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Congratulation on the prize !

I found out that campaigning in the South, where there is very little forces and no choke point, is an exercice in futility. As the Americans (both times), I prefered to stick to garrisoning the most important cities, and one port, while evading any strong force the English might bring. And when the English spread out, THEN I concentrate... Everything he loses is forever !
 
First off, my apologies for the lack of updates. I've been traveling, weddings, job related stuff...and I will be on vacation (out of the country) next week...so hopefully one more update before I sail away.

how bad is your replacement situation, I found in the PBEM with Narwhal it was a lack of replacements over time that led an army just to end up falling apart, even though it appeared quite robust for some time?

Bad. I have only indian raider reinforcements at the moment. The only way to get replacements for the British in this scenario is to spend EPs for them, and then you get one or two at most...for 13 EPs (I average about 6-8 EPs per month). What this means is that, for all the power of regular infantry, they are a very 'brittle' force. I cannot 'accept casualties' to take defended positions (like the Dorchester Heights), because I will destroy my armies if I take too many losses.

I may have already taken too heavy of losses with the Boston force...I'm hopeful I haven't...but we will see.

Sedgewycke said:
My shipment has arrived and I've installed them all with the latest patches i could find. However; at the moment I have taken the jump and started an AAR with the Japanese in PoN. I don't think I have enough time to do both, but will definetly keep it in mind for the future if your're still game, lol.

Good luck with chasing my forefathers around the map in Boston

Excellent! I'll need to jump over and read your work now! :D

Dewirix said:
Looks like I spoke too soon about Richmond, but the rest of the southern campaign seems to be going well. Is it possible to pacify the south on timescale that allows you to shift reinforcements north, or are you always going to need to keep a sizeable garrison there?

I have no idea on pacification of the south (this is my first playthrough of the revolutionary war scenario. I suspect I will need to keep some forces in the south as a 'reaction force' to anything the rebels throw at me. Ideally I'll want to clean up everything from south to north and merge my forces in the mid-atlantic area...however...that may be a pipe dream.

Philo32b said:
Hi TheExecuter! I very much like your AAR and have selected it as this week's AAR for the Weekly AAR Showcase. You can reach the award thread posting on this page. Thanks for a great AAR, and best of luck in your war!

I go away for a few days, and get an award... !!!

Thanks!

I'll make my way over and accept and pass it on to a deserving AAR, ASAP.

:p

Narwhal said:
Congratulation on the prize !

I found out that campaigning in the South, where there is very little forces and no choke point, is an exercice in futility. As the Americans (both times), I prefered to stick to garrisoning the most important cities, and one port, while evading any strong force the English might bring. And when the English spread out, THEN I concentrate... Everything he loses is forever !

Thanks!

Hmm. You do point out the dangers of splitting up Cornwallis' force. I plan to use the loyalists to garrison towns and screen me from the rebels, while I use the regulars as the hammer to smash any rebel forces that do try to concentrate. The key will be if I can take enough key cities early on with my advantage so that the rebels will have to approach me from predictable directions.

I admit I haven't thought this aspect of the campaign through very well yet, I am pretty much learning on the go. Your comment is food for meditation though. How to hold the disparate points while keeping the regulars concentrated is indeed an interesting problem...

2Coats said:
Congrats from me to. I was never really able to play more than handful of WiA games. Still havent tried WiA2. Ill have to make do with this great AAR.

Thanks as well!

Enjoy vicariously. The rebels don't stand a chance!

hgilmer said:
Keep up the good work!! Up the colonies, down the British! But, I'll pull for you in this AAR.

Ah, a rabble-rouser. I'll have you know that seditious comments like that are treason, and traitors are hung by order of the King! You'd best be on good behavior...

:p

Welcome!
 
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March 1776

General Moultrie makes another attempt at Camden, and the loyalist militia easily repulse him. The other half of my militia has moved north and seized Charlotte.

battleofcamden.jpg


Cornwallis has landed at Charleston, and is ordered to assault the town. North Carolina militia are moving on Georgetown and also Hillsboro. The 'Florida Force' is moving up to join Cornwallis by sea. At the moment, I have overwhelming superiority of force, and I am aiming to take and hold at least Charleston and Savannah, while using my militia to contest the up-country and provide advanced warning of any continental regulars coming my way.

southcarolina.jpg


In Virginia, Lord Dunsmore has made it to Alexandria with the rebels close at his heels. He will board bateaux and try to retreat back to Norfolk.

