Bloody Ridge: Guadalcanal, 12-14 September 1942
Bloody Ridge: Guadalcanal, 12-14 September 1942 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Game Premise
Bloody Ridge: Decision on Guadalcanal, 13 September 1942 (BR for short) is a purpose-designed solitaire wargame of low complexity simulating the climactic Japanese night attack of that date. The attack was aimed at nothing less than the capture of Henderson Field and the annihilation of the entire US ground force on the island.
You are on the offensive, commanding the Japanese attack force that’s attempting to break through the US Marine defense. The rules system, with your help in handling the mechanics of the process, runs the Marine defense. You win by exiting one or more Japanese units off the north edge of the map, or by eliminating the 1st Marine Division headquarters.
1.2 Scale
Each game turn of BR is equal to about two hours of “real time.” Each hexagon represents 125 yards from side to opposite side. Each unit-counter represents a fire-team, squad, platoon, company or some other similarly sized ad hoc grouping of infantry and/or support weapons. The effect of the historically important off-map USMC field artillery is covered by the bombardment rules (see section 8.0).
2.0 Components
2.1 Rules, Map, Counters
The components to a complete game of BR include these rules, the 34x22” map-sheet and one sheet of 228 die-cut unit-counters. You will need to provide yourself with a large-mouthed opaque container, such as a coffee mug, to hold the US “force pool” (see 3.2). You will also need to provide yourself with one or more regular (six-sided) dice to use in resolving combat and other probabilistic events that will occur throughout play. All die rolls in the game are made using one or more six-sided dice.
2.2 The Map
The map illustrates the militarily significant terrain found in and around the portion of the American defensive perimeter at the time of the assault. A hexagonal (“hex”) grid is printed over the map to regulate the placement and movement of units across it, much as the squares on Chess boards. A unit is considered to be in only one hex at any one instant.
Each hex contains natural or man-made terrain features that can affect the movement of units and combat between units. The various terrains on the map have had their exact real-world configurations altered slightly in order to make them coincide with the hex-grid. The relationships among them from hex to hex, however, are accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space/time dilemmas faced by their historic counterparts in the actual battle.
Also note every hex on the map has a unique four-digit identification number printed within it. They’re provided to help find exact locations more quickly and to allow for the recording of unit positions if a match has to be taken down before it can be completed. For example, “Hill 123” consists of hexes 1710, 1810, 1811, 1910 and 1911.
2.3 Map Sectors
The actual map playing area is divided into three sectors: the red row (see 3.4); the US Forward Defense Zone (all hexes between the red row and the demarcation line east-west across the map from 1010/1011 to 2308/2309, and the US Main Defense Zone (all hexes north of that same demarcation line). See sections 6.0 and 9.0 for more on the significance of the two US Defense Zones.
Designer’s Note: the terminology introduced above isn’t meant to duplicate any vocabulary or ground-level organizational schema used by either side in the real battle. It does, however, work well to give us a smooth organizational schema for several important aspects of this game’s system.
2.4 Seating
The player should sit off the map’s south edge, facing north.
2.5 Counters
There are 228 unit-counters in the game, most of which represent combat formations. Other counters are provided as bombardment markers, US headquarters, Japanese hex-control markers, and turn/phase memory aids. After reading these rules at least once, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming off the “dog ears” from their corners with a fingernail clipper will facilitate easier handling and stacking during play and also enhances their appearance.
2.6 Sample Combat Units
Each combat unit-counter displays its nationality by its color scheme and its type by its icon. Note the Japanese infantry units only have their attack factor numbers printed on one side. See 6.11 for more details about that.
2.7 Units Background Colors
US: olive-drab (except artillery blast markers) Japanese: beige
2.8 Mnemonics
Other counters are provided as markers and memory aids. Details of their uses are given in the sections noted below.
Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
Phase Marker (see section 5.0)
Japanese Hex Control Maker (see section 3.0)
US Supply Cache Marker (see 6.5 & 7.14)
US Artillery Bombardment Markers (see section 8.0)
3.0 Setting Up
3.1 Japanese Initial Placement
When preparing to play, you should first put all Japanese infantry units off to the side of the map but in easy reach. Place them such that the sides with “combat factors” (see section 7.0) on them are all facing down and out of sight and no two are stacked atop one another. The idea is, you don’t know any of their reverse-side combat factors during set up. That might take some random mixing of them once you’ve got them all lying flat off to the side of the map.
3.2 US Initial Placement
Next take all the USMC rifle units, both HQ units, the Supply Cache marker and the artillery blast markers, and simply dump them all into the “force pool” bowl or mug you fetched earlier as called for in 2.1.
3.3 Function Counters Placement
Place all the Japanese battle-flag markers in a pile within easy reach off to the side. Put the Turn marker in the box labeled “1” on the Turn Track printed on the map-sheet. Place the Phase marker in the blank space to the left of the “Japanese Organization Phase” box on the Phase Sequence Track printed on the map-sheet.
3.4 Red Row
The “red row” consists of all the red-tinted hexes along the map’s south edge, from 1218, 1317, 1417, 1516, etc., over to 2312, inclusive. All Japanese units enter play via hexes of the red row as described below. All red row hexes are Japanese-controlled from the start of play, and that status never changes throughout the game. When a Japanese unit exits a red row hex, it must do so by entering a hex in the US Forward Defense Zone. No red row to red row movement is ever allowed. Further, units once on the map-proper may never reenter the red row. No US units will ever move or attack into any red row hex, nor can US artillery bombard Japanese units in the red row.
3.5 Japanese Assault Force Determination
Starting with hex 1218, and moving right from there one hex at a time, roll a die and subtract one from that number, for a final result of zero through five. Upon getting a result for a given hex, immediately place that number of Japanese units, randomly taken from the one-layered pile you made in 3.1, into that hex. In doing so be careful to keep their numbered sides down and don’t look at those numbers in any way during their placement. If the result for a hex is zero, that hex doesn’t get any units that phase. In that case, just move on to the hex to the right of it and resolve the unit-placement situation for it. Any number of hexes may end up with no Japanese units in them.
3.6 Subsequent Turns & Unit Eliminations
You repeat the process above during each turn’s Japanese Organization Phase, until there are no more units available off to the side of the map. Note that when a Japanese unit is eliminated it’s not returned to the holding pile: simply put it back into your storage container; it’s out of play for the remainder of the game. The same is true for all eliminated US units.
3.7 Front Line Maintenance
Every time a moving Japanese unit or stack (a “force,” see 7.1 to 7.4) enters a hex outside the red row that doesn’t at that moment already contain a Japanese Hex Control marker, temporarily halt that force’s movement and roll a die to generate the defending US force for that hex. After resolving that battle, if the attacking Japanese force has eliminated the defending US force in that hex, that hex has been taken control of by the Japanese. In such cases immediately place into the battle hex a Japanese Hex Control marker.
Alternatively, if the Japanese attempt to take control of that battle hex is defeated, simply leave that hex without a Japanese Hex Control marker. There are no US Hex Control markers: hexes outside of the red row that contain no Japanese Hex Control marker are thereby understood to be under US control. See sections 7.0 and 9.0 for more details on this aspect of play.
3.8 Hex Control
At the start of play the Japanese control only the hexes on the map that lie within the red row; the US controls all the other hexes. A hex’s control status switches from the US to the Japanese as described above. During the US Counterattack Phase it’s possible for Japanese-controlled hexes outside the red row to switch back to US control. (No red row hex will ever be US controlled.) Such control switching may occur more than once—from US to Japanese and from Japanese to US—for each non-red-row hex on the map any number of times during play. The concept of hex control is important for purposes of combat: a moving Japanese force that enters a hex that’s already controlled by that side at that time doesn’t trigger any combat or bombardment. Every time a Japanese unit enters a US controlled hex, there is the chance (a good chance) combat and/or bombardment will immediately occur there.
4.0 How to Win
4.1 Japanese Map Exit Victory
If, during any Japanese Movement & Combat Phase (see 7.0), you move one or more Japanese units off the north edge of the map via any of the marked exit hex(es) play stops immediately and you’ve won the game.
