How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

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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Harvey Birdman
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How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by Harvey Birdman »

Emancipation Proclamation (EP) and Black Recruitment (BR)
A huge reason for the keeping Union political points above 1000 is to declare the EP. A Union strategic victory is needed in order to do so. This will add 100 political points to the Confederacy, however it gives the Union an ever flowing of new recruits once the Union declares Black Recruitment. Black recruits will not only activate in the North but in captured Southern regions as well. The EP also raises the cost for Confederate commerce raiders from 30 to 45 supply points. Starting BP too early, before regions in the south that have black population have been captured may not yield many new recruits. Due to the political cost of black recruitment, a new draft may be a better choice.


I'm just getting arround to playing the union vs ai. I've read Jamian's and kwhiteheads post's on the union overrun strategy.

Is a Union strategic victory/EP & the resulting BR manpower militia creation neccessary for eventual union victory. Does a southern strategy of denying the union a strategic victory and BR militia cause the union offensive to run out of steam ie garrison requirements.

Has anyone played as the union vs ai or human and won without a strategic victory. Or as the south doing this?

Thinking about it some more... ...the only place the south risks a strategic defeat is at fort 2 Richmond or any other fort 2 region.
Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are as inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away but to return once more. Sun Tzu
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Capt Cliff
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RE: How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by Capt Cliff »

I got a stragetic victory as the union by taking Fredricksburg! It was a close run thing, Hooker vs. Joe Johnston. So strategic victories do happen else where.
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tran505
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RE: How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by tran505 »


From what I have seen, the North either gets the EP or loses.

It is not the end of the game if you do not get it by the end of '62, but it is a sign that things are not going well. The Union runs out of steam by the end of the '63 campaign season without BR starting. Of course, all this means is yes, the South is competitive, and can win this game.

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Harvey Birdman
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RE: How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by Harvey Birdman »

Strategic Victory - Strategic Victory – A battle in a land region in which the number of combat units from the losing side is at least between 20 and 30, determined through a die roll.

Been thinking I about my question some more. The south ends it's movement phase with 20 or less units in a region and never moves above 20 units into a region during the reaction phase unless 100% certain of victory. It also implies attacking with 20 units max as well so the North can react in enough troops to win, but not get the strategic victory.

The strategy revolves arround denying the north a strategic victory so they can't declare ep and have access to black population pools/milita.

Your hoping that union garrison requirements eventually halt the union steamroller. Trade space for time and eventualyl get 3 pp's/turn for non EP declaration.

Lookin g at page 143 of the manual (14.0 Partisans and Garrison Requirements) The image shows 0/1 garrison sufficent to control partisans and 6/0 Lack of garrison results in partisan build up and attacks.

The number on the left is the number of partisans. What's the number on the right?

Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are as inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away but to return once more. Sun Tzu
tran505
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RE: How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by tran505 »

Harvey:

I dunno.... I think you would not only loose a lot of space, but a lot of guys if you never defend with more than 19 guys. Once the numbers get too one-sided, the combat results can get brutal. You may also be inviting Grant to move East a lot sooner than he may otherwise do. Pope will do just fine in the West if he's facing less than 40,000 guys in a defending army.

I think the CSA does better with the opposite strategy -- be big in '62 and stick the US with as many strategic losses as you can. Deny him points and he will also not be able to do the EP; and you will be in a much stronger CS position with the territory you control.


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Harvey Birdman
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RE: How important is EP and BR to Union victory?

Post by Harvey Birdman »

Harvey:

I dunno.... I think you would not only loose a lot of space, but a lot of guys if you never defend with more than 19 guys. Once the numbers get too one-sided, the combat results can get brutal. You may also be inviting Grant to move East a lot sooner than he may otherwise do. Pope will do just fine in the West if he's facing less than 40,000 guys in a defending army.

I think the CSA does better with the opposite strategy -- be big in '62 and stick the US with as many strategic losses as you can. Deny him points and he will also not be able to do the EP; and you will be in a much stronger CS position with the territory you control.

I get what your saying, the south doesn't have to worry about strategic defeats in 61 or 62 because EP could screw up the North's 62 draft.
Emancipation Proclamation (EP) and Black Recruitment (BR)
A huge reason for the keeping Union political points above 1000 is to declare the EP. A Union strategic victory is needed in order to do so. This will add 100 political points to the Confederacy, however it gives the Union an ever flowing of new recruits once the Union declares Black Recruitment. Black recruits will not only activate in the North but in captured Southern regions as well. The EP also raises the cost for Confederate commerce raiders from 30 to 45 supply points. Starting BP too early, before regions in the south that have black population have been captured may not yield many new recruits. Due to the political cost of black recruitment, a new draft may be a better choice.

One thing I overlooked the north has to declare EP the same turn as a strategic victory or otherwise they have to wait for another strategic victory.
Tip: Remembmber that the Emancipation Proclamation will only be available for selectction during the Union Movement Phase after a strategic victctory has occccurred (either in the Confederate combmbat phase of the previous turn or the Union combmbat phase of the turn you are in). If you end the Movement Phase without selectcting the EPEP, you will have to wait for another strategic victctory in another turn. Make sure that any decision to not declare the EPEP is a conscious decision.
Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are as inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away but to return once more. Sun Tzu
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