Bret Hildebran and I hooked up to play The Eastern Gate on Friday night at ASLOK. This scenario is ten turns long but the first 3 turns just fly by. The Japanese force enters in three columns with an animal packed gun in the first and second column. The British enter also in two columns. The Japanese player is the one who really decides where the columns can be broken. I had the Japanese and decided to have my first column be entirely 2nd line squads and stop the British as they entered the large palm grove on board #37 (I think). I wanted to position my first column across the dense jungle to block a quick British march up the path onto the "Eastern Gate" hillmass. To win the Japanese must cause >= 12 British CVP plus 2 more CVP for every British MMC on the level 3 top of the Eastern Gate.
My first column maneuvered to have the first shots as the British (who are actually Gurkahs) entered the palm grove. Since this column could move quite rapidly on the path, I hit them ASAP on their turn #2, which broke their column and pinned them. On my turn #3, my Japs moved into the jungle into blocking positions before advancing into the jungle edge. Bret's gurkahs moved up to engage my units with both PBF and CC. Since I had second line squads, they were at a disadvantage on the ambush rolls. Thus, I fought a fall back defense while my second column came up. I also CX'ed my animal packed 70* INF gun back for the hill and swung my mortar squads to the far side through the paths and clearing. As my 2nd column came up, they formed the second line of defense. All of my elite squads were in this column with the remainder 1st line. (I should have had some first line in with the initial column too.) I detailed two mortar squads back to the hillmass along with the second animal packed gun. My MMGs were in this column too and they headed for the clearing and the hill mass to give my retreating units some additional fire support.
During mid-game the Gurkahs kept pushing my forces back with a berserk squad taking out my mortar squad in CC. This allowed a few squads to get past my defenses on the far side of the board. My first 70* INF gun was being unpacked in a prime position when the Gurkahs CR'ed it. We removed the crew entirely, but I vaguely think that was wrong. I think it should have gone to a 1-2-7 crew instead. As it was I never did get that gun unpacked. We were also quite confused about the [3*-70] range for the gun. Without reading the weapon note in Chapter H, I took it as the gun had a minimum range. Unfortunately for me, 3 hex LOS's were not common in this scenario.
My third column entered near the huts which was the wrong spot for them. They should have entered more near the board junctions. They reinforced the general attack in the jungle taking the British in the flank. These were primarily the troops that were used to launch my turn #9 banzai charges. I should have sent their mortar squads around behind the British lines. Had I not spent two extra turns getting them into position because of where I entered, then they may have cut off the British fall back strategy. If I played this again, I would definitely use them to take the British from the rear and right flank. However, they did manage to plug some gaps in my lines to stop a British drive to the hill.
Thus, the British Gurkahs could not get to the hill mass before my reinforcing units could get there in strength. So on British turn #8 (the bottom of the turn), Bret started to pull back since I had not yet reached 12 CVP VC limit.
Here is my only gripe with this scenario. The VC's are written where the Gurkahs do not have to try for the hill top. If the Japanese player successfully blocks the British drive for the hill, the Brits can pull back and essentially run away from the Japanese. As Brian Youse puts it, this "sleasy" tactic keeps The Eastern Gate from being one of the all time great scenarios. Had Bret done this, I would have had a very bad taste about The Eastern Gate. The essense of the scenario is the fight for the hill, so a "timely" retreat is really against the spirit of the scenario. In effect winning the scenario and losing the war.
However, Bret just pulled back to solidify his lines and self broke some units to get them out of immediate danger. At this point I was desperate. So I launched a major banzai attack and had to cross a clearing to get at the Brits. Even where I got into CC with them and survived all of the DFF, SFF, FPF, etc, the British that broke could still rout back safely in most cases. I took horrendous losses to close with the British too. A second banzai did manage to get reinforcements into some key Gurkah positions. I tried to bring some Japanese leaders and squads down off the hill mass and get behind the Brits to cut off some of their rout paths but my leader wounded 1 hex short of where I needed a unit to be to do so.
Thus, most British units routed safely back. However, one British squad decided against self-breaking and allowed a lax 2nd line step reduced squad to enter his hex, thinking with a -3 drm on the ambush dr that his unit would be OK. I rolled a "1" to his "4". No ambush. My ste reduced squad eliminated the Gurkah at 1:2 odds. The Gurkah promptly rolls snakeyes and eliminates my unit, but creates an 8-1 leader. However, my roll was low enough that the 8-1 leader is eliminated to for an additional 2 CVP! That put me to 12 CVP, so now the pressure flips back to the British. Elsewhere, I have 4:1 odds against a HS, so I capture him for the extra CVP.
The Gurkahs now turn around with their 9-2 leading the charge to get onto the level 3 hill hexes. Luckily my Japanese were able to form a reasonable line and had units on the path to cut off the easy route up the hill. Bret's 9-2 stack managed to advance onto a level 2 hill hex adjacent to a level 3 hex on turn #9. This level 3 hex had my 70* INF gun unpacked in it, but I thought I had to fire the crew's inherent FP instead of the gun due to the short range. They missed. I hastily brought my remaining units back to reinforce the level three hexes and block the other avenues of approach up the hill. During turn #10, Bret prep fired into the level three hex but had little effect on my units. With my abundant return fire, his 9-2 broke and the stack crumpled for a narrow Japanese victory.
In all, this scenario took about 8 hours to play. It was exciting and tense the whole time after the forces closed. This would be an excellent scenario to play as a double blind game. I would gladly play The Eastern Gate again but I would want some modification to the VCs to keep the British pushing for the hill top.
Chuck Payne