Bolt Action - Banzai!

Final fight of our Bolt Action Tarawa -campaign is now over, and it went for the Japanese. This last fight got it's inspiration from Japanese hard counter attacks on the fourth day morning. When in actual fight desperate Japanese defenders launched series of counter assaults on US lines. They were all repulsed, but it wasn't so on our campaign.

The game was little altered Alligator creek scenario basically without the creek between opposing forces. The twist of the game, was the use of optional night fight rules from Warlords excellent web site. The night fight rules gave nice flavor to the game and made very straight forward scenario more cautious sneaking in the dark until the violent close range firefight later in the game. This was first try of this and there will be some changes in the actual version. Now the campaign has been fought once and I'll make some polishing some of the scenarios, and we will have another run soon.

Here's some AAR shots from the bloody game.

Starting deployment and the table with lots of soft cover.

US troops on the ridge.

Dug in positions.

IJA approaching and readying the attack.

Officer and gentleman.

Already so close.

Quick advance through the bush.

Americans redeployed under the ridge when facing wave of Japanese.

Japanse take the ridge.

Marine veterans fire at close range.

Until they got hit be the flamethrower and that was that.

Finally the day or night was Japanese.

The campaign was based on actual events on the battle of Tarawa. Every game had one theme and they were following the timeline of the fight. All campaign went for the Japanese, but I have to admit all scenarios weren't all that balanced and in most of them US troops were really struggling. But all in all it was nice set of four games linked together.

Oh yes, one more observation, flamethrowers are way too powerful, I Don't like them, thinking of banning them altogether.