Scourge of War Boards

After several more bloody tries, I decided to use the easiest oob imaginable: Pickett's Division on Day Three versus Caldwell's tiny Day Three Division. I played as General Pickett.

After slowly advancing towards the location the enemy was known to be in, I discovered their position. I deployed my troops in safe, hidden positions and ordered up artillery to Little Round Top to see the enemy's response. They quickly retired behind a creek (undoubtedly knowing they were outnumbered), leaving their artillery in the open without support. I quickly ordered an attack with two brigades to snatch the artillery. Although taking numerous casualties, my boys drove forward into the enemy cannon line. After I took the cannon, the enemy attacked my forces in two brigade strength. This was quickly stalled, and I brought up a battery to reinforce the center, which I deemed was weak. As I expected, the enemy attacked up the center, which was beaten by the suprisingly coordinated brigade commanders and my just positioned cannon. My brigades continued forward as I attempted to get my third brigade into a good attacking position. After defeating the enemy's reserve brigade, which undoubtedly moved forward to prevent the decimation of the rest of the line, I called the battle.

I had a suprisingly good time in this HITS battle. I destroyed the enemy forces, giving out 1250 casualties and taking about 850.

If I used my imagination a little, I found that I fought like my 19th Century comrades (at least I think). I started on the right flank of my line, ordering a battery and a brigade forward to secure Little Round Top, then rode off to the left flank to order a brigade forward. Riding back to the right, I noticed that the enemy had left their artillery unsupported, so I ordered my right flank brigade to attack. After making sure that they were heading in the right direction, I moved to the left flank to coordinate the attack.

After I arrived on the left flank, I waited until I saw my lead brigade get into action, then I sent a brigade in. I wandered back to my reserve area to fetch a battery for support on the left, and ordered them forward. Then, I rode back to the right flank, noting my troops condition as they pressed into the main body of the infantry. Determining that they were weakest in the center, I ordered a battery from the reserve to fill the gap in.

As I expected, the enemy charged a brigade up the gap, which was stalled by the artillery and defeated by my pincering brigades (which I didn't even order...way to go brigade commanders!). Had they charged 5 minutes earlier, the battle might have been a little more interested.

After made sure my battery moved into the correct place, I rode to my reserve brigade to try to put them in a good attacking position. I told the commander where to go, then rode back to the main line, trying to determine when to bring up my last battery. When the enemy was finally pushed across the creek to my front and looking ready to break, I ordered my fourth battery forward to bombard the retreating troops. A half-determined counter-attack was checked by one brigade while the other continued forward.

After determining to not use my reserve brigade in the fight, I lead a few charges to destroy any remaining resistance. The battle was over, a nice victory on my behalf.

In this battle, I learned a few important lessons:
Most importantly, wait until the enemy gives you an oppurtunity to exploit. Although in the future, I hope to be able to create my own oppurtunities, as a beginner at HITS & Couriers, I need to wait until the enemy makes a mistake. Secondly, ride the line of battle to get a feel for how the action is going. If you don't know where your troops are weak, you won't be able to stop a breakthrough. Thirdly, use the courier system to its full extent. If there is a location or house you can send a commander to, tell them to go there. But if you need to move them to a specific ridge or field or woods, you need to send a courier to the commander, then gallop to the location before the courier reaches the commander, and move away only when you are sure the commander is coming. Finally, unless there is an urgent need for a brigade commander to bring up their troops, give them orders and an objective. The AI commander may or may not scout ahead, but then bring up his troops in accordance with the situation. This is a great tool: because a commander will leave his troops in the rear if he notes artillery and cannot see his own supporting artillery, but once given orders to attack, he will bring up the troops in a logical fashion. Although it may take a bit longer to engage, the attack undoubtedly fares better when the commander knows the ground. Of course, never just give an objective without the move orders for either artillery or when you need the troops to move to a position quickly.

Perhaps Norb would impliment a shouting distance limit to noting the moral, fatigue, casualties, and points of a regiment. It was far too easy to just click on individual regiments to figure out where the breakthough might occur than it should have been to an actual commander.

Most importantly, wait until the enemy gives you an oppurtunity to exploit.

Great post - I can almost imagine being there. I bet it would have been just like that:)

And this is a good point - something I am guilty of far too often. I always feel that I need to take the offensive unless I'm playing a defend sandbox. Probably comes out of habit playing against bad AI over the years.

Hancock wrote:

as a beginner at HITS & Couriers, I need to wait until the enemy makes a mistake.

...and as an experienced player too.
A belated congratulations on your victory. This AAR is quite a contrast to your previous one. You did indeed find the key points needed to successfully fight a 19th century battle, the most important being to continuously ride along the line and watch the battle. You also executed the hardest part of the division commander's job, namely, let the brigade commanders fight the battle. As long as they are given an objective and enough space in which to deploy, (they need a lot with version 1.4), they will do a creditable job. Again, well done.

Thank you for your tips MTG. I never thought to compare the two AARs.

nice post