Terrific Princeton Wargame
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2018
- In this episode, Little Wars TV crosses the frigid Delaware River to re-fight one of George Washington's most pivotal battles. Greg and Keith visit Princeton battlefield and debate whether Princeton was a minor tactical defeat for the British or something much more. Then, back at the club, three players fight the wargame on an incredible 8'x6' tabletop with 28mm miniatures and the rules "Black Powder" by Warlord Games. Can Washington and Hugh Mercer catch the British by surprise, or will Mawhood slow down the colonial rebels long enough for Cornwallis to reach Princeton? Find out this week on Little Wars TV!
All the hand-painted miniatures seen in this video are from Fife & Drum Miniatures. We've been gaming with their miniatures for years and highly recommend them. You can see their full range at fifeanddrum-minis.com
Visit www.LittleWarsTV.com for bonus content and much more! The bloopers for this episode will be available on our website next week. But check back here on TH-cam for the "Black Powder" rule review, a battlefield tour, and another awesome two-minute terrain tutorial.
If you're a fellow history geek and enjoy what we do here, please subscribe, leave us a comment below, and let your other history-minded friends know where to find us! - เกม
![fellow fellow - Proud [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9uZF7BlUQPE/mqdefault.jpg)
The strategic importance of Princeton was that it ceded most of New Jersey back to the colonists. This meant that when Howe's Spring campaign to take Philydelphia kicked off he quickly decided to take the sea route rather than march through a New Jersey swarming with Militia. Which meant that He was in no position to help Burgoyne OR to keep Washington from sending troops north. Saratoga happened because of the fallout from Princeton.
Okay...your channel is becoming my favorite channel to watch here on TH-cam. I really like the formatting you guys do for historical background, and then a refight of the battle. Even in the wargame, you even give the fog of war with Washington given order from another room. Very cool. Looking forward to your next vid! Take care.
Glad to hear we are moving up on your "favorite channel" list! We must be doing something right...though to be fair, the bar is pretty low in the "historical miniature wargaming" niche on TH-cam. It's basically us and...maybe just us.
Well, there are not many English speaking vids out there you can understand...so this is one of few...bonus! Plus you guys have a cool sense of humor, and if able, would want to come out and play a game or two. Keep having fun!
Me too
3:28 his eyes make me uncomfortable
Lol I just noticed
I was wondering if he was really walleyed or just had a bad portrait artist.
I don't know what it is, but I keep coming back and re-watching these. I've re-watched Gettysburg. I've re-watched Trafalgar. I re-watched the Normandy one. I re-watched Agincourt. I don't know why, but I think it is the love you guys have for these games that make me want to re-watch them.
Like Keith catching himself almost saying "Lots of Rebs" hah!
I don't know what I was thinking there! Star Wars? Civil War?
The Americans were viewed as rebels by the British as well
Can't believe it's been five years since this game was played. A great game.
Really enjoyed this. Thanks for the hardworking you all put in to creating your great content. You're certainly increasing my interest in recreating the rebellion.
Wonderful and inspiring, love the mix of maps and miniatures (gorgeous terrain and armies btw)...Splendid!
That was fantastic! You showed the battlefield, set the context and used the game to highlight what may have happened and how what did happen did. This was both enjoyable and entertaining. Excellent job!
Just catching up, another excellent game and beautiful Miniatures.
Excellent. Shows what the hobby has always been about. Especially the last scene.
Great episode!
Beautiful models, great job on the painting!
Another great video chaps. Table and figures looked fantastic. Would like to see another battle when Keith's forces heading for Princeton get ambushed.
Do I have to?
Yes. Ha. It would be about 10 minutes long.
That's being generous.
Excellent analysis and presentation of the battle with some beautiful miniatures and terrain - well done and thank you all!
The fact that they could pull out an extra special win after the decent handicaps is awesome! Thanks for the great video!
Great game and terrain. That was by far, the most polite and civilized tar and feathering I could ever imagine. Thanks for the video.
