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Citizen X
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Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:25 pm

Hard to tell without looking at it.
A simple powerdown can't fry a motherboard under most circumstances, allthough it might affect the harddrive. If the powerline outside got hit by a flash however, this might damage everything. If the computer shows absolutly no sign of life, it might be a dead powersupply or a triggered overvoltage protector. If it lives but loads no BIOS most likely it is the motherboard/CPU/memory complex. If it loads BIOS but doewn't go further it might be the harddrive. The most common part that goes down with overvoltage issues is the motherboard. Sometimes one can even see some busted devices on it.

Good luck.
"I am here already.", said the hedgehog to the hare.

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Banks6060
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Sat Feb 01, 2014 6:03 pm

Citizen X - What you described as my machine "showing no signs of life" is spot on. I earnestly hope it is a power supply issue.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

charlesonmission
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Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:39 pm

Have you tried a different power outlet to see if that is the problem?

Banks6060 wrote:Citizen X - What you described as my machine "showing no signs of life" is spot on. I earnestly hope it is a power supply issue.

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Citizen X
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Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:08 am

Banks6060 wrote:Citizen X - What you described as my machine "showing no signs of life" is spot on. I earnestly hope it is a power supply issue.


Charles is right. Easiest way to check that is changing the power supply. Some motherboard manufacturers have a ready light on them, that lits when the power supply is working, even when not turned on. Maybe you can lok that up in the manual. Else than that there is no other way of finding out. It sounds as though either power supply or Mobo are toast.
"I am here already.", said the hedgehog to the hare.

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Banks6060
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Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:59 am

Alright, happily, I'm able to report live from my own home computer which has been newly repaired. Luckily it was only a power supply issue. Not exactly a "cheap fix", but much better than the alternative.

That said, there are apparently some pretty solid changes coming (or perhaps already released) in the latest upgrade to 1.03. Soundoff and I are currently weighing whether to restart our game (not our AAR's), make the exact same moves and decisions we already have and then resume with v1.03 installed. I will definitely keep everyone updated on how that decision comes out.

Cheers!
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Banks6060
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Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:42 pm

As you could probably surmise from Soundoff's most recent entry, there was not much action during the Early June turn. Of course there is the update and some of the changes worth explaining before I dig all the way into my thought process through this new turn.

There were a few changes in the 1.03 update which had a bit greater impact on our game than I thought.

1. I did not receive Carl Shurz cavalry until the Late May turn and so Wood's advance on Harper's Ferry went a little differently than it has been recorded already. Additionally, there was rain and mud slowing Wood down enough that he was never able to reach Winchester in this re-start. As you will see in a moment, far different from before, Wood's command is actually now well rested and dug in deeply in the hills around Harper's Ferry.

2. Volunteer brigades in 1.03 have arrived sooner, availing myself of more men to get the operation against Norfolk moving a little faster and with a stronger force. I do not get into detail about that in this particular turn, but it is something you readers will notice in future updates.

3. Overall, I received many dozens more conscript companies in this 1.03 restart than I did in the original five turns of 1.02. However, both Soundoff and I agreed not to change any of our production orders to take advantage of that change. Of course, it would have ruined the continuity of this AAR.

4. The replay feature is back!!!! I was so excited about it being back, however had completely gotten used to it not being around that I have completely forgotten to use it through the first 5 turns of this restart. Well enough, though since nothing has required it thus far. I will make certain to check the replay closely after each turn from here on out.

With that -- first things first.

[color="#008080"]OBJECTIIVES:[/color]
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You can see, I've managed to retain slightly more National Morale in this particular iteration of our contest. VP totals haven't changed too much and Soundoff still holds a significant advantage.

An aside:

I will tell you, it is a disheartening VP defecit at present time. Soundoff is outgaining my by 9 VP's per turn right now. If I am to gain back the advantage in VP, it should be a slow but grinding win for me. I MUST get the offensive on Norfolk moving. While I have decided not to include a detailed report from Deleware this turn....I should at least divulge the reason:

In arranging the gathering, one of my commands didn't march fast enough and was still 1 day away from Wilmington at the beginning of this turn. It has thrown a bit of a wrench in things...but we will soldier on. All that said....I want to get moving against Norfolk and SOON.

And we're back:

Another change from the old 1.02 version of our game....the casualties thus far. They are reduced significantly for both Soundoff and myself. His initial attack on Ft. Sumter resulted in some 148 troops killed or wounded in the 1.03 restart as opposed to 350 before. Also Wood's earlier advance through Fredericktown, Harper's Ferry and Winchester....never really happened, so all of the casualties caused by that earlier action were never truly replicated this second time around.

Foreign help is roughly the same. So, overall we're JUST about right back where we left off. I think my total combat power is a little stronger than in the 1.02 turns.

[color="#008080"]BATTLEGROUND: HARPERS[/color]
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So, taking things in here in the Northeastern Virginia theater, there was one thing which consumed most of my thought.

1. What the hell am I going to do??

This is that part of Ageod's brilliant game where it's "gloves off", we're done warming up, fighters are in the ring.

It's a part of the game that, as the Union player, I have always struggled with because there is always the opportunity to attack, but never really any good reason to. The way this always works (at least in my experience), is for the Confederate player to just dig in as deep as possible in Manassas, making a frontal assault too scary a prospect even to consider and steal the initiative that way.

Some one has to blink and someone has to deliver the first shot. I ALWAYS want to be that guy. I began considering all the different and creative ways in which I might be able to score a victory by moving McDowell's army, in parts, all around the Northern Virginia countryside, but I always came back to what I see as a stark reality; Anywhere I go, Soundoff will see me and I will have split my army right in front of him. It's just not a smart move at all.

