Empire of the Sun: The Pacific War 1941-1945
Empire of the Sun: The Pacific War 1941-1945 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Setting Up The Game
- 3.0 General Course Of Play
- 4.0 Sequence of Play
- 5.0 Strategy Cards
- 6.0 Zones Of Influence, Supply, Activation, and Hex Control
- 7.0 Offensives
- 7.1 Offensives Overview
- 7.2 Offensives Sequence
- 7.21 Offensives Player Unit Activation
- 7.22 Unit Movement Allowances
- 7.23 Sequencing of Moves During an Offensive
- 7.24 Declaring Battle Hexes
- 7.25 Offensive Intelligence Condition Determination
- 7.26 Reaction Move
- 7.27 Special Reaction (SR) Move
- 7.28 Battle and Concluding the Offensive
- 7.29 Future Offensives
- 8.0 Movement and Stacking
- 9.0 Battle Resolution
- 10.0 Reinforcements & Amphibious Shipping Points
- 11.0 Replacements
- 12.0 Strategic Warfare
- 13.0 National Status
- 14.0 Inter-Service Rivalry
- 15.0 War In Europe
- 16.0 Winning The Campaign Scenarios
- 17.0 Scenarios
- 18.0 Master Scenario Setup List
- 19.0 Comprehensive Example of Play
- 20.0 Designer's Notes
- Supplementary Bibliography 2025
- Bibliography
- Game Credits
1.0 Introduction
Empire of the Sun is a game about the Pacific War during World War II. One player takes the side of the Japanese and the other the Western Allies. The Japanese try to out perform their historical counterpart and force the Allies into a negotiated end to the war, while the Allies try to destroy Japan's military and place its industry within range of Allied B29s and Naval forces. If the Allies cannot keep pace with their historical counterpart, the only recourse is the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands themselves.
1.1 Causes of the War
The war in the Pacific during World War II had many underlying causes, the most notable being the Japanese view that they had a manifest right to become the dominant force in Asia. The Japanese psyche correctly saw themselves as the equals of any Western nation. It was the view in Tokyo that the only barrier to becoming a world class power was their lack of natural resources, denied to them by nature. Using the precedent of their Western mentors, they embraced the colonial model of empire, which made them desirous to dominate China and the Dutch East Indies. As a result of this viewpoint, the quasi-mutinous units of the Japanese Imperial Army with Imperial instigation presented Tokyo with a fait accompli when they attacked and conquered Manchuria in 1931. This foreign adventure, and attempts by succeeding Japanese governments to gain international recognition for their unique status on the Asian mainland, continued to bring consternation and friction to Japan's relations with the Western powers.
More significantly, this philosophy ran afoul of long standing, and long un-enforced, US policies for an 'open door' in China. The US had maintained a romantic image of their extensive trade relationship with China, which was not supported by economic reality. However, important families, such as the Roosevelt's, had made their fortune in the China trade, and they fought diplomatically to maintain un-fettered US access to the Chinese market.
Continuous low-level offensives and the collapse of central authority in China exploded in 1937 into the full scale invasion of Northern China. This invasion was marked by significant Japanese brutality to the Chinese populace, as epitomized by the rape of Nanking. However, China was more than Japan could swallow and the Chinese Nationalist government under Chiang Kai Shek refused to surrender, to the extreme frustration of the Japanese government.
The German blitzkrieg of Europe in 1939-1941 defeated or laid low many of the Western colonial powers, whose far-flung empires became vulnerable to military conquest. Operation Barbarossa and the perceived imminent collapse of the Soviet Union, coupled with American economic sanctions, led the Japanese government to determine that the moment to strike had arrived. The Japanese felt that they had to act now or forever forfeit their dream to become a world power. Although US cryptanalysts were reading many of the Japanese diplomatic and low level military codes, they were still caught off guard on December 7, 1941, when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the US Pacific fleet in its Pearl Harbor anchorage. The impact of this attack would see the United States wreck terrible vengeance upon the Japanese Empire for their 'day of infamy' and their moment in the sun.
1.2 Components
1.21 Inventory
A complete game of Empire of the Sun contains:
- 1 mounted map
- 1 mapsheet (South Pacific)
- 2 decks of Event cards (Japanese and Allied)
- 1 full-size and one half-size counter sheet
- This Rule booklet
- 1 CDSS booklet
- 1 Player Aid Card (11" x 17")
- 2 (identical) Combat Tables Cards
- 2 Setup cards (1 Japanese and 1 Allied)
- 2 Erasmus Tri-folds (1 Japanese and 1 Allied)
- 1 die (10 sided)
Sample Ground Unit (front and back): a white triangle in the upper right corner means the unit starts on its reduced side; the counter shows Unit Size, Unit ID, Attack and Defense.
Sample Air Unit (front and back): shows Set Up Hex, Unit ID, Non-Replaceable Dot, Extended Range, Attack, Defense and Range.
Sample HQ Unit (front and back): a star indicates the unit arrives only through an Event Card; the counter shows Unit ID, Commander, Range and Efficiency. The HQ under ISR marking is an optional mnemonic reminder only.
Sample Carrier Unit (front and back): shows the Pre-War Unit dot, Unit ID, Unit Type, Set Up Hex, Attack, Defense and Range.
1.22 Die
Empire of the Sun uses a single ten sided die for all random number functions. The number 0 represents results equal to zero. A zero die roll does not represent 10, as in some games.
1.23 Map
The single map sheet is an equal area projection of the Pacific Ocean and portions of Asia that were involved in the war. Each hex is about 150 miles across. The terrain varies from the Owen Stanley Mountains in New Guinea to the atolls of the Central Pacific. Also included on the map are the all important airfields and ports that represent the logistical infrastructure required by combat units for offensives. For consistency all map spellings have been taken from a single period source, the September 1943, National Geographic Society map (see Bibliography).
1.24 Counters
The counters represent the units that the players maneuver and with which they conduct combat to gain their victory conditions. The Ground units (interchangeably referred to as land units in the rules) represent a variety of different sized units from regiments up to armies. Air units represent large regional air forces. Naval units represent a large mix of Capital ships, some of whose names are used for the unit designation, and varying numbers of Cruisers, Light Cruisers, and Destroyers. Counters in play on the map are always viewable by both players.
Example Counters: The example counters below define what each numerical value on a counter represents as defined in the rules. HQ values represent their command range and efficiency used in activating combat units. Values on combat units represent attack, defense, and for air/carrier units, their attack ranges. All unit's hex designations are their starting locations for the December 1941 turn. All other units enter on their indicated arrival game turn. If a unit has a white triangle in its upper right hand corner it begins the game on its reduced side where its set up or arrival information is located. All other numbers are historical designations and generally have no effect on play unless cited in card text.
Nationalities represented by Land and Air unit symbols: U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Japanese Navy, Japanese Army, British, New Zealand, Australian, Dutch, Indian, Chinese.
PLAY NOTE: A full-strength unit is considered to have two steps and when it takes a step loss it is flipped to its reduced-strength side and now has one step. A one-step unit that takes a step loss is eliminated. Several units in the game, such as the Dutch Regiments and the British CVL Hermes, as stated in the rules, are one-step units and therefore do not have a reduced side.
1.25 Strategy Cards
There are two decks of Strategy cards, one Allied and one Japanese. A card has five pieces of information: Card number, Card Type (Military, Political, Resource, Reaction), Operations Value, Intelligence Values, and Event. The card number is for reference and does not have play considerations. When a card is played for its Operations Value it is called an Operations card, hereafter called an OC in the rules. If it is used as an event, it is called an Event card, hereafter called an EC in the rules. It should be noted that many events allow the player to conduct an offensive, but playing an event to conduct an offensive does not make that card an OC play, it remains an EC play. A number of cards are phrased to have effects that last more than one turn after they are played and have corresponding counters as a mnemonic device. Event title is for historical purposes only.
Card anatomy: Intelligence Values, Card Type, Card Number, Operations Value, and Event. Card Type colors: Black = Military, Yellow = Political, Green = Resource, Blue = Reaction.
Reaction card examples: Surprise Attack, Ambush, Intercept, Attack Response. Political card examples: Interservice Rivalry, Interservice Rivalry, US Political Will. Other events: War in Europe, Weather, China, Gandhi, Tojo.
1.3 Glossary
Aircraft Carrier: All CV, CVL, and CVE type naval units are collectively known as aircraft carriers or carriers. When the rules reference aircraft carriers, they are referring to all three types. When distinctions are required in the rules, they are cited by their particular naval unit type letter designator.
Aircraft Range: Air units (land based aircraft units) have two range values (normal and extended) on their counter. An aircraft unit's range is the distance in hexes that it can move from airfield to airfield, and the distance in hexes it can be from a battle that it participates in. When an aircraft uses its extended range in battle, its attack strength is halved for combat purposes. If an air unit's extended range is in parentheses, it cannot use extended range to participate in battle; it can only join in a battle that is within its normal range. Also, a unit with extended range in parenthesis cannot participate in a battle if it uses this range to move during an Offensive. Consequently, an aircraft unit cannot react using its parenthetical value, since all reaction units have to participate in a battle in order to reaction move. Skip Bombing range does not use a unit's parenthetical extended range.
DESIGN NOTE: The normal range is the operational range of the fighters in the air unit, whereas the extended range represents solely the two engine bombers traveling alone. Air units with parenthetical range represent units with short range tactical aircraft.
Aircraft Carrier air range: Aircraft carrier naval units also possess an aircraft range. It acts in a manner analogous to the normal range of air units. In order to participate in a battle, this is the maximum distance in hexes that an aircraft carrier may be from a battle hex.
DESIGN NOTE: The Japanese also have a small advantage when apportioning hits in air naval combat due to their superior aircraft carrier range.
Aircraft Zone Of Influence (ZOI): (see 6.4) All in supply air and carrier units project a 2 hex zone of influence, which can only be neutralized by the presence of an opposing, in supply non-LRB air unit or carrier projecting its Zone of Influence into the same hex. A Zone of Influence that is not neutralized impacts several game functions, such as blocking HQ ranges for unit activation and lines of communication for supply determination. Also, Zone of Influence impacts Special Reaction (7.27) and intelligence die rolls whether neutralized or not. Certain event cards temporarily cancel Aircraft Zones of Influence.
PLAY NOTE: This is an important concept in the game as you will regularly find yourself thinking about your position in terms of aircraft ZOI.
Allied: This term refers to any unit controlled by the Allied player, and includes British, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, Dutch, Chinese, and US units.
Amphibious Assault Capable Units: Only certain ground units are amphibious assault capable. All Japanese, US Army, US Marine, and Commonwealth British (except the 7th Armor Brigade), Australian, and New Zealand ground units are amphibious assault capable. All Dutch, Commonwealth Indian, and Chinese ground units are not amphibious assault capable.
Chinese Units: This refers to the three Chinese ground units.
Commonwealth: This term refers to the subset of Allied units that are neither the US, Dutch, or Chinese. Commonwealth units share the same Tan background color, but are differentiated by a secondary color on the counter. The Commonwealth nationalities in game are British (red unit symbol or stripe for air/naval units), Australian (yellow unit symbol or stripe for air/naval units), New Zealanders (purple unit symbol), and Indian (brown unit symbol). Whenever the rules refer to Commonwealth units, they refer to all Commonwealth units. If the rules specify a specific nationality, such as Indian, this refers to only units of that nationality, not all Commonwealth units.
Control: All hexes begin the game either under Allied or Japanese control. All hexes within the Japanese Empire Boundary, all hexes of Korea, and all coastal hexes of China (except Hong Kong) begin the campaign game scenario under Japanese control. All other hexes on the map begin under Allied control. Control of a hex can only change due to the actions of ground units. Air and/or naval units alone can never change the hex control. The side, whose ground units were last to either pass through or solely occupy a hex, controls that hex. However, if a ground unit enters an empty hex using amphibious assault (not ground movement), the hex changes control only at the conclusion of battles. As hexes change from their original ownership, denote this by placing either a Japanese flag to indicate Japanese control or a US or British flag to indicate Allied control (there are also two Soviet flags for use with the Manchurian Invasion special event card). The use of flags to denote control is for mnemonic purposes and the players may place and remove flags in any manner that they require so that they can remember who controls particular hexes. There is no difference between the US and British flag for denoting control purposes, the distinction is for aesthetic purposes only.
Discard Pile: These are cards that have been played but will be available to play again after a shuffling event.
Empire of Japan: Empire of Japan boundary is indicated on the map. All hexes within the boundary are Japanese controlled (except Hong Kong) unless the scenario defines a particular location as starting under Allied control. For more details, see Control above.
Island: Any hex containing land on the map that is not part of the Asian mainland (containing India, China, etc.) or part of Australia is considered to be an island, including hexes classed as an atoll. If the land mass of an island has passable area only in one hex, such as Leyte/Samar, that island is considered a special class of island called a one hex island. Atolls are also one hex islands.
Japanese Held China: All coastal hexes in China are Japanese controlled except for Hong Kong, which starts the 1941 Campaign Scenario as Allied controlled and should be so indicated by an Allied flag.
Japanese Army: Japanese army units are yellow with black type.
Japanese Navy: Japanese navy units are white with red type.
Long Range Bomber (LRB): Only the Allied player has LRB units. LRB units are all air units with ranges of 6 or greater. LRB units have distinct uses in the game and are so cited where appropriate. Note that though LRB units have the same historical unit ID number as their parent normal air unit, they are considered separate units for all game purposes unless specifically noted otherwise. Two of the Allied LRBs in the game have no parent air unit, 20BC and 21BC. These are B29 units and have the ability to conduct Strategic Bombing. Whenever the rules or card text refer to B29 units, they are referring to these two specific units.
Named Location: Cities, with or without intrinsic defense, Resource hexes, and hexes with ports or airfields are named locations.
Naval: Rules references to naval units include carrier units unless specified as non-carrier naval. Exception: Japanese card 17 "Japanese Counterattack at Savo Island" text reference to naval are non-carrier naval.
Navy: All naval, ground, and air units that are Japanese white background and US Blue background units.
Offensive: The play of a strategy card for either as an Event Card (EC) or as an Operations Card (OC) to activate units for operations on the map.
Pre-War Units: Most of the units that start the game on the map (those with set up hexes on the counter) and certain others are denoted by a dot on their counters. These are defined as pre-war units. Pre-war units cannot receive replacements.
DESIGN NOTE: Pre-war units were in two categories: professional soldiers and colonial constabulary troops who were trained for internal security.
Range: Range is the distance between two hexes. When counting range do not include the starting hex the HQ or combat unit occupies, but include the destination hex in the calculation.
Removed From Play Pile: These are cards that once played will not return to play during the current game.
Rounding: Any time the players have to round a number or value that is fractional, round it up, never down.
