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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [American Civil War] >> Gary Grigsby's War Between the States >> The War Room >> USA Opening

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USA Opening - 7/3/2008 6:35:50 PM

herwin

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From: Sunderland, UK
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I'm putting together a USA opening move. It goes as follows:

1. Convert a militia to mounted infantry at Parkersburg, bring Davies (Pittsburg) down to command it, and overrun Charleston.
2. McClellan takes his army to Grafton and overruns. McClellan then redeploys to Washington.
3. Strategically move a militia unit to Wheeling to control dissent.
4. Sturgis overruns Joplin
5. Send Carr to Sigel, transfer a militia, convert it to mounted infantry, and overrun Springfield.
6. Charles county in Maryland is overrun by Hunter's division
7. Kent county in Maryland is overrun by a brigade with one militia unit.
8. Dix goes to Frederick to build a fort. Reinforce him with an infantry commander and militia.
9. Meegs goes to Harpers Ferry to build a fort.
10. Send a division commander to Fortress Monroe. Will need two depots and a fort level 2.
11. Send a heavy artillery to Fortress Monroe, attach to Banks.
12. Build Washington DC to fort level 2. Activate a cavalry commander and attach the cavalry unit. Scout Manassas.
13. Activate Henry Halleck in Cairo and make him AC.
14. Activate Grant (or Buell) in Cairo.
15. Cruiser to AO2
16. One cruiser off each port except New Orleans, which should get 2.
17. Prepare five leaders in Washington for naval landings (attaching one militia each) next turn.
18. Strat move everything in the north to positions along the border, particularly Kentucky and Cairo.
19. Put division commanders in Baltimore and Washington for use in turn 3 invasions. Assign 5 infantry and 1 artillery to each during turn 2.
20. Call a draft
21. Disband depots away from the front line. Use the engineering leaders to fortify and then build up depots.
22. Build up units in the Eastern Theater during turn 1.
23. The CSA invasion of KY is likely to be no earlier than turn 2, so position commanders and troops along the Ohio to respond on turn 3.

Production
1. Build 2 ironclads and 17 cruisers in East Coast ports.
2. Build a factory in Cairo
3. Build gunboats in SL and Cincinnati
4. Build 3 light and 1 heavy artillery in Chicago
5. Fill out with supply.

< Message edited by herwin -- 7/14/2008 2:36:41 PM >

_____________________________

Harry Erwin
"For a number to make sense in the game, someone has to calibrate it and program code. There are too many significant numbers that behave non-linearly to expect that. It's just a game. Enjoy it." herwin@btinternet.com

Post #: 1

RE: USA Opening - 7/4/2008 6:38:51 PM

Pford

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Lol, thanks herwin. Don't believe I'll be second guessing your strategy with those credentials!

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Post #: 2

RE: USA Opening - 7/4/2008 6:59:49 PM

herwin

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From: Sunderland, UK
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Pford

Lol, thanks herwin. Don't believe I'll be second guessing your strategy with those credentials!

I'm a lousy chess player.

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Post #: 3

RE: USA Opening - 7/4/2008 7:19:15 PM

Bo Rearguard

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quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin
8. Dix goes to Fredricksburg to build a fort. Reinforce him with an infantry commander and militia.

I'm assuming you mean Frederick, MD.

Look like good suggestions tho. In terms of production I mostly concentrate on building cruisers and transports for the maritime states. I could see building a lot of artillery, but there usually aren't a whole lot of commanders with a good artillery rating who can get the best of out them yet.

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Post #: 4

RE: USA Opening - 7/4/2008 9:16:00 PM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bo Rearguard

quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin
8. Dix goes to Fredricksburg to build a fort. Reinforce him with an infantry commander and militia.

I'm assuming you mean Frederick, MD. Look like good suggestions tho. In terms of production I mostly concentrate on building cruisers and transports for the maritime states. I could see building a lot of artillery, but there usually aren't a whole lot of commanders with a good artillery rating who can get the best of out them yet.

Yep, even when I was living in Herndon.

I took the islands in August, the first time I had amphibious initiative. I used 5 commanders, each with a militia attached and made sure I had 50/4 transport in each of the island areas. I built the depots the next turn.

I invaded Kentucky in September. I had two armies along the border--Cairo and along the northern border of KY in a position to take central KY, Bowling Green, and Lexington.

