First CSA campaign questions

[philearley]

First off can I say this is my first post. I've found the forum to be great so far, really helpful. I've had the game a week, and have read the manual, done the tutorial and been reading the forums every day since, picking up something new each day.

I've started a grand campaign as CSA (on normal settings). I'm hoping to learn as I go along and then be prepared to make restarts when I've picked up more of the game mechanics. Mt first impresions of the game are that it looks like a game that I'm really going to enjoy once I've mastered how to play it properly.

I guess I have the same queries as a lot of people really. What should I recruit and when, and queries on supply and the naval aspect which I haven't really found much info about at all so far.

Am I right in thinking that if I call a draft say on turn 3 (early May I think), then I can call one again in June ? Should I try to produce more money immediately or can I afford to wait until 1862 ? As far as supply goes I appreciate that the supply trains are going to be used mainly if and when I leave CSA territory but how many troops will a supply train supply ?
With my navy, I moved the starting brigs in the south to the gulf blockade box (with evade combat) and the eastern coast squadron is currently moving to the Atlantic blockade box. My river gunboats are currently simply patrolling the mouth of the Mississippi or guarding my river crossings next to the regions where they began. Is a naval expansion worthwhile for the CSA? I suspect the Union navy will overwhelm anything I may build so probably not a good investment.

Ground force-wise. The army of (northern virginia) is currently 1 turn before becoming active in Richmond. If I move Joe Johnston into the stack will he automatically take command from Beareguard on seniority grounds or would I still have to remove PGT ? I plan to create 2 corps in the east. 1 under Jackson in the Shenandoah and 1 around Manassas under Holmes I guess for the moment.

In the west how long is it before AS Johnston appears with an HQ? I appreciate the need to hold Henry and Donelson for as long as possible or be prepared to abandon Kentucky and northern Tennessee. My current plan is to concentrate all my available forces in Nashville and then either form an army (if I can) or independent divisions. At the moment I have concentrated Polk, a couple of the starting SC regiments RR'd from Charleston, the cavalry from Knoxville and a few new builds here.

In the Trans-Mississippi the St Louis massacre event hasn't fired so I am without Price, but I have made a few new builds here so will have to hold out for as long as I can with these. Where's Van Dorn ?!


I guess in general I'd like to know how long I've got before the union becomes too aggressive. Quite a while I'm hoping !

Any thoughts ?

[Banks6060]

Playing as the CSA is pretty forgiving against the AI because she doesn't seem to know how to conduct an invasion or blockade properly.

Check out the AACW Wiki manual again and again....I've been playing this game for months now and I still re-read that thing on almost a monthly basis to uncover little tid bits I may have missed before.

Cheers.

[Skibear]

Sounds like you are pretty much on thinking along the right lines for your first game. Here are some specific answers in bold though that might help:

First off can I say this is my first post. I've found the forum to be great so far, really helpful. I've had the game a week, and have read the manual, done the tutorial and been reading the forums every day since, picking up something new each day.

I've started a grand campaign as CSA (on normal settings). I'm hoping to learn as I go along and then be prepared to make restarts when I've picked up more of the game mechanics. Mt first impresions of the game are that it looks like a game that I'm really going to enjoy once I've mastered how to play it properly.

I guess I have the same queries as a lot of people really. What should I recruit and when, and queries on supply and the naval aspect which I haven't really found much info about at all so far.

Am I right in thinking that if I call a draft say on turn 3 (early May I think), then I can call one again in June ? You can call a draft once per year and call for volunteers twice per year. The volunteers option resets in late june, and in late dec the draft and volunteers resets.
Should I try to produce more money immediately or can I afford to wait until 1862 ? The money options for bonds and tax reset the same as volunteers in latejune and latedec, however you generally get money coming in every turn. I would say just raise what money you need to build the brigades you need at first. Avoid printing money unless you absolutely have to.
As far as supply goes I appreciate that the supply trains are going to be used mainly if and when I leave CSA territory but how many troops will a supply train supply ? Supply wagons give a 10% firepower boost to a stack. If you aimed to have one supply per division then you wont go far wrong, but sometimes a two division corps can get by with 1 supply wagon if just in own territory. CSA has the advantage of being close to its bases, however if you push into Penn. then you will want at least 1 per division and maybe more, but dont worry about that just yet. They are expensive.
With my navy, I moved the starting brigs in the south to the gulf blockade box (with evade combat) and the eastern coast squadron is currently moving to the Atlantic blockade box. My river gunboats are currently simply patrolling the mouth of the Mississippi or guarding my river crossings next to the regions where they began. Is a naval expansion worthwhile for the CSA? I suspect the Union navy will overwhelm anything I may build so probably not a good investment. Aim for maybe 6 brigs by 1862. They are useful for war supply and money and are a much safer investment than factories. You may want to build 2/3 river ironclads for the mississipi fleets. But against the AI it is not so important just yet. I'd concentrate more on learning the land game concepts first and then explore the river fleet later, and then when you want to play the Union you will learn more about the brown and blue navies and there use for both sides.

