Main attraction: really, really fast playing scenario.
Bruno Larchevesque had the Americans and I had the Japanese by random dr. It was the side I would have chosen based on the 2:1 squad superiority at start. Of course, the firepower advantage isn't nearly as high.
In planning the Jap advance, I missed seeing the crest line that runs along A2, B2…G1. This made one dumb move. Bruno set up as follows: I7-747,?,fox H7-747,DC,?,fox H8-747,MMG,9-1,?,fox, H10-7-0,radio,? F8-747,?,fox. Of course, no foxholes were on board at start.
I sent the Jap 8-0 with 447,dm MTR,448,LMG,447 CX in the jungle to the right of the E0 gully. A 448 and 447 went CX along the Gully. The 9-1,228,dm MMG,448,LMG,448 CX moved in the jungle to the left of the gully. The dumb move was a 447,dm MTR to F0. His objective was to smoke F8, but the crest in F1 blocks the LOS. He later switched to the jungle right of the gully. It took two turns to reach the Americans, when most units advanced into LOS concealed, with several adjacent. During my moves, the American units stayed put. On US turn 2, the Jap MTRs started firing WP and acquisition shots. Jap PB defensive fire broke the concealed Amis in I7. On Jap turn 3, I smoked H7 and H8. A 448 in the gully survived US defensive fire when it moved adjacent to F8, then it eliminated the F8 747 in CC. The 9-1,448,LMG took the vacated I7 foxhole by advance. A 447 in the gully went into crest status in F6, adjacent to the G7 waterhole. The 228 went to K7 to head towards the K9 huts holding a broken 747.
The US radio was quite fickle, ending up with only one fire mission around US turn 3, which did no damage. The Jap MMG broke on its second shot, then sixed the repair.
On US turn 3, the reinforcements came on at K8 by advance and K6 by assault move. One 667 terminated my pinned 228 in CC. The 8-0 went to the K9 huts to rally a 747 later. The 747 in H7 tried to place a DC in I7 using assault movement, but a Jap multi-hex FG of 16 broke them and the MC was a 12. On Jap turn 4, the 8-0 and a 447 took the waterhole and later survived one OBA attack. The 667s had trouble moving in turn 4, one getting pinned and one broke. The game was decided with a CC in the G7 waterhole. The Amis had a 747,337,Hero trying to take the hex away from a 447,448,7+1. Bruno had no choice but to try and eliminate the stack; he missed, giving a Jap victory.
The game was slightly skewed by the fickle OBA and by Bruno rolling badly on most MC. Keeping most of the US firepower in smoke helped. Definitely worth playing once, however, I feel it does not have high replay value. It will probably get a lot of play anyway, because of its short size.
Playing time: 3 hours, 20 minutes, including set up.
Michael R.
I had the opportunity to play A118 "The Waterhole" from the 97 Annual with the honorable Jay Harms last night. I had the IJA. This scenario features 4 448s and 4 447s with two leaders (9-1 and 8-0) and one HMG and crew plus some LMGs and Mtrs attacking 4 747s with one MMG lead by a 9-1 and 7-0 who are later reinforced by two 667s and an 8-0. The IJA have to control the waterhole (G7) at the end of 5 turns to win.
The US has one module of 60mm OBA which did not have an effect on the game mainly because Jay mistakenly placed the radio with a 747 squad and his MMG with a leader. Even though I let him swap the counters, the leader was out of position to call in a fire mission. With only 5 turns and all the terrain, it would have been hard to get off a mission in the first place.
US Setup: G2 DC 7-0, 747 E2 Dummy E4 747 G4 Dummy G6 radio 9-1 747 F10 MMG 747 in a foxhole
The IJA enter between hex A and F on the NG map. I CX the 8-0 with 2 448s and a 447 into the dense jungle on my right flank to B2 in an effort to get around the units setup to guard the gully in the F hex grain. A stack with the 9-1 and 2 LMG/448s followed the 8-0. I sent 2 447s with mortars to the left of the gully with the idea of shelling the MMG that was in F10. I started with the mortars dismantled to gain the extra MP but ended up having to go CX anyway to get up the fist rise in terrain in G1 (Going up hill in dense jungle is not a good thing). I then had to find a DF phase to put those suckers together. With only five turns, it was not an easy task. I should have kept the mortars mantled. The HMG and crew moved through the light jungle on the right side of the gully to offer supporting fire. One 447 moved straight down the gully to draw some fire and help flush out the Marauders.
On turn two my 8-0 stack ran into a 747 in D5 which forced a MC. After 4 straight 9s, my stack was not as formidable. I advanced the step reduced 447 into the 747 hex thinking I would trade one for one. The Marauders ambushed and killed the squad. So much for thinking.
Also during turn 2, my 9-1 and 2 LMG/448s went berserk when the leader rolled snakes on a MC and charge a 7-0 with DC in G5. Thinking he would be sneaky, Jay advanced a 747 into CC with a 237 in F5 next my berserkers in F4. My 237 survived CC and awaited some help. When my berserkers charged the 747, the 20 -2 TPBF from the 747 caused a 3MC which my guys passed by rolling 3 straight snake eyes (what a waste). Next was the thrown DC from the 7-0 which broke his 747, killed my leader and CR'ed one of the 448s. The broken 747 died in CC to remove the berserk counter.