Strategy Cards: The engine of the game is the play of the strategy cards. A strategy card can be played as an Operations card (OC), which uses the large numerical value at the top of the card (1, 2, or 3) or as an Event card (EC), which uses the written event. If a portion of event text contradicts some rules then the text supercede those rules and no others. Players in the game receive their own set of Strategy cards (one Japanese and one Allied). The Japanese player is the only player that may use the Japanese Strategy cards and the Allied player is the only player that may use the Allied player cards.
Supply Eligible Airfield: A friendly HQ whether it is in or out of supply that can trace a legal supply path (6.21) of any length to a friendly controlled airfield makes that location supply eligible. Supply eligibility for airfields is exempt from overland logistical range considerations, but is held to the one supply eligible port limitation. The term airfield and airbase is used interchangeably in the rules.
Supply Eligible Port: A friendly HQ whether it is in or out of supply that can trace a legal overland supply path (6.21) up to 4 movement points in length OR by sea of any length to a friendly controlled port makes that port supply eligible.
Unplayable Ground Hexside: A hexside where the land mass on one of the adjacent hexes is marked as unplayable on map. No ground movement, or supply can be traced across an unplayable ground hexside.
Unplayable Ocean Hexside: A hexside where the sea area on one of the adjacent hexes is marked as unplayable on map. No naval movement, including Amphibious Assault, or supply can be traced across an unplayable Ocean hexside.
US: This term refers to the subset of Allied units that are American.
US Army: US Army units are Green with black type.
US Navy: US Navy units are blue with black type.
2.0 Setting Up The Game
Empire of the Sun has a wide variety of scenarios to play based on the duration of the gaming experience you are seeking. Consequently setup varies depending upon the chosen scenario starting point. The counters are configured around the full Campaign Scenario. All other scenarios are a subset of the full campaign scenario except the new South Pacific mini scenario (17.10). For any given scenario, once the initial setup is accomplished, the units enter play according to the portion of the full campaign game that you are playing.
PLAY NOTE: It is suggested that you segregate counters according to their game turn of entry. Play testing has shown that this is the most efficient way to organize the playing pieces.
2.1 Scenarios
The full campaign scenario is 12 turns long; with turn 1 (December '41) as a special short turn (see rule 17.11 for details). The game can also be started on game turn 2, using an alternative setup, which starts with the January 1942 position. In addition, there are 3 yearly scenarios (1942, 1943, 1944) with alternate setups, and multi-year scenarios that use one of the yearly starts with the victory conditions of one of the later yearly scenarios. The 1943 scenario (17.3) is recommended for tournament and single sitting play situations.
2.2 Full Campaign Setup
All units in the game that set up at the beginning of game turn 1 (December 1941) of the Full Campaign Scenario have their hex location written on the counter. If the front of the counter has a white triangle in the upper right corner, that unit begins play on its reduced side, where the setup information is located. A unit that has a turn number instead a hex setup location, is a reinforcement unit. A reinforcement unit is slated to enter on the designated game turn, although game play may delay or remove the reinforcement from play. If a unit has a star instead of a number, this means the unit enters through the play of a specific strategy card event. Both sides have a number of markers, some of which are on the map tracks, and others that are not, but are used to denote changes of control or the initiation of particular events during play.
2.3 Playing Other Scenario Than The Full Campaign
Each scenario, other than the Full Campaign Scenario, has an initial setup for all units listed. If a unit is to be set up at reduced strength it is so indicated, otherwise the unit begins at full strength. The game turn of entry for units that would enter the game beyond the start of a particular scenario is the same as in the full campaign. For example, the 1943 scenario begins on game turn 5. The reinforcements for both sides for game turns 6 and 7 are those indicated on the counters and are the same for the 1943 scenario and the Full Campaign Scenario.
PLAY NOTE: The counter information is configured around the full campaign game. When you play the other scenarios you are essentially entering the war at a particular point in time and continuing along the historical path for as long as the scenario indicates.
3.0 General Course Of Play
Each turn begins with each player bringing in reinforcement units and repairing units with replacements. The Allied player then conducts Strategic Warfare, which includes resolving submarine warfare and strategic bombing. Successful Strategic Warfare reduces the number of cards the Japanese player will receive. The War in Europe (15.5) and the surrender of critical US Allies during a previous turn will reduce the number of cards that the Allied player receives. Based on this, the players are dealt a variable number of cards.
The heart of the game is the Offensives Phase, where the two opponents alternate playing a strategy card, thus conducting an offensive or implementing an event. When the players have exhausted all of the cards in their hand, the game turn enters the Political Phase. During the Political Phase players determine the status of each nation represented in the game to see if they surrender. The game turn ends with a determination of the supply status of units on the board and whether they will or will not feel the effects of attrition. At this time, if this was not the last turn of a scenario, another game turn is begun, or if it is the last turn of a scenario, victory is determined.
PLAY NOTE: If this is the first time that you are reading these rules, then it is recommended that the player segregate the counters into a set that have hex setup locations and those that have a game turn of entry. Take the units with hex setups and place them on the map where indicated. After completing this go to the comprehensive example of play and move the counters according to the narrative. It is our belief that this 'best practice' will facilitate your introduction into the game system.
4.0 Sequence of Play
The following sequence represents all of the portions of a single game turn. It is repeated in the indicated order for each game turn until the game ends.
4.1 The Strategic Phase
4.11 Reinforcement Segment
Both players receiver their reinforcements and place them according to rules 10.1 (Reinforcements).
The Allied player places his reinforcements first. He receives delayed reinforcements from the previous game turn due to War In Europe effects (WIE, see 15.0), and either receives the current turn's reinforcements (in case of no delay) or places them in the delay box due to the WIE or the effect of an event. If the WIE is at level 1 or greater, the Allied player rolls the die for certain classes of units that may be temporarily lost by being diverted to Europe.
Japanese player places his reinforcements second. Japanese reinforcements are never delayed or diverted.
4.12 Replacement Segment
Both players may receive replacements, with the Allied player using his replacements first. Replacements are used to flip reduced units that are in supply to their full strength side, or resurrect units from those eliminated in combat. See Replacements (rule 11.0) for details.
4.13 Strategic Warfare Segment
The Allied player conducts submarine warfare and Strategic Bombing. See Strategic Warfare (12.0). The effects of strategic warfare can reduce the number of cards that will be dealt to the Japanese player for the current turn.
4.14 Deal Strategy Cards Segment
The Japanese player receives from 4 to 7 cards, depending on the outcome of Strategic warfare, from the top of the Japanese Card deck. The Allied player receives from 4 to 7 cards, depending on the game turn, War in Europe (15.5), and whether certain Allied nations have surrendered, from the top of the Allied Card deck. Note, however, that the scenario being played may define different procedure for the deal on the first turn of the scenario. If the draw deck has insufficient cards, reshuffle and continue drawing cards.
4.2 The Offensives Phase
4.21 Initiative Segment
The player with fewer Strategy cards may play his Future Offensives card as EC Offensive (only) to go first. If he does not, the player with the most Strategy cards goes first (and may play any card). In case of same number of cards, the Japanese player must go first for all game turns in 1941 and 1942, whereas the Allied player must go first for all other game turns; in this case the opponent may NOT use Future Offensives card to go first. (See 7.29)
4.22 Offensives Segment
Players alternate being the Offensives player, playing Strategy cards, either as OCs or ECs to conduct Offensives (the moving of units on the map and the resolution of resulting combats) or implement other game functions through events. The current offensives player must play a Strategy card as OC or EC, use a pass if he has any, designate a card as a Future Offensive card, or discard a Strategy card. If he has no strategy cards left, the role of Offensives player just switches to his opponent.
If the offensives player plays an OC or EC with a logistics value, he conducts an Offensive during which he may activate units to move and attack opposing units. The opposing player is considered the Reaction player and may play Reaction cards and possibly activate and move his units in reaction to the offensive. For full description and sequence of an offensive, see 7.0.
If the offensives player plays a non-military EC, he implements the effect of the event.
After the resolution has been completed, the players reverse roles and the new Offensives player starts with the next play. This segment ends when both players have played all strategy cards in their hands for the turn.
4.3 The Political Phase
4.31 National Status Segment
Any countries that fulfill the surrender criteria surrender according to rules in 13.0.
4.32 US Political Will Segment
Adjust the US Political Will track for any conditions noted in rule 16.4.
4.4 The Attrition Phase
All ground and air units determine their supply state (6.2). If they are out of supply, they are flipped from their full strength to their reduced strength side. Air and Ground units already on their reduced side may be eliminated. Naval units are unaffected by attrition.
4.5 The End of Turn Phase
If the US Political Will marker is in the Zero (Negotiations) box during this phase, the Japanese player wins the game. If the conditions for automatic Allied victory have occurred, the Allied player wins the game. If it is the last turn of the game, determine the winner as per the campaign or scenario victory conditions for the game that was played. If none of these conditions are true, advance the game turn marker and conduct a new game turn. Flip or remove various game markers as indicated by the rules (e.g., China Offensive conducted to its other side or remove Tokyo Express marker respectively).
5.0 Strategy Cards
Each player has a deck of unique Strategy cards. A player can only draw and play Strategy cards from their own deck, although some cards allow you to force the other player to discard from their hand. Each turn a player draws a hand of 4 to 7 Strategy cards. Players alternate playing strategy cards during the Offensives segment of the Offensives Phase. During their turn, they must play a Strategy card, play one of a limited number of passes, or discard a Strategy card. When both players have played all of the Strategy cards in their hand, the Offensives Phase of the game turn is concluded.
DESIGN NOTE: Strategy cards are the heart of my card driven game system as used in my earlier We The People and For The People designs. The cards are the mechanism through which all movement, battle, and events are initiated during the game.
A Strategy card may be played as either an Operations Card (OC) or as an Event Card (EC), designated a Future Offensive card, or discarded. When played as an OC card, the player may perform one of the following actions:
A. Conduct an OC Offensive (7.0). B. Conduct a China OC Offensive (13.72). C. Withdraw an HQ (6.13). D. Bring a HQ into play from the game turn record track (6.15). E. Construct a strategic transport route (13.77).
It should be noted that many Events enable Offensives, which are called EC Offensives. OC and EC Offensives follow the same procedures, though they have some differences in actions allowed during the Offensive that are covered later in the rules (7.0).
Played and discarded strategy cards are placed in a separate Discard pile for later reuse unless the card text specifies otherwise. The Discard piles are disclosed information and can be examined by either player. Some cards indicate that if played as an event (EC) they are completely removed from play. Note that a card that is played for an OC whose event text indicates that it is removed after being played as an event is placed in the Discard pile for possible reuse.
The number of cards in a player's hand is public information, though not the card themselves. The Discard piles and the cards removed play are disclosed information and can be examined by either player. Draw piles cannot be examined by either player.
5.1 Operations Value
Each card has an Operations value of 1, 2, or 3. If the card is played to conduct an OC Offensive, Operations value of the card affects the allowed movement range of units (8.0) and the number of units that can be activated (6.3). In case the card is played as an Event that allows an EC Offensive, the Operations value still affects the allowed movement range of units, though not the number of units activated.
The Operations value of a card also affects how many units Reaction player may activate in reaction to the Offensive (7.26) and how much they can move whether the card was played to conduct an OC Offensive or EC Offensive.
5.2 Intelligence Values
All Strategy cards have an OC, and possibly an EC, intelligence value on the card. All Offensives are by default a surprise attack unless the Reaction player alters this condition to an intercept or ambush intelligence condition. The Intelligence value can be changed either by an applicable Intelligence Reaction event card or by intelligence die roll (7.25). Reaction player uses the intelligence value of a card as the base target number for the intelligence die roll. If the card specifies both OC and EC intelligence numbers, the OC value is used if the card was played for OC Offensive and EC value if it was played for EC Offensive.
5.3 Events
Each Strategy card has an event. When a player uses a Strategy card as an Event card, the player follows the text of the event. If a portion of event text contradicts some rules then the text supercede those rules and no others. There are four classes of events: Military events, Reaction events, Resource events, and Political events.
5.31 Military Events
Military events (also called EC Offensives) allow the player to conduct multi-battle hex Offensives unlike the one battle hex allowed on an OC play. All military events have a Logistic value. The number of units that may be activated by a military event is based on the Logistics (not the Operations value) value of the event. Military event cards often have a variety of activation, intelligence, and condition text. If a player cannot comply with all of an event's clauses, except bonuses, the card may be played only as an OC Offensive or discarded, but it may not be used as an Event Card.
Military events can be played as OC cards to initiate an OC Offensive instead of Military event. In this case, rules for OC Offensives apply as normal and all card text is ignored.
A. Activation Instructions
Many military events have Offensive restrictions on which named HQs can or cannot be used if the military event is to occur.
B. Intelligence Conditions
If the Intelligence states 'Surprise Attack' the Reaction player cannot make an intelligence die roll to alter the intelligence condition (use OC value for special reaction, 7.27), but may still play a Reaction card in order to alter the intelligence condition from Surprise Attack.
C. Reinforcement Units
Certain military events come with a special unit (e.g., Slim's Burma Offensive brings the British 7th Armor Brigade into play). Place the new unit according to the card text.
D. Special Conditions
Many military events have Offensive player special conditions that pertain to the entire Offensive, but do not extend beyond the Offensive unless specifically stated as such. If a portion of an event is mandatory for the event, the card will state it as such, using words such as "only", (example, "SW Pac HQ only"). Otherwise follow the card text as closely as possible to derive all of the event benefits. Note that a particular situation coupled with a card indication of "no additional effect" still allows the card to be played if either situation can be met.
EXAMPLE: On Allied card 33, the text states, "...this event ends a US inter-service rivalry. Flip the US Inter-service rivalry marker to its Strategic Agreement side. If the US Inter-Service Rivalry marker is already on Strategic Agreement side there is no additional effect." In this example, the event text has been followed since the inter-service rivalry component can be met in either status (Inter-service rivalry or Strategic Agreement). Another example is in Japanese Political card 34, which states, "...no additional impact if Inter-Service rivalry is already in effect, Draw one Strategy card." Effectively, this card can be played to draw a card regardless of the US inter-service rivalry status.
5.32 Reaction Events
When a player is in the role of a Reaction player, the only strategy cards that may be played are those that state in their title they are a Reaction event. Only the player currently cast in the role of Reaction player may play Reaction cards. A Reaction event may be played in response to an Offensive after the Offensives player has completed moving all offensive units, provided there are one or more declared battle hexes or the text of the card indicates the card may be played otherwise. A Reaction player is limited to playing a maximum of three Reaction events in response to a specific offensive, not per battle within that offensive. There are five general categories of Reaction events: intelligence, attack (submarine, kamikaze, and skip bombing), counteroffensive, weather, and personage.
A. Intelligence
Intelligence reaction card may be used to change intelligence condition as per 7.25. A player may play more than one Reaction event during an Offensive. If both intercept and ambush intelligence conditions are possible as a result, the intelligence condition is ambush.
B. Attack
Attack Reaction cards indicate the potential for some amount of additional damage the Offensives player may take due to a submarine, kamikaze, or skip bombing attack. Follow the text instructions on the individual card. More than one Attack Reaction cards can be played during an offensive.