1047 PP in October.

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Post #: 5

RE: USA Opening - 7/5/2008 6:04:34 AM

tran505

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Yes I think the first turn will boil down to an "automatic" union move for most. Add disable all builds, build 100% supply, and call a DRAFT to the list.

- P

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Post #: 6

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 3:11:29 AM

Berkut

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quote:

7. Kent county in Maryland is overrun by 1 NY Mtd Inf

Huh?

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Post #: 7

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 7:29:23 AM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

quote:

7. Kent county in Maryland is overrun by 1 NY Mtd Inf

Huh?

There's a mounted infantry in Washington DC at the start of the game. Send it to Kent County.

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Post #: 8

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 7:44:32 AM

Berkut

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quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

quote:

7. Kent county in Maryland is overrun by 1 NY Mtd Inf

Huh?

There's a mounted infantry in Washington DC at the start of the game. Send it to Kent County.

Ahhh, gotcha, I was looking all over for that guy! Guess I didn't look in the obvious spot.

I just used this opening, or a modification of it in a new PBEM game.It is rather nice.

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Post #: 9

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 8:57:34 AM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

quote:

7. Kent county in Maryland is overrun by 1 NY Mtd Inf

Huh?

There's a mounted infantry in Washington DC at the start of the game. Send it to Kent County.

Ahhh, gotcha, I was looking all over for that guy! Guess I didn't look in the obvious spot.

I just used this opening, or a modification of it in a new PBEM game.It is rather nice.

The actions in Maryland may require some fine-tuning. What I'm trying to do is take Charles and Kent counties, garrison and fortify Frederick, and put a commander in Baltimore to control that garrison. The force in Kent county will eventually move south; the force in Charles will fortify. I try to have five commanders in Washington with a single militia each prepared for taking the five offshore islands. The two eastern army commands cover the direct route to Richmond and can switch between Fortress Monroe and the Valley.

The army in Missouri goes to Ohio to command the direct invasion force, while a second army is formed under Halleck in Cairo to move down the Mississippi river. I'll be fortifying the Missouri border.

I'll revise this opening here once I have more experience and reports.

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Post #: 10

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 1:57:47 PM

dwyche

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what am i missing? i can't get the 1NY Mtd to move to Kent; when i try it says 'Unable to do amphib move.'

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Post #: 11

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 2:23:54 PM

Rekm41

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I found if you move it next to Kent you can then move in the next turn.

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Post #: 12

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 6:48:50 PM

madgamer2

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Take Davies alond after the grafton attack and move him 2 regions south where there is a leader and two militia.
Convert one to mounted and attach it to him and move on into Charleston.

Madgamer

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Post #: 13

RE: USA Opening - 7/6/2008 7:01:13 PM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: dwyche

� what am i missing?� i can't get the 1NY Mtd to move to Kent; when i try it says 'Unable to do amphib move.'

It gets complicated if you have both an amphibious and a land option. To move amphibiously, you need shipping in Chesapeake Bay. See if you can move by land, one hex at a time. You also may be lacking enough movement points.

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Post #: 14

RE: USA Opening - 7/7/2008 12:08:15 AM

dwyche

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now i'm even more confused. i thought all Union MP's were fixed for the opening move.

anyway, 1NY Mtd has 3 MPs, which is enough to get it to Lancaster, but there doesn't seem to be any way i can get it to go to Kent on the first turn

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Post #: 15

RE: USA Opening - 7/7/2008 1:20:08 AM

JAMiAM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: dwyche

now i'm even more confused.� i thought all Union MP's were fixed for the opening move.

Not necessarily true. You can drop the artillery from some of the 3 Inf, 1 Art leaders and their movement rate will go up to 4, from 3. This doesn't make any difference with respect to this particular first move template, but can should you choose to make a variation upon it.

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Post #: 16

RE: USA Opening - 7/14/2008 12:02:36 PM

herwin

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After the first move, I tend to do the following:

1. Keep a corps in Baltimore with 5 inf and 1 arty for landing operations.
2. Move into Kentucky either when it's acceptably cheap or after the CSA invades.
3. Advance along the Shenandoah Valley to outflank the Manassas position.

