The Federal Army had three advantages over the Confederates at Fredericksburg: superior artillery, overall numerical superiority, and, on the average, numerically superior brigades. Unfortunately, these advantages were abused by General Burnside at Fredericksburg. He stationed the Union artillery on the eastern bank of the Rappahannock during the entire battle. He wasted his numerical superiority by ordering only a small portion of the army to attack. And he wasted away his numerically superior brigades by wave after wave of useless frontal assaults against the Confederate redoubts.
The Union Army is scattered and must consolidate before it can be used effectively, preferably in packs containing strong units. The best place to begin concentrating is adjacent to the woods surrounding Telegraph Hill. Here the strongest divisions (15 and 13) and brigades (8's) can threaten Marye's Heights, Telegraph Hill, and Deep Run. Another strong pack must consolidate near the Sunken Railroad where the Confederate line is weak. Smaller groups should threaten the Confederate line near Taylor's Hill, the stonewall, and Scott's Ford.
The Union Player is burdened with the fact that he must take ground to win. Once his packs start to attack they must continue to do so until a Union unit can exit the map and release the immobile Union artillery. Even if it means picking at the Confederate line with 1 to 1 attacks, the Union Army must attack.
If at all possible, attack Confederate units that are adjacent so that advancing in one battle will surround the unit in the other battle. In this case, one should take the higher odds attack first because there is less of a risk of the Confederate units advancing as a result of an "attacker retreat" result. In the case of the attack of non-adjacent units, however, the lower odds attack should be rolled first to see whether you will be "sticking your nose out" if you advance in the higher odds attack.
Another technique the Union Player can use is maneuver. By threatening to surround Confederate units, parts of the Confederate line may be forced to fall back or counter-attack. This indirect approach is more powerful than one would suspect. Whenever possible, the Union Player should advance his units after combat. This is one less unit that he will have to move into the attack. And with only 15 units able to move per Turn, advancing after combat can be critical. Finally, the Union Player should avoid 1 to 2 or lower odds attacks and gobble up any 3 to 1 attacks he can. Even if there is only one chance in six of eliminating a unit, that's one less defending unit on the line next Turn.
The Confederacy had four major advantages at Fredericksburg: interior lines, well-prepared defensive positions, initial occupation of the key terrain, and unity of command. These same advantages should be used by the Confederate Player when playing Fredericksburg.
From Prospect Hill to Taylor's Hill, the Confederate Player commands a road net of unquestionable value. The Union Player is faced with many streams, which can channel his attacks. Previous to the actual battle, General Lee created these interior lines. He built the Military Road, increasing the mobility of his right flank and burned the bridges over Deep Run and the water ditch to deny Union troops room for maneuver. General Lee also created a formidable defensive position. Brestworks, redoubts and rifle pits line the terrain from Hamilton's Crossing to Taylor's Hill. Only a fool would defend in front of these redoubts.
The Confederates already block the road to Richmond (Hamilton's Crossing) and occupy the highest points on the battlefield (Marye's Heights and Telegraph Hill). It is up to the Union Player to take them away from you. If you do not give away your army by letting it get surrounded or attacked at 3 to 1, this can be very difficult.
In the actual battle, General Lee positioned his headquarters on Telegraph Hill, giving him a view of the entire battlefield, where he personally supervised the defensive and offensive operations of all his units. In the game, the Confederate Player can move all his units in any one Turn. Thus, he can weaken a calm area to counter-attack a threatened area, restoring his hold on valuable defensive terrain.
The Confederate Player has the advantage of a Defensive strategy. Unless the Union Player gets lucky, he can play a relatively passive game holding a line until a breach occurs and fall back to the next line if his counter-attacks fail. Under no circumstances should the Confederate Player attack the Union Army on the First Turn. He must consolidate his defenses and should only attack when he is assured of killing Enemy units or to strengthen his line by advancing into Enemy controlled redoubts.
Looking at the map, the Confederate Player must contend with five avenues of attack: Scott's and Bank's Fords, Taylor's Hill and the canal, the stonewall, the woods around Telegraph Hill, and the redoubts from Deep Run to Hamilton's Crossing. The fords are remote areas, easier to reach by Confederate units than Union units. Taylor's Hill and the canal are very strong defensive positions. With proper defensive dispositions, they should hold the Union Army for the entire game. The stonewall is almost as strong and can be held by a good Player. Telegraph Hill and the redoubts on the Confederate right contain strong positions, but can be breached. The strongest Confederate units are needed here.
Hamilton's Crossing must be protected by the strongest Confederate units. Since the Confederates are normally on the defensive, they need a few pointers. By placing units on alternating hexes, you can avoid their becoming surrounded. Furthermore, by defending with the grain (hexes 2008, 2006, 2004, and 2002, for example), you will have a better defensive line than if you defend against it (1806, 1905, 2003 and 2102, for example).
As far as tactics are concerned, the optimal defensive line will stop 1 to 1 attacks and you, as the Confederate Player, will probably be able to prevent even 1 to 1's for the first few Turns. As the game progresses, however, preventing 1 to 1's becomes more and more difficult. The next best defensive line prevents 3 to 1's everywhere with a reserve for counter-attack purposes.
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