"You are all Green Alike": PBEM Game, Q-Ball (CSA) v Michael T (USA)

[Q-Ball]

"You are green, it is true, but they are green also. You are all green alike.”
--Abraham Lincoln, to Irwin McDowell, 1861

On that principal, I am starting a PBEM vs. an esteemed opponent, Michael T. Michael is new to this game as well, however Michael was very active in War in the East, a game I played, and was known as one of the top players over there, with lots of innovative tactics. I expect that once he is up to speed on the engine, he'll be very strong.

I am playing CSA, he is USA. We are playing under the following rules:

1. RAIDING: Limitations to raiding, similar to Jim Burns's AAR. Single Cav Regts may only raid in border states, and the West. Outside of border states, raiders must either a) have a named leader heading the stack, or b) have at least one friendly city in that state. This puts a little bit a lid on hordes of cavalry all over the place.
2. FLEXIBILITY: We'll evaluate more rules or items if something does not feel right.

Overall, gentlemanly play as we both learn.

Off we go....

Late May, 1861:

First few turns not a ton happens as you know, but we had our first battle in Late May, at Harper's Ferry. More on that.

INITIAL MOVES:
Sumter fell of course, and we railed the SC troops to VA. We occupied Norfolk, and pushed the Winchester Militia forward to an empty Harpers Ferry. Michael, however, countered with the Washington Bde, led by Keyes, who easily pushed my militia out and re-took Harpers Ferry.

We build a MO Militia unit at Rolla, and they will torch the depot at Rolla to prevent its use by the Union

BUILDS:
Both sides issued War Bonds. We declared an embargo, but unfortunately foreign intervention went negative; it is now at minus 30. Not much chance of help from that area....

We build some infantry and Brigs (blockade runners). We also build 4 Ranger units, and hope to cause some havoc in the far west into Colorado and Kansas.

SCREEN:
Not a lot so far, so attaching a screen of our settings

COMMENTS:
Let us know any feedback or comments

[Q-Ball]

Late June, 1861

Things are finally on the move for both of us, as both units and production choices unfreeze. Here we go!

EAST: Washington Bde smacks around the Winchester Militia, then withdraws to Harpers Ferry. We are moving Johnston's Army of the Shenandoah toward Harpers, where at the moment there are only about 3000 Federals under Milroy, without any trenches.

WESTERN:
With Kentucky neutral, nothing so far. I am reinforcing Island No 10 and Ft. Donelson with a brigade apiece. I am concentrating our River "Fleet" at Memphis for now. Cav units are moving into eastern Missouri.

We started construction of a Redoubt in Hopefield, across the Mississippi River from Memphis. Why here? Well, my thinking is:
1. It's a swamp, easier to defend
2. It's adjacent to Madison, AR, where there is a depot to aid in supplies
3. It's on a rail line; I am going to build and move Coastal Artillery into this Redoubt
4. Can be supported from Memphis

Seems like the best spot before the junction with the Arkansas River.

MISSOURI:
We burned the Depot at Rolla; unless I think I'm going to take St. Louis, it does more good for the Union than for me. Curiously, Michael has yet to move on Jefferson City.

Sterling Price's MSG is slowly moving toward Springfield. We are going to concentrate there and make some noise. Cavalry, of course, is moving deeper into Missouri.

FAR WEST:
I built 4 Ranger units, and they took 4 stockades this turn in Southern Colorado. Not sure what impact this really has, but we're going to burn the stockades; maybe it will impeded Union supplies. And force Michael to build forces in Colorado.

ECONOMY and BUILDS:
We are building 5 Armories in VA and SC. I am building 5 Brigs for blockade running.

[ATTACH]25454[/ATTACH]

[ajarnlance]

I agree that Hopefield is a good place to put coastal artillery. What are you planning for the size of the art.? 12lb? Or bigger? The range has to be more than 5 if I recall... The game only gives the South 2 redoubts I believe... use them wisely

[bgt0990]

Great start guys. Keep em coming

[Q-Ball]

Thanks doctor and Blind Sniper for comments....a couple replies in here

Late July, 1861

EASTERN THEATER:
See picture below; several forces are on the move!

In the valley, Joe Johnston's men beat Milroy's boys at Harpers Ferry. We should easily take it next turn, and we have a Cav unit blocking the B&O to the West. Good news here. We also sent a brigade from the valley to Manassas.

Further east though, a quandary. See the map; I could easily move from Manassas to Falmouth, but I don't want to give the Union 10 NM by abandoning Manassas. So, half measures...hope it works.

