So I'm pretty new to the series. Playing on normal difficulty I was able to win a victory in scenario #1 as CSA. I went to scenario #2 and held my own for a while but ultimately got routed. Started by telling all 3 infantry brigades to advance 300 yds at which point they were in the fight. I saw pretty quickly that I was about to get flanked in the woods on the right so I threw my reserve brigade in to shore up the right. In the meantime my left flank was making headware and pushed back the first wave of rebels. Ultimately though more rebels joined the fight and my left eventually wore out and got routed. At that point they wheeled on my right flank and the batlle was over. Suggestions? It seemed like I was totally outnumbered which made it pretty difficult to flank anyone. I guess I could have initially pulled back to the nearby hilltop and tried to defend that position.
I've been trying to use the courier system rather than micromanage my brigades and I was a little confused on the commands. During the division tutorial when I asked one of the commanders to take up position on the left flank of so and so, he started that way but left his regiments behind. Maybe they were going to eventually move but I didn't have the patience to wait for that to happen and took control.
Chancellorsville #2
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Little Powell
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Re: Chancellorsville #2
Ok so no one is going to help out here? I guess I'll have to chime in.. Sigh.. :laugh:
I can see how this one would be tough with couriers. Well, any scenario is going to be a lot tougher with couriers. However, it may not be as hard as you're making it. Couple of pointers below:
Hope this helps. And keep us updated on your progress. 
I can see how this one would be tough with couriers. Well, any scenario is going to be a lot tougher with couriers. However, it may not be as hard as you're making it. Couple of pointers below:
SPOILER: SHOW
Re: Chancellorsville #2
When you tell a general to move anywhere using the courier system, you need to specify a formation for his command to get the troops to move too. So the order sequence would be 'general X, move to my left flank, form your brigade into a line'. Then they all should start moving.I've been trying to use the courier system rather than micromanage my brigades and I was a little confused on the commands. During the division tutorial when I asked one of the commanders to take up position on the left flank of so and so, he started that way but left his regiments behind. Maybe they were going to eventually move but I didn't have the patience to wait for that to happen and took control.
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BostonatLast
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Re: Chancellorsville #2
I have played Scenario #2 three times. The first two were disasters in that I could not withdraw infantry and artillery in an orderly fashion once they became engaged with the enemy ( a no doubt realistic thing but still troubling). So the last time I simply moved Gibbs arty into reserve immediately down the road at the McGhee farm. Since second Bde was already engaged I formed a line behind it with first brigade (Ayers) and kept O'Rourke's Bde (third brigade) in reserve on my left.
Ayers decided to support 2nd Brigade as the rebs came up on my right and I had a heck of a time getting him to finally fall back to the reserve line. I could never get 2nd Brigade to follow any courier orders (I worked the battle almost wholly with the courier system) and the brigade was pretty much destroyed in detail as the other two bde's formed the second line. I was able to leapfrog these two back toward the farm. I didn't wait for the dispatch since I new it was coming and the pressure was being applied to my front and left flank. Had much difficulty getting the other arty to move by courier and finally had to direct the gun sections myself (after which the battery commander decided to finally follow them).
By the end of the game I only had Ayers Bde intact and Gibbs arty and a regiment or two left from O'Rourke's Bde. One small squad finally arrived as a remnant of 2nd Bde. Anyway I was able to manage an "Inconclusive Fight" which after having my you know what handed to me the first two time seemed like a victory of sorts.
Ayers decided to support 2nd Brigade as the rebs came up on my right and I had a heck of a time getting him to finally fall back to the reserve line. I could never get 2nd Brigade to follow any courier orders (I worked the battle almost wholly with the courier system) and the brigade was pretty much destroyed in detail as the other two bde's formed the second line. I was able to leapfrog these two back toward the farm. I didn't wait for the dispatch since I new it was coming and the pressure was being applied to my front and left flank. Had much difficulty getting the other arty to move by courier and finally had to direct the gun sections myself (after which the battery commander decided to finally follow them).
By the end of the game I only had Ayers Bde intact and Gibbs arty and a regiment or two left from O'Rourke's Bde. One small squad finally arrived as a remnant of 2nd Bde. Anyway I was able to manage an "Inconclusive Fight" which after having my you know what handed to me the first two time seemed like a victory of sorts.
Re: Chancellorsville #2
I gave this one a shot with HITS and couriers. I had a similar experience to the posters above: held my own for a while before being flanked.
One needs 3000 points to get a major victory and I was above 3000 with about 18 minutes to go, but the Rebs had completely cut-off my retreat and had virtually surrounded me.