C. Counteroffensive
There are several general types of Reaction events that enable the Reaction player to activate more units in reaction than would be normally possible and alter the intelligence condition like Intelligence reaction cards. Counteroffensive cards have a logistics value, which the Reaction player uses for the number of units that can be activated, although the Reaction player still uses the Offensive card's OC value for determining unit movement points. Only one Counteroffensive event may be played during an offensive.
D. Weather
There are several weather Reaction events that cancel Offensives that activate units (with or without battle hexes), and which may be played after Offensives player movement and before an intelligence die roll. Canceling an Offensive due to weather causes the Offensives player to place the moved units back at their starting locations, ending the Offensive. The cancelation of the Offensive also prevents any event bonuses or reinforcement units from entering play. The cancelled Offensive card is considered discarded, not played, so it is placed the discard pile and not removed from play even if its event calls for removal from play. The Reaction player may not play any other events (such as Reaction cards or Attack cards) in conjunction with a Weather card. Any Amphibious Shipping Points that the Offensives player intended to use for the cancelled Offensive are not considered used and are still available for use during the current game turn. All Weather cards are removed from play if played as an event.
E. Personage
There are a few events that focus on the impact of a famous personage (e.g., Gandhi, Wingate). Follow the text instructions to resolve these Reaction cards.
5.33 Resource Events
Only the Offensives player may play Resource events. Resource events give the player new units, capabilities, or replacements. If a Resource event gives the player a reinforcement unit, it is placed on the map using the same restrictions as for units arriving during the Reinforcement phase. If the event states that the replacements must be used immediately, then the player places the replacements as if it were currently the replacement phase, with all the same restrictions. Sometimes the card text specifies a choice to either use the replacements immediately or save them for future use. If the player chooses to save them, record the amount on the strategic resource track with the appropriate marker. If for any reason, the Offensives player cannot fulfill the conditions under which the reinforcement unit is supplied, the unit is lost. Similarly, if for any reason the Offensives player cannot use or save all or some of the available replacements, unused replacements are permanently lost.
5.34 Political Events
Political events are those that move a marker on one of the game tracks. There are five kinds of political events: China OC Offensives, India Stability, War In Europe, US Political Will changes, and Inter-Service Rivalry. Each of these types of events specifies which game track is affected and the direction and distances the marker for that track is moved.
5.35 Drawing a Card
Many events state that a player draws a strategy card if the event is played. A player never draws a card if the Strategy card played is played as an OC. A draw may only occur if a Strategy card is played as an Event. A player may not use a card just drawn during the current offensive. A player may never draw more than three cards as a result of instructions on a card played as an Event to draw a Strategy Card during any Offensives phase. Once a player has drawn three cards, all additional events played for the remainder of the current Offensive phase ignore further card draws.
PLAY NOTE: It is suggested that the players use the Card Max counters on the Strategic Record Track as a reminder of how many cards have been drawn during the turn.
5.36 Removing a Card
A large number of the events in the game specify that they are removed from the game. A card that is used as an Event and that has this provision is removed from the game after its initial use and cannot be used again during the remainder of the game for any purpose. If the card is played as an OC or a discard it is not removed from the game.
5.37 Special Events Cards
Two cards, Tojo Resigns and Soviets Invade Manchuria, are Special Event cards and must be played during the Offensives phase of the turn in which they are drawn as an OC or EC. Thus, they may not be played as a Future Offensive or voluntarily discarded. If a Special Event card is drawn on a game turn prior to when it must be played as EC (e.g., Tojo Resigns) or its precondition is not yet met (Manchuria), the card may be played as an OC and causes a reshuffling of the deck at the end of the current game turn to re-include the card and all of the other cards in the discard pile (not those removed from play).
If a Special Event is discarded due to the play of another event and the criteria for the event are fulfilled, the Special Event occurs the instant the card is discarded. If the criteria for the Special Event are not fulfilled, the discard pile is reshuffled just like the card had been played as an OC.
6.0 Zones Of Influence, Supply, Activation, and Hex Control
Supply and activation are key concepts for units' actions in EotS. To move or attack during an offensive or as a reaction to an offensive, a unit needs to be activated by an in-supply HQ. Inactivated units defend in battle if attacked, but cannot initiate attacks or move during an Offensive. One precondition (unless an EC specifies otherwise) for activation is that the unit is currently in supply. In addition to preventing activation, lack of supply may also cause attrition (6.24), prevents units from receiving replacements (11.0) and prevents air and carrier units from exerting ZOIs (6.4). However, out-of-supply units do retain their combat strength. Supply status is continuously evaluated, so units may fall in and out of supply as other units move and affect the supply lines. However, once a unit has been activated for an Offensive, it automatically remains in supply until the end of the Offensive even if it moves to a location where it would not be in supply.
Both activation and supply are traced from an HQ, though they can be traced from different HQs. The criteria for tracing activation and supply are somewhat different with supply tracing being more restrictive (see 6.2 and 6.3) with the range of HQ being the maximum path length. In addition to these traces, intelligence and reaction determination use direct hex distance from the HQ as criteria regardless of blocking terrain or AZOIs.
Aircraft Zones of Influence have a major impact for tracing supply and activation. They also affect reaction possibilities and amphibious movement of ground units.
6.1 Headquarter Units
Headquarters (HQs) represent command infrastructure and are treated as ground units. Each side begins the game with a number of HQs in play and can receive new HQs as reinforcements or through card events. Most HQs cannot be eliminated permanently, as they represent a ubiquitous command infrastructure. HQs do not move per se, but can be repositioned voluntarily (by the play of an OC) or involuntarily due to opposing actions. A few of the Allied HQs cannot be returned to play if voluntarily or involuntarily removed and are indicated by a dot (Allied ABDA and Malaya HQs). HQs have two values: Command Range and Efficiency Rating.
6.11 HQ Capabilities
Command Range: An HQ's command range is used to determine the range at which it can supply units, trace activation for Offensives and Reaction moves, and where reinforcements and replacements can be placed. It is also used for determining whether the HQ can react to an offensive and if units that are out of supply can sustain themselves on the map if they are out of supply.
Efficiency Rating: An HQ's efficiency rating is used in conjunction with an OC value or a Logistics value to determine the number of units the HQ can activate during an Offensive or Reaction. HQ's efficiency rating can be modified in three situations: US or Joint HQ that cannot trace a supply line, in the manner HQs usually trace supply lines, to the East map edge Ultimate Supply Source has -1 modifier to its efficiency rating (to a minimum of 0) (6.25). Similarly, Japanese HQ that is used to activate units in Burma, Ceylon, or Northern India when the Bridge over Kwai River has not been built and the Japanese do not control Rangoon has -1 modifier to its efficiency rating (13.79). Under certain circumstances the Bridge over the River Kwai event can add +1 to a Japanese HQs efficiency rating (13.79).
Stacking: HQs do not count toward stacking limits, but there may never be more than one HQ (of either side) in a hex at a time. HQs must always be located in a port hex.
6.12 HQ Nationality Restrictions
All HQs are limited to which unit nationalities they can activate and supply. Japanese HQs can activate any Japanese unit. Allied HQs come in one of three types: US, Commonwealth, and Joint. The Allied HQ National Command Chart denotes which units can be activated and supplied by a particular Allied National HQ. All Allied HQs and units are friendly to each other and enemy to all Japanese HQs and units. All Japanese HQs and units are friendly to each other and enemy to all Allied HQs and units.
Allied HQ National Command Chart
| HQ Nationality | US Units | Commonwealth Units | Chinese Units | Dutch Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Commonwealth | Air Units Only | Yes | Yes | No |
| Joint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
6.13 Voluntary HQ Withdrawal Repositioning
HQs cannot move per se, but they can be voluntarily withdrawn from the map as the complete play for any OC. Nothing can stop the voluntary withdrawal of an HQ and the HQ does not need be in supply. The withdrawn HQ is placed on the game turn record track for re-entry on the next game turn. An HQ on the game turn record track returns to play during the reinforcement phase of the next game turn as a normal reinforcement and cannot be delayed.
6.14 Involuntary HQ Repositioning
If an HQ finds itself at the conclusion of an Offensive or national surrender in an opposing controlled hex, the HQ is involuntarily removed from play. An HQ that does not have a dot on it is placed on the game turn record track and returns to play during the reinforcement phase of the next game turn as a normal reinforcement that cannot be delayed. If an HQ with a dot (ABDA or Malaya HQs) is removed from play voluntarily or involuntarily it is permanently removed from play.
6.15 Early HQ Return
An HQ on the game turn record track normally returns during the reinforcement phase of the next game turn. A player can bring HQs on the game turn track into play earlier by playing an OC of any value and placing the HQ in any friendly controlled port where the HQ is in supply. The returning HQ is placed in the Japanese Home Islands for the Japanese, or in Australia, Oahu, or India for the Allies. The return of the HQ is the sole action for the play of that card.
PLAY NOTE: An HQ that returns to play as a reinforcement can be placed in any friendly controlled port where it would be in supply, whereas a returning HQ is geographically restricted to where it can return. Consequently, to move an HQ into a more forward position usually requires it to be brought back into play as a reinforcement vice the restrictions of a returning HQ.
6.2 Supply and Attrition
6.21 Supply Lines
General concepts: Both HQs and units must trace supply lines to be in supply. For HQs, a supply line of any length is traced from an Ultimate Supply Source (map edges for the Allies; Japanese controlled city hexes in the Home Islands for Japan (6.22)) to the port in which the HQ sits. A supply path that traces from an ultimate supply source to an HQ can use multiple ports to enter, continue across land hexsides, and exit by port without overland or number of ports used restrictions.
Units, by contrast, trace supply lines from an in-supply HQ to the hex they occupy, limited by the HQ's range. Air or carrier unit ZOI are assumed to exist when checking if a unit is in supply (see 6.4). As the rules below explain, the supply line may not traverse certain hexsides. Although there are a number of restrictions, in general units may trace supply
(1) from the supplying HQ by sea to coastal hexes the units occupy; (2) overland from the supplying HQ to the units; or (3) through a combination of land and sea hexsides from the supplying HQ to the units, provided that the sea component is traced through only one supply eligible port other than the hex the HQ occupies (which will always be another port hex) or potentially the unit activating is located in.
In addition, there are further restrictions for units tracing the last portion of their supply line overland (cited later in this section: Overland Logistical Range).
Supply Eligible Port: A friendly HQ whether it is in or out of supply that can trace a legal overland supply path (6.21) up to 4 movement points in length OR by sea of any length to a friendly controlled port makes that port supply eligible.
A. Units
Supply Line: A unit is supplied if an unblocked hex path can be traced from a supplied appropriate (6.12) activating HQ to the unit and the path length does not exceed the HQ's range. A supply line can be traced across any hexside except the following:
A. An unplayable hexside (see map). B. A water hexside of an un-neutralized enemy ZOI hex. C. Any land hexside of a non-port coastal hex that the path has entered across a sea-hexside. D. Any all sea hexside from a non-port coastal hex that the path has entered across a land hexside. E. A land hexside of any hex occupied solely by an enemy ground, HQ, or air unit. Naval units have no effect on this case. F. Any sea hexside of an enemy controlled port hex that the path has entered across a land hexside. G. Any land hexside of an enemy controlled port hex that the path has entered across a sea-hexside.
Overland Logistical Range: If the last hexside crossed when tracing a supply line is a land hexside, the hex containing the unit drawing supply must also be within 4 MPs of ground movement (8.42) of:
(a) The supplying HQ or (b) Kunming, if an active supply source (13.75) or (c) A Supply Eligible port (6.0).
For purposes of this check only, a hexside with strategic transport route (8.44) costs 1/2 MP if both of the hexes are unoccupied OR friendly occupied (with or without the presence of an enemy unit). A hex with a No Transport Route marker (see 13.77) is treated as if it had no transport route connections to any of the adjacent hexes.
Port Limitation: A supply line may include no more than one supply eligible port where the supply line switches between sea and land or vice versa, not including (i) the port in the HQ's hex; or (ii) any port the unit occupies.
PLAY NOTE: Note that the supply line itself may cross far more terrain overland than the 4 MP limitation and does not have to pass through the supply-eligible port required, there just has to be a valid port within the range. Also, note that if the last hexside crossed was by sea, the overland limitation does not apply at all. This allows units in a location that can be supplied by sea more freedom of operation than units tied to overland supply network.
EXAMPLE: Japanese units B, C and D trace supply by land to the South HQ. All are within 12 hexes of the South HQ and 4 MPs of a Supply Eligible Port. Since the Transportation hexes in Jarhat and Ledo have not been constructed yet (13.77), unit A is out of supply since it is 5 MPs from Rangoon to its location.
EXAMPLE: The five Japanese units marked A-E are tracing supply. The shaded hexes indicate non-neutralized Allied Air ZOI, which blocks supply paths by sea. Unit A is out of supply since it is more than 4 MPs from a Supply Eligible Port. All other units are in Supply. Note that Allied Air ZOI does not block land supply paths which allows unit C to trace to the adjacent port hex. Units D and E are on coastal hexes which can trace a supply path by sea back to the HQ.
DESIGN NOTE: The overland logistical range requires that units operate relatively close to a logistical supply node represented by a port. The difficult jungle and mountain terrain in the many of the areas depicted in EotS severely limited the possibilities of overland supply. The overland supply lines in EotS should not be considered literal lines along which supply flows but rather as areas of HQ's logistical ability and responsibility. In practical terms, units in such a situation would receive their supplies from nearest port to which the supplies are shipped to. Thus, the 4 MP limitation is enforced to nearest port and not to the HQ.
Important: During an Offensive, any activated unit remains supplied until the end of the Offensive.
Kunming: In some cases, Allied units can trace supply directly from Kunming instead of an HQ (see 13.75).
Take the situation where the Allies have the Malaya air unit in Singapore and the Japanese have air units in Singora, Miri, and Tjilatjap. All of the Japanese air units are drawing their supply from the South HQ in Saigon and the Malaya air unit is drawing its supply from the Malaya HQ in Singapore. The Japanese Saigon HQ has an uninterrupted LOC to Japan. The Japanese air unit in Tjilatjap is OOS if the Malaya air unit has a ZOI. The Malaya HQ has an LOC (putting the Malaya air unit in supply) if the Malaya air units ZOI puts the Japanese Tjilatjap air unit OOS, but does not have a LOC if the Japanese air unit in Tjilatjap has a ZOI.
The Malaya air unit and the Japanese Tjilatjap air units ZOI are therefore mutually exclusive. Using the procedure above, if the Japanese air units ZOI is removed, the Malaya HQ has an LOC that is dependent on the Malaya air units ZOI and with the removal of the Japanese ZOI the Malaya HQ is in supply. Therefore the Malaya air unit is in supply and the Japanese Tjilatjap air unit is OOS.
Taking the same example and moving the Japanese air unit from Tjilatjap to Batavia, changes the outcome. In this instance when all the air units have a ZOI, Batavia is in supply (not dependent on whether the Malaya air unit does or does not have a ZOI), so Malaya is OOS and the Malaya air unit then loses its air ZOI.
