The Battle of Monmouth

About this board game

The Battle of Monmouth is a two-player historical wargame for a session of approximately 180 minutes, recreating the June 28, 1778 battle during the American Revolutionary War.

Gen. George Washington attacks Lt. Gen. Henry Clinton’s rearguard at Monmouth Court House in the last major fight of the war’s northern theater. The battle was also the largest one-day engagement of the war by the number of men involved, and is generally associated with the legend of Molly Pitcher.

The game uses Wellington’s Victory system, modified for the American Revolution era. Its rules focus on battlefield positioning and command decisions, with unit facing, morale affected by casualties, command control, and fatigue caused by the battle’s hot temperatures. There are no cavalry charges or complex cavalry-charge rules.

• Each infantry unit represents a regiment, or several regiments for some Colonial units.
• Each artillery unit represents a battery of two guns.
• Each dragoon unit represents a cavalry regiment.
• Turns represent 20 minutes of real time.

The map presents five terrain levels in 30-foot increments, with each hex spanning 100 yards from side to side. Victory is determined by eliminating enemy strength points and capturing the four crossroads in the battle area.

The Battle of Monmouth includes three scenarios: an introductory scenario covering the hedgerow battle, plus advanced scenarios covering Monmouth Courthouse and the Grand Battle. Published in Strategy & Tactics magazine No. 90 in January/February 1982, it offers a focused way to explore this significant Revolutionary War engagement.