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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [American Civil War] >> Gary Grigsby's War Between the States >> Some beginners tips

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Some beginners tips - 6/30/2008 4:28:31 PM

mavraamides

Posts: 447
Joined: 4/1/2005
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I thought it would be nice to have a thread of strategy and game play tips for beginners. (Please merge this if that thread already exists).

Here's a few of mine:

1) Unoccupied territory can sometimes be captured by cavalry EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE INITIATIVE. They can overrun the territory and then you can often strategic move in other units and build a fort before the enemy has a chance to respond. Cavalry has so many uses that I always try to convert the maximum number of militia every turn. Sherridan is one of the most valuable units for the Union. After Grant, getting him and getting him as much cav as he can handle is one of my top priorities.

2) Always make sure that every good unit commander in a territory with an AC is as fully outfitted as possible. Nothing is more disappointing than seeing a level 10 leader start the turn with initiative but only has 4 militia while 8 infantry and 2 arty are sitting in the same territory unassigned and unusable. So the last thing I do every turn before I hit the next turn button is check all the territories with AC's and make sure all my units are assigned to a good commander. Then when I do get initiative I can take full advantage of it.

3) As the Union player, I feel its an absolute MUST that you take Paduccah , KY (sp?) before the CSA gets it. Once the CSA gets a fort and some heavy arty in there it can be VERY difficult to get him out and that point shuts down river traffic and makes transportation and initiative a problem for the Union player in the West for a very long time. I'm willing to pay any early invasion penalty for KY if it means I get that territory.

4) Its very difficult to make much progress in the West for the Union player once he's taken Missouri and northern Arkansas because there aren't many good forward places for the Theater commander due to the low levels of infrastructure and population. Once I've wrapped up Missou, I like to move my Western THQ to Cincinatti where it can better support a thrust through Kentucky.

5) Find your 2 best infantry trainers on the first turn and get them into your THQ's. They should always be fully stocked with militia. At the beginning of each turn, I pull out any newly trained INF from these guys and move them to the front and replace them with untrained militia. Its a huge key to building up an army as fast as possible.

6) Similarly, find your 2 or 3 best Admin guys and follow around your AC's so they can build forts and depot's as cheaply as possible as you conquer new territory without burdening any of the fighting commanders.

7) The AI like's to hit you brutally hard in Mannassa if you don't leave it very well defended. It's happened to me in every game. Make sure you leave forces in a position to react to that or you will have a real mess on your hands and be scrambling to save DC instead of pressuring the CSA. A bad result there can be a game loser.

Post #: 1

RE: Some beginners tips - 6/30/2008 9:20:56 PM

WarHunter

Posts: 1207
Joined: 3/21/2004
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All good tips. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

_____________________________

�We never felt like we were losing until we were actually dead.�
Marcus Luttrell

(in reply to mavraamides)

Post #: 2

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/1/2008 4:36:56 AM

heroldje

Posts: 95
Joined: 6/29/2008
Status: offline

i'll add a few. notice, this is all advice for the union, as its the only side ive played

1. Focus on the blockade first, its critical for being successful. Take some land point near the mouth of the Mississippi as soon as possible. I will usually send as many men as I can transport for this task as early as possible. That shuts down nearly half the Confederates supplies. You should also be able to take all the islands by the 2nd turn, 3rd at the latest. This coupled with a few cruisers in their remaining ports will dramatically cut the confederates supplies very early on.

2. If an attack is stalled or failing because they have a fort or large stack occupied by troops, especially in the west, go around. You might have to pull your troops back and relocate them a bit to the east or west. This work great. I have twice used this strategy to trap and surround large segments of confederate armies. I then wait a few rounds for their supply to dwindle, and attack and eliminate them. I once destroyed 14,000 men this way, and captured several generals including Johnson. Remember, if you can isolate stacks with no army commander, chances are they will never get initiative and will be sitting ducks.

3. I always build up 5-6 ironclads by 1863 which i use to bombard confederate forces whenever possible on the east coast. You can usually destroy at least 10-20 guns per turn.

4. Scout like crazy. Its very valuable to know where your enemies forces are, and especially where their AC's are, and who they are. Never leave unspent cavalry activations.

(in reply to WarHunter)

Post #: 3

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/1/2008 7:37:09 PM

Capt Cliff

Posts: 1791
Joined: 5/22/2002
From: Northwest, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: GordianKnot

I thought it would be nice to have a thread of strategy and game play tips for beginners. (Please merge this if that thread already exists).

