Author	ACav (Japan)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	China
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2023-09-04
Language	English
Scenario	ChOp005

This was my first serious, nighttime battle as the Japanese player, against the cunning and calculating Treadasaur and his attacking Chinese hordes. We played it out on Vassal over 6 long sessions starting last month and the Chinese finally won out by inflicting more casualties on the defending Sons of Nippon, for a minor victory. We used the FOW, excess initiative, smoke/illum and consolidation optional rules.

Almost from the beginning, the Japanese had miserable luck and threw many combat 7-die rolls at all the wrong times. Oddly, the Chinese had better leaders in this fight, though leader casualties for both sides was also higher than expected. At the start of the game and in the last 6 turns, the Chinese mortarmen were dead-on accurate. Both sides suffered senior leader decapitations and there were 8 FOW-shortened game turns. The Japanese simply ran out of units by the end of turn 20, though they had already lost 15 steps of infantry and HMGs by then. Naturally they were better in close assaults and the Japanese snapped back more quickly on morale rolls thanks for their overall higher morale status.

I enjoyed playing this scenario as a chance to gain experience fighting in darkness on defense and give this decently balanced one a 4.