1862 Trent War Strategy Guide by Ryan O’Shea Table of Contents Introduction..........................................................................................................................2 Reference Maps & Abbreviations.........................................................................................3 If You’ve Played Strategic Command Before…..................................................................6 Victory Conditions and Fighting Spirit.................................................................................8 Goals for 1862....................................................................................................................10 Diplomatic Rules................................................................................................................11 European Diplomacy and Intervention...............................................................................14 Mexico................................................................................................................................18 The Southern Blockade.......................................................................................................22 General Union Strategy......................................................................................................25 General Confederate Strategy.............................................................................................30 Other Strategy Tips & Game Notes....................................................................................33 Decision Events – Rule Variants.........................................................................................35 Other Decision Events........................................................................................................36 Fighting Spirit Event Values...............................................................................................42 European Mobilization City Locations...............................................................................47 Strategic Advice Popups.....................................................................................................48 Introduction In November 1861, the USS San Jacinto intercepted the British mail ship RMS Trent, which was carrying two Confederate diplomats as it sailed for Europe, sparking perhaps the most serious diplomatic incident in the Civil War. The Confederacy’s leaders knew that their best hope of victory lay in formal diplomatic recognition by a European great power. Great Britain was the subject of their greatest interest, with the British already having fought two wars with the United States, and American jingoism during the Oregon dispute of the 1840s still cast a long (if fading) shadow over their diplomatic relations. Trent was that opportunity they had been waiting for: British honor had been insulted, and Lord Palmerston’s government was now demanding an apology and the release of the diplomats. Historically, after a tense diplomatic standoff lasting almost two months, the crisis was resolved by President Lincoln releasing the captured diplomats, while refusing to apologize for the incident, which Palmerston and his government found to be satisfactory. What if things happened differently? 1862 Trent War allows you to play out an alternate history of the American Civil War, in which the Trent incident explodes into war at the beginning of 1862. Faced with the threat of British soldiers operating out of Canada, Lincoln orders thousands of troops to be diverted from the upcoming Mississippi River campaign, sending them to Vermont where they will be joined by new volunteers to form the Army of the North under General Henry Halleck. Currently encamped less than sixty miles from Montreal, it remains to be seen whether this army will herald the beginning of an invasion of Canada, or whether the Union’s focus will remain the defeat of the Confederacy. The British too find themselves engaged in a war for which they are not fully prepared. Just 5,000 regular British troops (plus a similar number of poorly-trained Canadian militia) held the colony at the outset of the crisis, while an invading American force could easily reach ten times that number. Facing war, Palmerston has ordered a great reinforcement of regulars, placed under the command of Sir William Codrington, a distinguished veteran of the Crimean War. At the end of February, these new units have arrived in Quebec City, although even 50,000 of Her Majesty’s finest may not be sufficient for what is sure to be a long and bloody conflict with the United States. Reference Maps & Abbreviations United States of America AL Alabama AK Alaska AZ Arizona1 AR Arkansas CA California CO Colorado CT Connecticut DE Delaware DC District of Columbia FL Florida GA Georgia HI Hawaii ID Idaho IL IN Indiana IA Iowa KS Kansas KY Kentucky LA Louisiana ME Maine MD Maryland MA Massachusetts MI Michigan MN Minnesota MS Mississippi MO Missouri MT Montana NE Nebraska NV Nevada NH New Hampshire NJ NM New Mexico NY New York ND North Dakota OH Ohio OR Oregon PA Pennsylvania SC South Carolina SD South Dakota3 TN Tennessee TX Texas UT Utah VT Vermont VA Virginia WA Washington (state) WV West Virginia WI Wisconsin WY Wyoming New Jersey NC North Carolina OK Oklahoma RI 2 Rhode Island Illinois 1 During the period of the Civil War, the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico were part of one territory, the New Mexico Territory, and are marked as such on the map. All settlements shown on the map are a part of the modern New Mexico state. 2 Oklahoma was known as the Indian Territory during the 1860s, and is marked as such on the map. All resources within its boundaries are marked with the ‘OK’ state code. 3 Until 1889, both North and South Dakota were part of one territory, the Dakota Territory. All settlements shown on the map within the territorial borders are part of modern South Dakota, and have been marked with the ‘SD’ state code. Mexico AG Aguascalientes BA Baja California CS Chiapas CH Chihuahua CU Coahuila CL Colima DF Distrito Federal DG Durango GT Guanajuato GR Guerrero JA Jalisco MX Mexico MH Michoacan NL Nuevo Leon OA Oaxaca PU Puebla QT Queretaro SL San Luis Potosi SI SO Sonora TB Tabasco TM Tamaulipas TL Tlaxcala VE Veracruz YU Yucatan ZA Zacatecas Sinaloa Other BH Bahamas BE Belize BM Bermuda CB Cuba DR Dominican Republic 1 GU Guatemala HA Haiti HBC HBC Trading Posts JM Jamaica LE NB New Brunswick NS Nova Scotia PR Puerto Rico QC Quebec Lesser Antilles ON Ontario2 1 HBC refers to the Hudson’s Bay Company, which controlled much of Canada until 1870. Ontario and Quebec are referred to on the map by their old names, ‘Upper Canada’ and ‘Lower Canada’ respectively. The modern state codes are used for all non-HBC settlements. 2 If You’ve Played Strategic Command Before… To better reflect the different realities of warfare in the 19th century as opposed to the 20th, a number of basic game rules have been altered in American Civil War from previous entries in the Strategic Command series. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and will not cover any mechanics new to the series in American Civil War, it should provide a quick summary for veterans of the series. Land spotting is now 1 for most infantry units (was 2) It is strongly recommended that cavalry or balloons, or infantry equipped with the Scouts upgrade, are included in your army when you attempt offensive operations. Newly purchased units can only be deployed at cities, major cities, and capitals. The American Civil War map has fewer railroads and will only allow you to deploy units near the large cities. Make sure you plan ahead! Prepared Attack bonus is now 40% for all units (was 25 or 30%) If your unit is adjacent to an enemy, and you attack without first moving, your units will enjoy a greater “prepared attack” bonus. Equally, in American Civil War it is much more dangerous for your units to end their turn adjacent to an enemy. Hidden Attack bonus is now 15% for all units (was 25%) The combat bonus applied to units when they “ambush” an enemy has been reduced somewhat. This does not mean that proper reconnaissance should be neglected! HQs with no upgrades can now attach units up to 3 hexes away (was 5) This can be increased with investment in Field Telegraph technology. HQs with rating 8 or above now increase the Prepared Attack bonus of units they command by +10% These extremely skilled commanders will have an orange highlight, and their on-map name label will be written in yellow, to help you distinguish them from other HQs. HQ ratings can be improved with Leadership technology. Retreat chances have been greatly increased, up to 75% for units on open ground, 50% in towns, and 30% for larger cities. Requirements for triggering a retreat remain the same as in previous titles: a unit will retreat if it is damaged to below strength 5, and has zero entrenchment. Maximum entrenchment in most terrain has been reduced. In American Civil War, the limit is 2 for clear, forest, hills, towns, cities and capitals; 3 in mountains; 4 in high mountains; 6 in fortresses; 8 in major fortresses. Defensive bonuses for units in towns, cities and capitals have also been reduced. Rail Movement (formerly “Operational Movement”) now costs 20% of a unit’s MPP cost (was 10%) This can be reduced with investment into Logistics technology. Artillery now targets units in Resources Civil War battles were rarely fought within the urban limits of cities, so there will be a 100% chance of hitting a unit in a resource (though not necessarily a guarantee of damaging it), for all types of artillery units. Siege Artillery, specifically designed to attack units in large fortifications, also receives a +1 de-entrenchment bonus when it targets units in resources. HQs can no longer be rebuilt with defeated generals When an HQ unit is destroyed, you will not be able to rebuild the same HQ unit that was lost, as the commanding general is assumed to have died in battle (for instance, if the Jackson HQ is destroyed, Stonewall will not appear in the purchase list). Another HQ unit may be built under a new general’s command. Units now have 2 APs after disembarking from regular and amphibious transports (was 1) Moves made in the turn that the unit was unloaded will also be exempt from the usual movement restrictions caused by difficult terrain. This will give you greater flexibility when conducting amphibious campaigns, making control of the sea more important than ever! Victory Conditions and Fighting Spirit The campaign’s victory conditions are as follows: Union Major Victory Confederacy has surrendered or their Fighting Spirit is below 10% Confederate Major Victory Union has surrendered or their Fighting Spirit is below 10% Otherwise, victory is determined based on territory controlled on December 30, 1865: Union Minor Victory Washington DC, (any three of Richmond VA, Charleston SC, Atlanta GA, Montgomery AL, New Orleans LA) Confederate Minor Victory Any three of Richmond VA, Charleston SC, Atlanta GA, Montgomery AL, New Orleans LA *** As indicated by the victory conditions, Fighting Spirit (“National Morale” in previous Strategic Command games) will be vitally important in determining whether your campaign ends in victory or defeat. In American Civil War, there are seven significant ways in which Fighting Spirit is gained or lost: When a unit suffers losses or is destroyed, Fighting Spirit will be lost by its owner (or in the case of minor nations, the corresponding major nation), equal to the MPP value of the lost strength points. For instance, if a Division (cost 300 MPPs) loses one strength point, its owner will lose 30 Fighting Spirit points. At the end of every turn, if an enemy controls a resource belonging to a major nation (except for Mexico), the occupier will gain some Fighting Spirit, while the owner of that resource will lose an equal amount. Settlements are worth 2 points per turn, Towns 5, Fortified Towns 10, Cities/Capitals 25 and Major Cities/Major Capitals 50. For instance, the town of Alexandria VA is Confederate territory, but if it is occupied by the Union, the Union will gain 5 FS points a turn, and the Confederacy will lose 5 FS points a turn, until the Confederacy retakes the town. Some particularly important locations, such as Washington DC or Atlanta, are marked with a label ‘FS Objective’. If captured, these locations will greatly decrease their former owner’s Fighting Spirit (usually by between 2000-5000 points, although Richmond and other key locations are worth as much as 20,000 points). Should these locations be recaptured, their owners will receive a positive boost to their Fighting Spirit, usually worth 50% of the loss they suffered when it fell. Furthermore, some of the more valuable FS Objectives will also reward their conquerors with a Fighting Spirit bonus. Some decision events (for example, the Emancipation Proclamation) can impact Fighting Spirit. These effects will be listed when you are presented with the Decision Event (and are listed at the end of this strategy guide). If France or Spain enters the war, the Confederacy will receive a large increase in Fighting Spirit and the Union a large decrease. The penalty for the Union is greatly increased if the Union declares war on that European power. From May 30th, 1861, the Confederacy will receive 500 Fighting Spirit points each turn that they hold Richmond. Every turn, the Union will lose 200 Fighting Spirit points representing the effects of war weariness. Note that this will not apply to the Union AI on Intermediate difficulty and above. Owing to the huge distances that must be covered in order to capture all of the enemy’s capitals, the Civil War is very likely to be a war of attrition, and in many cases it will be better to focus on destroying