Here's a few of mine:

3) As the Union player, I feel its an absolute MUST that you take Paduccah , KY (sp?) before the CSA gets it. Once the CSA gets a fort and some heavy arty in there it can be VERY difficult to get him out and that point shuts down river traffic and makes transportation and initiative a problem for the Union player in the West for a very long time. I'm willing to pay any early invasion penalty for KY if it means I get that territory.

I agree totally with number three even to the point that it's a flaw in the game. The Union should not have to violate Kentucky neutrality to make the game playable. A reaction movement of some sort should be allowed into adjacent areas occupied by the enemy, if your leader is set to react. Historically Grant snookered Polk and got into Paduccah firstest with the mostest, a reaction move since Kentucky had already been violated. A nice patch? hint hint hint!!

_____________________________

Capt. Cliff

(in reply to mavraamides)

Post #: 4

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 1:02:07 AM

heroldje

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Joined: 6/29/2008
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i have captured nashville, most of tenessee, west virginia, and missouri, and still haven't taken paducah because of entrenchments and the massive stack there.

(in reply to Capt Cliff)

Post #: 5

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 1:27:00 AM

Bo Rearguard

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Joined: 4/7/2008
From: Basement of the Alamo
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quote:

ORIGINAL: heroldje

i have captured nashville, most of tenessee, west virginia, and missouri, and still haven't taken paducah because of entrenchments and the massive stack there.

Who needs Vicksburg when you've got Paducah?...Gibraltar of the Mississippi.

_____________________________

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist ...." Union General John Sedgwick, 1864

(in reply to heroldje)

Post #: 6

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 4:57:20 PM

mavraamides

Posts: 447
Joined: 4/1/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Capt Cliff

quote:

ORIGINAL: GordianKnot

I thought it would be nice to have a thread of strategy and game play tips for beginners. (Please merge this if that thread already exists).

Here's a few of mine:

3) As the Union player, I feel its an absolute MUST that you take Paduccah , KY (sp?) before the CSA gets it. Once the CSA gets a fort and some heavy arty in there it can be VERY difficult to get him out and that point shuts down river traffic and makes transportation and initiative a problem for the Union player in the West for a very long time. I'm willing to pay any early invasion penalty for KY if it means I get that territory.

I agree totally with number three even to the point that it's a flaw in the game. The Union should not have to violate Kentucky neutrality to make the game playable. A reaction movement of some sort should be allowed into adjacent areas occupied by the enemy, if your leader is set to react. Historically Grant snookered Polk and got into Paduccah firstest with the mostest, a reaction move since Kentucky had already been violated. A nice patch? hint hint hint!!

I kind of agree with you there. Seems ahistorical that the Union player has to pay a penalty to end up with that vital territory. OTOH, if the CSA player does take it first, he takes a huge PP loss and risks the rest of KY becoming permanently Union, IIRC.

(in reply to Capt Cliff)

Post #: 7

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 9:09:30 PM

Treefrog

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How well will they fight if you cut them off from their supply grid and cavalry raid any supply depots in the region?

_____________________________

"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."

(in reply to heroldje)

Post #: 8

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 9:54:13 PM

mavraamides

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Joined: 4/1/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Treefrog

How well will they fight if you cut them off from their supply grid and cavalry raid any supply depots in the region?

That's easier said than done. Lot of time and effort and lost units compared to just violating neutrality and taking it while its still undefended.

(in reply to Treefrog)

Post #: 9

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 10:40:07 PM

madgamer2

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Joined: 11/24/2004
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I thought the tips were all good except for 1 thing, #3. Due to either lack of movement or lack of numbers it is difficult to get there first without violating KY first (something that is not a good idea). I in learning the game I play the first year over and over going back to saves and repeating etc. In all that I only got there first a couple of times. He is right about getting there first but most of the time it does not happen.
I have developed a different way at least against the computer Reb AI. One way to get KY is to take and keep the largte population regions such as Louisville and Lexington. If you have the largest army with Haleck AC and Grant with the best troops and you inflict a major defeat on the AI in Louisville there is a good chance KY will go Union.
Then all you have to do is push the Rebs out of Bowling Green the next turn and build your Army up, put Grant in charge, sack Fremont, make Halick TC. Push the Rebs aside and get to the rear of the Paduah fort and if the AI is dumb enough to stay there attack from the rear and across the river with units made up of most of the first draft troops. Then you are ready to invade the REAL south which is the fun part.

