How Hard Could it Be? - A First Timer Plays WiA

Thanks for being patient, everyone...been traveling, plus the European Champions are distracting me.

Thandros said:

Oh Well You'll be able to Crush the Rebels in New England once Spring Comes and the King decides to hire a Whole Bunch of German Mercenaries. Almost 2000 power arriving in Boston has to make an impact. And Since you'll have the Saratoga force considering you don't plan to use it by attacking from Canada you'll have Perhaps almost 3500 Power to crush the Rebels in New England. The Game doesn't say that you'll have an advantage in 1776 without reason. Though you better Inflict some big defeats before the French decided to get involved.

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I hope so, the appearance of Washington is interesting...and I am still stumped by what the Continental Army does next. I am looking forward to landing those Mercenaries in New Jersey and taking both New York and Philadelphia. 1776 will be a good year, I reckon.

loki100 said:

worth it to make a probe but seems best to back off now and let winter take a toll on the tax dodgers ... setting them up for defeat in the spring.

the war in the south looks immensely confusing

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Yes, I couldn't let the campaign season go by without a least an attempt at dislodging the rebels on the heights. I was hoping to trap Washington's army there once the spring reinforcements arrived, but Washington is pretty wily, and his next move surprised me.

The south is a bit like trying to control the ocean. You have tiny forces, which are fighting other tiny forces for control of vast regions. You haven't the strength to really defend anything, but you can take something easily, so long as you don't run into any enemy forces. So I am just trying to hold VP cities, but if I get pushed out, my forces will retreat to one of my other forces, rest, regroup, and try to take another rebel city. I'm not really aiming to hold at all costs anywhere, just looking to keep my militia alive and fighting, so that when regular forces arrive to take the south, I will not have it all to do, but can link up with my loyalists and exploit whatever gains I've made.

December 1775

My defeated loyalist force manages to escape the rebel trap and reaches Camden safely. A short stalemate battle was fought, and a few loyal heroes were felled to make good the militia's escape.



So, I now hold 96, Augusta, and Camden, and the rebels are in charge of Charlotte, and all the coast. North Carolina volunteers have flocked to the colors in the middle of the state, but are nowhere near strong enough yet to do any damage. They will stay back for a few weeks and gather strength before I unleash them towards the upcountry. The rebels get a reprieve this month, while we all rest and regroup.



In Virginia, half of Lord Dunsmore's militia go home as their enlistments expire. Dunsmore decides to go ahead and try to take Richmond with just a few battalions anyway. He who dares, right? If he succeeds the force at Williamsburg will be trapped. However, even if he succeeds, this is as far as he can go most likely without serious reinforcements. I am surprised the North Carolina rebels have not intervened yet.



In New York and Canada, everyone retreated to their forts on both sides while General Winter lays waste to the landscape.

In New England, the Continental Army, fresh off its defeat of Howe, move about half of their forces out of Dorchester, through Worcester and on into Connecticut (New London), on the way General Tryon's dragoons observe this movement, but manage to stay out of the way. Lord Howe is inactive, and I decide to leave General Grant in Newport, where he captured two units of Hudson Bateaux. These will be useful come spring. I decide to leave General Tryon in the Providence area with orders to stay out of the way of rebel movements. This proves to be a mistake, but only a minor one.



Finally, I issue a royal pardon to certain rebels, in the hopes of increasing local support.



Here is the victory point screen.



As you can see, I am behind on points, mostly due to the rebels controlling more cities at the beginning of the scenario. I am dealing out a nice casualty ratio, though the paucity of replacements for regular units means I cannot really afford to fight many large battles.

My goals for 1776 are to take New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. That should turn the tide of the points, and give me a strategic foothold to keep the rebellion from over-running my fragile armies. I also want to take some of the coastal cities (Wilmington and Savannah are key targets) to help my EP rate grow.

loki100 said:

some interesting dilemnas in this scenario, not enough strength to really take and hold vital terrain, but at the same time it seems as if you are in a good position. WiA does seem to produce this feeling of not quite being in as much control as you'd like.

But overall, seems as if you have achieved your main goals in the first campaign season.

One trick I learnt off Narwhal (the hard way), you can campaign in winter if you are near to a supply base and have a lot of wagons. So if you see an opportunity that is worth the investment, its surprisingly how much progress you can make (as long as it doesn't involve too much marching)

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Yes, the trick with winter campaigning is to have plenty of supply, and make sure you don't actually fight battles in the winter. I made my most progress against the AI in the 1812 scenario in the wintertime, usually.

Stuyvesant said:

Am I correct in remembering that two bateaux can be converted into one depot? In that case, the American bateaux you captured are quite the prize.

I like Dunsmore's guts in pushing on towards Richmond, but sooner or later that pitiful force of his is going to get swept off the field. Unless your British regulars or Hessian mercenaries can join up with him first.

Looking forward to a relatively calm winter, followed by a swarming invasion of the Eastern Seaboard. It's a shame you couldn't destroy or severely weaken the rebels around Boston, but hopefully they won't keep you from your ambitious offensive goals.

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I am thinking to use the bateaux on the Hudson...they could make an assault on Albany possible in 1777...I really don't have supply issues along the eastern seaboard, the number of towns is sufficient to supply the types of armies that have so far been used by both sides.

