My friend <PERSON> and I had opportunity to sit down over the weekend and hammer out <PERSON> new release, "Nemesis", by Legion Games. In this effort, we started with a couple turns for our first match. Deciding that things were not quite right, we set it up a second time on Sunday morning. This time, we believe we got things right. Of course it did not help that I had reviewed a previous, now out-dated, rules draft. Apparently, there's been considerable changes since the 2017 writing.
In our play, I had the Japanese. As expected, the game took some getting used to. Following our game, a reread of the rules revealed we made a number of mistakes. None that were game changers, as I can recall. While we do truly love <PERSON> games, like Tonkin, a thorough examination of the rules are in order. Keep them handy, because you will be constantly referring to them until need-to-know agenda is absorbed from experience. Yet the reward was worth the trouble, as we quickly realized we had a winner here. The map is gorgeous, with enlarged hexes, and the counters lay well on it, in large print and readily identifiable.
The Legend of Sir Golaghat: On GT3, I managed to infiltrate a regiment up onto the India RR, just south of Golaghat (hex 0302). In fact, infiltration here is the Japanese main form of "combat". Like OCS Burma, the Japanese tend to "seep" into effective blocking positions. The idea being to force the CW into attacking strongly-held Japanese defensive positions. This against strong units in good defensive terrain; often in Bunker complexes.
In this infiltration effort, I managed to kill the Golaghat garrison unit, racking up some serious General Mutagushi Satisfaction points. However, <PERSON> managed to perform an epic, "fight to the last man" defense here, thereby denying my triumphant troops entry into the prized Indian city. 993
Following the next chit-pull, <PERSON> was able to quickly reoccupy the city. From then on I was denied any further possibility of recapturing 'Sir' Golaghat in the future. Come GT4, Allied reinforcements started to pour in via the Dimapur/British Reinforcement Entry Hex, like angry wasps. Freaking out at the loss of the Golaghat Garrison, <PERSON> had considered pulling some of the Stilwell US/Chinese forces back from their Maguang Front, just to insure Golaghat remained staunchly British! This proved unnecessary, as the Japanese besiegers were quickly rolled over by those oncoming 'angry wasps' of GT4. The Dimapur entry area is the main reinforcement base, where Allied Reinforcement Phase pour in. It is also from here they can be railed anywhere on the 4-hex RR line w/i India, or up (off-map) to the Stilwell Front.
These "Fighting to the Last Man" battles occurred on at least three hard-fought situations in our game. The other two occurrences took place during the bitter fighting for the Imperial Tennis Courts of Kohima. I never experienced such a desperate fight as what transpired for possession of this critical town. It felt like I was actually there (I love this in a game)! Kohima proved to be the vital litch-pin to the whole of the Imphal Valley and it was here that we waged savage back & forth battles, for several crucial turns.
The Key to Victory: In our game, the Japanese managed to successfully block off a vital section of the Imphal-Dimapur Road quite early in the game. The Imphal-Dimapur Road - from hex 0307 (just north of Kanglatongbi), up to the blood-stained streets of Kohima - was effectively blocked on GT3. Japanese seizure of Kohima had now placed the entire Imphal forces into Limited Supply mode, as they were now forced to rely on stockpile reserves maintained within the Citidel. Yet this is to be anticipated. Please note there is enough in this Imphal stockpile to provide Limited Supply to the Imphal forces for approximately 4 turns. By GT4, <PERSON> had consumed half of this stockpile. The situation was becoming dire. <PERSON>'s Satisfaction rating plummeted to -0, allowing <PERSON>'s Satisfaction level to rise to 7! I affectionately refer to my Imphal-Dimapur Road Block as "Lock Jaws"!
The Road of Bones/The Siege of Kohima: Kohima had to be re-captured, and soon. It was a position that <PERSON> repeatedly pounded with the CW forces (largely the 2nd Inf Div, supported by powerful armored assets and lots of air), continuously launching Massive Attacks. Alas, these very bloody efforts were in vain. 993