Author	wleonard1
Method	Solo
Victor	Draw
Play Date	2020-10-25
Language	English
Scenario	COOE005

This scenario presents an interesting echo on a tactical level of the strategic dilemma faced by Ethiopia. On a strategic level, Ethiopia wanted the existing forces on the frontier to fight a delaying action, allowing time for Ethiopia to complete mobilization. A sound strategy, but the forces tasked with fighting the delaying action are local to the areas they are defending, and may be more eager to fight a stand-up battle than the high command would like. The tactical situation in this scenario is similar. A force of local irregulars faces an Italian Colonial force about twice its size, starting just before nightfall. The victory conditions on both sides are to eliminate enemy steps. The Ethiopian commander has a choice – do they use maneuver and try and pick off some isolated Italian units, or do they use their morale/close combat fierceness/ terrain advantages to stand and fight and see if they can win enough assaults? The Italian forces advance to contact; some DF disruptions and demoralizations on the right flank, but by the end of the first hour, all of the Ethiopian forces are tied up in assaults. Low casualties so far – 2 lost steps for each side – but the Ethiopian morale superiority may be beginning to show. All Ethiopian units are good order, while about 40% of the Italian forces are disrupted or demoralized. As the second hour ends, Italy has inflicted enough Ethiopian losses in assaults to meet the minor victory conditions, but the disruptions and demoralizations are starting to accumulate, and they may not be able to chase down all of the Ethiopian leaders. Ethiopia uses failed recovery rolls as a surprisingly effective retreat; and then gets lucky in an assault when two reduced INF and a leader kill a step to reach the minor victory conditions. Italy finally gets some effective recovery rolls, but runs out of time to chase down the Ethiopian leaders. Turns out to be a draw, with neither side happy about the results. The Ethiopian side caused some damage, but lost almost a third of the force, and that kind of casualty rate is not sustainable over a campaign. The Italians showed that they were able to defend their encampment, inflict casualties on the local Ethiopian militia, but couldn’t finish them off.

This is the quickest into combat PG scenario played to date (not that we have played that many), the Ethiopian forces set up within two hexes of the Italian's who are more numerous but do not have as good morale as the Ethiopians.

The Italians won the initiative 8 of 12 turns which allowed them to hold their own in the early part of the scenario but it was in the assault that the Ethiopians finally got the upper hand and began to take their toll on the Italian forces.

Once the Ethiopians had eliminated the steps necessary for victory they began to withdraw, what Italian forces that were not disrupted or demoralized tried to pursue and engage but it was during this pursuit that the Ethiopians started to win the initiative only to get away with no more step losses and seal their victory.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Italy)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Ethiopia
Participants	Tambu
Play Date	2022-08-04
Language	English
Scenario	COOE005

This was a 2-session, online battle with the industrious and able, Tambu, leading the highly motivated, but outnumbered Ethiopian force of irregulars. I acted as the Italian Colonial Force mmander on what turned out to be a doomed mission.

Both sides setup in close proximity and the fighting started immediately with the Duce's force seizing the initiative from the start. Initial firefights quickly led to several close assaults in which the Ethiopians basically clobbered the defending Italian stacks. The victory conditions for both sides are all about eliminating enemy steps and the Italians simply ran out of time and units while barely holding onto their encampment.

As the step losses rapidly mounted for the Italians, my opponent wisely began to step back from the fighting, and did not get decisively engaged. Italian attempts at pursuit failed due to repeated disruptions & demoralizations, as well as the loss of the Italian initiative advantage.

Conquest of Ethiopia, scenario #5: Surprise at Mount Gundi

I am always drawn back to this game because of the subject and the very cool maps. This is a fast playing, 12 turn scenario with both side’s objectives, to eliminate enemy steps.

The Ethiopian force is much smaller than the Italian/Eritrean force, so they wait until Dusk to strike the Italian lines, hoping for a quick hit and run mission. The problem was, they got entangle into assaults and couldn’t withdraw, as the Italian kept adding more units into the mix.

By the end of the scenario the Italians had eliminated 11 Ethiopian steps plus all 3 of their Leaders for a Major Victory. But the Ethiopians had also eliminated 3 Italian steps for a Minor Victory. So the Italians had the higher victory level and won the scenario.