The Richmond gambit is a gamble. I am reasonably certain that there is no force nearby capable of stopping it, but, as with almost everything in the southern campaign, its basically a 'shot-in-the-dark'. My forces are so small, that just about anything could stop Dunsmore. Alternatively, I don't think any check would be catastrophic, as there just isn't enough rebel force around to completely destroy all my forces.

My goal, actually, is to establish room to recover. The more area I hold, the easier it becomes simply to retreat into 'loyal' space, and use that time to recover cohesion and fighting power, then return to the fight. See, for example, my recent retreat from upper North Carolina after my defeat at Charlotte. I fell back to Camden, so that my forces could regain cohesion, and I will be returning to the north shortly, reinforced by the newly raised units at Crook.

I am really looking forward to the arrival of the 1776 forces...if they are anything like what was available historically, I am going to really enjoy the campaigning season. The key is to make sure I use them efficiently, and don't end up thinking I 'could have done more.'

January 1776

With winter in full freeze, not much was going on.

General Tryon's cavalry screen 'interacts' with a force under Nathanial Green on its way INTO Dorchester, and with parts of the Continental Army OUT OF Dorchester, the combined actions reducing his available troopers and pushing him out of Providence and back into Newport.



With Dorchester very lightly defended, and Washington and the rest of the Continental Army retreating towards New York, I decide now is the time to link up Grant's active force with Howe's inactive hammer. Grant has orders to seize Providence and proceed to Dorchester to place the heights under siege.



In Virginia, Lord Dunsmore's force succeeds in taking Richmond, but his forces are extremely weak.



In the south, the North Carolina militia are not yet perfectly ready for action, but now is a good time to strike. I look to grab Charlotte and Cheraw, while holding onto the rest of my holdings.



And press next turn...

loki100 said:

good to see you keeping up some sort of initiative in the south.

Presume with Washington there is not much you can do, till additional tax collectors are sent to you next spring?

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Hmm...initiative...I prefer to think of it as being annoying, and waiting for the crown to reinforce me.

As for Washington, he has the better position, and the majority of men. Unless I can maneuver the rebels out of the heights, a significant portion of my forces will be stuck in the Boston area. I am looking forward to the reinforcements so that I can shift the focus of the campaign to the Manhatten area.

Stuyvesant said:

It's a bit surprising to see how much those heights are stumping you near Boston (well, it is to me - but what do I know? ). You have all these troops there, but so far you haven't really moved much beyond Boston yet, because the Dorchester Heights remain under Yankee control.

Nice to see the more fluid campaign in the South and a lovely prize in capturing Richmond. I hope Dunsmore can hold out for a bit - holding that town seems to cut at least one road, which must be helpful.

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Well, considering that the British were never able to break out of Boston Harbor IRL, I'm actually doing well, at least compared to history. The truth is...I don't have enough troops to use my advantage in close-range combat. The losses I will take attacking while outnumbered into a heavily defended position cannot be replaced. I will need to threaten New York with the 1776 reinforcements before I can seriously contemplate cleaning out New England.

Richmond is indeed a nice prize...but I have most likely overstretched with Dunsmore and the loyalists. The more ground I take in the south, the harder it is to hold it all.

Dewirix said:

Nice to see your Richmond gambit paid off. I always have to mentally readjust when I read a WiA AAR after having read one for one of the other AGEOD games. I read the enemy casualty total as 16,000 at first. Funny to think that such a momentous war is being prosecuted with such small forces, especially given the events are taking place a couple of decades later than those in RoP.

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It may have paid off for one turn...see if it lasts before declaring it a success. I would say that my efforts at securing the upcountry in South Carolina have succeeded. My efforts at controlling the upcountry in Virginia are just beginning. Only time will tell whether I can hold onto and pacify those regions.

RoP does indeed seem to be entirely different. Almost like trying to look at the Russian Civil War vs. the hypothetical Germany vs Russia war. The scale of combat is just so different.

Sedgewycke said:

hello all.

After reading through loki100 & narwhal's WIA/FIW campaign, I picked up a bundled copy of BoA2, AACW, and WW1 off amazon for the rediculously low price of $12. Can't wait to see how your strategies play out as I'll also be a newbie starting my own scenarios soon. (I may even try an AAR as it seems to be fun).

great community here

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Welcome! I look forward to sharing in your experiences! Let me know if you want an email opponent, as I have both BoA2 and AACW.

February 1776

William Moultrie makes a significant attack on the loyalist stronghold of Camden, and is repulsed again. I am beginning to feel more confident in my control of the highlands of South Carolina...



...which leads perfectly for Lord Cornwallis to land and take Charleston. Once his army is ashore, and the King's banner floats from Charleston again, We will be ready to clean out Georgia and North Carolina and bring the rebellion in the south to heel. How hard could it be?



In Virginia, Lord Dunsmore's loyalists are chased out of Richmond...



...but instead of retreating towards Petersburg, they fall back upcountry to Charlotte. The rebels have effectively split my force, and Dunsmore is unlikely to be reinforced sufficiently up north. He prepares to move to Alexandria and I order my bateaux to move up the Potomac in order to rescue him. Hopefully, the rebels will try to pursue my retreating force instead of doing the more damaging thing and taking Petersburg...



In Boston, my probe at the Dorchester Heights is repulsed with heavy losses as Washington brings his army back to quash General Grant's isolated force. Grant prepares to fall back to Newport, and I am still struggling to gain the initiative once again.





New York and Canada are quiet.