The AI got the better of me

[jackfox]

One thing that makes it very difficult for the Union (and rightly so) is that there just aren't enough competent generals at the beginning of the war. In my current game it's November 1861. Halleck and Fremont are beginning to make headway in Western Kentucky. McClellan has "liberated" Lexington, KY and is now on the move toward Bowling Green. All is well in the West.

The East, however, just got ugly. The Army of the Potomac is commanded by Nathaniel Banks and consists of three corps under Irvin McDowell, David Hunter, and Benjamin Butler. Butler, with the divisions of Hooker, Heintzelman, and Runyon (the latter being unattached), have feinted toward Fredericksburg in an attempt to either take that city or relieve pressure on my other two corps operating in the Harpers Ferry area.

Banks, with McDowell and Hunter (four divisions with a fifth division unattached), caught Stonewall Jackson with his corps inside Harpers. Jackson has made several attempts to break the siege with assistance from two other rebel forces under Joe Johnston and John Magruder. There were three assaults made against Banks, all of which were turned back with heavy casualties. Jackson, Johnston, and Magruder were now all inside the Harpers Ferry defenses licking their wounds.

With winter fast approaching, one breach already in the Harpers Ferry defenses, and my belief that Jackson had already been whipped, I elected to have Banks assault the works. On day four he did so. Bad idea. McDowell and Hunter were hurled back with upwards of 17,000 casualties. It was a disaster. Jackson, seeing that Banks was reeling, counterattacked successfully on day six, taking down an additional 6,000 federals and sending Banks running for Maryland.

After all was said and done, Banks's army was wrecked. Four of the five original divisions were decimated (literally). leure: To make things worse, Butler got into a nasty scrape in Fredericksburg and is now back in Manassas with 3,000 fewer troops.

The lesson learned is this:
1. Don't presume that your enemy is weak.
2. When choosing to assault enemy fortifications, do so with a commander with a better attack rating that Nathaniel Banks.
3. Pray that 1862 brings better generals.

[dave]

Nice to see someone being honest enough to post an aar when losing!!. Sounds like the souths advantage in generals is going to be a factor in the eastern theatre!!!

[jackfox]

Heh, hopefully I can post an aar of a victory if I can get my situation in the East turned around.

Seriously, though, I made the original post just because I'm impressed by the challenge the AI is putting up. It reacted realistically and logically...something that can't be said about some other games...which...will remain nameless.

[jackfox]

Okay, the weekend allowed much more time to get into this game. Things have really begun to turn around in the east while my advance into Tennessee is progressing nicely.

After Banks's awful assault on Jackson's fortifications at Harpers Ferry (resulting in 17,000 casualties), he settled into winter quarters in Pennsylvania in order to regroup and refit. Northern camps of instruction were busy throughout the winter months readying new recruits and forwarding them to the front. By late February, Banks was again ready to make a move toward Harpers Ferry.

Avoiding the mistakes made the previous autumn, Banks quickly laid seige to the Confederates in Harpers, now commanded by PGT Beauregard. Again, rebel relief forces attempted an assault to break Beauregard out. They succeeded in saving Beauregard, but lost over 6,000 men and Harpers Ferry in the process.

The winter months also allowed for a new eastern army to form: the Army of the Potomac, 70,000 men strong under Ben Butler. The AoP was based out of Alexandria and Manassas with the goal of moving toward Richmond while Banks took Harpers Ferry and moved up the Shenendoah Valley. Butler moved relatively quickly, seized Fredericksburg, but stalled at the gates of Richmond, unwilling to attempt a direct attack over the North Anna River and turning a nervous eye to the west, where smaller rebel forces threatened his lengthy supply line. He preferred instead to keep Lee's army occupied in Richmond while Banks rolled up the Valley with intent to unite with Banks to advance on Richmond from front and flank.

In the west, the rebels put all their eggs in one basket: Fort Donelson. Two Federal armies operated in this area. McClellan's Army of the Ohio, 50,000 strong, rushed through Central Kentucky and into Tennessee. Bowling Green and Gallatin quickly fell. McCook's Division was so close to Nashville that the men could hear the church bells chiming. With AS Johnston's rebel army at Fort Donelson, however, laying seige to the Nashville would have invited a flank attack from Johston, so McClellan chose to cooperate with another Federal army to envelop Johnston from the east and from the west, sending George Thomas's Corps of about 30,000 to attack the fort.

Based in Paducah, Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Tennessee, 45,000, had already secured much of northwest Tennessee down to Humboldt and east to the Tennessee River. Buell had committed two corp, under Grant and Halleck, to attack Fort Donelson from the West.

As the three federal corps converged on Donelson, Thomas arrived first and set a defensive stance. AS Johnston offered battle, a choice he would regret. Johston hurled his 55 units, with an estimated strength of about 45,000 to 50,000 men, against Thomas with devastating results. 13,500 rebels were killed, wounded, or captured in the assault. Thomas, taking every advantage, suffered only about 2,500 casualties. Johnston dashed back into Fort Donelson, while the next turn brought Halleck and Grant to Thomas's aid, all but insuring that Johnston's army would be taken with the Fort (as all surrounding territories were under Union control).

So after a disastrous 1861 in the east, the situation is now well under control with two strong armies advancing south. In the west, conditions are even brighter with a major Confederate army bottled up and Nashville within my sites. Another smaller rebel corps under Ben Cheatham, has moved north in an attempt to relieve pressure on Johnston, but I don't plan to take the bait.

I'm really pleased with the quality of the experience thusfar. The AI seems pretty smart, even with "allow extra AI time" turned off. His moves are pretty logical, not "suicidal" or willing to randomly abandon key locations like in so many other games. My hat's off to PhilThib, Pocus, and the rest of the team on a great game!!!

[Pocus]

thanks. And train while you can, because as soon as the first batch of bugs is cleared, my main focus will be on improving the AI.

[DennyWright]

I think I need some of your help improving my 'I', because the AI is already overwhelming me on all fronts. Great work - and a genuinely clever AI.

[McNaughton]

Here's what happened to me. I was union, in April 1861. I sent the Army of the Patomic down into Virginia due to political pressure, and low and behold, a Confederate Army scooped in behind, destroyed all of the troops mustering around Washington and laid seige to my capitol... It shocked me, as in most games the AI will just cringe at the advance of my army, and 'break down'. Here, they take advantage of my battle ready troops going south and swooping in to destroy elements of a division gathering at my capitol, and laying seige to the relatively weak garrison! What a shocker, as I learned not to underestimate this AI as you can in so many other games!