Beta PBEM AAR - Rebel with cause

[marecone]

This is my side of AAR. Did play a lot against AI which is not yet finished. This is my first time playing against human so there could be some errors in my logic but we will see.

I'll do my best to win .




[SIZE="4"]Turn 1[/size]



[SIZE="3"]Eastern theatre[/size]





***
Reorganized Army of Potomac. P.G.T. now has 1st and 7th Brigade directly under him. Holmes is in command of right wing and Bonham in command of left wing. With equal distribution of units under every of these three commanders I got some manuverability.

Army of Shenandoah is under Johnston. Stonewall corps serving under him. He will move to take Winchester.





***
Bit south we have Huger's force and Magruder's division. Looks like Butler is in front. Hmmm... Should I attack or should I play a game of cat and mouse with him? We will see...

Note: All portraits are not yet done so some leaders, like Huger here, have ? on their tab.



[SIZE="3"]Western theatre[/size]





***
Polk's command is here. In Memphis. These boys will go north. Also you can see Wharton's command and detached Forrest's command. Polk's command will move north, closer to front and Forrest and Wharton will do some raiding.





***
Price is here as well. Notice how he has a 35% penalty on command. I will group some of his units and now penalty is 25%. Lyon is entrenched so direct attack is off for now. I will send my indian regiments to mess with his supplies. That should soften my target





***
And ofcourse, I almost forgot, Army of Mississippi under direct command of A.S. Johnston. Moveing to take Bowling Green.

Replacements and few new units will be bought. Will call for volunteers.

[marecone]

You are fre to comment and ask questions

[Pocus]

Do you plan something with your gunboats? Like a regiment raiding a Union depot or something like that?

[Florent]

Price penalties due to the fact that it isn't a division or army ?
Does the campaign thus start early june 1861 ?

[PDF]

Price penalties due to the fact that it isn't a division or army ?
Does the campaign thus start early june 1861 ?

Penalties because the units are not in a *corps* . And yes it's early june as can be seen in upper right corner

[Pocus]

to be more precise, you are not doomed to have a penalty if you are not part of a corps, its just that leaders only generate half their command points if outside of the chain of command (army or corps stacks). Perhaps Marecone can alleviate a bit the situation by gathering several brigades into a division, this would reduce the Command Point load, but I don't know if he has a division HQ around, or if he bought one...

[marecone]

Do you plan something with your gunboats? Like a regiment raiding a Union depot or something like that?

I'll try to think of something. If I'll ever havethe chance to do something with brown water fleet, this would be the time.

[marecone]

to be more precise, you are not doomed to have a penalty if you are not part of a corps, its just that leaders only generate half their command points if outside of the chain of command (army or corps stacks). Perhaps Marecone can alleviate a bit the situation by gathering several brigades into a division, this would reduce the Command Point load, but I don't know if he has a division HQ around, or if he bought one...

Well, I wanted to get few brigades first, some riders and replacements. Had to improve Rail system... And it isn't like I am swiming in money or materials .
Division HQ is planed in near future.

[marecone]

Turn 2, South side:

News





Extra, extra!!! New brigade raised in Chattanooga!
Also, new magazine has been built in Nashville. This is the result of my investment in industry.





Siege of Bowling Green has begun. If my calculations are correct it should be in Confederate hands in a month.



Economy





I wanted to improve my industry but just saw that my rail road system is in a mess. Need to improve that one first.


Eastern theatre





Time to deal with Butler. I only wish I was smart enough and did it in first turn. Huger and Magruder will close in. I have detached Virginia Chargers. Their mission will be to go behind enemy lines and cut supply lines.





Jackson will move to Harrper's Ferry and Army of Potomac will streach their lines. I belive his first goal will be to save HF. That should pehaps be my chance. I just have to catch him when he is moveing from one region to another.



Western theatre



Polk is moveing on to take Paducah. I did send few gunboats to help out.





Forrest is moveing on Salem, deep in enemy country. Wharton will try to get all the way to St. Louis.





