by Paul LaFontaine, 19 April 2026
Four players participated in this scenario. The game was a historical battle fought during the American War of Independence. Players Rebelsqrl and DrTruth commanded the Continental (Blue) forces, player Langbart and Lewis++ commanded the British (Red) Forces.
All players and the umpire had physical sets at their locations and the umpire reports were pointers via Discord allowing players to keep the situation on their own maps. Langbart and Lewis++ as the British achieved a marginal victory. Historically the Continentals defeated the British and this scenario reversed history.
The Problem
The problem for the British is though they had a larger force it was not large enough to be successful in a standup fight. The American units are of slightly lower quality. This is later in the war when the Continental Army had done more training and was better than militia quality. The British must isolate a portion of the Continental force and neutralize it to be successful.
English (Red) Briefing
Warfare in this conflict was a hybrid struggle mixing conventional linear tactics drawn from European tradition with indigenous hit-and-run techniques adapted to local terrain. The local regular force fought engagements seeking not decisive battlefield victory but the exhaustion of their opponent’s willpower. Musket volleys, bayonet charges were the main instruments of battle. Cavalry and artillery played a lesser role.
You command an army withdrawing east toward the safety of friendly territory. Although your force is professional and disciplined, the march exposes you to harassment and observation by enemy troops and militia operating in the countryside. Your task is therefore not simply to march but to manage the protection of your column, baggage train, and rearguard while maintaining order during a long and potentially contested withdrawal. The enemy has begun probing forward with regular troops to observe and pressure your army
Your OOB:
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Your force: 17,600 infantry organized into 12 regiments.
Your challenge is to maintain cohesion, protect vulnerable elements of the army, and cross the river to the east though you are in hostile territory. You must secure the crossing at the yellow star. To secure these crossings, the enemy must be driven off. It would be a feather in your cap to have defeated the enemy as you reposition east.
Continental (Blue) Briefing
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
Warfare in this conflict was a hybrid struggle mixing conventional linear tactics drawn from European tradition with indigenous hit-and-run techniques adapted to local terrain. The local regular force fought engagements seeking not decisive battlefield victory but the exhaustion of their opponent’s willpower. Musket volleys, bayonet charges were the main instrument of battle. Cavalry and artillery played a lesser role.
In earlier years, your command struggled with short enlistments, desertion, and uneven militia performance, but recent months have brought important change. Under a recent training program the soldiers have been drilled to a common standard and hardened through rigorous discipline. The force remains smaller and less polished than its opponent. Political tensions within the command remain a factor, however. Many officers are skeptical of the army’s transformation and critical of your leadership.
Your OOB:
Your force: 14,300 infantry organized into 10 regiments.
The enemy is to your northwest, and is larger in size than your force. You must coordinate your forces to defeat them, preventing them from crossing the near Neunhafen. Their escape route is east and you want to inflict a defeat on them before they are able to withdraw.
Opening – Turn 1
Langbart (1) and Lewis++ (2) split into two columns, one heading east and one heading south. They are looking to envelop the Continentials, but do not yet have confirmed contact. Their cavalry screen in a wide arc seeks the enemy front line. Rebelsqrl (3), and DrTruth (4) is concentrating on Kleindorf, marching on two different approaches. There they can take advantage of the terrain. They have also sent their cavalry out looking for the enemy force.
Turn 3
The march continues from turn one into turn three. Langbart (1) pushes south through Steinhaufen and decides to continue the movement. Lewis++ (2) advances through the woods, where his force is spotted by Continental cavalry. His own cavalry identifies a Continental column to the south, marking the first clear contact between forces.
At the same time, Rebelsqrl and DrTruth continue their movement toward Kleindorf. Their intent is to concentrate there and take up a defensive position using the terrain. The opening phase of maneuver is ending, and initial contact has been established.
Turn 4
Langbart continues his march south (1), seeking a crossing and a path onto the Continental flank. Lewis++, now aware the Continentals are to his south, halts and forms a defensive position (2), anchoring his flanks on the woods. He sends dispatches to Langbart to report the situation and maintain coordination. Rebelsqrl advances to the ridgeline and takes up a defensive position (3), while DrTruth continues moving north (4).
Turn 5
Langbart continues his march south (1), while Lewis++ consolidates his defensive position (2) and waits for the situation to develop. Rebelsqrl holds (3) the ridgeline, and DrTruth (4) pushes north toward the road in an attempt to outflank the enemy.
Turn 6
Langbart continues his march (1) as Lewis++ commits to an attack in the center (2). Rebelsqrl’s position on the ridge proves difficult to dislodge and the British retreat after two tries. DrTruth is now in place on the flank (3).
Turn 7
Langbart turns north (1), realizing he may be too far out of position to concentrate with his colleague and help him. Lewis, recognizing he is outnumbered, begins a withdrawal west (1) along the road, using the woods to bolster his defense. Rebelsqrl takes the southern portion of the line while DrTruth takes the north, and together (3) they push forward to press the British to their immediate west.
