Let's cause extreme butthurt by defeating the North in AACW

[Burning Bridges]

Synopsis: The CSA wants to create extreme butthurt by raising our banner of rebellion over Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, do away with the White House, the Statue of Liberty, and make Lincoln a slave.


Campaign

1863 (Triumph and Defeat) campaign
Official Patch Version 1.16


Current Progress:

1. Strategic Planning

Released a first draft for Battle Plan "Anusconda", that could:​

a) rescue our threatened Western front, and​

b) try to hold out in the East, until we have coherent fronts on all theatres, and can start new major offensives.​

2. First turns are rolling

1863, Early April​

Supply problems and a threatening Union offensive are delaying the Anusconda Plan​

After long deliberation HQ has come up with an improved strategy (Plan "Popamole")​

3. Turn 1 - 11 - From Crisis to Crisis

1863, Late August​

Thanks to Operation Popamole in the West, and a series of relatively easy victories in the East, The Confederacy survived for 11 epic turns, and may be on the path to victory already.​

In the West, the situation seems to be turning in our favor, and a deperately fighting Confederate force (without food) have managed to trap and subsequently destroy an army under Ambrose P. Burnside.​

But while they now get their first chance to rest in many turns, a huge army under Grant and Sherman is wandering about in the south, threatening to deal the Army of Mississipi their first crushing defeat.​

In the North, the situation is unclear with an assault on our yet uncompleted Blobert-Defense-Line in the next turns.​

In Arkansas things are hanging on a thread, while a new Confederate army in Texas goes on the offensive.​

If you're interested you can try and take over my savegame (turn 11, late Aug. 1863): download savegame​

The general force organization will be much better than when it began, and the situation is still undecided. Needs the latest offical patch (1.16), which is by the way, really good.​

 

[Morkar Left]

Definitely interested. I bought the game but hadn't really the time to go further than the tutorial. And of course CSA, the North would be boring. Alternate history for the win!

 

[XenomorphII]

Will be watching this. I have this, but suck very much at it.

 

[Gondolin]

Looks interesting.

 

[Morkar Left]

Great!

Maybe you could use some markings for the map to show the current borders and important places. For army movements you could simply draw some red pointers on the map.

 

[Burning Bridges]

-- 1863 Campaign --

Ok, I've scratched Operation Butthurt '62. While it looks absolutely feasible, I have rather decided for the 1863 campaign, which is much harder for the South, and will provide much more challenge.

The situation in 1863 is more complex (much more so than 1862), and I will first give an overview, before I try to formulate a plan that could get us out of this misery.

Grants offensive of 1862 in the West has opened up a whole bunch of crises, and after the first inspection it looks like the war is already lost. But it could be very interesting to try and find a strategy to get out of this mess and regain the initiative, achieve a miraculous recovery in the West, and then, dream of an Endsieg till 1866 (the definite end of the game).

Let's start with the Western theatre, where the situation is extremely critical.

 

[Burning Bridges]

-- 1863 - Situation in the West --

1. The South - Louisiana and the Mississipi

After Benjamin Butler's landing in New Orleans, the town and the surrounding Mississipi Delta, is lost for the Confederacy.

At the same time, the major offensive by U.S. Grant from the North (which already reached Vicksburg) threatens to cut the Confederacy in two, right along the Mississipi.

Currently there are two confederate forces remaining along the Mississipi, one in the north, in Vicksburg (1) and another one a bit south, near Baton Rouge (2).

They hold one major strategic objective (Vicksburg), and a narrow strip of eastern bank, blocking Union control of the Mississipi.

At the moment Vicksburg (1) is still connected by a railway line, and no sacrifice must be spared to secure that lifeline.

The situation is extremely precarious, and currently only our control of Vicksburg stands in the way of total Union victory in the West.





_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Situation on the North sector - Tennessee and Mississipi

The Confederate front in western Tenessee and northern Mississipi has - in a word - broken down completely.

The Union controls Memphis (1) (the most important city on the Mississipi), and Corinth (2), cutting the only continuous East West railway line of the Confederacy.

Currently there is a huge gap between the Mississipi and Braggs Army of Tennessee (3) (on the far right, somewhat south of Nashville). There is nothing left that could offer resistance in front of the Union armies in Memphis and Corinth (2), a very disheartening situation. Our only hope is that the Union Army will need some time to consolidate their victories, and give us the time we need to build a completely new army in Alabama, to protect our center.





____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Arkansas and Indian Territory

After the complete loss of Missouri, there seems very little we can do on this front.