The risk is that I split my forces, but I am bringing a lot of reinforcements to Manassas from W Va.

Speaking of West Virginia, I pulled Floyd's command immediately from W Va, and they are now poised to reinforce Richmond next turn. I think it was the right move, W Va is a trap for Rebs, and getting them to my rail line means my guys are fighting sooner than his guys stuck in W Va. What do others do with the W Va Rebs?

WESTERN THEATER:
BTW, I am naming theaters by Civil War conventions; TN/AL/MS are "West", even though today we would consider that part of the "East".

KY is still neutral; interesting thing though is that Nathanial Lyon appeared near Cairo! He landed at New Madrid and took it.

We also had a Naval Battle off Island 10 from that move; it was inconclusive, though we did sink a Union Gunboat. It was gunboat v gunboat, probably last time that will happen this war.

MISSOURI:

With Lyon down in New Madrid, this opens some possibilities in Missouri.

Michael must be abandoning Central MO. After I torched the depot at Rolla, he must be thinking that I don't intend to advance. But we're going ahead.

McCulloch is approaching with Cav, and a reinforced Price should be able to re-take Jefferson City. I don't know if I can take St. Louis, but we're going to put some heat on the town. He can't lose it, and I already have troops in Mizzou, so why not?

FAR WEST:

We're torching stockades in Colorado, and next turn should have a ranger in Colorado City, at the gold mines. I don't think I can take it, but at least we'll force some builds. He already built a mounted volunteer brigade (I like those units, BTW)

ECONOMY:

We sold bonds, and selected no money for recruits. We lack War Supplies. I have built 2 brigs with 2 more on the way, and our blockade running brought 11 WS this turn. Need more of that!

Builds right now focusing on more infantry [ATTACH]25472[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Late August, 1861:

EASTERN:
The main action is still in Virginia; I didn't post a map because I wanted to post something else, but it's becoming a big mess for the most part.

Johnston's Army lost Winchester, and is withdrawing toward Strasburg. This is not a good thing. McDowell is leading the Army of N VA down the valley, and I don't have the strength to stop them. So that part is not good.

However, I think Michael is leaving his Washington defenses dangerously thin. I destroyed a militia unit at Falmouth, and we are concentrating 40,000 troops at Manassas and Leesburg. If I can cut the rail to Wash DC, I can force him to pull out of the valley in a panic.

I also am observing a build-up in West VA. I think he is going to launch an overland campaign into the valley from there. I think it's going to rain/snow before he gets too far, and he'll need depots for supplies. We'll see.

I did screw one part up; I accidently sent units past Ft. Monroe via river. OOOPS! Guess what happens when you do that? 2 dead Artillery units, that's what. OUCH!

WESTERN:

KY is still neutral. Michael is advancing down the West bank of the Mississippi. Very interesting move; I can't fight him out of the swamps, but I can cut that very tenuous supply. He needs to clear Island 10 before he can supply from the river.

Maybe he is going to build up down there, then run Ironclads past, and cross over above Memphis? Maybe....

MISSOURI:

I think he's going to have to reinforce here. We re-occupied Jefferson City, convening the Missouri Legislature (and collecting recruits/money). THere aren't enough Yanks in the state right now, and he's going to have to pull back to St. Louis. He needs more guys here, methinks.

FAR WEST:

Rangers are pillaging Golden City; what happens to the Gold Mine production when you do that? They are digging in, and I think some CO Mounted Volunteers are about to attack. We will need to move pretty soon anyway, as we are running low on food.

ECONOMY:

The last couple brigs went to sea; I think we are done building blockade runners for now. [ATTACH]25485[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Late Sept, 1861:

This is a case of the good, the bad, and the ugly! We are doing well in some areas, not so much in others.

Let's start with the good news:

MISSOURI:

We won a battle, along with 1 National Morale point, at Jefferson City. Hurlbut, with 8700 troops, crossed the river and attacked Sterling Price with 6000 men heavily entrenched. The result was a resounding Confederate victory!

There are now a lot of Union troops though in Missouri. Our plan to draw Union forces worked, because we now need to withdraw however to avoid being outflanked. Jefferson City is not really defensible.

Still, nice to get a win!

WESTERN:

The other major victory is along the Mississippi. I sent an army of 8000 men under Polk into New Madrid, hoping to cut off Lyon. Not only did that work, but Lyon had advanced from Osceola into Hopefield! Wow!