Another great show gentlemen ! Keep it up . Love the black powder rule set . I use it for ACW and Anglo Zulu war
Very well done video, I really enjoyed it.
Really like the layout for this one. Nice design!
Very entertaining the way your described the battle itself as well as the way the game was presented. I felt like I was washing a movie, and I must tell you that I love Black Powder rules. Great effort and Thank you. Cheers
EXCELLENT TUTORIAL!
Great video. The quality and content has improved over the last year. As a Patreon supporter I am hoping this is a reflection of the resources we have provided to your channel. Keep up the good work!
There's no question that Patreon has provided us the juice to improve the production quality in several key ways. And it's also allowed us to plan for some very ambitious content in 2022.....
You are right. I knew about Trenton, but had never heard of Princeton.
Phew I already own Black Powder (I've already bought Greg's games off the back of these videos!) Lovely stuff, really enjoyable. Not a battle I was too familiar with. In fact not an era I game but so very tempted to start... Maybe we will win this time 😉🇬🇧
Thanx for a great video.
Excellent video guys. Just found your channel and happy to subscribe! As a Brit I have to commiserate with my namesake Keith on a valiant effort, but all credit to Washington and his men. Thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing more.
Thanks! We are happy to have come across your radar. Always hoping to find more wargamers out there and let them know we exist!
Fantastic video!
Great video. Nice work!
Delightful battle report! Having the off table movement had a real impact on the situation. Bad day for the British, but they will live to fight another day! The table looked awesome, and the figures are very fine! You guys seem like you really have a great time together. Congratulations on a very fine club!
Thanks, Tim! We do have a blast playing...even our British player managed to have a good time in the this one. He was one off-table decision away from pulling off a decent tactical withdraw.
Excellent episode! This is my favourite TH-cam channel, hands down. Are those miniatures Fife & Drum?
Thank you sir! Happy to hear we are held in such high esteem. The minis in this game are from Fife & Drum, as you suspected.
A great little battlefield. Happy I got to visit it. I hope that development that Princeton University wanted to do didn't happen! Oh yeah, and George Washington was a beast! He and his horse disappeared in the smoke of artillery fire and his own troops thought that there was no way he could have survived that. However, the smoke cleared and he was still atop his horse, none the worse for wear. He saved the day.
-Ski
And poor Mercer. Though I have to say, if you find yourself surrounded by British bayonets, put the saber down...
The American Battlefield Trust purchased the land at Princeton battlefield site and thus saved it from development.
Ok after binge watching I’m subscribed. Fun times to be had and a lot of ballyhoo.
Plenty more fun times to come, too. Glad you found us! Tell your history-minded friends!
Guys; for me, this is one, of the best (if not the best) wargaming-hobby related channel on youtube. Weaving the history content with gaming is brilliant. Your style and presentation are fantastic. Your enthusiasm for history and historical gaming is inspiring. I would also love to see more time on game-play and if you also play board wargames, those reviews I'm sure would be awesome. These suggestions are not criticisms in any way, but hopeful requests to see more from your channel. If you're ever in NYC, dinner is on me. Steve. PS MORE battlefield tours...
Thank you! High praise, indeed. We do play board games in the club and will consider doing some reviews. We are going to increase game-play in the next two episodes and see how it goes. We definitely will have more battlefield tours. One is already filmed for the "off season" and we have plans for others!
I must say, I have been in a gaming slump for a few years now, but your excellent channel is very inspiring. I may have got my mojo back !!
That's one of the best compliments we could receive, David. Thank you. Break out of that slump and get back to the tabletop!
Little Wars best battle report. Interesting History, pretty figures, some decision making and even some dice rolling.
Very good and enjoyable, superb presentation .
Thanks, Norman! Appreciate the compliments.
Nice game. Thanks.
