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Union Strategy at the Battle of Richmond


mrm5117

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What is the best strategy for victory as the North at the Battle of Richmond? I'm not familiar with this battle historically, so didn't know what to expect coming in. I have become incredibly weary of the game's strategy prompts after getting burned by it many times, for example at Chickamauga being told to advance and capture the crossroads when inevitably you will take huge losses after being counterattacked. In this battle, the prompt says you will be best off rushing to capture the objectives before southern reinforcements arrive. Knowing I could replay from an earlier save, I tried it against my better judgment and was slaughtered in both phases of the opening part of the battle. Battle is not yet over, but I am fairly sure I will lose. 

On my next play through, I would think to play much more defensively until later in the battle. Really I would prefer not to attack entrenchments at all and just surround the town and outward defenses with my army, entrench myself, and lay siege until they run out of food and supplies. I don't think the game will allow that though!

So what is the best strategy here historically or specifically for the game?

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As the Battle of Washington for CSA, there is no real historical precedent for the Battle of Richmond for the Union. The game draws up a scenario where you have to attack or face European intervention. So you can't sit back and siege Richmond. Add to that the battle is EXTREMELY bloody, in my MG campaign I had around 240 000 total infantry casualties. Around 40 000 of those happened during the Battle of Richmond alone (I think I brought around 130 000 men in 4 corps, the 4th Corps was more or less only rookies with 1842s and 5 artillery brigades

First of all I've played the battle both on Brigadier and on Major General difficulty, with success in both cases so what I say should hold true if you aren't on playing on Legendary. I'm not home over Christmas and can't access my computer and my save so everything from the top of my mind.

The general flow of the battle is that you have to assault the Confederate earthworks, breakthrough, establish a beachhead and start rolling up their line. You should always keep a reserve to deal with confederate counterattacks from the west (which there are plenty of). A division to hold of each counterattack should suffice if you can act quick enough and contain the Rebel reinforcements, otherwise you may have to delegate more troops to it and loose momentum in the general attack.

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I've always found that the Union Campaign is far easier the farther down the line you go. Usually, it's an instinct that you know you can't lose to the Confederates in most battles, either from playing the battles to the point where your mistakes of yesteryear are reforged into tactical maneuvers that completely destroy units. or just simple Russian style mass charges.

At around Malvern hill is where I call the campaign won in my favor for the Colonel difficulty. I called it winnable after Fredericksburg for BG. and while my MG campaign is hard fought and most definitely more of a challenge then I expected I believe I'm at the point where the Confederates simply take more casualties than me and cannot stand on it feet. I'm at the battle of Gettysburg, so this should be an easy win for me, especially if I can use Buford's Division of practically all skirmishers to whittle down units on Day 1.

By the time on both campaigns for Col. and BG I've had 5 corps(Col. was full 2500 man brigades and what not. while the BG had around 1800-2000 in each brigade) and really only needed to throw more men at the problems I had. if you know where the enemy is coming in from as well during the first phases  you can set up a division to shoot at them and 4 of the 5 brigades that show up usually surrender( you may need to charge here and there, but it is quite easy to beat the reinforcements that come in from few areas). 

 

While I don't think I'll take the same approach, merely because I don't' believe I'll have the manpower to do so, I don't see being overly difficult to win.

 

Now the problem in my Confederate campaigns(all difficulties) is that I run into manpower problems. I always have some money and guns, but not enough troops(go figure) and it definitely starts to show just before Antietam for me or right after since I take huge losses, while there is some respite in Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, provided I can pull it off quickly, Gettysburg I try and cause as much damage as possible since I know I'm gonna be on the offensive in some battles that will cost me lots of men(and probably the game should I lose). when all is said and done and I hit Washington. that's when the real fun begins because I roll in with 100k(no manpower remaining, little to no money or guns) have to take what is it 5 forts(plus Washington) then defend them from anywhere to 150-200k Union troops. Let me tell you stress levels were quite high the day I spent reloading saves everytime I lost.

can't wait for the next one, 

 

Short answer: UUUURRRRRRAAAA!!!

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