8-player Mega Alamo Wargame

This week on Little Wars TV, seven players from our club refight the final assault at the Alamo on the morning of March 6, 1836. We play this epic last stand in 15mm scale on a magnificent custom tabletop in true 1:1 scale. We have all 176 Texian defenders represented individually, along with over 500 Mexican miniatures sweeping over the walls in waves. Can the defenders inflict enough punishment to turn our version of the Alamo into legend? Or will a new attack plan by Santa Anna and his generals manage to storm the Alamo at a lower cost?
Before the wargame, Chal and Dave unpack the complicated historical legacy of this iconic moment in history. How many defenders were really inside the fort? Why didn't Santa Anna bypass the Alamo? And did the old Spanish mission have any real strategic value at all? All this, and much more, today on Little Wars TV!
The entire wargame you see today comes to us courtesy of fellow gamer David Good, and the rules used in the battle date back to the 1980s. Learn more about the "Alamo Ruleser" and get your own FREE copy of the scenario and the rules on our website:
www.LittleWarsT...
Head to the Free Stuff page and download the PDF at no cost, thanks to David and the original designers, Rich Hasenauer and Ron Prillaman.

[@svenjonsson9]

Really cool and impressive that you were able to run both sides in a 1:1 scale- it really adds to the heroic feel of watching individuals fall and the defense slowly be whittled away. It also lends to those heroic moments like Colonel Travers falling after taking down three sappers singlehandedly.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Travis was a beast in this game. It was pretty cool to watch and play. The rules themselves do make the “heroes” more effective so it encourages a cinematic, Hollywood outcome

[@user-uy1rg8td1v]

@@LittleWarsTV Great channel. Just want to say to suggest possibly getting better mic equipment. The voice recording (especially in this video) sometimes sound distant and medium quality at best (especially in scenes when it's just people sitting and talking). Also I feel the background music was too loud especially in the 2nd half of the video. Personally I feel background music is unnecessary.

[@deltaheroes2134]

This battle are very excruciating and prolonged ! This game show the complication of the some battle ! 😃

[@richardfriedli]

As a native Texan I am obligated to love this video.

[@Trev0Rear]

All those brave 189 texans who were willing to kill and die all in the name of freedom. . .freedom to own slaves, I mean

[@rileyosteen6470]

Thank you for bringing back the historical coverage. I feel like the context is so valuable for videos like these.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@babylonsburning1]

Superb model of the fort and an excellent game. Really enjoyed watching, though I missed your club members joking and bantering, while the game was being played. Your friendship and obvious regard for each other is a great part of watching your game playing.

[@kapitankapital6580]

TIL that Mexico abolished slavery in 1829, and that many slaves fled the United States to Mexico where they could live as free men.

[@LittleWarsTV]

The slavery issue was clearly a major driver of Texian independence. There’s no way to gloss over that ugly truth

[@theblackrabbit]

Sam Houston also didn’t want Texas to join the Confederacy.

[@1TruNub]

​@Little Wars TV That is a falsehood in every sense of the meaning. The people who perpetuate that myth Are not even texans, What people fail to realize is that at the time of the beginning of the Texas Revolution there 4 separate revolts Going on at the same time against Santa Ana. But people fail to mention this Because they wish to perpetuate The poor Mexico Fighting against aggressive invaders narrative. What is often also not mentioned Is there a large number of tejanos Fighting against santa ana In both the alamo and sam houston's army

[@johnfraire6931]

@@theblackrabbit That's true, but he wasn't an abolitionist per se. He, a slave owner, wanted slavery to die off on its own, but condemned all the politicing involved in it, which involved him politically attacking northern abolitionists for being rabble rousers while also campaigning for western states to not become slave states- which is to say, he was aggressively neutral about "that particular institution"; believing it a state issue but not one worth fighting a war over protecting and, if he had it his way, everyone would just shut up about it and it might go away on its own. He practically had to get dragged out of the Texas congress for not agreeing to join the confederacy, and it costed him his political career.

[@barbararice6650]

Slavery is only a trigger word used by idiots, who wouldn't want to own a cat who could wash the dishes 👈😕

[@WargamesTonight]

Absolutely loved the cinematic presentation! Really well done. But...what became of the New Orleans Greys? Did they make good an escape? Will there be a sequel where we find out?

[@LittleWarsTV]

We should play the escape! Unlikely from a historical context though. Santa Anna had lancers patrolling the perimeter

[@WargamesTonight]

@@IronIvanKeith Thank you Keith! I was fascinated by the prospect of a breakout attempt. If even one escaped, that would be legendary!

[@jonathangomez9548]

They historically had two company’s one lead by Breece a second by Morris they arrived just in time to help capture San Antonio in 1835 from their some left or went to Goliad we lose all the greys at the Alamo but at Goliad some we’re able to escape the massacre and at least one member was present to fight at San Jacinto

[@Robzdefheadz]

Really enjoyed the video, and 15mm seems like the perfect scale to do 1-1 model-historical soldiers battles! Something I had never considered before! Would love to see more shots of the minis and closeups of this lovely board

[@LittleWarsTV]

Playing this 1:1 was so cool! Tons of figures to move around!