The only thing we can do is to use the terrain to our advantage and hold as much ground as possible, while diverting as much of our forces for the support of Vicksburg.





____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Texas

While the situation in Lousiana, Tennessee and Mississipi seems hopeless, Texas is still fully in our control, and could be used as a deployment zone for another new army, which could then strike eastwards to support Vicksburg. A major problem is the lack of any railway lines in the area, but could we perhaps make up for this by investing in additonal riverine transport?

 

[Gondolin]

near Baron Rouge.

Must be von Richthofen's French-American ancestors.

 

[Burning Bridges]

-- Plan Anusconda - Part 1 - The Wunder in the West? --

Here is the first draft for the (by far) most critical part of the upcoming operation in the West, the defense of Mississippi and Vicksburg. Compared to closing the Mississipi Gap, ALL other theatres will be of subordinate importance.

While the starting situation appears almost hopeless, if we could hold Vicksburg and the connection between the remaining armies on the Mississipi and the rest of the Confederacy, the Mississipi will not be lost.

Our strategic plan therefore is to prevent a (threatening) major collapse of the whole Western theatre, until we can counter attack from a new, coherent front.

The means to achieve this plan is to:

1. make all out efforts to create new armies in Alabama (1) and Texas (5), which are to provide the backbone of a new Western front
2. concentrate the Mississipi operation on the rail lines connection from Vicksburg to the East (main rail lines indicated in grey). In he short term this operation must defend the supply line to Vicksburg (2, 3), so Vicksburg can be held, and in the long term, re-establish the strategically important connection via Corinth (4), currently union-controlled. Only with control of these rail lines can we win back the initiative in the West.

The immediate plan will be to build a new, large force in Mobile, Alabama (1) and let it strike it northwards along the remaining railroad line to Meridian (2). The forces in "Festung Vicksburg" (3) must try to hold out, until the Alabama force can relieve them. An additional force will be created in Texas, and provide further support to the operation, from the West (5).

If possible, the Army of the Tennessee will push from the East (4) toward Corinth and try to re-establish the old rail network between the East and the West.

Long term prospect

Immediately faced with a most critical situation in the West, the threat of losing Vicksburg and the whole Mississipi, it will take a long time to regain the initiative and defeat the Yankee scum. But if the Anusconda plan should succeed, there is a realistic chance to cut off and destroy the forces uf U.S. Grant in Vicksburg, as well as the whole US army in Louisiana, and then, launch a major counter offensive through friendly country , northwards to Memphis and later to the Mississipi confluent.

By no means will this be an easy operation. Until new armies and the new weapons arrive, the numerical strength will be greatly to our disadvantage. But on the other hand, the theatre of operation provides flat terrain, interior supply lines and support from the population, which is all to our advantage. Even if the plan fails, it could still give us time to fall back to our rear and establish a strong natural defense line on the border between Mississipi/Tennesse and Alabama/Georgia, and try to hold it until the war ends.

 

[Burning Bridges]

-- Plan Anusconda - Part 2 - Butthurt in the East --

The Situation in Virginia and North Carolina

We see the situation here as the least critical, and will stay on a defensive strategy until the Union armies in the West and in Carolina and Florida have been defeated. We will we let Hooker (1) attack on our strong defenses in Fredericksburg (1, held by General Lee and the Army of Virginia), try to inflict as many casualties as possible there, and let them keep the swampy, mosquito ridden ground they have in Norfolk (2), hoping their men die of disease.

But we may try attack their new operation from Beaufort, in the Southeast (3), because we could inflict major casualties there - perhaps we may even capture and destroy a whole army.

In general. the focus in the East is on inflicting major defensive victories on the overstretched enemy forces, thereby capturing large amounts of equipment and gaining National morale points.




__________________________________________________________________________________________

The Southeast - South Carolina, Georgia, Florida

The despicable Yanks have launched amphibious landings along our vulnerable southeastern coast, which create serious problems for us. The plan is to destroy the forces between Charleston and Savannah (1), while a small detachment will hold Florida (2). In the second stage reinforcements will move south and destroy the union force in Florida. In the third stage the force will move northwards and support the Army of Virginia.

But before that can happen, we must first rescue our collapsing front in the West, and until then, the forces in the Southeast will have to follow a defensive strategy, just like in Virginia

 

[Burning Bridges]

I will leave this open for a while, so you can make suggestions, if this is really a viable strategic plan.

