crittenden, and Meager, with the largest under Thomas. This is the core of Grant's army, and we face roughly 45,000 men or so under Beauregard around Memphis (total Reb AV is 3500-ish)
Further north, we have a Depot at Decaturville, which is supplied via Columbus. Meade's Corps as at Dover, and on the other side of the Cumberland Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland occupies the area around Bowling Green with 40,000 men or so in 2 Corps, under Hamilton and Gilbert. The Rebs have roughly 35,000 in another army under AS Johnston around Nashville. Smaller forces guard the Tennessee river further south around Tuscumbia, where Holmes has a small Corps, plus a Cavalry division under Jo Shelby.
I plan to move along the Tennessee river in Alabama, to force him out of central Tennessee, and threaten Chattanooga. Meanwhile, I need to get into Arkansas to get him out of Memphis.
More on this later, but bad weather has precluded more than some prelimiary moves. I did get Meade promoted to 2*, so that really helps; he is a good Corps commander.
COASTAL OPERATIONS
We had some successes on the coast, but also suffered some reverses as well.
2 Divisions under Hood and Richard Anderson appeared suddenly, and booted me out of Apalachicola and Bainbridge, the production centers I took. I am loathe to lose Ft. Gaines, as I think i can keep troops pinned as long as I hold it, so we fell back, and are in a bit of stalemate there.
I occupied Jacksonville, FL, using a division under John Reynolds. I used him because I want to get him promoted, he has gained some seniority but no luck yet. A third division just appeared under AP Hill, but found us too strong to boot from Jacksonville.
Finally, we landed a small force at Plymouth, NC, and also took Swan Quarter.
I am taking some easy to take ports to keep the Blockade % in the 45% to 50% range. Apparently, even these small ports add to the blockade %.
Though I have had a couple setbacks, we are at least drawing troops from elsewhere, which I think facilitated the victory at Fairfax.
MISSOURI:
Gunnulf still holds Jeff City; highly irritating, and he has committed alot of builds to this theater; he has something like 2000 AV in central Missouri. That's alot!
We managed, via Partisans, to torch his depots at Fayetteville, Springfield, and Ft. Smith. So, I don't think he has the supplies to stay long once I move. Even better, once I chase him southward, I can redeploy my forces more quickly, while he has a long trip to Little Rock if he wants to re-use those forces elsewhere.
I have an army of around 25,000 assembled in St. Louis area, under Buell, organized in two army Corps. My leadership in Missouri is certainly nothing special.
FAR WEST:
We still stare at each other, he at Mesilla, me at El Paso. I have enough supplies now, so I am content to simply wait it out. I did send Sickels to California to take command of some Militia units and bring them to Tuscon.
It's been a bit since I posted; overall, it was not a very active winter, as bad weather and snow basically halted most of my operations for 3 months. Tennessee in particular was snow covered for a solid 6 turns, with freezing in the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.
STATUS:
Gunnulf kindly did a headcount, and I shared mine. We counted mobile formations, excluding garrisons, forts, fixed militias.
Union Army has 318,000 at the new year, and the Rebs have 259,000. The ratio in the Objectives screen is higher, at 1.4 to 1, but the Union numbers on that are inflated by the Navy, and also certain Union garrisons that are pretty useless (like Boston).
The current ratio feels about right in terms of mobile troops; I have enough of an advantage to win some ground, but not enough to run over the south. At the current trajectory, my advantage should grow, forcing him to make increasingly tough choices on what to defend and what not. That would feel like real life.
In terms of the game, I think I was outplayed in 1862, particularly that attack in West Tennessee in July; that defeat halted Grant's army for a solid 2 months, and by the time we had recovered, the path to Memphis was blocked. That was well done.
At the moment, the only signifcant objectives in CSA states I hold are El Paso, Corinth, Island 10, and Jacksonville, FL. The Rebs hold Harpers Ferry, Springfield MO, Jeff City. I do hold the forts at the head of the Mississippi, which blockades New Orleands; that's helpful.
In terms of builds, both of us have punched all treasury options, and bought or drafted recruits to round out our armies. I have purchased alot of artillery, and my production is higher, though I also have to buy more Wagons and Flatboats for supply purposes than he does.
EAST
The biggest battle was out east, where the Army of the Potomac finally crossed it's namesake, and drove the Rebels out of Fairfax.
Lyon was moved to take command, having satisfied our HR with McClellan shunted aside. In his place, I thought about Grant, but decided on Lyon as our man. He is a 4-2-2 as an 3*, not a world beater, but certainly an upgrade over Little Mac.
The other factor is that with all the coastal operations (see below), Gunnulf has thinned out the AnV. Jackson has 1800 AV at Harpers Ferry, leaving Lee and Longstreet with 4000 AV or so around Fairfax, which turned out to be about 45,000 troops.
Lyon crossed the Potomac with other 90,000 men, and you can see the result below.
Next steps are to clear Alexandria, and keep attacking the AnV until they stop me. At that point, I'll likely have to reorganize, and prioritize clearing the Valley first before heading further south toward Richmond. Once I am on the Rappahannock, I think I can keep him pinned enough there to re-take Winchester and Harpers Ferry.
TENNESSEE
This theater of operations has been fairly quiet; I'll post more of a Map when we start to move.
We have a line of Corps at the gates of Memphis, from Osceola, AK, to Holly Springs and Corinth. I have Corps under Thomas, Crittenden, and Meager, with the largest under Thomas. This is the core of Grant's army, and we face roughly 45,000 men or so under Beauregard around Memphis (total Reb AV is 3500-ish)
Further north, we have a Depot at Decaturville, which is supplied via Columbus. Meade's Corps as at Dover, and on the other side of the Cumberland Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland occupies the area around Bowling Green with 40,000 men or so in 2 Corps, under Hamilton and Gilbert. The Rebs have roughly 35,000 in another army under AS Johnston around Nashville. Smaller forces guard the Tennessee river further south around Tuscumbia, where Holmes has a small Corps, plus a Cavalry division under Jo Shelby.
