Back to Guadalcanal scenarios after a long rest from them, but that did not help all of the errata and issues with some of these scenarios. I decided to start at the first and immediately remember why these are difficult. There is a bit of errata and was as victory conditions that usually end the game in a draw. But I still continue on, I will list suggested mods at the end that could help the scenario.

The Americans have an amphibious invasion of Tulagi. They will have plenty of troops but will have logistical problems getting them into the fight. The Japanese will have the setup and with there hidden setup, they will cause problems for the Americans. Victory conditions will favor a draw as the Japanese just need to kill 3 steps of Marines and the Americans just need to secure three hexes and the game will revolved into the draw. But it is still interesting and can be a good one if you give it some effort.

The Japanese setup have most revealed units back by the caves with hidden units to the north, where the landings will occur as well as on the major hill in the middle of the island. The seaplane base personnel will be revealed around the base. One note on the setup, the printed setup hexes are incorrect and have been updated in the errata. I also adjusted for the seaplane troops to be placed one hex from the two town hexes in the southeast of the island, which is historical correct. The Americans move on the island from there landing hexes and have to figure out if there are any troops in the jungle before they move into the island. An American destroyer covers the invasion in the northwest and the light cruiser covers the southeastern edge and hill 280. The other destroyer is on the north side of the island to cover the open hexes leading down the north side of the island as well as the open hexes in the south east by the cricket field.

The Americans win the initiative and also get three planes to attack. These will bomb the seaplane troops to the south to try to prevent them from reinforcing the SNLF troops to the north. Meanwhile the RDR units move to control the north west area of the island. But they soon discover hidden units just off the beaches and go right into an assault that takes hours to resolve. Reinforcements move up, but Japanese 37mm AA on hill 280 open up on the landing craft and destroy one with the lose of a Major and a RDR platoon. Immediately, light cruiser fire goes on the hill but the guns are well covered and there is no effect. Now the Americans are in the hole, one more step loss and they will not be able to win.

Other reinforcing barges land more RDR and HMG's to form a fighting force to go after the hill, but coordination will be hard through the thick jungle. Single stacks of units advance toward the hill but hidden Japanese open fire and disrupt/demoralize RDR units. The Americans are stuck recovering and not having time to do it due to quick FoW rolls ending turns before all American troops move as well as lengthy assaults. But by 11:00 the American destroy the Japanese holding out just beyond the beaches and HMG fire is on the 37mm on the hill. But the Japanese fire is still good enough to disrupt and demoralize the American leaders, forcing them to stop and recover again.

In this time reinforcements get to the beaches and start to move to the north side of the island. They will move up and take the small Chinese works huts on the north side and dash down the road to go after the seaplane base. The base has be evacuated and the Japanese troops are consolidated at the caves and hill 280. American assaults on Hill 280 have to wait as the Japanese fire keeps the Americans back and soon a three kill eliminates any American victory. So not it is up to the Americans to take ground and hold it for a draw.

At this point the Americans pull up and get more troops into battle as they will need to have everyone to force the Germans back. For several turns the Americans land and get reinforcements around Hill 280 as well as capture the seaplane base. The Americans now have two of the three Japanese hexes that will force a draw. The third will happen after an assault on hill 280. Several RDR and MAR units push two assaults that will push the Japanese away from the final hex. The Americans are able to destroy them but lose two more steps. At this point, the best that they can achieve is a draw so the game ends are turn 27.

The last point I will make on this is some of the changes I believe that will make it better. First the victory conditions need to be a Major/Minor set for each side. The current conditions make victory absolute for each side and the minute that that fails they lose. With a Major/Minor conditions it give a side a change to achieve something. Second, the needs to be more on the American ships, there isn't rules for leaders and the ships as targets.