In this scenario, the Australians are attacking the Japanese. Victory conditions are based on steps inflicted (1 per) and control of the six villages (2 per for Japanese, 3 per for Australians). The Australian force that comes on the board outnumbers the defenders, but the Japanese get enough reinforcements to double their original strength, and they come on quickly.

The Australians come on fast to engage as much as possible before the reinforcements get to the combat zone. The two sides trade casualties at a pretty much equal rate, and the Australians manage to capture the southeast village and threaten the south central village, but the combination of reinforcements and heavy combat leave the Australians in bad condition. The forces attacking the central south village end up taking more damage than they inflict, and assaults made by the reinforcements begin wiping out the attackers.

What’s left of the Australians fall back to the south east village and form a perimeter and recover their condition. The Japanese near this village have taken a beating, and are wary of facing the Australian HMGs. The Australians aren’t strong enough to advance, and the Japanese have no desire to tangle with two stacks of double HMGs. Both sides do some maneuver, but the only effective combat remaining is the clean-up of the remainder of the central force. The Japanese hold five villages and inflict 19 steps, the Australians hold one village and inflict 12 steps, for a final score of 29 to 15. A Japanese minor victory.

The Australians are expected to attack a superior force in this scenario. An unlikely chance of victory. The firefight during the first six or seven turns was great, but from there the Australians were challenged to move the scenario forward. Just too many Japanese. I rate this as a weak 3, only because of the good combat up front.