Lyon lost a battle against the Arkansas State Guard there, and is now in deep trouble. He still hold Osceola, but not for long; I am landing a force in his rear, and the only defenders are a depleted Militia unit.

I hope to isolate and capture Lyon's forces; he has about 4000 men after some losses.


[ATTACH]25517[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Sept 1861: Virginia

Now the ugly; I've made a complete hash of this theater.

I made some critical mistakes early not countering his moves, and as a result, I have lost control of the Valley

More importantly, he has a foothold at Fredricksburg. It was unwise to not defend this post well, but oh well.....live and learn.

So, let's see if we can make Lemonade out of this.

We did annihilate the garrison at Alexandria; no NM win, but that felt good. High Union losses.

I need to rest and recover cohesion before taking on the troops at Falmouth or Fredricksburg

I occupy the rail line, so he cannot easily shift troops from the Valley to Virginia; I hope to take advantage of that fact.

Richmond is pretty well defended, about 12000 troops under Bobby Lee

[ATTACH]25518[/ATTACH]

[H Gilmer3]

I like this. Keep it up! That Eastern Theater looks all over the place for both of you, in my very amateur opinion, of course.

[Q-Ball]

Late Oct, 1861:

The big news is that we turned things around in Virginia, gaining 4 NM in the process, and decisively defeating the Federals.

See the map below; this was the set-up BEFORE my turn. We had to pull additional troops from Western VA, most importantly Genl Johnston to make sure we had enough leadership.

Beauregard, with 28,000 men, lost an initial battle to 12,000 under David Hunter. That was surprising. Hunter's men, though, continued to Fredricksburg, where they were tired for the main battle. Beauregard also destroyed a force under Mansfield, 3 brigades that I think were landing at Falmount before using the RR. They were destroyed.

At Fredricksburg, 26,000 under Johnston attacked 21,000 under Butler, but Butler's men included Hunters men who were tired. The result was a huge victory, as Butler's army broke and ran from the field.

The only downside is that Manassas will almost certainly fall next turn if he has command points, as I could only leave a few units recovering cohesion.

Michael, though he has suffered alot of losses, has gained alot of ground in Virginia. 1862 is going to be tough, I can tell, and we'll need a max effort to keep him out of Richmond.
[ATTACH]25526[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Late Oct, 1861

Battle of Fredricksburg:

Below is the combat screen; the set-up was above.

WESTERN:

Nathanial Lyon seems to have ditched the 3500 Union troops stuck in the swamps at Osceola. They are now led by Lew Wallace. Wallace's men are evading combat, so we couldn't get a crack at them. They are stuck for sure, as I have a Cav unit in the swamps to the west, and New Madrid is occupied by 8,000 dug-in Rebs under AS Johnston.

Michael is doing something about this though; there is a massive buildup at Scott, MO under Grant (city of Charleston, across river from Cairo). He is building a Redoubt (!), and over 800 AV already. Where are they going?

With KY still neutral, he must be moving on either Island 10, or maybe even an overland campaign towards Jacks Port, and into Arkansas by the back door. We'll see, but I probably need to build more forces in this area.

MISSOURI:

After a month-long session in Jefferson City, the rightful government of Missouri is forced to flee. Price's men, after a couple combats, are really spent. Militia, even victorious militia, just does not hold up for long vs. regular troops. Reinforcements are coming up under Van Dorn, but I think we are falling back on Springfield. If Grant enters Arkansas from the NE corner, I'll probably shift over some troops. NW Arkansas isn't that important. We should have about 9,000 men by the time I collect everyone at Springfield.

FAR WEST:

This area is a mystery for me. I built a single brigade of Texans, and sent WHC Whiting out there to lead it. Whiting's force smacked around some militia, but isn't strong enough to take either Ft. Craig or Santa Fe. So, nothing to do really but head back to Ft. Bliss.

I feel like in NM, I need to either build supply wagons and make a real investment, or just hold on long enough to hold El Paso, or force the Union to launch a major campaign to take it.

I managed to get some Rangers on the gold mines in Colorado for 3 turns, disrupting production, but some Colorado troops finally chased them off. Michael is probably leaving a perm garrison now at Golden City.
[ATTACH]25527[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Late Nov, 1861:

Last turn was pretty quiet; Butler retreated to the East, but not before attacking Fredricksburg again. We barely beat him off, but I made a rookie mistake....ammo was down to 2%!