In rare local situations where the ZOI of Japanese and Allied air units mutually render one another unsupplied (that is absent the ZOI projected by the Allied air unit, the Japanese player's air unit would be in supply and thus exert a ZOI; but that Japanese ZOI, if projected would cut supply to the Allied air unit in question), only Allied air units are considered to exert a ZOI for supply status determination.
PLAY NOTE: The best method to determine whether the situational placement of air ZOIs creates this situation is to do the following. Assuming that all of the air units are in range of an appropriate HQ, look at the situation with all of the air units in question projecting their ZOI. If any air units ZOI is contingent upon an enemy air unit not having a ZOI and vice versa then take away the offending Japanese air ZOI. If the Allied air unit is in supply then the Japanese air unit is OOS. If not, then this situation does not apply.
B. HQs
An HQ is in supply if an unblocked supply line of any length can be traced from an appropriate Ultimate Supply Source (6.22) to the HQ. The types of hexsides that a supply line cannot be traced across (6.21A) apply to Ultimate supply sources tracing to an HQ, however this supply path can use multiple ports to enter, continue across land hexsides, and exit by port without overland or number of ports used restrictions.
6.22 Ultimate Supply Sources
Ultimate Supply Source paths are used to determine the supply status of HQs. Each hex on the East, South, and West map edges is an Allied ultimate supply source. Each Japanese controlled city hex in the Japanese Home Islands is a Japanese Ultimate Supply Source.
6.23 Emergency Supply Routes
The Hump
Play of the China Airlift (Allied #17) card establishes a supply line between Kunming and any Allied controlled supply-eligible Northern India airfield (Jarhat and Dacca). This supply line exists as long as the Allies control a supply-eligible Northern India airfield and need not be traced as specified in 6.21.
Tokyo Express
Play of the Big Tokyo Express Operation (Japanese #28) or the Tokyo Express (Japanese #44) card allows the Japanese player to place the Tokyo Express marker in play to create a temporary supply line between any one in-supply Japanese HQ and any one hex within range of that HQ for the rest of the turn. Air, ground, and naval units, not HQs, in the hex with the Tokyo Express marker are in supply for all game purposes to include re-establishing a ZOI. Nothing can sever a Tokyo Express marker supply.
The Tokyo Express marker remains in the hex it was placed into until one of three events occurs: (1) the hex becomes Allied controlled; (2) another Japanese card is played that moves the Tokyo Express marker to another location; or (3) the game turn ends. There can never be more than one Tokyo Express marker in play at any time. Tokyo Express does not affect the prerequisites for activating units.
6.24 Attrition
During the Attrition Segment, perform the following steps in order for both sides air and ground units simultaneously. HQs and Naval units are not affected by attrition:
-
Eliminate all reduced or single step air or ground units that are unsupplied, are not in a hex affected by an Emergency Supply Route (6.23), and are out of range of any friendly supplied or unsupplied HQ. For this check, enemy units, opposing ZOI, and unplayable hexsides do not block the path between the HQ and the unit.
-
Flip all full strength air and ground units that are both unsupplied and are not in a hex affected by Emergency Supply Route (6.23), to their reduced side.
Attrition is calculated and applied simultaneously, so it is possible that opposing units can mutually attrite each other. Note that units with only one side (e.g., Dutch Regiments, US Marine Wake units, CVL Hermes) are considered to be on their reduced side.
6.25 US Line of Communication
Any in supply Joint or US HQ that cannot trace a valid supply line from the East map edge Ultimate Supply Source (see 6.21; 6.22) has its efficiency rating reduced by 1 (a zero rating is possible).
6.3 Unit Activation
A unit must be activated to move (exceptions: Emergency Naval Move, Emergency Air Move, Ground Disengagement, and Retreat) or to initiate attack. For a unit to be activated it must have an activation path from the HQ being used for offensive or reaction purposes, and be in supply, possibly from Kunming or a different HQ than the one used for the activations (see 6.2).
An activation path is traced from the activating HQ to the unit being activated and can be traced across any hexside except the following:
- A water hexside of an un-neutralized enemy ZOI hex.
- Any land hexside of a hex occupied solely by an enemy ground or air unit.
Activation path length in hexes may not exceed the Command Range of HQ being used to activate units.
Unlike a supply line (6.21), an activation path can be traced across unplayable hexsides and can switch from land to sea without the need for friendly ports.
Only a single HQ per side can be used to activate units for one offensive and the number of units that may be activated depends on the OC value or logistics value of the card used and the Efficiency rating of the HQ (see 6.11).
6.4 Aircraft Zone Of Influence
All in supply air and carrier units project a 2 hex Zone Of Influence (ZOI). The ZOI is neutralized if an opposing Zone Of Influence is projected by non-LRB unit into the same hex. LRB units project ZOI like other air and carrier units, but cannot be used to neutralize enemy ZOI. Air or carrier unit ZOI is assumed to exist when checking if that unit is in supply.
EXAMPLE: Both the Japanese and Allied Air ZOI are shown. The hexes where both sides have an Air ZOI are shown as neutralized.
Out of supply air or aircraft carrier units do not have a ZOI and cannot neutralize enemy ZOIs. The supply status for determining whether a unit is in supply is determined anew every time the ZOI might have an effect (6.2). Thus, units may go out of supply and lose their ZOI (or vice versa) in middle of enemy's move. Note, however, that once a unit has been activated for an offensive, it will remain in supply until the conclusion of the offensive regardless of any other factors.
An Air ZOI from an in-supply unit is in effect at all times when the unit is stationary and during non-strategic moves (thus moving air units and carriers neutralize opposing ZOIs as they go). An air or carrier unit using strategic move loses its ZOI during the movement and regains it after it has completed the move.
A ZOI that is un-neutralized impacts several game functions:
- No unit may enter or exit a ZOI when conducting strategic movement (8.23, 8.33).
- Ground units conducting amphibious assault may not enter or exit a ZOI (8.44).
- A ZOI blocks an HQ activation range path that enters or exits the ZOI across an all water hex side (6.3).
- A ZOI blocks a supply path that enters or exits the ZOI across an all water hex side (6.21).
In addition a ZOI has two effects even when neutralized:
- Offensive units entering, exiting, or moving within reaction side's ZOI gives a -2 modifier to intelligence roll (7.25).
- Offensives unit making an amphibious landing within a ZOI of the Reaction player may allow special reaction (7.27).
A ZOI does not affect:
- Ground movement from a land hex to another land hex across a land hex side (8.42).
- Naval or air unit movement other than strategic movement (8.21, 8.31).
- An HQ activation range path that enters or exits a hex across a land hex side (6.3).
- A supply path that enters or exits a hex across a land hex side (6.21).
- An HQ range when used to maintain reduced units during the Attrition phase (6.24).
6.5 Hex Control
The last player to have a ground unit enter or pass through a hex controls the hex. Ground units that enter an unoccupied hex via ground movement gain control immediately. Ground units that enter a hex via amphibious assault (using an ASP, organic naval, or barge transport) and are not eliminated or forced to retreat in battle gain control of the hex just prior to post battle movement.
For example, during an Allied Offensive, Japanese controlled Guadalcanal (4423) is declared a battle hex and the Allies win, eliminating all Japanese ground units on Guadalcanal. The Allies have in the Guadalcanal hex US CA Northampton and 1st Marine Division, and on Espiritu Santo (4825) the 13th AF non-LRB air unit that participated in the battle. Just prior to post battle movement, the 1st Marine Division gains control of the Guadalcanal hex, making the hex legal destination for CA Northampton and 13th AF during the post battle movement.
7.0 Offensives
7.1 Offensives Overview
Offensives are the core of the game. An Offensive starts with the current Offensives player playing a Strategy card as either an Operations Card or an Event Card with logistics value. Offensives allow a player to move a variable number of units that begin within range of one HQ and to declare battle for particular hexes at the conclusion of movement.
DESIGN NOTE: There are differences, noted throughout the rules, between conducting an Offensive using OCs and ECs. An OC represents a localized action conducted with local forces. Consequently an OC Offensive can be used to declare only one battle hex. Since an OC Offensive uses less high-level command resources, it is considered more operationally secure and less likely to be discovered and intercepted by the enemy. An EC Offensive is larger in scope with superior logistic preparation. An EC Offensive can encompass any number of declared battle hexes, but the increased requirement for coordination makes operational security more challenging and is more likely to tip off the opposition.
7.2 Offensives Sequence
When an Offensive is declared, players conduct the following steps in sequence.
Step 1. The Offensives player activates supplied units within activation range of an eligible HQ (7.21). Any Offensives bonuses from the EC card that apply prior to movement are implemented (including receiving any reinforcements).
Step 2. The Offensives player moves activated units (7.22, 7.23).
Step 3. The Offensives player declares battle hexes (7.24).
Step 4. Reaction player may cancel the Offensive using a Weather Reaction Event or cancelling a unit activation from a reaction card event text (e.g., Personage 5.32 E). If the Offensive is cancelled, place all units to their starting location, remove event reinforcements, remove event replacements, and place the used Offensive card in the discard pile; return any ASPs used during the offensive; the offensive is concluded (7.28).
Step 5. Implement possible event bonuses from Offensive player's EC card that apply prior to reaction.
Step 6. If Special Reaction is possible, Reaction player may roll to attempt creating additional battle hexes via Special Reaction (7.27). If, after this, no battle hexes were declared nor created due to Special Reaction, Reaction player may play any applicable Attack Reaction cards, then skip to Step 13, Post Battle Movement.
Step 7. The Reaction player attempts to change the Offensive's Intelligence Condition by playing an appropriate Reaction card or, as an alternative, making an intelligence die roll (7.25). If, at the conclusion of this Step, the Offensive's Intelligence Condition is Surprise Attack, skip to Step 9.
Step 8. The Reaction player activates and moves units to participate in battle hexes either declared by Offensives player or created by Special Reaction (7.26).
Step 9. Reaction player may play any Attack Reaction cards.
Step 10. Implement any offensive bonuses that apply after reaction. Implement any Attack Reaction cards that apply prior to battles.
Step 11. Players resolve all battles (7.28).
Step 12. Implement any Attack Reaction cards that apply after battles.
Step 13. Players conduct post battle movement (9.6). Reaction player first, followed by the Offensive player.
Step 14. Conduct all necessary emergency naval movement (8.22) and emergency air movement (8.32).
7.21 Offensives Player Unit Activation
The Offensives player selects the in-supply HQ chosen for the offensive. A player may activate a number of units equal to the efficiency rating of the HQ being used to conduct the offensive PLUS either the OC value or the Event logistic value. The efficiency value of any HQ may be modified by lack of connection to the Eastern map edge for US and Joint HQs (6.25) or for lack of CBI infrastructure for Japanese HQs (13.79). The units to be activated must be in supply. In order to be activated, an activation path has to exist from the HQ used to the unit being activated (6.3). Inter-Service Rivalry (14.0) can also limit the units eligible to be activated.
Allied HQs have specific nationalities they can activate, unless excepted by an events card text: US (e.g., Central, South (Ghormley or Halsey), and Southwest), Commonwealth (e.g., Malaya, SEAC), or Joint (e.g. ANZAC, ABDA). The Japanese have only one type of HQ.
A. US HQs can activate US units (both Army and Navy) and Chinese units. B. Commonwealth HQs can activate Commonwealth, Chinese, and US Air units (both US Army and Marine air units). C. Joint HQs can activate any Allied unit. Note: Only Joint HQs can activate Dutch units. D. Japanese HQs can activate any Japanese unit.
7.22 Unit Movement Allowances
The distance Offensive or Reaction units may move is equal to the OC value of the Offensive card being played times the unit type's base movement allowance (naval = 5, ground = 1, air = normal/extended range). Exception: if the card is played as an EC, the event may allow unit movement greater than the OC value of the card and takes precedence.
Air units are further restricted in movement as they must end every "leg" of their movement in a friendly airbase (8.31). Naval units are limited in what hexes they can end their movement in (8.21).
7.23 Sequencing of Moves During an Offensive
When moving units during an Offensive, each stack of units should be moved to completion before another unit or stack is moved. Units may not be picked up or dropped off during movement. The major impediment to movement during an Offensive is the location of un-neutralized opposing air Zones Of Influence (ZOI). Rule 6.4 describes the ZOIs in detail and should be carefully considered when planning the move sequences during Offensives.
PLAY NOTE: Moving air and aircraft carrier units first to locations where they neutralize opposing air ZOI enables ground units to move with less restriction. Moving ground units with an aircraft carrier neutralizes opposing ZOI as the carrier is moved. Following the opposite sequence could prevent amphibious assaults or strategic movement from occurring because they could not move into un-neutralized opposing ZOI.
7.24 Declaring Battle Hexes
After all Offensive unit movement, the Offensives player declares which hex(s) are battle hexes. Any hex that contains Offensive and Reaction units (including HQs) must be declared a battle hex. Hexes that contain Reaction units only, but are in range of activated Offensives player air and carrier units that are not taking part in other battles may be declared battle hexes. Non-coastal hexes in China may not be declared as battle hexes.
On the play of an OC a player can declare one battle hex. Note that more than one battle may occur on the play of an OC due to possible Special Reactions (7.27) by the Reaction player. On the play of an EC a player can declare as many battle hexes as desired. For each declared battle hex, the Offensives player must state which units will participate in the battle for that hex. No unit may participate in more than one battle per Offensive (however, as noted below, a unit may be required to switch battle hexes in certain circumstances as a result of Special Reaction). All units in a battle hex must take part in that battle.
Every carrier unit that did not end its move in a friendly port must be either declared to participate in a battle hex within its range or to cover a friendly ground unit making an amphibious assault on an empty enemy controlled hex. If the assigned covered hex becomes a battle hex via Special Reaction, the carrier must take part in that battle. Any carriers that ended their move in a friendly port hex and any activated air units that are not participating in a declared battle hex may (but are not required to) be assigned to cover a battle hex within their range the same way.
7.25 Offensive Intelligence Condition Determination
The intelligence condition for an Offensive is the same for all battle hexes during that Offensive. This procedure is not conducted individually for each battle hex. Consequently, if the reaction player is successful in changing the intelligence condition, this affects all declared battle hexes for the offensive.
A. The intelligence condition of the Offensive is by default Surprise Attack.
B. The Reaction player must attempt to change the intelligence condition by doing one of two things. First, the Reaction player could choose to play a Reaction card that specifies the intelligence condition as Intercept or Ambush. The play of a Reaction card supersedes the intelligence condition specified by a Strategy card. If more than one Reaction card is played and both intercept and ambush intelligence conditions are specified, the intelligence condition becomes ambush.