virginiag.jpg


In the Boston area, Washington is back on the Dorchester Heights, and I no longer have the forces to contemplate facing him in battle over the prepared position. I am therefore preparing to use my sea mobility to move Howe's force to another, more dangerous position, and accept the risk of losing Boston (though it is garrisoned strongly by Clinton's infantry). General Grant should complete his retreat to Newport this month.

bostonz.jpg


General Burgoyne and the 'Canadian' reinforcements arrive. I am shipping them to Halifax and will comb out a unit to send to reinforce Canada, and then the rest of these troops will head for New York.

burgoyne.jpg


Finally, I look to raise more replacements...as I badly need them to restore Howe's forces.

epselection.jpg


Prior to this, I had no replacements of any kind. I received one light infantry replacement by event this turn (and it will be used up this turn), and hopefully will receive regular infantry replacements next turn.
 
looks like you are reaching the stage of the war where you need to make your numbers tell, looks an interesting gamble around Boston.

Its true of all the WiA games, but this one really does seem to dispense with the idea of a front line altogether
 
Well, I'm late to the party again. Had no idea you were working on this one - sorry! I'm enjoying it, though. It's good to see a man with confidence, as General Terry said to Colonel Custer.

Seems you've got the worst of both worlds, though - not strong enough to smash the enemy yet unable to spread out and occupy territory. Using traditional military theory I'd say that the enemy army should be your focus - smash that and then occupy points at your leisure. But in WiA I don't know if a smashed army stays smashed. If the Americans regenerate quickly then you have your hands full.

Good luck - not that you'll need it, of course! :eek:hmy:
 
To borrow your own words, it's interesting to realize just how brittle your force is: for all its professionalism and lethality, your army is not something that you can use freely.

If you're basically stalemated around Boston and the South offers no real hope of a decisive victory (if I can believe Narwhal's analysis), then where will you force the Americans to play to your tune? New York, perhaps?
 
looks like you are reaching the stage of the war where you need to make your numbers tell, looks an interesting gamble around Boston.

Its true of all the WiA games, but this one really does seem to dispense with the idea of a front line altogether

Yes, a critical phase of the war is approaching...and it does not all go well.

Director said:
Well, I'm late to the party again. Had no idea you were working on this one - sorry! I'm enjoying it, though. It's good to see a man with confidence, as General Terry said to Colonel Custer.

Seems you've got the worst of both worlds, though - not strong enough to smash the enemy yet unable to spread out and occupy territory. Using traditional military theory I'd say that the enemy army should be your focus - smash that and then occupy points at your leisure. But in WiA I don't know if a smashed army stays smashed. If the Americans regenerate quickly then you have your hands full.

Good luck - not that you'll need it, of course!

I hadn't been advertising it, so no worries about the lateness. I am enjoying the confidence...without it I would just throw in the towel and say 'good riddence to troublemaking colonists.'

If I could smash the American army I would. At present I don't have the force to smash it, nor can I afford the losses that would entail. Of course, my maneuver gamble has risks too.

He who dares, wins...right?

Stuyvesant said:
To borrow your own words, it's interesting to realize just how brittle your force is: for all its professionalism and lethality, your army is not something that you can use freely.

If you're basically stalemated around Boston and the South offers no real hope of a decisive victory (if I can believe Narwhal's analysis), then where will you force the Americans to play to your tune? New York, perhaps?

The brittleness of the force is something I never really considered about how the revolutionary war went down. It does make sense though, considering the distances involved in reinforcing and supplying any armies in North America.

The strategic position in Boston is horrific. So my plan is to move to an area with more space for maneuver, and which will threaten more areas. More to come on that thought.
 
April 1776

Cornwallis lands and easily captures Charleston, South Carolina.

battleofcharleston.jpg


I land the florida force here, and send the general who can command both militia and regulars up country with a token force to bolster the defence of Camden and provide some impetuous to move towards Hillsboro. I hope to have the forces present to clear out the rebels hiding in North Carolina.

Leaving a decent garrison in Charleston, I prepare Cornwallis and the fleet to descend on Savannah next.

Edit: You can see that I made a mistake with the Bateaux at Georgetown, they will not be available for my militia to board next turn. Still learning....

southcarolina.jpg


northcarolina.jpg


In Virginia, Lord Dunsmore heads south to retreat back to Norfolk. Our brief moment in ascendency has been broken.

virginia.jpg


In Canada, I move some bateaux around, and prepare for the arrival of a token force of regulars to bolster the defence of the lake fort line.

And now, for the big stuff. I order Burgoyne to New York...and Howe to New Haven, Connecticut. It will be Howe's job to delay any Continental army attempt to interfere with our taking of New York. If successful, I can either defend behind the Connecticut River line, or fall back on New York. Clinton will hold Boston, Grant et al will hold Newport.