EASTERN:

The big takeaway here: WATCH YOUR AMMO LEVELS! I held onto Fredricksburg, but barely. At the beginning of the turn, most of my forces were below 15% ammo. Crap!

The problem is I was overusing my railroads to move troops around, leaving no capacity for supplies. This is a big mistake. After heavy fighting, I was out of ammo.

After one turn, I now have enough to get by, but it's prudent for me right now to cool it, to get stocks back to 100%.

The overall situation forced me to stop fighting, and pull back across the Rappahanock. We abandoned Manassas and Falmouth, and moved back. But the line is intact, so we should be OK for now.

WESTERN:

We kicked the remnants of Lyon's command across the Mississippi, even deeper into my territory. I wish they would die, though. Still 3400 guys there. We should finish them off shortly.

Otherwise, Grant is building up forces at Scott, MO. I'm sure they are not there for defensive purposes! I think he may be moving into Arkansas via Jack's Port. Not sure yet, but that's my guess. It would be weird, because we would control the river.

MISSOURI:

Snow covers Missouri. We have 11,000 of all types at Springfield. When the weather clears, I will send a Cavalry raid into Kansas, to threaten Leavenworth/Lawrence.

NEW MEXICO:

There is a very large convergence of Union troops at Ft. Craig; I count at least 300 AV. That does not include the California column or any US Troops. Big!

We don't have a lot of troops there, and I have no supply wagons. I either have to start building more units in El Paso, or simply resist long enough to make him take it, then withdraw into Texas. I am leaning toward the latter; El Paso is a VP city, but after that, the whole theater is a dead-end for the Union. Moving overland into Texas is not realistic. He could, though, move troops into Kansas/MO, it would just take awhile to do that.

NAVAL WARS:

I built 6 blockade runners, and I am getting a good return. None have been sunk so far though; I wonder if Michael is doing something wrong?

CSS Manassas is up by Island 10, and CSS Arkansas is nearly complete.


[ATTACH]25534[/ATTACH]

[Q-Ball]

Late Dec, 1861:

EASTERN:

Snow all over, so not alot of battles, except at Staunton.

McDowell attacked Kirby Smith and 11,000 troops at Staunton, the rest of my Valley Army, basically. McDowell was defeated, and withdrew to Lexington. No NM though.

Lynchburg was besieged by Feds, but they were low on supplies and struggling; we easily pushed them back. Michael has not built any Depots in West Virginia, so he outran his supply lines.

Otherwise, quiet in Virginia. I am building up supply stocks again.

WESTERN:

Big event: US Grant took Island 10! Ouch!

Not sure why, but Ruggle's men didn't fight, but withdrew. An assault by 16,000 troops took the fort. Bad timing on my part, I had just moved my shipping from the river.

We did engage Foote's gunboats, sinking one afterward. No Union ironclads yet on the river, so CSS Manassas is queen of the river...for now

In response, we are gathering an army at Humboldt.

MISSOURI:

The only large force in Missouri, after withdrawls, is about 6000 Federals at Jefferson City under Halleck. Not an offensive force, in other words. The weather is bad, but as soon as it clears, we are attacking. The Army of the West has 12,000 men in two divisions at Springfield, plus some Cav and Indians. Enough to cause trouble.

NEW MEXICO:

Another problem; Mesilla is taken! The problem is numbers. I didn't really build any troops out there, and more US Regts and stuff show up all the time. Can I even hold El Paso?

I think the Confederacy has a real decision out here. El Paso is an objective city, so it's worth holding. But to hold it, I think the Rebs need a) A supply wagon, b) an artillery unit or two, and c) at least 3 brigades of infantry. That's alot of expensive builds! Not sure it's worth it, because El Paso is really a dead-end for both sides.

So, what I have out there is 1 Texas Infantry Brigade, Baylor's group that started there, and some rangers. That's about it. I probably needed to build more.

[Mickey3D]

Very interesting AAR, waiting to read next episodes

(and I like very much the idea of two newcomers to the game explaining their learnings)

[Q-Ball]

Late Feb, 1862

Last couple months have been slower, due to weather concerns, and also the fact that both of us are busy building up our armies. But I think as the weather clears, it figures to get real busy.

EASTERN:

The Union has pulled back from southern VA, pretty sure due to supply problems from intel. Lexington was abandoned, so we are occupying it.

We attacked McClellan's 20,000 troops at Culpeper with 35,000 under Johnston and Longstreet. We lost the battle, getting 6000 men killed and losing a NM, but McClellan withdrew anyway.