Watie's command will make a full trip round the Lyon's army and will pillage all supllies in area. Notice those nice fires left behind him .
He is headed home as they lost some men on this mission.
Price will countinue to wait for now.

[marecone]

Turn 3, South side:

News





Extra, extra!!! New brigades raised in Texas!
Young men volunteer to serve for Confederacy. These able riders will be used to mess with Union supply line.
...
New Divison HQ is beeing formed in Nashville. For better organizational purposes it is rumored that it will be sent to General Price stationed in Missouri.
...





First battle of the war! It ended as a draw.

Here you can see how I made a big mistake and sent my boys too deep into enemy territory. I am used to play against unfinished AI and he didn't defend his cities very well. So... I used to send my boys and get it. AI has been improved much in these few days as other players report but since I am short on time, I didn't have the chance to test it.



Economy





Improving industry in Georgia. That is my only state with some industrial potential. Thank God that is in central theatre so supplies can be taken both to west and east theatre.





Volunteers have been called! My main problem is money but I did this because national moral is fairly high and I will get better response now. I like to play it safe.





Bonds are issued and we are printing some money. I need cash bad as I am unable to build one new unit this month and I still don't have enough replacements to help out with battered units.



Eastern theatre





4th VA cavalry had done it's magic. First they beat Butler to Suffolk and burn ammo supply there. Then they moved to Norfolk and captured 114 crates of supplies and 21 crates of ammo! Butler is in a big trouble now as he will soon lack supplies.
I wanted to burn depot in Norfolk but looks like citizens there did welcome my boys. Hmmm. If I burn it Butler is doomed for sure as if he gets to Norfolk he won't get supplies from sea. If I don't, I can hope to beat Butler and get that city back with it's depot. Hmmm...
Burning it is. I will Burn it's depot and withdraw mycavalry from there. Butler will move there for sure and for now I can't do a thing to stop him.
Huger will be sent to Fredericksburg via Rail and Magruder had been chosen to deal with Butler.





Bonham corps is now under command of Joe Johnston. I did made it a part of Army of Shenondoah because it will fight in same area as Jackson's corps.



Western theatre





E.K. Smith with cavalry got to Madison. He captured 27 supply carts and 21 crates of ammo. This raid got me more info. There are some forces west in Louisville. Yellow flag with number three shows that there are 3 units there. It also apears that he has a brigade in Clermont region as well. Time to pull my boys back to Lexington.





Army of Mississipi will stay in Bowling Green region.
That region is red as I am checking my supplies. It says that I have 13% of military control here. When I'll have 25% then supplies will go through and I'll be able to move further in enemy land.

Forrest almost got to Salem town deep into enemy land. Good time he didn't make it as Yanks are raising an infantry brigade there. Forrest is marching back. If nothing, at least I got some usefull info about enemy presence in area.
Polk is besigeing Paducah. Hope I'll have it in 15 days.





General Wharton is running back to home land. Fremont's army is there and I am lucky I didn't get a bloody nose here. My boys were set to avoid combat so battle was a short one.

As I said, this is a toll to my inexpirience in playing against human player.





And in Missouri it doesn't look to good. Lyon has more men then me and he is well entrenched. He still has enough supplies so he can make a decent stand.
Watie's indians are moveing to Fayetteville to replenish supplies and cohesion.
All in all, it doesn't look to good.



P.S. If anybody has some ideas or suggestions about this Missouri situation, please post.

[Pocus]

Burn the depot at Rolla, a bit further east, this is the point of passage of supply from Cairo to Lyons. With the depot gone, he will have to move manually chariots back and forth, until he rebuild one and garrison it. In the meantime, keep an indian in passive posture in the hill near the town (of Rolla), passive! +1 stealth, in hill: +1 again, so you won't be spotted until he scout with rangers or others anti guerilla units, and this will allow you to see what he is doing in the area.

(I was a big fan of the super stealth trait in Stars!, an awesome game of old ).

