CSA Western Theater Commander

[elmo3]

Who are people appointing? Albert Johnston in Nashville looks like a good candidate but then you have no AC out West. Do you then move Beauregard or Joe Johnston to the West? Do you make Joe Johnston the TC and leave Albert to be the AC? Or this there another alternative I'm missing? Thanks.

[Frido1207]

Good question. I also promoted A. Johnston to TC and Polk to AC. [8|]
Polk with Att 2 will not have initiative often, but with his Def 3, I hope he can help to stop the Union invasion in the West.
(Side Note: imo there is not only a lack of good leaders in the west, but also there are too few troops. Kentucky just joined the Confed, & i´m now faced with a long front & almost no troops to cover it.)

[elmo3]

Polk has a -1 army modifier. Kirby Smith might be a better choice for an AC if you are going to promote someone who is on-map at the start.

Edit - Bah, Smith only has 10 command points at the start so he can't get promoted.

[elmo3]

Anyone use Twiggs as an AC out West? His 0 army modifier probably makes him as good or better than Polk.

[PyleDriver]

I have until Lee comes in, just to get his pp's. He dies most of the and doesn't cost to dissmiss. I never put him action, his 1 on defence is jus too poor,

[8D]
Jon

[elmo3]

OK, thanks. That makes sense.

Edit - I was debating whether to wait for L. Mansfiled out West but went with Twiggs for now.

[mikeCK]

Don't forget Bragg down near the FLA panhandle. He has an excellent attack rating of 4 and an ITR of 4 to train gobs of infantry. He makes a great AC if you can promote him up....at least initially.

[elmo3]

Bragg has a 3 attack rating, but you are correct he is very good at training troops. I promoted Mansfield, then realized he has a -1 army modifier. [8|] Bragg is probably the best choice early in the game.

[PyleDriver]

Van Dorn guys, yes he's a good Cav leader, but Bragg getting hurt in the front ,will lame you...

[8D]
Jon

[GShock]

AS Johnston as TC, Polk & Twiggs Western AC. Braggs and Van Dorn are also good candidates but in my case, all depends on the stats (semi-historical is my default).

Twiggs/Bragg are good to counter FL/LA invasions and Polk seems the legit candidate for Humbolt but the choice depends on the ratings.

[elmo3]

I thought about Van Dorn but you can't attach cavalry to him if he is an AC and he is a very good cavalry leader.

[mikeCK]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

I thought about Van Dorn but you can't attach cavalry to him if he is an AC and he is a very good cavalry leader.

Agreed. I use Van Dorn with two attached cavalry units and one mounted. He is playing havoc on the union armies when he has initiative. Cavalry units are too rare to use as AC's in my opinion

[PyleDriver]

Hampton and others comes in soon, and Van Dorn's attack factor makes him a great hidden AC to hit and run. I sprung him on Joel and Rafael, it works great, just keep him hidden. If the Union knows he's somewhere he will have to spread out forces everywhere. Thats worth more than a cav raid...

[8D]
Jon

[WarHunter]

PBEM 1861 start, Options: Random Ratings, FOW.

At the start of the game the CSA, decided it had enough leadership in place to resist the planned invasion of the USA.

Leaving Beauregard & Cooper in the East, Albert & Joseph were tasked to keep an eye on the West. Though it was a tough winter with yankee's invading at all points of the compass.
The four studs of the Rebel cause held where they needed to.

Those early months brought Leonidas (Spartan) Polk, seen as a lion among his peers; an early promotion for command in the west.

In Feb of 1862 Robert E. Lee arrived in Richmond to take command in Richmond. While Cooper, after doing great feats of administration, was sent to Atlanta GA.[>:]

(This is the current Leadership of the CSA as of 1862 Aug. Seems to be holding its own, so far.)

If the fates should strike down one of the chosen few. Jackson, Bragg and Lovell are, sure to advance in rank to carry on the struggle.

(Using the random ratings option makes the game a what if wonderland.)[&o]

I also thought about promoting Van Dorn, but he is such a stud as he is.

(Seemed like a good thread to post on about my latest leadership choices. I'm sure they will change as the game is played more.)

[mikeCK]

I just promoted Bragg to Theater Com in the west. I figured that he has a 4 admin rating 9better than most out there with 3) and an ITR of 4. I keep him in Nashville well stocked with Militia to train. johnson is my Army commander out there. I am still having trouble with initiative though. Hardee is unable to launch a diversion into missouri because his line of command is severed with Bragg by the union gunboats! At any rate, Bragg seems to work out well and seems to usually have initiative.

[dakjck]

I promoted Van Dorn to Army Command, Albert S. to TC and brought Bea and Joe over to the West as well, leaving Lee and Cooper in the East.  Joe commands along the Mississippi, initally holed up in Memphis, and when pushed out, down to Vicksburg.  Beau held Chattanooga until being replaced by Kirby Smith.  However, Van Dorn is the darling of the hour.  He was moved through Arkansas to Springfield, MO (taken earlier by Price).  He than led the boys in gray all the way to St. Louis!  All of Missouri below the Missouri River except for Joplin, Kansas City and New Madrid is in Confederate hands.  January '63 and Van Dorn is in Madison, IL.  As they say in the Confederacy, "Lee who?"

[PDiFolco]

Where do you put a Western CSA TC ? I'm not very familiar with the geography of the area, and most high-pop places are too far, and most near places are low-pop... [&:]

[dakjck]

Van Dorn had to fend for himself.  He has a reasonable chance of gaining the initiative and then all leaders in his region have initiative.  The TC was initially in Memphis until it got too hot, then it moved to Atlanta.

[mikeCK]

Well, I got stomped in my first game so time for round 2.

This time, as of Jan 1862, I detached Stonewall Jackon, moved him out west, promoted him to 3 star ( took teh PP hit) and promoted him to AC. He has a 4 attack so he should get initiative. Johnston just wasnt getting it done. I attached Hardee and Bragg (both 2-stars) as his Corps commanders both loaded woth about 7 units (leaving about 3-5 command points. Also have a smaller force under Polk standing by. I put him in the Missouri/ Tennessee region leaving Van Dorn and the rest under AC Johnston to hold off in middle Tennesee.

I am interested to see how stonewall does with that great attack rating.

Now all I need is a good western TC.

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

I thought about Van Dorn but you can't attach cavalry to him if he is an AC and he is a very good cavalry leader.

Remember in the end, anybody can lead Cav, or Inf, not everybody can be a Good AC or TC