The Federal Blockade??

[Capt Cliff]

So put your ships in the two blockade boxes and I am done, yes or no? This is the ocean blockade. Only the two blockade boxes? Can I put ships in shore next to a port like Savannah?

[GraniteStater]

Yes, if you mouseover sea regions next to ports, the tooltip shows how much naval strength you need to blockade fully.

This supplements the strategic Blockade in the Blockade Boxes.

[Ol' Choctaw]

There are two kinds of blockades. Blue Water (Blockade Boxes) and Green or Brown water. (green costal and brown river blockades)

You can blockade individual ports or forts by moving the required number of ships into the region (sea or river area). If you have a ship selected and mouse over an area it will tell you how many naval units are required to blockade an area.

Some areas may require you to blockade more than one water area, like forts that border on more than one sea area.

Only combat ships count and even though you may move the ships it may require more. Once you have the ships in place it will tell you that you have enough or how many more are required.

You can gain victory points from blockading some of the Strategic ports. I think they are listed in the rules.

River blockades are useful in disrupting and reducing supply to a port or landing. The number of ships needed is usually between 8 to 12.

[Capt Cliff]

There are two kinds of blockades. Blue Water (Blockade Boxes) and Green or Brown water. (green costal and brown river blockades)

You can blockade individual ports or forts by moving the required number of ships into the region (sea or river area). If you have a ship selected and mouse over an area it will tell you how many naval units are required to blockade an area.

Some areas may require you to blockade more than one water area, like forts that border on more than one sea area.

Only combat ships count and even though you may move the ships it may require more. Once you have the ships in place it will tell you that you have enough or how many more are required.

You can gain victory points from blockading some of the Strategic ports. I think they are listed in the rules.

River blockades are useful in disrupting and reducing supply to a port or landing. The number of ships needed is usually between 8 to 12.

When I do check the area it says 10 naval elements?? What is a naval element ... one ship? Nothing in the ship info screen eludes to what a naval element is, and there is nothing in the "wonderful" rules. From your 8-12 comment I assume they are ships.

[wsatterwhite]

There are two kinds of blockades. Blue Water (Blockade Boxes) and Green or Brown water. (green costal and brown river blockades)

You can blockade individual ports or forts by moving the required number of ships into the region (sea or river area). If you have a ship selected and mouse over an area it will tell you how many naval units are required to blockade an area.

Some areas may require you to blockade more than one water area, like forts that border on more than one sea area.

Only combat ships count and even though you may move the ships it may require more. Once you have the ships in place it will tell you that you have enough or how many more are required.

You can gain victory points from blockading some of the Strategic ports. I think they are listed in the rules.

River blockades are useful in disrupting and reducing supply to a port or landing. The number of ships needed is usually between 8 to 12.

On top of all this, the presence of enemy troops and artillery in adjacent land regions is a factor that can make the number of ships needed to blockade a zone go up or down. I think the combat mode you place your ships in also plays a role but I'm not 100 percent sure on that.

[wsatterwhite]

When I do check the area it says 10 naval elements?? What is a naval element ... one ship? Nothing in the ship info screen eludes to what a naval element is, and there is nothing in the "wonderful" rules. From your 8-12 comment I assume they are ships.

Yes, one ship equals one naval element. Certain types of naval units contain 2 (or more) ships in them.

[Longshanks]

For example, if you build a "Blockade Squadron" or look at one of the "Atlantic Squadrons" that you start with, you will find that each unit has 8 elements (ships) each. Two of these will blockade any region - but you may have to blockade more than one region to knock out some ports.

[Capt Cliff]

I am still having problems supplying my blockading ships. I have transports in the box and they do not draw supply. Do they have to be stacked together?

[Pat "Stonewall" Cleburne]

I always play with the 75% rule so I don't have to worry about supply in the boxes. It's in the options somewhere. Otherwise you need to take them back to port every few months.

[Capt Cliff]

I always play with the 75% rule so I don't have to worry about supply in the boxes. It's in the options somewhere. Otherwise you need to take them back to port every few months.

So put transports in the boxes??

[charlesonmission]

Transport have to be in a stack to give supply to other elements in that stack.

So put transports in the boxes??

[Jim-NC]

Put transports with the fleet in the blockade box. You will need to rotate the transports back to port to refill supplies. Don't send them alone, send at least 1 combat ship with them. You will also need to rotate the ships in the box back to port every so often to be repaired.

[Longshanks]

Jim-NC knows more than I do, but I've always sent Transports in Green/Green travel mode with "evade" button on and never had any problems. No escorts needed.

[Ethan]

Jim-NC knows more than I do, but I've always sent Transports in Green/Green travel mode with "evade" button on and never had any problems. No escorts needed.

If you encounter a group of frigates [with a high detection power (Patrol: 8, Detect vs Sea: 5)] commanded by a competent admiral, you might end up rowing in the middle of the ocean.

[GraniteStater]

Here' some thoughts of mine from this thread (http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=13452) in May, '09.


Like airpower in a certain WWII game, ya gotta make a commitment to The Blockade. I play with the Standard Rule, being a salty type.

* The investment is worth it, IMO. 'Sides, I like my jolly tars - one area where those perfidious Rebs take a back seat.

* Various people say that BlkSqdns are best for the BlkBoxes. I haven't crunched the numbers, but am willing to grant the point. Use BlkSqdns with a Frigate or two, and one or two Brigs (the latter for the scouting component).

* In the early game, 40% or so is all you can reasonably expect - you have other things to do, you can't pour everything into the Navy. As you build a bigger Navy, you can get to 60%, maybe more. These are the Boxes, natch. I keep enough Union Shipping with a modest escort force to ensure 100% Sea Supply/Transport abilities - I could care less about the $$ and WS; even with Light Industrialization, I have more than enough WS by mid-'62.

