Princeton 1777, with 'Live Free or Die'

I've been itching to try these rules since they arrived from the US; developed by the guys at Little Wars TV, they are a 4 page approach at AWI, with a basis in Andy Callan's 'Loose File & American Scramble' and lots of pertinent scenarios covering most of the events of the war.

 

Aimed at 1"x1" bases (with 10 or 15mm - see the Little Wars TV Brandywine episode for excellent coverage), I upped the scale (and thereby table size) to suit my 25mm stuff (on 1.5" square bases). It worked beautifully, although I did end up using every single American AWI base that I own for this scenario - I must paint more figures.

 

 

Highlights:

• The rules come in a magazine format book, though you can of course buy the pdf. Proceeds help the American Battlefield Trust. This war has always been a fascination of mine - there are many ironies at work...with subsequent influences felt across the C18th and C19th.
  
• The format follows Andy C's LFaAS in the main, but clears up much of the issues where those rules did not focus on the detail. Granted, with 4 or 5 pages of rules, there will be queries, but solutions seemed to be relatively straightforward, and problems were solved intuitively.
• Turn sequence covers : Command, Initiative, Leaders, Charges, Firing, Moving, Melee and Redress Lines. A more traditional sequence you might think, but you have to be careful how (1) you spend your command (resource), (2) where you place your leaders (who are great when attached but obviously at risk) and (3) how fragile militia or class 3 or 4 troops can be - especially so in the face of 1st or 2nd class troops.
• Units take 'Demoralisations' (DMZs) which ultimately takes bases away after 5, but more pertinently, create morale rolls and potentially force units back, in turn potentially demoralising forces in their retreat path. This is not as complex as it sounds and works pretty seamlessly. This is the real meat of the resource management aspect. You quickly get a sense of units that can take more DMZs and those who are under threat of capitulation ...and you can't do everything you want to...
  
• Firing is d6 based, and there is a distinct difference between 'hasty fire' and moving and 'volley fire' (twice the dice) and thereby not moving - great period flavour here done seamlessly, without lists of modifers. This can make 1st class British units fairly powerful, and by no means a glass hammer, unless confronted/outnumbered by continentals.
• British charges can be pretty devastating in the right circumstances.
• There is no arbitrary 2D6 roll for unit activation...
  

Everything works! Key to this however, is that the guys have really kept the spirit and flavour of the AWI in these rules.  

 The scenario was from the main rulebook: Princeton 1777. Scale is 50 men to a base.

  The British could win if they could retain control of one of the road exits. This would not be easy as American pressure would become increasingly heavy as the turns wore on.

Early American moves in the centre

'Here we go again Zeke'

Some of the British infantry are 1st Class - with devastating vollies, especially so if combined with a leader

An early charge from British cavalry against skirmishers is indecisive

Here they come...in the British centre

The British left remains tantalizingly open...

British 17th foot remains stoic throughout the day

Early signs of Hitchcock's Brigade - reinforcements on turn 3, and keen to do something on the British left flank

The centre bears the brunt of the early American attack

American flanking action starts to develop

On the American left, reinforcements are starting to pour onto the field in column, but it's getting closer to turn 10. Can the British hold?

Washington takes centre stage, in an attempt to hold the British centre in place, with militia ,,,he is wounded twice.

Mercer's skirmishers close again. Actually, we forgot about their extra range at one point, from rifles...

American columns closing to one road exit. They'll undoubtedly take it. If Washington can do something in the centre, the Americans could win the game.

Americans also now seriously threatening the British left.

The British hold and force the Americans back in the centre. It's late in the game, and they still hold the road to Princeton ...

The flank will ultimately cave to American pressure, but perhaps not before game turn end

Washington and Mawhood both wounded with fighting in the centre

American columns will take one objective...

American militia forced back in the centre. British firepower is devastating

The flank action hotly contested ...with the last British unit entering the field

A charge on the British right - simply to deter any riflemen and oncoming Americans...

...though they have now captured the road to Trenton ...and are turning to the other British flank...

...but by game turn 10, the British have held on, and inflicted more losses than they have sustained.

A great set of rules, and well supported with scenarios which take on all the major engagements. More from these rules soon. (and yes...must paint more figures - especially if I want to do Germantown)