I was on the Japanese team. Our mission was rather simple in essence: blitz down the Kokoda Track, brushing aside any opposition we might meet. ("Blitz" being a relative term, considering all of our troops were on foot...)
Here are our main assault troops, with the trail set out before them. No enemy in sight! All we have to do is press through the jungle, cross the swampy river bottom, ascend the ridge, and boogie off the table...
However, our commander is concerned about throwing all of our forces down a single trail. Therefore, some of our force is entering play from another trail that intersects with the main trail before the river. The plan is for one unit to march down this trail, clear out the enemy, and join the main force at the river.
Then, behind this unit, comes one more Japanese unit (mine!). My assigned mission is to advance along the left side of the table, then come up on the flank of any opposing force that might be on that ridge.
As play begins, the Japanese begin their march, only to run into delays as small units of Commonwealth troops ambush us along the jungle trails. Almost as bad, we can't push our troops down the narrow trail as fast as we would like. (It takes several turns before my unit even reaches the table, being queued behind another unit!) But advancing through the jungle would be even slower...