[@ThisNameWasntUs3d]

One of the college courses I teach deals with the perception of historical events, and the Alamo always comes up as a case study of an event which has had its importance wildly inflated. Similar to the 1916 Rising in Ireland: Military disaster, but useful for the wider cause.

[@lastresort1plays]

We had speaker come into one of classes and talk about the surrounding Davey croquettes death, it’s really crazy how people latch on the myths of history.

[@Quincy_Morris]

You’ve contradicted yourself. Was it useful or was it overstated? This historical revisionism is just anti historic anti western propaganda that only views part of the evidence of the era. Had the Alamo failed to inflict significant casualties on Santa Anna or delayed him for so many days then it’s unlikely Houston would have been able to pull off the miracle of San Jacinto as that relied on time and troops disparity.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Militarily insignificant at the time, but it definitely took on a mythical rallying cry status at the time. So the "legend" of the Alamo was born almost immediately after it fell and there's no question it sparked a lot of passion among Texians at the time. A fascinating case study to be sure.

[@barbararice6650]

The wider cause being the peaceful British withdrawal under treaty arrangement, now try getting the yanks to fuck off with anything like that good grace, like Texas for instance a place annexed from the neighbours 👈😑

[@dougearnest7590]

I remember reading (but can’t find it now) where some historian in a discussion over whether or not Travis really drew the line in the sand responded “If he didn’t, he should have.” It was sadly amusing to me that people thought Texas would crumble when someone suggested Crockett was killed trying to surrender, as if this somehow negated all he and the others had accomplished. Anyone wanting to appreciate history would do well to remember that people throughout history were acting on the circumstances in which they found themselves, not thinking how what they do might affect the narrative 200 years later. So you and a couple of other guys are surrounded by hundreds of the enemy. What are you thinking? “If I fight on, I’ll have a hundred schools named after me, but if I surrender I’ll be remembered as a coward”? I respectfully submit that the Alamo DID have a significant effect as a rallying cry for the independence movement as well as tying up Santa Anna for two whole weeks while the virtually non-existent Texan Army formed. While European wars were chewing up soldiers by the hundreds of thousands in battles whose names all start to blend together, the fate of the Western Hemisphere and world history from that point forward would be decided a few weeks later by less than 2000 soldiers on both sides at San Jacinto. How differently might that have gone without the Alamo?

[@troydodson9641]

I wanted you guys to know that I have been inspired. I'm working to make a specific room for historical wargames in my home. I started with your Pyrrhus War series, and my nephew saw it and liked it. Never tabletoped before, but I intend to learn. With luck, I can introduce a love of history through the game to him and his friends Thanks

[@LittleWarsTV]

So cool to hear, Troy. That’s awesome! Bring along that next generation of history gamers along with you!

[@troydodson9641]

@Little Wars TV Yes sir!

[@oldschoolfrp2326]

Great game! I’ve played this in 28mm on a much bigger table at a con and it is a blast trying to do better than historical commanders on both sides despite the inevitable foregone conclusion. I eagerly await the follow up talk with David about the design choices - it’s briefly mentioned here that some details follow the John Wayne movie more than history, which is a perfectly valid approach when dealing with a mythic subject. That seems to explain the red coats on one unit; Google tells me they were used in large numbers in the film.

[@bmdlone48]

Is there any way to triple like this video?

[@Anvilarm07]

I understand why you keep your videos to 30 minutes. I get it. And I know these are a lot of work. But sometimes I would like to see more, longer videos with more details, and maybe some actual dice rolls and casualty results. Have you considered doing extended editions, maybe an hour long, or doing 2 30-minutes chapters? I know I'd watch. Also do you shoot with one camera or more than one camera?

[@LittleWarsTV]

We shoot with a two camera set up-one fixed and one mobile for close ups. The request for long form battles has been a popular one for years. We do have a full length game report available (90 minutes) for a AWI battle we played for Hobkirks Hill. But generally speaking, yes, it’s strictly a workload and editing bottleneck. Our videos involve a lot of editing work to get what we feel is the necessary production quality

[@corycardwell]

Maybe offer the unedited versions for those of us that want the additional content? Patreons?

[@corycardwell]

I second this!

[@Kolby72]

A few things....Houston never orders the the complex destroyed he leaves the decisionto Bowie, it's Boo-E not Bow-E, Santa Anna wasn't the president of Mexico during the Texas Revolution, the Texans had plenty of food, the siege was 12 days not 13, holding Bexar was the goal, it was the key to Texas. I'm curious, if the Texans had retreated where would they have went and what would you have suggested they do with the artillery?

[@ThePanda7255]

Great battle report! This really makes me appreciate the 2004 film, they got a lot of details right.

