Amphibious Attacks

From the legendary team at 2 by 3 Games comes a new grand strategy masterpiece: Gary Grigsby’s War Between the States. Taking gamers back to the American Civil War, this innovative grand strategy game allows players to experience the trials and tribulations of the role of commander-in-chief for either side. Historically accurate, detailed and finely balanced for realistic gameplay, War Between the States is also easy to play and does not take months to finish.

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jscott991
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Amphibious Attacks

Post by jscott991 »

Edit: The naval tutorial is broken, but the video tutorial helped me figure this out.

I still need to figure out why I'm such a terrible Union commander (my political points just keep dropping). I think I'm launching about every attack I can, but I must be hindered by the fact that Halleck and Scott both died, so I have no theater commanders.
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Treefrog
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Union PPs

Post by Treefrog »

The Union loses 27PPs for every month the war continues, offset by the political rating of your two TC and four AC.
Scott typically dies in 1862; Halleck's death is an anomaly. The first step to victory is actually having 2 TC and 4 AC, this isn't always possible. Fill those positions. Butler is actually a tolerably good TC for the Union. As I recall, TC initiative is determined by multiplying the rank (number of stars divided by 4) by the CR (current number divided by 20) by the administrative capability (number divided by 6). Early war any Union TC with a 40% chance of initiative is just dandy.
Try to have the Eastern TC in Washington City, that way the bonus added is 5; try to have the Western TC in a city that adds a bonus of 4 and is within 6 regions of the region/regions you are using for the base for your attackers. Build a factory in Cairo on turn 1 so it will be available later to "support" operations in the Mississippi Valley and Middle Tennessee.

Initiative is critical to the game; note that weather affects the chance of a leader gaining initiative. Reread those rules; they will be more understandale now that you've played the game a bit. The whole point of having a TC is adding initiative to your ACs and independent commanders.

This game system is unlike most others: initiative and good leadership are critical. IN most games, the player provides those qualities; in GGWBTS the player must master the rules that govern those concepts. Your success depends upon developing good leaders through success in battle and training. This is absolutely critical. Initiative is tricky, sometimes it just doesn't come and a force can sit for 6 months and not move (the Rosecrans Syndrome).

In 1862 the Union is ineffective on land so their PPs will stay at around 950 to 1000. The key is to have enough PPs that should you obtain a strategic victory (which adds 20 pps plus the region you capture) you can declare the Emancipation Proclamation your next turn (after you lose the 27 pps mentioned in first paragraph).

Those are some general thoughts. Have fun.
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
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jscott991
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RE: Union PPs

Post by jscott991 »

I can't keep the Union anywhere near 950 or 1000.

After Scott dies, should I make McClellan a theater commander? Move Halleck east and make Grant a theater commander?

I can't figure out how valuable theater commanders are versus Army commanders. I know that a 2 star theater commander isn't going to trigger initiative nearly as often as a 3 star so that means that my only real theater commander options are Halleck, McClellan, and Grant.

I hadn't really considered using Butler.
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Treefrog
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RE: Union PPs

Post by Treefrog »

ORIGINAL: jscott991

I can't keep the Union anywhere near 950 or 1000.

After Scott dies, should I make McClellan a theater commander? Move Halleck east and make Grant a theater commander?

I can't figure out how valuable theater commanders are versus Army commanders. I know that a 2 star theater commander isn't going to trigger initiative nearly as often as a 3 star so that means that my only real theater commander options are Halleck, McClellan, and Grant.

I hadn't really considered using Butler.

IMHO you need your best candidates at AC; these are the guys that gain initiative and pass it on to your troops.
The formula at page 76 suggests that the multipliers are modified attack rating plus the "home"/depot plus the help from the TC (range one to 5) divided by the denominator, which itself varies by year and season.

Attack rating: speaks for itself and you have few with "3" when the game starts beyond Lyons, so early war efforts may need maximize his use (remember, he died in the war). Grant is at "4", but not enough CR to be an AC. He exemplifies what you need to do: groom leaders with combat and training successes so their CR increases. He gets an automatic promotion too, which helps.

The "home"/depot factor is basically this for the Union: they had better not be on "home" territory. Union focuses on depots. If, after CSA cavalry raids, you still have a depot with 20 supply during your initiative phase, that will add "5". if you have a second full depot, that will add "1" more for a maximum of 6. You must, must, must build depots to the skies. On the Ohio, CSA cavalry can't reach them, so you can get initiative to capture Kentucky. In the EAst, your depots will be savaged.

