Conquest of Ethiopia, scenario 21: Enderta: Dawn Fighting at Adi Sembet

The first 9 turns are in the dark with only a one hex visibility, the starting force of Ethiopians has three leaders and sends two of them with most of their ground forces to probe the Italian lines but leave the Shambel leader behind, dug-in and with a HMG and two Infantry units to protect him, as he is the key to the Italian victory.

The probing force of Ethiopians run right into the Italian line, some direct fire and assault combats happen by turn three. The Italian have one group of units that start a great distance away from their comrades and I decide to use those units to go after the Ethiopian Leader but as chance so happened the Ethiopian reinforcements with two leaders and bunch of Infantry arrive on turn 5 by dice roll and help the Shambel leader group fight off this flanking attack.

In the process of fighting, the Italian had already lost 7 step and one leader, the Ethiopians had lost only two steps. Both sides had a bunch of demoralized and disrupted units but with the Ethiopian getting the +1 modifier in assaults and the Italian at this point having no chance to eliminate the Shambel leader, so with 4 turns left, I quit combat, as Ethiopians had a minor victory and not much would change on the map with the current situation.

An interesting scenario as both sides have to attack to achieve their victory objectives. The Italians needing to eliminate the Shambel Leader and the Ethiopian needing to eliminate 6 or more Italian steps. I think this scenario favors the Ethiopians as the first 9 turns are under the cover of darkness, taking away some of the advantages the Italians might of have with better Infantry ranged units. But with that said, if the Italians would have rolled better on some of those assault combats, maybe eliminating a few more enemy units and a leader, this could easily have been a draw or maybe even an Italian minor victory but the Ethiopians prevailed in this combat.