 

[Running Fox]

Ah, "Bigger stack wins - The Game".
Suggestions? Collect all your stacks into one with fitting generals and go after the AI one by one. Ze final solution.

 

[Luzur]

Ah, "Bigger stack wins - The Game".
Suggestions? Collect all your stacks into one with fitting generals and go after the AI one by one. Ze final solution.

usually that means the enemy running around your big stack with smaller units and taking shit while you run after them all over the place.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Someone still believes in the George McClellan doctrine, eh? It's not like there were not many advocates of superstacks during the real war, and it almost cost the Union the certain victory.

A superstack-strategy can indeed work against the AI, but only if you are on the defense, have extremely short front lines and absolute control of the Hinterland.

It works to some extent in the 1861 theatre, although even there you have the other theatres like Missouri, where only small forces are possible. But it would not work at all with the fractured landscape in the 1863 theatre.

There are a dozen of individual crises, separated by large distances. There are over a hundred towns, and ca. twenty strategic objectives. National Morale points? If the opponent moves a superstack, I could conquer the remaining objectives and win a morale victory easily. If you only push superstacks, you win battles, but lose the war.

Even if you can push a superstack, you don't only take objectives, you must also protect them. And there is supply in the equation. If the opponent moves a superstack, I would simply use smaller forces behind him and mop up the towns along his supply chain, destroy his railway lines with cavalry. Result: the superstack ends up in a cauldron, dies of attrition. The AI sometimes really made this mistake in earlier versions of AGE, but is normally much more clever than that.

There is also the question where the required command points for such huge armies should come from. You have only 2-3 army HQs and that determines the maximum number of superstacks you can have. Any superstack without a HQ and proper chain of command will face a disaster. Any army stack with more than ~100,000 men will have severe command point penalties, and cannot be supplied from any single town / depot except New York and some east coast capitals, and will face a disaster, too. A big one.

What you instead always end up with is 2-3 HQs plus ~3 Corps each, and some independent brigades / divisions, plus many small militia units, some independent cavalry, some bushwackers, some indians, and that's how it worked in real life.

Finally, the larger stack does not automatically win. A well generaled stack, with all tactical advantages can easily defeat a force of over 2 times the size, which is again, how it worked in real life.

The superstack has not only many disadvantanges, but there also exists a perfect counter-strategy: the micro stack strategy. If you attack me with two superstacks, I win the war easily with 200 micro stacks. In reality, the best strategy is to find the best mix of stack sizes, while maximizing the overall stack efficiency and strategic initiative.

If that is still too simplistic to you, then you could say this game is too primitive for you, and opt for more challenging games.

But with that said I would be glad if you don't turn this into a major discussion of AACW, because this is an LP, and the circlejerk should be done in a separate thread. Thank you very much, Spamming Fox.

 

[Morkar Left]

If that is still too simplistic to you, then you could say this game is too primitive for you, and opt for more challenging games.

:D

This game isn't your typical civilization strategy game but one of the most complex ones you can get.

I'm curious how the strategy turns out. Sounds valid but risky and hoping for the best. On the other side I don't know what else you could do. Directly rushing to Washington isn't viable at the moment I suppose? What about ships to secure the suply chains?
And in general is diplomatic help from europe a viable strategy?

 

[Burning Bridges]

Depends what you mean by risky. Since we are in 1863, the war is practically lost (Lee's Ghettysburg campaign was already a desperate action), so I am not risking anything. If I let the Yanks have the initiative I would be guaranteed to lose the war.

Diplomatic help is not an option. Currently foreign intervention is at 10, and it must be at 100 before England enters the war (?), so it is too late to invest in diplomatic options.

Ships are not available, the CSA is practically without a navy. A first headcount returns: 3 warships, 3 blockade runners, 4 gunboats

No, rushing to Washington is not an option, because the Conferates are outnumbered on all fronts. In the East, where Lee's powerful Army of Virginia is currently dug in strong defensive positions, we can simply follow a WW1 trench warfare until the situation on the Western front has stabilized.

The situation is such that if the enemy is not quickly checked in the West, the states of Lousiana and Missouri will be lost for good, Mississippi and Tennessee will fall next, and Alabama and Georgia will be invaded (as in Shermans Atlanta operation). This would mean the Confederacy is effectively halved. The anusconda strategy will try to hold Mississippi and Tennessee, recapture Louisiana. The first stage is stabilizing the supply line from the East to the Mississipi, and try to cut off and destroy Grants army before Vicksburg.

Of course one could theoretically start offensives in all theatres, but there are only so much resources (railway capacity, replacements, etc).

