Replay 5

This game opened with two musings. First, how fast could I play a game? Second, how different will this game be if I start with the same setup I've used before and have Cornwallis perform the same flanking maneuver (Replay 1)? As it turns out, quite a bit different!

 So here we are with Knypshausen demonstrating across the river. Washington has the Pennsylvania Militia to the SE hoping they won't be needed, and Bland's Cavalry watching for a flanking maneuver from upstream on the colonial right. Note that however major the threat may be from any quarter, Washington will have to keep troops along the river or the Brandywine will be lost. This allows the British to hold down a number of Colonial units with no actual threat to their own units.

And Cornwallis enters on the NE side of the Brandywine. Sullivan scrambles to throw up some sort of defense while still holding Wistan's ford. Note that the British, staying in line, move only 1/3 of a full move due to the terrain. All they need to do is capture Street Road without suffering more losses than the rebels and they will have a major victory.

 At the end of turn 2 Fraser's Highlanders have scattered Nash's North Carolinians and Henry Knox has scrambled over the hill to save the American cannon, although they too have had a rough go and are a bit disorganized. Crossing a river, a river defended with artillery backed infantry, is no easy feat!

 At the end of turn 3 we see what happens when the rebels get out maneuvered and drawn into combat. They stay alive by falling back, giving ground, and keeping their battered units in the field. The problem is that they have had to give up too much ground and now they are spent, can't retreat without surrendering the road, and the redcoats are in their rear! Note how 4 British units are tying up 6 rebel units from entering the critical battle to the North.

With one turn left the rebels still hold Street Road and with only one unit lost the British are only barely eeking out a minor victory. If they can hold on and give better than they get, unlikely but still possible, they could actually win this thing, or at least stave off a drubbing...

But no! Everything falls apart for them in the last turn. They get outmaneuvered and end up fighting at a disadvantage at every point all along their line AND the beleaguered and spent troops collapse before the invincible British assaults. They lose 5 brigades and all their commands have become ineffective in one turn of fighting and the only troops the British sacrifice are Stirn's Hessians. They do hold Street Road, but the British finish with a 6-1 Major Victory!

I played this game in under 30 minutes, which could have been under 20 if I didn't stop to take pictures and jot down notes. This is wargaming at its best! This would allow a best of three match in one evening with time to spare.