Longstreet is now a 3*. Now that he is promoted, I think I liked him better as a 2*; on the promotion, he lost 2 from his strat rating (from 5 to 3), and lost his entrencher ability. Still, South lacks a lot of 3* early, so I'll use him as an army commander.

WESTERN:

Grant attacked the Army of Tennessee at Humboldt. Grant won, but was so depleted afterward he withdrew.

I have rapidly built-up a force there, up to 30,000 men by pulling from various areas.

MISSOURI:

We are going to cause some trouble here when the weather clears. I now have 13,000 men at Springfield, about 10,000 in the Army of the West under Van Dorn, and another 3,000 Indians and Cav. (Strangly, this is almost exactly what Van Dorn had at Pea Ridge!)

The Union has very little in Missouri; about 5,000 guys at Jefferson City, and Brigade at Rolla. That's it.

FAR WEST:

We won a battle at El Paso, but it's only a matter of time before I lose the place. The Union can bring men from California, etc, and just has more guys.

BUILDS:

I am beginning to monitor what I think is a game balance, production problem. What's the problem? It's way too easy for the CSA to keep pace with the Union.

Right now, our relative strength is about even. I haven't purchased any recruits. I have about 150-200K in the field, which is about historical for the CSA, but the Union is WAY behind historical at this stage. Granted, Michael has had heavier losses than historical, but I think he is about 150K short; he hasn't lost THAT much.

The CSA economy just isn't feeling strained. By early 1862, the historical CSA was already stressed enough to declare a draft and begin an expansion of money supply that ultimately led to a death spiral for the CSA dollar. This needs to be watched.

[ATTACH]25571[/ATTACH]

[Mickey3D]

A small tip : .jpg pictures allow for compression. I'm using a simple screen capture tool with basic editing functionalities and compression option : FastStone Capture (look for version 5.3 that is free).

This would quicken the page upload (weight of the pictures on this page is already more than 10 MB).

[Q-Ball]

Late March, 1862

The last couple months have been somewhat quiet; some action, but I think both of us are gearing up for a break in the weather to resume action

EASTERN:

Nothing much happening; we attacked a mountain region next to Culpeper, winning easily; our first combat involving Corps.

The Army of N VA under Johnston is organized into 2 Corps, under Jackson and Magruder

WESTERN:

We are concentrating forces at Humboldt; Army of Mississippi under AS Johnston has about 30,000

Screenshot below shows pretty much the area.

MISSOURI:

We created some Copperheads and Partisans in Missouri to cut rail lines; I was hoping for better weather, but it's still snowing around Springfield. As soon as the weather breaks, we are moving toward Jefferson City and into Kansas.

Our objective is to draw Union troops back into Missouri

FAR WEST:

This was the biggest event: We lost a battle at El Paso, and as a result figure to lose the city shortly.

I anticipated this, as we only had 3000 troops there; the only builds I did were some Rangers, and a single infantry brigade of Texans. The US starts with 2 supply wagons, artillery, and quite a few US Army troops. I think the Confederacy has to commit to building 5000+ troops plus supply wagons to really hold it, and the problem is it's an island; whatever you build is pretty much stuck out there. Maybe I play it differently next time, but for now, I will lose El Paso.
[ATTACH]25591[/ATTACH]

[geoffreyg]

I am enjoying this AAR - please do keep it up.

[Q-Ball]

April 1862

Overall, the weather is breaking, so movement is afoot. The first move seems to be from me, as we launch a major raid/invasion into Missouri.

Thanks a couple posters for kind words, good to know someone is reading[ATTACH]25610[/ATTACH]

EASTERN:

Quiet so far, but I think that will change. I am completing the replenishment of my supply wagons, and if I can, I will look for an opening across the Rappahanock. Another option is to cut-off McDowell's army near Staunton, by an overland march into the Valley (historically, there was an opening half-way down at Front Royal).

I am not doing alot of builds in VA at the moment; most of my 1861 builds were in VA, so I have well over 70,000 men in Virginia, at least. I'll do a count later.

Stonewall Jackson's Corps alone has over 35,000 at Culpeper. Magruder has a Corps, as well as EK Smith. Longstreet was transferred to Nashville, to lead the new Army of Tennessee.

WESTERN:

When exactly does Kentucky flip over? In preparation, I am building an army in Nashville under Longstreet; we're up to 10,000. I plan to also send Forrest into KY when it flips; I have built a large Cav Division under him, with nearly 10,000 troopers.

