Este escenario reproduce la batalla nocturna que se produjo a orillas del lago Khasan, en la frontera entre Manchuria y la URSS, el 31 de julio de 1938. En este combate dos batallones de infantería japonesa atacan dos colinas defendidas por una exigua fuerza de guardas fronterizos de la NKVD e infantería del Ejército Rojo. La escasa fuerza fronteriza se ve paulatinamente reforzada con la llegada de más infantería e incluso dos pelotones de tanques T-26.

Este escenario no está bien desarrollado, ya que una de las pequeñas columnas de refuerzo soviéticas que entra en el campo de batalla una vez iniciada ésta no puede llegar a su objetivo antes del final de la partida. Esto la convierte en completamente inútil para el resultado final.

No obstante esta deficiencia, el escenario es interesante ya que muestra unas condiciones poco habituales en los escenario de PG. En efecto, la batalla se desarrolla en su integridad en noche cerrada con visibilidad de apenas un hex, en una de las colinas completamente cubierta por campos de cultivo, y los soviéticos ven su potencia de fuego -de por sí ya muy disminuida por la nocturnidad y el combate en colinas- mermada por la escasez de municiones.

En estas condiciones, la partida no admite muchas florituras tácticas. Los japoneses se limitan a asaltar toda unidad enemiga con la que se encuentran, conscientes de su superioridad moral y en el combate a corta distancia. No obstante, los soviéticos -especialmente las unidades de la NKVD- ofrecen una resistencia tenaz. Los japoneses consiguen desalojar por completo a los soviéticos de la colina sur, aunque después algunas unidades de refuerzo consiguen infiltrarse entre las defensas japonesas. En cambio, en la colina norte la resistencia soviética consigue desbaratar en dos puntos las desesperadas cargas japonesas y mantenerse en sus posiciones hasta el final de la partida, con lo que obtiene la victoria por muy escaso margen.

La partida ha sido muy interesante y disputada. La habría valorado con una "cuatro" de no ser por el error del diseñador al hacer ineficaz la entrada de parte de los refuerzos soviéticos.

In previous and never completed AAR, I was going to say that I don't like blame my defeats on bad luck. Here I will say, don't like to credit my victories to good luck either, but I did have very useful luck. That said, this scenario required good play on my part, a critical blunder on my opponent's, plus the a fore mentioned good luck, to barely eek out a victory. This play imbalance is part of the reason for the low rating I gave.

A second reason is the reinforcement march times do not seem have been well calculated. (Konstantin, I hope you take this as constructive, because that is how I intend it.) The marches are critical in 2 instances. First the reinforcing T-26, using the standard TEC, only just has time to make the edge of the southern 40-meter hill. That makes for a very gamey snatch/deny victory situation (I don't like that). The second reinforcement issue is the unarmed arriving infantry. Flat-out, between the lakes and around the woods, they get to the base of the northern hill. This makes them an interesting footnote, and completely useless. Add in FoW, with its 4.8% chance at night, odds are the hill guys will be on their own. Criticism done, on to what happened.

The far north group set on the edge of the northern most hill. Far south on the edge of the woods. The 2 more central groups were on the elevation lines in their respective start zones. The Japanese came on in 2 roughly equal groups, aimed at the northern groups on each hill. (This contributes the critical blunder.) On turn 2 the southern Jap group reaches the northern south hill position, on the northwest hex. This is what gave me small chance to make a fight of the scenario, and completes the blunder. My southern south hill group rushes to the aid of the northern south hill position. The southern north hill position is also moving to help, and will arrive a couple turns later. Meanwhile the northern Jap group is slogging through the massive hill-field.

The Japanese reinforcements arrive very late, turn 4. The, now larger, south hill position with stands the first rush against it (important luck here, along with the uphill defense and some first fire). I inflict causalities, cause some demoralizations and generally discombobulate the Japanese attack, for the moment. in the debit side my reinforcements are delayed due to FoW.

About turn 6, I feel like the outlaws in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I beat the first rush, but now the Japanese are recovering and have more guys. The plan shifts to delay, then make them chase me around the hill. The north Japanese finally reach me. A lucky op-fire demoralizes the Lt-Col leading the charge, that buys me turn. After that the first position starts to crumble. The second position moves to cover the previously hidden tank & NKVD movement.

More FoW terminations occur. At this point they help me more than my opponent. A reduced NKVD & ING, and HMG have evaded the massacre in the south. The small force which as on the west side of the northern hill has moved onto its southern tip. It is turn 10, the Japanese don't have time to mop me up anymore. I win! Sheesh!

I really didn't like this one. Too many special rules and caveats, not enough player input. The turns, maps and victory conditions lead to a dash and do the math scenario.