While our Pacific campaign tempo is somewhat slower than it was in the case of European one, we still progress nicely in our goal to play all Combat Commander Pacific Base Game scenarios. And I must admit that I am enjoying those new set-ups, battles and rules. This is so much refreshing, different and interesting! This will be exactly the case with the below battle – let us have a look into the details.

Combat Commander Europe campaign:
#1 Fat Lipki
#2 Hedgroves and Hand Grenades
#3 Bonfire of the NKVD
#4 Closed for Renovation
#5 Cold Front
#6 Paralyzed from the West Down
#7 Bessarabian Nights
#8 Breakout dance
#9 Rush to contact
#10 Commando Schools
#11 Hold the Line
Combat Commander Pacific campaign:
#A Grassy Knoll

#B Ambush at Mogaung is a very special scenario. We are in the Northern Burma in June 1944 – in the true Hell on Earth. A battered 77th Chindit Brigade (Michal, Commonwealth, Recon posture) on its retreat stumbles on equally ragged Japanese column (Dave, Japan, Recon posture). The Britih/Indian troops quickly form up an ambush formation and attack the enemy.

In the game terms this means that Japanese units are constrained to set-up along the trail, going from left to right of the map with max 1 unit at hex, while Allied forces takes positions adjacent to it, however with all their teams broken. We knew from the start it will be exciting and crazy scenario – exactly what we love in this game!

You can click on every image and enlarge it for better visibility.

A very special set-up of our Scenario #B – Japanese units stretched through the whole map, with ambush forces in key spots. All I needed is advance or two to break this line!
A developement to remember for long! Advance landed in my hand only in Turn 3 – slightly too late, but I anyhow initiated 3 melees – in each of them having advantage or huge advantage (10-5, 6-2, 15-6). To my surprise – and thanks to good cards like Sniper, Ambush, Bayonets, I only won the last one! How disappointed I was – probably the Allied morale was here at all time low.
I decided to slowly and steadily work through the Japanese units. A direct fire proved to be enormously effective, killing two large stack of enemies in the center. In the meantime a great leader appeared on Imperial Army side and another regrouped to reach the exit points. All was still possible…
A lot has happened later – nobody got the artillery (denied to us!); I eliminated another large stack – in jungle this time, while one more Japanese leader was on the run. On the left, a large group of Imperial Army units approached my two newly recovered teams. Still, it could go either way…
My two squads – although putting a good fight – were eliminated. One more IJA squad was destroyed while Japanese Leader was close to exit!
Did I tell you how effective mortars were in this scenario? Especially vs over-stacked hex? They killed 3 units in one turn! And that was a definite moment of Allied victory.
In the end Dave managed to exit his leader and kill my poor, brave Scout. That did not change the final result which was another historical victory in our campaign.
Causalities on both sides – I had never seen so many lost troops – in none of my over 50 games! We destroyed each-other almost to a man.

Summary

That was hell of scenario – but what would you expect from brutal and unforgiving battle in the jungle of Burma? We learned a lot about Pacific specifics – especially how deadly the Melee can be, and the possibility of Japanese units to avoid it (it is resolved only at the beginning of Allies turn). Small mortars proved to be a devastating weapon in this terrain and well-placed Scout – although finally killed – played key roll in this game.

There were moments of doubt on both sides, but slowly and steadily the historical result was achieved. Now over to Scenario #C, where we will be witnesses to the first banzai charge in this game! Stay tuned!