Insane 3mm Peleliu Wargame
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- This week on Little Wars TV, three players must work together in a unique co-op scenario to assault and capture the island of Peleliu in four days. The wargame is played on a stunning replica tabletop custom-made for Peleliu using 3mm scale PicoArmor miniatures. Our scenario covers the entire operation--land, sea, and air--to see if our Marine Corps players can achieve the historical timetable goal of neutralizing the island in four days. Will our players plan a new invasion strategy and learn from the mistakes made in 1944?
Before the wargame, Miles and Tony offer some historical context on the invasion and how US military planners bungled the operation in the face of new Japanese defensive tactics. It's our longest wargame episode ever, so if you enjoy the game, do us a favor and hit "thumbs up" to like! And if you REALLY enjoy the video, maybe this will be the one when you click SUBSCRIBE! Over half of our regular viewers still haven't subscribed!
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Good video. One complaint noticeable almost immediately: the voice volume is significantly too low compared to the music, so it can be hard to hear at times
Yeah, the sound balance is very off from the usual quality that LWTV usually displays. Still a very good game. :)
I thought Tony was just whispering in order to keep his bunker's location a secret from the Marines.
@@dandepalma9305 In the introduction?
Maybe an investment in some low-cost wireless pin mics? But great video, keep 'em coming!
@@dandepalma9305 the narration is very low volume. I had to turn on captioning.
Those who would downplay the smaller scales cite the lack of detail on the minis.
I think the incredible terrain in this video shows how the focus shifts from figures to terrain as the game zooms out.
Another great show.
Congratulations to all at Little Wars.
I played a war game for years that ran via e-mail and had players in Canada, the US, and Australia. It was run through a nice old man who spent his retirement running this war game and being his town’s local historian.
The game was a virtual adaptation of a war game he and his friends played in college and was extremely adaptable to various eras. The map was globe-spanning and had only unit markers but it was the most fun I’ve ever had and I hated when the gm’s computer and backup drive was destroyed in a basement flood and we couldn’t play anymore
Also Pico armor mini do have a ton of detail you just have to be very carful to not gob them up with paint,
thats why my battles use a 6' mini the terrain really zooms in
Historical Col. Nakagawa:
Revolutionized Japanese strategy by holding to dug in positions and drawing out the fight for two months.
Tony as Col. Nakagawa on day 2 of the campaign:
BANZAAAAAAAAAI!
Haha! No cost is great enough, comrade!
The difference is that Tony knew he only had to last for 4 days, so he didn’t care what the Marines might be able to do on the 5th.
@@tommagennis There are many wargaming battles where we as history students have "pre-knowledge" of what is going to happen (Midway, Bat. of Bulge, etc.) and I'm not sure what/how to handle it - it just IS ? I've seen many Game-Presenters SURPRISE the players with something not expected though which seems FAIR under the known facts ! :-0
Longer format and more measured appreciation of game situation; both are definitely winners. 👍
Right!? I miss these nice long videos.
I love it when they go into the details of the game and show how every decision plays out.
Agreed. Good games are about the decisions players are forced to make.
I must say I love your ability to summarize the historical battle quickly while not leaving out any major bits. Plus, you pull out amazing boards and miniatures and have what seems a blast.
Thanks John! And congrats! Yours is one of four random comments selected to win free PicoArmor miniatures!! Please email us directly, littlewarstv at gmail dot com, to arrange shipping details for your miniatures. The sooner the better! And thanks for the comment!
@@LittleWarsTV Great video. My criticisms is that the music can be too loud which covers up when people are speaking and makes it hard to hear. I actually feel you can cut the background music even sooner when the intro briefing starts. And that the speakers need clip on microphones as it can be hard to hear what they are speaking even without music playing.
I've actually been to Peleliu. As Miles said, it's a destination for scuba divers. Did a big Pacific dive trip back in the '90s to Yap, Palau and Truk. Palau was on a "live-aboard" - the Palau Aggressor. Myself and 3 others skipped an afternoon of diving to go ashore on Peleliu. A friend of my dad's (both former Marines) used to lead tours to Peleliu (and Iwo Jima IIRC), and told me of the local guide on Peleliu, a man named Tangie. Even back then, the island looks very different from WWII, it has been completely reclaimed by the jungle. Sill, there were cool things to see: they have a little museum, there are Japanese bunkers, and numerous wrecks of LVTs and a few tanks.