4.2 Japanese On-Map Victory
If you eliminate the US 1st Marine Division Headquarters unit, play stops immediately and you’ve won the game.
Designer’s Note. Historically, the Japanese had no idea that the US divisional HQ was located so near the southern edge of the defense perimeter, so its capture wasn’t mentioned in their operational order for the attack. During their advance they came within about 300 yards of it (off to the flanks). My thinking concerning its inclusion here is: had they come across it, as they certainly might well have done, they then would’ve been delighted to attack it.
4.3 Japanese Defeat
If the end of Turn 4 is reached, and neither of the above events has taken place, the game ends and the US has won (historic outcome). Similarly, if at the very start of the Japanese Organization Phase of Turns 3, or 4 there are no Japanese units in the holding area, off to the side of the map, to be deployed into the red row, that game has also ended in a US victory. (Note there are enough Japanese units to see you through Turns 1 and 2 no matter how well you roll for your Organization Phase placements.)
4.4 No Draw Games
There are no drawn games; each one ends in either a US or Japanese victory.
4.5 Competitive Play
If you’d like to play the game competitively against another person, play one match and note your specific level of victory or defeat. Then have the other person play, and then compare your results. The highest form of victory is won by exiting a unit via any of the marked exit hex(es). The next best is won by eliminating the 1st Marine Division headquarters. If you fail to accomplish either of those things, note the last-two digits of the hex number of your farthest advance toward the north map edge (the lower, the better). If you both achieve the same level of victory, compare the turns on which they were achieved. If that comparison doesn’t yield a victor, start over with another two games.
5.0 Sequence of Play
5.1 Phases
Every turn of BR is divided into “phases,” which are then each subdivided into individual actions within each phase. You should conduct all your various actions, and complete the phases of each turn, as given in the outline below and as described in the rest of the rules.
5.2 Turn Sequence Outline
I. Japanese Organization Phase II. Japanese Movement & Combat Phase III. US Counterattack Phase
5.3 Ending Turns
After the resolution of the current turn’s Phase III, move the Turn marker ahead one box on that track on the map-sheet and start a new turn with Phase I. All turns are identical in their overall structure.
5.4 Ending Phase I
Each turn’s first phase is over as soon as you’ve made one force generation die roll and placement for each hex in the red row.
5.5 Ending Phase II
Each turn’s second phase is over as soon as, during any one of them, you move a Japanese force off the north map edge via any of the marked exit hex(es), or during each one of them, when there are no Japanese units left in the red row or anywhere else on the map, whichever occurs first.
5.6 Ending Phase III
Each turn’s third phase is over as soon as each hex that’s Japanese controlled at the start of it has had a die roll control check made for it.
5.7 Ending a Game
The game ends, and the winner is determined, at the end of Turn 4 or as described above in section 4.0, whichever comes first.
6.0 Stacking & Force Generation
6.1 Stacking
Stacking is the word used to describe the piling of more than one friendly unit into the same hex at the same time. Stacking rules must be adhered to at all times during play.
6.2 Japanese Stacking Limit
You may stack up to five Japanese units in any one hex at any one time, as determined by the force placement die rolls made in every turn’s first phase (see section 3.5). Note that the stacks brought into play at that time may not be altered or mixed in any way throughout the turn of their placement. Note that only infantry units count for stacking, Japanese Hex Control markers are only informational, and so don’t actually take up any stacking space in their hexes on the map.
6.3 US Stacking Limit
You may stack up to six US units per defended hex, based on each such hex’s force determination die roll result (see 6.7). US units are never moved across the map, they only go from the force pool to a defended hex on the map, and from there, either back into the force pool or into the “dead pile.” Note that both types of US ground units—rifle and HQ—count equally (“one unit” each) for stacking.
6.4 US Artillery Bombardment Markers
When pulled from the force pool, these markers don’t actually go into the hex being defended (see section 8.0). They therefore don’t count for stacking in that hex, though they do count as “a unit” in terms of making up part of the force being pulled from the pool for that defense.
