The Japanese setup two entrenchments surrounded by dug in units and the US Marines took a totally wrong approach and hurried too much when they didn’t have to, as this scenario is about points but as a result of these mistakes the Americans paid the price. Two horrible assault dice rolls and four step losses later the Marines had their most lopsided loss yet to date! The Japanese lost only one step, while the Marines lost 7 steps, totally reverse of some of my other scenario plays. A clear Japanese victory in this one, due to my bad play!

This is a great short scenario that really forces the Marines to move as quickly as possible and do as much damage on the way as they can. The Japanese have 2 entrenchments, so I placed the southernmost one just over halfway back on the mapsheet with the second one on the first level of the hill where it could cover the rear of the first. I put 2 HMG platoons in each one and kept the pure infantry force out front, aiming to slow down the US attackers but not get caught up in assault for a while. The Marines split into 3 elements, with the 2 HMG platoons moving up the road to where they could engage the Japanese infantry force initially holding the southern town hex from a spot that would be down 2 for the Japanese to shoot back at, while the LTC took one force around to the Marine right and the Captain took the other force around to the left of the big hill. This allowed the HMGs to play a bit of cat and mouse with the Japanese infantry while the maneuver groups bypassed and went after the entrenchments directly. The Japanese fell back but were not in position to prevent the Marine LTC and the right-wing force hitting the southern entrenchment. Jungle protected the adjacent fire teams as well as the entrenchment protected the Japanese, and there were a lot of 7s rolled by the LTC and his force while the Captain's team made it to the north and attacked by DF the northern entrenchment. The Japanese infantry lead by a 9-1-1 LT finally decided the time was right for a banzai, but the HMGs hurt him with a step loss before he could do much damage. For 2 turns, the Marine HMGs were successful in backing out of assault without taking casualties, keeping the Japanese infantry force busy while the entrenchments had to fend for themselves against high-firepower point blank fire. By the end, the first entrenchment fell with the loss of all but the LT holding it, while the northern entrenchment continued to hold on. With the middling die rolls, there weren't enough casualties for either side to get a lot of points, but the Marines won a minor victory with the one entrenchment and 5 steps of Japanese HMGs to no Marine losses. A great small and fast scenario for a quick lunchtime game.

The Japanese setup mostly behind the major feature, with some delaying forces in front. The US attacked to both flanks of the feature, and one group in the centre. The US managed to flank the Japs and forced them into a poor running defensive stance. The US won a major win, losing 2 steps to the Jap 8. Both sides controlled an entrenchment.

Okay, first let me say this is another scenario (I also recently finished 9) where the Japanese have little to do but roll dice. They are in entrenchments waiting for the Marines. There is very little maneuver for them. In fact, there's not a tremendous amount for the Marines, either. Solitaire, it wasn't bad, as a 2 player game I'd probably give it a 2 rating.

The Japanese had their 2 entrenchments at the top of the 80 meter hill with 2 HMGs and an infantry platoon, with another HMG and infantry platoon in an entrenchment near it, and the remaining HMG and INF dug in behind the hill. Early on, I reinforced the entrenchment with only 2 units with another INF platoon. In retrospect I should have set it up with 3 units in each entrenchment. The uphill and entrenchment modifiers easily cancel out the penalty for 3 units in a hex.

The Marines sent one force right up the gut, and one to flank, and put the 2 HMGs in the town where they could rake the lower entrenchment. The Japanese started taking 16 and 11 shots at the Marines, and while they weren't really killing anything, they were keeping enough units disrupted to prevent assaults, because the Japanese advantages in being uphill, Japanese and entrenched (first fire) would shred any weak attack. The Marines did catch up to the last HMG and assaulted it, although it hung tough for several turns before breaking and losing a step when it fled. Eventually the Marines assaulted one of the entrenchments, getting the entire group disrupted for their troubles. The next turn the assault went worse, and the Japanese actually counter attacked out of the entrenchments. Trn 11 marked the end as the Marines lost 5 steps between bloody assaults and a 12 against 3 units which were setting up to assault the other entrenchment.

In the end, the Marines lost 7 steps, the Japanese 2. The Japanese held on to both entrenchments for an easy win.