Taking that tack and subduing my natural aggression, I began considering ways in which I might anticipate some kind of offensive by Soundoff. "Should I move a part of my army to Leesburg to block that avenue of attack??".

"Should I split part of the army away to help Wood in Harper's Ferry??"

ASIDE: I truly felt good about thinking defensively for once.

I began to think about how long it might take Soundoff to get his troops from region to region along different routes of invasion:

1. Beauregard to Leesburg, then across the Potomac to Montgomery, Maryland:
-- Even if Bory were to succeed at a forced march, by my estimation, it would take him 12 days to reach Leesburg, meaning I could easily react and potentially capitalize.
2. Bearegard to Leesburg, then across the Potomac to Fredericktown:
-- Same reason as with #1
3. Beauregard to Falmouth, then across the Potomac to Port Tobacco, Maryland:
-- Same reason as with #1 and #2

I think you probably get the idea. Joe Johnson would have no easier time moving swiftly, the same going for G.W. Smith in Winchester.
All that into consideration and I think I can be confident remaining right about where I am. I elect to keep McDowell's army in Alexandria and change its posture to "defend". I'm quite certain Soundoff will not attack me directly here, but there is always that chance he has something waiting in the wings to reinforce Bory. We shall see here.

The Harper's Ferry problem:

So, as I mentioned a moment ago, Wood's troops are doing MUCH better in this 1.03 restart. It's a good thing for sure, but looking at the forces arrayed on the map, I am immediately drawn to concern over Wood's fate. He has very good troops in the Washington Brigade and I was able to get him some unlocked artillery from Washington (which Soundoff allowed with the 1.03 changes), but the Confederates currently stationed in the Shennendoah Valley outnumber Wood's troops by roughly 2 to 1.
Wood is in some pretty big trouble and will need to be reinforced.

Enter Brig. Gen. C.P. Stone and his brand new command of Maryland volunteers. In the 1.02 turns, these troops were supposed to counter-attack Harper's Ferry (taken by G.W. Smith), but are now simply available to reinforce Wood's command. Joining Gen. Stone will be Brig Gen. Albion Paris Howe.

Howe is ordered to take command of two regiments of mounted volunteers and counterattack a group of Confederate cavalry which has managed to successfully insert themselves behind Wood's position, threatening to cut his connection to Washington. I'm hoping Howe's soldiers can catch Soundoff's cavalry before they have a chance to cut the rails in Fredericktown. Short of that, simply forcing them back across the Potomac River will suffice. Howe is given orders to intercept the enemy and attack, but with caution. There are a LOT of large Confederate commands nearby and if Howe manages to chase those troopers all the way back to say, Winchester, he could be quite surprised at what he finds. :neener:
The rest of Stone's troops, numbering some 2,700 infantry and 12 guns, will board trains and rail to Harper's Ferry, with orders to aid in its defense. In the meantime, Wood is ordered to defend, but retreat if pressed too hard.

There has been considerable effort spent by Soundoff upon securing Harper's Ferry thus far in the game. It at least seems as though he wants to hold and keep it. While, I don't consider it QUITE as necessary an objective, I do realize it will put the safety of Washington D.C. in jeopardy and for that reason, it's at least worth fighting for. I suspect Soundoff will launch Joe Johnson and G.W. Smith aggressively at Wood's command, hoping to overwhelm him there. I hope to achieve some surprise with Stone's troops. If I can successfully keep Soundoff's cavalry from cutting the rails in Fredericktown, I will consider the turn solid victory.

To the heavyweight bout between McDowell and Beauregard....methinks Soundoff will save his energy this turn as well.

[color="#008080"]WEST VIRGINIA:[/color]
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West Virginia is quite a bit less tricky. Most of the commands on the map are either locked in place or are too weak to do any real aggressive campaigning. I suspect the case is the same for Soundoff, although he does have an imposing force under Floyd in Clarksburg, WV.

One of my gunboat squadrons was slow in moving this last turn and has yet to arrive and block the Ohio River crossing immediately northeast of Parkersburg (another 1.03 change).
Arriving at General Patterson's understrength command. There is always the knowledge it will simply be useless unless Patterson is replaced. I however, taking into account my principles, cannot abide a "gamey switch" and so will stick with Patterson until he gives an historically justifiable reason to be replaced.

To that end; I then begin looking at exactly what to do with him and I'm stuck. He's not in a great position to do much of anything for anyone sitting where he is now. He has a sizeable force under his command with more than sufficient supply and I certainly wouldn't want 4,700 fighting men to go to waste. Obviously I want to send him somewhere, but the trick is....where??

There is the mountanous region of Pendleton, WV, leading around behind Soundoff's troops in the Shennendoah Valley, but Patterson's troops would be distancing themselves too much from the front line of either nearby theater of war (West Virginia and Northern Virginia).

Understanding that at least SOME kind of pressure should be put on Soundoff's troops in the Valley, I elect to move Patterson south to Hampshire, WV. From this position, he will be able to threaten Soundoff's troops as well as support Wood's defense of Harper's Ferry in the future (if Wood can hold back what I believe to be a fierce attack coming).

There is really little other action in this theater for the coming turn. I'm not positive, but as I mentioned before, I think Soundoff's troops in Clarksburg might be locked for this turn again. In any case, I don't think he has confidence that he can attack me with any real effectiveness. It's pretty much wait and see here.


[color="#008080"]REBELS ON THE WATER:[/color]
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Also not much change in the Mississippi theater of war...except one thing; Soundoff's dang gunboat armada along the river south of Morell's position around Charleston, Missouri.