How hard could it be?

newengland.jpg
 
coming to the boil nicely.

I've just lost spectacularly with the Brits to Narwhal in a PBEM (in part as I over concentrated in New England). From the discussion around that, theres little to gain from killing American militia as such (as they respawn each year), but if you can, try to inflict damage on the Continental Army. That may weaken the tax evaders enough that you can handle them and the French.
 
Against the AI, playing as the British I usually do really well and capture a ton of cities, especially in the upper half of the country, but I ALWAYS run into massive supply issues, especially in the winter, I don't see in any other AGEOD game. I really don't know what I've been doing wrong but I think perhaps next time I'll try spreading my force out more to see if it helps.
 
How hard could it be?

Or, as Knud Knydling (I think) used to say: "The plan was simple..."

Seeing how you already gave a pretty gloomy assessment of your future situation, I fear for a defeat in detail - or perhaps a (meaningless) victory in one place, more than offset by a heavy defeat somewhere else.
 
coming to the boil nicely.

I've just lost spectacularly with the Brits to Narwhal in a PBEM (in part as I over concentrated in New England). From the discussion around that, theres little to gain from killing American militia as such (as they respawn each year), but if you can, try to inflict damage on the Continental Army. That may weaken the tax evaders enough that you can handle them and the French.

American militia are amazingly resilient in this scenario. I've tried focusing EP on slowing down their recruitment...and on garrisoning key cities (this is working better in the south than in the north, as you will see...)

And yes, I've now woken to the power of the Continental Army...as this month's update will show. I am now working on a plan to batter that dog into submission. But, it's still a 'holy crap I've never played this game before I hope this works' sort of plan at the moment.

:D

Of course, the most bone-chilling words in your comment are...'and the French.' I just took a look at the foreign intervention score at the end of July (where I am now, roughly)...and it is a scary number.

dylanpt24 said:
Against the AI, playing as the British I usually do really well and capture a ton of cities, especially in the upper half of the country, but I ALWAYS run into massive supply issues, especially in the winter, I don't see in any other AGEOD game. I really don't know what I've been doing wrong but I think perhaps next time I'll try spreading my force out more to see if it helps.

I haven't run into ANY supply issues at all. However, most of my campaigning has been with the smaller units in the south. The campaign so far through 1775 in the north has been fairly static. I'll see if the large numbers of foreign mercenaries causes any trouble with supplies this season, I suspect.

Stuyvesant said:
Or, as Knud Knydling (I think) used to say: "The plan was simple..."

Seeing how you already gave a pretty gloomy assessment of your future situation, I fear for a defeat in detail - or perhaps a (meaningless) victory in one place, more than offset by a heavy defeat somewhere else.

:D

Ah, Knytling...a prophetic genius.

Needless to say, this month was a rude awakening.
 
May 1776

Now that spring/summer is fully here, the rebels begin the campaign season a bit ahead of my own projected attacks. This led to some uncomfortable moments, but the situation is not unsalvageable...at least, that's what I'm putting in my reports to the Sovereign!

Let's begin in the south. Haldimand's force moving into the upcountry of the Carolina's is surprised by a large force of rebel militia. Haldimand keeps his nerve, though, and retreats in the proper direction...towards Camden. Thus accomplishing his goal (or nearly so) of linking up with my Carolina loyalist militia.

battleoforangeburg.jpg


Haldimand will link up with the force at Camden, while my other loyalist militia's prepare to contract into the Camden / Charlotte area to beat down on any rebel militia (like the rabble at Orangeburg) that appear to challenge our dominance of this area.

carolinas.jpg


Cornwallis, fresh after conquering Charleston...will move by sea to Savannah, which he will place under siege.

georgias.jpg


Another loyalist, Thomas Brown...forms a raiding group at St. Augustine in Florida. He will be picked up by ships transporting reinforcements to Cornwallis from Jamaica...and will be deposited somewhere on the Southern coast. I haven't decided where yet.

brownraiders.jpg


In Virginia, my freed slave militia is beaten in a several day running battle by American militia under Colonel Robert Howe. The time spent chasing down my regiment prevents Howe from reaching Norfolk in time...

battleofportsmouth.jpg


Lord Dunsmore returns to Norfolk in time to be besieged by Howe. I have nothing to spare to get Dunsmore out of this situation. I will have to see what I can spare from Cornwallis down the road.

virginian.jpg


A new front opens with a rebel attack on peaceful Mohawk indians in the upcountry of New York.

battleofunadilla.jpg


Colonel Warren led a group of regulars and militia deep into indian country in a preventive strike to keep me from possibly interfering with a move on Ft. Oswego? I'm not sure what the point of this expedition was. In any event, it unlocks the Mohawks for me, and I give the order to pull back into the mountains and concentrate the braves into a force capable of striking at a target of my choosing. Let the rebels try to chase down my force in the Pennsylvania wilderness...

newyorkv.jpg


I order up some rifles to help my indians fight better...

epuse.jpg


In Canada, I move some militia to Isle au Noix to watch the northern end of Lake Champlain, which frees up my scouting indians to check on any attempt to move up the lake towards Canada. I order a depot built at the northern end of the lake.

