Jungle Fighting, scenario #28: Mt. Austin X

*I remember reading about the GIFU portion of the Guadalcanal battle a few years ago and thought I must tryout one of the scenarios from Jungle Fighting which include it. I didn’t expect too much from this one, as it’s basically and assault scenarios with four Japanese Entrenchments that must be taken. Actually the Americans only have to take two of the four with out losing more than two steps. Both sides start adjacent to each other in setup, so it’s basically a set piece battle with only how you arrange each stack with which types of units. The Japanese just have hold three out of four entrenchments or eliminate three American steps.

*As I stated before, the Japanese have four entrenchments but a very weak force with many of the units already reduced. Not only that, but they will find it very difficult to move a per special scenario rule #2.

*The Americans have a very strong force, pretty much 3 to 1, yes some of their units also start reduced but they have so many and a huge Off-Board artillery and one M5 Stuart Tank unit on it’s reduced side. The Starts will be able to get at two of the Japanese Entrenchments from some clear terrain hexes adjacent to them.

*Also Jungle Fighting has a Special Rule #3 that gives them a Defense Value of 2 against armor but every hit from a tank eliminates on step of enemy units inside the entrenchment, not the entrenchment it’s self. I really like this rule, or the Tanks would not have been of much use but with this rule, it rocks.

*Being such a small battle, it will be a small AAR, but the Americans wear down the Japanese through Artillery, adjacent Infantry in stacks of 3 combat units and one unit of 3 Stuart tanks, slowly but surely wearing the Japanese units down to nothing much and then assaulting. The highlight for the Japanese; was when they rolled high and demoralized pretty much a whole stack on American Infantry, but they were able to pull back and the line was filled with new American units. Don’t attack the Japanese from the open space hexes, unless you are armor. The American won this, taking all four entrenchments. I have never had very much luck taking entrenchment until this battle.

*There is not a lot of maneuver in this battle but it a good one to practice your assault & entrenchment skills. Not a bad scenario but one you only play once.