[@LittleWarsTV]

The 2004 film is a great battle scene. We actually have a big film review video coming up

[@KimKhan]

I absolutely love the more interesting and "asymmetrical" line-ups that historical games offer and encourage. Watching these videos make me more and more motivated to work harder on our own local hobby group.

[@doomsdayd3509]

As a Texan it blows my mind how much of our beloved history is myth (some fun ones). Still love our history but for wish it was taught better here (NOT BLAMING ANYBODY…yelling for sarcasm)

[@baconmansavetf2361]

As a Texan who loves history, I just love this wargame as it feels like a real-life battle and heroric just love yalls work

[@joehudgens7330]

Brilliant guys. Just superb. I’ll be interested in table size. I’ve loved the period all my life but never thought it would make for a great game. This was so well thought out and done!

[@LittleWarsTV]

It’s 5’x7’!

[@bhartley868]

Would the Texans have won at San Jacinto without the fall of the Alamo , that is really the only important question ?

[@katrinapaton5283]

Im not sure why Santa Anna was called the Napoleon of the West but it makes even less sense then that he didn't wait for his artillery.

[@tierban5803]

I remember growing up hearing about the battle of the Alamo from my father. Then in my high school history class its nothing more than a three sentence foot note. Needless to say i was pissed

[@JimJonesKoolaid]

1:1 scale for the unit numbers is really impressive!!!! Great episode of the Forlorn Hope of the Alamo!

[@amtmannb.4627]

Excellent game. The video could be 4-5 minutes more to hear what the losers are thinking about the result. Were they surprised? What thought the Texicans? The Alamo is such a classic small event which became famous. Maybe Valmy for the French in 1792 and Lexington for the cause of the American independence are something quiet similar.

[@jancoil4886]

Good job all around. Defending the Alamo was not necessarily foolish. Some orders need to be ignored.True, it was a mission church and was not intended for combat. But ordinary buildings can become strong points. Think of Arnhem and Rorke's Drift. The Alamo cost Santa Anna time and men. The real loss to Houston were the cannon and ammunition. The follow up battle was not sure thing for the Texians either. You have the classic trade off between time, men and material. The gaming table has to be one of the nicest you have had on the program. Absolutely stunning.

[@dougearnest7590]

Thank you for this. Now, four days later, I made a couple of impassioned comments to this effect. What I failed to mention was what you pointed out, the potential of "ordinary buildings". Buildings and complexes that looked like forts were pretty sparse in that part of the world. Before the Texians used it as a fort, they took it from the Mexicans who were using it as a fort. Sam Houston ordered it blown up -- I'm guessing so it couldn't be used as a fort.

[@dongilleo9743]

I've always wonder how realistic it was for Houston to order the artillery and munitions evacuated from the Alamo. Would they have been able to assemble the necessary limbers, wagons, and draft animals with tack? Were there even any ammunition limbers available? Were all the cannons at the Alamo movable? Were there enough horses to move all the men on horseback, or would some have to walk? Were there additional wagons they could use to carry the food and water they'd need for a long march? Fanin and his men at Goliad were on foot, with slow moving carts for supplies. The Mexicans caught up with them and surrounded them. If a number of cannons with ammunition, and an additional 100-150 men successfully reached Houston, how might that have possibly changed Houston's decisions?

[@SusCalvin]

@@dongilleo9743 Are there other little subunits of texians moving around and holding outposts? One of my guesses is that army command didn't want them to be easily defeated in detail. From what these fellows say, it sounds like the army of Houston isn't that large either and is trying to pull itself together.

[@richardklug822]

Another extremely entertaining video...great job!

[@alans3023]

That is one of your best presentations. Helped by the fact that I know the story really well, and have always been interested in that period, but I though you ran and presented the battle superbly. One for your hall of fame. Thank you.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Wow, thanks Alan! Hall of fame??

[@alans3023]

@@LittleWarsTV Sorry. Consider that as a suggestion. You’ve done so many great videos but there are a handful that really stand out and I think there should be a Little Wars Hall of Fame for the very best. I appreciate that you’re all too modest to create your own list but perhaps you could ask your viewers to vote for their Hall of Fame entries. Perhaps we should induct the best video from each season.

[@firetone07]

Ever since I found this channel back in 2020, I was always looking forward an Alamo wargame for the longest time and now it's here. Thank you for bring another historic battle to the table.

[@tabletop.will.phillips]

Looks like an absolutely blast of a game - and what a gorgeous table and impressive collection!

[@bigsarge2085]

Remember the table top Alamo!

[@johnbland5731]

Wow ! What an excellent game. FANTASTIC to see a 1:1 ratio of figures to men - you don't see that very often ! :) Also - just as a matter of interest - did any of the Texians make it out over the East wall ? Did any survive !?!

