Take It Back PTO (id:#63916)
(ASL Starter Kit #4 ID: S65)   [next]   [previous]
West of Lunga Ridge, Guadalcanal 1942-09-13 ()
Designer: Adaptation by Perry Cocke
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
American (USMC)Japanese
42.857142857143%

Overview:

Colonel Edson had set up the 1st Paramarine Battalion on the east side of Lunga Ridge while he deployed his 1st Raider Battalion to the west. On the night of 12 September, leading elements of Major General Kiyotaki Kawaguchi's 35th Infantry Brigade attacked the Raiders, overrunning a platoon, forcing C Company back to the ridge, and bending the Raiders' front line from its east-west alignment to a north-south one. The next morning, two companies of Raiders were ordered to retake the lost positions in a daylight attack.
Attacker: American (USMC) (Companies A and D, 1st Raider Battalion and Company A, 1st Paramarine Battalion)
Defender: Japanese (3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment)  
4.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:14.0 D:8.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0 D:0

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: PTO, LJ, interior jungle hexes are Dense Jungle. Kunai is Jungle.
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2025-03-11(A) Herve Duval vs In progress
2023-01-04(A) Jack Wilson vs Bob T. American (USMC) winGreat game that came down to the last CC on the last turn. The dice were kind. The Americans had to hustle as we did not play the extra turn balance. Bob played a solid defense. I benefitted from a setup oversight. We were halfway through the game when Bob realized he had not given himself one of the LMGs and the light mortar.

Turned out, I needed all the help I could get.
2022-10-25(A) Jack Wilson vs Ken Walsh American (USMC) winMy second time playing this as the Americans in as many days. Even though it was Ken's first time with a PTO skirmish, he graciously allowed me to have the balance. IMO, the Americans need it to have a 50-50 chance.

Slow, but steady, plodding through the jungle meant I began T5 with only one VC hex (of four) in control. The extra turn provided by the balance allowed me to capture the last three on the last turn, two of which came in CC.

Fun game. I definitely benefitted from some timely DRs down the stretch.

IMO, the keys to victory (or the hope thereof) for each side is:
American: overwhelm concealed units with many PB multi-hex FG where possible in the dense jungle and push hard and expect casualties.

Japanese: contest the three closest VC hexes, but don't get sucked into protracted battle. Conserve forces for defending the last two VC in the NE corner.
2022-10-19(D) Craig Renier vs Jack Wilson Japanese winThe Americans entered somewhat cautiously, but still suffered from Japanese DFF which were consistently low rolls. The Japanese executed a slow tactical withdrawal denying the Americans the ability to bring their superior firepower to bear. The Americans entered CC in two hexes, losing a full squad, 3 HSs and an 8-0 leader to a Japanese MMC and 2 HSs. The American Paramarines shifted their axis of attack, which cost another expensive turn. In the end, the Americans simply ran out of time.
2022-10-19(A) Jack Wilson vs Craig Renier Japanese winFirst time playing a PTO scenario. Quite impressed by the Japanese capability to step reduce instead of breaking in most MC situations. Craig used concealment and skulking masterfully so that I was not able to chisel a crack in his line.

Couple that with my halting advance and reaching those last two VC hexes in the NE corner was only possible by a last-turn-run-the-gauntlet gambit. Not surprisingly, the Americans came up short.

Fun scenario. I would play it again with the Americans but take the balance.
2022-01-05(A) Alberto Pomar vs César Moreno Japanese win
2021-09-15(D) Mark Hatfield vs Phil Japanese winPhil was pretty conservative at the beginning of the scenario, advancing concealed into LOS. I took only mortar shots IIRC, while the bulk of my forces skulked or did a tactical retreat as warranted. I also sprung my HIP trap, which was a frontal placement, and put a hurt on one of his stacks. I was able to stay concealed with a lot my stuff and fall back tactically, and he failed his PMC at the end of turn 3. Don't blame him - I still had the bulk of my force and Japanese don't rout - he just didn't have enough near enough time.
2021-08-30(A) Mark Thompson vs Socks (Japanese) Japanese win