* Now, for the close blockade - I effect a 'semi-close' Brown Blockade. Some spots you can do a true Close Block - Bogue's Inlet to block Morehead City, NC, is an example. CSA guns can't hurt you there, although there's a fort nearby. Hover the mouse over the Harbor icon on CSA cities to see where the Block Point is. In the example just mentioned, you can effect a true ClsBlk and suffer no damage from the shore batteries. For other spots, e. g., Charleston, SC, I park myself off the river mouth. I'm not truly blockading the Harbor (see Tooltip per above), but I'll engage a fair amount of Runners. I'll miss a bunch too, no matter my Aggresion, but...well, I dislike having to build new ships for sunken ones. If your units lose a battle (rare) or are weakened, they can end up shorewards a water region, inside an estuary. Not Good. You'll lose ships on the way out to the batteries. Ships are expensive and take months to replace. I don't like losing ships, at all, unless it's for a major objective.

* My BrownBlock Sqdns are one (1) BlkSqdn with 2 Brig Sqdns (four Brigs altogether) and one (1) Transport Sqdn. 12 Elements, enough for any region on the charts (only a landlubber would say 'map' ).

* I don't build a whole lotta Frigates - *sigh*. Too bad, lovely vessels (I don't mean the stinkpots). I generally use these for my 'semi-Blue Block': crusing one region outwards, to sea - you'll catch the occasional Runner out at sea.

* Put Transports with as many fleets as you can - they stay out longer. Keep some TPs at Pickens, the Keys, Monroe, and anyplace you grab, also, to attract Supplies.

By mid-'63, you should be able to effect a 50%+ Blue Block, have a more than good sized Navy and be putting the squeeze on up close and personal. If you wanna bring Monitors south beyond the VA Capes, ya gotta seize the NC coastal forts, otherwise it's just throwing tin at the bottom of Cape Hatteras.

Don't forget the River Navy either!

[Capt Cliff]

It seems that if I stack a transport with my naval warships the warships will receive supply and the transport doesn't seem to lose supply. Perhaps the transport gets supply if there'a a depot near by. Now I have only tested this for about 3 or 4 turns.

[GraniteStater]

Nothing to do with depots, AFAIK. The naval overseas supply is handled as an algorithm behind the scenes. More TPs = more time afloat in acceptable shape.

And my remarks immediately above need to be amended to read 'the creation of Depots by TPs at overseas bases to attract Supply'. At least, that's my thinking - it seems to work.

[Ol' Choctaw]

Transports will hold supply a bit longer than warships but they too start to lose it after a few turns, even in the shipping boxes. Warships use it up.

You may find you have to rotate the transports after a few turns to keep everyone supplied.

[GraniteStater]

And it's not a bad idea to build some more TPs over and above your initial setup. First, you're going to want a few for the Gulf Blockade and for the Chesapeake fleet and at least one or two more for the Atlantic Blockade; second, more TPs in Shipping help with Sea Supply and generate some income; third, I usually have at least one Transport Fleet, usually under Farragut, for invasions. Also, you will probably want to build a Depot, if needed, at the invasion's base - burn a couple of TPs for this, Wagons are too valuable.

[Ol' Choctaw]

I use river transports for building depots sometimes but using sea Transports is a last resort for me.

Wagons are expendable but it depends on the distance they have to go. Also if manpower is an issue sea transports become a more astrictive option.

[GraniteStater]

In the 62 Union start, I have arrived at always building a Depot right away in Beaufort, SC, for Burnside (two TP units - four TP elements). Solves all the Supply problems right away

Ditto for 63 Union. Build a Depot ASAP for Vicksburg, once taken, or for the landing Region to the south of Vicks. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.

I do these with naval TPs though - what would you rather have, a force ready to push forward with fewer Wagons or more? Don't forget, you might want to use some Wagons to build Depots farther inland.

[Ol' Choctaw]

I have not played other than 1861s so I wouldn’t know about those.

As I said it depends on distance and manpower needs. I see your point but even with invasion forces I try to bring the wagons I need for depots without using up transports.

[Ethan]

I use river transports for building depots sometimes but using sea Transports is a last resort for me.

Wagons are expendable but it depends on the distance they have to go. Also if manpower is an issue sea transports become a more astrictive option.

I agree 100% with you. Amen.

Greetings!

[GraniteStater]

TPs are much cheaper to build than Wagons, I believe. Much cheaper, IIRC.

[Ethan]

In the game that I'm playing now, with inflation of 11%, for example.

A riverine transport:

24 thousands dollars, 8 conscripts companies, 12 tons war supplies

A supply wagon:

44 thousands dollars, 24 conscripts companies, 24 tons war supplies

[GraniteStater]

Yes, if you're building units to become Depots, TPs are a much better bargain, just on the manpower alone. Wagons are the biggest MP reqm't to build, I would think.

Anyhow, past a certain point, one has enough blue water TPs. Five or six are usually enough to sealift a moderate+ size force; eight will sealift about anything you're going to invade with. Another TP invasion fleet can be nice, but can be dispensed with if you schedule stuff well.

Maybe twenty, twenty-five, max, are enough to see the Union through the game. I probably have never had more than sixteen or eighteen.

[Ol' Choctaw]

I tend to load the shipping box with what ever I can get.

I use 6 to supply the block fleet and 4 in the gulf. I like to have about 250 lift capacity in the green water fleet.

One river transport can build a depot but it takes two sea transports to do the same.

Transports build in about two turns, for use in the third. Supply wagons are instant. You can move them at once. So it is just one tradeoff for another.

The deciding factor is where the supply is needed most. A damaged enemy supply is often my first choice but a perfect enemy supply wagon may be my last choice.