That is certainly an imposing threat. Granted, I was able to move Foote's gunboat fleet down to Cairo from St. Louis, but just look at the power comparison.

NOW

Let me tell you, in calculating the best estimate for the strength of Soundoff's gunboat fleet, I took a LOT of time gathering what information there is available to me (within this PBEM game) to understand what "gunboat squadron" means. Using information from my own gunboat squadrons (assuming that Confederate gunboats couldn't possibly be much better or worse), I basically came up with a total Rebel river force numbering some 16 fighting ships, 2,000 men and 96 cannon, all under the able command of one Admiral George N. Hollins.

That is close to three times the strength of my own gunboat fleet. There are two things which jump to the top of my mind when I see this:

1. I may need to accelerate plans for the construction of my own river fleet. Soundoff appears to have done so already. I don't remember so many gunboats being under my control the last time I played this game as the Confederates.

2. I sure as hell HOPE Soundoff can't see what I've got in Cape Gerardeau guarding the connection between Charleston and Cairo. If he can....he'll know he can attack with confidence.
With my ownership of Charleston, Missouri...I don't THINK Soundoff can see what I have hiding outside Cairo, but considering the area I'm operating in (quite pro-Confederate), I have to assume Soundoff can see my fleet. Cape, MO - west across the Mississippi River from Cairo - has a Confederate loyalty rating of 95%. Sure enough...that means Soundoff can see anything in the neighboring river region, including my fleet.

Knowing this - and again taking a second to get past the dread - I elect to advance Foote's fleet southeast to the Mississippi Confluent. Depending upon how Soundoff attacks (if he does) Foote's gunboats could serve as a deterrent and delay Hollins force. There is always the chance Foote scrapes out a victory, however unlikely, I believe the effort at least it will have meant Soundoff was forced to fight for every inch of ground he wanted.

Elsewhere, I have elected to show you just what kind of army I'm putting together for this theater of war. There is a rather meager force situation in Cairo at the moment, under Milroy's able command, but I am planning to more than quadruple its number in the next 4 turns. There are brigades being assembled in Cairo itself, plus some cavalry. Several more units are being raised in northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.

So far, I have decided to focus on building 20lber's and 12lber's as far as guns. I think having a unit of 20lb. parrots available for use in open terrain will be worth the expense. They are also very good cannon on the attack when compared to other calibre guns.

I will need to raise more troops for this army, but I certainly believe this to be a good start.

Here's to hoping Soundoff elects not to attack and I get lucky this turn.


[color="#008080"]EASY SAILING IN MISSOURI:[/color]
Image


Here is an area of the conflict where little has changed, if not for some rather alarming developments in Kansas, but I'll get to that in a moment.

Lyon's march west from St. Louis went as smoothly as could be expected and Wallace failed to hunt down the rebel militia operating around Rolla. Wallace's troopers, resting in Rolla, have basically fulfilled their mission (from a strategic standpoint). I wanted them to kick the rebs out of Rolla and it would appear that's just what Wallace has done, however I think there could be more things for Wallace to do that could be of use.

Considering this, I decide to send Wallace southwest, on a mission to find and mop up and troops which might still be trying to move between Rolla and Springfield and then turn north to rejoin Lyon's main army.

In the meantime, Lyon's march west to Jefferson City will continue after a few days of rest, however without the fighting men of the 2nd U.S. Regulars, who are ordered to march south and secure Rolla, Missouri for the Union.

Things really seem to be going swimmingly in this part of the country, but there is still an entire summer fighting season to come and plenty of room for maneauvre. I suspect Springfield will be a tough nut to crack (I noticed, but did not include in the screenie, information I uncovered indicating there was a new brigade defending the town). Soundoff appears to be of mind to make things interesting out west anyway. He is moving in such a way as I've yet to see a Confederate player move in this game....
Which brings us to......


[color="#008080"]NOT SO MUCH IN KANSAS:[/color]
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Some aggressive and alarming moves by Soundoff here. He has launched what appears to be an all out offensive up the Neosho River, putting pretty much all of central Kansas in jeopardy of Confederate attack. Rebel cavalry has taken Forts. Belmont and Baxter, while Rebel militia have taken Fort Scott. Add to that, Sterling Price has moved Northwest to Ft. Wayne and there is some real concern about the long term safety of cities like Lawrence, Mound City and even Leavenworth.

I don't quite know what Soundoff is up to out here (in fact I can't even pose a qualified or reasonable guess), but it is drawing quite a bit of my attention.
Naturally, the initail thought is "Panic - what do I do?!?!?" -- But I always collect myself (good thing about turn based games). There are forces which can effect an appropriate response to this situation and I've also gained more information about the force under Sterling Price.

My cavalry which has scouted those troops is in a good position to counter-attack and there really is only one obvious target for such an operation. The Rebel militia at Fort Scott are slower and while they are a bit better on defense, I think regular U.S. cavalry might be able to run them off without taking too much damage.

The 3rd U.S. Cav. in Tallasi, KS are ordered to double back and ride for Fort Riley, thereby securing that important location.

I had ordered Brig. Gen. Sumner and the 11th U.S. Regular Infantry to join the Union volunteers in Lexington, Missouri, but this situation called for the abilities of a skilled leader. I have elected to send Sumner and the 11th U.S. to join up with the group of Kansas volunteers which have mustered in Leavenworth in reaction to Soundoff's aggressive move north. In all, Sumner will have under his command, some 2,500 troops, including 600 cavalry and 12 guns. This is slightly more than half the size of my estimates for Price's strength in Fort Wayne. It will have to do for now and with the help of my roving cavalry, I suspect I can keep this situation well enough under control.