[@billdavidson3519]

Dear sirs, You explanation cuts into you own "myth" trope. If the fortified mission was so unimportant why did it stop President/General Santa Ana? Why it cost him 500+ men? Didn't it disrupt the General's logistical deployment and encourage the General to take the route he did or risk leaving a "fortress" on his flank, whose forces were acting as a magnetic pull on increasing numbers of rebels? The story of the myth would be better laid out by wargaming the campaign rather than the more photogenic siege. Sincerely and Respectfully

[@bhartley868]

Now try it again : new strategy instead of having all the cannons along the walls shooting out to little effect , the new strategy is let the Mexicans in by the North wall , to create a killing zone inside the Alamo itself by positioning cannons inside to rake the open area from the North wall area . In other words use the cannon to maximum efficiency with many placed inside the walls , while you Texans hold the South buildings , low barracks , hospital & mission church . The Alamo will fall but the object is to prevent the Mexicans from using your own cannon against you & take maximum casualties & decimate the Mexican army .

[@victoredgartorresmartinez7594]

Recuerden el Álamo, pero desde la perspectiva mexicana de la victoria frente a filibusteros anglosajones

[@Eruidraith]

It’s also worth noting that the early Tejano-led stage of the revolt was coinciding with several secessionist movements. Santa Anna had already crushed or bypassed the other rebels before he moved on to Texas. I wonder if the Tejanos hadn’t been sidelined by Anglo settlers if things for Texas wouldn’t have been different over time.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Great “what if” point. Tejano support for the independence movement was an important factor early on and makes the history so much more complex and nuanced

[@rbgm01]

When are you playing the battle for Monterrey ??

[@stephenwood6663]

Good to see the Zapadores claim a share of the glory! In the historical battle, they proved themselves to be the cream of Santa Anna's army.

[@LittleWarsTV]

They were active in the game for sure! The rules emphasize the Mexican sappers as critical for battering doors and gates

[@steveholmes11]

Fantastic scenery, and the mass of models at 1:1 illustrates the sacrifice involved. Perhaps a senseless waste of human life. Perhaps the Thermopylae of the west. "Come and take them" - indeed.

[@davidwasilewski]

Respect to David Good for sharing such an awesome table!

[@Imperator202]

What company made these minis? I'd love to get my hands on some Mexicans!

[@LittleWarsTV]

Mostly 15mm Blue Moon but also Old Glory 15s

[@TechieGuy2011]

Another great production! The table is so impressive and always inspiring. The figures are beautifully painted. Well done Little Wars TV!

[@LiscenedColonial]

I just watched the Alamo movie for the first time 3 weeks ago, been waiting 2 weeks for those looks so good

[@davidcollins2648]

Fantastic Alamo model by Mr Good. A real labor of love to paint that many figures as well. Looks to have been a very fun rumble, gaming at its best. Thank you for all your hard work David.

[@dougearnest7590]

Ditto. As someone new to miniature wargaming, I recall in the not too distant past "admiring" miniatures others had painted saying "good job" - but now that I've painted a few hundred myself (and produced some horrendous terrain) I realize I could in no way actually appreciate all the work that goes into it. Awesome job.

[@andytyrrell5153]

Must be fun playing. Was hoping Crockett might go down as in the Alamo movie, flaming torch in hand and gunpowder exploding everywhere.

[@LittleWarsTV]

We had a great cinematic ending to the game…but very unlike the movie. Our Crockett was the first to die!

[@walkakaloi4984]

Just visited the Alamo last weekend gave me the chills walking into the mission and walking the palisade where Crockett and his Tennesseans held

[@BenofLaMancha]

Oh weird, the only emotions I've ever heard the Alamo evoke upon actually visiting is disappointment and boredom, lmao. At least the diorama in the gift shop is impressive, but honestly that's it.

[@anarquia201]

David Good looks like is an actual veteran from the Álamo happy to see the model he made

[@Mehmehmeeeeeeh]

The battle took place at night ,was there a full moon ,as the shootng was very accurate on both sides .at long range .BUT ,as a game was very impressed ,the model and the figures were fantastic .

[@LittleWarsTV]

Hah we discussed gaming with the lights off, but that low light is terrible for the camera and shot quality!

[@frankmarnell5982]

@@LittleWarsTV Dimmer switches! :)

[@edthilenius7530]

Fantastic job and great video! Thank you for sharing this story and thank you David for bringing your collection. Again, superb video and editing.

[@LittleWarsTV]

David gets all the credit for painting and assembling this amazing set up. It’s a work of art!

