Played solitaire in 90 minutes.

I love the situation but the victory conditions do not work in my opinion.

The Italians have 5 units (including 2 reduced) and the Ethiopian 13. The Italians can only win if they control all 4 village hexes and the Ethiopians will win if hey control the single village hex on board 88. The scenario thus become a fight for that hex.

The Provincial Irregulars move towards the village at full movement speed while the Imperial Irregulars wait on the tracks to hopefully derail the train. Italian opportunity fire from the village was mostly ineffective. The Italians load one unit onto the train and the train goes full steam ahead towards the village.

The Italians win the initiative and disrupt two units The Imperial Irregulars respond by sending 3 units and a leader into the village. And there lies one problem: until reinforcements arrive, the Italians will have first fire on the 5-column or the 9-column if the leader has a 1 combat factor). The Italians missed and the Ethiopians attack on the 18-column (3 x 3 strength + leader + Ethiopian ferocity).

The issue becomes whether the Italians can reinforce the village quickly enough to keep it from falling into Ethiopian hands. In my play they did not even come close with the village falling on Turn 10 and the Italians having one step left at that point. I did not want to play the remaining 14 turns as I can't see a one-step unit being able to contest one of the village hexes on board 91.

Note that it may been possible for the Italians to vacate the village on board 88 and try to re-enter it late in the game with a unit load in a train. Maybe it's possible to achieve a draw this way.

Anyway, Ethiopian Major Victory and I gave the scenario a "2".

I think it's an interesting situation and would be curious of the result if the victory conditions were changed as follows:

Italian Major Victory: Contest or control the village hex on bard 88 at the end of play AND control more board 91 village hexes than the Ethiopians at the end of play. Italian Minor Victory: Contest or control the village hex on bard 88 at the end of play OR control more board 91 village hexes than the Ethiopians at the end of play. Ethiopian Minor Victory: Control the village hex on bard 88 at the end of play AND control more board 91 village hexes than the Italians at the end of play. Ethiopian Major Victory: Control all village hexes at the end of play/

Tied victory levels or any other result is a draw.

Maybe I will give it a shot tonight.