I love what you guys are doing, IMO, strictly from a practical point. Ive never seen the logic for a table being wider than 4'. With larger scale figs, I understand the larger game area, but anything over a '3 ft. reach', I think invites a disaster. Player fall down go Boom, miniatures go 'Smash!"
For Christmas I am getting historical minitures for black powder yay!
The Random channel I got them to
Another great game gentlemen
Love it!
13:35, 18:33 Love the Star Wars preferences!
This is the first of your videos I have watched and I really enjoyed it, so subbed. Thanks for an interesting history lesson and a cool looking wargame.
Great to hear, Al. We hope now that you've seen one, you may stick around for more!
What figs did you use?
They look like Fife & Drum Miniatures.
@@jamespurky202 They are indeed. A joy to paint and use.
Love this channel and sadly due to Covid have seen less on here the past year but for understandable reasons.
Rewatching this video and as a British man I have just noticed the British flag in the map graphics was wrong for the period 😱🤣 that is the Union Flag of the UK from 1801 and not the British Flag used during the AWI. But alas I loved the video and due to my love of the AWI I knew about Princeton.
Keep up the great work guys and stay safe 👍
You forgot the most important aspect of tarring and feathering... setting the feathers on fire!
Cheers ~ I manage the tour program at the Princeton Battlefield and give tours of the Ten Crucial Days campaigns. Respectfully, a few adjustments please.
1. As Stu Rat reveals, the crossing of the Delaware began at sundown 25 December. Attack on Trenton was on the morning 26 December.
2. I trust you realize the "Betsy Ross" flag you use in your graphics was not used in 1776.
3. Cornwallis learned that Washington and his troops were on the Eastern, (not Western) bank of the Delaware on New Year's Day, 1 January 1777.
4. After the Battle of Assunpink, Washington's troop strength was closer to 5,000 (not 6,000).
5. I do love how you call it the "accidental battlefield". Battle of Princeton was a classic meeting engagement. The organic double envelope that occurred was a happenstance that Washington did not plan or anticipate. The sheer tenacity of Washington and his commanders took the field. Regardless, Mawhood's actions were lauded by his superiors and are held as an example of bravery and panache to this day. The ancestors of the 17th Reg of Infantry are today's Leistershire Regiment who insignia is that of a the laurel wreath they earned at Princeton for having survived near encirclement.
6. I've never heard your pronunciation of Mawhood as such. Our best research shows his name would have been pronounced "maw'HOOD"
7. Here's the big one. It was not Mercer's regiment that were sent to the bridge at Worth's Mill. It was Mifflin. Mercer, and his Virginia Riflemen were in the column behind the New Englanders. Washington, thinking that the 16th Light Dragoons that were seen on the ridge on William Clarke's farm were on morning patrol. He ordered Mercer to engage with about 350 men; mostly riflemen. Little did the Continentals know they were going to run smack into the 17th Reg of Infantry with fixed bayonets.
8. You say that Mercer was bayoneted by that "very oak"...ummm...not really. That oak was planted about a 18 years ago.
9. I believe your mention of De Fermoy's Pennsylvania Deutsch approach is also from Stryker. We know now that they PA Germans, under Hassauger were north of the town. Indeed there may have been some PA Germans on the Thomas Clarke farm, but it would be more accurate to highlight the Philadelphia Associators, also vastly untested, who were approaching the field from the mill road under Cadwalader's command in support of the New England Continentals by the end of the battle.
10. I think it may be overstating the fate of the 17th. The were not "completely destroyed" on the William Clarke farm. As you did state, they did "break out" to the south.