[@Quincy_Morris]

This is historical revisionism at its finest. The miracle at San Jacinto relied on time and troop disparity. This was accomplished because Houston ‘s evasive maneuvering forced Santa Anna to repeatedly split his forces in order to hunt down the rebel army which was evading across massive swaths of Texas wilderness. Santa Anna could not afford to wait for his canons or to keep his cohesive force because every day he waited the Texan ranks swelled with local troops as well as the incoming American forces which Santa Anna believed were coming. However had Santa Anna been able to simply March into the Alamo as he had done in previous years nor suffer the numerous casualties (numbers differ but all agree the numbers were massive) then the already slim and near impossible miracle that Houston pulled off would have been even less likely to happen given the greater resources in time and troops Calling the Alamo insignificant ignores the near impossible chance of San Jacinto’s success and the absurd luck necessary for that battle to go the Texians way. The assertion that The Alamo was insignificant requires the Battle of San Jacinto to be a foregone conclusion, but it is so much the reverse of that that it could easily be claimed to be one of the most significant turns of fortune in the history of war. To defeat a superior force in battle with almost no casualties and to capture the enemy general ALIVE who is also the supreme commander of the enemy nation thus allowing the rebel force to force a peace treaty ensuring the immediate existence of the rebel nation that otherwise had no chance at independence? And you think this was INEVITABLE? Of course this also ignores the massive impact the massucures at the Alamo and Goliad had in galvanizing Texian troops and recruitment efforts, which were also vital given the enormous disparity in forces on a strategic layer. Again, the more troops and time Santa Anna lost the more unfavorably he would have to divide his troops during his pursuit of the rebels, making that one in a thousand shot more a one in a hundred shot. Furthermore, this spits on the graves the 189 Texians who willingly chose to stay and die knowing they had likely no chance to live on the pure chance that they would kill enough enemy forces for r slow down Santa Anna long enough to give their main force a snowball’s chance in hell of maybe pulling a victory of thin air. It’s that willingness to die for the slimmest seemingly impossible chance that makes the Alamo is so significant. And not just because they chose to make that sacrifice but because IT WORKED. Santa Anna WAS delayed. He DID NOT just waltz into the Alamo like the year before, HE DID lose huge numbers of troops. And thus HE DID have to split his remaining firces into smaller and smaller groups to cover more land. And the one group he was a part of DID get ambushed by the Texians, he WAS taken prisoner alive and because of that sequence of events Texan has been free ever since. You spit on the graves of my people. Try that in Texas and see what it gets you. Learn your history. And remember the damn Alamo

[@LittleWarsTV]

You may have misunderstood the historical discussion happening here. The Alamo turned out, in hindsight, to be quite significant. The discussion here was about the decision at the time by Bowie and Travis to defend it against Houston’s orders. It was not the plan and the defense was militarily unwise given the defenses of the complex. That does not diminish the brief but fierce battle that actually happened. No one is “spitting on graves.” Just talking honestly about the full context of the engagement. There was considerable heroism on display…though before you get too excited in the romanticism of it all, remember that Bowie attempted to surrender the garrison to Santa Anna the first day of the siege.

[@PrinceOfAntoch]

A lot of Americans hate Texas. They hate us because they ain’t us.

[@joshfairhurst8445]

Have you guys ever covered the plain wars ? 7th cavalry and so on or, or have any plans too. (Some great battles in their) Got to say that latest unbelievably good 👍

[@dianecallahan9530]

I remember the first time I saw this was back in the 80s when Historicon was in Camp Hill Pa. I was not in the game, but it seemed as though everyone was having a great time. The years have not diminished it one bit. Thanks to all for bringing it back. You guys never cease to amaze me.

[@thattassiewargamer]

A great looking table and the game looked like a lot of fun. The historical background information was great too. You guys are doing a great service to historical miniature wargaming. 👍

[@KrisV385]

You guys knocked it out of the park!! That was a delight and just super enjoyable!! Thanks so much!

[@EricVulgaris]

Shockingly awesome game and video!

[@scootergsp]

As a history nerd I do enjoy the historical recreations. As a gamer I also like sci-fi and fantasy battles. Have you ever considered launching a sister channel where you could showcase rules sets for those genres, while keeping the original channel focused on the historical scenarios?

[@LittleWarsTV]

We do actually play some Sci fi and fantasy in the club…but there are just so many other great channels already covering that space. Didn’t feel like we needed to recreate those efforts

[@scootergsp]

@@LittleWarsTV I've found a number that do product reviews and industry commentary, but not a lot of actual game play like you do on your channel. Could you recommend a few?

[@lastresort1plays]

@@scootergsp winiwargaming does good job of mainly games workshops line of games, if you look up battle report or battle and the name of the game you’re interested in you’re likely to find a channel that covers it. I haven’t found channel that covers multiple games in the same way these guys do a great job of sadly.

[@dannyhernandez1212]

There has been new evidence that puts the number of defenders in the Alamo to around 230. The number of 186 defenders comes from the number of defenders killed and burned inside the Alamo itself. The rest were reportedly killed by lancers when they jumped one of the walls and tried to make a run for a nearby river.

[@LittleWarsTV]

The number seems to creep upward every year with additional research! We went with the classic number

[@dannyhernandez1212]

@@LittleWarsTV I feel you. The two major problems are that the defenders didn't keep records and the Mexican Army kept conflicting records. It's hard to get an accurate number for anything.

