CSA Opening

[herwin]

In the spirit of the USA opening, here's a CSA opening. It's basically defined in terms of where leaders go, usually without attached troops. I plan on maintaining four raiders, delaying the KY invasion a bit, invading WV and Missouri, and creating and putting mounted units in a position to enter KY if the Union invades too quickly.

Holmes to Wilmington
Evans to New Bern
Cocke to Elisabeth City
Archer to Savannah
Jackson (Richmond) to Fredericksburg
Clarke to Port Royal
Whiting to New Kent
Toombs to Charleston
Johnston (Winchester) to TC in Memphis
Kirby Smith to Charleston WV
Gatlin to Jacksonville
Jordan to build a fort
Lawton to build a fort
Bragg to Mobile
Jones to Pensacola
Twiggs or Polk or both to AC
Baldwin to Fort St Phillip
Wood to Fort Jackson
Leadbetter to build a fort
Liddell to Baldwin (near Mobile)
Zollicoffer to Nashville
Brown (Vicksburg) to New Orleans
McCulloch towards Memphis
Transports move to block Union transport movement into the CSA hinterland.

Commanders without troops after their move get at least one.

Comments?

[Bo Rearguard]

Look like good transfers, especially since it moves some of the more mediorce generals from the front lines into safer coastal command positions. However, I'm curious by what you mean by move Ben McCulloch towards Memphis. Do you stop him in the Helena, Arkansas region just before crossing the Mississippi where the two militia are, or elsewhere?

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: Bo Rearguard

Look like good transfers, especially since it moves some of the more mediorce generals from the front lines into safer coastal command positions. However, I'm curious by what you mean by move Ben McCulloch towards Memphis. Do you stop him in the Helena, Arkansas region just before crossing the Mississippi where the two militia are, or elsewhere?

My eventual goal is to have him join the Army of the Mississippi near Memphis/Paducah. He can't get there in one turn, so I use him efficiently on the way. Price will be moving into southern Missouri if he can do something to prevent the state going Union. Note that this opening is against the AI.

[herwin]

My experience with this opening against the AI is that the CSA is able to delay Missouri and West Virginia's becoming Union states and is able to react to an early Union invasion of Kentucky (especially if KY goes CSA). Thereafter, it's a stubborn defence. I try to garrison coastal and border areas with leaders and cadres to lead the militia that muster in response to Union invasions.

[Bo Rearguard]

I tried most aspects of your opening in my recent game against the Union AI. Like you I've found I can keep Missiouri and West Virginia unaligned. The move of sending Kirby Smith (with two brigades) to Charleston WV has worked out particularly well. The Union AI seems loathe to take it. I eventually took Wheeling, WV in mid-1863 and now West Virginia is reunited with Virginia. [:D]  However, I imagine a human Union player would probably make a point to grab Charleston, WV on their first turn.

[Harvey Birdman]

1. Build 33 factories at the start.

Then build max ironclads(22) split the rest between supplies and art. Keep building max ironclads and the south will win on the seas and deep water Missippi. Concentrate 6 at Memphis sweep the Union from the seas starting in the Gulf of Mexico and head North. Concentrate some heavey art at Fort Dixon to clear the Tennesee and Cumbland of Union gunboats and transports.

2. Groom Lawton to be your first 6 admin TC load him up with militia and let him max train militia with his 3 inf training till he get's to 16 command then make him AC. It's a trade between optimal inf training vs optimal TC development.

By the start of the 62 summer campaigning season. He can be a 3 star 22 command 6 admin, 75%er init chance.

Jordan can be the second 3 star 19 command 6 admin 71%er init chance by the start/or during of the 63 summer campaigning season through fort building/depot building/depot destroying and some inf training using his 1 inf traing skill.

When/if you have the political points to spare promote them to 4 star and then you've got 100% and 95% chance for init out of your TC's.
Then your corps move like Stonewall Jackson in Shenandoah Valley during the reaction phase.

3. Use Jeb Stewart as your calvary trainer.

4. At the start I like using the other Johnston as TC in Memphis, because Joey's got the 3 defense as an AC. At the start I like using Van Dorn and Mansfield as AC's rather than Polk because Polk has 3 inf skill and can move inf 4 points during the reaction phase???? So i'll activate Hardee and Mansfield on turn 1 and Van Dorn on turn 2.

AC's is it better to have 4 inf 3 art skill guys during combat? At first I didn't think it meant much. And considered using calvary guys like Nathan Forest and Jeb Stewart with 2 inf/2 art skill to be better as AC's. By having watched combat results I think the 4inf/3 art skill hit chance matters.

[Chuske]

Decided to play as CSA for first time against the AI.

Wondering how this strategy of attacking WV and MI works? On the first turn I can't get any units to go with Price or Kirby Smith (no initiative), and sending a leader without units won't work to capture territory. Has the most recent patch changed this or something?

Anyone else got any tips on what strategy to employ as CSA in the first few turns?

ORIGINAL: herwin

In the spirit of the USA opening, here's a CSA opening. It's basically defined in terms of where leaders go, usually without attached troops. I plan on maintaining four raiders, delaying the KY invasion a bit, invading WV and Missouri, and creating and putting mounted units in a position to enter KY if the Union invades too quickly.

Holmes to Wilmington
Evans to New Bern
Cocke to Elisabeth City
Archer to Savannah
Jackson (Richmond) to Fredericksburg
Clarke to Port Royal
Whiting to New Kent
Toombs to Charleston
Johnston (Winchester) to TC in Memphis
Kirby Smith to Charleston WV
Gatlin to Jacksonville
Jordan to build a fort
Lawton to build a fort
Bragg to Mobile
Jones to Pensacola
Twiggs or Polk or both to AC
Baldwin to Fort St Phillip
Wood to Fort Jackson
Leadbetter to build a fort
Liddell to Baldwin (near Mobile)
Zollicoffer to Nashville
Brown (Vicksburg) to New Orleans
McCulloch towards Memphis
Transports move to block Union transport movement into the CSA hinterland.

Commanders without troops after their move get at least one.

Comments?