6.5 US Supply Cache Marker
When pulled from the force pool, this marker aborts the normal combat process in a hex and is then removed from play for the rest of the game. See 7.14 for more details.
6.6 Stacking Exclusiveness
The two sides’ stacking limits are mutually exclusive of each other. That is, the number of US units in a defended hex in no way limits the number of Japanese units that may attack into it, and the number of Japanese units in an attacking force in no way limits the number of US units that my defend the hex they’re attacking.
6.7 US Defense Force Determination
If, in your role as Japanese commander, you decide to move (and therefore attack) into a US-controlled hex, temporarily pause the movement of your force and roll a die to determine the US defense force you’re going to be engaging in the hex in question. To do that, consult Table 10.1, roll a die, and modify that result as instructed on the table.
When attacking into a hill hex, the die roll result (1-6) is the number of US units you then randomly (without first looking at them) pull from that side’s force pool, for a defending force of from one to six units.
If the hex you’re attacking into is any other (non-hill) hex north of the US Sector Boundary Line, the same one-die roll is made but it’s then modified by subtracting one from it, for a defending force of zero to five units. If the result is zero or less, simply move into the hex in question, place a Japanese Hex Control marker there, and then continue with the movement and combat of that same Japanese force.
If the hex you’re attacking into is a hex south of the US Sector Boundary Line, make the same one-die roll, but then subtract three from that result for a defending force of zero to three units. If the result is zero or less, simply move into the hex in question, place a Japanese Hex Control marker there, and then continue with the movement and combat of that same Japanese force.
6.8 Artillery Bombardment Pulls
It’s possible the only counter to be pulled from the US pool will be one or more Artillery Bombardment markers. In such cases, resolve the bombardment and, if any Japanese units in the attacking force survive, continue with that force’s movement (and place a control marker). If all the Japanese units in a force are eliminated by artillery bombardment, that elimination is exactly the same as if ground combat had taken place.
6.9 Japanese Tactical Defeats
If a moving Japanese force is entirely eliminated in combat, immediately place all surviving US non-HQ units back into that side’s force pool. HQ units, once on the map, remain in their hex of placement (where they may well be attacked again by other Japanese forces, either during that same phase or in subsequent turns).
6.10 US HQ Pulls
If you’re attacking into a hex lying south of the US Sector Boundary Line and you pull either or both of the HQ units as part of that place’s defense force, temporarily set aside that HQ(s) and draw another unit(s) in its place. A US HQ unit only goes into a hex if it is a clear or jungle (not hill) hex lying north of the Sector Boundary Line. Further, in the case of north-of-the-line jungle hexes, to receive an HQ they must border on at least one north-of-the-line clear hex. Note that within those strictures it’s possible for both HQ to show up in the same hex at the same time.
Designer’s Note: The two rules above reflect the fact that, though both HQ were historically within the area of the night’s combat, the Japanese didn’t know that was the case. Since you do know it, and there’s no way I can remove that historical hindsight from your mind, this is our compromise. That is, if your advancing troops come onto an HQ, you can use those units, along with any others that are more or less ‘on hand’ at the time, to try to eliminate it. Since you don’t have any operational communication system within your command, neither across space nor time, if you don’t/can’t quickly make use of that opportunity, you then lose it for good. Of course, 6.9 and 6.10 still allow you a limited opportunity to go HQ hunting—something the Japanese didn’t know they could do at all. So, depending on your attitude towards the proper simulation of this kind of thing, you may also choose to omit the HQ from your play of the game.
6.11 Fog of War
You will never know the strength of a given hex’s US defense force until you actually pull it from that side’s force pull. Similarly, you will not know the strength of a moving Japanese force until the first time you attack with it (which is when you flip over its units to have a look-see at their combat factors).
7.0 Movement & Combat
7.1 Japanese Forces
Each Japanese unit or stack in any one given red row hex is termed a “force.” In each turn’s second phase, you will move and fight your command one force at time. You may not begin the movement and combat of another force until that of the force you’re presently moving and fighting has been fully eliminated in combat.
