Wars in America: A 'how-to' AAR

Guess my AAR parts are really needed, then...
Problem is that I have a lots of events in 1758, so each "month" will take quite a long time (30 to 45 minuts) to be done properly.

Oh well, I ll catch back tonight

This continues to be a very entertaining and insightful AAR. I like the rhythm of the game, the sense that victories and defeats by themselves don't really mean much - a defeat can be a victory if Loki torches a fort upon being kicked out of it, a victory can turn into defeat if it leaves an army out exposed during the winter...

And the ongoing duel in getting out the 'facts' of the war are funny. I have to say, while my sympathies lie with the French, Narwhal's reporting on the Painted Post incident is hard to disregard...

loki100 said:

This shows the second turn of Narwhal's siege at Louisbourg. He outnumbers me enough to prevent a sortie (especially as a lot of my strength is in those fixed guns), but I'm pretty confident my garrison is too strong to fall to an assault. Note he has 2 supply wagons, so again my estimate is I have about 5 months supply (with my 2 wagons), so that'll take me into winter, when (my assumption), he'll have to withdraw.

Click to expand...

Besides, your naval guns are useless in a sortie, they have a limitation that allows them only to target naval units. I believe they count for the purpose of siege resolution, though (the calculation whether Narwhal will make a breach or not).

Keep on the great work. It's really an enjoyable read and very helpful.

Everything seems wonderfully poised for some mayhem, which you seem to be promising...

loki100 said:

So this is a bit of the calm before the storm, which does indeed break in July, and from my perspective, more a case of waiting and then responding rather than initiate any dramatic actions.

Click to expand...

Roll on the June updates!

April 1758 – The Louisbourg Expedition

In the South, this is mostly a waiting turn, as my army is not fully supplies yet.



Meanwhile, I plan to block the arrival of more reinforcement by boat, as you can see.

In the Middle States, no much happens, as it is still frozen :



You can see my army in Albany. Most of it has recovered, but some was evacuated a bit later (not showed) and is still not at 100% strength.

The big event is the arrival of General Amherst force in Halifax, with significant reinforcements :



Those three generals are all very good generals, with very interesting skills :



This “Master Logistician” skill is one of the most useful, and will allow me to launch at once the siege of Louisbourg.

Since the beginning of the game, I was accumulating troops , guns and supply in Halifax in order to prepare the Louisbourg expedition. That’s also for this reason I enlarged the depot of Halifax.
Now, the total force to be committed is impressive.

Here is the land force :



Here is the naval force (no reinforcement – but I do with what I received the previous year) :



The plan is simple : land, blockade, siege :



This is going to get interesting.

Note that I could not bring everyone at once, so I will get additional supplies and some regulars the next turns.

May 1758 –Perspective for the year

The winter finally recesses, let’s make a point about my strategy.

In the Duquesne area, I am still recovering, and I want to know whether I can take Detroit by just sending an awful lot of Raiders + Indians or if I need a more “systematic” approach :



In the first case, I will need Roger to go through the wilderness quickly. In the second case, I will need a supply wagon unit to create a fort on the way – for instance where Fort Leboeuf stood. That’s why a boat is bringing that :



It will probably not be ready before the 1759 campaign, though.

In the main front, I plan to build Fort Niagara again, but this time will make sure I don’t waste resource.
Lord Howe is sent to Niagara with supplies. His speed will be critical in avoiding long exhausting marches in the forest.



A large part of his force will relieve the troops of Oswego, which is really weakened after month of attrition (supply output is barely enough to survive) :



Along the Champlain, I know Montcalm is around, so nothing ambitious on Montréal until Louisbourg had fallen – thus forcing Loki100 to split his force between Quebec and Montréal.
My limited objective is to take and raze le Fort de l’Isle aux Noix, the last French port on the Champlain. This way, I will be free to move my boats around on the Champlain.
That’s going to be Lawrence’s job, with a significant force, who will get to help him some troops currently in Fort Carillon :



Let’s hope those troops in Carillon heal a little.

Finally, I should mention I received more reinforcement in New York :




I will move these troops by bateaux until Albany, and use them where needed.

In the South, I defeat an Indian force on Atlanta :



And then a stronger one :



My supplies ain’t going anywhere, so I am going to move on Savannah now instead of waiting 3 more turns for the supply level to be 100%.



I am confident to do so because the battle against the Indians “unlocked” some troops in Savannah, that I use in this attack stack and replace in defense by militia. I suppose there are little defense in Savannah anyway (they all moved to attack me)– so I will probably be able to assault. If not, I will siege, and my supply will do the road to Atlanta back and forth with the cavalry to bring supply.

Finally, Louisbourg. The landing went without troubles, but the siege has not begun yet due to a French unit being outside, but since I am in attack stance, this French unit will either be destroyed or flee inside the city – so it should start next turn.

Some bold moves - and lots of fresh troops and generals. The attack on Louisburg must be the most immediately dangerous for Loki, but your moves in Upstate New York are pretty aggressive, too. In terms of pure fighting power, you clearly have the edge. I'm looking forward to seeing how Loki responds to all these moves.