C. Second, if (but only if) the Reaction player did not play a card and the Offensive card did not specifically call for surprise attack, the Reaction player must make an intelligence die roll. An intelligence die roll can change the intelligence condition from Surprise Attack to Intercept (never to Ambush, which can only be done through the play of a Reaction card). Once the Reaction player makes an intelligence die roll, it precludes the ability to play a Reaction card to change the intelligence condition unless the Reaction card text specifically allows it. The Reaction player may only make one intelligence die roll per Offensive.
D. The Intelligence die roll procedure is as follows. The card used to initiate the Offensive has an OC and possibly an EC intelligence value. If the Offense was initiated by the OC value of the card, then use the OC intelligence value. If the Offensive was initiated by an EC Offensive, then use the EC intelligence value. If the die roll is equal to or less than the appropriate Offensive card intelligence value (modified, if applicable per 7.25.E below), then the die roll is successful and the intelligence condition for the Offensive is intercept. If the die roll is greater than the specified value, then the roll is not successful, and the intelligence condition for the Offensive is surprise attack.
E. There is one way in which the intelligence die roll may be modified. If at any time during the movement of any of the Offensives player's units, those units move into, through, or exit an opposing air ZOI (whether neutralized or not), the reaction player subtracts 2 from their intelligence die roll. However, an unmodified die roll of 9 is always considered a failed die roll and a surprise attack result, regardless of any die roll modifier.
PLAY NOTE: Air/Carrier units that are activated within an enemy ZOI that do not move and declare a battle hex from that location do not trigger the intelligence die roll modifier. It is only triggered if a ZOI has been entered, moved into, through or exited.
7.26 Reaction Move
If the intelligence condition is Surprise Attack there is no Reaction move and the Offensives player immediately resolves all battles initiated by the Offensive after the Reaction player has had an opportunity to play attack reaction cards. If the intelligence condition is Intercept or Ambush, the reaction player may designate one (and only one) in-supply HQ as the reacting HQ, which may activate units to react to battles. There must be at least one declared battle hex within range of this HQ (this range cannot be blocked by any means); if there are no such HQs, no reaction is possible. Any units the reacting HQ activates may join any declared battle that they can reach, including those that are out of range of the reacting HQ.
The Reaction player may activate a number of units equal to the HQ's efficiency rating plus the defender's logistics value. If a Counteroffensive Reaction card was played, the defender's logistics value is the Counteroffensive's logistics value. Else, it is the OC value of the Offensives player's Strategy card (regardless of whether it was played as an OC or an EC). The Reaction HQ may only activate units that are in supply and have an activation path from the HQ. The activation path for reaction can be traced into (and through) a declared battle hex even if it contains enemy units.
All units that the Reaction player activates must participate in a declared battle. Any unit that cannot be moved such that it can participate in a battle may not be activated. Reaction units that are in a battle hex may be activated. Reaction player is not obligated to activate any units just because the intelligence condition is Intercept or Ambush. All restrictions that govern Offensive activation apply to Reaction activation.
No more than one ASP may be used during Reaction movement. The use of Organic Naval Unit Transport (8.46) is not constrained during Reaction movement. The Reaction player may not use strategic movement. Activated air and carrier units may use Reaction movement to leave a battle hex before combat is resolved, but if they do so, they must still participate in the battle in the hex they departed from. Other units that start in battle hex must remain in the battle hex even if activated.
7.27 Special Reaction (SR) Move
If an opposing ground unit ends its Offensive move in an unoccupied Reaction player controlled city, Resource hex, port, or airfield hex that is within range of a Reaction HQ and in a Reaction aircraft Zone Of Influence (whether neutralized or not), the Reaction player may attempt a Special Reaction on such hex(es). To make this Special Reaction the Reaction player must make a successful intelligence die roll (play of a Reaction card cannot be used; however the -2 ZOI modifier applies). If the roll is successful, the hex is declared a battle hex. This can occur whether the Offensives player declared a battle hex (or hexes) or not. If more than one hex is eligible for Special Reaction, separate roll must be done for each hex.
Hexes entered solely via ground movement alone are not eligible for Special Reaction. If a Special Reaction possibility occurs on a surprise attack EC event, use the OC intelligence value. Special Reaction by itself does not change the intelligence condition.
Any air and carrier units assigned to cover the landing where the new battle hex was created take part in that battle. If the newly created battle hex contains an air or carrier unit that was declared to take part in another battle within range and the enemy reacts into the hex then these air/carrier units will switch and resolve combat in the battle hex they occupy. Reacting units that attack this hex at range do not cause this to happen, there must be a reaction unit physically in the newly created battle hex.
It is possible that if the unit's original battle hex has no other participating offensive units then there is no combat resolution in that location, but it still remains a battle hex and any units committed to that battle hex remain committed to a battle hex without combat resolution. Per the rules any reaction units in the original battle hex cannot participate in any other battles although if activated they can conduct Post Battle Movement. This situation where a declared battle hex does not experience combat resolution can occur in other ways such as a successful submarine attack eliminating all offensive units prior to combat resolution.
EXAMPLE: The US SF Brigade uses Amphibious Assault to enter Hollandia and the 5th non-LRB AF supports the SF Brigade landing. The next unit moved is the CV Enterprise that moves into the Hollandia hex and declares it is attacking the Japanese air unit at two hex range in Biak. After offensive movement the Japanese using special reaction with the air units ZOI successfully creates a battle hex in Hollandia, then successfully changes the intelligence condition to intercept. During reaction activation/movement the Japanese air unit activates but remains in Biak, while the BB Yamato enters Hollandia. The CV Enterprise now switches to the Hollandia battle hex and in conjunction with the 5th AF air unit conducts air-naval combat with the Yamato. The Yamato scores 18 hits and flips the CV Enterprise and the Allies score 11 hits, insufficient to damage the Yamato. As the Yamato's strength of 18 equals the Allied 18 factors, the invasion fails. Biak remains a battle hex precluding the Japanese air unit from participating in another battle. All activated units then conduct Post Battle movement.
7.28 Battle and Concluding the Offensive
Each battle is resolved as per the requirements of rule 9.0. After this, all activated units, Reaction player first, conduct post battle movement (9.6). At this time the offensive is concluded and the other player plays a Strategy card or the Offensives phase is concluded if both players are out of cards.
PLAY NOTE: Remember, even units that do not participate in battles can conduct post battle movement.
7.29 Future Offensives
Once per game turn each player may designate one Strategy card to be held over for a future game turn to conduct an Offensive, event, or a reaction. A player may never have more than one card designated as a Future Offensives card at any given time. A player cannot designate a card as a future offensive card if one is currently designated. To designate a Future Offensives card, the player, as the play of a strategy card, takes the card and places it face down next to the map and places the Future Offensives marker on top of the card to indicate its status. This is that player's action and play alternates to the other player. A Future Offensive card is not counted for hand size purposes or initiative purposes.
A. Future Offensive Card Play to Win Initiative
If, at the start of the Offensives phase, a player has fewer cards than the opposing player, that player can win the initiative and go first by playing the Future Offensive card as the first card. In this case, the Future Offensive card must be played as an EC Offensive.
B. Future Offensive Card During the Offensives Phase
A Strategy card cannot be played as a future offensive in the same game turn in which it was designated as a Future Offensive card, nor as the last card played by the owning player during an Offensives Phase. A Future Offensive card cannot be discarded to fulfill an event discard requirement. Other than these restrictions, a Future Offensive card may be played any time a player could normally play a strategy card.
A player may keep the same Future Offensive card for multiple turns. The only drawback of doing this is that another card cannot be designated as a future offensive card as long as the current future offensive designated card has not been used. Note: Any card except Special Event cards Tojo Resigns and Manchurian Offensive may be played as a Future Offensives card.
8.0 Movement and Stacking
8.1 Base Movement Allowance
The distance a unit may move during an Offensive or Reaction is based on the unit type's base movement allowance times the OC value of the Offensive card or an EC text that supersedes the OC value. All units have a base movement allowance. This Base Movement Allowance is:
GROUND: 1 movement point.
NAVAL: 5 movement points.
AIR: Equal to the unit's range in movement points. If two ranges are on the counter, use either value. EXCEPTION: Some units have a parenthetical extended range. If a player uses the parenthetical extended range, the air unit cannot participate in a battle. To use an air unit with a parenthetical extended range in a battle, the unit would have to be moved using the normal range.
8.11 Movement through Enemy-Occupied Hexes
During movement, air and naval units can move through hexes occupied by enemy units. Ground units conducting Strategic Ground Transport or Amphibious Assault are treated as naval units for purposes of this rule except that to enter or move through a hex with an enemy naval unit, they must be moving as part of a stack with a naval unit.
A ground unit moving by ground movement can move through hexes occupied solely by enemy naval units, provided they are not already declared battle hexes. Ground unit must end its move if entering hex containing enemy air, ground, or HQ unit, or a declared battle hex.
PLAY NOTE: The time scale in Empire of the Sun is very large and units moving through enemy occupied hexes during an offensive is intended and a common occurrence. This is very different from most wargames and is often questioned during the initial playthrough. The movement of naval and air forces is temporal as they move to a fight whereas ground units entering a space with an enemy ground unit cease movement as this represents two ground units with spatial presence running into each other. Air and HQ units are considered to include base security units that force a ground unit entering their hex to stop the advance to secure the area, though they are not strong enough to warrant combat resolution effect.
8.2 Naval Unit Movement and Stacking
In the game naval units can move through hexes occupied by enemy units. In effect, the naval movement rules represent a real-life situation where naval units are in constant motion and occupy a common hex only as an artifact of the hexgrid system and the game sequence.
8.21 Naval Movement
A naval unit expends one movement point for each hex entered. The player moves one unit or one stack of units at a time, and must complete the movement of a stack or single unit before beginning the movement of another. Naval units may enter any hex via a water hexside so long as it is not via an unplayable ocean hex. Naval units may never cross an all land hex side. Certain land hexes in the game have two hex sides of coastline separated by an un-crossable land mass. In these cases one of these coastlines has graphically been shown to be unplayable ocean. Naval units may not enter a hex through an unplayable ocean hexside.
EXAMPLE: Hex 2220 Soerabaja cannot be entered by a naval unit from hexes 2119, 2120, or 2221, but could be entered from hexes 2219, 2319, and 2320.
Naval units can normally enter and move through un-neutralized opposing ZOI, but may not do so if they are moving with a ground unit conducting amphibious assault or are conducting strategic naval movement. Carriers at sea neutralize enemy Zones of Influence during normal movement, but not do so while using Strategic Naval Movement.
Naval units must end their movement either in a hex with enemy units (see examples A and B in the Naval Movement illustration), or in a hex from which friendly carrier naval units and non-carrier units they are stacked with may participate in a battle (example C), or in a hex containing a friendly port (example D), or in (or in range of) enemy controlled hex that contains a friendly ground unit that entered via amphibious assault (example E). This option is valid only if the enemy hex is unoccupied (no battle hex created) and the ground unit was in the hex prior to the moment the naval unit ends its move. It is permitted for a carrier naval unit to arrive prior to the ground unit projecting its AZOI over an unoccupied location only if it meets the conditions in 8.21 examples A-D. Lastly a non carrier naval unit can end its move in an unoccupied hex IF it is a Japanese naval unit employing organic transport to move a ground unit to that location (8.46).
Naval units must end post battle movement (9.6) in a friendly port. If a naval unit, after post battle movement cannot end an Offensive in a friendly controlled port hex for any reason, it is eliminated. Note that Offensive and Reaction units are subject to different restrictions as to whether they must end post battle movement in supply or not.
8.22 Emergency Naval Move
If, during an offensive or during the Political phase (through National Surrender), a player gains control of a hex which contains opposing naval units that were not active, the naval units must make an emergency naval move. If the change of control occurred during offensive, the move occurs after the conclusion of the offensive. If it occurs during Political phase, the move occurs at the end of the phase.
In an emergency naval move, the Naval units are placed (not moved) to a friendly port within 10 hexes (in hex distance without regard to terrain). If more than one friendly port is within range, the owning player chooses the port to which the units are moved. Opposing air Zones Of Influence have no effect on an emergency naval move. If no friendly port is within ten hexes, then the naval units are eliminated.
EXAMPLE: When the Philippines surrenders, the US Asiatic CA naval unit is in the Leyte hex. The CA is placed in any friendly port within 10 hexes, such as hex 2220 Soerabaja.
8.23 Strategic Naval Movement
An Offensives naval unit only may move twice the movement point value allowed by an Offensive if it moves from a friendly port to another friendly port. A naval unit that uses strategic naval movement cannot enter a battle or enter an un-neutralized opposing air Zone Of Influence, nor can it use post battle movement. A Carrier unit using strategic naval movement does not exert a Zone Of Influence during its move, nor does it neutralize opposing Zones Of Influence. The unit regains is ZOI immediately after it has ended its move.
8.24 Naval Unit Stacking
During an Offensive or battle, any number of naval units may be stacked in a hex. When not conducting an Offensive or battle, no more than 6 naval units of one player of any type (CV, BB, CA, etc.) may be in the same hex. If there are overstacked units, the owning player removes the excess naval units from play until the hex is within the stacking limits. If the naval units were in supply when so removed, they are placed on the game turn record track to be returned to play during the next turn as reinforcements (which cannot be delayed). If the overstacked naval units were out of supply, they are eliminated.
8.3 Air Movement and Stacking
In the game air units can move through hexes occupied by enemy units. In effect, the air movement rules represent a real-life situation where air units are in constant motion and occupy a common hex only as an artifact of the hexgrid system and the game sequence.
8.31 Air Movement
An air unit moves in increments, or "legs," each equal to or less than its extended range (the larger range value), or normal range for units that do not have an extended range or do not wish to use it. The number of legs allowed depends on the OC-value of the Offensives card used. An air unit must land in a friendly controlled hex that has an airfield at the end of each leg of movement. Air units may not end their movement in a hex with enemy ground unit even if the hex is still friendly controlled, but may use this friendly airfield in such a hex between two legs. The player moves one unit or one stack of units at a time, and must complete the movement of a stack or single unit before beginning the movement of another.
Air unit may not enter a battle hex. However, an air unit that is in a hex at the moment it is declared a battle hex is not obliged to move out prior to battle. To participate in a battle, an air unit must occupy a friendly hex with an airfield within range of the battle or be in the battle hex itself. An air unit with an extended range in parentheses that uses its extended range at any point in its movement cannot participate in a battle. Consequently, Reaction air units with a parenthetical extended range can only react with their normal range. Air units that move out of a battle hex in a Reaction move must participate in combat resolution in that battle hex, even though they have left it.
8.32 Emergency Air Move
If, during an Offensive or during the Political phase (through National Surrender), a player gains control of a hex which contains opposing air units that were not active, the air units must make an emergency air move. If the change of control occurred during Offensive, the move occurs after the conclusion of the offensive. If it occurs during Political phase, the move occurs at the end of the phase.
If there is a friendly airfield within normal or extended range, the air unit is placed, not moved, to that location. If more than one airfield meets this condition, the owning player chooses the airfield to which the units are moved. If no friendly airfield is within range then the air units are eliminated. An air unit may use its parenthesized extended range for Emergency Air Movement, even if it participated in a battle.