And finally, for New England...

The Continental Army, sensing the withdrawal of forces opposite them...attacks Boston. Clinton manages to retreat ahead of this assault, but the loyal militia in Boston do not and are destroyed. Clinton fights a small skirmish getting off the island, but now stands almost completely isolated, in bad shape, without decent shelter. The loss of Boston is catastrophic to my plans...though with hindsight, could easily have been forseen. Clinton did not have near enough force to hold the city.

battleofboston.jpg


Howe successfully relocated to New Haven...and was joined by the Hessian reinforcements...giving me approximately 1200 power, in precisely the wrong place. Had I left Howe at Bunker Hill...I would now have the power to do serious damage to the Continental Army. Timing is everything, and I have royally botched this particular bit.

Burgoyne is in the process of landing on Manhattan, and should complete this landing in June. I decide to send a formation of Hessians north to capture Hartford, and to secure a Connecticut river line defense against the Continental army's attempt to protect New York. I also send the Hessian siege train towards New York, while Howe stands at New Haven. I send my bateaux in Newport to evacuate the island and rendevouz with Howe...as I have a significant overcommand penalty at the moment, and need Grant and the rest of the generals. Clinton is ordered to try to make for the Connecticut river crossings to the north, and to avoid contact with any armies. Part of my fleets is sent back to Halifax, to transport the reinforcements to Canada to Quebec.

newengland.jpg


My goal is to force Washington to come to me at one of the Connecticut River crossings, and there to inflict a defeat on him. I should be able to take New York, from where I threaten Philadelphia and Albany. Time will tell how successful I will be at being able to defeat the rebels, but I expect heavy fighting to occur around the New York area as I look to push my perimeter out with the numbers I have. The difficulty will be finding the right balance of troops to send out that keeps the pressure on but also ensures victories.

How hard could it be?
 
this is a good scenario for SP it seems. Boston was bad news, but maybe a blessing in disguise, pull that army out by sea and reinforce the south?

If the Americans take your Indian villages then they will starve when they are forced (by event) back there in the winter ... it may come as no surprise if I mention that is what Narwhal did

Think the focus on New York is a sound plan given how things have worked out so far.
 
TheExecuter said:
Timing is everything, and I have royally botched this particular bit.
So the King would approve, then? Zing! :p

Some reverses there - none more so than the loss of Boston. I hope your actions around New York will shift the balance back into your favor. If nothing else, it will require to colonists to react to you, rather than letting them choose their actions at their leisure.

I really hope you can derail the Washington Death Wagontm. Granted, the numbers in Boston were lopsided, but he didn't just beat you, he massacred a large proportion of the force present. If you can't seriously wound his army (or even better, fatally wound Washington himself - commanders do die with disturbing frequency in WIA), he'll just grow stronger and stronger, and it seems clear that Washington's stats vastly outclass just about any British commander. If he ever gets an overall lead in quantity (not just in this isolated battle, I mean), then I think you've lost. Destroy this gathering behemoth while you still can!

Erm, got a bit carried away there. Anyway, hope you can defeat George and restore order to the Colonies. All of them.
 
Hmmm Losing Boston Poses the Annoying Question. Where In America are your Hessian Mercenary reinforcements going ot spawn. If You take It quickly enough New York perhaps or maybe in Hostile Boston or Worse Somewhere up in Canada. You may need to advance from Canada After all.
 
this is a good scenario for SP it seems. Boston was bad news, but maybe a blessing in disguise, pull that army out by sea and reinforce the south?

If the Americans take your Indian villages then they will starve when they are forced (by event) back there in the winter ... it may come as no surprise if I mention that is what Narwhal did

Think the focus on New York is a sound plan given how things have worked out so far.

The deep south does not need reinforcements, I have an abundance of force currently employed establishing loyalist control on the coast under Cornwallis. The upcountry civil war I am content to leave 'in the balance', at least until I have gotten Savannah and Wilmington under my control...or so the plan goes, anyway.