[color="#008080"]THE REST:[/color]
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There really isn't much more to report, except to show how I've decided to invest resources this turn. I have decided to get my artillery construction projects underway and will be building units of Rodman artillery plus 12lbers for my commands in the east, plus those unites of 12lbers I mentioned being build in Michigan earlier. I have also added the recruitment of more sharpshooters in Ohio. They could be of use in either West Virginia or in my Mississippi army.

I went ahead and bought a single replacement unite of cavalry. I expect to be fighting quite a bit with cavalry units this turn and being able to replenish those units quickly will be of significant importance.

I have also elected to go another turn without announcing a blockade. Where I'm kinda kicking myself is the decision not to bring in more money in some way. After sending my completed orders to Soundoff, I thought better of that decision. Ah well.

With that....on to the next turn!!

Is the attack on Harper's Ferry coming??

What do the Confederates have in store for Admiral Foote on the Mississippi River?

What the hell is Soundoff up to in Kansas??

Stay tuned!!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

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bugwar
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Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:46 am

A most entertaining read.

Good luck in the waters off Cairo. ;)

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Banks6060
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Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:04 am

[color="#008080"]REBEL MENACE[/color]

Image

Eagerly did I await the processed turn to finish loading on my screen so I could quickly mouse over and see what befell my brave Union boys in Harper's Ferry. Frantically did I search for either Gen. Wood or Gen. Stone's portraits as I scanned the multi-colored map. Over artistic little hill and dale did my eyes fleck when upon reaching the lower Shennendoah Valley I found an imposing Confederate force under General P.G.T. Beauregard's command plopped like a sack of coal at Harper's Ferry. Soundoff attacked this turn, as expected, but HOW he attacked comes as a complete surprise.

It looks as if he pulled a "switch" of sorts, with most of Beauregard's Army of the Potomac railing north toward Harper's Ferry, while Joe Johnson's Shennendoah Army railed south to take up positions at Manassas. You will see it laid out in a screenie to come, but it's safe to say, the move pretty much confounded me. I'll return to my musings about that particular strategy in the next update. For now, I return to the highlight of this entry; 2nd Battle of Harper's Ferry.

-- First, I should mention that after finding Beauregard "plopped" at Harper's Ferry, I also found a stack under the command of Gen. C.P. Stone ALSO situated in the Harper's Ferry, WV region. The most alarming find soon after was just how weak that force had become after just one round of fighting against Beauregard's force. Granted, the command was ordered to "cautiously defend". I suppose I figured they would not have gotten so tired having been in level 2 trenches, but Soundoff's attack was quite fierce and against unseasoned troops.

It looks as thought Confederate brigades under Longstreet and Cocke did most of the fighting for Beauregard in this contest. On the Union side, just about every brigade in the command became engaged in some way. Worst hit was the "elite" Washington Brigade (which had been doing so well in the 1.02 turns).

I envision a fight in the hills, of course. Study of the current topography around Harper's Ferry, WV indicates a line of hills perhaps two miles to the southwest of town. Taking a trip back through time, I'd say Gen. Stone, upon arriving to assist Gen. Wood in the defense of the city, set up Wood's veteran troops and the Washington Brigade in the center, guarding the main road into town and the nearby hills. I imagine the 1st Maryland and 1st NY brigades having been stationed to the right and left of those Pennsylvania troops respectively with the 1st Maryland Volunteers and 1st U.S. Regulars stationed closer to town and in reserve.

The 24 guns would likely have been interspersed across the front line, with a collection of emplaced guns aimed at the road leading into Harper's Ferry itself below. I believe Shurz's cavalry would have been placed on the left flank with the 1st Maryland Cavalry opposite on the right flank.

The way I imagine it, the Rebs come marching forward in good order with three of five brigades (Cocke on the left, Longstreet on the right, and Holmes in reserve) and manage to get into close action quickly, pressing the entire front line. Rebel artillery might itself have been focused on blowing clear a path into Harper's Ferry along the main road. I suspect that effort, despite being carried out with mere 6lb. artillery, was successful, allowing Confederate troops to pierce the Washington Brigade and thus the center of the line. I see one regiment of Longstreet's brigade (say the 1st Virginia) streaming through the breach and beginning a march toward Harper's Ferry before suffering under the frowning weight of 12 and 10lb cannon pouring canister shot down upon them.

The advance wavers and then stalls, but not before the 11th Virginia, close by in the rear, moves forward and begins an advance toward the hillside. The regiment takes intense fire before hitting the tree line. At that point The Union artillerymen, now lacking a clear line of fire and noticing they stand little chance against a full regiment of infantry at musket range, decide to limber up and retreat.

It wouldn't have been long after the breach was discovered that Beauregard would have launched the rest of his infantry at the 1st Maryland and 1st NY brigades with cavalry in support to chase down stragglers. I imagine a persistent and determined advance, Rebel troops stopping briefly to fire before continuing a swift march forward, full throated Rebel yips and yelps joining the chorus of gunfire about them. Some 6,000 troops all advancing in unison along a roughly half-mile front toward the Union troops taking cover behind sturdy breastworks.

Maryland and New York troops, having traded volleys with the hearty southerners for the better part of 30 minutes, begin to waver as the crowd of determined attackers closes in. Some troops have heard about the breach in the line and are beginning to take safety into their own hands, making for the rear. Other men stay. In one part of the battlefield, the right flank, I see Rebel troops approaching to within 60 paces of the Union line and delivering a single, devastating volley. Hundreds of mini-balls come tearing through the air, some thudding harmlessly into the ground or the wooden breastworks. Others find a way through the wooden barrier, striking flesh. Still more bullets manage to catch unfortunate souls who have exposed themselves either by choice or by necessity.