7.2 Attack Momentum
Each Japanese force is moved from hex to adjacent hex out to potentially any distance. A moving force may not drop off units along its movement path; each force’s movement (and combat) is entirely distinct and unitary from that of all other Japanese forces. Also see rule 3.4, 7.17, 7.18 and 7.19.
7.3 Bushido
You must move all your available forces in each of your Movement & Combat Phases. You may choose to move them in any order, but you may not end a Movement & Combat Phase while there are still one or more Japanese forces on the map.
7.4 Enemy Encounters
Whenever you move a force into a US-controlled hex, you must check for the (strong) possibility of combat erupting there at that time. To do so, determine that hex’s US defense force as described above in 6.7. If any Artillery Bombardment markers show up, immediately resolve those effects and then, assuming one or more attacking Japanese units are still surviving, go on and resolve the close-in ground combat. See section 8.0 for the details of resolving artillery bombardment.
7.5 Ground Combat
Ground Combat is resolved by totaling the attack factors of all the units in the Japanese force that’s attacking, and then dividing that total by the terrain defense strength of the hex being fired into in order to get an odds ratio (rounding any fractions down). Each enemy unit in a hex receiving fire from your units has a separate die roll made for it on the basis of that same odds ratio.
7.6 Defense Strengths
Note that, with one exception, units don’t have defense factors in the game; rather, the defense factor of a hex is determined by the terrain in it. So, all clear hexes on the map have defense strengths of “2”; all jungle hexes have defense strengths of “4”; and all hill hexes have defense strengths of “8.”
7.7 HQ in Combat
The exception to defense strengths based on the natural terrain in a hex is provided by the presence of one or both US HQ units in a hex. Those fortified positions are a kind of manmade terrain, which impart defense strengths of “8” to their hexes while there.
Note: If a US HQ is attacked subsequent to its original discovery, you do then roll for an entirely defensive force to go into that hex the next time you attack it (and each time you do so).
7.8 Fight to the Death
A given defending hex may be attacked more than once in a single force’s effort. That is, once combat is begun for a hex, that engagement continues until one of the involved forces are entirely eliminated.
7.9 Combat Results
There are two combat results: defender eliminated (“D-Elim”) and no effect. Eliminated units of both sides are simply put into the dead pile. Units receiving a no effect result aren’t affected in any way. If you’re firing at an enemy unit in a target hex and you have a combat odds ratio of 1:1 or less, that unit is eliminated on a roll of one. If firing with a 2:1 odds ratio, the D-Elim result is achieved with on a roll of one or two; at 3:1 a D-Elim is achieved with a roll of one, two or three, etc. Fires made at odds of 6:1 or higher result in automatic D-Elim results.
7.10 Simultaneous Firefight
The effect of US and Japanese rifle and infantry fire is simultaneous. That is, make one roll against each defending US unit and one roll against each attacking Japanese unit before removing any eliminated units on either side. The US units will fire based on the odds you calculate for them firing into your attacking force’s hex, while your attacking Japanese force’s fires will be based on the odds you calculate for them firing into the US occupied hex.
7.11 Subsequent Rounds
If, after both sides’ attacks have been resolved, and there are units of both sides there still surviving, recalculate the odds of the units remaining and fire again (and again, if necessary, until one side’s involved force is entirely eliminated).
Note: In such multi-round ground fights, US artillery bombardment isn’t repeated, only the riflemen vs. infantry ground combat.
7.12 Continued Movement
If the attacked hex is cleared of US units while there are Japanese units surviving in the attacking force, place those Japanese survivors, and a Japanese control marker, in the just-captured hex and then immediately continue the movement and combat of that same force. Resume its movement from its newly won hex, and leave in place the control marker. Repeat those steps with that same (likely diminished) Japanese force until all the units in it are eliminated or exit the map via any of the marked exit hex(es), whichever occurs first. (If a map exit occurs, stop play: you have just won.)
