Tried S10 Paper Army again in an attempt to secure an Italian victory. Can it be done? This time I gave the Italians the balance, reducing the playing area by four hexrows thus making exiting easier, because they seem to need all the help they can get. The chance of an immediate victory and the four leaders in the OOB provide incentive for sending four squads and two 7-0s to the board edge while the rest of the Alpini Division tries to stop the Greeks. The feets-don't-fail-me-now strategy favors a southern sweep, CXing and then Advancing the track stars to the woods hexes in H0 and H1. Once they're past the trees these 10VP can head west without having to worry about long range interference. Moved most of the Italians to hexrow B(B2, B4, B5, and B7)to make entry difficult for the Greek Army, and decided to stack the half squads with the squads so that they'd be Defensive-firing with 4 FP at least, then gave the LMGs to the squads in the best cover, in B4 and B7, and stacked Sgt Rossi with the units in the wooden building. Sgt d'Andretta, the remaining two squads and the malf'd MMG took up residence in C7's stone building.
Against the stout grey line, a broad advance was indicated. Unfortunately, Advance is not possible, the Greeks have already expended 2MF. I must have played this wrong the last time because I don't recall the same FFMO and FFNAM havoc in that game. Or maybe I just rolled really badly for the Italians. Not so this go. Only 2 and a half squads, an LMG, and Sgt Tsolako were still standing when the smoke cleared, and they didn't survive Italian Turn Two. I thought an Italian victory was in the bag when the Greek flanking elements didn't show up on the first attempt. At the end of Italian Turn Three 10 VP of CXed leaders and squads were in X3 and W4, poised to step off the board, and the rest of the gang were heading west as well.
Wouldn't you know it, the Greeks decided to show. And--it's almost like they had ESP or something, or knew what had happened to their friends--this time they're assault moving onto Board X, and not in open ground, no, everyone's entering on X0. I consider holding off until Final Fire, but instead let fly with 12+2 on the first moussaka muncher who joins the party. That's not a bad shot, and the 4 Res isn't too bad either. Also, there's a possible 6 flat Subsequent First Fire if the other Greeks choose Y1 or W1. The first squad is broken but no one else is. Greek squads advance to Y1 and X1 while Sgt Bogdas stays in X0 to rally the guys with the LMG. Which he does. Now the Italians have a choice--do they run or gun?
With the benefit of hindsight gunning might have been the better option. Instead, one squad is broken and ELRed on a 4-1 shot in Y3, Cpl Papini changes his rank and name when he and another squad are broken on a 4 flat shot in Y4, and, you guessed it, Cpl Callo and two squads are broken in X5 on a 6+2. And nobody comes back because the Greeks are able to keep them DMd and herd them north. By the time the victors of Row B arrive on the scene the Greeks are established along the treeline and stop enough of the 2nd wave to win the game. Even with the balance and the elimination of the Turn 1 Greeks, the Italians come up short.
It appears that the best thing for them to do is to keep moving, because some of them might be needed for exit VP. Maybe this scenario isn't as broken as I thought. I'll have to play it again some time, and try the fighting withdrawal approach, though I think the 4 squads plus two leaders end run puts the pressure on.
