Battle of Imaichi (Chronicles of the Tosando - The Boshin War: Tactical Battalion-Scale Combat) AAR part5

 - Turn 6

 The coalition focused on retreat while the New Government gave chase. As mentioned before, movement off the roads is heavily restricted, and enemy FZs made maneuvering difficult for both sides. The New Government launched attacks in both the west and east, but neither achieved any results.

 On the eastern flank of the battlefield, there was a village hex where the coalition had established its headquarters, marked by a specific coalition marker. If the New Government could occupy that hex, the Direct Command chit of the coalition would be immediately removed from the game, reducing their tactical flexibility. The New Government was eager to secure that village as soon as possible, but the coalition's defensive FZs effectively prevented the enemy from entering that hex.

 Nearly until the Boshin War (戊辰戦争) broke out in 1868, Japan had enjoyed peaceful stability for about two and a half centuries. However, as pressure from Western powers mounted during the mid-19th century, the Bakufu and several domains, particularly the western ones that would later form the New Government, made desperate efforts to quickly modernize their militaries. They trained their troops in Western tactics and imported modern firearms. As a result, the elite forces of both the Bakufu and the New Government domains possessed state-of-the-art weapons, whereas some conservative domains still relied on centuries-old traditional arms. In this game, this stark disparity is brilliantly represented by each unit's Firepower 火力 (FP) attribute, which in this scenario ranges from a low of 1 to a high of 3.

- Turn 7

 The coalition’s Movement chit was drawn and played after the New Government’s, allowing the coalition to cleanly disengage from their pursuers. In the west, two New Government units conducted another intensive assault against the elite dark blue coalition unit, but the battle-hardened defenders held their ground and remained completely intact.

- Turn 8

 The final turn. This time, the coalition's Movement chit was drawn and played before the New Government’s. All blue and light blue coalition units safely crossed the river to the north, successfully slipping away from the pursuing New Government forces.

 The battle concluded. The New Government earned 3 VPs by securing the three hexes of Imaichi, while the coalition matched them with 3 VPs for their safe retreat. The match ended in a well-fought draw.

 "The Boshin War: Grand Tactical Battalion-Scale Combat" (大隊級戊辰戦争) features relatively simple rules. It lacks complex mechanics like unit facing, for example, but its Fire Zone system is unique for simulating 1860s warfare. Additionally, the chit-pull system provides a wonderful mix of excitement and tactical frustration. 

 As mentioned before, "The Boshin War: Grand Tactical Battalion-Scale Combat" (大隊級戊辰戦争) is a spin-off of "The Boshin War 1868." Since the scenario book, "Chronicles of the Tosando" (東山道戦記), which includes this Battle of Imaichi, utilizes the counters from the original game, it faced certain design restrictions in terms of physical components. Yet, if unshackled from this limitation, this compelling game system has the potential to produce even more deeply engaging and attractive battles. It remains unclear whether additional standalone scenarios will be published in the future, but one can only hope.