The 747 on my right had fallen back to E8 where he awaited my wounded 7+1 and a step reduced 448 in C7. When my guys assaulted moved into D7 the resulting PTC did what every IJA commander fears most. The squad pinned. My HMG and moved to E7. On turn 4, instead of skulking away, the 747 tried to use spraying fire against the 7+1 and 347 in D7 and the HMG in E7. The leader and squad passed while the crew step reduced. The defensive fire produced a MC which Jay rolled boxcars. The broken 337 would have to rout away. The US left had fallen.
Mean while, the US reinforcements had arrived to shore up the defenses around the Waterhole. An 8-0 with 337 had taken up position in G7 (the waterhole) while the 9-1 with a 337 and a 667 advanced into CC with a 237 in G6. There was a 667 in H9. I had a LMG/448, 447 and 237 in G5. The 237 died at the hands of the 9-1 et al in G6. During my turn 5 prep, the LMG/448 in G5 fired at the 9-1, 337, 667 and generated a MC. After 3 straight 10's the entire stack was broken. My HMG in E7 fired on the 8-0, 337 in G7 and broke the 337. I moved the 347 in E8 to G7, the 237 G5 to F6 and Cx'ed the 447 in G5 to H6 this would cause the broken guys in G7 and G6 to be eliminated for failure to rout. A 9-1, 337,667 and another 337. The 347, 237 and CX447 advanced into G7 and quickly disposed of the 8-0 in CC.
The US turn 5 saw a charge from a 747 in F9 (the former MMG crew) and the 667 in H9 at the waterhole. The 667 pinned in H8 under fire from the HMG and the 747 broke in G8 to insure victory for the IJA.
What can I say. A very thrilling scenario with luck swinging wildly for each side. The NG map is a pleasure to play on. Lots of nasty terrain to deal with. I would certainly take either side straight up WHEN I play this one again.
Total play time was 2 hours and 40 minutes including setup. A nice quick night of ASL.
Walter "Just doing my part to generate 45K for my fellow Digester" Eardley
Played this today against Jeff Fisher. We had eight guys at our monthly get together at Offutt AFB NE.
TURN ONE: I've got the IJA (for the first time ever). Jeff sets up with two 747s in a foxhole in H7, the 9-1(RDO) and 337(MMG) in a foxhole in F10, and the rest of the stuff in E7 in a foxhole. I put two 448(LMG) in H0, the 9-1, 448(2xMTR), and 228(MMG) in G0, and a 448 in E1. The 8-0 took two 447 in B0 and the other two 447 in C0. I didn't think things were going well when the stack in H0 rolled boxcars for their movement DR on the very first roll! They were directed to move away from the board, so they became TI instead. The 9-1 2xtimed his guys up to G3, advancing to G4. The other elite squad moved up the gully to F1. The guys on the east sided double timed up to the board edge.
Question: Is there a line of site from F10 units in the gully?
Jeff got radio contact and battery access, but his SR ended up out of LOS, so it left the board.
During his player turn, he maintained radio contact, but drew a red chit for battery access. His 337(MMG) SRed the 448 in F2. I assembled the mortars in G4 and did nothing useful with my DF.
TURN TWO: I attempted WP with one mortar and didn't have the ammo, then broke the leader and squad with HE in E7. The second mortar put WP into the hex, breaking the 337(DC). Then, the MMG got three or four shots, eliminating the HS, CRing the 747, and creating a heroic leader from the 7-0. The guys who got lost on the first turn managed to double time up to H2, eventually advancing to H3. The guys on the east edge of the board got adjacent to the guys who were broken in E8, eliminating them for failure to rout. During DF, he again maintained radio contact but drew a second red chit! We agreed that he would have been much better off just having the mortars on board. Then, he managed to malf his MMG on its second shot. During the CCPh, the heroic leader ambushed my leader and HS concealed squad and HS. He decided to attack the leader and a HS at 1:3 and failed. I got HtH with a HS and the leader and killed the hero before he could do anything useful.
TURN THREE: I recovered his DC in E8 and was going to create a DC hero to charge H7, but I got the killl stack up into G6 and his 12 even shot from H7 was ineffective. I managed to get these guys reduced down to a broken squad by the end of the turn. By this time I had a squad and a HS in G7.
TURN FOUR: He's down to a HS(malf'd MMG) and 9-1 in F10 and the reinforcements in I6. I've got a concealed 448(LMG) in both H6 and H5. He fired on H6, stripping concealment, but not having any other effect. That's when he resigned.
I was very happy about this game for a couple of reasons. First, it was my first victory at ASL since picking the game back up in June after an eight year layoff. Second, I got to play the IJA for the first time. And, for once, it was my opponent that got "diced." I think Jeff only passed three MCs the whole game, and I got multiple shots from almost every ROF weapon I fired. Also, there's less than a five percent chance that an American will get only one battery access in a scenario.
Question: According to US Ordnance note 1, the US player gets his "normal" access chits; however, the national capabilities chart says that 10/3 includes Plentiful Ammunition. What should the US chits be when using this rule? (We've gave Jeff 10/3.)
Overall, a fun game, but much more so for me than Jeff.
Steve Eckhart