I plan to move along the Tennessee river in Alabama, to force him out of central Tennessee, and threaten Chattanooga. Meanwhile, I need to get into Arkansas to get him out of Memphis.
More on this later, but bad weather has precluded more than some prelimiary moves. I did get Meade promoted to 2*, so that really helps; he is a good Corps commander.
COASTAL OPERATIONS
We had some successes on the coast, but also suffered some reverses as well.
2 Divisions under Hood and Richard Anderson appeared suddenly, and booted me out of Apalachicola and Bainbridge, the production centers I took. I am loathe to lose Ft. Gaines, as I think i can keep troops pinned as long as I hold it, so we fell back, and are in a bit of stalemate there.
I occupied Jacksonville, FL, using a division under John Reynolds. I used him because I want to get him promoted, he has gained some seniority but no luck yet. A third division just appeared under AP Hill, but found us too strong to boot from Jacksonville.
Finally, we landed a small force at Plymouth, NC, and also took Swan Quarter.
I am taking some easy to take ports to keep the Blockade % in the 45% to 50% range. Apparently, even these small ports add to the blockade %.
Though I have had a couple setbacks, we are at least drawing troops from elsewhere, which I think facilitated the victory at Fairfax.
MISSOURI:
Gunnulf still holds Jeff City; highly irritating, and he has committed alot of builds to this theater; he has something like 2000 AV in central Missouri. That's alot!
We managed, via Partisans, to torch his depots at Fayetteville, Springfield, and Ft. Smith. So, I don't think he has the supplies to stay long once I move. Even better, once I chase him southward, I can redeploy my forces more quickly, while he has a long trip to Little Rock if he wants to re-use those forces elsewhere.
I have an army of around 25,000 assembled in St. Louis area, under Buell, organized in two army Corps. My leadership in Missouri is certainly nothing special.
FAR WEST:
We still stare at each other, he at Mesilla, me at El Paso. I have enough supplies now, so I am content to simply wait it out. I did send Sickels to California to take command of some Militia units and bring them to Tuscon.
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Forward to Richmond!
ORIGINAL: Kamil
Really nice AAR.
I appreciate effort.
Thanks! Glad folks are reading it
March 1863:
As the weather heats up, so does the Union war effort. The earlier headcount had a 318 to 259 total count, but I wonder if Gunnulf is a little out of position, as I have more local superiority, particularly in Virginia at the moment.
His defense was really good in Tennessee, and I think he's defending Nashville and Memphis and other hard to defend places to gain production, but he may be forced to give it up shortly
EAST:
We attacked Manassas, and after a bloody Stalemate battle, he was forced to retreat. Jackson is still out in the Valley, and in Central Virginia he doesn't have a ton of guys.
I am a little concerned about Jackson attacking towards Washington, but I have reserves there, and I can backtrack with a Corps if I need to. Jackson has 2 large divisions, probably close to 20,000 men at Harpers Ferry.
After a couple battles, we are recovering cohesion and consolidating gains at Manassas, then we will continue to move either toward Fredricksburg, or Staunton. I would like to clear him from Harpers and Winchester, where he has enjoyed the fruits of Harpers Ferry for a year or so.
FLORIDA:
AP Hill's division attempted to retake Jacksonville, FL, but disappeared; not sure where they went. I have about 10,000 men now at Jacksonville, and we are taking all the little ports in Florida now to increase the Blockade, which last turn spiked at 60% (it is now at 45%).
The other good thing that came out of the Jacksonville move is that I got John Reynolds promoted by pushing over Militia garissons. He is moving back to Virginia. I may bring Hancock down to do the same thing.
Further west, over 1000 CSA AV in two divisions are at Apalachicola under Ed Johnson. I have 650 AV at Fort Gadsden; I am feeling a bit vulnerable. If any more show up, I may need to leave.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
March 1863: Tennessee
Below you can see the situation around Memphis; I am threatening his supplies. He can easily send a unit or two to prevent me from taking Madison, but he has to be feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment.
Not sure what I'll do if I dig a ring of trenches around the city, and he continues to sit there.
In Central Tennessee, I have ordered Rosecrans to cross the Tennessee river to the east of Nashville. This will put me in position to assault either wing of AS Johnston's army at Nashville. I also am sending the Mule Brigade to clear Murfreesboro, and the US Navy back down the Tennessee river to cut supply lines. With all this going on, he will have to think very seriously about doing what the Rebs historically did in 1862-63: Abandoning central Tennessee north of the Tennessee River, and retreating to the Mountains around Chattanooga, where I would be forced to advance down a very narrow path along the Western and Atlantic RR toward Atlanta.
MISSOURI:
We are finally clearing the Rebs out of Missouri. Gunnulf really did a good job here, and made a big commitment, but I think he's leaving.
A large corps under O.O. Howard occupies Rolla, where a smaller force under Forney had fled from. I can't even see his troops, I think he retreated all the way to Sprinfield. With that division off the board, and French's Corps approaching Jeff City, I can't imagine he'll stick around much longer.
At that point, I'll have to decide if I am going to attack toward Springfield, or transfer units to Tennessee while his troops are stuck in Missouri. I may do the latter; the problem with a move toward Fayetteville for the Union is that it's a strategic dead-end. There are no production structures either. The only reason to go is the 2 VPs per turn there.
Below you can see the situation around Memphis; I am threatening his supplies. He can easily send a unit or two to prevent me from taking Madison, but he has to be feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment.
Not sure what I'll do if I dig a ring of trenches around the city, and he continues to sit there.
