Partisans

[tmoilanen]

I seem to have a lot of my units tied up fighting partisans, particularly in Missouri and Kentucky. Any tips on how kill them off and free up my units for use elsewhere?

[JD Walter]

Tmo, it's been quite awhile since I last played this great game, but I remember the partisan issue well.

First, partisans are tied to the level of control you have over an area/region. To increase this, you have to park a force there. It also helps to have a unit in it with a high recon value, i.e., a Cav brigade or two, or Mounted.

IIRC, if you hit the "G" key, you will get an overlay showing the Garrison and Partisan value in each occupied province. To suppress the partisans, your force on guard duty has to contain at least the number of strength points equal to the garrison value. (This is the second of the two numbers shown; the first is the partisan value.)

You don't really fight the partisans per se; instead, you suppress them (i.e., lower their value in the province). This can take some time; it is just something you will have to plan (and budget) for as you conquer enemy areas. I found I could not afford to garrison everything (even as the North). So, I would create detachments behind my main armies, and keep a small occupation force in the regions they took, leading back to a supply source ( depot/river/coastline). That would get me where I was going. (Usually a major Confederate resource area, like Nashville or Atlanta.)

Partisans are a continuing problem as the North moves inland from the coasts and the rivers; they do not go away immediately. Instead, you have to keep your rear area garrison on duty for a number of turns, until the partisan value declines enough that they can move on.

Hope that helps. Good hunting!