I hope to get a good strategic result, maybe Strong Union Logistics or Lee Falls Ill. Sherman wins big couldn't hurt.
Here's the segments of the first strategic cycle:
Leader Recovery Segment: No leaders sick yet.
Strategic Segment:
dr= 3+6=9 Leader Falls Ill
dr= 3+3=6,Torbert falls ill
No effect on game play
What a waste of a roll.
Reinforcement Segment:
VA Militia arrives in Staunton
VMI Cadets arrive in Lexington
Hagood arrives at Port Walthall Junction
Clingman arrives at Port Walthall Junction
Ames arrives at Bermuda Hundred.
Valley Segment:
Imboden retreats to Staunton.
That might be a small mistake on Scott's part depending on how Sigel does on his command roll. Why give Sigel a chance to capture New Market unopposed?
I'm okay with Scott's move; it gives him more flexibility. If Sigel moves in next cycle, Scott can decide whether or not to move forward and confront him in New Market or hold back. If Imboden was in New Market, he would be frozen in place when Sigel moved in and would have to fight.
Bermuda Hundred Segment:
Butler, Gilmore's X Corps and Smith's XVIII Corps move to Port Walthall Junction.
Hinks moves from City Point to Petersburg
BR Johnson and his 3 tactical reinforce Port Walthall Junction
In all off map combat the only modifiers are tactical and ratio. The attacker wins with a +2 result and loses with a -1 result. If the result is +0 or +1 then the defender has the option of retreating or staying for a second round of combat after applying any manpower losses. In the second round of combat any inconclusive results are considered failed attacks. Number results are the only combat result that can effect a unit in off map combat.
Hinks vs Petersburg: tactical -1, ratio 6:4(2) = 0 for a -1 attack.
U5 1D result, ignore the D result and lose 1 manpower to 5.
C3 D result so no effect
Second round:
U4 2D result, lose 2 manpower to 3 and retreat to City Point
C6 No effect
Hinks only has about a 20% chance of capturing Petersburg, but the attack is still worthwhile. There is a huge upside to taking Petersburg ... not only in VP but also in rerouting all of the Confederate reinforcements through Burkeville. Once Paul saw that Hagood and Clingman were both reinforcing Port Walthall (Scott had the option of bringing them in at Petersburg), launching this attack with Hinks was definitely the move to make.
Butler vs PWJ: tactical -1, ratio 48:9 = +4 for a +3 attack
U6 2Ea result, Brooks loses 2 manpower to 11
C4 2DR result, Hagood loses a manpower to 4 and Clingman goes to 3 manpower.
BR Johnson, Clingman and Hagood retreat to Drewry's Bluff.
The odds at Port Walthall were not very favorable for BR Johnson (+3 attack), but I think Scott made the right move in contesting it. With only a swing of two in the Confederate favor on the combat, Butler would have been kept out of Port Walthall ... giving Beauregard enough time to arrive and bottle him in. Paul will now earn VP for each cycle he holds Port Walthall and will be a constant threat to both Petersburg and Drewry's Bluff. Even if he doesn't take either one he will keep reinforcements from joining Lee.
Depot segment:
Grant places a depot build at Culpeper.
The Union Navy marker started the game on the "Transport Supplies" side and cannot be flipped to the "Transport Troops" side until May 15.
Supply status segment:
All Union units not in Culpeper county are out of supply.
I had forgotten about this, I was hoping to get that Strong Union Logistics event! I'm almost hoping for more rain or a very short day in order for me to forage most of my units. This will put a crimp in my offensive plans until my units start to pass their forage rolls.
Hill's mud march is paying its dividends for Scott. I had originally thought Paul could build a depot at Fredericksburg this cycle and start to get supply to everyone in Spotsylvania County. Hill's presence makes that too dangerous now and delays the progress of Paul's Union supply path to the south by at least one strategic cycle (4 turns).
Ammunition segment: All CSA units and Union units in Culpeper county erase up to two ammo boxes.
Union command segment:
Sigel dr= 5 - 1 (Union hasn't suffered a major defeat in this area with the current leader) = 4
This roll isn't a 3 or less (Sigel's command value) so no command point for the Valley.
Butler dr= 2 - 1 (Union hasn't suffered a major defeat in this area with the current leader) = 1
It's less than Butler's command value so Butler will stay active next cycle.
No wonder Grant was so upset-a commander with any initiative on the Bermuda Hundred will kill Lee! Its a big pain in the rear-literally! The only chance I have is kind dice that holds him out of my cities. But he gets the point and stays active! Another depot-but I'm a lot poorer for cav!
VP segment: Union gains +3 VP for capturing Port Walthall Station.
Here's how VP's stand so far:
+3 Port Walthall Junction - May 7
+18 CSA losses
-14 Union losses
-30 Union Complete depot destroyed
Equals -23 VP, a CSA Decisive victory at this point.