the enemy army, with the capture of territory given only secondary importance: the losses from a particularly bloody turn of combat can do as much damage to the enemy’s Fighting Spirit in one turn as the occupation of a whole state would over an entire year! For the Confederate player, maintaining control of Richmond will be absolutely essential to victory: the 500 points it provides each turn will offset some of the territorial losses you are likely to face. Early in the game the bonus derived from Richmond will result in Confederate Fighting Spirit reaching a level much higher than the Union will enjoy at the same time (a peak at around 110% sometime in 1862 is not unusual), and this Fighting Spirit ‘buffer’ will be very important once the Union’s incredible industrial advantages mature in the latter half of the conflict. Even as the larger Union armies begin to push deep into the South, if you can inflict enough attrition the war can still be won outside the gates of Atlanta! Preventing the Confederates from accumulating too much Fighting Spirit will be of paramount importance for the Union: although the industrial disparity and greater manpower of the Union makes it likely that you will have a tremendous military advantage over the Confederates by 1864, if there have been no significant victories before then it is possible that the public will have already grown too tired of the war to accept the casualties that those final offensives will entail. Because the occupation of towns contributes to a change in Fighting Spirit every turn, every location you are able to capture early in the game will, over the course of the war, prove much more valuable in the long run than the capture of an even greater area much later in the game. Goals for 1862 The 1862 Trent War campaign begins in February 1862, with many of the war’s most consequential decisions already made. You will begin the game with many investments already made in technology, several units already in production, and many of the war’s neutral powers having chosen a side. However, the hard work of your historical predecessors will go to waste if you neglect your responsibilities as commander-in-chief, so we have provided these general tips to ensure you continue on the right track: Research While the “correct” research path that you should follow will ultimately depend on your overall strategy, four technologies in particular are extremely important and are deserving of special mention. Note that in American Civil War, every technology can be invested in with a maximum of two chits, and it is strongly recommended that areas of priority are given this maximum investment. Industrial Technology is arguably the most important technology in the entire game, increasing the MPPs received from controlled resources in a nation’s home territory by 10% per level. The Civil War will be a long war of attrition, and victory in the long run will depend on your ability to keep armies intact in the field. The Union will receive a greater increase in MPPs terms per level, owing to their larger industrial base, so research will allow them to best exploit their greatest advantage. For the Confederacy, industrial technology is a matter of survival: fall behind, and you will find yourself crushed under the weight of everlarger Union armies. Infantry Equipment will allow you to improve the attack and defense stats of your infantry, which are by far the most common units in the game. The impact of this technology increases as more powerful units take the field, which they will do in increasing numbers from 1862. Upgrades are worth +0.5 attack and defense to most infantry units, and +1 to corps. Corps Organization grants access to the most powerful unit in the game, the Corps. Each level allows you to build an additional four Corps units, and increases the Action Point (movement) limits of those Corps by one for every two levels researched. This represents the ability to create larger formations with the extra doctrines, training, communications and organization that forming Corps requires, especially in an army not used to operations on such a large scale. While the Corps is unlikely to play a decisive role in the war before around 1863, a late-game army composed of several Corps will have an enormous advantage over one using Divisions. Early and continual investment into Corps Organization is the only way to ensure that your forces are prepared for those decisive late-game battles. Production Technology reduces the cost of units by 5% per level (and as a result, decreases your Fighting Spirit losses from casualties by the same amount). Over the course of four years of war, this benefit will add up considerably. While the impact of production technology is less decisive than the other three technologies listed above, we still strongly advise early investment in this field to ensure its benefit is maximized. Caution is advised when making research decisions. While the Union does have a great advantage over the Confederacy owing to its larger research cap of 4000 MPPs (as opposed to the Confederates’ 3000), and later in the game should make as much use of this as possible, it is important not to invest so much in research early on at the expense of other priorities, especially unit production. Unit Builds The Union and Confederate armies have swelled dramatically in the ten months following Fort Sumter, but the war will not be won unless you make the maximum use of your available manpower. For the best chance of victory, continually recruiting new units to replace those lost in battle will be of the utmost importance. The cornerstone of your armies at this stage in the war will be the infantry Division unit. Compared with Brigades, Divisions have greatly increased offensive and defensive power, and can be upgraded with 4 levels of Infantry Equipment (as opposed to a brigade’s 2), meaning that over time the advantage they offer over Brigades will increase. Both the Union and Confederacy are able to build more than two dozen Divisions, and throughout the whole war it will always be a good idea to have as many as you can. Later in the game, the more powerful Corps unit will take over the roles previously given to Divisions, but these are not available in sufficient numbers in the early game to play anything more than a supporting role. As soon as they become available to purchase, you should aim to build as many Corps as possible to take full advantage of their great strength. Your armies will also require units capable of long-range reconnaissance if they wish to avoid repeated and costly ambushes. Cavalry is usually the best suited for this role, and can be purchased as both a Brigade and Division-sized unit from the beginning of the game. Alternatively, research into Experimental Balloons or Scouts will allow balloon and infantry units to serve in this capacity as well. If you wish to conduct the war at sea, production of Monitors and later Ironclads will be a very good idea, especially if begun early. Ironclad warships are almost invulnerable to older wooden-hulled ships, offering a tremendous combat advantage to the first side to use them. With the exception of gunboats, which are exceptional convoy raiders and should thus be built in large numbers by the Union, production of wooden warships such as Frigates is generally not advised due to their imminent obsolescence. In the rivers, the distinction between wooden and iron ships is far less pronounced, and river ships of all types offer a low-cost and mobile option to support your armies in the West. Diplomatic Rules Indian Tribes Native Americans, or “Indians” as the terminology of the day labeled them, fought in considerable numbers on both sides of the war, both in their own units and in Union and Confederate regiments. West of the Mississippi, where distinct native units were more common, nine tribes can play their part in the war as minor nations. Indian capitals provide their owners with the MPP value of a town instead of that of a city, owing to the smaller populations of the tribes. As the Indians did not have their own flags in this period, all tribes are represented by a plain orange banner. The Five Tribes of the Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma): the Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee and Seminole, as well as the Navajo of western New Mexico are already fighting on the side of the Confederacy at the time this campaign begins. The Osage of Kansas are fighting on the side of the Union. The Apache of southern New Mexico were hostile to both sides in the war, and will raid the towns of New Mexico regardless of who controls their capital of Fort Bowie (in reality, the Apaches had no ‘capital’ and lived nomadically, Fort Bowie was a Union fort built in 1862 to defend a nearby watering hole). With heavy diplomatic investment, they can be brought into the war upon reaching 100% mobilization, and will contribute two Indian units to that side. If the Union player chooses to send the California Column via the southern route (YES to DE 504), the Apaches will “surrender” to the Union in July 1862. The Pueblo maintained peaceful relations with the American government after the conclusion of the Mexican War, although they were in conflict with their Navajo neighbors. Historically, they played no role in the Civil War and are thus likely to remain neutral, but can join the war if they reach 100% mobilization. If Union diplomacy has allowed the Pueblo to reach at least 35% mobilization in favor of the Union, and the Navajo are in the war on the Confederate side, an event will push the Pueblo a further 40-50% towards the Union. Western Territories During this period, a large part of the western United States was still sparsely populated and played no significant role in the Civil War. These territories (which had not yet become states) are represented by neutral “nations” that cannot be occupied or invaded by either side due to the lack of sufficient infrastructure to support the armies. Each will send a convoy representing the fledgling economies of these regions to the Union, but will otherwise play no role in the game. Throughout the 1860s, the borders of these territories were redrawn several times. For clarity, the borders represented in the game are those from after 1868, which are identical to modern state borders with the exceptions of a united Dakota Territory (which was divided into two states in 1889), and a united New Mexico Territory (with the southern half marked with the Confederate claim of “Arizona”. Modern Arizona state, representing the western half of the united territory, would be almost entirely off-map). California, which in game is assumed to include the contributions of the neighboring state of Oregon as well, will contribute a large amount of MPPs to the Union each turn. This convoy will continue to run as long as Spain does not enter the war, and the Confederates do not capture Denver. Idaho, Montana and Utah Territories will each have a gold rush sometime after 1862. After each, they will send a moderate amount of MPPs to the Union each turn, provided the Confederates do not capture Denver. Kansas1, Wyoming, Dakota and Nebraska Territories will each send a small convoy to the Union each turn. 1 Kansas was granted statehood in January 1861. The Comanche, an Indian tribe that suffered huge population losses just before the Civil War, are given control of the less developed parts of Western Texas where they and other tribes lived. They function in a similar manner to the Western Territories, but have no MPP value to either the Union or Confederacy. External Powers Should circumstances allow it, a number of external powers can intervene in the United States’ Civil War. France and Spain are extremely powerful European major nations that may enter the war on the Confederate side, and the UK begins this campaign having already joined the war. Further European entry will require a great amount of diplomatic effort, but will radically alter the balance of the game if successful. Many different factors influence Europe’s entry, and these are explained in detail in the next section of this strategy guide. Mexico is a major nation that will enter the war on the Union side should France intervene on behalf of the Confederacy. Mexico’s economy is weak, but the Union can send aid to their ally via a convoy running from Denver to Paso del Norte once the Confederates have been evicted from New Mexico. The Mexican Empire is a minor nation that will join the war as a French minor if France intervenes on the Confederate side. They represent the Frenchbacked Imperial faction of the Mexican civil war (or French intervention) that was ongoing at this time, and are marginally more powerful than the Republic of Mexico that they are seeking to overthrow. At the campaign’s beginning, the Imperialists control only a small region of territory near Veracruz, however the borders of Mexico and the Mexican Empire will periodically change to reflect the changes of territorial control within Mexico. Chile supplied the Union with nitrates throughout the war, represented by a convoy route to Boston MA. They play no role in the game aside from this convoy. Haiti was a neutral nation that favored the Union. It is not possible to invest diplomatic chits in Haiti, nor is it possible to declare war on them. They can, however, enter the war on the Union side should Spain intervene on behalf of the Confederates. A convoy runs from Haiti to Newark, representing Haitian cotton sales to the Union. Cuba and the Dominican Republic are territories occupied by Spain. Should Spain enter the war, partisans may rise up in these territories. If their capitals are successfully liberated, convoys will begin sending MPPs to the Union. European Diplomacy and