[@WilliamUmstattd]

It was the Mexican army’s losses in the Alamo that lead to the victory in San Jacinto to win the war. That can’t can’t be disputed by historical revisionism.

[@LittleWarsTV]

A factor, yes. But I suspect most historians of the campaign would tell you that Santa Anna’s sloppy order of March and division of his forces after the Alamo was far more impactful than the losses suffered in the assault

[@WilliamUmstattd]

I did hear Santa Anna moved his forces too quickly for his canons and that was his major mistake which supports your theory about his strategic mistakes but those are only due to underestimating the Texican’s resolve. Only 100 soldiers forcing a Pyrrhic victory was a major part of the entire war. You only have a handful of conflicts in the entire Texas war for independence so each one is going to be significant to us. Gonzales was also a rather small conflict but we also see that has a significant part of the war. The big successful decision was Houston’s decision to not reinforce the Alamo so he could later mobilize and retain force strength for San Jacinto.

[@dougearnest7590]

"Never ask a man where he's from. If he's from Texas, he'll tell you." So ... Native Texian here. Just wanted to let you know that Bexar is pronounced something like Bayer (the aspirin). Not a big deal, it's a common error. Incidentally, since it was a Texian victory I suppose, we choose to pronounce the "J" in San Jacinto even though it's supposed to be silent. 'Cause, you know, that's how we do things. Command of the Alamo wasn't quite as haphazard as is commonly believed, since a Colonel James Neill had been in command, with Travis subordinate to him, and an "understanding" between him (Regular Army) and Bowie (Militia) as to who was in command. Neill left prior to Santa Anna's arrival in an attempt to get supplies and reinforcements, appointing Travis as Commander. Please understand it's also in our Texian DNA to defend the Alamo - and also to correct the narrative when warranted. It's pointed out that the assault lasted only 90 minutes, proving how "weak" the defenses were. But this assault was preceeded by several skirmishes, successful forays against the Mexicans from within the walls. On the morning of 6 March the defenders repulsed two assaults before the successful third one. So this weak garrison led by incompetent amateurs tied down the largest army in the Western Hemisphere for a day shy of two weeks and repulsed two major assaults back to back before succumbing to a third. This isn't to downplay the suffering and accomplishments of the poor Mexican conscripts - many of whom were without shoes and didn't speak the same language as their officers, and as pointed out had never fired a musket before - but the defense of the Alamo was hardly Keystone Cops material, either. Finally - here's the obligatory "love your channel" comment. That is from the heart. Seriously. I love you guys. And I'm jealous of you guys. Cheers.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Doug-thank you for the very thoughtful comment here. We did gloss over the skirmishes that preceded the final assault!

[@dougearnest7590]

@@LittleWarsTV - Thank you for the response. That was written after the background was given and before the battle begun - so I have to come back to tell you how much I loved the video! I'd consider moving to wherever you guys are just to be involved, but.... that would mean leaving Texas. Can't do it.

[@rogerborroel4707]

Facts: There were 253 Alamo defenders who died that morning. A Mexican attack force of 1,400 infantry. Loses: 253 Alamo defenders, and 120 dead soldiers. Crockett surrender to the Mexican soldiery, only to be executed moments later. Travis committed suicide when he saw all was lost, and Bowie died on his cot, not knowing what hit him. Between 100 - 125 defenders jumped the east walls of the Alamo compound, only to be killed by Generals Sesma's lancers - it was all over in less than 30 minutes or so.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Facts: We do not have primary source documents or archeological research to verify those numbers or the exact manner in which Travis, Crockett or Bowie died.

[@rogerborroel4707]

@@LittleWarsTV YES we do! And they are primary documents by the people who live at the time of the battle. many were written within weeks of the battle. Don't get your Alamo data from John Wayne's Alamo flick.

[@ZaxCal]

Incompetence or not, the sacrifice is what we revere today. They gave their lives and, along with Goliad, gave Texians a battle cry that led to victory.

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

It could be argued that the morale effect on the Mexican Army of their losses at Bexar was a factor in their eventual defeat at San Jacinto. I'm curious as to whether that fight is coming our way also?

[@LittleWarsTV]

Agreed totally. The morale impact of the Alamo was huge for both sides!

[@grahamfowler7017]

Heyo! Native Texan here! I was wondering where slavery is mentioned as an issue for Texan independence? I see this claim thrown around but personally haven’t found evidence for it. Any resources would be awesome as I’m studying the period and researching for some 28mm armies.

[@ethanlaepple1959]

Mexico outlawed slavery, yet Americans still brought their slaves into Texas. As soon as Texas gained independence, they reinstated slavery.

[@rbale2]

This was so great, Im going to make a tabletop simulator scenario

[@BradenWoj]

Thank you Little Wars TV and Mr David Good for putting this game on and sharing it with everyone. This video is now my favorite one on the channel because this part of history goes a little unnoticed unless you go to school here in Texas. Growing up and learning about it and watching the John Wayne version followed by the newer updated movie with Billy Bob Thornton this time period can capture the hearts of any military history enthusiast like myself. But you guys went above and beyond by not only explaining the positives but explaining the negatives of both sides which is rarely seen or talked about from my understanding. Thank you all again for a great video and now those blue moon figs that I have been debating on getting has just been bumped up on my must get list.

