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Longshanks
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USA Longshanks vs CSA CitizenX

Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:17 am

Longshanks (USA) vs CitizenX (CSA)

I thought I'd give another go at an AAR. Hopefully this will show new players how play can improve via PBEM experience by comparing my rookie AAR with this, my fifth PBEM.

This will be primarily a visual AAR with a bit of commentary - not so much as in my other AAR.

We're still playing this game, so posts will occur at about the same rate as turns are accomplished.

We played the full campaign w/Kentucky. For those that are interested in such matters, here are the settings and House Rules we agreed upon:
FoW -- ON
Activation -- MIDDLE BOX (penalty but can move)
*Random Genls -- Minimal randomization.
Navy Box -- LEFT (standard)
Redeploy -- SECOND fr LEFT (Player 1, AI 3) - we each get 1 redeploy per turn ONLY IN regions with no known enemy presence (can't account for hidden units)
Delay Combat -- SECOND fr RIGHT (Medium Delay)
FI -- SECOND fr LEFT (Normal)
*Historical Attrition -- MIDDLE ("for player only") Note. - Replacements can be rec'd ONLY at a Depot with this.
Active AI OFF
The rest is immaterial.

HOUSE RULES (2)

Historical (or Limited) Recruiting: Both sides are Vols only throughout 61. On the Late Dec61 Turn, the CSA player may go to either Full or Partial Mob'lz. The USA player waits one Turn to see what the CSA did. If the CSA goes with Partial (or does nothing), the USA must stick with Vols until June62 and then, at that point, may go with Partial for the rest of 62. If the CSA goes Full, the USA may go to Partial (and may only go Partial for the rest of 62). In 63, the gloves are off. SMACK!

Raiding: Stacks of any size may always be in:
1. their own controlled territory (anywhere, determined by presence of control flag) or
2. home territory (CSA states or Union states), or
3. within 3 regions of another one of their own stacks of 4 or more command points, or
4. in KS, MO, KY, WV, MD or DE (the border states).
Units that are anywhere else are "raiders" and must contain a leader and units totalling at least 4 command points.

April - May 61
We jockeyed over Harper's and Manassas, but USA (me) ended up with Manassas due to the early elite and marine units.

Image

Notice that Milroy (can't help it - I always call him Milhouse) is a 4-2-1. We're playing with slight mods on general stats, and he was one of my better ones. The 2-0-0s were sent to Duluth.

Image

In late May, the South Carolina troops showed up in Cairo, playing the "Cairo Gambit." I sent Lyons and a bunch of reinforcements to deal with it in the following turns.

Image

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Longshanks
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June 1861

Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:22 pm

Early June was about consolidation and reinforcement. The only significant battles occured at Cape Giraudeau on the Mississippi junction with the Ohio, where the USA fleet under Foote chased off the CSA twice.

Late June saw more action. In the East Beauregard took over for Magruder in Stafford VA, his launching pad for access to Alexandria. He caused a lot of union casualties to USA's Milroy in the Battle of Stafford, who tried to move him out, but failed. Nearby in Harper's Ferry, Hamilton (4-1-1) took the depot with reinforcements sent in, but CSA's Johnston (4-3-3) also moved into the region, joining a brigade already there. No combat between them, however.

Image

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In Cairo, Bushrod took the garrison, then Blenker was repulsed and retreated back north with Lyons. However, he did a lot of damage to Bushrod there.

Image

Image

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Longshanks
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July 1861

Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:26 pm

Early and Late July

In Early July in the East, CitizenX tried a pincer movement with Johnston in Harper's Ferry and Beauregard heading for Alexandria. He also threw in cav raiders to cut the reinforcement rails. There were several skirmishes with them.

He took Harper's Ferry, but was defeated at Alexandria, falling back on Stafford. The Alexandria fight was costly to the Union as you can see from the battle report below. Also, note the altered commander readouts, as we are playing with the "slightly altered" option for leaders' stats.

Butler and Keyes left the safety of Ft. Monroe to land at Petersburg during the last part of July. Forward on the attack!

Situation in the East, Day 11 of Late July
Image

Battle of Alexandria
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In the West, the CSA attempted to relieve Cairo, but their fleet was repulsed yet again. Johnson abandoned Cairo, having done his damage and seeing many Union troops approaching. However, he only got as far as the river next to Chester IL. The Union will be tried to trap and destroy him, but he wriggled free to Charleston MO by the end of July. In the meantime, Lyons reinforced Cairo. Thus the threat to both Cairo and St. Louis appears to be over.

In Missouri, Price fell back ro Rolla because of the appearance of Sumner’s force, which took Jefferson City. But in late July, Sumner moved to St. Louis in case Johnson got ideas, and Price retook Jeff City.

All in all, a balanced month, but I like that the USA has stymied two early CSA initiatives.