Happy to have more conversations. roger@TenCrucialDays.org
Thanks for the compliments, Roger. A couple of the points you made here were mistakes and we appreciate your notes--the time of the crossing and the "east" vs. "west" terminology on the river. A few other points are editing related--yes, we know the Betsy Ross flag was post-1777 flag, but we needed a rights free image for TH-cam and we did summarize Mercer's role, as it's tough to fully convey what could easily be over an hour of historical background in less than six minutes. There are other points I'd say are simply open to interpretation--the "Mercer Oak" is really just legend, and while the old one came down years ago in that storm, the new one is said to be grown from an acorn of the original. I've always pronounced Mawhood's name as "mahHOOD" but was told by a Brit that it would have been "Maud." I have no idea how he would have said it in 1777. Finally, I think a couple of your "adjustments" may be because you didn't realize this was a wargame, not a historical simulation. Fermoy's brigade was not historically active in this battle, but in our game the player who was Washington chose to bring up Fermoy, as well as Cadwalader. Same with the fate of the 17th--they were wiped out in our game, which is not their historical fate. The purpose of a wargame is to allow the players to rewrite history, not to replicate it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I JUST NOE SAW THIS NOT FAIR ,.....YOU GUYS THIS IS GREAT THANK YOU..
Better late than never! Glad you found us and we hope you'll stick around to watch more games.
You do great stuff. I went and bought the Live Free or Die rules and the scenario book.
Thanks, Mike! We partner with the American Battlefield Trust on that game and they get half the proceeds. So I'm sure they appreciate your support, as well!
@@LittleWarsTV Love Altar of Freedom also. I think that you should do a Napoleonics version of these as well They are just the right focus for whole battles that in my old age I like to fight. They would allow someone to get into Napoleonics for a few hundred dollars.
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Love the F&D miniatures. Really like the game, not a fan of Black Powder, but it's nice to see Princeton on the table.
Morale is everything in War & winning victories when your down to lose changes the game...
Battle of Elyau in the future maybe?
HUZZAH!!! Great show!
Good presentation with historical background. Quibble alert: 3:33--Washington was on the eastern side of the Delaware (or left bank facing downstream to Delaware Bay), right? Otherwise he couldn't have his back to the river. Anyway well-played with a hilarious finish. Cheers and keep on gaming!
Great video once again. Just curious to know how do you know which figures to paint? Do you just buy and paint or do you recon a certain battle and buy figures for the specific battle and paint them?
It's fascinating to observe the difference between each person, time and place throughout all of history...👣
Loving these videos! Where is your club located? Would love to take a Pilgrimage and game with y’all!
We are in Pennsylvania
The thing is im 11 and im getting into black powder and painting and playing wargaming and completely under stood everything you were talking about
That's awesome! Black Powder is a very good introductory game for you to play. It's easy and fun for any newer wargamers.
@@LittleWarsTV thanks for noticing my comment I really aprecheat what you said and you are one of my favorite youtubers
I’m gonna say Yorktown was the most important victory. Saratoga second. Certainly Washington’s bold winter campaign was essential to keep the army together, capture much needed supplies and arms, and raise moral.
Yorktown never would have happened if not for Saratoga
Great looking table guys! I noticed there were high and low areas in the field. How did you crate those? I assume you used a blanket over the game table?
There are 1" thick foam hills under the game mat, which gives the impression of gentle valleys and slopes. We have a very large number of foam hills in a wide variety of shapes that we use for all of our games.
I want this game
One of the major but interesting challenges of historical scenarios is designing Victory Conditions that give both sides a realistic chance of winning - I've certainly played in my share of games in which this wasn't done.
So, looking at a battle as asymmetrical as Princeton (Washington eventually outnumbers the British almost 6,000 - 1,200 across the full engagement) how did the Brits do in your test or subsequent playthroughs? I've downloaded your scenario and am keen to stage it at a local Con, but I wonder if it can be a fair game for Mawhood once all of George's reserves roll up.
Please share your experiences and recommendations - btw I am planning to use Keith Flint's Honours of War rulebook.
Also, thanks again for bringing such high quality and thoughtful productions to youtube.
Hi guys, great channel, Is there any chance to get the scenario notes? I would like to recreate this game. Cheers.
Alejandro--Yes! You are in luck. We post all of the scenarios we play for free online. Just go to our website www.LittleWarsTV.com and sign up for the Free Stuff page. You can download this Princeton scenario as a PDF, among lots of other freebies.
