Pub Battles Germantown

 

  Its a funny thing how something sparks your interest and you are off to a new quest.  When I ordered this game I did so because I wanted to pick up the three American Revolution games from Command Post.  Brandywine has always fascinated me.  I gave read almost everything out there on it and toured the battlefield a number if times.  Monmouth is confused but fascinating and again I have toured the battlefield multiple times.  But Germatown? Germantown is one of those battles you have heard of but really do not know much about it.  The stand of the 40th regiment in the Chew house, the mix ups in the fog and the usual comment of a almost victory for Washington.  So,  after playing both Monmouth and Brandywine multiple time I set up Germantown.

  The map is big;  its 28" x 24".  Compare that to the map for Monmouth at 8.5" x 16" or Brandywine at 24" x 17".  You use most of the blocks that come with the Brandywine game.  But its situation and how the game is organized that caught my attention.  

British set up.  Note detachments screening the British encampment.

  The British, under Sir William Howe set up first.  They were historically encamped near Germantown.  Detachments are located in the direction of the American army as outlying pickets.  General Knyphausen and Cornwallis are out of the picture and both arrive as reinforcements.  

  The American Army under Washington is organized into five columns.  There are three Continental army commands (Washington, Greene and Sullivan) and two Militia commands (Armstrong and Smallwood).  These enter the board along the northern edge where there are six roads.  You pick which commands enter in which roads.  Historically Washington was planning a complicated operation similar to Trenton and hopefully knock Howe's army out of Philadelphia.  

Start of the game.  Americans enter board marked only by command blocks.

What troops are with them?

  But the night march towards the British got off to a rocky start, and a fog limited what you could see.  Two American columns got lost in the fog and were late.  The fog also effected the British who could not tell what was out there.  Visibility is limited in the game to one third of a infantry move.  When the Americans enter the board the only counter you see if the command counter.  The troops with them remain hidden off table until within visibility range.  For the British its a guessing game right away.  Who is out there?  Militia or Continental?  Is it a column made up of regular infantry or detachments?  You will not know until you commit your forces.  

In addition before the game starts two command chips are picked from the American commands and not put into the cup.  These represent the two commands that got lost! Because of this Germantown makes a great solo game.  Playing as the British you do not know what is out there advancing against you until you attack.  Since the two armies are almost identical in size thus makes the fights more even and unpredictable.  

I have now played the game multiple times.  Each game was fast and unpredictable.  Sometimes the British sent the rebels fleeing;  other times the Americans broke through and beat the British.  I have also started to read about the actual battle picking up a couple of books.  This has become one of my favorite games.  I bought it as an afterthought and it certainly surprised me.  Highly recommended!