In Central Tennessee, I have ordered Rosecrans to cross the Tennessee river to the east of Nashville. This will put me in position to assault either wing of AS Johnston's army at Nashville. I also am sending the Mule Brigade to clear Murfreesboro, and the US Navy back down the Tennessee river to cut supply lines. With all this going on, he will have to think very seriously about doing what the Rebs historically did in 1862-63: Abandoning central Tennessee north of the Tennessee River, and retreating to the Mountains around Chattanooga, where I would be forced to advance down a very narrow path along the Western and Atlantic RR toward Atlanta.
MISSOURI:
We are finally clearing the Rebs out of Missouri. Gunnulf really did a good job here, and made a big commitment, but I think he's leaving.
A large corps under O.O. Howard occupies Rolla, where a smaller force under Forney had fled from. I can't even see his troops, I think he retreated all the way to Sprinfield. With that division off the board, and French's Corps approaching Jeff City, I can't imagine he'll stick around much longer.
At that point, I'll have to decide if I am going to attack toward Springfield, or transfer units to Tennessee while his troops are stuck in Missouri. I may do the latter; the problem with a move toward Fayetteville for the Union is that it's a strategic dead-end. There are no production structures either. The only reason to go is the 2 VPs per turn there.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
I faced a similar situation in the AACW tournament. I trapped Longstreet with 4 divisions in Memphis, and waited. It took about 8 months before he ran out of supplies, then I panicked and attacked. And Grant's army got wrecked.
The key is Edmund's Ferry. Get a fleet of ironclads there and you blockade Memphis and you block east/west land movement. Memphis will be cut off from supplies and Polk and Beauregard won't be able to support each other.
Corinth is also vital. Make it your Army HQ and principle supply base. You can support the corps in Hardeman TN, Marshall MS and Oxford MS that will contain Beauregard, Plus you can block any attempt to relieve Memphis from the east. When you get enough extra strength you can expand the net to include Austin and move further south. Right now you look a bit short to go that far. Don't give him the opportunity to repeat his previous counter offensive.
Containment first, then strangulation.
The key is Edmund's Ferry. Get a fleet of ironclads there and you blockade Memphis and you block east/west land movement. Memphis will be cut off from supplies and Polk and Beauregard won't be able to support each other.
Corinth is also vital. Make it your Army HQ and principle supply base. You can support the corps in Hardeman TN, Marshall MS and Oxford MS that will contain Beauregard, Plus you can block any attempt to relieve Memphis from the east. When you get enough extra strength you can expand the net to include Austin and move further south. Right now you look a bit short to go that far. Don't give him the opportunity to repeat his previous counter offensive.
Containment first, then strangulation.
Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords.--Ben Franklin
RE: Forward to Richmond!
ORIGINAL: moni kerr
I faced a similar situation in the AACW tournament. I trapped Longstreet with 4 divisions in Memphis, and waited. It took about 8 months before he ran out of supplies, then I panicked and attacked. And Grant's army got wrecked.
The key is Edmund's Ferry. Get a fleet of ironclads there and you blockade Memphis and you block east/west land movement. Memphis will be cut off from supplies and Polk and Beauregard won't be able to support each other.
Corinth is also vital. Make it your Army HQ and principle supply base. You can support the corps in Hardeman TN, Marshall MS and Oxford MS that will contain Beauregard, Plus you can block any attempt to relieve Memphis from the east. When you get enough extra strength you can expand the net to include Austin and move further south. Right now you look a bit short to go that far. Don't give him the opportunity to repeat his previous counter offensive.
Containment first, then strangulation.
Excellent advice, thank you! I've been protecting Corinth, and I have depots at Decaturville and Columbus, both size 2 to prevent Partisan raids. I am still not comfortable with my supply situation, despite the redundancy, as I know Gunnulf has a large cav division under Jo Shelby nearby, and Forrest is out there somewhere.....
I hadn't considered using Ironclads to cut Polk off, I will do that. It's a one-shot deal though, as he has 3 Ironclads at Memphis.
I've actually emptied my pools of Cavalry, but the problem is of course the lack of good Cav commanders on the Union side, at least early.
April 1863
EAST:
Lee's army moved strongly into Clark; after a couple turns of getting pushed around, he unified Jackson and Longstreet, and I think brought other troops to Viriginia too, so now the AnV is up in the 75,000 range.....pretty strong.
I sent a Corps to Clark, VA, to secure the Manassas Gap and keep Jackson in the Valley, but instead they ran into Lee's army and suffered a repulse. I am now pulling together enough to defend Leesburg, while also sending smaller forces to take all the spots he left open in order to bring the army together.
He can probably either take Leesburg, or disperse and protect Harpers, Fredricksburg, but not both. If he chooses to move north of the Potomac and threaten Washington, the best defense I think is to threaten Richmond. Ultimately, my supply situation is much better, so there is that.
FLORIDA:
I am making some changes down here.
John Reynolds, with promotion to 2*, is on his way back to VA. I am sending McDowell down to command the Department of Florida.
AP Hill left Jacksonville area, and is now at Apalachicola. I am moving a division from Jacksonville to protect Ft. Gadsden, and with ships in the river on either side of Apalachicola, I can actually keep him bottled up with an inferior force....I think.
He has 1200 AV there now in 3 divisions under AP Hill, Richard Anderson, and Hood. That's a nice Corps. I have 750 AV in the field at Gadsden, plus the garrison of the actual fort.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
April 1863: West
I'm a little nervous in Tennessee; I know he has a pile of Cavalry around, I've seen Wharton, Shelby, Forrest, all commanding divisions. I have 300 AV+ garrisons dug in at my key depots, but I don't have the Cav to protect the rail lines. We'll see how it goes. Every Corps has 1-2 full wagons, so I can go a couple turns with cut supplies.