7.13 Force Elimination
If the presently moving and attacking Japanese force is entirely eliminated, immediately place all surviving US rifle unit in the attacked hex back into the pool of available USMC units (leave any HQ in place there), and then select another Japanese force from anywhere in the red row and start again with it.
7.14 Supply Cache Effect
If any of the US units drawn when pulling a hex’s defense force turns out to be the Supply Cache marker, immediately and permanently set it aside. At the same time, though, all the Japanese units in the force that discovered the cache are immediately eliminated. Any US rifle units and artillery markers that may have been pulled along with (just prior to) the cache are all immediately placed back in the USMC pool.
7.15 Japanese Capture Hill 123
Whenever the Japanese control all five hexes of Hill 123, all normally calculated Japanese attack odds are increased by one (i.e., a 1 to 1 becomes a 2 to 1, etc.), and all normally calculated US odds are decreased by one (i.e., a 3 to 1 becomes a 2 to 1, etc.).
7.16 Close Combat
If an engagement involves both sides rolling at 1:1 (or lower) odds, that fight is considered to have become “close combat.” In such cases, close combat 1:1 result in eliminations on results of one, two or three (and no effect on four, five and six) instead.
Designer’s Note: The rule above is just an easy way to save on having to take the time to roll so many ones.
7.17 Japanese Sector Boundaries
On the map there are two Japanese Sector Boundary Lines, drawn along hex sides, running from 1516/1616 to 1309/1409, and from 1914/2014 to 1909/2009 (inclusive in both cases). Those two boundaries divide the southern portion of the map into three Japanese attack sectors: left, center, and right (reckoned from the player’s viewpoint, sitting off the map’s south edge and facing north).
7.18 No Cross-Boundary Movement or Combat
In general, no Japanese unit or stack may move/attack across a sector boundary line. Note, though, the boundary lines have distinct termination points. When moving/attacking into hexes north of those points, Japanese units no longer need to adhere to the sector restrictions, but also see 7.19 below.
Designer’s Note. Just as the Americans didn’t historically divide their defense into forward and main zones, neither did the Japanese divide their attack into distinct sectors. The otherwise unseen topography across the area, however, nonetheless worked—in conjunction with the moonless dark and their poor to non-existent communications—to do just that. The Japanese attack therefore spontaneously devolved into three more or less separate efforts: one west (left) of the ridge, one east (right) of it, and one plowing straight into it up the center.
7.19 Japanese Offensive Imperative
In general, every Japanese unit or stack may only move/attack so as to enter a hex lying to the north, northwest or northeast of its present location. The exception is: a Japanese unit or stack in a clear or hill hex may move/attack into any adjacent hill or clear hex no matter that new hex’s directional relationship to its present hex, and that’s true even if the new hex lies across a Japanese sector boundary line.
The entirety of this rule applies all across the map, even in hexes lying within the Japanese attack sectors described above in 7.17 and 7.18. That is, rule 7.19 supersedes rule 7.17/18 if a situation arises in which the two are seemingly in conflict. Note, then, for example, that a Japanese unit or stack in clear hex 2012 could move/attack across its sector boundary line into 1912 or 1911. Also note, however, that once a Japanese unit or stack crosses a sector boundary line, it’s then considered to be part of that newly entered sector’s attack force and can’t be switched to move back into its original sector (except via a reflexive use of the provision of this rule). Also note that for purposes of this rule all red row hexes are considered to be jungle hexes.
Designer’s Note. In the actual battle the Japanese were very much ‘on the clock,’ and they understood that fact. So they didn’t have time to dawdle, needing to get through the jungle and onto the airfield before first light. The three rules above build in that imperative without a lot of extra rules verbiage.
8.0 Bombardment
8.1 US Artillery
In general there’s no “ranged combat” in the game; it’s all from hex to adjacent hex as described above. The US had a battery of 105mm field artillery pieces just off the map to the north; however, which were used highly effectively in the real event. The following rules simulate those guns’ powerful effects.