Intervention Throughout the Civil War, President Lincoln was burdened by the constant worry that one or more of the European Great Powers would extend diplomatic recognition to the Confederacy, an act that would be tantamount to a declaration of war against the United States. Great Britain, France and Spain were three of the world’s leading powers at this time, and their intervention would have drastically altered the balance and likely outcome of the Civil War. Should one of the European powers enter the war, they offer tremendous benefits to the Confederate player. All of their units are equipped with advanced technology and their generals have proven their leadership credentials (unlike the Americans, Britain, France and Spain all had large, professional armies, and the British and French have recently emerged from the Crimean War!). Their navies are large, powerful and modern, worthy of the globespanning empires that they patrol and represent. If that wasn’t enough, the sheer industrial might of a Great Power cannot be overstated. British intervention is a central part of the 1862 Trent War campaign, with the British beginning the campaign already an active nation on the Confederate side, however it remains possible in this campaign for the Confederates to influence France or Spain to also join the fight. Sponsors In the 1862 Trent War campaign, it is assumed that the UK was chosen as the Confederacy’s “sponsor”, and as they have already entered the war, the Confederacy will have no opportunity to receive “supply ships” that increase the mobilization of France or Spain. Furthermore, in this campaign the Confederacy will not benefit from the large MPP bonus provided by ‘King Cotton’ sales, as there has only been a short time between the Union’s announcement of a blockade and British entry in the war, meaning that the Confederacy cannot benefit from the higher cotton prices experienced during the later years of the Civil War as a result of the blockade. Bringing Europe In European mobilization can be increased by the following four factors: Distance of Union armies from Richmond If there are no Union units within four hexes of Richmond, there will be a 15% chance each turn of each European powers’ mobilization (note, not just your chosen sponsor) increasing by 1%. This chance increases with each additional hex’s distance that Union armies are from Richmond, up to a maximum of nine hexes (ie. the Potomac River). One particularly effective way to increase this chance is to capture Fort Monroe, which is located seven hexes away from Richmond. This bonus also requires the Confederacy to hold Richmond. Distance of Union armies from Nashville If there are no Union units within four hexes of Nashville, there will also be a 15% chance each turn of each European powers’ mobilization increasing by 1%, a chance that increases with distance up to a maximum of nine hexes. This bonus also requires the Confederacy to hold Nashville. Diplomatic Investment Traditional investment through the Diplomacy screen can be used to bring in European powers much like any other nation in the game. Investing a diplomatic chit in a European nation costs 200 MPPs, and will have a 3% chance each turn of increasing that nation’s mobilization by 7-10%. If you wish to bring a European power into the war, it is strongly recommended that you invest the maximum of five chits into that nation as soon as possible. European Recognition of the Confederacy When a European power reaches 75% mobilization, they will recognize the Confederacy as an independent nation. This will grant a one-time bonus 4-6% mobilization, as well as an increase of 1-4% every turn from that point until their eventual entry into the war. If that nation was chosen as the Confederacy’s sponsor, this is when the ‘King Cotton’ sales will begin, increasing the Confederacy’s income for the next ten turns. Keeping Europe Out The Union player has four effective ways to reduce European mobilisation: Prevent Confederate Gains In addition to bringing you closer to winning the war, opposing Confederate attempts to increase European intervention is the surest guarantee that the Great Powers will stay out. Strong advances against Richmond and Nashville aimed at bringing the front closer to these valuable cities (or better yet, capturing them), enforcing the blockade and diplomatic investment of your own will slow European mobilization to a standstill. Capture Large Cities and Ports The capture of various locations will reduce the mobilization of all three European powers by a considerable amount, from 5-10% for objectives of lesser importance to as much as 30% for Richmond. With the exception of New Mexico, all fronts have a range of locations that can impact European mobilization, including most City hexes, most ports and several other locations of strategic or historical importance. The cities that affect European mobilization are listed in the section ‘European Mobilization City Locations’ at the end of this strategy guide. Emancipation Proclamation This famous proclamation declaring all slaves in rebel-held territory free appears in the game as the decision event DE 513, and if you say YES to the decision then European mobilization will fall by 40-60%, enough to make their future entry almost impossible. The Emancipation Proclamation will only be offered after September 1862, if there are no Confederate units within five hexes of Washington DC. Emergency Diplomatic Mission If a European power’s mobilization reaches 60%, the Union player will be offered a “last chance” decision event that, if accepted, will reduce that power’s mobilization by 10-20% for a one-time cost of 500 MPPs. Though the cost is steep, it will buy some much-needed time for you to win the battlefield victories that will keep Europe out of the war. In addition, the Union player is encouraged in the strongest possible terms not to declare war on a European power, even if their eventual intervention looks inevitable. Union Fighting Spirit will fall by 10,000 points when a Great Power enters the war, but this penalty is doubled to 20,000 if it is the Union who strikes first. Note that the General Garibaldi decision is not available to the Union player in this campaign, as his initial overture to the Union government was rejected in June 1861. Benefits of European Entry When a European power enters the war, they will automatically receive a large and experienced army, fully equipped with the most advanced technology available in the game: 3 HQs 4 Corps 1 Engineer 6 Ironclads 2 Ships of the Line 12 Frigates They will also receive a large number of Brigades to garrison their various possessions in North America, and more units are available for purchase upon their entry into the war. Note that the initial forces available to the British at the beginning of 1862 Trent War are somewhat fewer than those listed above, due to the hurried nature of British entry providing less time to mobilize forces for service in America. The majority of France’s units will deploy at Basse-Terre in the Lesser Antilles (hex 279,191), and Spain’s units will deploy on the island of Puerto Rico (246,181). If the British enter the war, they will have the choice whether to deploy their armies to either Quebec City (171,5) or the island of Jamaica (179,194). These locations will also serve as the possible deployment locations for newly purchased units. As the British may need to defend the Great Lakes from Union river warships, they can also purchase up to two River Ironclads and six River Gunboats, however they will not receive any of these immediately upon entering the war, due to the great difficulty involved in towing those ships across the Atlantic. Each European power also receives an income of approximately 350 MPPs a turn when fully mobilized. Unlike previous Strategic Command games, they cannot benefit from some of this income before entering the war, and will receive 0 MPPs at the end of each turn. The European convoys seen in other campaigns will only operate in 1862 Trent War when the European power in question has entered the war. The European powers, while intended to be roughly equal in value to the Confederate player, can also take advantage of some of their own unique bonuses and events to suit their specific circumstances. Some of these include special decision events, such as a British invasion of the Washington Territory (modern Washington state, which is not represented on the main map) that offer their own rewards and risks, but three bonuses (one for each nation) are offered as a reward to the Confederacy just for gaining an ally and outside recognition: UK: Blockade Runners operating from the Bahamas will increase their MPP value. France: The Mexican Empire will join as a French minor, and the income from its cities will count towards France1. Spain: The Union will no longer receive any income from the convoy coming from California. 1 Mexico will also join as a pro-Union major power, however the balance of forces between the two Mexican nations strongly favors the French/Imperialists, which can benefit from advanced technology. While Europe is extremely powerful, the Great Powers are not omnipotent. Each has their own Fighting Spirit bar, and if the Union is able to capture significant parts of their American territories (ie Canada, Cuba, or other Caribbean colonies marked ‘FS Objective’), it is possible to force them out of the war, something that will greatly improve the Union’s Fighting Spirit. As France had only a small presence in North America at the time (limited to some islands in the Lesser Antilles within the game’s map area), they cannot be completely forced out of the war in this way, although Union forces occupying both Veracruz and BasseTerre would prevent new French units from being deployed. While it may be tempting to use the Europeans’ powerful navies to launch an invasion of the East Coast and capture Boston or New York, players are warned that the Union can spawn considerable numbers of partisans if their core territory is occupied. While this should not discourage an attempt to seize the large cities (an act that would greatly weaken the Union’s Fighting Spirit), it is advised that you refrain from pushing too deeply inland: Europe cannot afford to contribute the manpower that would be needed to occupy a vast part of the United States. Remember that you are fighting for the South’s independence, not to conquer the Union! On that note, it is worth reiterating that the Victory Conditions of both sides make no mention of the European powers. The Union will win if the Confederacy is conquered or their Fighting Spirit falls below 10%, regardless of whether a European power is in the war or not (if one is, it is assumed they simply make peace with the USA shortly afterwards). The Confederacy will win if the Union’s Fighting Spirit falls below 10%, but this can be achieved both with and without help from Europe. When planning your strategies involving Europe, remember what you are fighting for, and handle the Great Powers in a way that will further those goals. Mexico In a Strategic Command first, there is another war being fought on the map at the same time as the Civil War in America. This is the conflict most commonly known today as the Second Mexican Intervention, which was fought between 1861-1867. As this conflict is not as well known as the war in the United States, a brief history has been included at the end of this section. People wishing to learn more about the Intervention are encouraged to read Percy F. Martin’s 1914 account Maximilian in Mexico, which can be found on the Internet Archive for free: https://archive.org/details/maximilianinmexi00martuoft/mode/2up At the beginning of the 1862 Trent War campaign, the French intervention has been ongoing for around three months, and pro-French forces (represented by the Mexican Empire faction, or ‘Imperialists’) control a small region of Mexican territory near the city of Veracruz. Historically, the ‘Empire’ was not created until the fall of Mexico City in 1863, before which the territories controlled by the armies of the Intervention were merely occupied by France and its allies. This has been ignored in the game for greater clarity. Approximately once every three months, an event will fire that will adjust the borders of the Mexican Republic and Empire to reflect the changing areas controlled by each party (note that neither will ever take control of areas outside of Mexico’s initial territory). These events will occur exactly as they did historically. In most games, both nations will be neutral, and thus the events will have no impact on the game beyond the cosmetic changes in the southernmost parts of the map. That changes if, and only if, France reaches 100% mobilization and enters the war. When France enters the war, the Mexican Empire will automatically join it on the Confederate side, as a French minor (ie. French MPPs, not Confederate ones, are used to reinforce and purchase its units), and Mexico will join the Union as a major nation. Both Mexican nations will receive armies just like the French or any other nation entering the war, but unlike other nations, these armies will be different depending on when they enter the war, based on the historical situation at that time. If, for example, France reaches 100% mobilization in February 1864, the forces that they (and Mexico, and the Mexican Empire) receive will be different to what they would receive had they instead joined in May 1863. As a rule of thumb, the later the French entry occurs, the more favorable the situation will be to France and the Imperialists, and the more units both sides will receive. Note: with the exception of some of the HQs, the French units listed above in the section on European entry will NOT be affected by the