AI Reinforcements between battles

[Grimthaur]

I was under the impression that inflicting as many casualties as possible while keeping my own casualties low would be a good strategy especially on legendary but i more and more get the feeling that the reinforcements for the AI seem to be at least in part random.

I just finished Stones River on Legendary and wanted to minimize casualties so i did it 4 times. Union strength pre battle: 48 - 53k, casualties as follows:

1.  Union: 12.238 infantry / 52 (1293) cannons / 1.018 cav /     0 missing    CSA:   6.529 infantry / 0   (34) cannons /     51 cav 
2.  Union: 16.391 infantry / 63 (1548) cannons / 1.578 cav  /    0 missing    CSA:   7.887 infantry / 0   (53) cannons /       9 cav
3.  Union: 20.516 infantry / 61 (1501) cannons /    969 cav  /   83 missing   CSA: 10.839 infantry / 1   (83) cannons / 353 cav
4.  Union: 22.761 infantry / 62 (1500) cannons /    829 cav  / 189 missing   CSA:   8.545 infantry / 6 (205) cannons / 641 cav

So ... i was under the impression, that outcame no. 4 would be the best since i inflicted casualties at a 1 vs 2,7 ratio (outcome no. 1: 1 vs 2,2 ratio, no. 2: 2,46, no. 3: 2,04). But post Stones River the union strength is 52 - 57k for all 4 outcomes cause the reinforcements just seem to add 7,5k recruits more than i killed. Under this circumstances outcome no. 1 is obviously preferable.

Did i hit some kind of cap / minimal size of union forces or why do these different outcomes not affect the union army size? Wich factors influence the AIs reinforcements between battles?

 

 

[JochenHeiden]

Bump. Would like so,e feedback on this. 

[The Soldier]

The enemy will always get enough reinforcements to get itself to a set minimum army size if it drops below it (this depends on if it's the Union or the Confederates, the time of the war and the difficulty).  For example, if the minimum army size for Gettysburg is 75k (I don't know if that is, just throwing out a number), then it doesn't matter how many Federals you kill in the minor battles preceding it - they'll always get enough reinforcements after those battles to get it to 75k.

Since you've already reached the minimum enemy army size, killing more doesn't matter for the sake of lowering their army size, but you still gain four other benefits.  The first and second are lowing the enemy army's Training and Armory values (yes, you can do that by killing them).  Third is gaining your own experience.  And fourth, you get loads of loot.  So yes, taking those into consideration, Option 4 is pretty clearly the best option, worth the extra 3000 casualties on your end since you'll be getting more than enough rifles and cannons to offset the price and you'll make your life easier in the long run because the enemy won't have as experienced brigades or as powerful weapons.

[Grimthaur]

Thanks very much for the reply, didnt know about Training and Armory values. Experiencegain is obvious, but really a doubleedged sword imho: you gain more by killing more but you have to replace your bigger losses aswell (rookies = lower exp, veterans = expensive).

But how do i make up in weapons/loot for 3.000 more casualties when i inflict 10.000 more? I got maxed medicine so ill recover 600 men. That leaves me with 2.400 lost rifles, from those i recover 720 (30%), wich leaves me with 1.680 rifles lost. Captured Rifles are 1.250 (12,5% of 10k), still leaving me with 430 rifles short. I may have captured more parts of artillery (maybe 10 more, but all 10PD Parrots) but i also lost way more and bringing artillery-brigades up to strength is very expensive. If you factor in the immense loss on exp when you bring your infantrybrigades up to strength again or the amount of money you have to spent if you at least partially use veterans, i still feel like - cause i seem to have reached the minimum union-army-size - option 1 is the best.

[The Soldier]

On more normal difficulties, you bring back 50% of your lost weapons and 25% of enemy weapons.  In Option 4, you'd have brought back nearly 11k rifles and 18 cannons.  If you're on Major General or Legendary with lower drop rates - well, that's just your problem, heh.