Stuyvesant said:

Some bold moves - and lots of fresh troops and generals. The attack on Louisburg must be the most immediately dangerous for Loki, but your moves in Upstate New York are pretty aggressive, too. In terms of pure fighting power, you clearly have the edge. I'm looking forward to seeing how Loki responds to all these moves.

Click to expand...

By ceding Canada to the Brits...

loki100 said:

well ... when we get nearer to the time it will be clear that Narwhal's strategy was to mimic the houseguest who ignores all requests to leave and, to make it worse, eats all your food and insists on sleeping in your bed

Click to expand...

That's all the history of colonialism you summed up here

June 1758 – Rebuilding America !

Some action in the South. My army heading to Savannah meets the French also heading to Savannah – only they were retreating. Both armies meet, well, at Savannah, and battle ensues :



I am now sieging Savannah – there are much too many French to assault the city – but I am holding the grip firmly and they should quickly run out of food – there are more than 3000 French in the city, and it is sieged, blockaded. The boat might bring food, but I believe Loki100 will try to sneak it out to save it.



In any case, if I hold one more turn, my fortification level will be good enough to resist against a sortie.

In the Champlain zone, the French are launching a (timid) attack :



Since I spot some Indians scouting Fort Carillon, I suppose it is the objective (Fort Saint Fréderic just being “on the way”). For this reason, I will defend Carillon and wait for the French. The French army is strong, but I believe weaker than my army – and I know Loki100 has many more troops at his disposal. I thus assumed that this army I see was here to clean Saint Fréderic before Montcalm comes down on me.

If not, I will chase it.

My scouts heading for Detroit meet “French” Indians :



Hello there ! Wanna play ?

I change my plan a little in the region and decide I will build a fort at LeBoeuf :



If really there is no defense in Detroit, this army will be rerouted directly to there.

I am also going to build a Depot (no more guns => no fort) in Niagara. This time no one will block me :



Really, I feel like Roosevelt – building stuff everywhere so the Indians have jobs and don’t hang out with the French.

I am also bringing John Forbes to Oswego – I believe my defense in Carillon are good enough. The plan is to use his small supply consumption… somehow. I was not too clear on the plan, honestly, but felt maybe I could transport it somewhere by Bateaux, or walk to Frontenac, or something.



Finally, I am a bit worried at Louisbourg :



For some reason, Louisbourg still receive supplies from its depot. Don’t ask me why, I really have no idea.

I am holding 3 more turns with my reserve, but I am bringing now what I had to leave at home :

You're tightening your grip everywhere. Regarding that depot you'll build along the shore of that Great Lake (I think it's Erie, but I'm always a bit hazy on the order of the eastern Great Lakes), how vulnerable is that going to be to Loki's Indians and their matches?

Given I am going to leave like 12 to 20 elements per depot/fort as long as they have not outlasted their usefullless, I would say "let them come !"

I'm hoping for loki to come up with some kind of cunning plan.

Narwhal said:

June 1758 – Rebuilding America !

Really, I feel like Roosevelt – building stuff everywhere so the Indians have jobs and don’t hang out with the French.

Click to expand...

I am sure loki would see this as an admission to using Indian forced labour. More English war crimes!

What I am missing in this AAR (as well as in my own match) are the more cunning moves possible in other AGE games. Apart from the Deep South, there are no flanking marches here, no surprise attacks into the enemies rear. Somehow the game seems confined to a few major corridors of attack (VA-Pittsburg-Fort LeBoeuf; Albany-Ft. Carillon-Montreal; Albany-Oswego-Niagara; Halifax-Louisbourg-Québeque). Or have I over-looked some alternative routes?

Bornego said:

I am sure loki would see this as an admission to using Indian forced labour. More English war crimes!

What I am missing in this AAR (as well as in my own match) are the more cunning moves possible in other AGE games. Apart from the Deep South, there are no flanking marches here, no surprise attacks into the enemies rear. Somehow the game seems confined to a few major corridors of attack (VA-Pittsburg-Fort LeBoeuf; Albany-Ft. Carillon-Montreal; Albany-Oswego-Niagara; Halifax-Louisbourg-Québeque). Or have I over-looked some alternative routes?

Click to expand...

Depends on the scenario. For the FIW, as far as the English are concerned, due to their lack of irregulars or Indians, you are right - I have no much choice and a large part of my strategy is my repartition of forces between those routes... and my back

Now, Loki100, due to the hight mobility of his Indians and Couriers, can have some cunning strategy of his own that involves surprise attacks and flanking marches. But since he had little experience at the beginning of the game, he did not use the ability fully. but in 1758-1759 he will manage to pull off quite a few very, very nasty surprises. Or more accurately, some surprises including a very, very naty.

You also have to remember that in the North a typical campaign season is 6 to 8 months, which translates into 6 to 8 turns - while in RoP for instance it is 8 or 9 months, which translates into 16 to 18 turns, so you have more time for smart manoeuvers.

Scenario like the Independance War still allows for more "cunning moves", though. But a bit too massive for an AAR, too.

Ouch. I wish I had more insightful things to say, but I think 'Ouch' really covers it this time.

Situation up North looks decent, but with the South essentially safe for Narwhal, I wonder how long it is until he ships some forces from the Carolinas to reinforce his northern front.