situation in Mexico - the Imperial Mexican units are a bonus for France! Once France and Mexico are involved in the war, the events altering their borders every three months will cease, and fighting there will play out as it does in any other scenario. Unlike the other major powers, resources in Mexico (including those held by the Mexican Empire) do not cause an increase or decrease in the Fighting Spirit of either side when occupied. Furthermore, Mexican towns (again including Imperial towns) do not contribute MPPs each turn - only cities and capitals. Mexican Strategy Mexico, like the European powers, has no direct bearing on the Victory Conditions, and even the greatest victories there will not be worth much unless they are leveraged into victories in the War Between the States. This means that Mexico will always be a sideshow, but it is a sideshow that can have important impacts elsewhere. First and foremost, Mexico is another front on which troops from both sides can inflict attrition upon the other: every soldier lost there is a reduction in his side’s Fighting Spirit and MPPs. Furthermore, units that fought in New Mexico can walk into the Mexican state of Chihuahua and from there the rest of the country - it is even possible for Union forces, having conquered El Paso, to march through Mexico and strike Texas from the west. Mexico’s ports on the Gulf coast also provide opportunities for enforcing and challenging the Union blockade of the South, expanding your options in this theater. France’s total defeat of the Mexican Republic will also reduce the Union’s Fighting Spirit by 10000 points, a significant loss in a theater that may never see a single Union soldier fight. To prevent such a loss, the Union player can send up to 10% of their income to Mexico (it may not sound much, but remember that Mexico’s economy is much smaller than the Union’s!), via a convoy running from Denver to Paso del Norte on the Mexican-American border. Furthermore, Mexico can conduct a limited amount of research to improve their forces. While the Civil War was being fought with division- and corps-sized formations, in Mexico the most common unit of infantry was still the brigade. This means that every unit, no matter how small, that you send to the Mexican theater is going to have a much greater impact than that same unit would have in the United States: a single corps, while powerful, isn’t likely to drastically impact the front in Virginia in 1864, but it has the power to shatter a huge part of the Mexican army on its own if you send it there. A Brief History of the Mexican Intervention The later half of the 1850s had been a difficult time for Mexico. After the ousting of dictatorial President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in 1854, the new liberal government wrote for the country a new constitution and began implementing a series of reforms that, among other things, would weaken the power of both the church and the military over the state. Members of the Conservative Party, opposed to these reforms, responded by using the army to take over Mexico City in 1857, a move that sparked a civil war between the two factions that spread across the entire country. The liberals, now led by President Benito Juarez, would eventually recapture their capital at the end of 1860, but only after a bitter - and expensive struggle. In receiving the surrenders of the Conservative leaders, Juarez had removed one threat to his government (at least for the time being), but another problem loomed large on his mind: Mexico’s debts to Great Britain, France and Spain. These had been incurred both before and during the war, but with his country’s infrastructure and economy devastated by the war, Juarez knew he would not be able to meet the creditors’ demands immediately. In July 1861 he announced a two-year suspension of payments. The three Europeans responded with a meeting in London, in which they agreed to form a military expedition to seize Mexico’s ports. If Juarez refused to pay, they would get their money by force. Veracruz, Mexico’s largest port in the Gulf, was occupied in December 1861 by a tripartite army under Spanish General Prim. After moving as far inland as the city of Orizaba, Prim met with Juarez’ foreign minister, who explained the country’s difficult financial situation and promised that the suspension of payments was only temporary. Britain and Spain would withdraw their forces from Mexico within a few months without ever firing a shot, and this explanation was one reason. The other reason, possibly the more important one, was that it had become clear that France’s Emperor Napoleon III was seeking to conquer Mexico for himself. In March 1862, more than 6000 French troops landed in Veracruz, and in violation of the terms agreed by the Europeans, began to push inland. The city of Puebla, two-thirds of the way to Mexico City, was their first objective, and by the beginning of May they had reached the city’s outskirts. The French commander, with his highly trained ‘zouave’ soldiers and rumors of pro-French sympathies in Puebla’s garrison, was confident of an easy victory. Instead he suffered a shocking defeat, and the French found themselves forced to retreat from the city. The First Battle of Puebla remains an inspirational event for many Mexicans, who celebrate it with the Cinco de Mayo holiday to this day. Napoleon III, far from being deterred by the Mexican victory, sent 30,000 reinforcements to Mexico, while his fleets began bombarding and then occupying Mexico’s other ports. In December 1862, the reinforced French army expanded their control over the Veracruz area by taking the town of Jalapa, and then followed up their victory with another march into the interior. Puebla was again placed under siege in early 1863, and fell to the French a little over a year after the first battle. With the defeat of the Mexican army, the road to Mexico City was open, and the capital fell on June 7th, while Juarez was forced to flee to the north. French Marshal Forey followed up his triumph by appointing the ‘Junta Superior’, who then declared the formation of a Second Mexican Empire. In the middle of 1863, the Empire had no Emperor, but that would soon change. As early as 1859, the brother of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, Archduke Maximilian had been approached by Mexican monarchists (who were aligned with the Conservatives) aiming to make him their leader. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the house of Habsburg had ruled Spain (and thus Mexico, then a Spanish colony), and with Franz Joseph on the throne it was unlikely that Maximilian would ever rule Austria. He had turned them down then, and did so again when Napoleon III approached him in 1861, but after years of persuasion Maximilian finally agreed to take the crown of Mexico in October 1863. Though Maximilian tried his best to be a good ruler, his reign was troubled from the outset. The Conservatives, who had aligned with the French as they revived their struggle with Juarez, were upset by Maximilian’s decision to maintain many of their opponents' liberal reforms. Maximilian oversaw the organization of an Imperial Army, but it remained the French forces who provided most of his military support, and Napoleon’s demands for payment grew increasingly exorbitant (at one point, Napoleon demanded the mineral-rich state of Sonora be annexed into France, a demand Maximilian admirably refused). Despite the Emperor’s efforts to improve the fair collection of taxes within his territories, corruption remained rampant and his reforms often served only to increase the opposition against him. By 1864, the situation in Mexico might have reminded Napoleon III of his uncle’s disastrous campaign in Spain fifty years earlier. Juarez’s liberal armies were scattered and unable to do much more than defend their own states, while the President was forced to move his government first to San Luis Potosi and then Chihuahua, but that did not mean that Maximilian truly controlled the increasing swathe of Mexico that his armies had conquered. His treasury, much to the frustration of Napoleon, was depleted, and liberal resistance to his rule was increasing on both sides of the front lines. Yet despite reverses at Villa Hermosa and Monterrey, in 1865 there was still little serious danger to Maximilian’s position. The French continued to win victory after victory on the battlefield until they controlled the majority of the country. In August 1865 the Imperial banner flew over Chihuahua city, forcing Juarez to flee to the American border, and marked the furthest reach of France’s power in Mexico. Then everything changed. The United States had opposed the European intervention in Mexico from its beginning, seeing it as a violation of the Monroe Doctrine. Until 1865 it had been consumed by its own civil war, and had thus been unable to offer any meaningful support to Juarez, but with the surrender of the Confederate armies, suddenly the balance of power had shifted. The Union Army was more than half a million strong, outnumbering the forces backing Maximilian more than 7:1, and had amassed large stocks of weapons and supplies. President Andrew Johnson and his government began to talk more openly of intervention, knowing that American support would be decisive. Already some of those weapons, no longer needed against the Confederates, were being “lost” on the Mexican-American border, finding their way to Juarez’ forces. In early 1866, Napoleon saw that his war in Mexico had become a lost cause, and ordered his army to begin withdrawing from the country. The effect was immediate: Chihuahua was recaptured by the liberals in March and Juarez’ forces had reached Guadalajara by July. Maximilian’s French government officials resigned from their posts late in the year, and urged their Emperor to return to Europe with the last units of the Army. He refused, insisting he would remain with his loyal supporters, and his forces were soon besieged in the city of Queretaro. The city, and with it the Mexican Empire, fell on May 15, 1867. Maximilian was captured, and soon sentenced to death. European officials pleaded that the Emperor’s life be spared, but Juarez felt there was no other choice. Juarez personally held Maximilian in high regard for his efforts to be a good governor of the Mexican people, but only Maximilian’s execution would send the message to the world that Mexico would not tolerate the imposition of a foreign ruler. His execution on June 19th marked the end of the war, and his Conservative supporters, now defeated in two wars, found themselves discredited. Juarez would rule as President until his death in 1872, with his later years being seen as a sort of golden age of Mexican democracy. The Southern Blockade The Confederacy will receive hundreds of MPPs each turn - approximately 30% of its total income - from the ‘blockade runners’. These small, fast ships carried no weapons and burned the nearly-smokeless anthracite coal to reduce the chance of detection, while they slipped out of Southern ports filled with cotton, and returned bringing arms, food and other vital supplies. In the game, the blockade runners are represented by eight convoy routes, running from various British and Spanish possessions in the Caribbean to every major Confederate port between Galveston TX and Elizabeth City NC. The MPPs they bring to the Confederacy will be of vital importance to the South’s independence efforts, and the Confederate player should make every possible effort to keep as many blockade runners in operation as possible. For the Union, every blockade runner intercepted, and every port that is captured, will significantly improve your chances of victory. Used properly, your navies can play a decisive role in the game, so do not neglect them! The most important part of a successful Union blockade will be the humble Gunboat. These ships are cheap, and the Union is able to produce them in very large numbers (and some have already been placed in your production queue). To enforce the blockade, move them to hexes on or adjacent to the red lines marking active Confederate convoy routes, and set them to ‘Raider’ mode. Gunboats are far and away the best raiding ships in the game: a single turn of blockade duty by one will typically see them reduce Confederate income by 10 MPPs, and this can be increased by investing into Naval Tactics technology. Note: a distinction should be made between the ‘Gunboat’ and ‘River Gunboat’. These are functionally very similar ships, with one important difference: River Gunboats cannot leave the rivers and enter coastal waters, and thus cannot be used on blockade duty. Gunboats have two significant limitations. First, their small size prevents them from entering waters far from the coast (typically, “coastal” waters extend four hexes from the shoreline). If you wish to enforce the blockade further from Confederate ports (and coastal defenses!), ocean-going ships such as Frigates, Ships of the Line, and Ironclads, will be required. These ships will be less effective raiders than Gunboats are, but their ability to serve on the high seas means that they cannot be targeted by Confederate coastal ships, especially Monitors (unless of course, they are in coastal waters!). Secondly, Gunboats are warships only in the broadest possible sense of the word. Unlike Frigates and Ships of the Line, carrying dozens of cannon apiece, or the heavily armored ironclads, Gunboats carry only a small gun and no armor. In the game, they have a maximum strength of just 5, and limited offensive and defensive strength. If they are attacked by anything heavier than themselves, they are almost certain to be destroyed. For this reason, we strongly recommend you escort your Gunboats with larger ships such as Monitors. The