Have to agree with Tony in the beginning, those miniatures could have been better painted. Those boots and dog tags could have been better painted Miles!
I love the fact that the army played a big part and it proves how effective and important cooperation is
Not going to lie, I just left the Marines for the Army, but when they brought the Army in it hurt a little haha
The army did more amphibious invasions than the marines lol
@@deeznoots6241 to bad nobody remembers any except from one.
I had to convert 115 Fahrenheit to Celsius immediately to understand how hot it was. That's just over 46 degrees!
As a Navy guy, it was nice to see the battleships keep the land forces in the battle. Go Navy!
Combined arms. The navy certainly fought a great fight & WON.
7 minutes in and I already love what I'm seeing so far. What a beautiful table.
Miles knocked this one out of the park. Terrain tutorial will be available on our Free Stuff section of the website!
A few weeks ago I played my first scenario in what I can call a real wargame, Command Decision 4th edition. It took place at the Cultural Center in Niepołomice, near Krakow, Poland. We played a scenario where seven players fight to gain control of several locations to ensure victory and use artillery support from outside the map (in this case, two connected ping pong tables). I commanded a US Army company in Normandy. We fought with the Germans for the town of Barenton. Up until then, I had mostly played Classic Battletech. However, the impressions are incomparable. Beautiful areas, beautifully painted figures, consultations between players and the feeling that you are part of a larger whole. I still really like CBT, it gives me a lot of emotions, but this game made me feel the difference. And before this happened, I was watching your channel. And I cannot accuse you of not preparing your materials with passion. The report from the battle I just watched is the best proof of this.
We have found the Davionist in the chat, beware ceasefires.
Love these giant (tiny?) scale wargames. Really pushes the players to the max.
Thanks Gordon! And congrats! Yours is one of four random comments selected to win free PicoArmor miniatures!! Please email us directly, littlewarstv at gmail dot com, to arrange shipping details for your miniatures. The sooner the better! And thanks for the comment!
Played this scenario in three sessions at Historicon and I loved it. Miles, keep getting this rules developed.
it was an absolute pleasure to have you at my game table - you've got a spot in any of my future convention games
Wow, the replay ability if this game is insane. This was awesome! Perfect length, awesome immersion, nice insight to planning briefs, and what a nail bitter. I was rooting for the Devil dogs all the way.
I ran this game 3x at Historicon and the end was 2 Japanese vs 1 US victory. I'm sure i'll run at other conventions in the future
Well, after initially thinking the longer format would be too long, I feel like - done the way it was - it was the perfect length and don’t know what I would have cut! Thanks for another excellent installment!
Good to know!
"Bloody Tarawa" - we did Tarawa a while back in tabletop miniatures (GHQ 6mm) based on the SPI mag-game hex-map/OOB's/rules/etc. ping-pong table sized. Some of the landing craft were sunk before landing and those troops landed piled up at the beach while naval gun fire and airstrikes attacked the dug-in pillboxes covering the beaches. When reduced the marines took hits and came over the beach-wall attacking Japanese in open fire-ifights ! When the US reached the more open area by the air-strip the Japanese attacked with a few tankettes and both sides took losses ! In the end the US drove the remaining Japanese down the tail of the island using ship gunnery and infanty attacks ! A bloody battle ... all in one night of battling ! :-)
My Dad was a member of the United States Quartermasters Americal Division in the South Pacific during World War Two. He was in Australia, New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands.
Glad to see you are continuing the grand tradition of Fancy Hats!
Perfect illustration of the amazing results that can be achieved in small scale.
