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Attrition questions

Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:12 pm
by Courtenay
Winter has come, and I have some questions about attrition.

1) The manual states some mitigating factors ("Attrition is slightly reduced in civilized regions (x 0.9), if there is a Supply Wagon present in the Stack (x 0.9) or if units are entrenched (x 0.8)."), but it does not state what rates these numbers are multiplying. Does anyone know what the numerical values for attrition rates are?

2) Moving through snow incurs losses. Does railing through snow?

3) Does using intrinsic river transport incur losses?

4) Do units on ships incur losses?

5) What does "mud" mean when it refers to bodies of water?

6) On a more general note, having the map turn white looks terrifying. Just how bad is operating in snow? Without actually trying it, the manual does not really tell you if it is a nuisance, a major problem, or an army killer. Should one just hunker down and wait for the white stuff to pass, or should one still undertake operations?

Thank you.

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:52 pm
by W.Barksdale
Courtenay wrote:Winter has come, and I have some questions about attrition.

1) The manual states some mitigating factors ("Attrition is slightly reduced in civilized regions (x 0.9), if there is a Supply Wagon present in the Stack (x 0.9) or if units are entrenched (x 0.8)."), but it does not state what rates these numbers are multiplying. Does anyone know what the numerical values for attrition rates are?


Not sure about this one sorry. Just try to keep your troops under cover of those mitigating factors if at all possible. Much of the time attrition is unavoidable though.

Courtenay wrote:2) Moving through snow incurs losses. Does railing through snow?


Yes, I always get damaged by bad weather losses when railing troops in bad weather.

Courtenay wrote:3) Does using intrinsic river transport incur losses?


I think units will take damage due to the weather same as when railing through bad weather.

Courtenay wrote:4) Do units on ships incur losses?


I beleive they do yes. They will lose cohesion much faster than men though and be unfit to fight fairly quickly.

Courtenay wrote:5) What does "mud" mean when it refers to bodies of water?


The water level has gone down revealing much of the riverbed. It will be hard for your ships to pass through and they will take damage.

Courtenay wrote:6) On a more general note, having the map turn white looks terrifying. Just how bad is operating in snow? Without actually trying it, the manual does not really tell you if it is a nuisance, a major problem, or an army killer. Should one just hunker down and wait for the white stuff to pass, or should one still undertake operations?


It can get bad if your out there for extended periods with empty supply wagons. Just be sure that the benefits of achieving your objective and worth the costs that you will incur.

Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:41 am
by richfed
Entire divisions can starve and disappear if you are not careful. Travel times can increase drastically and if you are not supplied ... look out!! Especially out in the barren west!

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:30 pm
by Courtenay
Thank you for your replies.

One more question: If one rails a general, or a group of generals, will they suffer attrition hits? Since one hit kills a general, this is mildly important.

I am, in particular, thinking of the generals one gets at the start of each year--can one rail them out of where they enter, across vast stretches of snow, or should one wait until the end of winter to move them? The troops out west need generals!

Again, thank you.

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:02 am
by enf91
I'm pretty sure single generals never take attrition hits. If they are with units, they can starve to death. You can send those generals and they won't die. Provided they don't get caught, of course. Oh, and both sides get several generals in the West. The USA has Sumner, Lyon, and Fremont by the end of '61 and it gets Sigel, Davis, and Curtis by spring '62. The CSA gets Price and Hindman directly out there and Van Dorn and a couple others nearby at Memphis by January '62.