AGEOD Forums

So, last time I asked a question about NM and people were nice enough to give me a reply here. This time around, I would like to get some info on loyalty. Apart from what's in the rule book, how do I influence loyalty? If I just have control of a city for ever but don't grap any strategic city, then I won't be getting any loyalty, right?

On the British strategy, what is more efficient, running after the American everywhere trying (vainly) to engage them in battle? Or should you just slowly take control of territory trying to garrison structures but insuring you don't lose many garrison to assault?

Thanks!

P.S. I'm doing pretty well until 1780, but before that last thread, I didn't know why I was starting to lose so much NM in 1780. So this might actually help me do better now.

I can’t answer your first question as I’m revisiting the game from a long while back and they’ve apparently changed how loyalty works. I think there are now events you need to spend EP’s on to affect loyalty for the British in the revolution scenario. As far as I can tell the old method of spamming loyalty reductions/increases across the map every time a strategic town switched sides is gone.

On the British strategy, what is more efficient, running after the American everywhere trying (vainly) to engage them in battle? Or should you just slowly take control of territory trying to garrison structures but insuring you don't lose many garrison to assault?

Trying to kill Continentals is like playing whack-a-mole, but the game never ends and you’ll be chasing moles all over the place until the very last turn. Your best bet is to secure all/most coastal objectives first, then use the larger cities like New York and Philadelphia as supply bases to launch campaigns into the interior.

I keep a decent sized force at my main supply base, and then leave one or two units in cleared out regions along a route towards my current campaign objective (this allows swift movement of supply units to and from the front line). Once the objective is secure, I retract my lines and reform for the next campaign.

A good example as to why you need to focus around large supply bases is what happened in my current game. I tried hanging on to Boston from the very start, but supply production was simply inadequate which forced me to pull out more than half my starting troops. The remaining small force was then pounded for several months in a row by the Continentals and I was eventually forced to leave altogether due to the inability to rebuild my damaged elements.

A good option for the Boston troops is to shuttle about half of them into Norfolk, supply production is good enough there to support a large force and it’s a good place to launch a short campaign into Virginia from.

Finally I’ve learned not to leave my British garrisons inside of towns unless they are Tory units. Unlike the continentals, you can’t rebuild lost combat units, so never leave British or German units in a situation where they may get completely destroyed. Better to fight outside of town and retreat than to die inside. Only your Tory units get rebuilt when lost, so those you can risk losing.

The rulebook still has the strategic cities bit, maybe it's not in use thought.

I've been spamming that ability as much as I can +5% loyaty, but it doesn't come around often



Yeah, that's basically what I've been doing with the brits, it just seems hard (come 1780) to hold on to places like Pittsburg, if you don't want to be hit by the -1NM -10VP each month, without leaving a garrison there. Which in turn makes it exposed to being assaulted. At the start of the game, I usually empty Boston and sail everyone to New-York. New York is close to New England (where a lot of continental units seem to be spawning) and got enough supply for your whole starting army. You will loose boston, but I usually go all the way back to Springfield by November 1775 and try to trap the Colonials in massachuset. With the river protecting you, you have good odds on your side if the Americans come to move you. If not (and they didn't escape by 1776) you are able to compltely trap their big army in massachusset an annalihate it.

Good question and good discussion.
Gaining loyalty is composed of two elements, that you have regular troops, not militia or irregular, in city and use of the pardon option.
If you sustain control of a city with a regular unit, loyalty will begin to shift your way.

For me, focusing upon control of one of the four major areas works best. Either New England or the Deep South is usually most successful, but a fun gambit is to take Maryland and then expand North and South.

Think about leaving a garrison as the only way the British win. So when you are ready to take Pittsburg, you have your regulars and Indian allies ready to provide a bloody nose to the Colonials.
New England is the home of more and more Continentals. This is why taking all its Objective and Strategic cities is an excellent start to subduing the colonies. Garrison the cities and have an army to beat any rebel intrusions.

Boston is indeed hard to hold because of initial low supply value and lack of supply trains to build a depot. If you wish to hold Boston and not sail off to a more promising port, sacrifice your naval transport to build a depot. Otherwise, Newport, New York or Baltimore make a fine destination.

The rulebook is pretty accurate, by the way.