Battle of Shiloh

[Attelso]

I played the battle of Shiloh as CSA first, you only use your own army for one section of the front and after all the fronts combine you can make sure your own army is only used for flanking operations do you dont have staggering casaulties. I think i ended the fight with 20% loses or something like that.

Now i just played it as Union and its completely reversed, you only use your own troops until like 30 minutes to closing time. Having to defend all 3 sectors alone from the hordes of CSA, meant i had casaulties near 50% How do you win this battle as Union with more acceptable loses when you dont get any fluff units?

[Atillaca]

As a Union, just ignor the initial objectives and keep falling back until you get to Pittsburg Landing and defend it. Try not to engage any rebs along the way and you will have saved them.

Just won at Shilo as CSA ...lost half my army :P

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1507432512

[Magnus]

Dont exchange fire when ai is in cover. Position your brigades so that the open fire when ai tries to cross the river on your right flank or cross open area on your left flank. Once the timer on your left flank runs out you can slowly retreat to the woods around hornets nest and use the reinforcements to soak up most of the dmg. From there on the battle is won.

[oswaldo]

Alternative approach that works as well: Engage them, from the very beginning, even in the south of the western map. The game suggests it and it is a good idea. But don´t sent just skirmishers there, but at least 4 Brigades. Nonetheless, skirmishers are very helpful as Union at Shiloh. It is possible to delay huge brigades even with some skirmishers, so detach them all. And delay, delay, delay. You may need some microing here. Come out the cover, fire into their flank to make them turn, fall back, then fire from the other side... Win time whereever possible. Of course you can (and later should) fall back, but do that slowly, stepwise, and don´t do it before things get dangerous. Have Brigades waiting behind your frontline to fire into melee if there is a charge. And, of course, always stay in the wood. There is so much wood on their way north. Occupy it!

In the eastern half of the battlefield, generally do the same but fall back earlier, especially behind that river in the east. Here you can easily massacre them. You fire down a huge hill into the river while having nice cover. It is one of the best positions in the entire game. Put some Artillery here! This should stop the confederate advance in the east. Prevent being flanked by having some skirmishers screen the very west and the very east. After falling back in the western partern part of the battle, build a frontline with your position in the east. You can stop the confederate advance on the initial maps. And as soon as Pittsburgh Landing become visible, run a (weak) Brigade there to prevent capture by the confed cavalry.

[Exbeer]

ye my run at shilo with union was some what odd and lucky maby, church flank i had like 7-8 skrimishes out there in woddland not jsut for scouting but apperently the hole army just stopt in there track i got some pot shots in here and there as there army turnd wen i was flanking on the rigth side with a skrimish to ther cannon so wen they turnd my other skrimishes got in some shots here and there,, on the rigth flank how ever was another case, here they slowly moved up, lucky they sorta came up the middle so i got units on each side to flank, not saying this will be the deal every time , but for me it was prob more luck then nothing els, didd come out of it pretty okey, the confeds ? gone from the battlefield xD

[Operation Iraqi Freikorps]

Utilize detached skirmishers. And the AI aggressive can change. I while back I took a screenshot of a pacifist AI that refused to advance their brigades against my skirmishers. Either way, use the woods and stagger your units falling back, and move your artillery back when they run out of ammo. Prepare to be able to quickly retreat half your army when the map opens and there is favorable ground to your rear. This battle is all about cover and falling back.

[CivWar64]

The only thing I would add is that it is also worth buying one 24-pound artillery unit for the Shiloh Church area to help hold the river crossing. Its cannister is truly awesome. And, when it's time to retreat, do so with your cannons first as they are slow, and then drop skirmishers to delay the Rebs when you retreat your infantry. Otherwise follow all the above advice--skirms out early to delay, delay and keep retreating, and watch out for the CSA cavalry unit that tries to run down the east side past the riverboats to grab Pittsburg Landing.

My mistake (my first Legendary mode campaign) was having way too weak a Union 2nd Corps and trying to hold the VP points in the east (I didn't realize you didn't have to) and they got decimated, but I still managed to get back to the Hornet's nest and hold there before Day 2.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1507985822

[Attelso]

Most if not all of these advice is how i win the battle, not how i avoid horrendous loses (loses from the entire front being my own men, not loses from being bad at tactics). I dont have a problem winning I just wanted to take less casaulties doing it. I think the only viable solution to do that is stalling as long as possible with skirmishers until its closing time and then snipe one of the victory points with cavalry.