Ground force-wise. The army of (northern virginia) is currently 1 turn before becoming active in Richmond. If I move Joe Johnston into the stack will he automatically take command from Beareguard on seniority grounds or would I still have to remove PGT ? I plan to create 2 corps in the east. 1 under Jackson in the Shenandoah and 1 around Manassas under Holmes I guess for the moment.
If you bring johnson in from the valley to join the ANV then you will have to put Johnson in the same stack as BRGD in order to replace him, its not automatic. Its a matter of personal preference but i usually keep Johnson as a corps commander, and Jackson too. Holmes is a second rate corps commander. As a dispirited leader he reduces cohesion and has no redeeming features. I pack him off to Tennessee as a temporary commander out there until somebody else turns up. Bonham is marginally better and can hold Fredricksburg or something. But aim for a triangle of Beauregard / Johnson / Jackson to give you an army and two corps. Likesay I prefer Johnson as a corps commander. One key thing to learn is that depending on their stats then the army commander gives a percentage boost to divisions in their subordinate corps, and corps commander a bonus to divisions in their own corps, and divison commanders to their own divisions. All based on their attack and defence stats as appropriate. So if you have divisions in the army commanders stack they dont get a corps bonus. So putting a good command structure together is very important.
In the west how long is it before AS Johnston appears with an HQ? I appreciate the need to hold Henry and Donelson for as long as possible or be prepared to abandon Kentucky and northern Tennessee. My current plan is to concentrate all my available forces in Nashville and then either form an army (if I can) or independent divisions. At the moment I have concentrated Polk, a couple of the starting SC regiments RR'd from Charleston, the cavalry from Knoxville and a few new builds here. I cant remember the exact date of the top of my head but expect him in autumn/fall. Try to get an army HQ build and ship it out to Nashville ready for him. If you also have Polk and Holmes nearby and 2/3 divisions then you can and army up and running by October I think.

In the Trans-Mississippi the St Louis massacre event hasn't fired so I am without Price, but I have made a few new builds here so will have to hold out for as long as I can with these. Where's Van Dorn ?!
Van Dorn, Hardee and Hindman will show up as BrigadierGenerals in Q3. A few should hold the line in Missouri until they turn up then another division under one of these should be enough to take the offensive a bit.


I guess in general I'd like to know how long I've got before the union becomes too aggressive. Quite a while I'm hoping !

Any thoughts ?

[philearley]

OK thanks

I moved Johnson into army stack and put him into command. To reorganise corps/ divisonal command is it a similar procedure ?

Once a division is formed can I move individual brigades out of it (to reinforce say) and replace them with fresh ones ?

[Jabberwock]

OK thanks

I moved Johnson into army stack and put him into command. To reorganise corps/ divisonal command is it a similar procedure ?

Once a division is formed can I move individual brigades out of it (to reinforce say) and replace them with fresh ones ?

The highest seniority leader in a corps is automatically the commander. If your army commander has a high enough strategy rating you can always create a new corps with a lower seniority leader.

You can certainly replace brigades in a division. Replacing the commander is another matter. Once you form a division with a leader, it is his division. You pay the cost to give that leader a division. If you ever leave the division empty (with no brigades), then it will be disbanded during turn processing. You can buy another division for the same leader, but you will pay the cost again.

[Prussian Prince]

OK thanks

I moved Johnson into army stack and put him into command. To reorganise corps/ divisonal command is it a similar procedure ?

Once a division is formed can I move individual brigades out of it (to reinforce say) and replace them with fresh ones ?

You can remove them buy clicking on the - button that is next to the + button that you used to put them in.

[philearley]

OK, can I split the division, rearrange brigades as I wish, then recombine the division, and pay no extra cost as long as I do all that in the same turn ?

[soloswolf]

Yep.