8.2 Incoming!
Whenever a US Artillery Bombardment marker is pulled as part of a US hex defense force, temporarily but immediately stop in your combat resolution process for that hex and resolve that marker’s bombardment of the attacking Japanese force. The normal odds calculation process is truncated: simply refer to the US Artillery Fire Table (10.3), and make one die roll against each Japanese unit in that side’s attacking force according to the terrain break out given on it.
Designer’s Note: No spotting of any kind is required for artillery bombardment. The Marines had prepared well in this regard, making good use of radios, landlines and pre-registered target zones.
8.3 Artillery Expenditure
As soon as the fire from a given Artillery Bombardment marker has been resolved (hit or miss), set aside that marker until the start of the next turn, when all such fired markers are returned to the US force pool. The markers may never be eliminated or otherwise attacked or moved on by Japanese forces in any way.
8.4 Japanese Eliminate Battalion HQ
If the US battalion HQ unit is eliminated, all US artillery support fires cease for the remainder of the game. Remove all those markers from the pool immediately and permanently.
8.5 Artillery Rule References
For more on artillery, see rules 6.4, 6.8, 7.4, 7.11 and 7.14.
9.0 Us Counterattacks
9.1 Gung Ho
During every turn’s US Counterattack Phase, make a separate die roll for every Japanese-controlled hex on the map north of the US Sector Boundary line to determine if low-level US maneuver and counterattacks have recaptured some (or all) of them. Hexes south of the sector line are never retaken by the Americans once they’ve been lost to the Japanese.
9.2 Recapturing Clear Hexes
A given clear hex is recaptured by the Americans on a roll of one, two, three or four only.
9.3 Recapturing Jungle Hexes
A given jungle hex is recaptured by the Americans on a roll of one, two or three.
9.4 Recapturing Hill Hexes
A given hill hex is recaptured by the Americans on a roll of one or two only.
9.5 Full Sweep
There are no limits on the number of any type of hexes that may be recaptured by the Americans each turn. A recaptured hex has its Japanese Hex Control marker removed and in all ways counts as a US-controlled hex (which may potentially be attacked and won again by the Japanese any number of times). Note that ‘pockets’ of Japanese-controlled hexes or areas may be formed in this way.
10.0 Charts & Tables
10.1 Force Determination Die Rolls
| Locales | Die Roll Formulas |
|---|---|
| Hill Hexes | 1d6 |
| Other Hexes North of Sector Boundary | 1d6-1 |
| Hexes South of Sector Boundary | 1d6-3 |
| Japanese Force Determination | 1d6-1 |
10.2 Defense Factor Table
| Terrain Type | Defense Factor |
|---|---|
| Hill or HQ | 8 |
| Jungle | 4 |
| Clear | 2 |
10.3 US Artillery Fire Table
| Japanese in | Roll Needed for a Hit |
|---|---|
| Clear or Hill | 1-3 |
| Jungle | 1-2 |
10.4 US Counterattack Table
| Terrain | Roll for Recapture by US |
|---|---|
| Clear | 1-4 |
| Jungle | 1-3 |
| Hill 123 | 1-2 |
Note: Only roll for hexes north of the sector boundary line.
11.0 Optional Rules
11.1 Optional Game Pieces
Thirteen optional game pieces have been included for players that may want a variation after playing the standard game (though it is recommended that the standard game is played and experienced before including any optional rules).
Each optional rule and its effects is explained below. A player is free to utilize none, some, any or all of the following optional game pieces and associated rules, although obviously the game balance favors the Japanese side when playing with only the Japanese game pieces, and conversely favors the US Marine side when only playing with the US Marine game pieces.
11.2 US Marine Machineguns
Four US Marine Machinegun game pieces are included to be added to the US Marine “force pool” bowl or mug, and thus are drawn randomly exactly like any other game piece (but not in excess of the normal US Defense Force Determination procedure per 6.7 and 10.1).
Each Machinegun game piece simply doubles the Attack Factor of one single, lowest US Marine unit (if any) in the same hex. The US Marine Machinegun game piece itself has no Attack Factor, and is not considered a unit; its presence only serves to increase the Attack Factor of one US Marine unit until that US Marine unit is eliminated (at which time the Machinegun is eliminated also).