If you don't get a picture yet, here is a map that's supposed to give an overview. It shows all planned operations for the next months, beginning with a small counter offensive from Alabama.

1 Vicksburg (besieged by Grant)
2 Army of Virginia (Lee <- Hooker)
3 Savannah (currently under threat)

light blue - Mississipi (and Missouri) river

 

[Burning Bridges]

Preparations and planning took a lot of time. I'm mostly done now, and ready to roll the first turns. Will try to give an overview soon.

Summary of the first turn preparations:

Drafts:

The Confedercy is already bled dry after two years, and I can get no more than 500 additional conscription points.

Financials:

I selected the most extreme financial options, even though this will result in 4% additional inflation o_O
But it will give me 1.2 million $ extra, and I need as much as I can get for the new armies.

The money and conscription points we raise, will arrive next turn.

But from the available points I can already order 4 small brigades of light infantry in Alabama, altogether ca 5.000 men.

The rest is used for the most essential replacements.

Changes of command

Wheeler is transferred to Mobile, where he will take command of the new Alabama Corps. I must admit that currently this "Corps" exists only on paper , and he must make do with some 4.500 men that could be quickly scraped together. But with 5.000 more already coming in three turns, and another (estimated) 30.000 in four turns, the situation will improve.

From Mobile, Wheeler takes his small force and instantly goes on the move to Meridian, to protect the rail line from an expected assault.

J.E. Johnston relieves Pemberton as Commander of the Army of the West, which is facing Grant.

Gardners force is turned into a new Corps in Johnstons Army, and he also receives E.K. Smith as Division commander. With this, the severe command penalty of Gardners stack is history.

The force must hold up against a link up of Grant with Louisiana, while Johnsons main army defends Vicksburg itself.

J. Wharton becomes the new commander of Wheelers Cavalry Division and instantly moves in the direction of Corinth, as an advance party for the rest of the Tennessee Army. This could be a bit risky, because of the cold weather, but if he succeeds, we could gain a lot of time. I also sent several detached cavalry units northwards, to try and cut railway lines in the Unions rear.

Jeb Stuart becomes new commander of Lee's 3rd Corps (20.000 men). Lee's other two Corps (of course) remain under their original commanders: Thomas Jackson (35.000 men, Fredricksburg), and James Longstreet (20.000 men, south of Petersburg)

 

[Monty]

This looks interesting, will be following.

Your strategy makes sense as you're faced with a superior force, inevitably their weak points will be supply lines and logistics following their conquests. And if they succeed in cutting the Confederacy in two it will be almost impossible to recover.

 

[Burning Bridges]

In the long run, yes. But the presented strategy concentrates on rescuing my own supply lines, and denying the Union control of the Mississipi. Because the big river is like a huge fucking Autobahn from St.Louis in the far North, all the way to New Orleans.#

The planned strategy is a bit comparable to the Red Army in 1942, where I try to win many tactical victories, and hope to cut off and destroy a complete enemy army.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Not much happened in the first turn.

We collected all money and conscription points we could get (1400 money, 600 consc.), and can now invest in the planned new armies in Texas, Alabama, Georgia.

Perhaps there will be also some left to build reinforcements int Virginia and Carolina. But successful allotment of the new recruits will be crucial, because it will be ca. 8 turns before we can get substantial new points - we will have only this one chance.

Mississipi: The expected push into our defensive gap has begun.

In the south, Wheeler has taken his position in meridian, while Wharton from the East took control of Tuscumbia. Faced with a whole fucking Union army in front, he appears too vulnerable in this forward defensive position, and I must find a way to send him reinforcements from the East.

South Carolina: Quick reinforcements I have sent to Savannah have already paid off, and the invasion army has retreated. Although not a shot was fired, this could be seen as a strategic victory for us, for we now gained additional time to form the armies in the Carolinas.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Further evaluation has shown two new, major problems. The Army of Tennessee, which was planned to strike Westward towards Corinth, and link up with the Army of the Mississipi, is already running out of supply, with no depot in immediate range.

An all out offensive without preparation would be possible but at a high risk of being cut off. I therefore may have tto decide moving the army back to Chattanooga and Atlanta, because if the army is already unsupplied at the beginning of an operation, there is no fucking way it can succeed.

Unfortunately, this would mean the planned immediate counter attack must be postponed, until my preparations have taken effect, in order to preserve our only remaining army on the North flank.

If the Union should strike in a southeast direction, there would be a good chance we can cut them off later.