[marecone]

[quote="Pocus"]Burn the depot at Rolla, a bit further east, this is the point of passage of supply from Cairo to Lyons. With the depot gone, he will have to move manually chariots back and forth, until he rebuild one and garrison it. In the meantime, keep an indian in passive posture in the hill near the town (of Rolla), passive! +1 stealth, in hill: +1 again, so you won't be spotted until he scout with rangers or others anti guerilla units, and this will allow you to see what he is doing in the area.

(I was a big fan of the super stealth trait in Stars!, an awesome game of old ]

Wow! Great. Thanks Pocus

[daidojisan]

[color="RoyalBlue"]Improving industry in Georgia. That is my only state with some industrial potential. Thank God that is in central theatre so supplies can be taken both to west and east theatre.[/color]

I have done some reading on the subject of the confederate industrial base and am now wondering why georgia is the only state with any industrial potential (despite the obvious importance of this state! ) let me explain

At the start of the war the south had three major iron works: Tredegar Iron Works and the Bellona Iron Works in Richmond,Virginia and Selma Naval Works in Selma,Alabama.

Furthermore the south had in 1860 39 furnaces for producing pig iron, 17 in Tennessee, 4 in Alabama, and 2 in Georgia, with the remaining 16 in the other Southern states. All southern states had deposits of iron (except Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi) with Kentucky, Tennessee, and western Virginia being the most important iron producing states.

So why don't states like Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennesee have any industrial potential??. The south obviously did not have the same potential as the north, but surely it was not this limited.

Hope someone can enlighten me

[daidojisan]

Improving industry in Georgia. That is my only state with some industrial potential. Thank God that is in central theatre so supplies can be taken both to west and east theatre.

I have done some reading on the subject of the confederate industrial base and am now wondering why georgia is the only state with any industrial potential (despite the obvious importance of this state! ) let me explain

At the start of the war the south had three major iron works: Tredegar Iron Works and the Bellona Iron Works in Richmond,Virginia and Selma Naval Works in Selma,Alabama.

Furthermore the south had in 1860 39 furnaces for producing pig iron, 17 in Tennessee, 4 in Alabama, and 2 in Georgia, with the remaining 16 in the other Southern states. All southern states had deposits of iron (except Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi) with Kentucky, Tennessee, and western Virginia being the most important iron producing states.

So why don't states like Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennesee have any industrial potential??. The south obviously did not have the same potential as the north, but surely it was not this limited.

Hope someone can enlighten me

[Pocus]

Who said that the others southern state don't have any potential? Checking the CSA industry panel, I see that Georgia have an average industrial potential (no bonus or penalty in industrialization) and that VA, AL, SC, NC and others have below average (slight penalty). There is even KY which is noted as 'fair' (small bonus).

I'm routinely able to expand industries in all states with a 'below average' notation, and it is generally better to spread your war effort, you get more return on investments.


edit: ok I see that Marecone is giving you false assumptions. He is so in love with the rebs that he would do anything to have them strengthened in the game

[daidojisan]

Ok thanks Pocus, that sets my mind at peace :-)

[daidojisan]

Hi Marecone,

Really like this AAR hope you guys can keep it going . Would you (if you have the time ) be willing to post a screenshot of some of the other tabs of the reinforcement menu for the confederacy?. I am really interested to see what builds there are possible for ships, artillery and stuff.

Thanks a lot

[marecone]

Will do it but I can't promise when. Yesterday a lightning struck my house and my comp is a mess now leure: . When I sort this out I'll post the screens. For the time beeing I will use my fathers comp but this one is so slow .
Anyway, I'll do it

[daidojisan]

Thanks

And good luck with your repairs

[marecone]

Working on my turn and I'll try to post it as soon as possible. In the meantime as I promised...

Other tabs of the reinforcement menu:






















Notice how army HQ is expensive. Also, when you select a unit you want to build, a state of origin of that unit will highlight on minimap on lower right part of the screen. This is great help for all of you which are not from US .

On last two screens you can see fiferent brigades from NC. Diferent size, diferent cost.

This is still getting fine tuned so this is not final version yet.
Hope you like it as much as I do

[Florent]

Thanks so much Marecone for the screeshots !! I didn't see ironclads thus i suppose that as Korregan stated elsewhere it will be a triggered event by the capture of Norfolk giving the plans!! Don't forget to let us have a few surprises by not showing us everything about the game. Waiting for your next report.