TENNESSEE:
South of Memphis, Gunnulf destroyed 3500 Cavalry under Sheridan. Beauregard moved out from Memphis, and completely annihilated it. I must have had a bad setting, because Sheridan should have been able to avoid that, even if Beauregard had Cavalry (I'm sure he did; I have Cav embedded with every Infantry Division, because of brigades that include it, and I'm sure he does too)
I don't have the strength yet to complete surround the place, so I am siphoning off troops for the push around Nashville. I did managed to capture Madison, AK, briefly, and burn the depot. That was not helpful for him I am sure.
As you can see below, we are attempting to surround Nashville. We had a setback when a lone gunboat interdicted my move over the Tennessee, leaving Gilbert vulnerable, but I hope that is temporary. Meade is not quite strong enough to assault GW Smith directly.
I also have gunboats blocking all the RR crossings down the Tennessee. He has garrisons though at Chattanooga, which is smart; otherwise i would land a division there.
MISSOURI:
Johnston withdrew to Springfield. I now have 30,000 troops around Jeff City, and he has somewhere around 20,000 to 25,000 around Springfield. When the weather clears I will pursue, and see if he wants to fight for Springfield. I also may leave 20,000 around Jeff City, and transfer 2 divisions to Tennessee.
I'm a little nervous in Tennessee; I know he has a pile of Cavalry around, I've seen Wharton, Shelby, Forrest, all commanding divisions. I have 300 AV+ garrisons dug in at my key depots, but I don't have the Cav to protect the rail lines. We'll see how it goes. Every Corps has 1-2 full wagons, so I can go a couple turns with cut supplies.
TENNESSEE:
South of Memphis, Gunnulf destroyed 3500 Cavalry under Sheridan. Beauregard moved out from Memphis, and completely annihilated it. I must have had a bad setting, because Sheridan should have been able to avoid that, even if Beauregard had Cavalry (I'm sure he did; I have Cav embedded with every Infantry Division, because of brigades that include it, and I'm sure he does too)
I don't have the strength yet to complete surround the place, so I am siphoning off troops for the push around Nashville. I did managed to capture Madison, AK, briefly, and burn the depot. That was not helpful for him I am sure.
As you can see below, we are attempting to surround Nashville. We had a setback when a lone gunboat interdicted my move over the Tennessee, leaving Gilbert vulnerable, but I hope that is temporary. Meade is not quite strong enough to assault GW Smith directly.
I also have gunboats blocking all the RR crossings down the Tennessee. He has garrisons though at Chattanooga, which is smart; otherwise i would land a division there.
MISSOURI:
Johnston withdrew to Springfield. I now have 30,000 troops around Jeff City, and he has somewhere around 20,000 to 25,000 around Springfield. When the weather clears I will pursue, and see if he wants to fight for Springfield. I also may leave 20,000 around Jeff City, and transfer 2 divisions to Tennessee.
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Ol Choctaw
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
I think you have bagged him in middle Tennessee. He should have left earlier and contested Corinth with those forces.
You might try your Unionists and partisans in East Tennessee to cut communications with Virginia and make him reinforce by the longer routs.
You might try your Unionists and partisans in East Tennessee to cut communications with Virginia and make him reinforce by the longer routs.
"God Granted us a Happy New Year"
"The enemy has yielded his strong position and is falling back. We occupy [the] whole field and shall follow him. ... God has granted us a happy New Year."
--Braxton Bragg in message to Jefferson Davis after the first day of Stones River (Murfreesboro)
Happy New Year! Bragg's message was a bit optimistic of course, as he was forced to withdraw 2 days later after much expenditure of blood
May 1863, EAST:
My attempt to put a Corps across at Fredricksburg, while the AnV was at Clark, failed. Jackson and friends appeared there, and the I Corps crumpled; we lost over 8000 men and 4 NM, as Hooker and several generals were blamed for defeat.
It wasn't all bad, though; as a result, he basically abandoned the upper Valley. I was able to move VI Corps forward into Manassas Gap, and Reynold's III Corps took Harpers Ferry, and should take Winchester next turn. He only has Cavalry out there.
I am a little skittish as Lee has 75000 men, and has crumpled my flank a couple times; however, Reynolds has support from a 30000-man corps, and I can't see how he can get Jackson from Fredricksburg to the Valley in 15 days.....right?
Florida:
I thought I had him pinned in Apalachicola, but somehow 2 divisions not only left it, but appeared close to Jacksonville! 1000 AV is bearing down on the town.
I think I will hold; I moved McDowell there, and I have 500 AV dug-in pretty well. As a precaution, I am moving a division from Gadsden, as they are not needed to guard that place now.
This game of whack a mole is strange; we are keeping equal forces busy, which suits me I think, as I don't want to see the divisions of Hood, AP Hill, and Richard Anderson in Tennessee; these guys are crack commanders.
--Braxton Bragg in message to Jefferson Davis after the first day of Stones River (Murfreesboro)
Happy New Year! Bragg's message was a bit optimistic of course, as he was forced to withdraw 2 days later after much expenditure of blood
May 1863, EAST:
My attempt to put a Corps across at Fredricksburg, while the AnV was at Clark, failed. Jackson and friends appeared there, and the I Corps crumpled; we lost over 8000 men and 4 NM, as Hooker and several generals were blamed for defeat.
It wasn't all bad, though; as a result, he basically abandoned the upper Valley. I was able to move VI Corps forward into Manassas Gap, and Reynold's III Corps took Harpers Ferry, and should take Winchester next turn. He only has Cavalry out there.
I am a little skittish as Lee has 75000 men, and has crumpled my flank a couple times; however, Reynolds has support from a 30000-man corps, and I can't see how he can get Jackson from Fredricksburg to the Valley in 15 days.....right?
Florida:
I thought I had him pinned in Apalachicola, but somehow 2 divisions not only left it, but appeared close to Jacksonville! 1000 AV is bearing down on the town.