Turn 9
Langbart drives his column through the woods and over the high ground as quickly as possible (1), trying to reach his colleague in the north before the situation collapses. Rebelsqrl and DrTruth attack together (2), pushing through the woodline to dislodge Lewis++. The British hold a strong position, but the weight of numbers is beginning to tell.
Turn 10
Two turns later, Langbart is still not in position to assist (1), and Lewis++’s line begins to crack (2). Two of his regiments retreat from contact as Rebelsqrl and DrTruth maintain pressure and continue the attack.
Turn 11
Langbart reaches the battlefield, forms his line, and strikes Rebelsqrl on the flank (1). Lewis++ is finished for the day; his forces have routed from the woods (2) and could not withstand the larger Continental attack. DrTruth has only a few regiments still in fighting condition (3). Langbart’s troops have not yet fought though they have just finished a long march. The fight now turns on Rebelsqrl’s ability to hold the Continental position.
Turn 12 – END OF SCENARIO
Rebelsqrl’s forces, worn down from prolonged fighting to the west, and now face the need to turn south against Langbart, reach their limit and begin to withdraw. Langbart’s arrival at the last moment secures the field for the British.
The victory, however, is marginal. The British achieved success, but not the decisive defeat needed to gain clear superiority in the sector. Both sides made sound, pragmatic decisions. In the end, it was timing, more than anything else, that tipped the result in the British favor on this day.
Langbart’s long march around the flank was highly risky. The timing worked out in the end, and in the nick of time. He could have used a shorter path to reduce the risk. Lewis++ sent a note in Turn 3 letting Langbart know he had encountered the enemy. The next turn Lewis++ send an exact report that a sizable force was there. In Turn 8 Langbart let Lewis++ know he was coming.
Rebelsqrl and DrTruth were prudent in keeping themselves concentrated around Kleindorf. The one thing they could have done better was to continue to move their cavalry around to gain information on the approaching remainder of the enemy force. In Turn 10 Rebelsqrl sent a note to DrTruth about the approaching force. His reserve had been committed and he could not respond as effectively as advance information would have helped with.
The concentration of the Continental focus was sufficient to break Lewis++’s force but insufficient to also fend off Langbart’s approach. The timing was the key, and Langbart was able to arrive in the nick of time. The result was a narrow British victory, and another exciting and close run scenario.
Historical Outcome
The Battle of Monmouth Court House was fought on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, commanded by General George Washington, against the British Army in North America, commanded by General Sir Henry Clinton.
Washington left Major General Charles Lee considerable discretion in how to engage the British. Lee planned to strike the British rearguard once Clinton’s army began moving, but lacking reliable intelligence about enemy strength or terrain. By mid-morning Lee finally encountered the British rearguard near Monmouth Court House and attempted to maneuver around it, but communication failures and unexpectedly large British forces disrupted his plan. American units began repositioning independently as they feared being cut off, and Lee gradually lost control of the unfolding action.
Clinton recognized the vulnerability of the American vanguard and launched a counterattack with a much larger force. Facing superior numbers and disorganized formations, Lee ordered a retreat toward the west to avoid being overwhelmed. The withdrawal was chaotic at the command level but disciplined among the units themselves, reflecting the recent training introduced by Baron von Steuben. Washington immediately took control of the situation. He rallied the retreating forces, established a defensive line along the ravines and hills near Spotswood Middle Brook and Perrine’s Hill, and organized a rearguard action that bought time for the main army to deploy. The fighting eventually stabilized into artillery exchanges across the field, after which Clinton chose to disengage and withdraw during the night, ending the battle without a decisive British victory.
The game being used is Battle Decisions: Kriegsspiel from Catastrophe Games.
Conclusion
This was a great session because each side had two players which increased the friction for all involved. There were nineteen dispatches sent between players. This creates new information for each player that creates more pressure, and increased enjoyment for the players.
This game was conducted via Discord, with each player working from their own map and pieces. The system functioned well, but dispatch timing proved too immediate. As umpire, I was copying and pasting messages directly between channels, which removed the natural delay that distance should impose.
In future games, this will need refinement. Dispatches should be held for a turn or more when units are separated by significant distance. For example, Langbart and Lewis++ were at times far apart, yet their communication remained effectively instantaneous. Introducing delay will better reflect command friction and improve the realism of decision-making.
The system works well for this period. We completed 12 turns in 78 minutes, around 6.5 minutes per turn. This was a great game speed with four players. Turns under 7 minutes are a good pace. We kept within the two hour time limit for planning, play and after action review.
Thanks to Langbart, Lewis++, Rebelsqrl and DrTruth for joining and playing. I look forward to your joining a future game. We’ll see you out there.
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