LAVA

This is not an easy game. You are not the only one who has had to start campaigns over.

At around 23:31 you see the position of the Union cavalry. If you don't attack them they retreat to the far top left of the map a bit after you receive the message "Attack Nashville Pike" at around 31:48. I do believe I can do even better in this battle. I might play it one more time and see how it goes.

Though I badly bungle my first assault on day 2 on the Southern objective, I somehow win the battle. My army losses 12,111 men and 14 guns to the Blue Bellies 24,775 men 55 guns. With a total strength of 45,000 men, the campaign continues. On to Chancellorsville! A shout out to The History Guy for showing me the way on this one! His channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsJCJD1tAzTZ1eUUiskH-9w Still can't believe how badly I conducted that assault on the Southern objective on the second day. The middle defending unit would have ran like rabbits if I had concentrated on them from the start. That poor first assault probably cost me at least 1,000 casualties. Darn!

So... after a lot of hard thinking on Stones River, I re-organized my army and fought the battle. I was doing really well until the final assault. When I assaulted the southern objective instead of going for a straight frontal attack, I curved around the flank a bit and brought my troops under fire from 4 defensive units instead of 3. The first assault failed, I rallied my troops and made a second assault and carried the day. I could have kicked myself in the butt for all the men I wasted on that assault, nevertheless, my goal was to win the battle without losing more than 12,000 men and I was close enough to say... Hey... this campaign is still alive. Video to follow.

Tried a bunch of different tactics and The History Guy seems to have the best way of attack. On first day, just try to kill as many as possible with as few casualties as possible. Then on second day, set up for a duel frontal attacks on both flags. Just take the flags and hold them until you can finish the game. You don't get a lot of kills, but you don't get a lot of casualties either and you live to fight another day.

Also... 2nd Corp 2 Division only brings one brigade to the battle. So take that into account as well. I just won with 17,000 losses out of 43,500 men, but I had 2nd Brigade at full strength. I think I know how to win this one, the question is can I do it with 10,000 casualties...

Okay, so I have had time to look at the situation and the problem is that you cannot use Col Kelly's video as an example, because they have changed the first day deployment. Before, you would receive 3rd and 4th division of 2nd Corps on the first day, which allowed you to sweep into the enemy rear. Now you don't. If you want to win on the first day, you have to do it with 4 divisions of 1st Corps, the 1st and 2nd division of 2nd Corps and the 1st division of 3rd Corps. On the second day you get the rest of your troops. So the difference is, you are fighting the first day with 2 less divisions then Col Kelly had. Now time to figure out a strategy...

I think it looks great! Sure would like to have a chance to test this game...

Well, had a shot at Stones River and won, however, it was a Pyrrhic victory. Well give it another try soon.

Actually at Everettsville, my brigades had 1700 men and the Yanks had, at the most 1900 man brigades. So I wouldn't say I'm up against oversized brigades. We'll see what happens at Stones River... I will cut the center.

It's not the artillery per se, it is the type of artillery... 24 pound howitzers, which I can give to a unit with a proficiency of 70+. Defensively it will kick ass. Besides, I think if I bring more infantry (by buying the troops), the AI will simply scale up to meet them.

I wipe out the Yankee Army at Everettsville, though once again I start off a bit disorganized... am not a pretty general but I do like being brutal. The blue coats lose 17,859 men 48 guns to my 6,374 casualties as I also manage to capture a cavalry and infantry brigade. Damn Yankees morale is so high they would rather die than surrender. Note also the disappearance of Union 3 star brigades from the battlefield. Everettsville:

Yep, the surrender mechanism could be improved IMO. Chasing around enemies who run through your ranks is not only a bit strange but from a gaming and video standpoint it only agonizingly prolongs the inevitable. I believe what happens is that the unit must come into contact with an opposition unit pretty much the moment it routs for them to surrender.

