Honestly, what did you expect? With direct fire taking a -2 column hit due to darkness & jungle, and there being only 8 turns, assault is the only acceptable method... and the Japanese are utterly unstoppable in assaults for this scenario.

• +1 column shift for higher morale than all enemy units (9/8 vs 7/6 - even when reduced they're higher!)
• +1 column shift for good order leader
• +1 column shift for being Japanese

(and soon thereafter)

• +1 column shift for all enemy units are demoralized

Good luck!

Assault was hot in both directions - lots of 5s and 6s came out to quickly wear down the forces involved. Had the rolls been weaker perhaps some Diggers would have survived when the clock struck 0415 and all the Japanese turned and ran home to watch the morning news? I dunno.

Ugly, ugly scenario for the Diggers.

Shad's Campaign Thoughts

Morale is... low.

As the Australians I somehow managed to do even worse than the disastrous first encounter. When the battle ended not a single Digger was left alive, although two of my officers thankfully managed to escape the Japanese.

This would be a tough loss to accept under any circumstances, but when you're emotionally invested in your leaders and watching them quite literally run for their lives across your table... well, it's stressful.

I always play both sides equally passionately, but the Australian defeat was so total - and compounded with Oivi so frustrating and demoralizing - that I was honestly bummed out for about two hours of real life afterwards.

As the Japanese, things couldn't have gone much better. Having the two Australian officers escape was a disappointment, but Lt Rider earned a decoration and both he and Lt Kuwabatake were able to raise their base morale.

Currently sitting on a 32 to 4 lead in Campaign Victory Points, the Japanese are feeling pretty pleased after only two battles.