Otherwise, screen hasn't changed since below

MISSOURI:

I launched 13,000 men into Missouri and Kansas. The primary objective is to draw Union troops away from the Mississippi river. I think I'll be successful on that, for sure!

Van Dorn, with a division of 5000 men, defeats Sumner at Jefferson City. Once again, the lawful government of Missouri is in place. Price brings up the rear (he did not attack, as I have all the Militia under him; they move slow!)

Meanwhile, Stand Watie and all the Indians, plus a division of Cav under John Walker, attack and capture the garrison at Leavenworth. I plan to take Lawrence next.

Van Dorn and Price combined have nearly 10,000 men, and I plan to go closer to St. Louis

FAR WEST:

With El Paso lost, I am seriously debating just torching all the stockades in West Texas. It's the only way Michael can put a supply line together, which even then would be pretty tenuous. Not sure. In the meantime, I am keeping a Cav Division under Baylor out there to harass the Yankees, and moving Whiting's infantry eastward.

ECONOMY:

The strength ratio right now is only Union 109. That's not much of an advantage. I know Michael is pulling all the economic levers right now.

I am beginning to think the Union does not have the ability to build enough men, not anywhere near historical. From Jim Burns's comments, he seems to think the same thing. I am curious to see what happens in other PBEMs, but frankly, as CSA I definitely do not feel pressed yet.

[Baris]

Names sound familiar from WiTE forums. Good AAR thanks for posting !

[Q-Ball]

Thanks everyone for the good words, we'll keep it coming, though I wonder how far this game is going to go. The reason is I think the game is not balanced properly.

May 1862:

EASTERN:

Nothing going on. Bobby Lee will be activated soon for me, that will be nice!

WESTERN:

Ditto. I wonder if Michael was planning something, but had to withdraw troops for elsewhere. All quiet.

MISSOURI:

The party is over; Van Dorn and Price moved toward St. Louis, but instead of finishing off Sumner's men, we ran straight into a large force under Fremont. 4000 men attacking 11,000.....even Fremont can win that one. He did.

So, we are having to withdraw back to Springfield. I wonder if Michael will keep coming and try to take down my base there, preventing a return to Missouri. We'll see.

Watie nearly took Lawrence, but ran out of ammo; he has to withdraw. Walker is moving out of Kansas as well.

The big Missouri raid is about over.

COASTAL DEFENSES:

Someone asked about this. What am I doing about the coasts? I am not sure what the best defense is, but I have formed small divisions at 4 key points: Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, and New Orleans. These are the most important ports. Each division just has 3000 men or so, and in most cases I am using units that contain local militia, plus not the greatest leaders.

Aside from that, I have a Regt. and Artillery unit, a makeshift fort, dug-in at Plaquemine; that is a hole in the Rebel defenses, Union can sail through the Bayou and into the Mississippi from there, if you look closely.

BALANCE OF FORCES:

Overall, I think the game is modelling combat well, and no bugs. So there is a good underpinning here. I like the way the economy works. The problem is this: The CSA can't lose right now, and it's not because of my brilliant play.

Michael and I added up the total mobile forces; total headcount of forces, excluding fixed garrisons, and anyone in the Far West. Union Total: 204,000. My total: 211,000. In other words, the CSA Army is larger!

Both of us are using all Treasury options. We have both used drafts and requisitions. Michael has hit the $2 option to buy more recruits. I didn't buy any, just selected "No Bonus". I haven't declared mobilization, can't remember if he has or not.

It's May in our game. In June, 1862, the CSA Army reported an "Aggregate Present" of 227,000 (able guys plus sick, not including those "missing" or AWOL). If you add the 20,000 or so I have in coastal garrisons, the in-game CSA army is about on target, more or less. Close enough.

The Union Army reported in March, 1862, a total aggregate of 533,000. Michael has less than half that! He's had losses, but something is clearly not right here. He regularly gets fewer recruits each turn, and while he does get more money, more than 1/3 of that has to be used just to buy enough recruits to catch-up to the Rebs. His inflation is just as bad as mine.

The Strength comparison says 108 right now, but that number for Union probably includes the Navy, and also includes Union garrisons which, unlike the CSA garrisons, are worthless. Detroit? Boston? Sacramento? Not helpful.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do know the CSA should not be getting the SAME financial results from those decisions. The US economy was much, much larger and those events should pay the USA alot more. And it may not be a good objective for gameplay to get the Union to Double everything the CSA has. But something has to be done, or PBEM won't be playable, IMO.