most effective blockade of all is one where it is impossible for the blockade runners to operate in the first place, and the only way to achieve this is by using amphibious landings to capture the ports that blockade runners operate from. Such landings are risky, and will require the use of substantial forces to succeed, but the rewards for doing so are great: no blockade runners will operate from a Union-occupied port, allowing your gunboats to concentrate on the other routes, and the capture of a port will reduce the mobilization of the European powers considerably! In addition to Elizabeth City, whose blockade runner convoy has already been permanently stopped by the Union’s capture of Fort Hatteras in August 1861, the port of Savannah can also be shut down to blockade runners without being directly captured. If the Fort Pulaski Defenses unit is destroyed (hex 142,109), DE 520 will be offered, which you can say YES to to immediately capture Fort Pulaski. As long as a Union unit occupies Pulaski, the port of Savannah will be reduced to zero supply, preventing blockade runners from using it. For the Confederate player, the naval aspect of the game will almost certainly be one of reacting to the Union’s moves. The Confederacy does not have the industrial capabilities to build as large a navy as the Union can afford, and is likely to have more pressing research priorities, so the resources committed to the Navy should be used with one goal in mind: keeping as many blockade runners operating for as long as possible. An offensive naval strategy is unlikely to be profitable, for the Union is not vulnerable to naval blockade in the same way that the Confederacy is, so resources should not be wasted on one. The best use of Confederate resources is likely to be the production of Monitors. The slow speed of monitors is not a problem for the Confederacy, for they will not be operating far from their home ports, while they are heavily armored and practically invulnerable to warships lighter than themselves. No unit is more cost-effective or better suited to the destruction of Union gunboats, and this should be your aim. Blockade Runner MPP Values The following table lists the MPPs per turn provided by each blockade runner route by default: Destination Port MPP Destination Port MPP Galveston TX 20 Savannah GA 40+201 New Orleans LA 80 Charleston SC 50+201 Mobile AL 50 Wilmington NC 60 Elizabeth City NC 20 Jacksonville FL 1 50+20 1 These blockade runner routes will increase their total MPP output per turn steadily upon the entrance of the UK into the war, up to a maximum of an additional 20. When these locations are captured, or other conditions likely to interrupt the blockade runner routes (such as the capture of Fort Pulaski) are met, some of the MPPs will begin being carried via an alternative blockade runner route. Additionally, each European power has a convoy that sends further MPPs to the Confederacy depending on their mobilization level (provided each nation has entered the war). These routes begin in the eastern Caribbean and end in Wilmington (UK route), New Orleans (French route) and Charleston (Spanish route). These routes can be set to vary the amount of MPPs sent, from 0% to 50% of each nation’s income per turn (set to the maximum 50% by default). While it may be worthwhile to reduce these convoys once a given nation enters the war (so that that nation has more MPPs to use for its own forces), we do not recommend that you reduce these convoys while they are still neutral, as neutral European powers will not receive any MPPs at the end of the turn. Note that when these convoys are set to the maximum 50% of income each turn, the Confederacy will receive approximately 160*mobilization% MPPs from each convoy. General Union Strategy The Union’s greatest advantage in the game is its large industrial base. As long as strong investments in Production and Industrial Technology are maintained, the Union’s factories will be able to produce more weapons, ships and uniforms than their Confederate counterparts, and this gap will widen the longer the war goes on until your advantage is tremendous. As long as the enemy’s losses are at least as heavy as your own, you will win a war of attrition. While a war of attrition will help bring the Confederacy down, it is not your end goal. Your objective as the Union is to defeat the Confederacy’s Fighting Spirit, and above all else this will mean invading and conquering the Confederacy state by state. While it may seem appealing to wait until your industrial advantage is overwhelming before launching your attacks, the people, and especially the European Great Powers, will be less than impressed as Southern independence looks more and more like a fait accompli. Every turn that they hold Richmond, the Confederates will receive 500 points of Fighting Spirit, so the longer you wait to invade, the harder your task will become in the long run. Technological Strategy The Union has a research cap of 4000 MPPs (the largest ever offered in a Strategic Command game), and with its large industrial base, the Union has the opportunity to invest in a wide range of technologies. This opportunity is something that you should definitely take full advantage of, as in the long run it will mean that your troops are equipped with advanced weapons where your opponent cannot afford to, but a word of caution is advised. While it is true that you have an industrial advantage, in the first half of the game that advantage is not so great as to tip the balance of the war all on its own. Investing too much in technology too soon will leave you with too few troops to fight the war, and you may find yourself defeated before those investments have the time they need to yield results. As highlighted in the “Goals for 1862” section, your immediate research priorities should be Infantry Equipment, Corps Organization, Production Technology and Industrial Technology. Without them, your armies in the late game will find themselves outgunned and possibly even outnumbered, so you are strongly encouraged to continue investing in all four technologies throughout the entire game. Beyond the essentials, the Union has many options, and the resources to invest in almost all of them. While it is not the purpose of this strategy guide to outline the pros and cons of every possible decision (the effects of each technology are outlined in the game’s manual, and their value will often come down to the strategy you are pursuing), some technology categories may be of particular interest to the Union player: Skirmishers increase the demoralization stat of your infantry units, increasing their power on the offensive. While less urgent than Infantry Equipment, this will be useful when the time comes to invade the Confederacy. Naval Weapons increases the offensive firepower of your warships (both ironclad and wooden). While you will have a large numerical advantage over the Confederate Navy, improving your naval guns will reduce losses (and thus the Fighting Spirit of your people) in a way that more warships cannot. Field Telegraph increases the range and unit attachment limits of your HQs, allowing your armies to cover more ground while remaining in range of their supplies. This could prove useful in allowing you to keep the initiative once a major Confederate army is broken. Leadership is one of the few technologies where the Confederates begin with an advantage. Union generals, especially before the arrival of Sherman and Sheridan later in the war, tend to be less capable than their Confederate counterparts (even before the bonus offered by Leadership), and investment here will even the field somewhat. Naval Tactics, in addition to improving the morale of your warships, improves the blockading ability of your raiding ships (especially gunboats!). A strong blockade will deny your opponent hundreds of MPPs a turn, making this technology very valuable to the Union. Amphibious Warfare increases the number of amphibious transports that may be loaded at one time. While you begin the game with several (and three levels of technology), further investment may be worthwhile if you intend to launch large-scale amphibious operations. New Mexico It would be easy to think of the war’s westernmost battlefields as something of a distraction, with little bearing on the eventual result. Even the area’s largest settlements, Santa Fe and Denver, only have populations of a few thousand each, and with the exceptions of the copper mines in Arizona and the goldfields near Pike’s Peak, there are few resources worth capturing. Despite this, the sparsely populated area on the eastern of the Rocky Mountains should not be ignored. The importance of New Mexico (which hereafter includes the Colorado Territory as well) lies in its position between the West Coast and the East. A decade before the Civil War, California experienced a massive gold rush that brought industry and workers to the state, but California’s men and supplies will be of little use to the war effort unless they are brought back East. As the game progresses, gold will also be discovered in the Utah, Montana and Idaho Territories, and the income from these discoveries will be transported over the Western Trails. This income, which will eventually add up to around 200 MPPs per turn, is the true value of New Mexico: as long as the territories are held, the convoys can operate safely. If Denver falls, the convoys will cease: California will need its industry for home defense, and prospectors will abandon the goldfields for less dangerous jobs away from the Confederate armies. At the beginning of the campaign, the Confederate invasion of New Mexico has advanced deep into the territory, reaching as far north as Albuquerque, and the quick destruction of this army should be one of your first priorities, to ensure that the transport of gold from the Utah Territory is not interrupted. Fortunately, the outnumbered Confederate force is not supported by an HQ while your forces are led by General Canby, meaning that you are likely to have the advantage in the coming skirmishes. The Confederates are not the only threat to your position in New Mexico: hostile Indian tribes are likely to take advantage of the disruptions caused by the Civil War to increase their own attacks. The Apache in the south are the most active, raiding throughout New Mexico and reducing the supply of towns in their path (regardless of whether it is Union or Confederate forces occupying them), and may strike at your armies as well. The Navajo are also fighting on the side of your opponent, so it would be advisable to have a unit guarding the forts near their encampment in the Canyon de Chelly, to prevent them linking up with the Confederates. In early 1862, you will be offered an important decision, allowing you to choose where to send a group of Californian recruits (the so-called ‘California Column’). One option, generally the recommended one, is to send them via a southern route to Fort Bowie. They will force the local Apaches to surrender before deploying in the game (rendering any diplomatic investment there wasted), but once they arrive they will be perfectly positioned to outflank the Confederate forces in New Mexico. Alternatively, they can be sent to Denver, and from there will be able to join your other forces as you prepare to march south. Once you have gained the advantage over the Confederate forces in New Mexico, you should press this advantage all the way to El Paso. Only by capturing the Confederate supply base can you prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving, and put a permanent end to the threat in the territories. Trans-Mississippi Theater Although it is unlikely that a decisive victory west of the Mississippi will be enough to win the war on its own, the Union’s production advantage means that the more fronts you fight on, the more you stretch the Confederacy’s resources and the greater your chances of overall victory. The fighting in Missouri, Arkansas and the Indian Territory will be characterized by the limited options for deploying reinforcements faced by both sides. In addition to the camps of friendly Indian tribes, the closest cities large enough for the deployment of new Union units are Jefferson City and St Louis, which are likely to be several turns’ march from the frontlines. With the exception of far-off San Antonio TX, the Confederates are limited to deploying units in Little Rock, and it follows that the capital of Arkansas should be the primary objective of a campaign west of the Mississippi. Geography in this area is dominated by the Ozark Plateau, a large hilly region covering much of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Sparse settlement and poor infrastructure mean that any large-scale offensive into Arkansas will have to go around the Plateau, either by an eastern route from Fort Davidson and Cairo towards the Arkansas Post, or a western route through the Indian Territory and then Fort Smith. The eastern route offers the possibility of using your warships in the Mississippi, and the river itself could even serve as an invasion route for amphibious forces. A western invasion, meanwhile, will allow you to defeat the Five Tribes of the Indian Territory, preventing the Confederacy from recruiting local warriors there. Beyond Little Rock, this theater offers many options for where to go next. An advance down the Mississippi would be well advised to continue to Vicksburg, a formidable fortress whose capture would have a drastic impact on the Fighting Spirit of both sides, and could potentially march all the way down to New Orleans and the sea. Further west, Shreveport and Fort Worth are both FS Objectives, and could herald the beginning of a full-scale march into Texas. Western Theater The states of Kentucky and