Then comes the Confederate charge.

It's too much for the Yankee troops, even more of whom begin running for safety into the woods behind them. Officers, knowing the momentum of their troops, order a full retreat. A select few troops are caught in a violent hand to hand struggle, but most Union soldiers manage to make it away.

Pursuing Confederate cavalry is intercepted by able troopers with the 1st Maryland Cavalry regiment. Several hundred Union and Confederate cavalrymen clash in action with pistol and sabre. Many of the men are of rather more noble (and more gentle) blood. Rage in these men runs deep enough to badly wound another man, but most lack a true killer instinct. However brief, the fighting is certainly bloody. On the Union side, some 100 men and their horses are left lying in the field. A similar number of Confederates are left dead or wounded once the fighting breaks apart.

Meanwhile, as the retreat gets fully underway, The Virginians under Longstreet begin to press a new and hastily crafted line of defense consisting of the 1st U.S. Regulars, the 1st and 2nd Maryland Volunteers and the light infantry of the Georgetown Rifles. The Union troops have been ordered by Gen. Stone to cover a general retreat and ensure the safety of the rest of the small command.

Tired, but resolute troops with the 5th North Carolina and 17th Virginia (under Longstreet), having brushed past the 1st NY Brigade on the Union left, move into position opposite the new line and begin a spirited exchange. The 1st Arkansas and 2nd Tennessee (Holmes Brigade) fill in on Longstreet's right flank, extending the line.

Longstreet orders a general advance and in conjunction with Holmes' troops pushes the Union formations back. Confederates, at this point, have managed to bring up some light artillery, which opens up a devastating fire on the 1st U.S. Regulars, left standing in relatively open terrain. Following less than 10 minutes of the punishment, the 1st U.S. begins to waver and disorganize. Slowly, one by one, men begin turning to run toward Harper's Ferry and away from the deadly action before them. The Maryland Volunteers are the first to begin their retreat while the 1st. U.S. manages to hold together in good order.

Cavalrymen under Longstreet begin pouring onto the field, giving chase to the outmatched Union regiments. The Rebel cavalry are again intercepted, this time by German born troopers under Carl Shurz. A brief struggle ensues with hundreds of mounted men twisting about the tall grass and dust. 5 to 10 minutes into the fight, the Union troopers elect to withdrawal, seeing most of their friendly infantry off safely enough to the rear and seeing Confederate infantry beginning to pour into the fray.

Stone, continuing to rally various troops, manages to assemble a last line of defense northwest of Harper's Ferry before darkness falls. Hours later, by firelight, Stone looks on to see Rebel troops marching orderly into the town and raiding its overflowing supply stores. Southern songs could be heard playing through the night. Well enough, since it drowned out the distant sound of wounded men crying for help in the dark.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

enf91
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Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:34 pm

Interesting that Bonham's and Evans' Brigades disorganized without being fired upon. Three cheers for General Terrain!

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Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:19 am

Good battle description :)

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Banks6060
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Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:28 pm

[color="#008080"]MOSTLY BAD NEWS[/color]

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I don't typically dedicate a whole lot of space to the "events" which occur from turn to turn -- most who are reading this know the game well enough to have memorized them by now, but this particular turn prompted a sort of reaction from me and I figured I would at least share.

I'm being hammered in the press, people think the sky is literally falling and already.....passionate volunteers (the cheap kind) are hard to come by.

Such is life. My reaction was a bit of a chuckle :neener:

Moving along now....

[color="#008080"]OBJECTIVES[/color]

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So things are certainly looking stable at this point. Overall, I walked into this turn feeling ok about things, even despite the tough strategic loss at Harper's Ferry (which I will go into detail about shortly). The one glaring issue at this point is with Confederate Foreign Intervention. Soundoff has both the lead in VP and NM, earning him 2 FI per turn. That could certainly become troublesome. All this certainly makes declaring a blockade more enticing, another matter I will address in a moment.

Certainly none too pleased at the casualty disparity and it looks as though Soundoff's military power continues to grow, relative to my own. When I saw this I started thinking about what kind of focus my opponent has taken with regard to unit recruitment. So far, it seems he has spent a fair amount on ground troops, but I have this sneaking suspicion he is investing more than an historical amount on his navy. Just a gut feeling and it will take quite awhile to learn whether I'm right, so I decided not to spend a whole lot more time wondering about it.

Naturally, at this point, I really have my work cut out for me if I'm going to regain the lead in VP's. I know this game favors the Union in a long, drawn out slug match, so I'm none too worried. I'm sure I can regain the VP lead in due time.

[color="#008080"]A PRETTY PICKLE IN MARYLAND[/color]

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Well, in the last update, I referred to Beauregard's army as a "sack of coal" at Harper's Ferry. I had hoped for a nice giftwrapped repulse by Gen. Stone, but outmanned, out-gunned, and out-organized - there was just no chance Stone was going to win that fight. The amount of damage dealt in just one round of combat seemed rather high, but overall no real surprises about this battle result. I think what frustrated me more was the aftermath, Stone apparently wasn't ready to give up the region and stayed there. It puts him in a terrible strategic position. His command took roughly 19% losses in that single action with Beauregard, and with four days spent marching backward, cohesion is still too low for Stone's troops to be of any use in combat.

