Newbie question on defense rating

[Cheesehead]

I'm stumbling along in my first game and I came upon a discrepancy in the defense rating of a Jap infantry. In a ground battle in China, one Jap infantry had a def rating of 20 (5x4) based on the evasion and durabilty ratings. A different Jap infantry had the same base defense rating but a +8 was added so that his total def rating was 28. In the battle description page, there was no explanation for this +8 modifier. The battle was in a Chinese coastal province that the Japanese had attacked in Fall 1940. Anyone have any ideas on why one Jap inf had a 28 defense when all the others had a 20? Thanks.

[Joel Billings]

If a unit has been damaged previously, then when it fires, the defender will have +1 to the evasion (which will be a net +4 defense if you have a 4 durability). So if your artillery hit an enemy unit at range 2, by the time it fires back at range 1, your defending unit will gain defense because of this. If the unit was destroyed, you would gain +2 (or net +8 defense). There might be some other reasons but you should look in the manual in section 8.5.7 for combat mods.

[Cheesehead]

I get it now. I had read that section, but I missed the words "evasion rating." I was thinking those were dice roll modifiers. Thanks Joel!