October 22, 1998 - Pulse on the Net
Confederate Strategy Brief: FOR THE PEOPLE
Confederate Strategy Brief: FOR THE PEOPLE
2 of 4 
|
October 22, 1998 - Pulse on the Net
Confederate Strategy Brief: FOR THE PEOPLE |
2 of 4 |
Is there some way the CSA player can take advantage of all this information? The answer is definitely "yes."
The CSA player has to look first to his tools. His main asset is his pool of generals. Overall, they are more effective both in initiative and skill. While he does have some less than stellar performers, he should never find himself in a position in which he can’t activate at least one army or corp. Use this advantage to spread the Federal forces out. Particularly in the early game, the Federal player will find it exceedingly difficult to activate more than a couple of generals each turn as most of them have a ‘3’ strategy rating. Use this advantage to keep him from forming large armies.
His next set of tools is the cards. A significant number of the cards provide SP reinforcements for the CSA. Unless there is an emergency, every card that provides reinforcements must be taken. Eventually, with competent Federal play, the flow of reinforcements will drop to a trickle. If nothing else, while early in the game the CSA might get nearly as many SP as the Union each turn, the CSA rail capacity is so limited that it is difficult to concentrate them. The cards provide the CSA player with a means to provide extra SP to a critical location. Other cards provide additional defensive bonuses such as ironclads and torpedoes that can be used to bolster the defense of key ports or coastal forts that must be held, while still others remove Union SP.
Besides those cards which provide Confederate SP (or remove Union SP), there are several cards that the CSA player must play or strongly consider playing as events. "Baltimore Revolts" (card 92), is a powerful card played as the last card play, as it disrupts and reduces Union reinforcements to DC (assuming Baltimore is not garrisoned). Since it accounts for 4 Union SP, it is more effective than any successful battle. "Foreign Intervention" (card 82) must be played at some point during the turn upon fulfillment of its conditions; you have no choice. However, its benefits are so great that its play should not be delayed (unless the current Union blockade level is ‘0’ and you’re sure you can hold your SW level until the end of the turn). Finally, "Forward to Richmond" (card 3) can provide great discomfort to the Union player who has placed his only nearby army in DC itself. The CSA player must be careful with this card. I have never seen an effective Confederate play of this card. Often, as the Union player, I welcome any chance to move my otherwise lethargic army. Careful play means that a) the only Federal army nearby is in DC, b) you can defend Richmond from said army, and c) you can take immediate advantage of the denuding of the defenses of DC.
Again looking to the map, there are certain priorities. Richmond must be defended. The blockade runner ports must be kept open. The Mississippi River must be held. KY must be fought for. Everything else is secondary.
Attacking DC in 1861 is rarely a good idea. At best, the odds will be against you. At worst, you’ll lose Richmond. Certainly, if it is lightly defended and you can defend Richmond, then take it. But a good Federal player will strongly garrison DC and still get in your face. The goal here is to threaten DC to keep the AoP small when it does come after you. Attrition usually favors the Union, so avoid attacking unless the results are worth the losses. Build an army in front of Richmond as soon as it is convenient to add subordinate generals, particularly the cavalry general Stuart who should always get placed in this army when he arrives. Use a strong Corp to clear Fort Monroe and then swing west to threaten DC from the west through Harper’s Ferry. Both J Johnston and Beauregard are 2-1 generals, so for the first few turns you should be able to out maneuver Federal generals, forcing them back away from Richmond just to cover DC. If the Federal player does get one of his turn 2 2-0 generals revealed and into command early, you still out general him in a stand up fight. Finally, if a 3-1 general is otherwise unoccupied, place him in Richmond for point defense.
After the defense of Richmond, the next priority is manning the forts that cover the blockade-runner ports. New reinforcements should go first to defending at least one such port per blockade-runner zone. Usually, you’ll only have enough SP to cover one such port per zone until turn 4, as Richmond and TN will desperately need the additional forces. If you are lucky, a card may provide additional SP that can be placed in coastal forts. But, by turn four you should garrison every fort that you still control that covers a blockade-runner port. Late in the game, if the Federal blockade level is such that you are rarely making blockade-runner die rolls anyway and find you need those fort garrisons elsewhere, it might be useful move those SP out for other uses. The Federal player would still need to assault the fort to close the port, and he may not make the effort if the blockade level is at 4 or 5.
Otherwise, it is futile to try to defend all the open ports (those without coastal forts). The Federal navy can land just about anywhere. Florida and Texas are particularly vulnerable because they are isolated and easily converted. As soon as possible, place 2 SP in Sabine City TX and form a strong Corp with a general somewhere in GA as a mobile coastal defense. Millen GA is a good choice as a force here can reach points as far away as Pollard GA to Goldsboro NC, or even north to Cleveland TN (to cover Knoxville), without the assistance of rail, and provides a defense for the cluster of resource spaces in GA. This mobile coastal defense force should react to any landings the Federal might make in the southeast. Usually, any such Federal force will be isolated and small because the opportunities for such Union activities are constricted by his need to use 3 OC to activate his generals for other campaigns. A quick reaction can easily push the Federal force back into the sea. Don’t forget to replace it should it be sent off to counter some threat.
Finally, it is imperative that the CSA player fight for control of KY and TN. MO is secondary, if only because it provides another route into and out of the northern states, but it is difficult to send reinforcements into MO due to the lack of rail lines. Fighting just for the extra SP is usually not worth it. WV is not worth the fight at all. If he is at all serious about defending Richmond, the CSA player should be operating in the area of WV anyway (more on this later). But KY has the virtue of having somewhat restricted routes of advance south, screening the vulnerable CSA center, and provides direct access to the heart of the Federal position. Once the Federal player gains control of TN, the entire south becomes a target. Historically, Federal forces quickly forced a path through western TN, which led to the control of the entire stretch of the Mississippi River. Only Union strategic blunders kept the Union from taking further immediate advantage of this situation, but a good Federal player should not make the same mistakes.
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Game Ratings | Clubs | Events | Discussion Board
Copyright © 1999, 2000 ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com
