Author	treadasaurusrex (Italy)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	Reconquista
Play Date	2022-11-23
Language	English
Scenario	AfKo031

Played this small-scale, relatively balanced scenario in 4 online sessions with a rapidly improving newbie player as the Australian Commander. I played the defending Italians in this example of the Africa Korps series devoted to the fighting in and around Halfaya Pass during May of 1941. This one ended in a hard-fought draw as we inflicted a very large percentage of casualties on each other in the course of the, too long, 24 turn scenario. As always, the optional FOW rule was instrumental in what surprisingly turned out to be a successful Italian defense, as 9 turns of this play-through ended prematurely. We also used the smoke and excess initiative rules. Both sides had miserable luck drawing leaders, and all 5 Commonwealth Lieutenants and the commanding officer were eliminated in combat, causing a great deal of havoc for the attacking side.

As is frequently the case, the Tommies' formidable 25-pdr guns were deadly in support of the attacking Australians. The Italians were barely able to hold off the company plus of Commonwealth infantry, but benefitted by a number of lucky combat and morale recovery die rolls -- and only a single Italian combat 7-die was thrown. Also, unexpectedly, only a single Italian artillery unit was forced to surrender in this one. At the end, virtually the entire collection of units & leaders for both sides were either disrupted or demoralized. It was welcome fun for me, not be playing with an obsessed "rules lawyer."