Help with Ft Pickens

[kglorberau]

Hi all,

I have started a game as USA grand campaign. Into late 1861 and just noticed that CSA has beseiged Ft Pickens. I had not reinforced it and finally shipped a large Division to it to reinforce it. Once they landed they also entered the Ft which stayed beseiged.

My question. As their supply is getting low, should I pull out the large Division, and land them in Alabama proper (I think it is Alabama next to it). Will this draw off the beseiging force of Rebs to try to drive my force back off of the coast? Can I then reload them back on the transports and put them back in Ft Pickens? How big of a force do I need in Ft Pickens to keep the Rebs from continuing to beseige it?

Thanks for any help.

KgLorberau

[TheDoctorKing]

Stay in the fort. If you have superiority in strength points and a fully commanded force you can even attack the besiegers, though this is risky. But you are not going to run out of supply so long as you have enough transports in the shipping box (look at your transport capacity in the upper left corner of the screen to see how much supply you can move by sea; probably it's a bundle). As you showed by moving the guys into the fort, the CSA has cut off the land access but you still have access by sea. So don't sweat it.

The AI has a bad habit of putting a lot of resources into besieging Fort Pickens. Don't get distracted. If they ever assault and you beat them, you can go on to take Pensacola (that's Florida over there, btw), and then on to Mobile and the whole Gulf Coast! But otherwise, just make sure there is enough garrison and wait.

[GraniteStater]

...and you don't need a whole Division to reinforce it. My experience has been that I take a couple of the Light Inf/Militia 3-regiment brigades, and that's usually enough, along with the regiments it starts with.

And the AI does pay the fort much attention. Probably the code treats it as a serious threat, because of the potential to invade from it.

I did lose it in an early game, when I didn't reinforce it. As I said above, six to eight regiments should be plenty to keep it.

[kglorberau]

Oops, Havent played for a while, and didnt read my own post. I took out the Union Division I had, invaded Florida, took Pensacola, but then the Rebs captured Ft Pickens........Then I had to retreat to my Fleet, tried to invade the Fort, failed, and had to retreat to one of the two Union Fts near the tip of Florida.........Lesson learned I guess.

Kglorberau

[Tex Willer]

The next time, try to send a small force of Artillery and Supply to reinforce Ft. Pickens, then a large division bring the war into Alabama and Florida. If you will put a small fleet to blockade the sea around Ft Pickens, the CSA will soon suffer lack of supply (I have to face it when I was CSA player).

[kglorberau]

Thnks Tex...I'm gonna try to retake it....sooner or later. Should I move all fleets and troops away from it to make Athena think it is safe to leave it lightly defended?

Kglorberau

[Tex Willer]

I don't think Athena will reply soon to your movement. You can do that against a human player, but Athena don't think like him!