I would like PBEM players to chime in with your thoughts, but that's my 2 Confederate dollars [ATTACH]25627[/ATTACH]

[Ol' Choctaw]

In the far west you should have more, or the ability to raise more. He would have to ship them from a long way off. All he need do in the far west is defend and slowly expand. The Union stayed in New Mexico and never took El Paso.

I can’t tell you about his recruits but the union should have about a 2 or 3 to 1 advantage in conscripts now. He should have no problem building 2 division a turn and a bit more, while you will be pressed to get one full division.

Your force pool will also go dry shortly. His will not. Not for a long time. If you are having an easy time of it then the Union player is not pressing his advantages. He can launch operations in several locations forcing you to react in several places and drain your strength. You likely don’t have a navy to do that to him. Also if Ky is not open yet, that favors the CSA. This was a 4 year war and if it is the levels are right, it could go on that long or more. When Ky opens you will have a much wider front to control. And it will be Union!

I would not count those chicks just yet.

[Q-Ball]

I can’t tell you about his recruits but the union should have about a 2 or 3 to 1 advantage in conscripts now. He should have no problem building 2 division a turn and a bit more, while you will be pressed to get one full division.

.

Remains to be seen I guess, but I don't see it. I know I am getting MORE recruits each turn than Union right now, about 10 more. The Union can buy more, and he has, but that also burns up some of his money advantage. His city income is about 100 more a turn, but some of that has to be spent just to get even with me on the city recruit production. Overally, the Union does NOT have a 2-1 advantage in builds, not even close.

Hope I am wrong, but I think the Rebs can stay close to even

[Q-Ball]

June 1862:

The only significant action this turn is out west.

MISSOURI:

Van Dorn and Price successfully withdrew their forces to Springfield, and safety. It does not appear that the Union is going to make an attempt at the place. I don't see making much in investments here, and I may shift troops. Or make another attempt at St. Louis. We'll see.

Further north, I attacked Lawrence, but the assault collapsed with the death in combat of John Walker, leaving his force leaderless. That stinks, as Walker was useful: 4-1-1 leader with Fast Mover skill. Oh well. Stand Watie is picking up the pieces, and we are pulling back to re-form.

FAR WEST:

Kit Carson is, surprisingly, leading 4000 Union troops into West Texas. He took a stockade. Not sure if he is just creating a buffer between him and El Paso. I don't really want to reinforce, Baylor's 1200 men are keeping tabs on this, but I cannot seriously resist. I can't see him making it to the other side of Texas, though.

[Q-Ball]

July 1862:

EASTERN:

The quiet time is shattered, as a large Union army kicks me out of Culpeper. Michael caught me changing Corps around, and I only had 30,000 men there from the Army of Fairfax, under Beauregard.

He followed that up, though, with an all-in move to Charlottesville. This time, Bobby Lee was waiting, and via various march to gun events, we had nearly 60,000 men available. The result was a +4 NM victory. Not a ton of Union casualties though.

US Grant has appeared in VA, and is heading a new army! Clearly, he is making the big push in the EAST. We are shifting more troops that way, and I don't expect a move down the Mississippi anytime soon.

WESTERN:

We had a major naval battle off Ft. Pillow. 3 Union Ironclads found my fleet of 2 Ironclads and some Gunboats under Hollins. We lost, with 2 Gunboats sunk; our forces retreated to Memphis.

I hope that doesn't open the river for a move on Ft. Pillow. I can't cover every region, and Ft. Pillow is a weak point.

MISSOURI:

There are ALOT of Federals approaching Springfield. We are falling back to the trenches.

My biggest problem out there is a lack of a 2* leader

FAR WEST:

Carson's men are moving into Texas! I see supply wagons moving back to El Paso, and I wonder if Michael is trying to have a supply line. That would be pretty nuts to try to supply a force all the way to Austin, but hope he tries.