TC "help" is based on the TC getting initiative, discussed in previous post.

After the manual was written "time" was added and is discussed in the errata. Depending on the year a newly arrived AC will have either -2 or -1 factored to initiative. This increases +1 each month. The rule promotes inactivity on a Rosecrans Syndrome scale.

An available tactic is to occupy a region and build 2 to 4 depots immediately. If you gain initiative notwithstanding the "time" rule, you may get to advance and capture the next region. If not, you at least know that your chances improve each turn.

Grant should always be an AC, never a TC. Halleck is fine for TC but not McClellan because of that "3" infantry modifier for movement and getting troops committed. Basically Union leadership is poor until mid 1862 so develop a strategy to cope with it. An option is to put your "A" team of TC and 2 AC in one theatre and do the best you can.

Without knowing the particulars I have no suggestions on why your PPs are so low. Are you playing the AI or pbem?
Consider promoting "political" generals with a "4" rating early on. Fremont is a slug, but DC loves him. Butler is not much better, but is likewise a 4. Banks is well liked too. Consider a cost benefit analysis of those generals; how long do you need to keep them before the benefit exceeds the opportunity cost of having them in command and the PP cost of removing them.

Presumably you invaded Kentucky, lost some PPs and gained some more. Seize the offshore islands to help the blockade and gain 2 pps each. Well, these are all pretty obvious. Good luck as you develop.



Groom your other candidates. Pope is good. In my current game he led small armies and gained many training successes. Now he is 3 stars and a CR of 24 and led the advance from Murfeesboro through Atlanta to South Carolina.
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
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Treefrog
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RE: Amphibious Attacks

Post by Treefrog »

Actually, Banks not so popular ( you know, Mass governors and all, never popular), but Rosecrans at 3 and Burnside (3 or 4) are good early war choices for AC/TC if otherwise eligible.
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
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Chuske
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RE: Amphibious Attacks

Post by Chuske »

ORIGINAL: jscott991

Edit: The naval tutorial is broken, but the video tutorial helped me figure this out.

I still need to figure out why I'm such a terrible Union commander (my political points just keep dropping). I think I'm launching about every attack I can, but I must be hindered by the fact that Halleck and Scott both died, so I have no theater commanders.


Take a look at the beginners thread I wrote

tm.asp?m=3008162

This should help you calculate your Political points, also listen to wisdom of Treefrog!
The user formerly known as jonboym

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Treefrog
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RE: Amphibious Attacks

Post by Treefrog »

Jonboym's posting is very helpful in understanding all the various elements of PPs. A worthy read.
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
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jscott991
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RE: Amphibious Attacks

Post by jscott991 »

I've read it several times actually.

Because of the theater commander and initiative issue, I just can't keep up with the PP drain from drafts, particularly through early 1862. It is very, very difficult to keep the Union army in the west or east moving. I've done a lot more amphibious attacks in my current game, taking New Bern, Jacksonville, Fort St. Philip, and all the islands, but the problem is that I bog down in Kentucky because of initiative and in the east because I can only get about 60k of my 120k Army of the Potomac into any given battle. So I just steadily bleed PP because of the 150 PP you spend on drafts through January 1862.
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Treefrog
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Kentucky

Post by Treefrog »

imho the following may be helpful in keeping us pps relatively high through mid 1862:

1. Attack turn one at Manassas with 21 or less units, including naval (avoids a pp loss).
2. Avoid any strategic losses (-10 pps)
3. Create a tc/ac leadership team that maximizes pps per turn while having some ability to generate ac initiative.
4. Avoid pp loss to the pirates.
5. Because you have identified Kentucky as a major challenge, formulate an operational plan to occupy the crossings asap.
One method is to place as many leaders as possible at the crossings with ACs and allow the law of large numbers to generate one or more leaders with initiative, even if he only has one brigade. A couple of these brigades can cross and win the battle as the csa does not get to react. During the econ phase you can combine them into one formation. Remember, cavalry always move three so have a cavalry at each crossing point in case a general there does not get initiative.
Although there is no overrun, there is an opportunity to occupy the crossings during the movement and post movement combat phase and use your officer's to build a fort before the csa counterattack. Then combine all the troops that didn't cross into your own reaction force; if the csa attacks your bridgeheads you can move your reaction force in to help.
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
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