[@HuntersFLGS]

As a Scot who often traveled to Texas, I was told more than once, an interesting version of how the Alamo was connected to the term Gringo. John McGregor (Scot) and Davy Crockett (2ndGen Scot) played musical duels to keep morale up. John on Bagpipes, Davy on fiddle. One tune they played together was by Robert Burns. The tune was “Green Grow The Rashes oh.” A tune familiar to the many Scots-Texans present. From the rousing choruses, the besieging Mexican troops picked out “gringo”. The name stuck. Truth or Myth… ?

[@michaelmanning5379]

Alas, a myth. Apparently Gringo was a term used in Spain at least as far back as the 18th C. Apparently it has a similar meaning to sassenach.

[@taylorshorey4411]

Oooohh I be been waiting for this video!!!!!!

[@joshuacowling2237]

Well Done, Gentlemen! Thank you very much for visiting the legendary last stand of my Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather: Davy Crockett.😀

[@LittleWarsTV]

Damn! Pretty cool ancestor there!!

[@anathardayaldar]

Ah yes. The greatest most epic romanticized story about squatter's rights.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Haha not too far from the truth…

[@SaraLloydsoprano]

This was a great game and video! One of your best, in my opinion, due to the beautiful and complex game board and unique strategies by the players. Well done.

[@Stoopidpanda331]

As a tabletop gamer and native Texan, it is amazing to see this! I would LOVE to play the Battle of the Alamo on tabletop. Y’all did an amazing job on the armies, scenery, and video 👏

[@LewisB3217]

Just found this channel, super cool video! Love the history as well

[@LittleWarsTV]

Welcome aboard!

[@brassmonkey2697]

what miniature range do you guys do for this?

[@LittleWarsTV]

Blue Moon 15mm

[@michaelgriffin135]

Great game guys. Makes a guy want to rush right out and play. As always a wonderful report 👍.

[@toweroftrollgaming]

They do history tours at a battle reenactment there in Dec. and yes they are fighting in the streets

[@christiansovern165]

Absolutely incredible video. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us. The 2004 version of the Alamo along with a lot of old leather bound books really gifted me my love of history. As someone who loves board games and movies too, this was an absolute treat to watch.

[@johnchristie823]

I made a model of the Alamo back in 1978 and we re-fought the battle and of course the Alamo was over run, but like in your game it was a lot of fun, my model was made out of polystyrene, and was pretty accurate, I real enjoyed your re-fight, because it re-mimed me my battle so many years ago!!

[@jeromejackson2018]

Perfect site for "What if......?" What If a platoon of 2024 U.S. Army soldiers, fully equipped, were transported back to the Alamo site the day before the fateful battle? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT MOVIE!!.

[@Vince-qp5rs]

Remember the Alamo

[@boarfaceswinejaw4516]

absolutely grandiose battlefield.

[@dominicregos4902]

Did the Grays escape or were they caught?

[@michaeldecarlo6945]

So enjoyable. Thanks for the opening historical context and the blow-by-blow coverage of the action. How can you not enjoy this hobby?

[@redruml5872]

Hey Travis You died 5 minutes in....

[@LittleWarsTV]

Not in this game! But historically yes-killed very early

[@redruml5872]

​@Little Wars TV the Mexicans captured the north and west walls in 15 min. It was basically over then.

[@coolkids1269]

I went to the almo

[@chestersleezer8821]

The really important aspect of this battle was the two weeks of time that it took. Those 13 days allow Sam Houston to gather forces and the Mexican losses from the battle 400 - 600 killed and wounded meant that Santa Anna did not have them and had to keep other soldiers back to take care of the wounded. The Battle of San Jacinto six week later resulted in a crushing defeat of Santa Anna.

[@LittleWarsTV]

There’s been a lot of debate among modern historians about how Houston used those 13 days. Quite a few researchers have been challenging the traditional story that Houston made great use of the time to recruit. I don’t know one way or the other, but the debate appears ongoing

[@atomicdesignshop]

Love the reenactment and history lesson! Seems very fun! Great video

[@JoshFairhurst-j1i]

Great you guys are finally back!! 🙌 🎉. When is the carry on at san Jacinto ????🤔. Its a must 😊😂. Cheers guys

[@lok3kobold]

One of the most feel good things of these vids is the cheerful handshakes at the end. It feels a bit like a renaissance painting with all of you crammed into shot reaching over each other

[@ronlackey2689]

Bowie's letter was heroic, yes. Defiant? Yes. Foolish? Maybe, maybe not. The Spanish Mission had been used as a fortification in the past by Mexican Lancers known as the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras, (also known as the Álamo de Parras Company). Although it was not built with military defense in mind, there was precedent in making it a military post. Bowie was not the type of man to be swayed as you stated he was. Perhaps it was foolish for Bowie to think he could hold such a place. But perhaps he also had the foresight to realize this was the only appreciable fortification between Mexico City and the Anglo populated interior of Tejas. To hold this fort as long as possible would give the fledgling Texian army time to assemble and train before the Mexican professional army appeared. In the end he may have been proven right. It bought the Texians almost two weeks to train the army and evacuate civilians (see "The Runaway Scrape").