[marecone]

Ha ha. I am suprised after every patch . Don't worry there is plenty you didn't see yet.

[Florent]

3 questions. 1.Georgia and virginia in this screenies are the only state able to build coastal artillery. Are the artillery pieces automatically placed in a port or something like a depot allowing you to move the pieces to Vicksburg for example.
2. Does an increase level of industry elsewhere allow you the buildup of coastal artillery ?
3. Is a brigade buildup in a same place or the different regiments are scattered in the state ? And the player will have manually indicate a rendez vous point ?

[marecone]

I'll try to answer so you don't have to wait too long.
Pocus will probably correct me

1. Not sure didn't try doing that.
2. Pretty sure that answer is no. When you improve industry you are infact improving industrial output; war supplies, genera supplies and ammo.
3. You get whole brigade in one of the larger towns in state. Nice and easy

Hope you are satisfied with answers

Godspeed

[marecone]

Ofcourse, brigade is not ready in 15 days (1 turn). AGEOD boys came witha great idea where when you ask for a brigade you need to wait until it's get to full strenght and cohesion. You can use it earlier when it is not fully trained but it is advisable only in case of utmost need.
I find this concept very historical and like it much

[daidojisan]

Thanks Marecone for these shots, really appreciate it !

One question though, will the south not be able to build Ironclads? must the get them through special events ?

That would be ashame leure:

Thanks

[Pocus]

ironclads building is allowed once the correct event triggers (but not all events have been incorporated though)

coastal artilleries can be moved, by rail or slowly by wheel to the position you want. Because we did not want to clutter too much the production screen, we have not added one type of each unit to each state, otherwise you would have to choose between 150 units types and not 40 when you go 'shopping' and I do think this would have got us some legitimate complaints


(also it introduces new interesting decisions, as not all is available everywhere)

[daidojisan]

Will the building of blockade runners also only be possible after a triggered event?

[Pocus]

bockade runners are of the brig class if I recall well.

[marecone]

Turn 4, South side:

News





Extra, extra!!! New brigades raised in Tennessee!
...
Specialized workers have set up a small ironworks facility in Augusta (+4 war supplies/turn)
...



Economy



Well, my inflation is already 28% so I'll guess I'll try to play with what I got for now.



Eastern theatre





4th VA cavalry did manage tu burn depot in Norfolk and then moved away. They have done enough. Magruder is in Suffolk waiting for Butler to get low on supplies and ammo. One brigade will reach Suffolk in 13 days to help out. In 30 days Butler will be attacked and hopefully forced to surrender.





Jackson corps now has 2 divisions. I am ordering attack here. By waiting on defence stance I am only giving yanks a chance to get more men to HF.

PGT and Holmes are well entrenched and for will stay put.



Western theatre





E.K. Smith will stay at Lextington for now. I am aware that yanks did build up all around him and frankly don't know what to do. I will form a defencive line
from Lexington to Bowling Green to Ft. Doneldson to Paducah. I know this is almost the same as Johnston did and what he did was a mistake but... Most of these points can be reinforced in less then 15 days as they are conected with RR. I'll just hope this will work.

In the meantime I did form a corps with Hardee in charge. He will try to take Louisville. Johnston will stay at Bowling Green
as still didn't subdue the region to needed 25% to ship in my suplies.





Polk will just have to hurry up. I set him on agressive which means he will go for all or nothing.

Also, maybe some of you did notice that he doesn't have any guns so my siege was rather fruitless. Another legendary mistake.





Indians will go to Rolla as Pocus advised. Price will wait for Lyon. I hope he'll attack as I don't know what to do with Price.

Very important note that will try to explain my AAR a bit better. First of all I consider myself a rookie at this game. Second, my modem is still out so I am
running from comp to comp to post these AAR's. This is why I don't give you too much explanation under the pics. As for my moves... Well, I hope I'll get
better during the time.

Godspeed