EXAMPLE: The Japanese attack, capture, and gain control over Wake Island, but the Marine air unit has not been eliminated. Since there is no friendly airfield within 4 hexes of Wake Island, the air unit is eliminated. If the air unit had been a US long range air unit with a range of 6 hexes, then the air unit could have been placed on Midway (assuming it was Allied controlled), which is within 6 hexes of Wake.
8.33 Strategic Air Transport
Offensive air units may conduct strategic transport during an Offensive by moving up to twice their normal number of legs from an airfield to another friendly airfield. As an example, a US air unit with an extended range of four is activated on an Offensive with a 2 OC value. If the air unit were to use Air Strategic Transport it could move up to 4 legs of 4 hexes each, but each leg must end in a friendly airfield. At no time during its movement can the air unit enter an un-neutralized opposing Aircraft Zone Of Influence. The unit cannot participate in a battle during the offensive that it uses strategic transport. An air unit using strategic air movement does not exert a Zone Of Influence during its move, nor does it neutralize opposing Zones Of Influence. The unit regains is ZOI immediately after it has ended its move.
A second form of strategic transport is available for air units. Any time the Offensives player activates an air unit; he may choose to remove the air unit to the game turn track. The removed air unit returns to play from the game turn track during the next reinforcement phase (it cannot be delayed), under the normal rules for the placement of reinforcements.
8.34 Air Unit Stacking
During an offensive or battle, any number of air units may be stacked in a hex. Stacking is evaluated at the conclusion of any strategy card play whether it was played as an offensive or event. No more than three friendly air and/or ground units (of any size) may be stacked in a hex. If there are overstacked units, the owning player removes the excess units, air units first, from play until the hex is within the stacking limits. If the units were in supply when so removed, they are placed on the game turn record track to be returned to play the turn after the next turn as reinforcements (which cannot be delayed). If the overstacked units were out of supply, they are eliminated.
Note that several pairs of US air units and the Commonwealth SEAC air units have the same unit designations, but one of these air units will always be a Long Range Bomber air unit while the other is not. Two air units with the same designation count as one unit for stacking purposes, but not for any other purpose (e.g., there are two US 7th Air Force air units).
8.35 Air Ferry in Hex 5408
The airfield in this hex represents the ability of Allied air units (only) to use this location as an airfield for "landing leg" increment purposes when moving on to another location. At no time may an air or ground unit end its move in this hex. Presence of a Japanese naval unit in this hex during an Offensive temporarily neutralizes this ability.
8.4 Ground Unit Movement and Stacking
Ground units have three ways of moving: ground movement, amphibious assault, and strategic movement (ground units may also disengage in response to movement by the other player). A ground unit may use only one type of movement (i.e., ground, amphibious, strategic) during any given Offensive sequence. Mixing movement types during the same Offensive is not permitted. The player moves one unit or one stack of units at a time, and must complete the movement of a stack or single unit before beginning the movement of another.
Ground units may use ground movement to move from a land hex to another land hex across a land hex side expending a variable number of movement points for each hex entered. (8.42)
Additionally, ground units have two ways to move across ocean hex sides. The first is Strategic Ground Transport, which allows amphibious assault capable ground units to move from a friendly coastal hex (with or without a port) to a friendly supply eligible port (8.44). The second is actual amphibious assault, and allows amphibious capable ground units to move from a friendly coastal hex (with or without a port) to any other coastal hex, which can contain enemy ground units (8.45).
8.41 Movement Restrictions
A. Japanese ground units may not enter non-coastal Chinese hexes (for example, Japanese land units in hex 2508 [Yungning] cannot move directly to hexes 2408 or 2507 by normal ground movement). Allied units in non-coastal China may not be attacked.
DESIGN NOTE: Only Chinese CBI forces are in the game.
B. Japanese ground units may enter Northern India or Ceylon, but may move no further into India. See the National boundary definitions. Japanese air and naval units may attack Allied units in any portion of India.
C. No ground or air units may enter Soviet territory for any reason. If there is no other choice the unit is permanently removed from play.
D. No Allied ground units, except Chinese ground units, may enter non-coastal China hexes.
E. Chinese ground units can only operate in Burma, Northern India, Kunming, and all hexes adjacent to Kunming. Chinese units that are forced to move into any other land hex are eliminated.
8.42 Ground Movement
A ground unit spends a variable number of movement points to enter a land hex. The movement must be across ground hexsides. A ground unit spends 1 movement point to enter an open terrain hex, 3 movement points to enter a mountain hex, and 2 movement points to enter all other terrain types. A ground unit may not enter a hex if it has insufficient movement points to do so. This means that during low value OC Offensives, ground units may be unable to conduct ground movement.
A unit entering a hex that contains no enemy air or ground units via a transport route (see map key) spends half a movement point. A ground unit during reaction movement may move via a transport route, but may not enter a hex using the transport route movement rate if an enemy ground unit is present. A hex with No Transport Route marker (see 13.77) cannot be moved to or from using the transport route cost.
A ground unit using ground movement must cease movement when it enters a hex containing opposing land or air units or an opposing HQ, but it is not inhibited by the presence of naval units. A ground unit may not exit a declared battle hex and must stop if entering one.
8.43 Ground Disengagement
The Reaction player's ground unit(s) may move from a hex containing an opposing Offensives ground unit(s) that just entered the hex if all of the following conditions apply:
- The unit(s) can move to a hex that is not the one from which the opposing unit(s) entered the hex and that contains no opposing units.
- The Reaction player's attack strength in the hex is greater than (not equal to) that of the opposing unit(s) in the hex.
If a successful ground disengagement occurs, the disengaging unit(s) are moved into a valid adjacent hex (regardless of MP cost) and the moving unit may continue to move if it has remaining movement points.
8.44 Strategic Ground Transport
An Amphibious Assault Capable ground unit may move from a coastal hex (with or without a port) to a friendly port a distance equal to the distance a friendly naval unit in the current offensive may move. Since a naval unit can move twice its movement allowance if it moves from a friendly port to a friendly port, a ground unit conducting Strategic Ground Transport that starts its move in a friendly port may also double its movement allowance.
The path of the move may not enter an un-neutralized opposing Aircraft Zone Of Influence and may not end the move in a hex with an enemy unit. The ground unit must finish its movement in a friendly port. A given ground unit may not combine Strategic Ground Transport with other forms of movement in the same offensive. Note that strategic ground transport does not require the use of amphibious shipping points (ASPs).
A port captured using ground movement during the Offensive counts as a friendly port and can be used during the offensive for Strategic Ground Transport. However, a hex entered solely via Amphibious Assault converts to friendly control just prior to post battle movement and is thus unavailable as a destination for Strategic Transport.
DESIGN NOTE: This is an administrative naval movement using slow troop transports, which is why it does not use an ASP.
8.45 Amphibious Assault (Offensive and Reaction)
All Japanese, US, Commonwealth British (except Armor Brigade), Australian, and New Zealand ground units are Amphibious Assault capable. Dutch, Indian, and Chinese units are not and may not use Amphibious Assault or strategic transport.
A ground unit that moves in this manner may move from any coastal hex (with or without a port) to any coastal hex (with or without a port) a distance equal to the distance a naval unit in the current offensive may move. An Amphibious Assault never doubles the distance it may move, even if it enters a friendly port at the conclusion of its move.
An amphibious assault may enter any non-mountain coastal hex (exception: Port Moresby, hex 3823, can be amphibiously assaulted even though it is a mountain hex) whether or not it contains enemy ground units. Note that Event cards that restrict the activation of naval units do not prevent amphibious units from using amphibious assault, and that Inter-service rivalry being in effect does not prevent Army units (Japanese or US) from using amphibious assault movement.
A. Amphibious Assault ASP Requirements (Offensive and Reaction)
One Amphibious Shipping Point (ASP) is used by each ground unit of division size (XX) or smaller that conducts an Amphibious Assault. Each Corps or Army sized unit (XXX or XXXX) uses one ASP for each step (e.g., a reduced Corps or Army sized unit requires one ASP and a full strength Corps or Army unit requires two ASP). Exception: The Japanese Korean Army costs two ASP, not 1 ASP, per step (e.g., A full strength Korean Army costs 4 ASP to move by Amphibious Assault).
An amphibious shipping point can be used only once per game turn. Note its use by moving the Amphibious Shipping Used marker on the Strategic Record. If insufficient amphibious shipping points are available, the units for which there are insufficient ASPs cannot conduct Amphibious Assault.
Important: During Reaction no more than one ASP may be used for Reaction movement. This has no effect on Japanese organic transport (8.46), as this type of movement does not use an ASP.
B. Amphibious Assault Restrictions (Offensive and Reaction)
The path taken by the Amphibious Assault ground unit(s) may not enter or exit a hex that currently contains an opposing naval unit (active or inactive), unless the assaulting unit moves with a friendly naval unit escort for its entire length of its movement. An Amphibious Assault unit may not enter or exit a hex within an un-neutralized opposing aircraft Zone Of Influence.
Important: If Amphibious Assault ground unit(s) are without an accompanying friendly naval unit and opposing naval forces of any type end their movement in the battle hex as part of reaction movement, the amphibiously assaulting units are turned back. Each ground unit takes a one step loss and does not take part in the battle in the hex. If there are no units taking part in the battle after this, the battle is considered lost by the offensives player and cancelled. Any amphibiously attacking unit not eliminated must conduct post battle movement from the hex.
PLAY NOTE: Moving an amphibious force with an aircraft carrier unit always neutralizes opposing Aircraft Zones of Influence throughout the move. Additionally, positioning a CV in a position that neutralizes an opposing air Zone Of Influence prior to moving the amphibious assault unit allows the Amphibious Assault unit to move through the area.
DESIGN NOTE: Amphibious Assault is the use of specialized naval units to conduct the amphibious invasions that were the hallmark of the Pacific War. The movement through opposing units is very restrictive on purpose. Invasions cannot bypass opposing locations that contain active naval and air forces.
Ground unit Amphibious Assault into an empty enemy controlled hex: A ground unit using amphibious assault into an empty enemy controlled hex may NOT use naval escort, especially carriers to neutralize enemy AZOI, for its entire movement. Subsequent to this amphibious assault friendly naval units may end their movement in or within range of this location to support the invasion (8.21 Example E) against an enemy special reaction (7.27) but note SR exception shown in example whereby a carrier in the hex attacking another location will switch battle hexes due to enemy reaction (7.27 Example).
C. Concluding Amphibious Assault (Offensive Only)
If at the conclusion of battle resolution containing an amphibious assault, the Offensive amphibious assaulting ground unit(s) are not in a friendly controlled hex (e.g., the assaulting forces lost the air-naval or ground battle), the Offensive amphibious assaulting unit(s) only may conduct post battle movement like a naval unit, but must end their movement in a friendly port or coastal hex. If this is not possible, the Amphibious Assaulting unit(s) are eliminated.
D. US Army Amphibious Assault Special Restrictions
There is a special restriction for US Army ground units. They may only conduct amphibious assault movement into a Japanese controlled and occupied one hex island if they end their movement in a hex containing a US Marine unit that also just completed amphibious assault movement into that hex. In all other circumstances, the presence of a US Marine unit is not required for a US Army unit to conduct Amphibious Assault. Nor are there any restrictions on US Army ground units for amphibious assaults on multi-hex islands or during Reaction.
DESIGN NOTE: Besides Marine units whose raison d'etre is amphibious assault, many Allied army units were trained in this operational art during the war. The US Army restriction maintains the role the US Marines had in late war amphibious invasions, although there were some solely Army invasions during the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns.
8.46 Japanese Organic Naval Unit Transport Capability
The Japanese have five brigade sized land units (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th SN and the SS). These units can conduct amphibious assault by either using one amphibious shipping point per unit, or they can conduct amphibious assault by beginning the offensive stacked with and moving their entire move with a CA, CL, or APD naval unit at no cost in amphibious shipping points. Each naval unit of these types, at either reduced or full strength, can move one of these five brigade sized units. If the naval unit is eliminated prior to Ground Combat resolution, the ground unit it was transporting is also eliminated and does not land. If the naval unit loses a step there is no effect on the transported unit.
EXAMPLE: On the December '41 game turn, the Japanese CA Aoba can enable the South Seas (SS Brigade) detachment to conduct Amphibious Assault by moving as a stack from Truk to Rabaul, New Britain. Units transporting and units to be transported must start the move in the same location.
PLAY NOTE: There are only a handful of naval and ground unit combinations that can conduct this type of move, but it is a useful way to cheaply capture unoccupied opposing bases, especially early in the war.
8.47 Japanese Barges
When the Japanese play the Japanese Barge event, the Japanese flip their ASP marker onto its Barges side and the Barges marker should be placed near the Japanese player. During any Offensive (only, not for a Reaction) that has a 3 OC value card (even if played as an Event), the Japanese can move 1 ground unit of any size as an amphibious assault at the cost of zero ASP, across one all sea hex side as its entire move. This move can initiate a battle, and is treated like any other amphibious assault. If forced to retreat, the Offensives unit uses barge movement to return to its original hex. The Japanese lose this capability or have it superseded for the remainder of the game by the play of the Allied PT Boat event card.
8.48 Ground Unit Stacking
During an offensive or battle, any number of ground units may be stacked in a hex. Stacking is evaluated at the conclusion of any strategy card play whether it was played as an offensive or event. No more than three friendly air and/or ground units (of any size) may be stacked in a hex. If there are overstacked units, the owning player removes the excess units from play, air units first, until the hex is within the stacking limits. If the units were in supply when so removed, they are placed on the game turn record track to be returned to play two turns later as reinforcements (which cannot be delayed). If the overstacked units were out of supply, they are eliminated.
8.49 British Armor Brigade
The Allied player can receive the 7th Armor Brigade through the play of an event card. The 7th Armor Brigade may not use Amphibious Assault, but may use Strategic Ground transport. The 7th Armor Brigade may not enter Mountain Hexes except via a transportation route or Strategic Ground transport.
9.0 Battle Resolution
Each battle is conducted in two steps: first Air & Naval combat is resolved, and then Ground combat is resolved. There are two separate combat results tables, air/naval and ground. Although both types of combat use similar procedures, they use different die roll modifiers.
9.1 Who Participates in Battle
All units in the battle hex must participate in that battle. No unit of either player can participate in more than one battle per Offensive.
9.11 Air and Aircraft Carrier Units in Battle
Activated air and aircraft carrier units can participate in a battle if they are within their air range of the battle hex. An air/carrier unit that is in a battle hex must participate in that battle and cannot participate in another battle that is within its range. If a Reaction player air/carrier unit starts its Reaction in a battle hex and reacts out of the hex, it must still participate in that battle even though it is now not in the battle hex.
Carrier units that did not end their movement in a friendly port hex must either take part in a battle or be assigned to cover an amphibious landing on an empty enemy-controlled hex.