I think you were a little harsh on MacArthur there. I don't know how much he felt Peleliu needed to be taken, but I know Admiral Nimitz felt to his dying day that Peleliu was necessary, so MacArthur would not have been the only one. As for his obsession with the Philippians, there were two possible objectives for the US to go for, the Philippians or Formosa(Taiwan). And of those two, the Philippians were the best option without a doubt. By the end, only Admiral King was pushing for Formosa as even those who helped draft the plan to attack Formosa, like Gen. "Hap" Arnold, had abandoned Formosa in favor of the Philippians. But that brings up an interesting possible wargame, what if King had his way and the US attacked Formosa instead of the Philippians.
I love Pico Armor/Oddział Ósmy! They are the greatest -- and keep getting better. Definitely the best mini-miniatures for the price.
Sledge's book is fantastic! I've conducted coral research there for the past decade.... An amazing place.
I wish I had a friend group for this kind of game, but I still enjoy collecting them, and when I get the chance, boom! Epic wargames!
Great game!! In the 90's while on the way to Somalia, I was on the USS Peleliu (LHA 5) on the anniversary of the battle of Peleliu while sailing by Peleliu. My battalion commander (2nd battalion, 5'th Marine regiment) was big on history, so he would have formations to remember battles and somebody would read the history. We were in parade rest on the flight deck looking at the island. it was surreal!!!
Great Video. The Narrator was very good. Loved Tony popping up with his Japanese hat and rifle.
Another great video. Two things stand out for me. First is that you did it on Peleliu at all; it is so neglected given its proximity to the Normandy campaign in Europe. But also the bitterness of the battle. The balance of the rules was excellent. One of your best. Thank you for that and thank for throughout this recognising both sides in this desperate struggle and not glorifying it in any way. All hallmarks of what makes this such a great channel
WW2 looks like the balance between armor and infantry. Thanks for the Great video!
This Pelelui table is fantastic! Very well done with lots of action. The American players did a good job of cooperating with one another.
Guys, brilliant as always - PTO is one of my favourite theatres of operation - game system which rewards low dice rolls ? ASL ( Advanced Squad Leader), greatest game in the world.
You are the best historical wargaming channel 🔥
Please do a video on how you guys made such a beautiful island! It is eye catching to the point I had trouble focusing on the battle!
Patrons have just such a video in our inboxes
I didn't think I would like the low number of stands on such a big map but I enjoyed the fight. It reinforced how empty and isolating a WW2 battlefield could become. More big map battles I say!
I love Pico Armor, I always love seeing them get some representation in the wargaming sector. Thank you for another great video!
This is so cool y'all, I've always loved the Pacific, and I've always admired Eugene Sledge and Sid Phillips.
Your guys custom battlefields always look amazing.
I love the LWTV battle report format.
I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the playtesting and perhaps even a designers notes video after these new rules are released.
When I saw Tony launch that Banzai charge into the open area of the airfield I figured he was toast, especially when the Army was added to the mix. A great game.
Ive seen 6mm lines for many eras, and 2mm for Strength and Honor ancients, but the idea of 3mm for WW2 is fascinating
Fantastic table! A quick check of your Rule Review playlist reveals that this channel is at least partially responsible for 8 rulesets I have purchased, and that number will be increasing. 👍 Thanks for the great content.
I enjoyed the extra long cut, though I do probably prefer the tighter edit. Loved the board and the game!
When John launched that attack. I was waiting for the offshore artillery to ruin his day.
Yesssss, 3mm! Great timing for the topic as well-I just finished reading Nimitz at War by Symonds. Great book-Peleliu is definitely a black mark on an otherwise impressive command effort by Nimitz.
You also mentioned painting 2mm in your Vietnam video last year-keep the small stuff coming! I’m finally gearing up for small scale armies of my own thanks to RJL Games and their excellent budget-friendly DIY ideas for creating minis out of plastic sewing mesh. He made some armies for Altar of Freedom using that method that look fantastic and I’m planning on trying as well. With any luck I’ll soon be refighting Pea Ridge on my table!
Excellent scenario design on top of a spectacular table.
3mm is for the deranged, but man you guys nailed it.