I think I will hold; I moved McDowell there, and I have 500 AV dug-in pretty well. As a precaution, I am moving a division from Gadsden, as they are not needed to guard that place now.
This game of whack a mole is strange; we are keeping equal forces busy, which suits me I think, as I don't want to see the divisions of Hood, AP Hill, and Richard Anderson in Tennessee; these guys are crack commanders.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
ORIGINAL: Ol Choctaw
I think you have bagged him in middle Tennessee. He should have left earlier and contested Corinth with those forces.
You might try your Unionists and partisans in East Tennessee to cut communications with Virginia and make him reinforce by the longer routs.
Indeed, as you will see he came to the same conclusion, and left Nashville in a hurry
May 1863, WEST:
We finally took Nashville. This was only after I took Hunstville and points south in his rear, occupied Murfressboro, and put armies over the river southwest and east of the City.
He had pulled back the turn before, so we moved directly into Nashville with Rosecran's Army. We smacked around GW Smith's corps, winning 2 NM and trashing that wing of AS Johnston's army.
Now, he lost a battle, has gunboats in his rear, the rail line is cut, and things are overall not so great in terms of getting out.
Pursuit is slow, however, due to the terrain; I am ordering Meade directly into the hex, but he'll probably be gone by then.
I will pursue right to Stevenson, AL, and hope to squeeze him between the river and the Army of the Cumberland
Missouri:
We have to halt and build some supplies; meanwhile, the Rebels are using Regional Cards to rebuild the depots at Springfield and Fayetteville. I guess he plans to stick around.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
June 1863:
We are heading toward the summer of 1863, and the Union war machine grinds onward. Mostly, in Tennessee.
EAST:
We crossed at Fredricksburg, again, this time with a stronger Corps, and easily defeated the division posted there, winning 1 NM.
The AnV, all 70,000-ish of it, is gathered at Culpepper. I am expecting at attack at Fredricksburg, but I think I have enough to repulse it; about 30,000 guys in the region, plus another 35,000 or so at Falmouth in 2 Corps. We'll find out, as I anticipate an attack on Fredricksburg.
I accidently left Winchester open, though, when I advanced to Stasburg, so I am sure I'll pay for that one when Stuart takes it in my rear. I'll have to backtrack to re-take it.
Tennessee:
He is now retreating in Tennessee faster than I can attack, apparently toward Chattanooga.
I was uncomfortable with blocking the Tennessee river, which would have trapped his armies on the wrong bank. Thinking about it, I don't think blocking it was historically possible. It wasn't a factor in the Tullahoma campaing, and Hood crossed in both directions in 1864. The available depth in the river really drops off after Muscle Shoals, AL (Tuscumbia), and I don't think it was really usable by warships in contested territory. One glance at the river bend around Lookout Mountain, and it's obvious you can't sail there with a warship.
I also don't want the game to end with the destruction of Johnston's army.
So, I am pulling my gunboats on that stretch of the river, and he will retreat to Chattanooga.
I will pull up to Stevenson, but a direct assault over the river is out of the question. So, what then? How on earth do I get to Atlanta?
I have a couple ideas, but I want to clear Memphis first. I will probably send a Corps to Grant to help with that, as I want to clear it this summer for sure, to allow for an advance on Little Rock before winter.
Florida:
Nothing in particular happened in Florida, but I am posting a shot showing forces down there. AP Hill disappeared from his drive on Jacksonville, so I may redeploy some of the forces there. I would like to stay in Jacksonville permanently, to support the Union Navy.
We are heading toward the summer of 1863, and the Union war machine grinds onward. Mostly, in Tennessee.
EAST:
We crossed at Fredricksburg, again, this time with a stronger Corps, and easily defeated the division posted there, winning 1 NM.
The AnV, all 70,000-ish of it, is gathered at Culpepper. I am expecting at attack at Fredricksburg, but I think I have enough to repulse it; about 30,000 guys in the region, plus another 35,000 or so at Falmouth in 2 Corps. We'll find out, as I anticipate an attack on Fredricksburg.
I accidently left Winchester open, though, when I advanced to Stasburg, so I am sure I'll pay for that one when Stuart takes it in my rear. I'll have to backtrack to re-take it.
Tennessee:
He is now retreating in Tennessee faster than I can attack, apparently toward Chattanooga.
I was uncomfortable with blocking the Tennessee river, which would have trapped his armies on the wrong bank. Thinking about it, I don't think blocking it was historically possible. It wasn't a factor in the Tullahoma campaing, and Hood crossed in both directions in 1864. The available depth in the river really drops off after Muscle Shoals, AL (Tuscumbia), and I don't think it was really usable by warships in contested territory. One glance at the river bend around Lookout Mountain, and it's obvious you can't sail there with a warship.
I also don't want the game to end with the destruction of Johnston's army.
So, I am pulling my gunboats on that stretch of the river, and he will retreat to Chattanooga.
I will pull up to Stevenson, but a direct assault over the river is out of the question. So, what then? How on earth do I get to Atlanta?
I have a couple ideas, but I want to clear Memphis first. I will probably send a Corps to Grant to help with that, as I want to clear it this summer for sure, to allow for an advance on Little Rock before winter.
Florida:
Nothing in particular happened in Florida, but I am posting a shot showing forces down there. AP Hill disappeared from his drive on Jacksonville, so I may redeploy some of the forces there. I would like to stay in Jacksonville permanently, to support the Union Navy.
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
Interesting campaign. It seems that starting late 62 your numerical advantage has had a real impact. Right now the situation feels very historical. You might be late in the Mississippi theater itself, with Memphis still confederate, but I suspect it could go quite quickly from there. in the other theaters it feels very historical. Now my question would be, with an early Kentucky activation, do you think the situation would be much different ? Because right now it feels right in your game, but one wouldn't want it to tip any further in the Union direction, because although I wouldn't say you are a bad player, it seems to me that without your 2 mistakes in 1862 (the Falmouth gambit and overreaching in western Tennessee), you would be a lot forward.