If there are multiple Machinegun game pieces drawn for the same hex, then the Attack Factor is doubled for multiple US Marine units there, but always only ever doubling the lowest other US Marine units there (that is not already assigned to a Machinegun). No single US Marine unit can be doubled more than once by the presence of multiple Machinegun game pieces, however.
Exception: Hero (see 11.3 below).
If there are less US Marine units than Machinegun game pieces appearing in the same hex (or if no US Marine units appeared at all), the Machinegun game pieces there have no effect at all (it can be assumed that the machineguns malfunctioned, or are out of ammo, or out of position, or perhaps were simply overrun before being brought into action).
In any case, after any US Marine Machinegun game piece has been drawn from the force pool and appears in any hex, it is removed (permanently) after combat in that hex is concluded (regardless of the results). US Marine Machinegun game pieces, once drawn, are not returned to the force pool (unless the only other game piece drawn was the hero; see the last two paragraphs of 11.3).
11.3 Hero
One US Marine Hero game piece is included to be added to the US Marine “force pool” bowl or mug, and thus is drawn randomly exactly like any other game piece (but not in excess of the normal US Defense Force Determination procedure per 6.7 and 10.1). The Hero game piece simply doubles the Attack Factor of one single, highest US Marine unit (if any) in the same hex. The Hero game piece itself has no Attack Factor, and is not considered a unit per se; its presence only serves to increase the Attack Factor of one US Marine unit until that US Marine unit is eliminated (at which time the Hero is eliminated also).
Note: In the event that the lowest and highest US Marine unit in a hex is the same unit (as can occur if only one US Marine unit appears in a hex), that US Marine unit can be doubled by the presence of one US Machinegun game piece, and then also doubled again by the presence of the Hero game piece. For example, a “2” US Marine unit - if it is the only unit that appears in a hex with a machinegun and the hero - would be first doubled to “4”, and then doubled again to “8”.
If there is no US Marine unit appearing in the same hex as the Hero game piece, there is no effect at all. Furthermore, a US Machinegun and Hero game piece in a hex without any US Marine unit has no effect at all (it is assumed that the hero is with his unit), in which case simply add those two game pieces back to the pool.
Unlike a US Marine Machinegun game piece, a Hero game piece is indeed returned to the force pool after combat in that hex is concluded (regardless of the results).
11.4 Banzai Charges
After the US Defense Force Determination procedure, but before combat begins, the Japanese player may declare his attack to be a “Banzai Charge.”
To conduct a Banzai Charge, the player must roll two separate six-sided dice, one for the Japanese force in that hex, and a separate die for the US Marine force in that same hex; If the Japanese die roll result is lower than US Marine die roll, the player may automatically and immediately eliminate any single US Marine unit in that hex of his choice (including any machinegun and/or hero game piece applied to that unit, if any). After that, combat is resolved normally (assuming there are any other US Marine units remaining in that hex).
If, however, the US Marine die roll is equal to or higher than the Japanese die roll, all of the Japanese units in that hex are automatically and immediately eliminated, and combat is thus concluded instantly there. Regardless, the Japanese player is only ever eligible to declare and conduct a maximum of two Banzai Charges throughout the entire game, and only to two different combats. Otherwise, there is no restriction as to where and when they may be declared.
11.5 Japanese MG Crew
Four Japanese MG Crew units are included which may be assigned to any four separate “red row” hexes (see 3.4) of the Japanese player’s choice before the game begins, but after the Japanese Assault Force Determination is completed (see 3.5). Each Japanese MG Crew is treated exactly like any normal Japanese unit.
Note: Unlike the US Marine Machineguns, Japanese MG Crew units do not count against stacking limits, although no more than one Japanese MG Crew unit may be placed into the same hex, or ever move into the same hex during the game.
Each Japanese MG Crew is considered to be exactly like any other Japanese unit in all respects, except that the Japanese player may control their hex of entry when the game begins, and may itself violate the normal stacking limit. Each Japanese MG Crew unit is assumed to always have an Attack Factor of “6”.