This was played in two sessions face to face with Hugmenot in our continuing series on Indian Unity. I apologize to Daniel for the dice in question. Apparently fate had to even out my luck from my play with Vince.

The Indian goal is to secure a town and the roads leading up to it to facilitate their advance towards the center of Hyderabad. The Hyderabadis want to stop them from doing this and cause losses to the Indians. As usual the indifferent Hyderabadi regulars are supported by the Razakar fanatics. Interestingly, the Razakars during the earlier scenarios are liabilities with virtually no combat effect and low morale. As the campaign continues, however, they become more radicalized and their morale improves such that they often deny the Indians a morale bonus in combat. If they take losses, however, their morale plummets and they are easily chased.

Early on, the Hyderabadis were very effective, easily reaching the loss totals required for a minor victory at the half way point. It became apparent in addition that the dispersed Hyderabadi troops would be able to contest road hexes such that the best option for the Indians would be to focus on taking the large town on board 24. Indeed, such a capture would only provide the Indians with a draw (which Daniel and I feel is the likely result of a contested battle) as their minor victory would then match the minor victory claimed by the Hyderabadis.

Standing in the way of such a capture, however, were several stacks of Hyderabaids. The largest included 18DF and a leader giving them an actual higher column than any of the projected attackers. Having just cleared a town hex of Indian defenders I felt confident that this would be the hex that would give me the chance to win. Unfortunately, a DF attack caused a step loss with a morale cascade which was not able to recover immediately. In the following turn the Indians assaulted and although the battle for that hex raged for 5-6 more turns it was never really in doubt.

With 5 turns to go it appeared that the town would fall. Three hexes remained contested but in none of them could the Hyderabadis contest with more than the "5" column. In one hex a lone Razakar faced down an imposing attack including armor and sappers. Starting on the 18 column and moving to the 24 column, Daniel attacked the Razakars, always failing to get the step loss that would have changed the high morale fanatics into terrified remnants. Disruption after disruption was followed by recovery after recovery with the game ending with the Razakars still in the town hex in good order. A Hyderabadi major victory as they denied the Indian any level of victory.

I give this one a "3". There is a good balance in the scenario but there isn't a lot the Hyderabaid player can do but to set up, and counter the Indian player. In that it is much like the early war Eastern Front scenarios where masses of Hyderabadis will be lost.