Regards,
Madgamer

(in reply to WarHunter)

Post #: 10

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 10:58:06 PM

madgamer2

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Excellent ideas. I thought that #4 in the tips was a bit ....strange? After you settle MI then take on KY? THe whole state of MI is not as valuable at the 2 population regions in KY (Louisville & Lexington). SO I nsay hold MI but the main attack from day 1 is KY. ZPlacing the largest Army with Halick AC and Grant with the best troops and a force large enough in Cairo to prevent it being taken. If grant can hold Lexington snd inflict at least a Major defeat in Louisville there is a good chance that KY will go union even on the Sept. or Oct. 61 turn.
I found your advice to be sound also. If the Union does not build all the ships possible as soon as possible the Reb AI will build 5+ raiders and cut the Union trade to zippo. The earliest that a large force of Cruisers can be finished from turn one is Feb.62 so build and keep building them ships and river gunboats and save at least 1 good navel commander for a river fleet.

Madgamer

(in reply to heroldje)

Post #: 11

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/2/2008 11:37:21 PM

Treefrog

Posts: 702
Joined: 4/7/2004
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quote:

ORIGINAL: GordianKnot

I thought it would be nice to have a thread of strategy and game play tips for beginners. (Please merge this if that thread already exists).

Here's a few of mine: . . . .

3) As the Union player, I feel its an absolute MUST that you take Paduccah , KY (sp?) before the CSA gets it. Once the CSA gets a fort and some heavy arty in there it can be VERY difficult to get him out and that point shuts down river traffic and makes transportation and initiative a problem for the Union player in the West for a very long time. I'm willing to pay any early invasion penalty for KY if it means I get that territory.

Granted, CSA occupation of Paducah interrupts your riverine movement until captured, but I don't know that I'd plan my whole Western campaign around seizing Paducah early with the requisite downside of paying political points to invade Kentucky first.

If you take Paducah, isn't the CSA going to just put the forts and artillery at some other points on the river/rivers, perhaps within support/reaction distance of the inevitable battles at Bowling Green and north of Nashville?

In the alternative, is Paducah a large prison camp? If you choose not to fight there, is the CSA just stockpiling troops in an area with no fighting while you face his outnumbered troops elsewhere? If the CSA invades Kentucky you'll be able to move in and fight on the open Kentucky plains, killing rebs that are out in the open. Then you move into Tennesse and do more of the same. All the while he has major forces tied up in Paducah doing nothing.

Eventually you'll cross the river south of Nashville and be way behind him. Frankly, I'd rather be astride his railroad at Chattanooga or Knoxville than hold Paducah (there are only 2 east-west southern railroads; the other goes through Mobile and is therefore susceptible to attack at your leisure). Such an approach was described by B.H.Liddell in his classic Indirect Approach. Instead of driving directly into an objective, drive between two objectives (Paducah and Chattanooga), forcing your adversary to defend both and still put troops in the way of your advance.

Or, pay the political cost to invade Kentucky early enough to avoid your anxiety about CSA occupation.

_____________________________

"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."

(in reply to mavraamides)

Post #: 12

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/3/2008 1:40:17 AM

UruzSix

Posts: 2
Joined: 1/10/2008
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As the Union, I highly endorse invading Kentucky in August of '62 - at least against the AI. The main prerequisite is that the AC in Cairo (usually Halleck) gets initiative. I normally stack the majority of my western forces there, along with my good offensive generals (Granger, Pope, Grant). Carr's cavalry can take Paducah, which allows the army to blitz right through into the Confederate lines in Humboldt. A second army based out of New Albany, meanwhile, can usually make Bowling Green without any problem. Generally, I've been able to take all of Kentucky's cities save London without a problem. My current game has Halleck and Lyon winter quartering in Dickson and Galletia(sp?) with Hardee and one of the Hill boys trapped in Clarksville.

(in reply to Treefrog)

Post #: 13

RE: Some beginners tips - 7/3/2008 5:19:52 PM

mavraamides

Posts: 447
Joined: 4/1/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: madgamer

Excellent ideas. I thought that #4 in the tips was a bit ....strange? After you settle MI then take on KY?

Madgamer

I probably phrased that wrong. I didn't mean to imply that you should put off the invasion of KY until after Missou, I meant to say that once you've captured Missou (usually turn 2 or 3 at the latest), you shouldn't waste any more effort trying to fight your way south through Arkansas because its very difficult to maintain initiative in that area, instead you should move the bulk of your units east to Kentucky or other areas that have the infrastructure to support offensive operations.

I usually just set up a minimally defended line of forts in souther Missou and then have 2 AC's in KY, 1 in the East to counter the inevitable AI push towards DC, and 1 wherever I invaded on the coast. I also like to move my Western THQ to Cincinatti, Lexington or Lousville at this point so I can support operations deeper into enemy territory.

Hope that was more clear.

(in reply to madgamer2)

Post #: 14