Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:18 am
Well, I don't know about good strategy, but I just had one of the best games so far a few days ago. Various armies (admittedly one or two later on were just dummies to keep the politicians happy) One giant one under Grant initially in the West, later split upon reaching Vicksburg in 63 and two more in the east.
I was able to capture Fayettville, AR thanks to the St. Louis Massacre being avoided. This made the far west fun as I had to slog a bit to gain ground, but wasn't tied down in MO the whole time like happens often my game. In the west, it was just a general advance - secure - fight off any attempts to retake any cities, with a focus on the MS river, finally getting around to East TN in later 63 after an abortive attempt at it or two earlier.
And finally the east was much more different from history than the other two theaters in this game. Failed in the initial bid for Manassas, but was able to hold Winchester by the end of 61, and took the rest of the Valley by very early 62. This is where it got interesting. I moved the AOP south in march/april 62 with slightly over 100k men, there were no big battles, except a corps sized battle or two. On reaching Richmond however, I saw that it was defended by forces upwards of 5k strength. So, given that my commander was McClellan, I decided a siege would be the best course of action.
I surrounded it with a Corps in every province save those on the James River and two corps along with McClellan himself sitting between Petersburg and Richmond. I had smaller forces (brigade and division sized) seize the Lynchburg and Petersburg. This continued on for the rest of 62 (I started the siege in July/August) while I built up my forces, built depots to supply all of the troops surrounding Richmond and advanced in the west.
The AI did make a few attempts to escape, twice in 62, once later and again just before the end, all times trying to force south through the two corps (they could very possibly broken through at other points, but then would have been chased down and cut of from the south.
As 63 passed, I was finally able to raise enough troops to force out Early, who had entrenched himself in Norfolk and in doing so sealed the fate of Richmond as its only supply line was cut.
As the year passed into 1864, the rebels began to starve within the city. The once mighty army was reduced to under 40k men and a few on garrison. This was all that tried to break out in march, and were thrown back by John Pope, recently appointed to replace McClellan after the latter's inactivity and the formers successful career as a corp commander in the west. then in early april, a few months shy of the two year anniversary of the beginning of the siege, the Union assaulted the city and faced relatively little resistance from the starving confederates.
Good Union Battle Strategies
thanks! 