The only option for Stone's troops was retreat. And here's where the game frustrates me at times. I understand part of the charm is "lack of full control" over what happens when you press "end turn", however sometimes there are those events which don't seem to make any sense and I'll admit this was one of them. When I clicked on Stone's command, the troops were headed straight north into mountainous terrain at Fulton, MD. There were two other viable options for a path of retreat -- through Chambers, MD or through Fredericktown. How the game chose to send Stone's command north is beyond me, but I suppose it is one of those things you have to live with.

Frustration is present in me because instead of marching 4 days in the RIGHT direction....Stone's troops marched 4 days in the WRONG direction. Meaning, it will be much more difficult to both get his men to safety AND allow them to be of further use in the immediate future. Right now, I need about all the troops I can get.

SO

The final decision about Stone was to send him in "Passive Posture" northeast to Chambers, MD where there is a rail connection. Stone will also attempt a forced march to get there in 14 days. Hopes are certainly not high that will happen, but there is also the hope for an attack by Beauregard bouncing Stone back to safety. Needless to say I have significant concerns about Stone's situation.

-- Then on to the overall strategic situation. There are two strong Rebel forces now, well led and ready for combat -- both in a position to cause trouble. When hovering the mouse cursor over both Beauregard and Joe Johson's commands, I noticed they neither suffered from significant cohesion loss nor command penalties. Apparently Beauregard's troops managed to recover quickly from the fighting outside Harper's Ferry.

There is the old saying "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst". You all know it well. Operating based on that philosophy, I think, will help me in this contest -- and certainly does help me deal with the situations as were presented to me after reviewing the strategic advantage gained by Soundoff following his victory at Harper's Ferry.

His army under Beauregard seems in more than good enough shape to go on a rampage across Maryland. Baltimore, Washington D.C., Annapolis, and even Harrisburg, PA are within legitimate striking distance. Gen. Nathaniel Banks is still in Baltimore at the head of some 2,600 troops and 46 heavy cannon. There are roughly 1,600 troops and 48 heavy guns in Annapolis. Washington is currently guarded by Gen. Shields and some 3,500 volunteer troops manning redoubts and some trenches outside the city, while another 4,700 troops and 58 heavy guns guard the immediate fortifications commanding the capitol. Shields lacks artillery of any kind and his position, while relatively strong, is still the most important of all.

Obviously, there was the urge to counter-attack in some way, but knowing there would be little or no way to truly capitalize on a costly battlefield victory I decided it best to stay reactive and allow this to play out a little further. Harper's Ferry is worth fighting for, I believe, but I don't think it's worth dying for. Certainly, I cannot long abide a Rebel Menace with the ability to strike from Harper's Ferry with relative impunity, but it's something I am prepared to deal with for the early part of this game.

The final decision is to break off a roughly 6,000 man and 60 gun chunk of McDowell's army, put it under the command of Samuel P. Heintzelman and send him to secure the outer defences of Washington along with Shields. The rest of McDowell's army will stay dug-in outside Alexandria and keep watch on the Confederates still entrenched around Manassas Junction. Some balloons should arrive to aid in reconnaissance efforts in the coming turn (As G.I. JOE said, "knowing is half the battle").

A. Howe's mounted infantry command in Leesburg was in a rather interesting position. There was the opportunity to do some raiding/scouting and cut the rails through Harper's Ferry, but I decided the rail connection between Washington and Baltimore was more important to secure with the initiative firmly in Soundoff's hands. If Soundoff doesn't intend to raid Maryland in force with Beauregard's entire army -- he could at the very least let loose his cavalry in that direction. Howe's volunteers will ride quickly east and set up a defense outside Aannapolis. I don't want anything slowing him down, so Howe is ordered to move in "retreat if engaged" posture with the special order to "avoid combat". Additionally, a newly raised cavalry regiment in Washington will move to attack any raiders who come into the region.

Patterson's troops are being included in the Eastern Theater updates for the time being; his move toward the fighting around Harper's Ferry would make that justifiable at any rate.

Patterson is in a pretty pinch. He has a strong Rebel force of some 3,000 or more horsemen in his immediate vicinity as well as a pair of capable forces under Bushrod Johnson and G.W. Smith. I doubt Soundoff would attack Patterson, but I can say with certainty that ME attacking WITH Patterson would be deadly. The most pressing Confederate threat right now is in the Shennendoah Valley. I think keeping a little pressure on Beauregard's northern flank could be of use so to that end Patterson will remain in situ, ordered to defend. There is the chance Soundoff attacks Patterson's small army with Beauregard this turn; To prepare for that eventuality, I decide to place Patterson in "defend and retreat" posture.

[color="#008080"]THIS COULD GET INTERESTING:[/color]

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Alright, so after pouring over all that in and around the capitol and then taking a break to have a few beers, we're back to something that is a little less stressfull. Getting underway around Norfolk -- and it's an operation which may come at just the right time.

Currently, I have amassed a small army of around 7,500 troops and 600 Marines in Wilmington, Deleware under the command of C. Hamilton. Admiral Farragut and the 16 fighting ships of the Union Atlantic Fleet are also in residence, prepared to move the land force. There are no cannon, which is certainly of concern. The cost of my decision to invest more in the west early in the game seems to be coming back to bite me in the east, but I need to take back a little of the initiative.

Initially, I wanted to launch an amphibious attack directly on Norfolk, but I knew that would probably be disastrous -- so seeing Fortress Monroe troops now unlocked, I decided it best to sail Hamilton's troops south to Hampton Roads. It will give them a launching point for attacks toward Norfolk as well as force Soundoff to respond to what could easily be considered a direct threat to Richmond.

I don't suspect Hamilton's troops will face any real opposition when they land. They are ordered to aggressively attack any enemies encountered. Hopefully, this move knocks Soundoff back on his heels a bit -- we will certainly see.