[ATTACH]25656[/ATTACH]

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

It seems Michael doesn't know how to concentrate his forces. Michael is very reckless with his maneuvers and appears to be at all times static. You have him on his toes at all times it seems and are not allowing him to properly organize and campaign. His lack of taking a conservative approach handling Union soldiers has cost him dearly. Too much caution is bad sure, no one wants to be a Halleck or McClellan, but being methodical and compact, even if it means slow going, is surely a good thing no? And with situation in Missouri that has been thrust upon you, what I would have done was concentrate but never try to get into a direct or heavy engagement, not bringing an entire force but nipping at his force little by little sending him on a goose chase of your forces, and while he advances, send detachments to get to his rear and make a muck up of his supply letting the force and its power slowly drain from it as it slogs across the frontier. I would then strike with the full force of my main army, sitting comfortably in the trenches after feigning retreat and passiveness until that point, driving back his exhausted force sending it reeling back to St. Louis, Sumner would be running with his tail between his legs, shouting with his booming voice to his troops to Retire faster! I think more battles like Charlottesville and upsetting his campaign designs by keeping his forces on edge should win you the war.

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

A quick strike into the north should really force his hand. I'm sure with all the loss he is facing he has very low morale. Moving fast and spread, but compact, as the confederacy is good. Organizing a force that is very numerous is easy for the union, making it powerful and up to snuff is agonizingly slow I find. For me, whenever I play the union, I have to admit I'm always on edge and admittedly scared controlling union forces. In the beginning out in the west there are absolutely ZERO active or ready units with the exception of the division sized force Lyon usually has in the beginning all the union has are some paltry garrisons not were there weight in salt as well as a pittance amount of infantry brigades with no real effectiveness in my opinion. I find myself scrimping money trying to raise volunteers even though they won't do me any good but act as a sort of ruse to their overall power. Artillery also drains my coffers to the nth degree and even then I can't make enough and regular infantry and cavalry take forever to complete to great effect (Arty too!). For example: in my last game I only had SEVEN understrength divisions ready IN DECEMBER 1862 and active to cover the west, hardly enough. And this is with all of the options for more money etc. Surprisingly enough I find myself more secure playing the Confederacy than the Union, still I play the Union more though because to me it is more of a challenge. I like my games to be challenging lest it wouldn't fit the bill. Oh yeah I lose A LOT.

[Q-Ball]

August, 1862

EASTERN:

Wow, Michael is aggressive. Another major attack at Charlottesville!

First, Crittenden led 30,000 men in an attack on Ewells' men at Staunton; Ewell was beaten, and withdrew.

Then, Grant led 95,000 Federals into Charlottesville. I moved noboby from the turn before, except that I did move EK Smith's corp from Beauregard's army to Lee's army. We had 75,000 total defenders, over half of them in Jackson's Corps. We inflicted 15,000 union losses to 8000, and won 4 NM. The Federals retreated to Culpeper.

With Crittenden coming from the West, though, we are getting pinched. I need to recover ammo,and then we'll see what to do.

I am building troops and railing more to Virginia, which seems like the main event.

WESTERN:

I opened KY. Why? It's not the smart play, but it really bugs me that KY is not open by Aug 1862. I think that event needs to be changed. Look for a post on that in the near future.

I also do need to take pressure off VA. Forrest and 8000 troopers are moving toward Louisville, and 10,000 men under J Johnston are moving to Bowling Green.

MISSOURI:

The Union has reacted strongly; since my earlier raid, I am getting squeezed in all directions by Union forces. Not sure if I will defend Springfield or not.

My biggest problem there is still lack of a 2* leader.[ATTACH]25666[/ATTACH]

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

Where is Grant? All I see is an army under Don Carlos Buell.

[Q-Ball]

Where is Grant? All I see is an army under Don Carlos Buell.

Grant is leading an army of approx. 8 to 9 Corps, and somewhere over 120K, in Virginia!

October 1862

RICHMOND UNDER SEIGE!

The Union Army crossed the Rappahannock at Fredricksburg without a fight, and advanced 2 regions to Hanover.....just across from Richmond!

I had a Corps at Fredricksburg, but I made a mistake on the settings, leaving it on "DEFEND-RETREAT". BIG MISTAKE!

So I paid on that one, now Richmond is under siege.

BATTLE OF CHARLOTTESVILLE:

So, I have to shift all my Corps eastward to cover Richmond. About 4 Union Corps advanced on Charlottesville, and met one wing of the ANV. Result: 9 NM gained in a massive victory.

Still, a pyhrric one; I am going to have to abandon Charlottesville probably anyway.

CAPITOL MOVED TO ATLANTA:

I paid the 5 NM and moved the capital....I am still at 122 NM, so plenty there.

KENTUCKY:

We also won a battle in Munfordville, KY.......24,000 men under Johnston defeated a Union force of 20,000. We don't have the supplies, though, to advance on Louisville, so that may be about it. I will probably have to fall back on Nashville before too long.