Played this quite-unbalanced scenario in 3 sessions face-to-face with another PG novice new to Africa Korps. I am really not sure how others have managed to win as the Australian side as has been reported in several instances. Taking all 10 entrenchments and removing 3 anti-tank trench markers without losing more than 6 steps is a very tall order, indeed. This scenario featured very strong Italian off board artillery that caused a good many Aussie casualties and several serious morale failures at critical moments. The effort at filling in AT trenches means that Aussie units attempting this daunting task are stuck in-place as easy and very inviting targets. My resolute opponent made the best of a very bad situation and had the 3 required trench markers in-hand by Turn 7, but at a very heavy cost, having lost the required 6 steps very early in our play through and then 6 more by the end of Turn 7. Fast Italian redeployments and quick digging in hexes adjacent to the existing entrenchments prevented several Australian close assaults. In action, 3 entrenchment were take by storm while the Aussies enduring high infantry/combat engineer casualties. Only 3 Italian infantry units surrendered in this playthrough as well as 1 HMG platoon and a wayward Tenente. Having decent leader draws helped both sides, and not playing with the dreaded FOW rule, made for less piecemeal and better sequenced, attacks by the Australian side. Final losses included: 5 Australian engineer steps, 10 infantry steps, 2 lieutenants and a sergeant; the Italian side lost 6 infantry steps, a HMG unit, both 65mm mountain howitzers, a 47mm AT gun and a 20mm AA gun, as well as one capitano and trio of tenantes.

I probably should have rated this one as a 1 or 2, but so many Africa Korps scenarios are so unbalanced that this one is about par for the course.