9.12 Naval Units in Battle
Activated non-aircraft carrier naval units that enter the battle hex add their naval strengths into the total air-naval combat value. Non-aircraft carrier naval units that are not in a battle hex, but in a hex with an aircraft carrier naval unit participating in a battle hex, do not use their combat value in battle resolution, but their presence with the aircraft carriers makes them part of the losses procedure. Aircraft carrier units that are within their air range of the battle hex, including actually residing in the battle hex, always add their combat value to the air-naval combat.
9.13 Ground Units in Battle
All ground units in a declared battle hex must participate in the ground combat portion of the battle. Offensive ground units that enter a battle hex through amphibious assault only participate in the ground portion of the battle if their side wins the air-naval battle. If the Offensives player loses the air-naval battle (does not affect Reaction ground units) and there is a mix of units that entered the hex through ground movement and amphibious assault, only the ground units that entered by ground movement participate in the ground battle. Reaction ground units that enter a battle hex via amphibious assault participate in the ground portion of the battle regardless of the air-naval battle outcome; exception 8.46 Organic Transport.
9.14 Supply in Battle
Supply has no effect on battle resolution. Its effects are accounted for in the Attrition Phase of the turn and in activation limitations.
DESIGN NOTE: Combat in Empire of the Sun is not intended to be an operational or tactical analysis of air, naval, and ground interactions in the Pacific. The goal is to reward the player for bringing a balanced mix of forces, which, in combination with good intelligence, bring superior firepower to bear, while achieving an historical loss rate. Surface naval units that are stacked with aircraft carriers, but not physically located in the battle hex, reflect escorts, whose defense values protect the carriers, but do not contribute to surface combat, which is why their combat values are not applied offensively. Also, the fact that surface ships in the battle hex can apply their hits to units that are within range of, but not in the battle hex, is an abstraction that reflects a surface action that occurs in the vicinity of the battle hex between those forces. However, as long as carriers are not in the battle hex, it requires the presence of opposing air or carrier units (on a one for one basis) in order for them to take battle damage.
The system will recreate the outcomes from the campaigns fought during the war, but due to the strategic level of play, will give little insight, except at that macro level, into why the outcomes were achieved. Combat tends to be bloody, given the time scale and the attritional nature of much of the conflict that is below the scale of the game, but must be accounted for through this mechanism. It should also be noted that some battles actually represent a series of battles. For example a large naval battle in the Guadalcanal hex could represent all of the losses taken in the Battles of Eastern Solomon, Santa Cruz, and Guadalcanal. A game with more granularity and detail than Empire of the Sun is required for a more cause and effect view of Pacific War combat resolution.
9.2 The Air Naval Combat Procedure
A. Both sides add up their activated air and naval attack strength in the battle hex and add any activated air, CV, CVL, CVE units that are taking part in the battle from outside the hex. The Reaction player also adds in the strengths of any inactive naval and air units that are in the battle hex, even if they remained inactive after reaction activation. In air naval combat, air units that are using their non-parenthetical extended range in battle halve their attack strengths (round up) in combat (at normal range they are full strength, even if they used extended range to move during the offensive). Air units with parenthetical extended range cannot use extended range either to join the battle or to move during an offensive where they take part in battle.
This sum of attack strength is the total attack strength that is modified in the following steps.
DESIGN NOTE: Land based air units that are operating at extended range are using their two engine aircraft only. This reduces their combat potential due to the lack of their shorter ranged fighters and the fact that bomb loads are reduced at longer ranges. LRB units have factored into their combat ratings their basic ineffectiveness against naval units and the fact that the Pacific theater for the most part had sparse infrastructure targets that were not easy to damage with high altitude bombing. The Strategic bombing campaign against Japan is handled as a separate procedure.
Player Note on calculating combat strength: In order to avoid players counting factors, the game system gives equal weight to all factors brought into a battle. The flip side of this is that there are times that you must sum a string of small numbers that add up to a large value, occasionally in excess of one hundred. To avoid the need for having a calculator handy we have created a graphical abacus. There are two US Stars (dark blue and a lighter blue) that can be used in conjunction with the Strategic record track. To use this, designate one counter as a 1s (lighter blue) and another as a 10s (darker blue). Physically move the ones counter one box for each available combat factor, moving the 10 counter one space forward each time ten combat factors have been counted. When you are finished you will have a direct read out of the total number of combat factors. We have also supplied a number matrix to handle the CRT combat multiplier calculation. Between these two techniques a player can make the occasional larger calculation without a calculator. Also feel free to do these mathematical operations in your head, or, should you desire, use a calculator.
B. Roll a die (modifying as appropriate) for each player to determine the combat effectiveness rating. Each player's total attack strength times effectiveness rating results in the total hits made by the player.
Die Roll Modifiers
- Ambush: Allies +4
- Surprise Attack: +3
- 1943 game turn: +1 for the Allied player if any US air or aircraft carrier units are present.
- 1944 or 1945 game turn: +3 for the Allied player if any US air or aircraft carrier units are present.
- Event Modifier: + any battle modifiers specified by an EC. Note: Some event cards have special battle modifiers.
DESIGN NOTE: Modifiers 3 and 4 reflect the growing technological superiority of US aircraft and improved combat doctrine.
Air Naval Combat Results Table
Modified 1D10 Die Roll = Combat Effectiveness Rating
| Modified Die Roll | Combat Effectiveness Rating |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | One Quarter (.25) (round up if required) |
| 3, 4, 5 | One Half (.5) (round up if required) |
| 6, 7, 8 | One (1) |
| 9 | One* (1*) |
| 9 or greater | One (1) |
* = If the die roll was a 9 before any required modification, then that side has achieved a critical hit in addition to receiving a one result. See 9.2.F.6.
C. If the intelligence condition was Intercept, both players simultaneously apply a number of hits equal to their combat effectiveness rating times their total air-naval strength.
EXAMPLE: The Allied player has a 12 attack strength CV unit, a 4 attack strength LRB unit, a 10 attack strength air unit at normal range, a 10 attack strength air unit at extended range, and a 16 attack strength BB unit in the battle hex. The Allied strength total would be 47 (12+4+10+5+16). The intelligence condition is intercept, so there is no die roll modifier. On a roll of 2 or less, 12 hits would be assessed against Japanese units, on a die roll of 3-5, 24 hits would be assessed, and on a roll of 6 or greater, 47 hits would be assessed.
D. If the intelligence condition was surprise attack, the Offensives player applies all hits first. Surviving Reaction player units in the battle hex then calculate their combat strength, make a die roll on the CRT, and apply any hits to the Offensives player's units.
E. If the intelligence condition was ambush (only possible on the play of a reaction card), the Reaction player applies all hits first. Only surviving Offensives player units then calculate a result and apply hits to the Reaction player's units.
F. How to Apply Hits. The player who rolled the die applies all hits against opposing units. Hits can be applied to units participating in the battle and non-aircraft carrier naval units that are not in a battle hex, but stacked with an aircraft carrier unit that participates in the battle. Hits may be applied in any manner desired within the following restrictions.
PLAY NOTE: The combat system generates hits. The nuances of the combat system are within the conditions for how those hits can be applied. The skill is understanding how to compose your offensives so important elements such as carriers are properly escorted.
HISTORICAL NOTE: The common perception is that the Pacific War was dominated by carrier warfare. At the macro level this is a true statement, but in fact by late 1942 the pre-war carrier forces had hunted each other into virtual extinction. This is why the signature surface battles of the Solomons campaign became the dominant form of naval combat until US shipyards began to turn out an unending stream of Essex class carriers. Players will often see a similar ebb and flow pattern develop regarding their available carrier forces.
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If a number of hits equal to an opposing unit's defense strength are applied, the unit is flipped to its reduced side or eliminated if already on its reduced side.
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All full strength units must be reduced before any units can be eliminated. Units that have only one side are considered to be reduced units. Non-aircraft carrier naval units that are not in a battle hex, but stacked with an aircraft carrier naval unit that participates in the battle, must also be reduced before any reduced strength unit can be eliminated.
-
If there are excess hits and no further units can be hit due to restrictions for applying hits, the remaining hits are lost. Continuing the example from case C above, the 47 attack strength Allied force gets a 6 or greater die roll and applies 47 hits to the Japanese air and naval units. Using the hits available, the Allied player reduces all of the Japanese units except for one full strength unit, which remains with a defense of 18, and the Allied player only has 10 unapplied hits. The Allied player could not eliminate one of the reduced Japanese units because there remains a full strength unit, so the remaining 10 hits are lost.
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To allocate hits to Air, CV, CVL, and CVE unit that are not in the battle hex containing opposing naval units (they are either outside the battle hex or the battle hex contains no opposing naval units), there must be one friendly Air, CV, CVL, and CVE unit in the battle for each such unit that has hits applied on it. For example, if one side had one air and one CV unit and the opposition had three CV, CVL, or CVE units, and no units are in the battle hex, hits could be applied to only two of the three units. In all cases the side applying the hits chooses which aircraft carrier or air units take the hits. Non-air capable naval units can always be the target of hits generated during an air naval battle.
EXAMPLE: If the Japanese side had one carrier and achieved 45 hits versus an Allied force with two full strength carriers, it is possible that a large number of hits could go unapplied because the inability to reduce one of the two Allied carriers would prevent any reduced strength unit from being eliminated, since there would still be a full strength Allied naval unit present.
The corollary of this condition is if one side has no air or carrier units present and the other does have one or more present, none of the air or carrier units can be damaged if they are not actually in the battle hex with opposing naval units.
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If a player was the only side with air and/or naval units in the air naval battle, then hits may be applied to any opposing ground units in the hex. If opposing air or naval units were present in the battle, hits can only be applied to air and/or naval units. The last ground step in a hex cannot be eliminated due to air and naval hits; when sufficient hits are generated to eliminate the ground units in a hex, the Reaction player chooses which reduced unit will be the last ground step. However, a hex with intrinsic defense strength is always the last step remaining in a hex. Additional hits that cannot be used are lost.
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Critical Hit. If a critical hit is achieved (by an unmodified nine die roll or due to an event), the player may circumvent the restriction of case number 2 above, eliminating units while other full strength units remain. Continuing the example above, the Allied player has played the Rochefort card making the intelligence condition an Ambush with a special condition that allows any modified die roll that is nine or greater to be considered a critical hit. The Allied player could apply the 10 unapplied hits to eliminate one of the reduced Japanese units, even though a full strength naval unit remained.
Additionally, any time a player achieves a critical hit, and is mathematically unable to achieve at least a one step loss, then one step loss is assessed to the opposing unit with the lowest defense strength that can receive the hits (in case of ties, Reaction players choice).
DESIGN NOTE: This simulates the ability of the Ambushing force, or a fortuitous opportunity during a battle, to pick off a portion of the opposing force. This is how a Midway like outcome would occur in the game. There are only two Allied cards that enable the Ambush condition, so it is not the normal state of affairs unless you can roll a lot of 9s.
- Japanese Naval Aircraft Range Advantage. In an air naval battle where the Allied player has not achieved a critical hit and the Japanese player has more than one aircraft carrier unit present, Japanese may transfer one received step loss between carrier units. After all hits have been applied, the Japanese player can reduce one Japanese aircraft carrier or eliminate a reduced Japanese aircraft carrier to recover one step lost by another aircraft carrier (either from reduced to full strength or from eliminated to reduced strength). The number of hits represented by this is irrelevant; this is a one step for one step transfer.
EXAMPLE: Assuming the Allied player had not achieved a critical hit, and the Japanese player had a CV and a CVL naval unit amongst the units that the Allied player had reduced from full to reduced strength, the Japanese player could shift one step lost by the CV onto the CVL, eliminating it and bringing the CV back to full strength.
DESIGN NOTE: This rule is intended to capture two effects. First the Japanese naval aircraft for much of the war out ranged the better armed US naval aircraft. Second Japanese doctrine often had any light carriers in their formation forward of the larger fleet carriers. What is being simulated here are the US pilots hitting the isolated CVL and expending their ordnance without finding the larger fleet carriers.
9.3 Determining The Winner Of The Air Naval Combat
Both sides add up the attack strengths of the surviving air and naval units which contributed attack strength in the battle, active or inactive. Air units that had their attack strengths halved for the battle due to range continue to do so for this calculation. Non-carrier naval units are considered for this calculation only if in the battle hex (for example, a BB naval unit in the battle hex counts, but a BB naval unit that is escorting the distant carriers which also participated in the battle does not, since it did not contribute its attack values for the battle). The side with the higher total is the winner of the air-naval combat. In case of ties the Reaction player wins, except if there are no surviving air or naval units at all.
Special exception: If the Reaction player has one or more surviving air or carrier units present, and the Offensives player has no surviving air or carrier units present, the Reaction player automatically wins the battle, regardless of the attack strengths involved.
DESIGN NOTE: Air power was the critical variable in World War II naval combat. The special exception covers the potential situations, such as Guadalcanal, where even small numbers of air units could prevent powerful surface units from sustained operations in the area.
9.31 No Surviving Air or Naval Units
If no air or naval units survive the battle, then the result is considered an Offensives player victory.
9.32 Reaction Player Victory
If the Reaction player is the winner, Offensives ground units that entered the hex by Amphibious Assault do not take part in the ground battle and must later conduct post-battle movement out of the hex. Amphibious Assaulting units do not capture the hex in this case even if there are no reaction ground units in the hex. If the hex contains Offensive ground units that entered the hex via ground, not amphibious assault movement, then immediately conduct a ground battle if there are ground units from both sides in the hex. Otherwise there is no ground battle.
9.33 Offensives Player Victory
If the Offensives player wins and any Offensive ground units remain in the battle hex with Reaction ground units (active or inactive), a ground combat is conducted. If there are ground units from only one side in the hex, that side gains (or maintains) control of the hex and the battle is concluded. If there are no ground units in the hex at all, Reaction player maintains control of the hex and battle is concluded.
DESIGN NOTE: If a side gains air naval supremacy over the battle hex, the amphibious ground forces can engage. If not, it is assumed that amphibious assault forces are turned back as at Coral Sea.
9.34 No Air-Naval Combat Was Conducted
If neither player had any air or naval units present, then the Ground combat occurs, just as if it had been an offensives player air-naval victory.
9.4 Ground Combat Procedure
A. Ground combat is always simultaneous, regardless of the intelligence condition. Both sides add up their activated ground unit attack values plus the attack strengths of any inactive ground units that are in the battle hex and then conduct a combat effectiveness die roll. The basic procedure is similar to Air-Naval combat, but Ground combat uses a different Combat Results Table and has different die roll modifiers.
The player who rolled the die applies all hits against opposing units in any manner within the restrictions on how hits may be applied.
Ground Combat Die Roll Modifiers
All modifiers are cumulative except for the modifier for Japanese card Col. Tsuji. The bonus modifier of that card is the final modifier for Offensives player roll, regardless of any other modifiers that might apply.
Offensives Player Modifiers
-
If only the Offensives player has naval units in the battle hex after air-naval combat, then the Offensives player adds +2 to the die roll for shore bombardment.