(VASL Log)		USMC captured 3 of 4 victory hexes and 4th and final victory hex came down to CC roll, USMC needed 7 and rolled 11. Great game - essentially a CC slugfest. Americans balked at AFPh shot into a Melee in final VC and it probably cost them the game. A good introduction to SK PTO and concealment.
2021-06-26(A) Doba Serge vs Pascal Boileau Japanese win
2021-06-26(D) Pascal Boileau vs Serge Doba Japanese winThe Japanese won by holding the two last victory hexes in the SW part of the map after two furious CC in the last turn. The progression of the US Marines was fast and the Japanese troops didn't try to chalenge them on their way. Instead they pulled back in order to build a fortress surrounding OK2 and OK3 hexes. The plan worked, thanks to the deadly abilities of the Japanese in HtH-CC.
2021-01-24(D) O Ramaille vs Loïc Gourdon Japanese winThe Marines advanced through the jungle and faced determined Japanese defenders. The latter fired volleys of final protective fire that slowed the Marines progression and ambushed several USMC troops in HtH CC. They also skillfully retreated out of LOS of the Marines with a constant objective of slowing down the attack. The Marines eventually controlled 2 objectives, not enough to win the day.
2021-01-02(A) Lee Hyde vs Max Malm Japanese winSketchy map as many LOS’s tend to be blocked on close inspection, little protrusions of jungle across hexsides often blocking across a hexside, as well as standard rule along hexsides of jungle.
Japanese really outnumbered in this but their HtH modifiers are deadly, and a couple of mutual destruction rolls hurt the Raiders. Would have won but for rolling boxcars on the final CC, on a 6:1 attack. C’est la vie.
2021-01-02(A) Lee Hyde vs Max Malm Japanese winSketchy map as many LOS’s tend to be blocked on close inspection, little protrusions of jungle across hexsides often blocking across a hexside, as well as standard rule along hexsides of jungle.
Japanese really outnumbered in this but their HtH modifiers are deadly, and a couple of mutual destruction rolls hurt the Raiders. Would have won but for rolling boxcars on the final CC, on a 6:1 attack. C’est la vie.
2020-08-15(D) Eric Topp vs Mark Dennehy Japanese winUS were making good progress and passing all MC. The Japanese counterattacked on turn 4 and recaptured the M7 VC hex. On turn 5, the US had to succeed in 4 out of 4 CC to win. It was a tough ask and the Japanese were deadly - Ambushing and eliminating almost every Marine unit.
2020-05-21(A) Vilis Pavulans vs Matias Dahlbäck Japanese winWorked my way and had the chance of winning all victory locations and even had troops on adjacent hexes but as usual, one has to know the rules and be perceptive as well as having luck with dice. I made the mistake of forgetting that the last victory hexes were light jungle and could take one more squad each in that final close combat and then both CC rolls were nines so, despite ambush I couldn´t kill off the japanese soldiers and defeat was a fact.
2020-05-21(D) Matias Dahlbäck vs Vilis Pavulans Japanese win
2020-04-28(A) Kevin Sanders vs Rob Brown Japanese winResolved on the last roll for the win or loss. USMC needed a 9 or less on CC/HTH roll was 12...arg. Many many other "interesting" results on both side. Very good Japanese fading defense. Well played.
2020-03-15(A) M T vs American (USMC) winThis time I managed to overcome the Japanese in CC with careful use of my Raiders and leaders. Winning still took some planning, for the USMC is on the clock in this one. Good scenario.
2020-02-07(D) Dmitry Klyuykov vs Igor Luckyanov Japanese win
2020-01-31(A) Kermit Mullins vs Scott Waites American (USMC) winDespite my usual bad rolls, I managed to get my Marines into position to take the necessary victory locations and get a win.
2020-01-25(A) Martí Cabré vs Miguel American (USMC) winMarines pushed steadily and took the fourth victory hex on the last turn. Many hand to hand casualties.
2019-12-29(A) David Wiesenhahn vs American (USMC) win
2019-08-10(A) Eric Partizan Eric vs Japanese win
2019-07-29(A) O Ramaille vs American (USMC) winThe Japanese waited silently in the dense jungle as the raiders stealthily advanced towards them. The US raiders quickly overwhelmed the first defenders with heroic close combat. The Japanese launched a few counter-attacks with some success but they were unable to hold back the US assault wave. A full victory for the US raiders.
2019-07-29(A) O Ramaille vs American (USMC) winThis time, the Japanese tried to defend high with some success at first. But the overwhelming number of raiders overcame the Japanese ferocity. With 4 victory hexes, the US raiders could claim another victory.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
Bugbear501 Uploaded a VASL file2025-10-10 21:47:36
strategos Added a playing2025-03-11 21:07:48
strategos Rated the scenario2025-03-11 21:07:26
Jwil2020 Added a playing2023-01-04 22:32:23
Jwil2020 Added a playing2022-10-25 02:50:48
FileDescriptionUserViews
S65- VASL Setup-v6610 (ASL Scenario S65 - Take It Back.vsav)VASL SetupBugbear501334
(us inf man jungle.png)Imagehoxson11341
(usmc-jap.png)Imagehoxson11324
VASL Log file (SK - S65 - Take It Back (MGT v Socks).vlog)VASL Game LogThompsonmg(MGT)1512
(take it back map.png)Map Imagehoxson11369
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.45Votes: 33
Views: 7706
To-Play list count: 0
Estimated Play time: 2.5 hours
Recorded Games: 22
Archive recorded plays:
American (USMC)8
Japanese13
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Take It Back [Confirmed]
[A] American 10
[D] Japanese 11
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