From: Markus Stumptner <mst@DBAI.TUWIEN.AC.AT>
Subject:      Edson's Ridge

We played Edson's Ridge, the game from Competitive Edge #10, yesterday.
Nice little game, fits right into the original purpose of the magazine.
The system shares a lot with the same designer's Henderson Field game
(published in the Campaign for Guadalcanal box by 3W), although the
scale is of course different.  Units are rated for strength and proficiency,
there are brigade and division HQs (with resultant morale effects if
lost); plus artillery, airpower, entrenchments, engineers.  The main
difference is the addition of reserves that can react (very important
for keeping retreat routes open) or exploit, plus rules for Japanese
night attacks and Banzai charges.  We started play 15 minutes after
opening the rulebook.

The game basically consists of the Japanese chewing his way along
the ridge, attempting to dislodge or eliminate the defenders.  Near
the end, the US gets strong reinforcements for a final counteroffensive
(on the last 2 of 11 turns).   The Japanese do have some mobility and
are strong enough in the beginning to look everywhere at once for an
opening.  In our game, the Japanese dislodged the defenders early on
but failed to use reserves to retain the foothold and then needed
three turns to take the position (which had now been reinforced) again.
Ultimately, he had only just reached the victory line (around Hill 120)
on turn 10 when the counterattack came and pushed him back far enough
to make the game an American victory - by no means a foregone conclusion.
The Japanese will complain about all those US improved positions, but the
US lines are thin and will often have to fall back to avoid elimination.

Overall: Cute little game, will be played again while we wait for
the TCS game on the topic.  :-)

        Markus