tactics help

[dougbiv29]

great game but Im having a bit of trouble getting my troops to stay in one place for longer than it takes to fire one volley(usually they fire one volley and run) 

Need tips/advice please (can be emailed to dougbiv@gmail.com) thanks. happy 4th   

[N.C.rebel]

Happy 4th to you as well, I like to strike the weakest point of the Yankee lines and exploit it, I also while doing that will strike a flank to kinda as a diversion, so they can divert troops to the diversion then strike where weak, works pretty good for me but not always. Also secure high ground as much as possible!! Goodluck have fun!!

[R.E.B.Blunt]

great game but Im having a bit of trouble getting my troops to stay in one place for longer than it takes to fire one volley(usually they fire one volley and run) 

Need tips/advice please (can be emailed to dougbiv@gmail.com) thanks. happy 4th   

 

  If you are having problems getting your brigade to stay in one place, then its because you are overlapping brigades one on top of the other. Try spreading your brigades out farther apart. Your Brigades do not like being stacked so close.They do not like even touching a little bit. If you have no choice and you want your brigade to not run if they are stacked on top of each other then you need to click the HOLD button. Warning though if a Brigade is in Hold and they fight to both Morale and Organizational exhaustion then it is really hard for them to regain strength to fight again. The Fallback is just as important as the hold. Do not be afraid to use it.

 

  You do not need to have all your troops on the firing line. I know we all want as much damage given as fast as possible and you think the more brigades you have on line the more they can fire, but that does not work. Instead try keeping some brigades behind your line. Place the Brigade battle line at the base of the hill and then put another brigade behind on top of the hill that way you can have one fire over the heads of the other brigade. This works for two reasons one you can have two brigades fire at once and second reason so you have a fall back brigade if your line routs. You also always need reinforcements when one brigade wants to rout away you can fill the gap with your reserve or fall back your battle line.

 

Hope this helps you.

[David Fair]

Dougbiv29, it looks like your question is regarding the Union given their lower morale.

Here are a couple of thoughts for playing:

• Maximum zoom out is helpful is seeing more of the field of battle.

• My forces remain concentrated on key positions with heavy cover (>60% minimum).

• I don’t do much shifting of the screen especially in the smaller Phases.

• The only way to preserve your artillery morale is to set them on “canister”.

• When you are resting your artillery keep them on the reverse slopes.

• Use officers to scout enemy activity. Well-placed officers do the job that the Union videttes should be doing in UGG. The Union enjoyed a significant intelligence advantage at Gettysburg. This is lost in the vidette implementation in UGG.

• Use skirmishers for flank attacks. Fix the front of the CSA divisions with one of your brigades. Fall back and the AI will follow the brigade which will expose one or both flanks to your other brigades or Calef's canister.

• “Fallback” is my most frequent command for the Union defense. You want your troops in cover and in front of VP locations supported by artillery. When the artillery fires hit “fallback” to protect the guns from infantry charges. Once the artillery is withdrawn you can hit “fallback” on your front line infantry divisions until they are behind your reserves. The combination of canister, infantry fire, and then the fresh infantry reserves will usually shatter any attacks. When the AI retreats you can reclaim any lost ground and reposition your artillery to support the front lines. The point is to use "cover" to your advantage by shattering the attacker's morale so they can't hold any gains they make when you "fallback".

Thoughts for playing the Union:

Strategic Summary for July 1

Phase 1.

My goal in the early phases is to inflict at least equal CSA casualties. I don’t worry too much about VP’s, winning a phase, or eliminating the CSA artillery. Once the CSA infantry exhausts itself in attacks you can usually eliminate almost all of the CSA artillery in Phase 3 or Phase 4.

Set Calef’s Battery to “canister”.

Move Gamble’s skirmishers into the heavy cover directly in front of Archer’s Brigade.

When Gamble's skirmishers are pressured fire and fallback. Hopefully the AI will charge Gamble's skirmishers.

Keep falling back baiting Archer forward. The goal is to bait Archer into range for Calef’s canister fire.