Another great Wargame from Little Wars TV. I agree that there is a lot of potential with WW2 Pacific island hopping and this episode displayed that, so I hope to see more. In addition to the less known battle of Peleliu, this video also serves to educate on 2 important facts: 1) The Marines need the Army, whether they like it or not 2) Miles does play and design other games besides Napoleonics.
cant wait for more Pico Armor Vids ive been working on a Easter Riseing Game mode for Rommel using Russians as the Irish and including the Days and Nights Rules from the book .
3 mm miniatures is the bestia choice for this big battles!!!
I love learning about this time period
A very nice game Miles an A+ grade! The setup with custom game board, troops, playing aids and rules!! The game play with it`s strategies, twists and turns was very interesting!
I just recently discovered your channel when searching for Force on Force battle reports, and I've fell in love in every video so far. Such great content!
Welcome aboard!
What really did it for me was seeing the aircraft. Its one thing that keeps me pausing on going into World War II wargaming. Few ranges seem to have aircraft at a close enough scale.
have always admired the detail you gents put into the product that you release on the tube of you.... loving it
Thanks! These big games are a lot of work but so much fun to play!
Their attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. I love the videos but it depresses me that I could never produce terrain of that standard! How do they get the time to get to that standard and still be able to produce such well put together videos. I can see how moving down to 3mm helps. Working abroad 3mm may be the solution for transporting easily. Well done guys...... though I still need to find a way of transporting Ravenfeast first at 15mm scale though a 3mm shieldwall.... Cannot wait for the next video
Many Thanks Gents! A thoroughly immersing battle report. Congratulations to Miles for his running of this battle, of which my knowledge until now was limited. A hard fought win for the American Commanders and a gallant defence by Tony San! Well done to all👍👍
A fantastic batrep on a little-played part of WWII. The map was amazing and the scenario design was top notch. I loved how the players got to play out history differently, along with substantial fog of war and hidden elements. The 3 mm stuff is fascinating and the rules seem solid. I would love to see Guadalcanal played with a similar setup.
Absolutely wonderful game of an under represented theatre in wargames. And you did it in 3mm - small scale all the way. Brilliant!
Hey I just watched this on my “big Screen” TV but had to come back to the app to make this comment. Kudos to you guys as your filming and editing skills made this long (43 minutes!) video of playing a war game a real joy to watch. Following the plane into the beach was cute, but what I am talking about and noticed was the shot of Tony’s long explanation of what he was doing. You must have used 3 cameras as the perspective switched from center to right and back and then from center to left and back. I was “tricked” into seeing motion and movement ( what you want in a video to hold the watcher’s attention) rather than a “talking head.” Well done !!!
The Army saved the day! Well played sirs!
Thanks for including the table build tutorial, I've been itching to get my own table started. I'll head over and check it out!
Fascinating scale. I have some 2mm Napoleonics, but I hadn't considered ww2 at this scale
I love this operarion scale of gaming, skirmish is fun but the grand plans are a more mental exercise.
Excellent video, table, and figures. My first thought when night fell and the Japanese attack had retaken the airfield is use the night to get back into the mountains. You don't want to be Japanese on that airfield when dawn comes. But he stayed.
I'm very excited to see this! Peleliu was a helluva fight, what a meat grinder..
I gotta say that board is awesome! The minis too, 3mm is a scale that's really intimidating but I look the look of them, especially the tanks!
Great game! I also really enjoyed the respectful and sagacious commentary at the beginning. Well done guys.
Your respect for the history and always impressive gaming boards make every one of your wargames a must-watch for me, thank you!
That table's amazing, 3mm fits perfectly on it
Great game! 45 minutes is fine by me. I'd like to hear a podcast of Miles doing "designer notes" so we get some insight in his thinking about how he wrote the rules and why.
Well done men. Tony really gets into his roles.😂
Haha, we have so much fun together & I might be a ham...
Really liked the extended length of this episode, and that beautiful table!
Halsey wanted to cancel the operation. Nimitz overruled him. Huge mistake. Still a lot of bitterness among Marines about that campaign.
Definitely a mistake. Such a tragic waste of lives for so little gained strategically
Some historians think that the Philippines should have been bypassed, but there is also the POW and civilian losses that would have occurred if we hadn't invaded. Although for Peleliu it may have been better to isolate it and prevent the airfield from becoming active and starve out the Japanese.