Very inspiring staging of this battle using Black Powder rules. I plan to also stage a version of Princeton with our club using the excellent "Rebellion" supplement for the AWI from Black Powder for the map - but I note the scenario battlefieldmap is quite different (see page 76) than the one depicted in your game. What was the source of your layout?
Also, I would also recommend trying the excellent AWI variant produced by the Border Reivers club for General d'Armee (Napoleonic rules).
Thanks, Walter. We laid out our table design after visiting Princeton in person and talking to one of the state park guides.
@@LittleWarsTV Perhaps you have a more "telescoped down" setting for the battle. I think one of the things that makes Princeton intriguing is it is one of the few engagements early in the war in which a militia-rich Rebel force is attacking a force of British regulars, instead of defending and falling back.
God save the King!
Where's my friends season 2 I need my war gaming fix!
Another superb episode. You even make Black Powder (not my favourite ruleset) sound good. Great historical context 'a mix between bold genius and suicidal madness' - a nice quote which sums up my normal wargaming moves ;)
7:45 Wouldn't you like to know, Readcoat?
Excellent job but the facts are a little off. There was indeed supposed to be a southern "prong" to this attack, but they waffled over crossing the icy river (fear) and did not show up to support the battle. Courage finally got the better of them and they crossed, only to find everyone already gone. However the ferrymen moved elsewhere and they had no means to get back across and by this time Washington himself was back on the other side of the river, and discovered what had happened... and where these men were. They represented too large a part of his forces to leave them there to certain destruction, so Washington made the gamble to go back to get them, and perhaps give the British another shot... which he did.
However the initial battle at Assunpink Creek should also not be forgotten, for here Washington repeatedly placed himself in the line of British fire... and they could not kill him, and in large measure this is where his legend began to grow.
Oh yes.... and after a "tarring and feathering" one usually gets a ride on a "rail". Modern people think this means some sort of square piece of wood... it is not. It is the rails used for split rail fences, and they are always triangular in shape, and the point always faces up.... Most people given such a ride were split open from the bottom up, and eventually died from the injuries.
I 've watched several of these.. I think part of the discussion should also involve in a small part, arms and equipment. Is it the tactics or tactics and superior weapons?? Just some an idea.
Love the idea, thank you! In our next video that comes out Tuesday we do have a sidebar discussion about the Martini Henry! We will try to do more of that stuff.
@@LittleWarsTV Love this sort of thing. Is there any chance you would be willing to take suggestions for future war games?
Were did you guys get the movement trays from?
HEY MAKE A VIDEO ON THE BATTLE OF THE MONONGAHELA IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you guys seen the TV/Movie series Sharpe?
Of course! It's a Napoleonic classic.
Sometimes the dice know better than the player!
Interesting. Personally, I would have called this game a draw or minor loss to the British. It seems unfair to further penalise the British player (Keith) because of events that occurred after the battle (i.e. retreating in the wrong direction) thereby awarding the Americans a major victory.
Once again though - lovely work by all concerned. Will be very interested in your review of "Black Powder" next week.
Lee Sheppard We did destroy or capture two full regiments. Had Keith chosen to withdraw before we were able to encircle him, I would have been the guy covered in chocolate sauce.
Ah - makes more sense now. Without an explanation of how the Victory points were awarded, I made the wrong assumption. Keith also made the classic gamer mistake "I could withdraw, but all I see is an Atreides I want to kill...."
Blood in the water for me...
I do not blame ya Keith. Everyone at the club knows how aggressive we both are. Ha.
.....And if Washington fell, well, bad things would have happened.
Where did you get the Continental Marines figs?
They are from Fife & Drum miniatures!
Thank you so much!
Meanwhile there is still Monmouth county where 20% of civilians died in shoot outs between tories and patriots
Calvary :-)
Then they went here to Monmouth
What's the actual man scale you're using? You said regiment but you said there were only 5000 troops in the whole battle.