[scott0007]

I defend the rivers. Place my brigades in cover where the union has to get to the rivers to engage me then decimate them. Phase 2 you get help units I put them on my left by the river where there is the most open ground. I also for Shiloh have plenty of fresh recruit units so I place those in positions most vulnerable and have my veterans units nearby for supporting fire. I really don’t care if I lose rookies with Springfield’s.

[Attelso]

Originally posted by ;2590022385666843892:

I defend the rivers. Place my brigades in cover where the union has to get to the rivers to engage me then decimate them. Phase 2 you get help units I put them on my left by the river where there is the most open ground. I also for Shiloh have plenty of fresh recruit units so I place those in positions most vulnerable and have my veterans units nearby for supporting fire. I really don’t care if I lose rookies with Springfield’s.

Yes but when you are continually assaulted by 40.000 confederate infantry the most beneficial defensive position wont stop you from taking massive loses. Even if only losing 15k vs 40k. Losing 15k this early is still a massive setback.

[oswaldo]

I doubt that this is not a question of tactics. So far, your tactics is good enough to win the battle but not good enough to do that with acceptable losses. Your casualties are a result of your tactics. It is not the game, to be honest. Rather it is a question of experience. That´s why the community suggestions can´t fix this problem the way Graphic Driver problems are fixed.

But - perhaps - we can 'sharpen you eyes' to see what should be added to your tactics - or changed...

Either you have chosen a tactics that is sufficient to win the battle even with lower losses. Then this tactics may just need a little improvement (such as 'try to engage with skirmishers, not with brigades and use the brigades to bleed and rout the enemy') OR your chosen tactics is "only" good enough to win but not with lower losses.

It is hard to assess that but if your tactics is really maxed out (microing, pause button etc.), it may be time to try something else.

(If stuck at any battle, watch some playtrough videos on youtube. Always an inspiration.)

Shiloh was a bloody battle so you always will take certain losses here. 50% is indeed too much. I don´t think that continuing would crush your entire campaign, but it is a good chance to improve your playstyle. Aim at 1/3 or better. Usually having something about 30k as Union at Shiloh, your goal could be 4 digits casualties, something between 9k and 10k.

[Dik Dixon]

As Union (MG level) there is no problem to hold and decimate CSA at the river banks near the church. Use heavy cover (forest), overlapping fields of fire, keep close artillery for canister shots and scouts for flnaking fire. There is no way for them to cross the river. I never abandon this position through entire battle it is too good.

CSA side is a whole diffrent. Right flank and rapid movment is the key there.

[scott0007]

That’s what I said! ^^

[Attelso]

Originally posted by oswaldo:

I doubt that this is not a question of tactics. So far, your tactics is good enough to win the battle but not good enough to do that with acceptable losses. Your casualties are a result of your tactics. It is not the game, to be honest. Rather it is a question of experience. That´s why the community suggestions can´t fix this problem the way Graphic Driver problems are fixed.

But - perhaps - we can 'sharpen you eyes' to see what should be added to your tactics - or changed...

Either you have chosen a tactics that is sufficient to win the battle even with lower losses. Then this tactics may just need a little improvement (such as 'try to engage with skirmishers, not with brigades and use the brigades to bleed and rout the enemy') OR your chosen tactics is "only" good enough to win but not with lower losses.

It is hard to assess that but if your tactics is really maxed out (microing, pause button etc.), it may be time to try something else.

(If stuck at any battle, watch some playtrough videos on youtube. Always an inspiration.)

Shiloh was a bloody battle so you always will take certain losses here. 50% is indeed too much. I don´t think that continuing would crush your entire campaign, but it is a good chance to improve your playstyle. Aim at 1/3 or better. Usually having something about 30k as Union at Shiloh, your goal could be 4 digits casualties, something between 9k and 10k.

Sure if i perfected several tactics i might decrease the casaulties from 15k to 10k, but when i only take 2-2,5k loses as CSA in the same battle because they have alot of fluff AI units, that is where im pondering the great inequality of the battle for each side.

Here for example is the same battle as Confederates

https://imgur.com/a/4XjUkFw

36852 killed and only 2400 of the loses are my own, if i hadnt gone for complete annihilation of the union I could probably even have shaved that down to 1000-1500 loses. This is in stark contrast to where if play the same battle as union expertly, I might get down to 10k loses. which is 10 times as much.