Thanks for a great AAR anyway.
EDIT : agreed regarding the Tennessee River. It really shouldn't be navigable past Tuscumba, or even a bit earlier, not only because of movement blocking issues, but also because it would help emulate the supply problems linked with campaigning in this area for the Union : it was relativealy easy to supply a deep advance along the Mississippi, but in Tennessee it was made a lot harder and slower because of supplying difficulties. A supply-flowing river going so deep in south eastern Tennessee makes it to easy for the Union to supply a push south east.
Thanks for a great AAR anyway.
EDIT : agreed regarding the Tennessee River. It really shouldn't be navigable past Tuscumba, or even a bit earlier, not only because of movement blocking issues, but also because it would help emulate the supply problems linked with campaigning in this area for the Union : it was relativealy easy to supply a deep advance along the Mississippi, but in Tennessee it was made a lot harder and slower because of supplying difficulties. A supply-flowing river going so deep in south eastern Tennessee makes it to easy for the Union to supply a push south east.
Adieu Ô Dieu odieux... signé Adam
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Ol Choctaw
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
veji1,
I can’t say that I agree. The Union from what I can tell seems a bit stronger than in comparison to the historical time. The CSA does seem weaker.
Lee is about right in Virginia but the west seems a bit too one-sided. Remember that Bragg outnumbered Rosy in Tennessee while Grant lacked the numbers to assault in Vicksburg and there were plenty of Rebs still hiding in Arkansas and Louisiana.
On paper the Union out numbered the CSA by a little better than 2 to 1 but when you look at the main armies you don’t find that. Lee was outnumbered by about 20 to 25,000. Grant outnumbered Pemberton by 40,000 but Smith had 30,000 in Arkansas and Louisiana that could not marry up. Rosy was slightly out numbered by Bragg at 60,000 to 65,000 and the Union was matched on their invasion fronts on the coast and could not advance. Bowen had enough to stall Banks’ two Corps so we can assume it was under 3 to 1 odds.
Stripping away the naval forces at sea and garrisons you would have to say the odds were maybe at 2 to 1, most likely closer to 3 to 2. Here from what I see the Union appears to have more strength than that, though it may only be the perception.
I can’t say that I agree. The Union from what I can tell seems a bit stronger than in comparison to the historical time. The CSA does seem weaker.
Lee is about right in Virginia but the west seems a bit too one-sided. Remember that Bragg outnumbered Rosy in Tennessee while Grant lacked the numbers to assault in Vicksburg and there were plenty of Rebs still hiding in Arkansas and Louisiana.
On paper the Union out numbered the CSA by a little better than 2 to 1 but when you look at the main armies you don’t find that. Lee was outnumbered by about 20 to 25,000. Grant outnumbered Pemberton by 40,000 but Smith had 30,000 in Arkansas and Louisiana that could not marry up. Rosy was slightly out numbered by Bragg at 60,000 to 65,000 and the Union was matched on their invasion fronts on the coast and could not advance. Bowen had enough to stall Banks’ two Corps so we can assume it was under 3 to 1 odds.
Stripping away the naval forces at sea and garrisons you would have to say the odds were maybe at 2 to 1, most likely closer to 3 to 2. Here from what I see the Union appears to have more strength than that, though it may only be the perception.
RE: Forward to Richmond!
ORIGINAL: veji1
Interesting campaign. It seems that starting late 62 your numerical advantage has had a real impact. Right now the situation feels very historical. You might be late in the Mississippi theater itself, with Memphis still confederate, but I suspect it could go quite quickly from there. in the other theaters it feels very historical. Now my question would be, with an early Kentucky activation, do you think the situation would be much different ? Because right now it feels right in your game, but one wouldn't want it to tip any further in the Union direction, because although I wouldn't say you are a bad player, it seems to me that without your 2 mistakes in 1862 (the Falmouth gambit and overreaching in western Tennessee), you would be a lot forward.
Good comments, thanks....I do think I am a bit behind, both where I should be in the game, and also vs. history. Remember, by mid-1863, the Union had taken Memphis, Nashville, Little Rock, New Orleans, Norfolk among strategic objectives. I'm behind in both instances.
In my defense, we are playing with a HR appointing McClellan in charge in East through 1862; I really like that rule BTW, as it forces the Union player to play a Western game, which is a good thing, and not just go hell-bent for Richmond
I will comment more on game balance in a separate post; we started 1863 with a 318K to 259K numbers which seems about right. The gap has widened since then. I would like others to play to determine balance, but it's feeling almost right; South could use a couple hands. The VPs are really out of whack for sure. More on that later.
August 1863:
This month featured a bit for everyone.
EAST:
Battle of Fredricksburg II:
Lee pulled together 85000 men and pushed me back out of Fredricksburg. This is very disappointing, I had level 3 trenches already and brought 80,000 men to the fight from most of the AoP, but we lost, along with 2 NM. We each suffered about 14,000 losses; equal losses does help me in the long run, so that part is nice.
With the AnV firmly entrenched in Culpepper and Freds-burg, we are going to Plan B, which is outflanking via the Valley. We have Strasburg, and will build depots further down to come over the Blue Ridge and into Charlottesville.
At least Lyon's leadership has made a difference; most Corps are active all the time.
Coastal:
We have taken Ft. Moultrie; a division appeared in Charelston, unsurprisingly, the minute we did that. For some reason, Charleston though is not showing blockaded yet; I'll give it a turn or two to see what happens.
Georgetown was taken by Gibbon, who moved to Ft. Morgan. I would like to clear Ft. Morgan, but the other objective is to get John Gibbon promoted to 2*, where he will command a Corps in Virginia.
