This is one game that truly plays according to the player's notes. ( I like to
see when playing a game if there are other workable strategies than
those recommended and in this case, there aren't.)

The Japanese player has the enviable position of being relatively immune
to attack by any combination of  Russians, provided he stays in supply.
However, he should not bash against the entrenched line across most of
the central front. (I tried this solitaire to see if I could break through with
frontal attacks a la the Somme and burned out the entire Japanese army
in 3 turns).  This is more a game of bluff and position.  The Japanese
should threaten both flanks.  His right is lost in mountains which diminish
the already low (in comparison with his opponent) Japanese movement
allowances but it is possible to worm some units through to threaten the
rail line and hopefully tie down some of the General Reserves.  But this is
a minor front of relatively few units on both sides.

It is on the Japanese left that he should develop his offensive toward
Mukden and where the Russian should attempt to hold as long as
possible.   The game becomes a race between both sides shifting units
toward that front (which is somewhat channelled by two minor
rivers/marsh).  The Japanese must laboriously cross the major river
(build one or two bridges to help the arty cross), while Russian
movement is stymied by command limitations.

I truly believe the Russian should almost never attack...they are truly
horrible in the attack...except to kill an unstacked arty unit (which a
competent Japanese player will never allow).  So the game becomes a
race between the 8-game turn limit and the Japanese pushing the
Russian 2nd army and General Reserves back toward Mukden.

The Russian will find he can hold his trench line with just the 3rd army,
allowing the 1st and 2nd to attempt to hold the flanks.   In several games,
the Japanese have reached Mukden only once, but won on scoring more
Russian losses.  In one game, a successful gambit was to engage the
Russians on the left and then send one or two units on a loop even
further out on the flank toward the disengagement zone.   The Russians
have to hope 1) they get a few good die rolls causing more Japanese
losses, and 2) they don't crack before game end.

Doug Murphy