CV#4 Fire at the Furnace

[BostonatLast]

Okay I give up on this one. I have made several attempts to make this work for the Union commander and cannot get out of the minus point scoring. I have played it set to custom with couriers at Bde level and above. The trouble begins almost immediately getting Birney's division formed up to take the crossroads objective. Two of his brigades are in trail (Ward and Elysman) and take forever to reach the division start point. I have been posting Hiram's two sharpshooter units to the left of the Union line (looking south to the crossroads) to hold up Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry until Birney can form up. The left side of Birney's line seems to always hang up on the cavalry and by the time the division gets to the crossroads the jig is up and the confederates are deploying in force and taking it back. And there really is no one else to send in until Williams' division gets up and deploys. All this time you are trying to save something for the counterattack which is horrendous and must be endured for an eternity. Barlow and Whipple are simply not up to holding off the flank attacks that the confederates can mount.

So I can stop Jackson from making the run in front of III Corps and force him to fight at the ridge but I am outnumbered two to one in that fight. There is a ton of arty on the union side but the Division commanders do not seem to employ it up front. I admit to TCing any arty unit that gets close to Sickles but the real force of all those guns is never brought to bear in the courier system.

I am open for advice on this one.

[RebBugler]

Well, no advice regarding courier play, but maybe this will help. The first half is pretty much the same scripting, up to the second objective being set. So, if you don't have at least half your points to win, your odds are poor for a decent final score. For, once the second objective kicks in, one of six variants kicks in...and they ALL script a Jackson corps offensive, the easiest variant just giving orders - blitz, All Out Attack.

A way I found to win the first half was to cut off the troop movements from the east, at least 500 yards before the first objective. Then let as many troops pass the first objective as deemed necessary to take it, then pounce on it, the sooner the better because it awards HOLD points.

You're probably breaking new ground here, not many folks take on these Grog scenarios via courier play...GOOD LUCK SIR. :cheer:

And Welcome...