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about garrisons of cities and their loss in small scaled battles

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:23 am
by Spruce
We know that some parts of the map - garrisons are a necessity to counter enemy cavalry incursions - or just de facto a garrison to keep vital supply lines or routes of transport in your hands. Important for the CSA.

Now what I see is during many games is that the enemy is attacking - with a small force - my city for a few days - and eventually the garrison is destroyed.

Ok, a destroyed garrison is not that costly for the war effort. However, it's still a lost unit to recruit again.

2 remarks =

After destruction - do you have the ability to regain them in the reinforcment pool to recruit them again - or are they permanently lost ?

I concur that a large invading force should result in the surrender or destruction of the garrison (garrison destroyed). However - I also noticed that 2 cavalry brigades (or raiders) destroyed an entire militia. Shouldn't militia be able to flee or retreat from the city if the opposing force is considered as small (small = 1 -3 brigades)?

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:57 pm
by joram
Are you talking about the initial garrisons on the map? If so, I think that's a good question and would like to know the answer to.

I do seem to remember that anything you build that is destroyed just gets added back into your force pool but as for the initial garrisons, I don't know if that's factored into the forcepool or not.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:46 pm
by Spruce
joram wrote:Are you talking about the initial garrisons on the map? If so, I think that's a good question and would like to know the answer to.

I do seem to remember that anything you build that is destroyed just gets added back into your force pool but as for the initial garrisons, I don't know if that's factored into the forcepool or not.


yes, that's the reason and also to know why my garrisons are always destroyed ? I mean if 2 cavalry raiders are defeating my garrison, the garrison would probably retreat to another city to continue the fight. They don't fight to the last man and they do not surrender to merely 2 raider units.

I agree that a division or corps would easely annihilate a garrison - but not when the garrison is fighting an equal sized force.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:23 pm
by Spharv2
Spruce wrote:They don't fight to the last man and they do not surrender to merely 2 raider units.

I agree that a division or corps would easely annihilate a garrison - but not when the garrison is fighting an equal sized force.


Why not? Quite a few Union garrisons surrendered to raiding forces much smaller than the garrisoning units during the war. It all depends on how the attackers went about it. Obviously if they charge right in and go for the frontal attack, it's a man for man fight, but the raiders were usually a bit smarter about it They would trot a small group in under the white flag, have soldiers on a ridge nearby with some guns or improvised "guns", tell them they're surrounded by a much superior force, and generally, garrison troops would surrender or be paroled rather than run the risk of being killed. They're garrison troops and not front line soldiers for a reason most of the time.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:40 pm
by Spruce
Spharv2 wrote:Why not? Quite a few Union garrisons surrendered to raiding forces much smaller than the garrisoning units during the war. It all depends on how the attackers went about it. Obviously if they charge right in and go for the frontal attack, it's a man for man fight, but the raiders were usually a bit smarter about it They would trot a small group in under the white flag, have soldiers on a ridge nearby with some guns or improvised "guns", tell them they're surrounded by a much superior force, and generally, garrison troops would surrender or be paroled rather than run the risk of being killed. They're garrison troops and not front line soldiers for a reason most of the time.


well that's true - garrisons are not that prone to fight like front line soldiers. On the other hand, scouts might report an incoming force that's fairly superior and the garrison might take a run for it and try to reclaim the city another day.

Problem is that your garrison fights to the death and never decides to call it a day,

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:14 am
by Stonewall
Functionally, there is no difference between a garrison being destroyed in battle or surrendering prior to battle. In each case, the lost unit reemerges in the forcepool (except garrison troops) and you get conscript companies from battle losses or paroled prisoners.

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:58 am
by Pocus
State Militias (the units with 0 move rating) don't reappears. All others do.

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:57 am
by Spruce
Pocus wrote:State Militias (the units with 0 move rating) don't reappears. All others do.


would be cool if you could re-enact them from the force pool

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:56 am
by Pocus
I will see with PhilThib if this is done on purpose.

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 11:28 am
by PhilThib
Yes, this was done on purpose, as those militias are intended to show up only with Governor's levies (i.e. not controlled by player, to represent the tendency of local governors to keep their militias home)