But in the mean time, what would become of Johnston in Vicksburg?

In the South, a second problem is at least brewing up. The Union appears to be planning to break out of Louisiana, and link up with Grants armies, at all cost.

This could work in our favor, if we could cut them off. The AI appears to play it very aggressively, and the next turns must be executed with extreme care. If we suffer just one major defeat, Vicksburg may be lost, and with it the whole state of Mississipi. I am currently evaluating my options for the best counter strategy.

 

[Burning Bridges]

I slowly begin see the cards that I have been dealt in the West. I have to face four fucking Union armies with only two of my own!



Johnstons Army of the Mississipi (1) must hold Vicksburg against simulateous threats from the North and South, while Braggs Army of Tennessee (2) must temporarily retreat from central Tennessee because they have insufficient supply o_O

Could I go for a drastic strategy? For example: give up Vicksburg and move Johnston (1) towards southern Mississipi, while Bragg (2) links up with him in Mississipi for a major showdown? That would deliberately leave the front open for a disconnected Union thrust into Georgia, but it could be checked by one of our Eastern armies. Or can I fight a retreating campaign until I have built sufficent reinforcements and installed better commanders?

I estimate that in ca 5 turns, I could bring in another 40.000 men from Alabama, Georgia and from Texas, if I were to put all operations on the other fronts completely to a halt. This would in turn mean we could reduce the numerical strength in the West to just 3:4, while I now estimate it is 2:4

The original Anusconda plan may become impossible, because I could have underestimated the strength, and the aggressiveness of the AI.

Ideas? The game is still young and we have a lot of options. So far, nothing bad has happened yet.

 

[kazgar]

Not sure of numbers or abilities, but could you send force 1 south to push out the force in Louisiana? While it means losing Vicksberg, you wouldstill keep a east/west link available, as well as coastal access. Then head north again once the reinforcements from Texas and Alabama arrive? Force 2 would be trying to defend in Alabama and Georgia.

While a risk, may be less of a risk then being caught in pincer while trying to hold a town.

(just based on that last overview map, may not factor in a lot of stuff)

 

[Burning Bridges]

Yes this is a sound idea, one could try to break out and push towards Louisiana.

However, the reason I think it would not work is that, for a Louisiana offense one has to have control of Vicksburg, because it is the ideal place to cut the supply line to Louisiana. So we turn in circles.

Giving up Vicksburg would als mean giving up very nice defenses (including heavy naval guns).

If you add the defensible terrain around New Orleans, supply problems of our own, and free supply for the Union via Vicksburg and the Mississipi, it would probably make matters worse, not better.

But thanks, I have considered this option, as well as an outbreak towards Texas, and shelved ideas both in favor of what I think is the better plan.

 

[Burning Bridges]

-- Plan Popamole - reinforcing the Mississipi from the Army of Tennessee --

The new plan which I finally decided for, is to put the Army of Tenessee behind a strong defensive line, so I can reduce it in size, send the rest as reinforcements to the Missisippi, piecemeal, but without any risk.

As you can see, the bulk of this plan is to entrench behind a new, impenetrable "Skyway Line", which we hope could hold the northern front with just 27.000 men, and still be supplied from the East (it also keeps the end of the railway line from Virginia, and denies the Union control of the line from Nashville in the North).

According to plan Popamole, the inital 40.000 men will then be split into 4 forces:

Bragg (1) 7.000 march to Chatanooga as reserves and supply base
Polk (2) 8.000 by rail to Decatur and entrench in the mountains / behind the river
Hardee (3) march to Stevenson and entrench in the mountains
and
Breckinridge (4) will move with the remaining 13.000 by railway to Mississipi

The evacuation of Breckinridges force will use all our available the rail points, and take ca 2 turns. CSA rail transport is extremely limited, but this move will add almost a Corps strength to the defense of Mississipi (in addition to another 40,000 that I hope to raise by new recruitment).

Here a quick estimation of the impact of Plan Popamole:

Army of Mississipi

currently: ~50,000
Breckinridge: + 13,000
Recruitment: + 40,000

As you can see this plan could double the strength of the Army of Mississipi to ca 100,000 men, in ca 5-6 turns

The plan currently does not even factor in reinforcements from other theatres. For example I still keep Whartons cavalry (10,000) as a reserve.

The plan relies on the idea that the northern front can be defended just with the remaining Army of Tennnesse, ca 27,000 strong. The risk appears to be calculable, for even if the Skyway line breaks, we could slowly fall back to the mountains.