Author	treadasaurusrex (China)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	China
Participants	PANISTA
Play Date	2023-07-30
Language	English
Scenario	ChOp003

This was a 6-session, intense but enjoyable, play-through with the ferocious & cagey, PANISTA as the highly aggressive Japanese Commander. I played the typically hapless Chinese side and was prepared to get clobbered by the high morale Sons of Bushido. Both sides drew decent leaders in this longish scenario, with a slight edge to the Japanese, who benefited from more combat modifiers. We used the FOW, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules and dispensed with house rules in this infantry-heavy slug fest. Surprisingly, the harder-to-play, Chinese prevailed in this fight with 2 of the 3 objectives accomplished as time expired.

As Juiceman has ably described, the Chinese approached along two, separate axes and paid a very heavy price in casualties on the right flank for the first 10-13 or so turns. This feinting flank advance took the bulk of the losses and was rapidly fading as time progressed, and ever-stregthening, Japanese close assaults prevailed. No real chance of reducing the Japanese initiative level to 1 in this scenario, with these kind of losses to to the Chinese NEW 20th Infantry Division.

The, better-supported, left flank Chinese advance did considerably better and was able to secure the bridge on the Ku Shui River after bitter fighting - and quite a bit of luck with the dice. There were many leader losses for both sides, and the Japanese suffered a surprise decapitation during game turn 15, that thwarted some of their close assaults, when their over eager Lt. Colonel and the Major were both eliminated. Fighting proceeded by fits & starts and the Japanese began having trouble sequencing their attacks and tactical withdrawals starting in game turn 16. A combined TWENTY EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this bloody engagement, and there were 9 FOW-shortened turns that significantly hampered Japanese counter attacks and withdrawals at critical moments.

We each gave this one a rating of 4, and recommend it for both SOLO & SHARED play. It is perhaps better suited for experienced PG players as nearly all decisions to be made by either side are of the lesser-of-2-evils kind.