From: klee@news.epix.net (Ken Lee)
Subject: Re: Stonewall Jackson's Way

Ed & Sarah Beach (beaches@pop.erols.com) wrote:
: Casimir Krakowski wrote:
: > 
: > I just played my first game of SJW.  As the CSA, I got a minimum
: > victory pretty easy trashing only one RR station, the Union panic, and
: > clearing the Valley.  Is that how others see it?  What are some good
: > Union tactics to stop that?
: > 
: > Casey

: I assume you were playing one of the two Advanced Game scenarios since 
: you mention Union Panic.  Unfortunately, the games in this series are 
: notorious for not being well balanced victory point-wise.  However, that 
: doesn't stop lots of us from loving the games.  In tournament play (say 
: at Avaloncon) there is bidding of victory points to see who gets to play 
: which side.  In most scenarios the victory conditions favor the 
: Confederates so you bid (i.e. give up) points to play that side.  It 
: requires some advanced knowledge of the scenarios, or just doing a good 
: job of studying the situation ahead of time.  Some of us are trying to 
: collect enough data to publish "standard" bids, but we're not quite 
: there yet.  The basic game scenarios are usually just a little off 
: VP-wise; we've found the advanced game can be way off.
: -Ed Beach
: beaches@erols.com

Ed is correct, the scerario VP's are notoriously one sided in SJW.  
However, don't let this deter you from playing what is a great game! 
Simply bid an appropriate amount and play from there.  As far as strategy 
in the campaign games go, mine as the Union is simple ...RUN!!!. Any 
Union commander who thinks he can stick around with Pope since he has 
about the same amount of men as Lee is asking for disaster.  I suggest a 
full scale retreat all the way back to the Manassas Junction area to meet 
up with the oncoming Army of the Potomac reinforcements.  If one of your 
units gets caught by the Army of Northern Virginia, don't try to help 
since any rescue attempt will simply provide more VPs for the South.  
Its every unit for itself until the AOP arrives in force!

For the South, strategy is a bit more subtle.  The key is knowing when 
to conserve energy (ie marches) and when to go all out for the kill.  It 
is important at most times that the ANV keep its forces well rested and 
organized so that when the opportunity presents itself it can go all 
out. However,once you have the North on the run don't let up until you 
absolutely have to.  If a northern unit is in trouble pursue it 
relentlessly; gaining progressively better attacks until it is totally 
destroyed.  As far as paths of advance are concerned, the most obvious 
and direct is to attack right up the RR.  However, if this way is blocked 
the preferred route of advance is around the Union's right (northern) 
flank.  Although given the North's advantage in artillery it might seem 
wise to try the Union left through the woods, the limited number of roads 
restrict the Confederate advance and greatly reduce the possibility of 
crushing flank attacks.

Hope to so you at Avaloncon!

Ken Lee
Gamemaster
Great Campaign of the American Civil War
Avaloncon