New format is great! Does a fantastic job mixing narration and gameplay works great. Definitely makes the longer length video not a chore to watch. Very entertaining
Fantastic Game board. I'm impressed with the overall detail of Peleliu. Well done again!
Awesome!
Asymmetric engagements are beautiful. Even if they might not be perfectly balanced, as long as they bring an interesting challenge.
Beautiful map too, can’t be a cinematic wargame without a good terrain.
Another great battle report. I really love the aesthetic of 3mm.
The game was pretty interesting. Thank you for putting it on. Great battle report Little Wars. A game in small scale is always nice.
Excellent terrain, Order of Battles, game play, and an interesting rules concept. I too have believed that the Pacific Theater of Operations have been largely overlooked. Miles, I hope you pursue your rules, they seem very promising. Thanks to all the fellows.
I spent 4 days on Peleliu and swam with a school of Manta Rays near the invasion beaches. The detritus of war is everywhere. I even found a Sherman with live rounds inside it’s turret. The humidity is oppressive and fogs up your camera lens. I used Sledge’s book as my tour guide, and followed the steps of K/3/5. There is no greater feeling than having an entire WW2 battlefield to yourself with no time constraints. I even got my rental van up to 70 mph on the runway for fun. Videos of my trips to Peleliu are on my channel
Amazing game and amzing detail on the game table. Also love the photos of the generals on the wall. Would like a tour around that game room.
Love the production quality of these videos! Nice balance of history and fiction. Nice substitute for not wargamming myself.
Good to see a longer game
Fantastic Video. 40 minutes fit perfectly for this specific one. 20-40 Minutes in general seems for me the YT sweetspot for your kind of content.
Love the way the pico minis look on the tabletop!
These small minis/large action scale games are growing on me😃
Love the long format. More please.
Good to see the big battles/small men type of game, I'm a 6mm ACW guy myself using Greg's excellent AoF rules.
Respect the effort you put in every video. Keep going!
The 3-D battle map is superb! I mean, the table is almost always well done, but this one is outstanding even with that consideration.
I really enjoyed this game. Gorgeous map, neat looking miniatures, and great banter between all the players. Thank you for spotlighting the Pacific theater. It just doesn’t get the attention WW II Europe receives. The use of the 3mm miniatures makes putting on larger battles so much easier by allowing bigger battles to be played on traditional sized tables. I’m looking forward to watching the video on how you created the island table for the game.
Love the table and detail!
I was just re-watching The Pacific this week, so this was great timing! Thanks guys.
Always a good day when you guys release a video. Keep up the great work!
@3:10 Too many forget the Battle for BIak Island and the struggle of the Sunset Jungleers and the Taro Division that occurred 4 months prior to Peleliu, and illustrated the change in defensive tactics by the Japanese
Great stuff! This was one of the most interesting battle choices and rulesets yet. Would love to see more Pacific Theater combat!
You guys need to do more types of battles like this one as this was great
Love the historical information, the rule explanations and the player tensions and reactions as much as the gameplay action. Always so well done…..so much so, I launch into reading the history myself and worry my wife as I research new miniatures for another new game, LOL.
Cool video. This is a ruleset that I might be able to get my dad in to, especially with optional solo rules. And don't worry - I'm already sold on Picoarmor, don't draw my name.
In Count Dooku's voice: "i've been looking forward to this"
In Obi Wans voice: “Hello there.”
@@LittleWarsTV *GENERAL KENOBI*
It's a trap!
Great simulation. I love Little Wars TV battle recreations.
An amazing project, creating a fabulous table, and some clear and recognisable and good looking units to field on it. You created a great wargame experience there.
Great battle guys. Love the scope of the action and the pre game decision making. It’s one of the best parts of scenario based battles.
I loved the video. I served in the Marines for a few years and it was awesome to learn about the history of the Corps, especially since we take it so serious and are so focused on learning as much as we can about our past. Fantastic video! I hope to see more from you guys soon!