Tennessee occupy a key central position on the map. Well served by railroads, three large rivers and many cities suitable for unit deployment, it is likely that these states will be the scenes of some of the largest armies and greatest battles of the war. The situation here often serves as a bellwether for the war as a whole, and a decisive enough victory in the West may even cause the collapse of the Confederacy without the need for a victory in the East. As in Arkansas, your priority in Tennessee should be to secure the Confederacy’s cities, Nashville and Memphis, preventing them from deploying new units in the immediate area. Four Confederate fort defenses control entrance into the state’s three rivers, and these should be destroyed quickly - as the game progresses, the Confederates are likely to upgrade their forts with Fort Modernization, which will make their destruction much more difficult and expensive. We recommend that you continue the construction of a river fleet, as river ships are well suited to destroying these forts and can open the waterways as a potential route for an amphibious invasion. This campaign begins with Nashville recently captured, and this key city is well positioned to be the starting point of an offensive to follow up Grant’s recent success. There will be many directions in which you can press your victory: a drive down the Mississippi, a campaign through Alabama to capture the Selma Arsenal and the old capital Montgomery, or perhaps a march through Georgia to the sea? Amphibious Possibilities During the Civil War, the Union conducted no fewer than fifteen amphibious invasions, striking everything from outposts on the islands of Cape Hatteras to the cities of New Orleans, Mobile and Wilmington, as part of broader efforts to isolate the Confederacy from outside support - the so-called ‘Anaconda Plan’. Amphibious operations offer the Union great strategic flexibility, and should be considered as soon as resources can be spared. Many coastal locations are defended only by forts (at least before the Confederates have had the chance to reinforce them), which are extremely vulnerable until they are upgraded with Fort Modernization technology. The capture of the Confederacy’s ports can result in the fall of Confederate Fighting Spirit and a decrease in European mobilization, as well as preventing blockade runners from using the port. Opening additional fronts also allows you to stretch the Confederacy’s limited manpower, something that your opponent can ill afford. Perhaps the most attractive target for an amphibious operation would be the city of New Orleans, which was historically captured in early 1862 in the beginning of a campaign that resulted in total Union control of the Mississippi River. Three forts guard the approaches to New Orleans: Fort Proctor, located to the east of the city; Fort Jackson (which also represents the historical Fort St Philip), located near the mouth of the Mississippi River; and Fort St John in the city itself. The former two can be easily destroyed by naval bombardment once you have deployed a fleet in the Gulf, while the latter will require the landing of ground forces, either via the river (as was done historically), or via an overland march following a landing to the city’s east (the same route that was used by British forces in their unsuccessful 1815 attack). Forces for this invasion are already in place and await only the order to disembark, however If the Confederates have reinforced New Orleans, it may be worthwhile considering a strike against the city’s levees (DE 523), flooding the city and forcing the defenders to flee or drown. Doing so will result in a hefty Fighting Spirit penalty and will greatly reduce the political benefits from the city’s capture, but it will all but guarantee a successful invasion provided you have troops ready to swiftly occupy the city. Flooding the city will require you to begin a turn with a warship in hex 96,128 (the marked hex south of New Orleans) - this will either be a gunboat that has entered the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico, or a river ship, which can be moved into the Mississippi via the marked hex near New York. Eastern Theater Although it covers far less ground than the battlefields of the west, the Eastern Theater is very likely to be the place where the war is won or lost. The two capitals of Washington and Richmond are separated by just ten hexes, and the capture of either will dramatically shift the balance of power, with the victor receiving a great boost to their Fighting Spirit, and the vanquished an even greater loss. The ultimate goal for a campaign in the Eastern Theater is the capture of Richmond, a city unequaled in its value as an objective. Three routes to the city exist: approaching from the west via the Shenandoah Valley, approaching from the North via Fredericksburg, and approaching from the east, with a naval campaign along the James River. A campaign in the Shenandoah Valley is likely to be the most difficult approach if your goal is the capture of Richmond specifically, for the roads connecting Staunton and Richmond pass through a heavily forested region and include few towns for supply (bringing one, or preferably several, HQs will be a must!), but a campaign through the Valley can be its own reward. The Shenandoah Valley is home to three mines, and their capture would deprive the Confederacy of much needed income. The town of Staunton is a small but still valuable Fighting Spirit objective, and of course every Confederate unit killed in the Valley is one that cannot defend more vital objectives! The central route is the most direct, envisioning a march through those ten hexes between the capitals, but this directness also makes it the most obvious move to your opponent. Despite the short distance, expect the space between Alexandria, Fredericksburg and Richmond to be heavily defended (likely with fortifications), and for every hex gained to be paid for in blood. Of course, with the Union’s production advantage, perhaps an expensive war of attrition is your key to victory. Two cities can serve as the starting points for an eastern offensive. Fort Monroe, already under your control and protected by two fortifications, is likely to be the safer option, but the shape of the terrain there may allow an offensive to be more easily contained by the Confederates. Alternatively, a follow-up offensive beginning from Norfolk (and possibly Elizabeth City as well) could offer a second route, although the many swamps and forests of this region mean that such an offensive will be a risky endeavor. Note that should Richmond prove too heavily defended, in the short term it may be a better idea to seek the capture of the nearby city of Petersburg instead. All of the raw materials that supply Richmond’s foundries and ironworks reach the city via the Petersburg railroad, so the capture of Petersburg is sure to reduce the capital’s supply value. With Petersburg under your control, Richmond’s capture will be only a matter of time. General Confederate Strategy The task of the Confederate player can be compared to the efforts required to prevent a dam from bursting. Unless you are blessed with extremely good fortune, you will be facing a foe who holds many advantages. The Confederacy has a smaller industrial base, and much of its income comes from easily-intercepted blockade runners. Fewer men are available to wear the gray than the blue, and oftentimes they will be less well equipped as well. You have thousands of miles of borders, both land and sea, that require defending, and a loss anywhere can easily spiral into a loss everywhere. While this may sound daunting, remember that you do not need to conquer or defeat the Union outright, only to prevent them from doing so to you. The conditions for victory are merely to survive until the end of 1865, or inflict enough casualties on the Union that they surrender sooner. Your Fighting Spirit will increase every turn that you hold Richmond, while your opponent must conquer in order to maintain public support in the face of heavy losses. If you can hold your borders, and stand like a stone wall, victory will be yours. The Union’s Advantages Taking the role of the defender means that you will likely spend much of the war reacting to your opponent’s moves, and it is for this reason that we strongly recommend a Confederate player read the previous section - on Union strategy - to best understand the Confederacy’s priorities. The locations that the Union is encouraged to prioritize for capture - such as Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville and Richmond - are the same locations that you should place the greatest focus on defending, and for exactly the same reasons. While your opponents’ geographic priorities will vary between games (and your responses to them should match those priorities), the Union’s greatest advantage will not. The Union has a marked advantage in industry, one that will only grow over time as new research and Western gold rushes make their presence felt. Late in the game, this advantage will become enormous, but in 1862 it is not yet overwhelming. The early years, when you have the ability to meet the Union offensives on something approaching equal terms, are the most important part of your game, for they are your best opportunity to prepare for the coming onslaught. As outlined near the beginning of this guide, Fighting Spirit is the ultimate measure of victory in the Civil War. Now that Richmond has been named the capital of the Confederacy, you will receive 500 FS points every turn that you hold it. Early in the game, when casualties are low, this may result in a net increase in Confederate Fighting Spirit, or at the very least, see it fall more slowly than the Union’s. The Union’s only reliable way to increase their Fighting Spirit, and make up for their losses, is to conquer. The longer you can keep the enemy armies as far north as possible, the more ground they will have to take, and the fewer losses they will be able to afford before their Fighting Spirit collapses completely. One of your greatest advantages is that ages-old strategy of the defender: the ambush. In American Civil War (and unlike previous games in the series), un-upgraded infantry can only spot units in the hexes directly adjacent to them, making them quite vulnerable to ambush. For this reason, armies seeking to attack typically rely on their cavalry to spot their enemies, and that makes cavalry an inviting target for your counter-attacks: destroy them, and you will shatter your opponent’s offensive momentum. Cavalry are also one of the few fields where the Confederacy holds a true advantage at the start of the game, beginning with two levels of Cavalry Tactics, and JEB Stuart’s Cavalry Division already deployed on the map. While the Confederacy has less need for offensive actions compared to the Union, the ability to counter-attack is something you should not neglect, and investment into Cavalry Equipment is advised if you wish to keep your horsemen more advanced than their opposition. Cavalry Equipment will also allow you to upgrade your Indian troops, which will strengthen your position west of the Mississippi and potentially in New Mexico as well. Technological Strategy With an investment cap of just 3000 MPPs, one quarter less than the Union’s limit, Confederate research will be on a tight budget. As you will not be able to compete with the Union in a large number of research categories at once, it is important that you use your limited resources carefully, both inside and outside the research screen: over-investing in research, particularly at the beginning of the game, may seem appealing, but it will leave you without enough units to take advantage of the new technologies that you develop. The “four essentials” of Infantry Equipment, Corps Organization, Production Technology and Industrial Technology are just as vital for the Confederacy as they are for the Union, as they allow you to make the most basic upgrades to your most common units (the infantry), and ensure you will have the funds you need to fight the war, but beyond them the Confederacy has different priorities (fighting largely on the defensive as opposed to the offensive), and will benefit more from different categories to the Union. Cavalry Equipment allows the upgrade of your cavalry units, which as highlighted above are one of the few fields in which the Confederacy begins with an advantage early in the game. Investment here will allow you to prolong the period in which this advantage is held. Ironclads allows you to increase the defensive strength of your monitors and ironclads, units which represent your most cost-effective answer to the Union blockade. Notably, this technology will reduce the damage that your iron warships suffer, reducing the cost of defending your coastline. Fort Modernization is a cheap technology that allows you to significantly improve your fortress Defenses, which defend many vital locations including several blockade runner ports. Upgrading your Defenses to at least level 1 will significantly reduce the chance of amphibious landings succeeding against these targets, making it important that you develop this technology as soon as possible. Experimental Submarines and Buoyancy Tanks improve your submarines. While submarines are still very much an experimental technology in this time period, they are also very cheap and can do considerable damage to unsuspecting Union ironclads. If the funds can be spared, they may prove well worth the investment. Logistics will greatly bring down the cost of rail movement, which at the beginning of the game is very expensive, especially for the Confederacy. Investment here will give you more flexibility with how you deploy and move