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Longshanks
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August 1861

Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:26 pm

August, the busy month! The Union definitely grabbed the initiative this turn.

In the East the CSA Army in Stafford pulled out to react to the Petersburg invasion, scattering Butler and Keyes. Butler retreated before combat, proving he can move plenty fast when properly motivated, and Bory took P'burg back. Keyes' move to Petersburg caused another tussle and skedaddle. Basically, all USA units retreated when facing Bory, but we didn't take much damage. In the second half of the month, both Butler and Keyes, having accomplished their diversion, pulled back to Ft. Monroe just before a CSA force under Floyd could besiege the place.

In the meantime, the CSA units in Fairfax and Stafford also retreated before superior Union forces under Milroy, leaving the Rappahannock as the border.

In the Shenandoah, Joe Johnston holds Winchester, but Union troops out of WV and DC under Mansfield retake Harper's Ferry, while troops under Hamilton take Strasburg, where the depot has been blown.

Image

The Union makes its moves into Kentucky, taking the entire state in one turn during late August, thanks to careful troop positioning, including Lyons' force starting the L August turn already on the water. Lyons besieges Ft. Donelson, which is an big additional bonus. Only Columbus remains in CSA hands, very lightly held with a single militia unit. The moral of the story: use your riverine movement to take Kentucky!

Image

In the Trans-Mississippi, Price leaves Jeff City moving back to Rolla in the first half of the month, which Sumner has now taken, having left St. Louis once the Bushrod Johnson threat was ended. Seeing he is outnumbered, Price retires to Springfield, while Sumner pursues him half-heartedly. Jeff City is retaken. Missouri is now in Union hands, except for the southernmost points.

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Longshanks
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September 61

Wed Aug 17, 2011 7:22 pm

September was a month of consolidation and positioning. There were a few combats, but mostly they were not over expanding into new territory, but instead were about falling back into more secure lines for the upcoming Winter season, or finishing up the work from a previous move.

In the East, September started with lines like this:

Image

However, Johnston abandoned the Shenandoah for reasons of his own, fighting Hamilton on the way South:

Image

In the meantime, Burnside moved from Harper's Ferry and took Winchester, and Hooker moved from Stafford into Culpeper VA to extend the Union's holdings in that good defensive terrain before the CSA did so. Hamilton retreated north after the fight, leaving the East looking like this at the end of the month:

Image

In the West, Lyons spent the first half of the month regaining cohesion, and the second half taking Fort Henry and Fort Donelson:

Image

Meantime, CSA's Polk reinforces Columbus KY in an effort to prevent easy occupation of West Tennessee by Grant, now in Paducah. Nashville is reinforced by Sidney Johnston. So of the three primary avenues of approach, the CSA has kept the Mississippi and the Cumberland, but lost the Tennessee:

Image

With October coming up, there's still time before Winter for some aggressive moves by both players. Johnston could move on Bowling Green or try to retake Ft Donelson. Polk could try to kick Grant out of West Kentucky or build a fort in Columbus KY. In the East, Bragg has a rather large force in Charlottesville and is presumably being joined by Joe Johnston, who replay showed moving in that direction. The CSA could retake Stafford, for a foothold on the north bank of the Rappahannock, or move to retake Culpeper.

All these options are in play.

The Trans-Mississippi was pretty quiet. Sumner had to regain cohesion and couldn't move forward toward Springfield, which the CSA reinforced.

The CSA is aggressive with its navy, attacking in the James and in the Mississippi, but making no, or little, progress in either place. Floyd continues to eyeball Fort Monroe, but seems too weak to assault it. Will he be reinforced, or pull back?

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Longshanks
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:42 pm

(reserved for October 61)

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Longshanks
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:42 pm

(reserved for November)

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Longshanks
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:43 pm

(reserved for December 61)

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Longshanks
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October 1861

Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:45 pm

Slow month in the first half: There was an ironclad fight on the James River - the CSA has three there - which the Union won. Then another occurred on the Mississippi at Reelfoot, where the rebels have 11 gunboats, but the Union won due to ironclad superiority.

Otherwise, some jockeying in the East and West, but no real changes. The USA took Clarksville TN on its way to reinforce Ft. Donelson, and McCulloch moved a small detachment into Gallatin city TN.

In the East, Johnston showed up in C'ville and rebel cavalry puttered around trying to cut rails in northern Virginia, but that was about it.

A bit livelier in the second half: Grant takes Columbus KY, where there wasn't much resistance. Polk moves up the Mississippi with a force toward Island #10. Lyons moves out of Ft. Donelson and takes Henry TN, while McClernand reinforces Gallatin, chasing McCulloch out. The latter goes to Clarksville, but the city remains in union hands because McCall had previously taken it earlier in the month and it was garrisoned.

Both sides are building up existing forces.

