This scenario turned out to be quite a nail-biter with the passing of each turn. The American objective is quite to the point: annihilate every Japanese unit on the map and suffer no more than 4 step losses; the Japanese, well, they have to do their best to keep either 3 units alive on the map OR eliminate 5 or more American steps. The Americans have formidable amount of OBA alotted to them with 2x18 and 2x10 increments available and a whole battalion of marines along with a platoon of M-5 tanks to kick some imperial ass with. Actually, there are two battalions of marines available if the Japanese are foolish enough to charge the American line west of the river but those units cannot move unless assaulted. Perhaps in a rare case the Japanese could be driven west into DF firing range of them but likely those units will just ramain static and colorfully blend in with the tropical surroundings on the map.

The American advance with the 1st Battalion moves northeast to engage the enemy who are hurriedly digging-in within the palm groves by the beach as that is all they are allowed to do the first four turns unless the marines get within DF range. Three reduced Japanese INF units are hidden but they are found out right before the conclusion of turn 4. Before the Americans can get to pound that triple stack of upstarts with OBA the fog of war intervenes but they are spotted before they can slip away into the jungle. At 10:45/turn 5 all of the attacking marine units are organized and situated within the palm groves with a small detachment paired with the M-5s to flank the eastern area. Then one fine blast of OBA reduces the sole Japanese HMG unit on the southern perimeter and shaking up the rest of the units in that stack. Meanwhile the once-hidden units attempt to split up and scatter. They will never make it to the jungle in time so they flee east to try to get out of range. Soon another heavy blast of OBA stops them and their leader from getting much further from failed morale checks. Everything starts falling into place for the American attack as each turn passes and the advance is virtually unhindered. The Japanese know they are going to die but do what they can to prolong the inevitable. In desperation a small diversionary suicide charge is made with a reduced INF led by a (9-1-0) Lieutenant and it actually succeeds in eliminating both a step of marines along with a Captain but return fire also manages to wipe that reduced INF step out. The shaken Japanese Lieutenant escapes capture, recovers and then coerces another reduced INF to also assault a few turns later and even yet another Marine platoon takes a step loss. This is fast becoming a very deadly game but the American OBA and combined DF is even deadlier as the Japanese losses continue to pile up.

Eventually, the once hidden units get chased down and rounded up on the eastern flank while the remnants of the main Japanese detachmant are methodically pushed back to the coast. Then a thunderstorm comes into play at 12:00/turn 10 but this time it favors the attackers for a change as 99% of the American forces are in good order while the opposite holds true for the beleagured Japanese in sorry states of morale. So the +1 to recovery rolls is to the American advantage at this point while the +1 to movement also benefits them as they are in close proximity and will only affect Japanese units and leaders trying to quickly move out of harm's way. The visibilty of two hexes is also of no consequence for the five turns that the thunderstorm lasts. The Japanese need to make and win more assaults but they can't get it together as both their leaders and units are almost all disrupted or demoralized. It looks like this is going to be over very quickly but then another random event occurs at 13:30/turn 16 resulting in an American ammunition shortage and there is no longer OBA at their disposal for the remainder of the battle. Soon the Japanese have some opportunities to inflict more American step losses with adjacent small arms fire but their aim is not very good, even on the 16 column of the DF table after many chances allowed. And soon there are just only 3 Japanese units consisting of 5 steps left bottled up by the beach; the Americans have just 3 turns left to eliminate all of them to win. And then, like clockwork, American assaults are made on the last two Japanese positions after excessive bursts of HMG and they are all wiped out by 14:30/turn 21. The marines lose another Captain in the process but no further step losses. At 14:45/turn 22 there is just a disrupted Japanese Lieutenant and the good ordered Major left. The Major vainly makes a break for it and is quickly mowed down in a hail of bullets while the Lieutenant is surrounded on all sides facing the sea and is easily captured.

This one gets an unshakeable "5" rating from me. It was a great solo play and though the Americans have strength in numbers and firepower I don't really find it unbalanced. It's really hard to use hidden units solo 100% effectively and I didn't do the best job hiding those units from myself; I knew all along that they were in either one of two places. If the three hidden units can be moved without detection after turn 4 then they have a chance to spoil the American victory conditions. Also in many cases the Japanese will have plenty of opportunities to eliminate the required Amercian steps for the alternative victory conditions. Whatever the case this one was a blast to play and for a while was sure it would end in a draw; that the Japanese would at least be able to keep one unit alive; whether full or reduced; good order, disrupted or demoralized by the conclusion of 22 turns. One sure way to find out is to revisit this one in the future. I still have 14 scenarios left of 'Guadalcanal' left to go but very glad I found a "5" already and not even halfway through it.