Posting #1

*Looking at this on paper I am thinking the Americans have the advantage with a few more units, better morale against the Japanese Army units but not the Japanese Para units and more off board artillery 3 x 18 , though the Japanese do have a 1 x10 off board artillery for the first time in Nihon Silk. The only thing that will help the Japanese in this scenario is to close fast and charge to assault hexes.

*This is a crazy scenario in the fact that both sides start so close to the main objectives, the two airfield hexes. You have the Japanese Paratroops in the Jungle adjacent to the airfield north, you have the American starting units also adjacent to the airfield, you have the major Japanese Army units in the Jungle just to the west and the major American reinforcement coming on the board to the east, on turn one. The fighting starts right away, no time to relax!

*I feel the Japanese are hardest pressed in this scenario compared to all the rest but after three turns, the assault stacks are already forming the Japanese had to close the gap fast, before the American Artillery took too great of a toll. After three turns, both sides are already taking step losses, so who knows, it’s still any ones game! *It looked like a large Calvary charge from days of old!

Posting #2

*The Japanese were able to jump off right away in to assault hexes with the few Paratroopers they had left from the jungle hexes directly above the airfield hexes north. The Japanese Army units in the jungle west of the airfields ran into the reinforcing American Paratrooper units coming from the east, as the two walls collided. The Japanese Army units had a lower morale of 7/6 compared to their brothers in arms, the Japanese Para units at 8/7, so against Americans with their 8/7, they had to assault here as well, to get those assault hex column modifiers to stand a chance.

*The weaker morale of the Japanese Army units started to show, after many turn of assault combat and those that left the hexes got pummeled by American artillery. The two Japanese assault hexes on the airfields proved to be a major pain for the Americans however, in both time and casualties. Eventually they were eliminated but it took forever. This was a bloody battle at close range, with the Japanese losing 18 steps of units and two leaders and the Americans losing 17 steps and two leaders. It would have been a draw but the American received 10 points, if no Japanese units are able to put down direct fire on either of the two airfield markers, as the American had the Japanese in full retreat in the jungle to the West, out of range of DF. The Japanese received no points for airfields controlled, so the Americans win by 11 points, a Major victory by one point. For a while the Americans were really on the ropes, which really surprised me.

I think the only thing the Japanese could have differently was to retreat units to the jungle hexes to the north instead of to the east, where they could still put the American airfields in direct fire, even in disrupted states, denying the Americans the 10 point, forcing a draw. But still the off board artillery would make it difficult. A strategy to try next time!