I am well aware of the need to protect the Indian villages (experience in my playthrough of the 1812 scenario)...but I'm not sure what stances will make my Indian raiders burn down settlements... Do I first need to take the settlement? If so, best use of the units would be in pairs, yes?

Stuyvesant said:
So the King would approve, then? Zing!

Some reverses there - none more so than the loss of Boston. I hope your actions around New York will shift the balance back into your favor. If nothing else, it will require to colonists to react to you, rather than letting them choose their actions at their leisure.

I really hope you can derail the Washington Death Wagontm. Granted, the numbers in Boston were lopsided, but he didn't just beat you, he massacred a large proportion of the force present. If you can't seriously wound his army (or even better, fatally wound Washington himself - commanders do die with disturbing frequency in WIA), he'll just grow stronger and stronger, and it seems clear that Washington's stats vastly outclass just about any British commander. If he ever gets an overall lead in quantity (not just in this isolated battle, I mean), then I think you've lost. Destroy this gathering behemoth while you still can!

Erm, got a bit carried away there. Anyway, hope you can defeat George and restore order to the Colonies. All of them.

Yes, losing Boston wasn't the plan. Interestingly enough, Clinton succeeded in not fighting Washington in the battle I showed...ALL of those losses were taken by the loyalist militia regiments that stayed to fight in the city. Clinton's losses stemmed from the contested crossing onto the Dorchester Heights.

Washington's most annoying trait, IMO is the fast mover at the moment. I can't pin him down, and with my most senior Generals having the following problems (Howe: Strategic Rating 3, Slow mover) (Burgoyne: SR 2!) and (Clinton: Quarrels with subordinates)...I'm not sure I can pin him down to a battle of my own choosing. My hope is that I can tempt him to try to relieve New York...however, my fear is that he will simply break up the Continental army, escape to Albany and thence down towards Philadelphia...from whence he can pick at any of my forces that get too separated from my slow moving 'doom stacks.'

So, it isn't that the Continental Army is anything special...it's that I will struggle to engage it on terms that favor me, rather than Washington.

Thandros said:
Hmmm Losing Boston Poses the Annoying Question. Where In America are your Hessian Mercenary reinforcements going ot spawn. If You take It quickly enough New York perhaps or maybe in Hostile Boston or Worse Somewhere up in Canada. You may need to advance from Canada After all.

I think I mentioned it last update, but they spawned with Howe in New Haven, CT. I believe that they spawn wherever Howe happens to be. Of course, New Haven is NOT where I wanted them. So I will have to spend some time re-organizing the force into something helpful.
 
June 1776

Things are looking up! We were able to raise several units of militia, in Canada and in the south...and even some in Connecticut, that bastion of the rebellion!

newmilitia.jpg


In the south, Haldimand manages to meet up with the Carolina militia, and successfully defends Camden from yet another purely led rebel assault.

battleofcamden.jpg


Haldimand will spend the next turn regaining cohesion, and waiting for the militia forming in Charleston to be ready, before moving on Orangeburg to hopefully stamp out the rebel presence in the deep south upcountry.

carolinasv.jpg


Cornwallis lands at Savannah, but the city has not fallen yet... Merely a matter of time, though.

battleofsavannah.jpg


georgiae.jpg


In Virginia, plans are hatched to bring the Maryland loyalist militia down to Norfolk to attempt to beat back the rebels attempt to push me completely out of the state. I will likely lose Alexandria as a consequence, but I am ok with that loss. Norfolk is too important to lose so easily.

virginiaw.jpg


In New York, the Mohawks are ordered to recover the Indian village lost in the rebel raid, and to position themselves favorably to strike at either Ft. Stanwicks, in the Mohawk valley, or Wyoming, in Pennsylvania. A number of other indian locations in the south have also been attacked by rebel militia, and so I have a plethora of small, isolated Indian bands moving about, looking to start burning down homesteads and generally 'playing with matches', as Loki would say.

newyorkk.jpg


In New England, Burgoyne will get his siege guns next month, and I want to take Springfield, and reunite Clinton with Howe. I move Howe north to Hartford, and some Hessians north to take Springfield. I also move the Connecticut militia east across the river, to give me some advance warning and possibly scout out were Washington might be headed after his success at Boston. I am still unsure what my campaign plan will be. I obviously want to go after Washington now that I have this preponderance of force...but I don't necessarily want to fight him in New England...do I? Philadelphia is not far away from Burgoyne, and there are more VPs in that direction than in my current eastward facing deployment.

Hmm...

newenglandq.jpg


Thoughts?

How hard could it be?