Initially, my two brigades of regulars were doing a terrific job with Aryes on the left and Burbank on the right. Aryes' 1st Brigade had actually driven the Rebs back and Burbank's 2nd kept the victory location racking-up points for George Sykes. Meanwhile, both my batteries were banging away in support of Aryes. Yet, eventually the Rebels started worming their way around Burbank's right and slowly rolling it up. (Sidney Burbank isn't much of a commander, but his regulars are TOUGH!) So, I ordered in Paddy O'Rorke and his reserve volunteer brigade to protect Burbank's right. Two of O'Rorke's three regiments are really raw, but O'Rorke is a fantastic commander with extremely high leadership stats.
It appeared O'Rorke was working magic. Due to the dense woods, I couldn't see what he was doing, but checking the OOB showed all three of his regiments with positive scores meaning they were inflicting serious damage. I was thinking that with Aryes and the artillery holding decently on the left and O'Rorke saving the right then I'd be able to pull myself out when the fallback order came. But then I looked behind me and saw an entire brigade of Rebels take-up position on the Plank Road blocking me. They had whipped around well beyond my right. Now, they were threatening my artillery and my escape route.
I ordered Aryes to clear them, but his brigade was in no real condition to do such a job by itself. Burbank's brigade was in even worse shape. So, I turned to O'Rorke hoping that he had battered the Rebs to his front enough to allow him to disengage and then attack the obstructing Rebel brigade. I was thinking a two prong pincer attack from the left and right with Aryes and O'Rorke might do the trick.
However, I was dead wrong about the Rebels that O'Rorke was already dealing with. They weren't cowed, but instead were being heavily reinforced. The result of my not knowing what was going on due to the woods and my ill-timed disengagement order led to a disaster. Within minutes all three of O'Rorke's regiments were routed and Paddy O'Rorke's life ended two months before it really did.
With Aryes' and Burbank's units near their ends and the Rebs moving on my soon to be unsupported artillery, I saw there was no escape for the 2nd Division. Rather than watching my batteries being overrun and my beleaguered regiments being routed and surrendering, I called it a day.
One minor issue: the game's portrait of George Sykes isn't of him, but appears to be Alexander Hays.
One needs 3000 points to get a major victory and I was above 3000 with about 18 minutes to go, but the Rebs had completely cut-off my retreat and had virtually surrounded me.
Initially, my two brigades of regulars were doing a terrific job with Aryes on the left and Burbank on the right. Aryes' 1st Brigade had actually driven the Rebs back and Burbank's 2nd kept the victory location racking-up points for George Sykes. Meanwhile, both my batteries were banging away in support of Aryes. Yet, eventually the Rebels started worming their way around Burbank's right and slowly rolling it up. (Sidney Burbank isn't much of a commander, but his regulars are TOUGH!) So, I ordered in Paddy O'Rorke and his reserve volunteer brigade to protect Burbank's right. Two of O'Rorke's three regiments are really raw, but O'Rorke is a fantastic commander with extremely high leadership stats.
It appeared O'Rorke was working magic. Due to the dense woods, I couldn't see what he was doing, but checking the OOB showed all three of his regiments with positive scores meaning they were inflicting serious damage. I was thinking that with Aryes and the artillery holding decently on the left and O'Rorke saving the right then I'd be able to pull myself out when the fallback order came. But then I looked behind me and saw an entire brigade of Rebels take-up position on the Plank Road blocking me. They had whipped around well beyond my right. Now, they were threatening my artillery and my escape route.
I ordered Aryes to clear them, but his brigade was in no real condition to do such a job by itself. Burbank's brigade was in even worse shape. So, I turned to O'Rorke hoping that he had battered the Rebs to his front enough to allow him to disengage and then attack the obstructing Rebel brigade. I was thinking a two prong pincer attack from the left and right with Aryes and O'Rorke might do the trick.
However, I was dead wrong about the Rebels that O'Rorke was already dealing with. They weren't cowed, but instead were being heavily reinforced. The result of my not knowing what was going on due to the woods and my ill-timed disengagement order led to a disaster. Within minutes all three of O'Rorke's regiments were routed and Paddy O'Rorke's life ended two months before it really did.
With Aryes' and Burbank's units near their ends and the Rebs moving on my soon to be unsupported artillery, I saw there was no escape for the 2nd Division. Rather than watching my batteries being overrun and my beleaguered regiments being routed and surrendering, I called it a day.
One minor issue: the game's portrait of George Sykes isn't of him, but appears to be Alexander Hays.
Last edited by mkeogh76 on Sun May 10, 2015 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.