[color="#008080"]SUMMER IN WEST VIRGINIA:[/color]

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"Summer in West Virginia" is about all that's happening so far, save for some interesting troop movements. There has been little action in this theater of operations, which comes as a somewhat of a surprise. I figured Soundoff and I might actually have locked horns a time or two here. Not the case, I suppose and it's certainly not something I'm going to complain about.

That said, my esteemed opponent has let loose some of his cavalry from under Floyd's care while at the same time withdrawing Floyd's small army south toward Charleston. Perhaps Soundoff is unwilling to commit more resources to holding West Virginia?? Hmmmm....

At any rate, I know it will be best to at least try and contain those cavalry units. There is also a very ominous raiding threat under the command of Confederate General W.H.C. Whiting. There were few choices with regard to properly responding to this particular threat. I have no comparable formations of cavalry near enough to Whiting's force to catch him and engage him. Soundoff troopers pretty much have carte blanche all along the B&O Railroad (And I would attack with Patterson if I thought he would actually be able to catch Whiting's horsemen). Soundoff COULD order Whiting's cavalry northwest toward Pittsburg, PA. I consider that less likely, but it's something one must "prepare for". I decide to break one regiment of available cavalry off from the defense force at Morgantown and rail it east to Susquehanna, MD before marching it north to Somerset, PA. If Whiting is moved toward Pittsburg then I believe Somerset will be smack in the middle of Whiting's path.

A second regiment of raiders east of Whiting's position pose a problem I just don't have a solution for at the moment. I will simply have to live with whatever trouble that unit stirs up, I'm afraid. We will certainly need some more cavalry. (There are many needs!!)

Back toward Wheeling, the situation is quite a bit less concerning (back to Summer in West Virginia). One regiment of Union cavalry will be force marched south to deal with one of the Confederate cavalry units sent out of Clarksburg.

The only other thought is, seeing what looks to be a withdrawal by Soundoff, that I'm considering an offensive campaign in the coming months. It would take quite a lot more combat strength for Blenker to gain substantial ground before winter, but I think there is a chance I could at the very least reclaim Clarksburg. Every little bit counts for sure.

[color="#008080"]LOTS OF MENACES -- INCLUDING ON THE MISSISSIPPI:[/color]

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Well, to my complete surprise, Soundoff attacked this turn. I didn't think Soundoff would have any unlocked brigades available for another turn or two -- kicking myself for that mistake in thinking. There was no fight (Morell escaped), but it was a strategic defeat for sure. All ground gained by Morell was lost and a VERY strong brigade is now in residence in Charleston. I might have low balled the size of the 1st TN Brigade a bit in the screenie. Upon even further review, I found there may be closer to 2,400 troops there - counting cavalry and guns. It's got me worried enough thanks to Soundoff's much stronger fiver fleet. He could mount an all out offensive and put Cairo under direct threat of siege. Protecting the crossing between Cairo and Charleston is now of utmost importance. Foote's fleet is in no position to properly do so in the confluent and so is ordered back to Cape Gerardeau with orders to "defend and retreat". Being near the friendly shore batteries in Cairo should also provide Foote some support if Soundoff decides to attack with Hollins' river force.

Aside from this, there is little else to do in the west except order up more reinforcements. Many of the units ordered in May will be fully trained and ready for battle in the coming turn so Milroy should have plenty more weight to throw around soon. His force is relatively weak, with not one single cannon. Milroy has enough men to blunt an advance by Soundoff's troops in Missouri, but there is no offensive capability in Milroy's force to speak of whatsoever. I can't discount the possibility there is a second attack force out there somewhere which could follow up Soundoff's success in Charleston, so I place Milroy's troops on "defend and retreat". Cairo is also not quite worth dying for.

[color="#008080"]PRICE IS BACK:[/color]

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After launching himself toward Kansas, it looks as though Soundoff has sent Sterling Price marching quickly back toward Springfield. Perhaps a bit of a head fake to throw me off in Missouri, but I think I have the forces needed to deal with Price. Currently by my estimation, Price's force numbers little more than 3,500 troops with perhaps 16 guns. There are some 1,200 cavalry included in the force, I wager. I can match that force in both number and ability in the field, especially when you combine Lyon's command with the new force taken over by Gen. Erasmus Keyes in Lexington, MO. This force comes unlocked in the next turn and so will be used in concert with Lyon's force.

Lyon is, in the meantime, ordered to capture Jefferson City. His troops will rest after completing the task. Wallace, with his 600 man cavalry detachment will ride north and closer to Lyon and his supply train. Wallace's troopers are running short of food and while it's likely they will be able to forage, there is no guarantee of that.

Otherwise, I'm glad to hand the initiative to Soundoff at the moment. I want to destroy Price's army if I can anyway and getting those troops out in the open would be helpful.

[color="#008080"]HOLY KANSAS!:[/color]

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What an interesting surprise, Soundoff taking such aggressive action way out here in the plains. I think there is some learning to be done in this part of the game and thus I find the circumstances a treat :)

Soundoff has placed what appears to be another large mostly cavalry army under the command of J.O. Shelby. It's certainly an imposing force and it could cause me some serious trouble. There is infantry in the stack, so it's a force that could take Leavenworth. Getting there in one turn would be the trick. By my calculations, Soundoff's force would be slowed by his infantry and thus would not likely reach Leavenworth unless his route of march takes him through Lawrence first. This is exactly where I will set Sumner's army up in defense. Hopefully my cavalry near Ft. Belmont can make it north to join Sumner's troops in Lawrence. I fear Soundoff will intercept them this turn.