Actually, my Intelligence Service is now reporting 48-53K after a I wiped out the Union army at Everettsville. I'll post the video tomorrow.

That is quite apparent. Which is good!

Funny... my first try at the Legendary Union Campaign came to a screeching halt at Chancellorsville. I just didn't have enough men. Think the same applies here... you just don't have enough men for this battle. I don't know if the Draw conditions were properly meet, so I can't comment on that. But this is an important battle you need to win.

Well... sounds pretty good to me. Mine is 52-57K. Probably scales up about 25% to make sure that the Union Army is bigger than the Confederate one. We'll see how many I face.

What did your intelligence report say the Yank army had before the battle? I'll be lucky to have 46,000 men at Stone's River.

I bring 5 artillery brigades to Corinth and blast the yanks to a loss of 11,234 men and 50 guns to my casualties of 2,947 men and 1 gun lost. The guns were brought to keep down casualties and get experience for the coming Grand Battle of Fredericksburg. Corinth: Things get a little crazy in this battle, but I am able to bring it under control and hammer the Blue Bellies for 13,586 men and 41 guns lost to my 3,799 casualties. The 24 pound howitzer did great work... Prairie Grove: My poor little army of 45,000 faces off against 115,000 Yankees. The bloodiest day of my campaign sees me losing 12,469 men, 12 guns and my 2 small cavalry brigades. The Union takes it in the face though with 49,981 losses and 27 guns. Three of my batteries receive a third star, still, the Yankees keep cranking out men and units as I struggle to keep my army viable. Fredericksburg: Almost certainly will be buying men for Stone's River...

Agreed. At Fredericksburg you are going to fight 100,000 men no matter what you do. So yes indeed, the question is... how many at Stones River?

Here are my battle results... I'll post the videos of Corinth, Prairie Grove and Fredericksburg tomorrow. CSA Campaign Losses Battle CSA Losses USA Losses USA Missing+ Potomac Fort 2,466/05 5,337/11 846 Newport News 1,652/02 4,925/00 0 1st Bull Run* 7,500/12 23,909/42 2,957 Ambush Convoy 283/00 1,870/00 308 Stay Alert 4,085/00 14,769/27 1,419 Shiloh* 9,471/05 28,449/62 0 1st Winchester 3,759/01 12,151/24 553 Cross Keys 3,690/01 15,149/00 0 Port Republic 2,769/00 11,451/50 1,069 Gaines Mill* 5,626/02 13,063/64 237 Malvern Hill* 12,467/10 32,040/104 1,190 Cedar Mountain 6,849/03 22,716/48 120 Manassas Depot 5,118/00 7,824/02 327 2nd Bull Run* 10,337/01 43,360/102 1,482 Chantilly 5,938/05 18,166/14 111 Weapons Factory 2,010/00 8,526/55 0 Antietam* 19,833/14 61,975/122 759 Corinth 2,947/01 11,234/50 0 Prairie Grove 3,799/00 13,586/41 0 Fredericksburg* 12,469/12 49,981/27 120 Totals 120,121/74 400,480/553 11,498 K/D Ratio: 3.33 # = men/guns + = included in loss numbers * = Grand Battle

So... I've fought up to Fredericksburg and my poor army of 45,000 men were attacked by 105,000 Blue Bellies. We won the battle, but I'm having to buy men to keep it at that level. I'm winning at 3 or 4 to 1, but I just can't seem to get more than 45,000 men. Money is not a problem though and my folks are steadily increasing in proficiency. Dunno, could be approaching the end of my campaign... We'll see at Stones River.

Given the strength of the 2 armies at Stone's River, I think you are still competitive. Keep at it and don't stop until you can't go any further. You learn very quickly that way.

Col Kelly's strategy of cutting the Union line at it's center is certainly superb. What you do afterwards is what is important.

Well done! Don't worry about the size of your army so much. Worry about the size of their army. You have to keep beating them with a stick to keep their numbers down or eventually they will just overwhelm you.