TENNESSEE:
AS Johnston completed his withdrawl to Chattanooga; we assaulted him before crossing, but lost, and suffered a 1 NM penalty. Did shoot more rebs, though.
As it happens, though, I was already moving troops from Rosecrans and Buell up in Missouri to Grant. Rosecrans is dug-in along the Tennnessee river, there is no chance he'll be attacked. This allowed me to send most of Meade's Corps to Memphis area, add it to Thomas, and cut Memphis off from the landward side.
Thomas Meagher's corps also took Hopefield on the other side, and we continued to Madison. I think these towns are the key to Memphis; once they fall, the South is reliant on the rail line to Jackson, which is tenuous.
So, I have Beauregard bottled up pretty well; but now what?
Odds are he has a pile of supplies right now in Memphis, so he can withstand a long siege. I don't see how we can break out without outside help. But I also don't know if I can assault him.
I may end up having to invest Memphis, and detach part of my army to move elsewhere. One problem with Memphis is that he can use transports to run supplies in and out. I have the Union Navy, but they can't sit there for months, particularly in bad weather. In anticipation of this, I occupied Helena, AK, and I may move a Coastal Gun unit down there and dig it in to block the river. Even that probably won't prevent a move
Interesting situation, for sure......
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
Sept 1863:
The big news is that somehow, Beauregard escaped with his army cleanly from Memphis! I have no idea how, it wasn't over the river, because I had a fleet a region to the south. I've asked Gunnulf, but I bet he marched past Thomas on "Evade", and got lucky. Drat!
The silver lining to this cloud is that we took Memphis
Virginia:
We have cleared the Valley all the way down to New Market; we are building a depot at Strasburg, and will probably build another at Staunton. Once that is complete, we can threaten Charlottesville, and force the South to defend an awfully long line. That's the plan.
Lee's army of around 80,000 now has new Corps under Early and Ewell, so they can also spread out a bit to cover as well
I have II Corps crossing the Rapphannock east of Fredricksburg; I expect a strong reaction, probably at all-out attack, again. I am testing his reactions.
Coastal Campaigns:
We took Ft. Moultrie, but apparently taking that fort does not blockade Charleston. An army is bearing down as well, so we picked up Greene's command. Meanwhile, Gibbon took Ft. Morgan and got himself promoted.
I don't feel I've used my naval advantage to it's fullest. After a good start (blockading New Orleans, taking chunks of Florida), he has countered my moves. Maybe that's the point, as I know he has over 2000 AV right now playing whack-a-mole on my guys, but it's frustrating.
I feel I need an entire Army, i.e. 2 Corps of men, to really stay somewhere for good an open another front. I have a very good idea where to do that now. More later, but with the Union Navy getting stronger, a couple good possibilities.
Tennessee:
Here is the big news: Beauregard got away!
I spend a couple turns pulling troops together around Memphis, from Missouri, Rosecrans, etc, and I thought I had him. But he got away. Damn!
I handed Sherman the job of taking Memphis, and finally got him promoted to 2*, which is good. Meagher took a force west to Little Rock, but we are blocked by the river.
What Next?
So, dear readers, now what?
In East Tennessee, As Johnston holds 3 regions around Chattanooga that are really tough nuts. I will test it eventually, but not now, not with winter coming. The silver lining is that I don't see him crossing the Tennessee northward, so we can screen him with not alot of troops.
For now, first order of business is clearing Little Rock. The Union Navy will attack the CSA Ironclads in the river, and we need to move some guns to Bolivar, and Napoleon. That will restrict the CSA and make it more difficult for him to operate the Ironclads. Once we have the Arkansas River cleared, I can pull together an overwhelming force via rail through Memphis and Madison to quickly clear it.
Once I have that, I have a few options:
1. Advance overland toward Jackson. The terrain isn't terrible, and we should be able to move. The problem is it's so darn long, and I would need to build depots in Granada and points south to sustain it.
2. Advance down the river. We will probably be halted at Vicksburg, but the advantage of this route is that supplies are much easier. We can use flatboats to build depots.
3. Advance into Alabama via Decatur: Seems like you can chain supplies from Decatur southward through Tuscaloosa.
Thing about the West, once you clear Tennessee and Little Rock, the last Strategic Objectives are Vicksburg and New Orleans. And any production is really around those two points; aside from Merdian and Montgomery, there isn't anything worth taking between Jackson and Columbus, GA.
Anyway, I am taking suggestions. One advantage to being further south is that I can get a little more accomplished during winter, as we shouldn't have freezing weather below Memphis
The big news is that somehow, Beauregard escaped with his army cleanly from Memphis! I have no idea how, it wasn't over the river, because I had a fleet a region to the south. I've asked Gunnulf, but I bet he marched past Thomas on "Evade", and got lucky. Drat!
The silver lining to this cloud is that we took Memphis
Virginia:
We have cleared the Valley all the way down to New Market; we are building a depot at Strasburg, and will probably build another at Staunton. Once that is complete, we can threaten Charlottesville, and force the South to defend an awfully long line. That's the plan.
Lee's army of around 80,000 now has new Corps under Early and Ewell, so they can also spread out a bit to cover as well
I have II Corps crossing the Rapphannock east of Fredricksburg; I expect a strong reaction, probably at all-out attack, again. I am testing his reactions.
Coastal Campaigns:
We took Ft. Moultrie, but apparently taking that fort does not blockade Charleston. An army is bearing down as well, so we picked up Greene's command. Meanwhile, Gibbon took Ft. Morgan and got himself promoted.
I don't feel I've used my naval advantage to it's fullest. After a good start (blockading New Orleans, taking chunks of Florida), he has countered my moves. Maybe that's the point, as I know he has over 2000 AV right now playing whack-a-mole on my guys, but it's frustrating.