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Longshanks
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November 1861

Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:52 pm

Let's start with the Trans-Mississippi, which is now covered in snow. Sumner, sitting in Erie MO halfway between Jeff City and Springfield is all set to pounce on Springfield which seems to be lightly defended.... but he's nearly completely out of supplies. So, he reluctantly turns back to a safer haven to sit out the early winter.

In KY-TN, things are more interesting. Grant moves from Columbus and destroys the garrison at Humboldt. For this dainty maneuver he gets promoted to Three Stars, and no promotion penalty either because the previous turn he got a seniority promotion for taking Columbus! Yay!

Lyons holds the railline from the depot at Ft. Donelson to Humboldt by staying in Henry TN and taking more control of it. This solidifies Grant's supply line.

Polk has moved from into Island #10, a stinking bog of wasteland, with good gunnery sight lines up and down the Mississippi River. Four Union ironclads and a bunch of gunboats keep him company.

Union divisions have formed left and right during the past month - 6 in the KY/TN area alone.

Johnston continues to hang out in Nashville, now flanked by McClernand in Gallatin and Shields in Clarksville, both on the north side of the Cumberland.

Image

In the East, action is confined primarily to offsetting victories by each side on the James. The CSA has three (3, count 'em!) ironclads there already, and is eager to challenge Union supremacy on the water.

Things heat up a bit in the latter half of the month, when Griffin lands and takes Ft Clark, NC with a sizable Union force.

Further north, the Union has now formed 10 divisions in Virginia, and is mopping up CSA cavalry units, bent (get it?) on disrupting union railways. Otherwise, it’s pretty stagnant in Virginia. Nobody seems ready to move yet, whether because of poor weather or waiting for the reinforcements from back in the July builds.

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Longshanks
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Final Entry

Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:40 am

This was a tough game to play. We were 6 or so time zones apart, and there were numerous interruptions, sometimes weeks at a time. Hard to focus on the AAR in such a case. Citizen X is pretty good competition, however, and I recommend you play him if the time zone difference isn't an issue for you (he's in Europe).

I was pushing him hard, but he caught Kearney's corps in Albemarle (IIRC), and bounced him back and forth for three turns - I could NOT get Kearny out of there. Losing an entire corps is a bit tough. After that he went on the offensive and we had a very strange series of turns with mutual isolated stacks, me (USA) in Manassas and him (CSA) in ALexandria. In the West, I took MO and KY quickly, but then carelessly gave up Ft. Donelson, and was unable to concentrate and progress further, as we fell into stalemate there. I had my way on the waters, but he contested me everywhere so there were no "gimmes" there. We finally ended the game, more or less by mutual consent, in Dec of 1862.

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Citizen X
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Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:56 am

Longshanks wrote:This was a tough game to play. We were 6 or so time zones apart, and there were numerous interruptions, sometimes weeks at a time. Hard to focus on the AAR in such a case. Citizen X is pretty good competition, however, and I recommend you play him if the time zone difference isn't an issue for you (he's in Europe).

I was pushing him hard, but he caught Kearney's corps in Albemarle (IIRC), and bounced him back and forth for three turns - I could NOT get Kearny out of there. Losing an entire corps is a bit tough. After that he went on the offensive and we had a very strange series of turns with mutual isolated stacks, me (USA) in Manassas and him (CSA) in ALexandria. In the West, I took MO and KY quickly, but then carelessly gave up Ft. Donelson, and was unable to concentrate and progress further, as we fell into stalemate there. I had my way on the waters, but he contested me everywhere so there were no "gimmes" there. We finally ended the game, more or less by mutual consent, in Dec of 1862.


I can only return the compliment here. Longshanks is a nice player who had the bad luck to suffer from the devastating experience that I made in the last two games I played as the Union just before this.
Anytime again, Longshanks.

charlesonmission
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Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:49 pm

Longshanks, you are a very good AAR writer. I'm looking forward to your next AAR!

Charles

Longshanks wrote:This was a tough game to play. We were 6 or so time zones apart, and there were numerous interruptions, sometimes weeks at a time. Hard to focus on the AAR in such a case. Citizen X is pretty good competition, however, and I recommend you play him if the time zone difference isn't an issue for you (he's in Europe).

I was pushing him hard, but he caught Kearney's corps in Albemarle (IIRC), and bounced him back and forth for three turns - I could NOT get Kearny out of there. Losing an entire corps is a bit tough. After that he went on the offensive and we had a very strange series of turns with mutual isolated stacks, me (USA) in Manassas and him (CSA) in ALexandria. In the West, I took MO and KY quickly, but then carelessly gave up Ft. Donelson, and was unable to concentrate and progress further, as we fell into stalemate there. I had my way on the waters, but he contested me everywhere so there were no "gimmes" there. We finally ended the game, more or less by mutual consent, in Dec of 1862.

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