In looking at master Cuneo`s Web Page[well, he obviously hasn't seen me actually play ASL yet ;-)] I have discovered a great omission. As yet no one has written an AAR on what is perhaps the best introductory PTO scenario, The Ninty Minute War from Critical Hit, CH 14.
I`ll begin by stating that untill last week, this scenario had been an exercise in futility for me. I had played it three time in tournament only to lose on the last turn, usually due to poor c/c dice rolling. Now kids it can`t get any closer than that. Please understand, when I say last turn I mean last die roll and not once but three times. As any of my opponents will attest this is a great scenario. It plays fast but is not as dicey as some short scenarios are prone too being. Ninty Minute War is as simple a PTO scenario as you can find. There are NO overlays and as an added bonus the jungle is light. For those of you who have not made the switch to the real mans theatre, you`ll find this a gentle introduction.
We pick up the action with my forth attempt:
Tim Clouse and I play have played a lot of ASL together but for one reason or another we had not had an opportunity to play since last November. I buzz Tim up late last week and suggest that we get together to do a little PTO playtesting and he indicates that he`s game. First point worth mentioning is that to get Tim to play PTO I either have to lie or offer incredible inducements (not really, but he would prefer to play in the ETO). Second point is that Tim had just received Pegasus Bridge and like most folks really wanted to start something up with that. I on the otherhand had committed to playtest and needed to get a report out. What does this have to do with Ninty Minute War you say? Nothing, I ended up playing another guy in the playtest while Tim picked up a game in his prefered theatre. We both finished earlier than expected and found that we could squeeze in another game. As mentioned, I`ve played this gem three times with nary a win and theres my buddy Clouse offering to play any game I choose and best of all, Tim`s never even seen Ninty Minute War. I`ve got the duck lined up in my sights. I don`t even give Tim the choice of sides, I take the Japanese and leave the room for him to set up all nine of his squads HIP.
Before I get too far ahead of myself let me discribe the setup and victory conditions. The Japanese are attacking Guam, 10th Dec. 41. and about all that are in the way of the sons of the Emperor are some Guamanian insular guards.
The scenario allows for the Guamanians to be set up HIP, eight squads on half board 22 and one squad with an mmg on half board 37. The Japanese enter from off board along the edge of half board 37. The object of the Japanese fancy is a rather large building near the backside of board 22.
As has been my experience with this scenario, the Japanese pick a board edge to creep along and it is left to the allied player to deside which side to defend. If the allied player is lucky, the axis player will fall into the thick off the Guamanian defence. Now either I`m very transparent or I`m very unlucky because in every one of my games I`ve managed to fall into the main defensive line. Being Japanese this is not the greatest of problems but then there is always the possibility that all I`ll have left at game end is halfsquads and that is exactly what happened when I played Dade Cariaga at WWF. Even with that handycap I managed to take the building from him. Unfortunately, all I had left was two half squads to stop his counter attack and you can belive that they did`nt.
Back to our AAR.
I return to find Tim setup and ready to go. I take my seat and procede to place my units along their respective points of entry. In each of my previous three attempts I sent all up my forces up the left side of the map. This time I desided to send a platoon and leader over on the opposite side and a group of half squad scouts up the middle. I still placed the majority on my left and began to move on board. Even with light jungle, movement is restricted by kunai and ponds, so its a safe bet that not much will happen for the first two turns. Tim had placed a MMG too far forward, (he managed an attack but quickly lost that valuable asset) and I pressed on to the edge of the kunai fields. During the defensive fire phase of turn two I set up both of those truly wonderful 50mm mtr`s that the Japanese are blessed with and when, at the top of turn three I lit them off, got two missions of smoke down in prime real estate. My left flanking force was covered by smoke to within three or four hexes of my objective and my right platoon had moved into the village area and was managing to pin down defenders that were needed to prevent my other group from gaining the building.
Turn four finds Tim scrambling to find a line and the sons of the emperor taking the fight to them. Bear in mind that the Japanese are being whittled down slowly and worse yet, being pinned at the most unfortunate of times but my attack was relentless and Tim`s Guamanians were looking forward to working in the greater east asia co-prosperity sphere. I am able to gain the building with a large number of Japanese and quickly dispatch all Guamanians who oppose me.
Turn five finds Tim counter attacking across open ground trying to regain the building. The Japanese have either eliminated or melee`d the defenders in the building and find the goings easy. Tim attacks from three different points but the sons of Nippon have a field day shooting up the insular guards and at the end of the turn Tim finds himself with a half squad and leader left to retake their building.
I am now vindicated. It could be said that I picked on a fellow who was not prepared and took advantage of him but even so, Tim said that Ninty Minute War was the PTO equivalent of Gavin Take. A perfect introductry scenario for the PTO.
The secret for the Japanese player is to push on regardless. In a seven turn game they don`t have the luxury of time to organize a cohesive attack and must keep organized as they move forward. Smoke is the only weapon that the Japanese have to carry them to the victory building and if you roll out of it early your chances of victory reduce considerably. For the Guamanians, placement of your inital forces is the only way. You don`t have the luxury of a fall back defense, the map area is too small. In this game HIP is your only asset. The two MMG`s are but bumps in the road for the mighty sons of Japan but then don`t be to quick to give them up. Use the village to spring traps on the Japanese and don`t discount fire lanes. If the Japanese player is lucky with smoke, fire lanes will still prohibit their movement and I think it is to the Guamanians advantage to deny the building to the Japanese as long as possible and that is done by covering the open ground that the Japanese have to cross to gain the victory locations.
Scott Picardat