Comments and a question...

[GBS]

I am having my butt handed to me by the AI in my first game, playing on normal. In April 62 McClelland and Pope got initiative with Mac attacking Mannassas and Pope coming up the peninsula to attack McGruder. The Mannassas was pretty much like 1st Bull Run. Beauregard was in charge of the Amry there and Johnson was able to bring his Army from Harpers Ferry during the reaction phase to join in. The difference I suffered 21,000 casualties with numerous destroyed units, Jackson was wounded sevearly and another lesser general killed. Pope beat Mcgruder good pretty much destroying his entire group with 7000 casualties out of 10000 in the group and what was left retreated to Richmond.
In the West I am facing an 80,000+ Army under Grant with Lee who I sent to the West as theatre commander. Lee is greatly outnumbered. This game may be over before I know it.

Question: What can I do to incrtease the CSA army size? Is there some draft event that I missed?

Also, I have Price with a nice command setting in Fayettville for a year and he can't move to Springfield because his movement points are never more than one and it takes 2 to move into enemy territory. Does he have to be activated to get more movement points? What can i do to influence his activation. McCullough is there too, same problem.

Last question: When a stack suffers casualties and retreats to an ajacient region, how are the losses shown. Are the individual unit attack and defend ratings ajusted to reflect the losses?

Great game.

[JanSorensen]

A quick comment even though you didnt ask about this.
 
Dont make Lee a theathre commander, ever. He is the best army commander you have and army commanders are singularly the most important part of the game - even more for the CSA but also for the USA.

[PyleDriver]

Well, welcome to the school of hard knocks...lol...First the auto draft in 62 is about it for the CSA, you need to build plenty of field artillery to help your leaders. Thats why I tell players you don't have enough production for a navy. As you learn your leaders and how initiative works it will help you next time...In the west did you appoint a TC? Is he within 6 areas of Price? If not, he may not get it. I appoint Van Dorn early as an AC and move him all around to help gain initiative in ares to counter attack. This game has so many options there almost endless...On the battle results pop up hit the button in the top right and you'll go to a large screen that shows you battle equations and die rolls for each unit engagment...

[8D]
Jon

[Joel Billings]

Is Price an Army Commander? If not, the odds of getting initiative are much lower. If you want to be able to attack, you need to have an Army Commander with your army. If you are counting on a Unit Commander to get initiative without an AC, you may be waiting a long time (especially in winter and/or in enemy territory). As Jon said, having a TC within range (6 areas) will increase your chance of initiative.

[PyleDriver]

Good catch Jan, just saw that, never make Lee or Grant TC's...A.S. Johnston is a great choice as a western TC leader after Lee appears...

[8D]
Jon

[Grotius]

If it makes you feel any better, I'm also playing as the CSA on "Normal," and I'm also getting my butt kicked! McLellan is already on the outskirts of Richmond in mid-1862, and I'm being encircled at Nashville and Memphis in the west. Funny you mention Fayetteville. I did get initiative there, and I charged into Missouri -- only to suffer a humiliating loss, hehe.

I guess I took too long to fill out my Army and Theater commanders. I left an AC spot open for Lee, but that left me with only 3 for a while. I wasn't sure about whether to incur the Political Point costs for dismissing an AC to make room for Lee.