Campaign Game AAR-Borsook/Happycat

[nalivayko]

Nice job so far. So, what happened in Italy - I see French units in Sicily now?

[Happycat]

Nice job so far. So, what happened in Italy - I see French units in Sicily now?

Borsook took Florence and Rome early in the game (1807 I think), and just recently attacked and occupied Naples. The local defenders are not capable of preventing this, and the Coalition is far away and, apparently, uninterested in what happens in Italy

[firepowerjohan]

How is the manpower going in game?
From a review it was said that war weariness penalties (manpower) are so slight that they never came into play
but from what I have heard here it is rather the opposite that France for example runs out too soon and is affected too much by it? I increased manpower by 15% for France in the newer betas just wanted to check again and see if you have changed your mind or if you, like me, think that manpower can be a major problem?

[Happycat]

How is the manpower going in game?
From a review it was said that war weariness penalties (manpower) are so slight that they never came into play
but from what I have heard here it is rather the opposite that France for example runs out too soon and is affected too much by it? I increased manpower by 15% for France in the newer betas just wanted to check again and see if you have changed your mind or if you, like me, think that manpower can be a major problem?

Johan, I think both sides are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. I have not had time to post the last few turns, but we are now down to a point where both sides are throwing uniforms onto anyone that is breathing, and the struggle on the field of battle is frenzied. A typical example is the last turn, where the French destroyed four infantry corps, damaged three others, and at the same time took damage to their own forces.

In the Coalition half of the same turn, I destroyed six line infantry, a light infantry, a foot artillery and sent Davout on a long holiday. The French line is now a shambles, and I will probably be adjacent to Paris in three turns. The problem is that my units will be so depleted, and so fatigued, and the quality will be awful.

None of this strikes me as unreasonable, given how Borsook and I have played the last few turns. It has become a blood bath, with some finesse, but mostly blunt force. Great fun, I might add

Borsook and I will start a campaign with the 1.04 patch very soon!

[firepowerjohan]

How is the manpower going in game?
From a review it was said that war weariness penalties (manpower) are so slight that they never came into play
but from what I have heard here it is rather the opposite that France for example runs out too soon and is affected too much by it? I increased manpower by 15% for France in the newer betas just wanted to check again and see if you have changed your mind or if you, like me, think that manpower can be a major problem?

Johan, I think both sides are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. I have not had time to post the last few turns, but we are now down to a point where both sides are throwing uniforms onto anyone that is breathing, and the struggle on the field of battle is frenzied. A typical example is the last turn, where the French destroyed four infantry corps, damaged three others, and at the same time took damage to their own forces.

In the Coalition half of the same turn, I destroyed six line infantry, a light infantry, a foot artillery and sent Davout on a long holiday. The French line is now a shambles, and I will probably be adjacent to Paris in three turns. The problem is that my units will be so depleted, and so fatigued, and the quality will be awful.

None of this strikes me as unreasonable, given how Borsook and I have played the last few turns. It has become a blood bath, with some finesse, but mostly blunt force. Great fun, I might add

Borsook and I will start a campaign with the 1.04 patch very soon!

Ok, so manpower problems are roughly as should be in game now, not too harsh not too lenient?
The 1.05 BETA is out so I hope you use that one

[Happycat]

How is the manpower going in game?
From a review it was said that war weariness penalties (manpower) are so slight that they never came into play
but from what I have heard here it is rather the opposite that France for example runs out too soon and is affected too much by it? I increased manpower by 15% for France in the newer betas just wanted to check again and see if you have changed your mind or if you, like me, think that manpower can be a major problem?

Johan, I think both sides are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. I have not had time to post the last few turns, but we are now down to a point where both sides are throwing uniforms onto anyone that is breathing, and the struggle on the field of battle is frenzied. A typical example is the last turn, where the French destroyed four infantry corps, damaged three others, and at the same time took damage to their own forces.

In the Coalition half of the same turn, I destroyed six line infantry, a light infantry, a foot artillery and sent Davout on a long holiday. The French line is now a shambles, and I will probably be adjacent to Paris in three turns. The problem is that my units will be so depleted, and so fatigued, and the quality will be awful.

None of this strikes me as unreasonable, given how Borsook and I have played the last few turns. It has become a blood bath, with some finesse, but mostly blunt force. Great fun, I might add

Borsook and I will start a campaign with the 1.04 patch very soon!

Ok, so manpower problems are roughly as should be in game now, not too harsh not too lenient?
The 1.05 BETA is out so I hope you use that one

In my opinion, manpower levels are probably as they should be, especially for the Coalition. Hopefully Borsook will weigh in here with his opinion of the French levels.

[Happycat]

The next seven posts including this one, show the situation as it has unfolded from November 29, 1809 to March 29, 1810. Several very bloody battles have seen as many as five to six corps destroyed from each side per turn. Manpower is now, to one extent or another, an issue for all but Russia.

[Happycat]

[Happycat]

[Happycat]

[Happycat]

[Happycat]

[Happycat]

[joerock22]

This is what I like to see! A good game and historically accurate. Large Napoleonic armies tended to have bloodbaths. Look at Leipzig, Borodino, Waterloo, and many others. If I'm not mistaken, the world didn't see casualty figures like this again until WWI. Great AAR. I hope you guys play a rematch with the updated beta patch to give the French a better chance (and perhaps start another AAR?)

[nalivayko]

Nice progress. Good to see you are finally pushing into Italy yourself - taking Venice and Milano would hurt French production enough to make things easier for you in France. Besides, your Austrian flank seemed over-powered and under-used anyway.

[Happycat]

Nice progress. Good to see you are finally pushing into Italy yourself - taking Venice and Milano would hurt French production enough to make things easier for you in France. Besides, your Austrian flank seemed over-powered and under-used anyway.

I expect Paris to fall in two or three turns. Venice and Milano may be moot at this point. The Austrians are poor quality, due to the hit on their manpower when they were "vassalized" way back in '07. So the number I have on the flank seems to me as the appropriate level.

Bear in mind, that unlike the way I play CEAW, I am playing this one conservatively (due to unfamiliarity with the era, although since starting the game, I have read a LOT of reference books and know more than I used to).

[nalivayko]

Nice progress. Good to see you are finally pushing into Italy yourself - taking Venice and Milano would hurt French production enough to make things easier for you in France. Besides, your Austrian flank seemed over-powered and under-used anyway.

I expect Paris to fall in two or three turns. Venice and Milano may be moot at this point. The Austrians are poor quality, due to the hit on their manpower when they were "vassalized" way back in '07. So the number I have on the flank seems to me as the appropriate level.

Bear in mind, that unlike the way I play CEAW, I am playing this one conservatively (due to unfamiliarity with the era, although since starting the game, I have read a LOT of reference books and know more than I used to).

One comment on Venice and Milano - it may seem that they are not needed for victory, but pounce on them just to be sure. I've often seen this in MP matches (not this game, but many others) - you get so sure of immediate victory and start neglecting "irrelevant" points, only to be thrown back and beginning to wish you took care of small things while you were capable to do so.

I am not saying you are not winning this game - but paying attention to small targets, wherever possible, ensures a total victory guarantees a total victory without nasty surpises.

[Happycat]

Well, it is over. On July 27, 1810 Coalition forces entered Paris, and the French surrendered.

Borsook and I will now trade sides, and patch to 1.05 and give it another go.

For those who are interested, the final six screen shots follow.

[Happycat]

[Happycat]