The western portion of the state is "ablaze". Soundoff has employed three small units of what appear to be some kind of partisans to burn every region between the Texas panhandle and the Kansas River. His forces are taking forts all along their route and its about time they are dealt with. I can't allow Soundoff to own the plains....it could threaten my ability to defend the gold mines in Colorado. There is a single Union cavalry regiment in Kearny, Nebraska, which I order south to Fort. Ellsworth. This would probably be Soundoff's next likely target so perhaps I can catch a unit or two of these partisans and scatter them in combat. Not sure how good those fellas are in a fight either, so it could be an interesting learning experience.

[color="#008080"]PRODUCTION:[/color]

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I begin assembling new brigades in the east. It's about time I began reinforcing McDowell's troops and I will certainly need more troops to take and hold Norfolk.

Soundoff's Mississippi River fleet convinces me to fund the construction of two Timberclads in St. Louis. With attack and defense fire ratings of 6, timberclads are considerably more powerful than gunboats. I will probably invest in more of these in future turns, but I think two will do for now. If I remember correctly, there is a small fleet of four river ironclads yet to appear as an automatic reinforcement (at least that's how it went in old AACW I think). It's a little gamey, but I don't want to waste resources if I don't have to.

There is apparently a pressing need for elite replacements (i.e. the Washington Brigade) -- so I decide to add one company of those troops to the replacement pool.

I have set about building new artillery batteries in the East as well. That will continue. Lastly, I decided to go ahead and begin issuing war bonds this turn. Still no blockade declaration. While concerning, 20 Foreign Intervention still isn't enough to spend $50,000, 15 VP's and 1 NM on. I'm going to play this card, just not yet.

SO

What's Beauregard going to do in Maryland -- anything??

Will Hollins' fleet attack Foote outside Cairo??

And there could be a fight coming in Kansas.

Stay tuned!!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

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Ace
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Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:17 am

From where did the Beauregard attack? If he attacked from Clark or Leesburg, I see no reason why he shouln't be pushed to Fulton. It is difficult for a commander to sometimes coordinate desired retreat route.

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Banks6060
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Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:05 pm

Ace, you are probably right. The replay function of my game hasn't been working properly (I haven't wanted to hassle Soundoff about it). I probably would have noticed that had it been.

I bring up the screen, enter "loadreplay" and then nothing happens. Let me know if I'm missing something.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

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Ace
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Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:47 pm

Did you erase ¸ from the console textbox before you entered loadreplay (without quotation marks)?

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Banks6060
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Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:23 pm

Alright, sad news friends. The AAR is done :(

The last time I did this with Soundoff I was younger and I had quite a bit more time on my hands to use in producing it. There is also a considerably diminished interest (for a variety of reasons, all understandable).

I appreciate everyone keeping along thus far. BIG thanks to Ace for having set up the strategy discussion thread.

Happy gaming all!!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

Q-Ball
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Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:35 pm

Banks6060 wrote:Alright, sad news friends. The AAR is done :(

The last time I did this with Soundoff I was younger and I had quite a bit more time on my hands to use in producing it. There is also a considerably diminished interest (for a variety of reasons, all understandable).

I appreciate everyone keeping along thus far. BIG thanks to Ace for having set up the strategy discussion thread.

Happy gaming all!!


Thanks for sharing, I'm disappointed because you do a great job on these. You could keep us updated with less detail; my AAR is nowhere close to yours in level of detail, but it takes me maybe 15 minutes to do a post

Hopefully Soundoff continues his AAR

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Ace
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Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:42 pm

Sorry to hear it. Hope you'll find time to continue your PBEM, even if only Soundoff continue with the AAR.

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Banks6060
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Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:11 am

Hey Q-Ball. There may be something here and there worth sharing, but for all intents and purposes, I would consider this (turn by turn) AAR pretty well toast.

I would post AAR updates in less detail, but doing so just wouldn't feel right. I'm a journalist by trade and there are so many things which go into each and every story I tell in real life. Presenting a complete picture is just in my nature. I write AAR's mainly for the people who might stumble upon the game for the first time and like something entertaining to read which is also somewhat informative.

Thanks again for the support and definitely keep up with Soundoff's updates!!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??

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Skibear
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Sat Mar 15, 2014 5:45 pm

Just stumbled on this AAR from my old arch-nemesis from the old game just as its finishing! Good luck coops anyway, good to see you back in action
"Stay low, move fast"

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John S. Mosby
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Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:03 pm

Banks6060 wrote:Alright, sad news friends. The AAR is done :(


Sad news indeed! :(

I enjoyed checking in every week and reading your excellent detailed report. I hope the reference on diminished interest was regarding your interest and not ours. There are a lot of folks like myself who have been silently enjoying your journalism and not wishing to clutter up the thread with comments. There are over 4000 views to support that statement.

I hope you reconsider, for a complete AAR in CW2 would be an all-time classic as well as an incredible learning experience for all of us. I may be a little selfish in my request to reconsider but just hoping it isn't so. I know others share this hope.

Thank you for the report. Excellent up to this point. :thumbsup:

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H Gilmer3
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Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:41 pm

Sad to see it go. I just found it. Good AARs are hard to come by and I love reading the strategy some of you put in there.

Bobby53
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Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:24 pm

Sad to see you had to stop writing,, but I can relate. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your AAR and learned a lot from it. Best of luck to you!

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Stauffenberg
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Tue Apr 07, 2015 4:30 am

Very glad to see this. I've finally found some time to get back into this and what better way to get things going than another Banks vs Soundoff match.

Cheers.

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