[@claytonbenignus4688]

As per Victory Conditions, consider that the Texans were inflicting costs of Time and Soldiers upon the Mexicans. As the Final Battle of San Jacinto would be the actual concluding event of the Texas Revolution, it would be practical to calculate the odds of the San Jacinto Battle adjusted by the Alamo results. Sam Houston starts with a Baseline Count of say 800 Soldiers. Each day of delay means Sam Houston recruits more troops, say (arbitrarily) 50 per day. Santa Anna counts his surviving Troops after Alamo and does a roll for Percent of Attrition. Additionally, since a General lurking in Louisiana and waiting for an excuse to get involved, the number of Days spent on the Alamo can be used as a Modifier on a Die Roll for his entry into the Battle of San Jacinto, giving Houston more Soldiers. The Combat Ratio can then be calculated for the Final Result. As per Victory Conditions, consider that the Texans were inflicting costs of Time and Soldiers upon the Mexicans. As the Final Battle of San Jacinto would be the actual concluding event of the Texas Revolution, it would be practical to calculate the odds of the San Jacinto Battle adjusted by the Alamo results. Sam Houston starts with a Baseline Count of say 800 Soldiers. Each day of delay means Sam Houston recruits more troops, say (arbitrarily) 50 per day. Santa Anna counts his surviving Troops after Alamo and does a roll for Percent of Attrition. Additionally, since General Gates is waiting in Louisiana for an excuse to get involved, the number of Days spent on the Alamo can be used as a Modifier on a Die Roll for his entry into the Battle of San Jacinto, giving Houston more Soldiers. The Combat Ratio can then be calculated for the Final Result.

[@haroldmorgan7381]

The SimSats Wargame Group of Ft. Leavenworth did "The Alamo" battle a while back with a paper walls/buildings Alamo " designed by the presenter the History Instructor on the base - the defenders were "individual figures with some Hero figures and some cannons " - when they were killed they were removed for Victory Points - the Mexican attackers were 5 columns of 5-figure stands and as they were killed the defenders got Victory Points and the lost attacking stand was replaced back into an attacking column - it was a fight for HOW MANY victory points each side would get - we learned a lot from the experience much like in the above battle ! :-) "

[@SteveMonserrate]

I really enjoyed watching the Alamo, especially since I live in Tejas. Since you already have the Alamo, you may want to consider gaming this in reverse. That is, recreate the battle/siege of the Alamo by Stephen F Austin's Texians against General Cos' 500 Mexicans in the fall of 1835. I don't believe on have gamed that.

[@matthewstandefer2771]

There were about 7-10 other provinces in Mexico which had been revolting over the previous 3 yrs. Further, the Alamo could have been properly defended but they would have needed another 200 men or so. Perhaps if they had taken the men from Goliad and immediately moved them to the Alamo or moved the men of Alamo to Goliad. Things could have been very different. Texas is a story of uncontrolled immigration. It's happening again.

[@TomDaly943]

Played this with David at Fall In this past Saturday. Texian in the morning and Mexican in the afternoon. Great game and great model. Going to pull out and redo my Blue Moon model now! Btw, watching Deep Space Nine last night and there on the screen was Chief O’Brien’s model!

[@rbgm01]

Do you have the ruleset for playing the Mexican - American war of 1846?? Would love to see if Ampudia could have resisted or if Santa Ana Arrived with the supplies , then maybe the Mexican army could have turn the tide, by the way great bat reps love to see them!!!

[@hernandotorres1234]

Brilliant video, apart for all the fascinating historical information, there is an almost theatrical feel to it which adds enormously to the enjoyment.

[@haydenanimation9581]

Nice gameplay!

[@calebhequembourg2479]

I’ve always wanted to get into historical Wargaming but I’ve never known where to buy the mini figures. If anyone could provide any insight as to a good place to buy mini figures I’d great appreciate it! (I’m particularly interested in the American Revolution).

[@paulpatrick9230]

Outstanding. 😎👍

[@gregdavidson1293]

I absolutely love this battle. It has fascinated me from the time I visited the museum. The table is great! I'm so jealous! Thanks for posting this.

[@barbararice6650]

Obviously you weren't one of the arseholes who had their colon shot out in this lovely battle 😁

[@joshuabaughn3734]

I would've liked to have seen the 1683 Siege of Vienna and the Hussars coming full force down the mountain!

[@l0afofbr3ad38]

I forgor 💀