your units, which will become increasingly important as the Union gains strength. Offensive Possibilities Occasionally, the balance of power may shift sufficiently in your favor to allow you to take the offensive. While the opportunities available to you at that time are highly dependent on the situation in the game, four locations deserve mention as potential targets for Confederate offensives. Along the Ohio River, and further north in Indiana and Ohio, the Union has a number of Fighting Spirit Objectives, whose capture would prove to be a rude shock to the public. Far from your supply bases in Tennessee, it is unlikely that you would be able to march an entire army across the river and deep into the northern states without first utterly annihilating the Union forces there, and even more unlikely that you could remain there for long, but even a short raid across the river can prove effective in weakening the Union’s Fighting Spirit. If the opportunity presents itself, seize it! In the Eastern Theater, two targets deserve attention. The first is Fort Monroe, at the end of the Virginia Peninsula east of Richmond. Although it is well protected by fortifications making it difficult to capture quickly, there are numerous benefits to doing so. First, like the Ohio ports it acts as another Fighting Spirit Objective, bringing you slightly closer to final victory, and unlike the Ohio ports, it will not be easily recaptured once the Union has a chance to rebuild their forces. Its capture also denies the Union the option of an overland offensive from the fort towards Richmond, and if you are able to retake Norfolk, also prevents Union gunboats (and amphibious transports!) from entering the James River. Finally, Fort Monroe is located seven hexes from Richmond, so its capture will greatly increase the possibility of European entry, provided the Army of the Potomac is not having too much success further north. If the Army of the Potomac can be pushed all the way to, and over, its namesake river, it may be possible to launch an offensive towards the most lucrative targets of all: Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. The mere act of Invading the North (with at least five units) will increase your sponsor’s mobilization by 7-10%, and as long as the invasion continues the chance of further increases is quite substantial. Furthermore, the large cities of Maryland and Pennsylvania are worth thousands of Fighting Spirit points each, and the capture of any one of them will drastically improve your chances of overall victory. This is an invasion fraught with risk, as you can expect the Union to commit every available resource to the defense of their capital, but the glory and prestige of victory there will be unmatched on any other battlefield! Other Strategy Tips & Game Notes Naval Tactics This technology is particularly valuable to the Union (and a Confederate player seeking to raid the Union’s convoy routes from South America), as it will increase the opponent’s MPP penalty from the raiding of a convoy route. Ironclads and monitors will become 20% more effective at raiding per level of Naval Tactics, Gunboats 25%, and wooden ships such as Frigates 33%. Resource Changes Indian Capitals are worth only 0.25 MPPs per strength point, instead of the usual 1 MPP. Mexican Towns (including those owned by the Mexican Empire) are worth 0 MPP per strength point, instead of the usual 0.25 MPPs. Only resources owned by the Union, Confederacy, the UK, France and Spain contribute to Fighting Spirit counts. Occupying resources belonging to other nations, such as the Indian tribes, will have no impact on the Fighting Spirit of either side, except where that resource is a marked ‘FS Objective’. Research of Major Powers The UK, France and Spain all begin the game with very high levels of most technologies, and cannot invest any MPPs into research. Mexico has a research cap of 500 MPPs, with each research chit costing half what it would for other nations, and it is limited to level 1 or 2 in most categories. Note that Mexico may still invest up to two chits in all eligible research categories. Storms As warships of this era were less resilient to inclement weather compared to their 20thcentury counterparts, the destructive power of storms at sea has increased significantly compared to previous Strategic Command titles. You have been warned! The 1864 Election The November 1864 Presidential Election between Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan has been the subject of much discussion and debate in the last century and a half, with some arguing that it (or at least, the capture of Atlanta two months earlier) represented the last possible chance for a Confederate victory in the war. Although it is something of a staple event in Civil War games, we have ultimately chosen not to include it in Strategic Command: American Civil War, although it is still mentioned in a popup event. There are two reasons for this decision. The first, and by far the most important, is how it would be implemented in the game if it were to be added. Including the election would require the creation of a system to measure the Union public’s perception of the war’s progress (using the assumption that this is the driving factor behind Lincoln’s election), and a success or failure check on the November 1864 turn. A system such as this already exists, in the form of Fighting Spirit (or National Morale, as it was formerly known), and creating a second system would likely be redundant or even confusing. If we were to instead use Fighting Spirit itself as the deciding factor (by setting a value that the Union must be above in order to re-elect Lincoln), then the Union’s Victory Condition becomes “have more than X by 1864, and more than Y by 1865”. Chances are, if the Union is able to meet the earlier condition, they will also meet the later one. If it is not, that means the game is close (and thus more exciting), and we would not want it cut short for the sake of what amounts to an arbitrary deadline. Because we want there to be the possibility of the game extending into 1865 (if for no other reason than that’s how long the actual war lasted), including the election does not really fit with the rest of the game mechanics. The second reason relates to the candidates, and the way politics operated in the United States at the time. Although the election is typically characterized in the form of “if Lincoln loses, the Democrats seek peace”, this logic is questionable. Although members of the Democratic Party were opposed to the war’s continuation, this was not a unanimously held position among the party’s ranks. McClellan himself was one of the so-called “War Democrats”, and there are grounds to believe he may have continued the war in spite of his party’s wishes had he been elected. Furthermore, following the March 1865 inauguration of the new President, Congress (which had the final say in the negotiation of peace) did not sit until December 4th - one turn before the end of the game. Had events in the war played out differently, one or more of these events may have changed, but if that is the case then the argument for the election’s inclusion also breaks down - if circumstances are so bad for the Union that a “Copperhead”, or Peace Democrat, is able to defeat Lincoln, then it follows that the Union’s Fighting Spirit has also fallen so low that the game will be lost anyway, in which case the November 1864 deadline becomes irrelevant. In short, there is no compelling reason for the election’s inclusion as a game mechanic that is not already served by existing systems, and too little historical foundation to necessitate its implementation. We believe the game is more fun without the election playing a major role, even if the historical events themselves are very interesting. Decision Events – Rule Variants The 1862 Trent War campaign includes six special Decision Events allowing you to enable or disable certain sets of events with a single click. These can be found and enabled/disabled when setting up your game by going to Advanced -> Decisions -> Scripts, and are found at the top of the first page. DE 1000: Disable to Play Without European Entry While we believe that the inclusion of European powers makes this game more interesting (and is thus the default game rule), some players would prefer to have a pure war of North vs South. Disabling this decision event will turn off all events related to European entry, including the war in Mexico, European convoys to the Confederacy, “King Cotton” and its associated mobilization conditions. If this Decision is left enabled, all events related to Europe will fire as normal. Note that this decision, if disabled, will not affect the British in any way. If you wish to play the campaign beginning in 1862 without British involvement, we suggest you play the 1862 Scott’s Great Snake campaign. DE 1001: Disable to Play Without Partisans When certain areas of the map are occupied but left without a garrison, partisan units may appear from time to time. If this Decision is disabled, no partisan units will ever appear, nor will “bushwhacker” events cause damage to resources in Missouri and Kentucky. For game balance, disabling this Decision will result in the Union instead having their income reduced by 10 MPPs per turn when they occupy certain Confederate-owned locations where partisans would typically spawn, up to a maximum of 130 MPPs a turn, to simulate the cost of units that would garrison these regions in a normal game. DE 1002: Disable to Hide All Historical Popups (American Civil War Events) Occasionally popup messages will inform you of historical events occurring during the 1861-65 period. Disabling this Decision will mean that you will not see such messages relating specifically to events that have some relevance to the Civil War (for instance, the retirement of General Winfield Scott). This decision has no direct impact on gameplay. DE 1003: Disable to Hide All Historical Popups (Other Events) Occasionally popup messages will inform you of historical events occurring during the 1861-65 period. Disabling this Decision will mean that you will not see such messages relating specifically to events that occur outside the area of the game map (for instance, the opening of London’s Westminster Bridge in 1862). This decision has no direct impact on gameplay. DE 1004: Disable to Remove All Strategic Advice Popups Occasionally popup messages will provide strategic advice relevant to the present situation in the game, for instance suggesting that the Confederate player begin an invasion of New Mexico Territory. Disabling this Decision means that you will not see those ‘Strategic Advice’ popup events (although it will not hide any messages that provide information about events in the game, such as the arrival of a European supply ship that increases European mobilization). This decision has no direct impact on gameplay. DE 1005: Disable to Hide Diplomatic Warning Popups When the mobilization value of a European power reaches 30%, and then every 10% threshold thereafter, a short message will appear in the game informing you of this, in the form “British Mobilization Reaches 30%”. Disabling this Decision means these popups will be hidden. This decision has no direct impact on gameplay. Other Decision Events This list includes every decision event that will appear as a message inside the game, requiring the choice of either the YES or NO option. Unlike the ‘rule variants’ listed above, the game has not been designed in such a way as to accommodate the disabling of some of these events, so while it is possible to disable them, we strongly recommend you do not do so. (This is especially true for Decision events with numbers less than 100, or above 1012, which are essential for the correct operation of other game events). Confederacy DE 106: Build the “Land Merrimac”? Event Fires: On or after March 20, 1862, if there is at least one Union unit within three hexes of Richmond VA. Cost of Accepting: 150 MPPs for the next two turns. YES: A Railroad Battery unit deploys in Richmond VA. NO: Nothing. DE 108: Raid the Arizona Silver Mines? Event Fires: On or after September 1, 1862, if Fort Bowie NM and El Paso TX are controlled by the Confederates. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Receive 40 MPPs for the next five turns. NO: Two Rangers units, at strength 5, deploy in Fort Bowie NM. DE 112: Admit Maryland to the Confederacy? Event Fires: On or after January 1, 1862, if Hagerstown MD, Frederick MD, Washington DC, Annapolis MD and Baltimore MD are controlled by the Confederates. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: The Confederacy will annex the state of Maryland and the Virginian Eastern Shore. Confederate Fighting Spirit will increase by 8000 points, while Union Fighting Spirit falls by 8000 points. The Union receives three Divisions in Philadelphia PA. NO: Nothing. DE 113: Continue the Partisan Ranger Act? Event Fires: On or after January 1, 1863, if there are at least two Union units within (seven hexes of 153,78) or (seven hexes of 151,83) or (eleven hexes of 137,94) or (nine hexes of 115,106), and DE 1001 was not disabled. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: A number of additional partisan hexes in the Deep South will be able to spawn units. Confederate Fighting Spirit will fall by 50 points every turn for the rest of the game. NO: Nothing. DE 114: Admit Kansas to the Confederacy? Event Fires: On or after January 1, 1862, if every Union-owned resource in Kansas is controlled by the Confederates. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: The Confederacy will annex the state of Kansas (with the exceptions of Osage and neutral hexes). Confederate Fighting Spirit will increase by 2000 points. The Union receives three Rangers units in Omaha NE. Union units within twenty hexes of Fort Garland CO will suffer a one-time 25-40% loss of morale. DE 115: Invest in Civilian Goods? Event Fires: If Confederate Fighting Spirit has fallen below 50%. Cost of Accepting: 100 MPPs a turn until the end of the game. YES: Confederate Fighting Spirit increases by 200 points every turn for the rest of the game. NO: Nothing. DE 116: Invest in Civilian Goods? Event Fires: If Confederate Fighting Spirit has fallen below 25%. Cost of Accepting: 100 MPPs a turn until the end of the game. YES: Confederate Fighting Spirit increases by 200 points every turn for the rest of the game. NO: Nothing. DE 117: Declare War on Mexico? Event Fires: If Mexico is in the war. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Confederacy and Mexico will be at war with each other. NO: Nothing. Confederate forces will be unable to enter Mexican territory. DE 124: Raise Texas Volunteers? Event Fires: If there is a Union unit within fourteen hexes of Austin TX, eight hexes of Laredo TX or twelve hexes of Fairfield TX. Cost of Accepting: 150 MPPs for two turns. YES: Confederacy will receive the Magruder HQ and an infantry Brigade in Austin TX, a Cavalry Brigade in Houston TX and Fort Worth TX, and a Rangers unit in Nacogdoches TX. NO: Nothing. DE 125: Pass the Tithe Act? Event Fires: On or after April 24, 1863, if Confederate Fighting Spirit is below 85%. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Confederacy will receive 150 MPPs each turn until the end of the game. Confederate Fighting Spirit will immediately fall by 5000 points. NO: Nothing. UK DE 202: Attempt to Capture the Pacific Northwest? Event Fires: 20% chance each turn if the UK is in the war. Cost of Accepting: 100 MPPs for four turns. YES: 50% chance that the Union will lose 6000 Fighting Spirit points (with a 25% chance each turn of being informed whether this check has been successful or unsuccessful). NO: Nothing. France DE 301: Should France Annex Sonora? Event Fires: On or after November 15, 1864, if France and the Mexican Empire are in the war on the Confederate side, and Mexico City DF is controlled by the Confederates. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: France receives 100 MPPs each turn until the end of the game. Union Fighting Spirit increases by 3000 points. Sonora is annexed into France (although visible, this has no practical effect in game). NO: Nothing. Spain DE 401: Should Spain Declare War on Haiti? Event Fires: On or after March 1, 1862, if Spain is in the war on the Confederate side, and the Union said NO to DE 512. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Haiti enters the war on the Union side. Their army consists of one HQ and four Brigades. NO: Nothing. Union DE 504: Send California Column to New Mexico or Denver? Event Fires: On December 12, 1861, if Denver CO is controlled by the Union. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: The effect of this depends on the status of Fort Bowie NM on July 15, 1862. If Fort Bowie NM is controlled by the Union on that date, the California Column (Carleton HQ, 2 Brigades and 1 Cavalry Brigade) will deploy there on that date. If Fort Bowie NM, and the Apaches, are not in the war, the Apaches will surrender to the Union and the California Column will deploy in Fort Bowie NM. If Fort Bowie NM is controlled by the Confederates, the California Column will deploy in Denver on January 1, 1863. NO: The California Column will deploy in Denver on October 1, 1862. DE 506: Raise Ohio/Indiana Volunteers? Event Fires: On or after January 1, 1862, if there is at least one Confederate unit within thirteen hexes of 102,64 or ten hexes of 123,57. Cost of Accepting: 50 MPPs for three turns. YES: Union receives a Division, a Brigade and a Cavalry Brigade in Indianapolis IN, a Brigade in Salem IL, and a Brigade in Chillicothe OH. NO: Nothing. DE 507: Raise Pennsylvanian Volunteers? Event Fires: On or after January 1, 1862, if there is at least one Confederate unit within nine hexes of Harrisburg PA. Cost of Accepting: 50 MPPs for three turns. YES: Union receives a Division, a Brigade and a Cavalry Brigade in Harrisburg PA, and one Brigade in each of Lewistown PA, Bedford PA and Gettysburg PA. NO: Nothing. DE 510: Admit West Virginia as a State? Event Fires: 10% chance each turn after May 13, 1862, if every town in West Virginia is controlled by the Union and there are no Confederate units within ten hexes of 157,51. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Union annexes West Virginia. Union Fighting Spirit increases by 3000 points. Towns in West Virginia will suffer a one-off loss of 2-5 points of supply. Confederacy will receive at least one Brigade, and up to two Brigades and one Cavalry Brigade (all at strength 8), in Staunton VA. NO: Nothing. DE 512: Should Haiti Enter the War? Event Fires: 50% chance each turn after March 1, 1862, if Spain is in the war, and Haiti is at least 10% pro-Union. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Haiti will join the war on the Union side. Their army consists of one HQ and four Brigades. NO: No immediate effect. The Confederate player will be offered DE 401, allowing Spain to declare war on Haiti. DE 513: Issue the Emancipation Proclamation? Event Fires: 25% chance each turn after September 1, 1862, if there are no Confederate units within five hexes of Washington DC, neither the UK, France nor Spain have entered the war. Cost of Accepting: Nothing. YES: Union Fighting Spirit will fall by 5000 points, and then increase by 125 points each turn for the rest of the game. UK, France and Spain will all shift 40-60% towards the Union. NO: Nothing. DE 515: Send an Emergency Delegation to Paris? Event Fires: If Washington DC is controlled by the Union, and French mobilization is greater than 60% but they have not entered the war. Cost of Accepting: 500 MPPs for one turn. YES: France will shift 10-20% towards the Union. NO: Nothing. DE 516: Send an Emergency Delegation to Madrid? Event Fires: If Washington DC is controlled by the Union, and Spanish mobilization is greater than 60% but they have not entered the war. Cost of Accepting: 500 MPPs for one turn. YES: Spain will shift 10-20% towards the Union. NO: Nothing. DE 517: Support a Rebellion in Cuba? Event Fires: On or after July 1, 1863, if Washington DC is controlled by the Union, Spain is in the war, and Cuba is in the war on the Union side and has surrendered. Cost of Accepting: 50 MPPs for one turn. YES: A number of partisan hexes in Cuba will be able to spawn units. NO: Nothing. DE 518: Institute a Draft? Event Fires: 20% chance each turn after March 1, 1862, if New York NY is controlled by the Union, and Union Fighting Spirit is less than 90%. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Union Fighting Spirit falls by 2500 points. Union receives a Division in each of New York NY, Detroit MI, Chicago IL, Philadelphia PA. Each of those cities may also suffer a draft riot (loss of 5-9 supply points) in subsequent turns. NO: Nothing. DE 520: Capture Fort Pulaski? Event Fires: If Fort Pulaski GA is controlled by the Confederates, but no Confederate units occupy the hex. Cost of Accepting: 125 MPPs for two turns. YES: Union annexes Fort Pulaski GA. A Brigade deploys in Fort Pulaski GA. NO: Nothing. DE 521: Invest in Civilian Goods? Event Fires: If Union Fighting Spirit has fallen below 50%. Cost of Accepting: 100 MPPs a turn until the end of the game. YES: Union Fighting Spirit increases by 100 points every turn for the rest of the game. NO: Nothing. DE 522: Invest in Civilian Goods? Event Fires: If Union Fighting Spirit has fallen below 25%. Cost of Accepting: 100 MPPs a turn until the end of the game. YES: Union Fighting Spirit increases by 100 points every turn for the rest of the game. NO: Nothing. DE 523: Destroy the New Orleans Levees? Event Fires: If the Confederacy controls New Orleans LA, and there is a Union warship unit in hex 96,128. Cost of Accepting: Nothing. YES: The city and port of New Orleans LA, and all Confederate units within one hex of the city, will be extremely heavily damaged. Confederate Fighting Spirit increases by 10000 points. UK, France and Spain each shift 10-20% towards the Confederacy. NO: Nothing DE 524: Crack Down on Speculators? Event Fires: 40% chance each turn after January 1, 1862, if the Union has a unit located in either Nashville TN or Memphis TN. Cost of Accepting: Nothing YES: Union Fighting Spirit falls by 2000 points. UK, France and Spain each shift 5-12% towards the Confederacy. The Confederacy will no longer receive Speculator Trade income worth 40 MPPs each turn. NO: The Confederacy will continue to receive Speculator Trade income worth 40 MPPs each turn. Mexico DE 601: Sell Baja California to the Union? Event Fires: On or after August 15, 1863, if France and Mexico are in the war, and Denver is controlled by the Union. Cost of Accepting: 150 MPPs for two turns (Union MPPs) YES: Mexico receives 300 MPPs for two turns. Mexican Fighting Spirit falls by 4000 points. NO: Nothing. Fighting Spirit Event Values Cities: City Annapolis MD On First Capture On Liberation Union Confederacy Union -5000 2500 2500 Confederacy Arkansas Post AR 1000 Atlanta GA 5000 Augusta GA 2000 Austin TX -5000 2500 -5000 2500 Baltimore MD -5000 2500 Baton Rouge LA 1000 -5000 Boston MA -10000 8000 Buffalo NY -5000 2500 Cairo IL -3000 1500 Charleston SC 2500 Chattanooga TN 2000 Cincinnati OH -5000 Columbia SC 2500 Columbus OH -5000 Corinth MS 1000 Culpeper VA 1000 Cumberland MD -2000 Decatur AL 1000 Denver CO -3000 Detroit MI -5000 Dresden TN 1000 El Paso TX 2500 2500 5000 -2000 2500 2500 -5000 2500 2500 2000 1500 2500 -2000 1000 Erie PA -5000 2500 Evansville IN -3000 1500 Fayetteville AR 1000 Fort Leavenworth KS -5000 2500 Fort Monroe VA -3000 1500 Fort Smith AR -2000 1000 Fort Worth TX -2000 1000 -2000 1000 -2000 1000 Frederick MD -2000 Fredericksburg VA 1000 Galveston TX Gettysburg PA -2000 Hagerstown MD -2000 Harrisburg PA -3000 3000 1500 Indianapolis IN -5000 Jackson MS 1000 Knoxville TN 1500 Little Rock AR 2500 -5000 2500 1000 -5000 2500 Memphis TN 1500 -2000 1000 Meridian MS 1000 Milledgeville GA 2000 -5000 2500 -2000 2500 -5000 2500 Mobile AL Montgomery AL 2500 Murfreesboro TN 1000 Nashville TN 2500 New Albany IN -3000 New Orleans LA 5000 -2500 New York NY -10000 8000 5000 Newark NJ -10000 8000 5000 Norfolk VA 1500 5000 -500 1000 1000 Petersburg VA 2000 -2000 Philadelphia PA -10000 8000 Pittsburgh PA -5000 Providence RI -10000 Quincy IL -3000 Raleigh NC 2500 -5000 2500 Richmond VA 10000 -20000 5000 Rochester NY -5000 San Antonio TX 5000 2500 8000 5000 1500 2500 -2000 1000 Santa Fe NM -2000 2000 Shreveport LA 1000 -2000 Springfield MA -10000 8000 Staunton VA 1000 -2000 1000 -3000 2500 Tallahassee FL 1000 1000 5000 Toledo OH -5000 2500 Vicksburg MS 5000 -5000 Washington DC -15000 10000 7500 Williamsburg VA 1000 Wilmington DE -5000 2500 2500 2500 Union UK Union UK Halifax NS -5000 2500 Hamilton ON -3000 1500 Kingston JM -5000 2500 Kingston ON -5000 2500 -20000 10000 Nassau BH -5000 2500 Ottawa ON -5000 2500 Montreal QC 5000 Quebec QC 5000 -15000 7500 Toronto ON 2500 -5000 2500 Union Spain 5000 -20000 5000 Puerto Principe CB -5000 2500 San Juan PR -5000 2500 Santiago de Cuba CB -5000 2500 Santo Domingo DR -5000 2500 Havana CB Other FS Events: Union Admit West Virginia to the Union: 3000 Secession of Maryland: -8000 Emancipation Proclamation: -5000, then +125/turn France Annexes Sonora: 3000 Union Draft: -2500 Crackdown on Speculators: -2000 France Enters the War: -10000 Spain Enters the War: -10000 Declaration of War Against France: -10000 Declaration of War Against Spain: -10000 UK Surrenders: 15000 France Surrenders: 15000 Spain Surrenders: 15000 Mexico Surrenders: -10000 Navajo Surrenders: 1000 British Capture Washington Territory: -6000 Confederates Occupy Washington: -500/turn Consumer Goods Decision: +100/turn (x2 events) Union Spain War Weariness: -200/turn (Does not apply to Union AI on Intermediate or above) Veteran AI: +100/turn Expert AI: +150/turn (in addition to the Veteran bonus) Confederacy Hold Richmond: +500/turn Secession of Kansas: 2000 Secession of Maryland: 8000 Partisan Rangers Decision: -50/turn Destruction of the New Orleans Levees: 10000 France Recognises the Confederacy: 2000 Spain Recognises the Confederacy: 2000 France Enters the War: 10000 Spain Enters the War: 10000 UK Surrenders: -15000 France Surrenders: -15000 Spain Surrenders: -15000 Mexico Surrenders: 3000 Consumer Goods Decision: +200/turn (x2 events) Tithe Act/Agriculture Tax: -5000 Destruction of Fort St John (New Orleans): -7500 Destruction of the Mount Vernon Arsenal (Mobile): -3000 Destruction of the Charleston Citadel: -3000 Destruction of Fort Fisher (Wilmington): -2000 Destruction of Fort Blakeley: -1000 Veteran AI: +100/turn Expert AI: +150/turn (in addition to the Veteran bonus) France Mexico Surrenders: 6000 Mexico Sale of Baja California: -4000 Neutrality: -50/turn as long as Mexico is not in war (after December 1861) European Mobilization City Locations The capture of the following cities by Union forces will reduce the mobilization of all three European powers (regardless of which nation is chosen as the Confederacy’s sponsor). Note that these events will only take effect if the city in question is occupied by a Union unit at the end of a turn. City Mobilization City Mobilization Atlanta GA 5-11% Montgomery AL 5-11% Augusta GA 5-11% New Orleans LA 20-30% Charleston SC 10-20% Norfolk VA 10-20% Chattanooga TN 5-11% Pensacola FL 5-11% Fort Worth TX 5-11% Raleigh NC 5-11% Galveston TX 5-11% Richmond VA 20-30% Georgetown SC 5-11% San Antonio TX 5-11% Jacksonville FL 5-11% Savannah GA 5-11% Little Rock AR 5-11% Shreveport LA 5-11% Memphis TN 10-20% Vicksburg MS 5-11% Mobile AL 10-20% Wilmington NC 5-11% Strategic Advice Popups