Black Powder is fairly flexible in terms of the actual man scale. The rules only rate units (and a unit can be whatever you want--regiment, company, etc) as Tiny, Small, Medium, and Large. We played with a unit representing a regiment, and a Tiny regiment like Hitchcock's MA Regulars would be 6 figures, going up to a Large regiment like Cadwalader's DE milita, as 14 figures. Most of the formations at Princeton we rated as Small or Regular sized formations. The full scenario is available for free on our website if you want a copy.
Sick video, ....... but....... 3:28..... Nah bro why he look like that?
7:57 where was that map made it doesn't show israel
Plz make a sperate video with all the game play
8 peices = a regiment? how many in a regiment?
That is different over many countries and/or periods of time. (Quite a lot, actually.)
But in the british army at that time a regiment consisted of HQ plus 8 "center" companies plus 2 "line" companies (without the intermediate step of "battalion" that modern armies have). A single company would consist of about 40 privates, 3 corporals and three officers as command staff (ensign, lieutenant, captain). This would fluctuate WILDLY during the war because logistics and resupply weren't a matter of hours but rather weeks and because of major "scientific" influence on the theory of war from La Fayette and other french and german generals that shifted the continental army away from the british system.
TL;DR: A regiment was about 400-450 dudes.
[Side note: Today a US army regiment/brigade is much larger. About 3 to 5 battalions with up to 1,000 soldiers each, so up to 5,000 soldiers in total.]
Why are you using black powder in your video reviewing it you said you hated it.
There are lots of guys in the club here who actually like Black Powder.
Was it at this battle that King Donald I commanded his US troops to defend the airports from the British who were using their secret weapon, 'teleprompters' for the first time even though it was raining heavily during this battle? Why didn't the US use those Sherman tanks too?
I disagree that the British weren’t significantly affected. The “Ten crucial days” emboldened the NJ Militia to wage asymmetric war. The British were unable to rest and refit as well as they would have liked. Logistically this was a disaster for the British morale and supply.
Absolutely agreed on the local and regional level--it was a major impact. But back in London, news of this winter campaign caused no serious alarm and it was not perceived as a major setback at the time. That, I believe, was a misperception due in part to hubris and in part to being so far removed geographically from the situation on the ground.
@@LittleWarsTV I’m a grognard gamer like you and your crew. I’m currently submerged in AWI research and “Black Powder” wargaming. Keep up the good work (and game play).
Is it only impression or Bran can't help himself and ONLY plays on an american side?
No it was not the most significant "victory". You having a laugh.. By way you have the wrong union jack, the flag you have did not come into existence till 1801, with the inclusion of Ireland into the union of the United kingdom. Good battle at the end i enjoyed that but really come on guys, historically the British were able to push off an army of 4,500 men with a 1,200 British army, not a very good victory. Most of them were able to break out and rejoin British lines. Not exactly a good win is it. Like most ameircan achievements of the war they are grossly exaggerated. I suggest the reason the British were able to break out, was due to superior military training and leadership.
Still Cornwallis won a great a battle at Guildford court house a few years later with nearly the same number of men where he drove off over 4,000 man army. Yet again the Americans tried to suggest it was their supposed mauling of the British at that battle, which forced Cornwallis to retreat which led to Yorktown. The simple fact is in both battles Americans failed to destroy a small British army. Furthermore Cornwallis put garrison troops to protect the baggage, not exactly his best.
At Guildford court house, american bragging belies the fact their army was so scattered by Cornwallis, they could not do anything about the supposed weaken British army. The size of Cornwallis' army was not a holding force, it was designed to get at the Americans quick and them move back to better protect ground. He did that with great plum and the Americans should accept this. If american claims are correct about the state of the British army, they would of destroyed it or made an attempt do so. The truth is they did not know, or care to know, and even if they did manage to get the army together they would of known what is is like the face a small well train force and not be able to do anything about it.