Both sides drew a great bunch of leaders, US just a bit better, with 3 10-1-1, a 9-2-1 and a 9-1-1 to the Japanese 10-1-1, 10-1-0 and 8-0-0. Putting the US colonel and 2 platoons in the middle town hex near the beach, and spacing the other 4 officers out with 2 platoons each where not much could get past without being fired on or assaulted, the 2 LVTs in the line between the Colonels HQ and the infantry where one or the other was sure to engage the Japanese tanks. Japanese CPT with 3 platoons formed a slow moving but powerful assault force, with another force neighboring him, the 8-0-0 LT with 2 platoons. Tanks started behind the edge of the hill on the trail, staying beyond the initial spotting distance of 3 hexes - although this is a noon-time scenario, there is smoke on the field preventing spotting beyond 3 hexes. Great little scenario, this started out with a 2-activation US initiative, so the US bides their time waiting for the Japanese to make a move. They don't have to wait long, as the Japanese tanks run along the trail and stop just short of the LVT a4, which takes it's OP fire and misses. Japanese infantry on the US right advance to the town on the west side of the hill on that side of the table. The other 2 Japanese forces move forward through the heavy jungle. A US force with the 10-1-1 LT moves forward and is ready to advance into the town next turn for some assault action. As the game progresses, the Japanese and US armor exchange step losses, with the LVT lost on the next turn, and the Japanese armor losing two steps between fire from the LVT a1 and an assault. The Japanese commander worked his way down and assaulted the center Marine force, which put them in the beach area, where they hoped to survive constant assaults. The other US force, continuing to assault the surviving Japanese tanks, failed to find their bazooka round but made up for it demoralizing the Japanese tanks which fled East after failing their next rally attempt. US and Japanese troops ended up in assaults all across the board, exchanging dis, dem and a few step losses for the Japanese. US morale got the best of things, and at the end of 7 turns, a surviving Japanese CPT was the only force any where near the beach, while US troops had lost only the 2 steps of the LVT and 1 step of infantry to the Japanese loss of 9 steps. With no way to make up the difference in causing step losses to the US, the game ended. The Japanese 10 OBA played little effect during the game. I rate it a 4 as I believe a more effective Japanese set-up would make it much harder for the Marines to keep them from putting a platoon somewhere to keep the US from winning, and the lack of US losses was more the luck of the dice than anything in their setup. Like most, I look forward to getting this into a FTF game.