Just what should I build?

[Mosby]

I'm playing as the CSA again after putting the game down for a good deal of time. I'm trying to decide if it's worth coming up with a detailed list of what all I have and what I need to build to get all of my divisions up and running...or if I should just build away and worry about what goes where later.

And just what is a good build for the South in the east anyways? I know that the arty frontage thing has kinda been cleared up, but I'm still at a loss as to what a "good" division looks like.

*if it helps, I'm looking to build up a defensive line and bleed the enemy until I can work up some good hard counter-strike.

[beefcake]

I'm a purist when it comes to forming divisions, so I generally like to organize my divisions along historical lines--a few brigades of infantry and some cannon batteries to go along with it. If room allows, I also try to mix in sharpshooters and cavalry for the scouting and combat bonuses.

An example might be:

three brigades @ 3 regiminents = 9 infantry
three artillery batteries
one or two cavalry regiments
one sharpshooter

If I don't have time to organize my divisions, then this formula goes out the window in favor of whatever I can throw together to make an effective divison.

I've seen forum posts from AACW users who eschew the "elite" brigades in favor of cranking out militia units like frisky rabbits. This is a very effective strategy for the South, since they are cheap to produce and upgrade very quickly to regular infantry units. And with the artillery frontage limits cleared up, a new division might look like this:

six to eight regiments of infantry
six to eight artillery batteries
one to two cavalry regiments
one sharpshooter.

I think your choices on division structure will depend on your opponent. A human player is more likely to take advantage of the game mechanics/exploits. Just explore your options until you find what you like.