Once the CSA invades Kentucky, I come to their aid with two armies, one crossing into Paducah and the other entering at Louisville and Lexington. If I can, I outflank the CSA forces in Tennessee and Kentucky via the Appalachians.

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Post #: 17

RE: USA Opening - 7/14/2008 1:40:55 PM

Berkut

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Herwin, are you doing this against a human or AI opponent?

No human player worth their salt is going to let you stroll through the Shenandoah.

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Post #: 18

RE: USA Opening - 7/14/2008 2:23:04 PM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

Herwin, are you doing this against a human or AI opponent?

No human player worth their salt is going to let you stroll through the Shenandoah.

Currently against the AI. The fact that a live opponent would be smarter doesn't make the strategic direction invalid. Note that Lee did not try to hold the Potomac line--it was too far forward from Richmond for supply. I guess the game is slightly unrealistic in that regard.

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Post #: 19

RE: USA Opening - 7/14/2008 2:23:41 PM

herwin

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Edited for 1.01 changes.

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Post #: 20

RE: USA Opening - 7/14/2008 2:51:43 PM

Berkut

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quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Berkut

Herwin, are you doing this against a human or AI opponent?

No human player worth their salt is going to let you stroll through the Shenandoah.

Currently against the AI. The fact that a live opponent would be smarter doesn't make the strategic direction invalid.

Well, it doesn't make it invalid - it does make it not very likely to work though. A good human player is going to fortify the valley, place enough troops there to make an overrun impossible, then crush you when you attack it by bringing in the entire ANV in prime defensive terrain.

quote:

Note that Lee did not try to hold the Potomac line--it was too far forward from Richmond for supply. I guess the game is slightly unrealistic in that regard.

Meh, it is kind of a abstraction. Although Manassas in the game does turn into a defended Southern fortress. But then, every space turns into a defended Southern fortress in the game, at least in the East.

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Post #: 21

RE: USA Opening - 8/22/2008 3:55:46 AM

Sluggonics

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It looks like there's three activations in the opening, but I'm only getting 2 for the Union on the first turn. Maybe I can just move Chapman from OH to DC to run the cavalry scouting of Manassas, and still activate Grant and Halleck on first turn, or wait until the following turn to activate Grant?

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Post #: 22

RE: USA Opening - 8/22/2008 4:07:14 AM

JAMiAM

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Halleck will activate for free during the production phase, on the first turn, so I usually don't waste a leader activation getting him half a turn early. You can still do all of your AC/TC machinations, but he'll be stuck in Evansville until the following turn, iirc, should you take him as a freebie. This will reduce his help value, should he get initiative.

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Post #: 23

RE: USA Opening - 8/22/2008 7:46:36 AM

herwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sluggonics

It looks like there's three activations in the opening, but I'm only getting 2 for the Union on the first turn.� Maybe I can just move Chapman from OH to DC to run the cavalry scouting of Manassas, and still activate Grant and Halleck on first turn, or wait until the following turn to activate Grant?

I play Limited Command Point Recovery. That provides an extra activation each turn.

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Post #: 24

RE: USA Opening - 8/22/2008 2:46:01 PM

Sluggonics

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quote:

ORIGINAL: herwin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sluggonics

It looks like there's three activations in the opening, but I'm only getting 2 for the Union on the first turn.� Maybe I can just move Chapman from OH to DC to run the cavalry scouting of Manassas, and still activate Grant and Halleck on first turn, or wait until the following turn to activate Grant?

I play Limited Command Point Recovery. That provides an extra activation each turn.

Ah, mystery solved.

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Post #: 25

Comments - 8/23/2008 12:18:28 PM

herwin

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I did some comparisons of GGWBTS with board games at the same (or larger) scale. Generally it matches well, but there are some differences. Most of my games are back in America, but I do have War Between the States 1861-1865 (Decision Games).

In War Between the States 1861-1865 (Decision Games), they play the Mississippi Delta as leaky--you have to take the cities to block the commerce. There are deep-water routes into the delta from Brashear to Fort Pike and Procterville and reaching the Mississippi as far north as the Red River, which means to block commerce, you need to capture most of the delta.

In that game, weather only affects supply and movement, not combat. Missouri starts out neutral (like Kentucky). Violation of Kentucky neutrality is a big deal, but transports on the rivers do not violate neutrality, so the Confederate player has to watch the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.

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Post #: 26