I feel I need an entire Army, i.e. 2 Corps of men, to really stay somewhere for good an open another front. I have a very good idea where to do that now. More later, but with the Union Navy getting stronger, a couple good possibilities.
Tennessee:
Here is the big news: Beauregard got away!
I spend a couple turns pulling troops together around Memphis, from Missouri, Rosecrans, etc, and I thought I had him. But he got away. Damn!
I handed Sherman the job of taking Memphis, and finally got him promoted to 2*, which is good. Meagher took a force west to Little Rock, but we are blocked by the river.
What Next?
So, dear readers, now what?
In East Tennessee, As Johnston holds 3 regions around Chattanooga that are really tough nuts. I will test it eventually, but not now, not with winter coming. The silver lining is that I don't see him crossing the Tennessee northward, so we can screen him with not alot of troops.
For now, first order of business is clearing Little Rock. The Union Navy will attack the CSA Ironclads in the river, and we need to move some guns to Bolivar, and Napoleon. That will restrict the CSA and make it more difficult for him to operate the Ironclads. Once we have the Arkansas River cleared, I can pull together an overwhelming force via rail through Memphis and Madison to quickly clear it.
Once I have that, I have a few options:
1. Advance overland toward Jackson. The terrain isn't terrible, and we should be able to move. The problem is it's so darn long, and I would need to build depots in Granada and points south to sustain it.
2. Advance down the river. We will probably be halted at Vicksburg, but the advantage of this route is that supplies are much easier. We can use flatboats to build depots.
3. Advance into Alabama via Decatur: Seems like you can chain supplies from Decatur southward through Tuscaloosa.
Thing about the West, once you clear Tennessee and Little Rock, the last Strategic Objectives are Vicksburg and New Orleans. And any production is really around those two points; aside from Merdian and Montgomery, there isn't anything worth taking between Jackson and Columbus, GA.
Anyway, I am taking suggestions. One advantage to being further south is that I can get a little more accomplished during winter, as we shouldn't have freezing weather below Memphis
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Jim D Burns
- Posts: 3991
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
At this stage of the war you need to take your eyes off capturing his production centers and go after his army. He won’t have enough production left by now to do much more than maintain his standing army (I assume you are playing with historical attrition?). My guess is he’s already pouring most of his cash into buying replacement chits every turn, so lean on his armies wherever you can to try and break his ability to repair damage quickly.
I’d work on a strategy of pulling together a strong force of 3 or 4 corps out west with leaders that have high strategic ratings, and use that force as your main assaulting army next season using coordinated movement to try and smash his big stacks. Build up a very large pool of spare replacement chits (in the hundreds if you can afford it) so you can keep your offensive going. If you manage to crack his main army, don’t let up, keep the pressure on until it’s shattered if possible.
It’s probably a mistake to try and hold every region next year, it will dilute your strength too much trying to put strong stacks in every region. Consolidate your power wherever you can and use it to hit him hard. I’d only defend the depots themselves with large stacks, the regions in between can be left open since it’d be suicide for him to venture outside of his forts with large Union armies around. It’s probably not a good idea to try and take the time to surround him again, go for the coordinated frontal assault with huge hammer blows, time is running out and you need to hurt him bad in 1864 if you want to win by the following year.
Jim
Edit: Almost forgot to mention it, if you have some spare leaders, keep them stacked with your main assaulting armies (2 or 3 per corps if possible). That way you can replace killed leaders immediately and your campaign won’t have to pause while you bring in replacements for the dead. The main thing is once you crack his defense, try and plan it so you can stay on his tail until he’s cooked. Leapfrogging forces would be best (one force attacks while the other rests), but the CSA is probably too strong for you to have enough troops to set up that kind of a campaign and still have the strength to win.
I’d work on a strategy of pulling together a strong force of 3 or 4 corps out west with leaders that have high strategic ratings, and use that force as your main assaulting army next season using coordinated movement to try and smash his big stacks. Build up a very large pool of spare replacement chits (in the hundreds if you can afford it) so you can keep your offensive going. If you manage to crack his main army, don’t let up, keep the pressure on until it’s shattered if possible.
It’s probably a mistake to try and hold every region next year, it will dilute your strength too much trying to put strong stacks in every region. Consolidate your power wherever you can and use it to hit him hard. I’d only defend the depots themselves with large stacks, the regions in between can be left open since it’d be suicide for him to venture outside of his forts with large Union armies around. It’s probably not a good idea to try and take the time to surround him again, go for the coordinated frontal assault with huge hammer blows, time is running out and you need to hurt him bad in 1864 if you want to win by the following year.
Jim
Edit: Almost forgot to mention it, if you have some spare leaders, keep them stacked with your main assaulting armies (2 or 3 per corps if possible). That way you can replace killed leaders immediately and your campaign won’t have to pause while you bring in replacements for the dead. The main thing is once you crack his defense, try and plan it so you can stay on his tail until he’s cooked. Leapfrogging forces would be best (one force attacks while the other rests), but the CSA is probably too strong for you to have enough troops to set up that kind of a campaign and still have the strength to win.
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Ace1_slith
- Posts: 340
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RE: Forward to Richmond!
I would march South overland. The terrain is mostly open, so you can have good marching speeds, wider depots spread and you can put more guns to bear in combat. If he tries to block that path, his casualties will surely mount.
The best counterstrategy to this would be to defend in depth, and try to harras your supply lines. Ultimate goal in this theater are New Orleans and Mobile. Everything else is minor.
Scout ahead with your navy and see what he has got down the Missisipi now that Memphis is taken.
The best counterstrategy to this would be to defend in depth, and try to harras your supply lines. Ultimate goal in this theater are New Orleans and Mobile. Everything else is minor.
Scout ahead with your navy and see what he has got down the Missisipi now that Memphis is taken.