Captial Questions

[marquo]

I realize that the capital can be moved from Washington to New York, but what does that do? Will it protect a game losing loss of 50 points? What is the point of ever moving it?


When the Union has to keep a certain number of troops in Washington, are these elements, regiments, other??


Thanks,

Marquo

[Captain_Orso]

Moving the capital will cost about $100k, 50 VP's and 10 NM. You don't want to do that unless the fall of your capital in imminent. If your capital falls, regardless of where it is, it will cost you 50 NM, which often causes you to lose the scenario, but it depends on your situation.

For General War Order Number 2 elements in and around (every neighboring region) Washington are being counted. Militia are enough. I'm not sure if the locked units in Washington and Annapolis are counted, but I don't think so. You need 48. That about 2 and a half full divisions.

[marquo]

This is the second time my esteemed opponent MT has cut off Washington. He knifes to Annapolis and Baltimore, and then slowly strangles the city. Guns in Alexandria make navigating the Potomac very dangerous. He manages to post a 2000 - 3000 strong stack in the region making any sortie or movement into the region dangerous. This time I moved the capital to New York; I lost 10 moral points and dropped from 83 to 73. This will allow me to evacuate my large stacks out and maybe live to fight again, We will see.

Thanks

[Captain_Orso]

Whoa! Hold on there hero. Just who's cutting off whom? If Johnston and Beauregard are in Annapolis and Baltimore, who's minding the store back in Richmond, and where is your army?

Remember, how much supply a location produces is directly relative to your loyalty in the region. Admittedly Baltimore has high Confederate sympathies for a northern city and any location in Maryland will be almost divided; still they will probably not produce enough to keep an army in supply without using up the supplies in the towns. You have to be sure that no fresh supplies arrive. It should be enough to post a few units along the Potomac from Washington to across from Harper's Ferry. They can be on avoid combat so that they have a chance at running away if they're jumped on by rogue Confederate forces. Also think about having Harper's Ferry itself and Alexandria, and hey there can't be much of a defense in Manassas, doesn't Manassas want to rejoin the Union? Now where are the Confederate forces going to get there supplies from? Throw in a fleet into Chesapeake Bay (the Potomac is south of Washington, not north) in front of Annapolis and the trap is perfect.

Move your army up to Washington and stand to the west of Washington with at lead a corp if it's already March '62 or later so that your forces can support each other. Reinforcements for Washington can come by transports. North of Baltimore they arrive by rail. Build up a corp or two north of Baltimore, strengthen your army in general and get ready for Johnston and Beauregard to run out of supplies.

As a forethought for your next game, or this one later, having a few troops posted across the Potomac can work as great speed bumps and view-blockers.

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

The confederate AI I was once fighting managed to make it to Union, Pennsylvania and I completely cut it off, however, when I finally attacked after maneuvering them and myself into this position (the confederates power around 2000 or so) still fought and held like it was a completely fresh and unaffected fighting force. Even when constricted of supply and in rough terrain as it was supposed to be, it was like I was laying siege to Richmond.

[marquo]

Whoa! Hold on there hero. Just who's cutting off whom? If Johnston and Beauregard are in Annapolis and Baltimore, who's minding the store back in Richmond, and where is your army?

Remember, how much supply a location produces is directly relative to your loyalty in the region. Admittedly Baltimore has high Confederate sympathies for a northern city and any location in Maryland will be almost divided; still they will probably not produce enough to keep an army in supply without using up the supplies in the towns. You have to be sure that no fresh supplies arrive. It should be enough to post a few units along the Potomac from Washington to across from Harper's Ferry. They can be on avoid combat so that they have a chance at running away if they're jumped on by rogue Confederate forces. Also think about having Harper's Ferry itself and Alexandria, and hey there can't be much of a defense in Manassas, doesn't Manassas want to rejoin the Union? Now where are the Confederate forces going to get there supplies from? Throw in a fleet into Chesapeake Bay (the Potomac is south of Washington, not north) in front of Annapolis and the trap is perfect.

Move your army up to Washington and stand to the west of Washington with at lead a corp if it's already March '62 or later so that your forces can support each other. Reinforcements for Washington can come by transports. North of Baltimore they arrive by rail. Build up a corp or two north of Baltimore, strengthen your army in general and get ready for Johnston and Beauregard to run out of supplies.

As a forethought for your next game, or this one later, having a few troops posted across the Potomac can work as great speed bumps and view-blockers.

The problem is that he manages to cut off Washington before winter of 61. And he does this by ignoring every other front except Kentucky where he send enough to take Louisville. Now in this game I have assaulted towards Island 10 and even took Savannah by amphibious assault early to distract him, but he is very stubborn :-)

He will place a massive stack in Manassas, eventually moves forward and beats AoP/McDowell, crosses into Montgomery country and moves forward region by region to Annapolis/Baltimore. I have placed large fleets to help defend, etc. He is very good at using the extra movement ability of his generals/Jackson to knife through several regions in one turn. Even defense in depth is hard. The concentration of force is overwhelming. As for Alexandria, he takes it with a secondary stack of~ 500 after clearing out Montgomery county. It is November 61 and he has 2 large stacks which read 2,500 to 3,000 power. On in Prince Georges County and the other by Annapolis. My army is trapped in PG County/Washington and blocking the advance towards Baltimore.

Probably I am still too much of a novice, but I am not an idiot.....

Thanks

Marquo

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

Whats the condition and power of your forces?

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

If its low and unorganized then your screwed.

[marquo]

Now they are well organized and trapped inside Washington - if they sortie it becomes automatic attack mode and this will only hurt them more. I want to move out but can't. He has placed guns in Alexandria so any attempt to move in transports is doomed to failure.

[Q-Ball]

Marquo, in this case you can chalk it up to a learning experience, looks like that game is over. Michael is a really good opponent, as you are finding out

The problem is his strategy is a good one; go all-in in VA, and forget the rest of the map, or at least just use the "at start" and free forces there. But focus all builds in VA.

Because taking Richmond and/or DC is decisive, it begs the question: Why bother with the rest of the US? Why not just go all-in and force that decision in VA, if that's going to end the war?

It's the right call in-game, but of course it makes it less of an interesting game.


Not sure what the solution is; in my PBEM vs. Gunnulf, we have a HR which requires the Union to keep McClellan in charge in the East. That precludes an all-in approach in 1862 in VA, and forces me to win the war elsewhere. I kind of like that.

[marquo]

Well, losing D.C. in '61 does not end the war, but causes a loss of 10 Morale points. The next time I play him I will do nothing to otherwise lose morale - some of the decision cards and other choices cause some moral loss; no more. If I can get into '62 I think I can give him a match. BTW, this is also how he wins War in the East - a brilliant, aggressive, well-supplied overwhelming assault.

:-)

[Laernius]

Your opponent must have luck on his side because both Beauregard and Johnston have only a 4 for strategic rating. In my games I find that is enough to guarantee them not being activated for at least a couple months out of the year if not more. Besides, their attack ratings are only 2 so that doesn't give them any greater an advantage against opposing Union generals than one should expect. Just some considerations, but have you tried to lump all your available units together and create a super stack? That should deter him enough if you allow it to entrench so that he is forced to circle around. I realize that he managed to circle you, but an entrenched massive force should provide a home base from which to shear off forces to deal with threats. Besides, massive recruiting from pennsylvania should provide for an effective relief force overland to Baltimore. I didn't see you mention any recruiting efforts from there.