You have more units than the CSA so keep your skirmishers firing into the flanks of the CSA divisions. The combination of canister and flanks should drain the morale from the CSA divisions.

Devin’s Videttes I leave on Oak Hill on the edge of the heavy cover. My goal is to force the CSA to move troops to this location. This takes time off the clock and diverts key CSA resources north to the 250 VP location. By giving up Oak Hill you usually secure Oak Ridge and Seminary Ridge.

Gamble’s Videttes I leave on the ridges to the south of Herr’s Ridge. The goal is to attract CSA artillery fire. By diverting these CSA guns you give your infantry a better chance of holding the Seminary Ridge and Oak Ridge VP locations. Note – my view is the AI is wasting resources by firing at videttes. I’m not sure why the AI is programmed to target videttes and skirmishers when this leads them to becoming exhausted when you really need them in later phases. No Civil War commander would have allowed precious artillery ammunition to be wasted this senselessly.

Put the I Corps 1st Division on Oak Ridge. The other I Corps Divisions can hold the Seminary Ridge line as they arrive.

Get the artillery set on canister and move them forward. You want artillery deployed in line between each infantry division. As soon as they fire hit “fallback” if the CSA division is not shattered. This will protect the guns from infantry charges.

Phase 2.

If you defend the northern ridges then the AI always sends Ewell’s II Corps to take Oak Ridge and Seminary Ridge from the rear. Union XII Corps is then positioned on the left flank of Ewell as his Corps moves across the north of Gettysburg near Blocher’s Knoll.

Again in this Phase focus on defending from heavy cover. The goal is to inflict at least equal casualties. Typically I get a multiplier of 1.5 to 2 times in KIA against the CSA in these early phases. Again don’t worry about VP’s. VP’s are a red herring in my opinion. The point is to exhaust the ANV and wear them out so you can counterattack in the later phases.

In my mind this is where the AI loses the battle for the CSA. The AI programming is predictable and sad in this phase. Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill can be taken relatively easily in this Phase. But instead of taking the high ground to the south of Gettysburg quickly and easily the AI exposes its flank to Union XII Corps by marching to Oak Ridge.

If the CSA were programmed to take Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill first then attack Union I and XII Corps from the rear then Seminary Ridge and Oak Hill fall to the CSA with much lower casualties.

You should be able as the Union to exploit this strategic defect in the AI programming for Ewell’s II Corps. XII Corps should be able to delay Ewell in his move to Oak Ridge and Seminary Ridge.

As the Union I usually leave one of the XII Corps 3rd Divisions on Culp’s Hill and another on Cemetery Hill as reserves. If I have battered brigades and artillery I’ll rotate the beaten divisions onto these locations and use XII Corps 3rd Division to plug gaps in my lines.

Phase 3.

The CSA artillery should now have much lower morale. They exhaust their morale and condition shooting at videttes and skirmishers at long-range in Phase 1 & Phase 2. Strategically this is brain-dead AI programming IMHO to have artillery destroying their morale by firing long-range at skirmishers and videttes.

The CSA infantry will attack again and you should be able to shred their attacks with canister from artillery and then “falling back” as described above.

Strategic Summary for July 2

Phase 4.

The CSA usually begins by attacking again. Let them come while you sit on heavy cover supported with artillery.

By this phase the CSA will be out of gas. As new troops arrive you should be able to take the CSA in the flanks and rear. It is not unusual to destroy 60 to 80 of the CSA guns in this phase. You don’t need to charge the guns; just move close to them with an infantry division and they will start to melt with their lower morale.

I’m usually able to take Seminary Ridge, Oak Ridge and Herr’s Ridge in this phase. The game is frequently over by 10:00 am with the ANV out of infantry and unable to protect their guns.

In my experience I've never had a campaign (north or south) that goes beyond about 3:00 pm on July 2. The AI has usually wasted and shattered the army’s resources. In my opinion the AI is too VP focused. This leads to predictable straight-line tactics to capture VP locations which are really easy to shatter with a bit of practice.

I hope this helps.