Ok, the details will be a little sketchy because I didn't take notes...
I played the Shiloh scenario as the Union three times, and got my hat handed to me every time by the AI. My strategy was basically the same every time. I would assemble Grant's army, and sometimes Buell's too, and march south to Corinth. Every time, by the time I got to Corinth, the Confederates had concentrated and proceeded to give me an ass-whuppin.
I almost gave up then and thought about posting a plea for strategy help on this forum. But, then I got an idea.
What if I feinted towards Corinth, got the Rebels to concentrate their, but then rapidly assaulted Memphis. The problem was, I needed a way to get to Memphis quickly and quietly, before the enemy raced back to defend it.
Hey, wait a minute, Memphis is on the river, and I have boats! So, I started a new game. I detached Crittendon's corps from Buell's army, which left his army just small enough to fit on all the combined riverine transport I had. I marched Grant's army and Crittendon's corps south towards Corinth and stopped in the region just north of Corinth and put them on defensive posture.
Next, I loaded up the reduced Buell army onto transports, destination Memphis.
By the time they disembarked at Memphis, it was guarded by a solitary unit. Everyone else had rushed towards Corinth, threatened by Grant's army. I immediately assaulted and capture Memphis! Got a ton of NM for that and the enemy lost a ton of NM. But I still didn't have enough to win. Time was running out.
So, leaving one division in Memphis, I took the rest of Buell's army and marched it east towards Corinth and timed it so that it would arrive there just as Grant's army arrived there, also. I hoped that the combined forces could defeat the rebel army and capture the town.
They made it to Corinth on the next to last turn and there was a big battle. My forces were defeated! Part of Grant's army retreated to the region north of Corinth, the rest, along with Buell's army licked its wounds outside of Corinth.
I was down to my last turn and I was still trailing in VP. Once again, I ordered my two armies to offensive posture. Another big battle, again I was defeated. But this time, the Confederate losses must have been too much, because, even though they won the battle, they retreated from the region! I was able to march into Corinth, unopposed, on the last turn, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!
So, why is this game so awesome? Because it makes me use my brain! Three times I butted my head against the wall trying a frontal approach. Only when I thought about the problem from a different angle and got creative, was I rewarded. This is the most fun I have had gaming in a looooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg time.
