Rising Sun Scenario Game, Saturday December 4 2004 drew approximately 80 players.

The game was a loose recreation of the battle between the Japanese and US forces in the Philippines in World War II.  In history, MacArthur had to evacuate as a superior Japanese force pushed him into a corner on the Bataan Peninsula.  And Game 1 was true to history, as the Japanese team backed the US team into a corner and relentlessly pounded their position until game time expired.  But while the Japanese were successfully defeating the Americans, Filipino guerilla forces slipped in from behind and took out the players in lightly guarded Japanese-held strategic positions,  recapturing flags for the US side and scoring big.

In game two, American forces captured two of three objectives, extending their lead by a few points.  One of the targets was a under-manned guerilla base downhill from the Japanese.  In spite of fierce fighting, the flag there did not fall to the Japanese, mainly because the US made use of a roundabout path to send in reinforcements for the guerillas.

In Game 3, the Japanese had to move supplies to a garrison on the front lines.  Each item (ammo crates, shell casings, etc) was worth points if successfully moved.  The Japanese team quickly gained the upper hand in game three and held a wide open supply line through which all of the items were successfully moved by mid game.  Instrumental in the Game 3 Japanese victory was the total annihilation of the guerillas - the enemy that had plagued them in the first two games.  In an early offensive strike, the Japanese team put its full weight into this task, and by the end of the round had taken the lead in the game score.

In Game 4, the US team rallied and pinned the Japanese team deep in its own territory.  All three flags were captured by US forces, which regained the lead and ended up winning by a score of 85 to 70.  To tie the game, the Japanese needed to maintain possession of one of the three flags.  Their team stuck together and fought very hard and fearlessly to hold their center position.  In fairness to the Japs, it must be said that their respawn point was too close to the objective, and as the US team closed in on the objective, they were able to shoot out players as they regenerated.  'Sorry about that guys!  You played a great game, and I would have loved to have seen if the outcome was changed any if the flag positioning had been better.  And congratulations to the US team and guerillas on the victory!

Our next scenario in March, Alien Invasion, will be based on The War of the Worlds.