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If after air naval combat the Offensives player is the only player with active air and/or carrier units participating in the ground battle (there are no surviving active or inactive Reaction player air or carrier units) then the Offensives player adds +2 to the die roll for air superiority.
PLAY NOTE: An unopposed offensive carrier unit in the battle hex (e.g., CVE) generates both the shore bombardment and air superiority die roll modifiers for a +4.
- Certain terrain types modify the Offensive player's die roll:
- JUNGLE: subtract one from the die roll (-1).
- MIXED: subtract two from the die roll (-2).
- MOUNTAINS: subtract three from the die roll (-3).
Note: There is no modifier for City type terrain.
Reaction Player Modifiers
If the Reaction player had any land or HQ units in a hex prior to the Offensives player conducting an Amphibious assault into that hex, the Reaction player adds +3 to the die roll.
Both Players
Any Event Modifiers from the ECs played as the current Event for the Offensive and in Reaction to the Offensive and modifiers from the previous play of an Events (for example, Japanese Defense doctrine) are added to any other battle modifiers that are in effect as indicated from above. Note that unlike other EC bonuses, the bonus from Japanese card Col. Tsuji is the final modifier used in the ground battle instead of being cumulative with other modifiers.
Armor Modifier
If the British 7th Armor Brigade is in the battle the Allies add +1 to their combat die roll for armor superiority.
Ground Combat Results Table
Modified Die Roll = Combat Effectiveness Rating
| Modified Die Roll | Combat Effectiveness Rating |
|---|---|
| Less than Zero, 0, 1, or 2 | One Half (.5) (round up if required) |
| 3, 4, 5, or 6 | One (1) |
| 7 or 8 | One and One Half (1.5) (round up if required) |
| 9 or More | Two (2) |
B. How to Apply Hits. Each player applies to the opposing units a number of hits equal to their combat effectiveness rating times their ground strength.
- Only ground units can be hit. Non-activated ground units in the battle hex can be hit.
- If a number of hits equal to an opposing unit's defense strength are applied, the unit is flipped to its reduced side or eliminated if already on its reduced side.
- Full strength units must be reduced before reduced units can be eliminated.
- If there are excess hits that cannot be allocated without breaking other criteria they are lost.
- Offensive ground units that conducted amphibious assault to enter the battle hex have their defense strength halved (rounding up if required) for calculating hits.
C. Concluding Ground Combat.
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If, after all hits are applied, only one side has ground units in the hex, that side is the winner. Otherwise, the side that took the most step losses during ground combat retreats during post battle movement. Flipping a ground unit from its full strength to its reduced strength side or the elimination of a reduced unit counts as one step lost. If it is a tie, the Reaction player wins and the Offensives player retreats.
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It is possible for both sides to be eliminated in a ground combat. If this happens, the Reaction player maintains control of the hex, but all forces are still eliminated.
DESIGN NOTE: What is being simulated here is that both sides' units are no longer combat effective and a remnant force remains in the defender's hex.
- If the Offensives player is the only one with surviving ground units in the battle hex, the hex is now controlled by that player. If the Reaction player is the only one with surviving ground units in the battle hex, the Reaction player maintains control of the hex.
DESIGN NOTE: Ground combat is quite bloody given the time scale of the game. If both sides are eliminated, it is not the case that everyone was dead, but that the forces of both sides are no longer combat effective. For the Allies, this means the unit needs to be rebuilt. For the Japanese, this means the unit is usually lost, because the unit in fact fought to the last man. In addition, there were times, especially during the Solomons campaigns, that both sides occupied the same island. For the sake of simplicity, this situation is treated a bit abstractly, given the length of the game turns.
9.5 Retreat
A retreating Offensive ground unit that entered a hex by ground movement must retreat into the hex from which it entered the battle. A retreating Offensive ground unit that has entered a hex by amphibious assault movement conducts post battle movement like a naval unit.
A retreating Reaction ground unit is moved by the Offensives player into an adjacent hex that does not contain Offensives unit, that was not a hex from where an Offensives ground unit entered the battle and where retreating to does not cause an overstack. If possible, the hex has to be a legal named location friendly to the retreating unit; if this is not possible, any legal hex may be selected. If these conditions cannot be met or if the battle-hex is a one-hex island, the Reaction ground unit is eliminated.
9.6 Post Battle Movement
Post battle movement is conducted during rule 7.2 - Step 13, whether battles were conducted or not. Only activated units that have conducted no form of strategic movement can conduct post battle movement. Movement allowances for air and naval units in post battle movement are equal to those allowances used for the Offensive. Ground units do not conduct post battle movement except to retreat (9.5). The Reaction player conducts post battle movement first, followed by the Offensives player. No form of strategic movement is allowed during post battle movement.
PLAY NOTE: All eligible activated units that did not use strategic transport conduct post battle movement, whether they participated in a battle or not.
9.61 Reaction Post Battle Movement
Active Reaction player units move and must end their movement in a Reaction player controlled hex (e.g., air units on airfields, naval units in port). The unit must be in supply in the hex and within range of a friendly HQ if possible, but if this is not possible, then any controlled hex is allowed. If no such locations are available the unit(s) are eliminated.
Inactive Reaction player air or naval units that are in enemy-controlled hex after battles conduct emergency movement after Offensives Post Battle Movement (See 8.22, 8.32).
9.62 Offensives Post Battle Movement
After Reaction Post Battle Movement, all active Offensives air and naval units may conduct Post Battle Movement.
After losing a battle Offensives ground units that used amphibious assault also conduct post battle movement like a naval unit but may not move into or through opposing occupied hexes or opposing non-neutralized air zones of influence. Exception: Due to losses from air naval combat a ground unit that used amphibious assault can find themselves during post battle movement in an unneutralized enemy air ZOI. In this circumstance the ground unit may enter enemy air ZOIs until it enters a hex free of enemy air ZOIs when the normal restriction is once again in effect.
Naval units must end their move in a friendly controlled hex that contains a port. Air units must end their move in a friendly controlled hex that contains an airfield. Any unit that is unable to end its movement in a legal location is eliminated.
10.0 Reinforcements & Amphibious Shipping Points
10.1 Receiving Reinforcements
10.11 Reinforcement Placement
Reinforcements arrive according to the reinforcement schedule or due to an Event card. Ground or naval unit reinforcement must be placed in a friendly port hex where the unit is in supply and which is within activation range of an HQ that can activate the unit (6.12). Place an air unit reinforcement in a friendly airfield hex where the unit is in supply and which is within activation range of an HQ that can activate the unit. An HQ arriving as a reinforcement must be placed in a friendly port where it is in supply.
Reinforcement unit may never be placed in an un-neutralized enemy ZOI. HQs arriving as reinforcement on the current turn fulfill the supply and activation requirements for reinforcement placement only in the hex they occupy. To place reinforcements in other hexes, the supply and activation must be traced from an HQ that began the turn on the map.
Allied player places all reinforcements first, and then the Japanese player does so. Placement of a reinforcement cannot alter enemy ZOI to allow other placements in the same segment; however, they may generate new ZOI to restrict enemy placement of units. When placing reinforcements, stacking and placement restrictions may not be violated.
Whenever a Chinese unit needs to be placed as if it were a reinforcement, it can only be placed in Kunming (2407).
10.12 Entry Problems With Reinforcements
If for any reason a reinforcement unit does not have a usable point of entry, the owning player may voluntarily delay the entry of that reinforcement. The unit remains in the Delayed Reinforcement box until it can correctly enter play during a subsequent reinforcement phase. An Allied delayed reinforcement is eligible, each turn it remains in the delay box, to be sent to Europe, and must make the appropriate die roll to determine this.
10.2 Delayed Reinforcements
10.21 The War in Europe
Allied reinforcements can be delayed due to the War in Europe (WIE) level or an event. If the WIE level is 1 or greater, or if required by Inter-Service Rivalry or an Event Card play, Allied player receives all reinforcements from the Delayed Reinforcement box and all Allied reinforcements for this turn are placed in the delay box.
In other cases, Allied player receives all reinforcements from the Delayed Reinforcements box and all reinforcements for the turn to place. EXCEPTION: If the delay is only because of Inter-Service Rivalry, only US Army are placed in the Delayed Reinforcement box; other reinforcements are received normally.
Certain units when being placed in the delay box may be Sent To Europe (See 10.22, 10.24).
10.22 Sent to Europe Eligible Units
US Army ground and air units (but not Marines) plus US CVE (but not CV or CVL) naval units are eligible to be sent to Europe. All other units are exempt from being Sent to Europe.
10.23 Unit Types that Cannot be Delayed
HQ units and US B29 Air units can never be delayed.
10.24 Sent to Europe Die Roll
A die roll is made individually for each eligible unit when it is placed in the Delayed Reinforcement box, even if this occurred due to an event. If the Sent to Europe die roll for a unit falls in the indicated range (determined by the current War In Europe level), the reinforcement is placed on the game turn track 3 turns later, to re-enter play as a reinforcement. When a Sent to Europe unit re-enters play as a reinforcement, it is as if it were attempting to enter play for the first time. A unit can be Sent to Europe multiple times per game. The die roll is modified by -1 for Inter-Service Rivalry.
| WIE Level | Die Roll Result Range |
|---|---|
| None | No die roll |
| Level 1 | 0-1 |
| Level 2 | 0-3 |
| Level 3 | 0-5 |
| Level 4 | 0-7 |
10.3 Amphibious Shipping Points (ASPs)
At the start of each scenario both sides begin with a number of Amphibious Shipping Points (ASPs) as indicated by the scenario. Each ASP can only be used once per turn. Each time an ASP is used, move the owner's ASP Used marker on the Strategic Record track as a way of recording how many of the available ASPs were used during the current turn. At the start of a new turn, reset the markers to indicate the full level.
10.31 Allied ASPs
The Allied player receives 1 ASP reinforcement per game turn beginning with game turn 2 unless the WIE level is 3 or 4. These reinforcement ASPs permanently increase the level available for subsequent turns. There is no way to reduce the Allied ASP level. The Allies can gain further permanent or temporary ASP additions due to certain event cards (e.g., Edwin Booz: Defense Consultant and Olympic & Coronet respectively).
10.32 Japanese ASPs
The Japanese begin each scenario with a pre-determined number of ASPs. They begin the Full Campaign Scenario with 7 ASPs. The Japanese do not receive any permanent reinforcement ASPs during the game. The Japanese can gain additional temporary ASPs through certain card events. The Japanese permanently lose one ASP each time the Allies make a successful submarine warfare attack, in addition to other effects that may occur due to the attack. The Japanese can also lose an ASP due to events. The Japanese can never lose their last ASP for any reason, so once reduced to 1 ASP, they can be reduced no further.
10.33 Japanese Barges and Allied PT Boats
Japanese card 73 has the Barge bonus. If played during the game, this gives the Japanese a limited ability to allow ground units to cross one sea hex side into an adjacent island on a 3 OC play. The Allied play of the PT Boat card cancels the Japanese Barge capability, or, if played before the Japanese play the Barge card, supersedes the ability for the Japanese to play this event later in the game. See rule 8.47.
11.0 Replacements
11.0 Replacement Basics
Purpose: Each side receives replacements in several ways to bring reduced strength units to full strength and to bring eliminated units back into play. One replacement point can bring one eligible reduced unit to full strength or one eligible eliminated unit back into play at reduced strength. An eliminated unit can be brought back into play at full strength for two replacement points.
Procedure: To receive replacements, reduced units already on the map must be supplied and not in an un-neutralized enemy ZOI. Eliminated units returning to the map are placed identically like reinforcements. Thus, HQs that arrived as reinforcement during the reinforcement segment can be used to place units only in their hex. Air and carrier units arriving during the replacement segment cannot neutralize enemy ZOIs to allow other placements during the same segment. However, air and carrier units that arrived during the Reinforcement segment do neutralize enemy ZOIs during the Replacement segment, possibly allowing placement in additional hexes.
Sequence: The Allied player places all replacements first, and then the Japanese player does so. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all Allied replacements that are not used in the turn of their arrival are lost whereas Japanese air and naval replacements can be saved for future use.
11.1 Pre-War Unit Restrictions
Pre-War units from the Allied and Japanese sides cannot accept replacements (except through an event that explicitly allows it) and consequently when eliminated are permanently removed from play. These units are marked with a single dot on the front and back of their unit counters. If Pre-War units, including HQs, leave the map for any reason they are considered eliminated and cannot return to play.
11.2 Japanese Replacements
11.21 Japanese Naval Unit Scheduled Replacements
The Japanese player receives a limited number of naval replacements during the course of the game as indicated on the Replacements Chart. These may be used to either bring reduced naval units to full strength or bring eligible naval units from the eliminated unit pile back into play. Japanese naval unit replacement steps are not lost if not used and may be carried over from game turn to game turn. Keep track of them with the naval replacement marker on Strategic track.
11.22 Japanese Air Unit Replacements
There are no scheduled replacements for Japanese air units. The Japanese player may receive a small number of air replacements through the play of certain events.
11.23 Japanese Ground Unit Replacements
There are no scheduled replacements for Japanese ground units. During the replacement segment, the Japanese player may bring up to two replacement steps from China. This is done by reducing the available number of Japanese divisions in China by one or two, which gives one or two ground replacement steps accordingly. These points must be used immediately. If no Japanese divisions in China are available, the Japanese player may not receive ground unit replacements. The available Japanese divisions in China are recorded by moving the marker on the China Divisions track.
Additionally, the play of some Event cards may yield Japanese ground replacements, which the Japanese player must use as required by the card text.
11.3 Allied Replacements
11.31 Ground Replacements
The Allied player receives a specific number of ground replacements as per the Replacement chart. The Allied player receives two ground replacements per game turn, starting with game turn 2. All replacements that cannot be used are lost (they go to Europe). Allied ground replacement may be used for reduced or eliminated US and Commonwealth ground units.
11.32 Air Replacements
The Allied player receives 5 air replacements per game turn. These can be used for any reduced or eliminated Allied air units that can take replacements. If these replacements are not used during the turn, they are lost (they go to Europe).
11.33 Naval Replacements
The Allied player receives a number of specific naval replacements as per the Replacement chart. If they cannot be used, they are lost. The Allied player gains one or two US naval replacements per turn (except on turn 1) if they control Oahu (5808). Each of these may be used for reduced or eliminated eligible US naval unit. The Allied player gains one Commonwealth naval replacement on game turns 6, 9 and 12, if they control any one of the hexes Colombo (1307), Trincomalee (1308), Singapore (2015), Hong Kong (2709), or Townsville (3727).
11.34 Chinese Replacements
If China has not surrendered, the Allied player receives one Chinese replacement on every odd numbered game turn. This Chinese replacement may be used to either bring an eliminated Chinese army back from the eliminated pile at reduced strength into hex 2407 (Kunming) or to bring a reduced strength Chinese army back to full strength. Note that since Kunming cannot be attacked it will always be an available location for returning Chinese army units. A Chinese replacement can be placed in Kunming only if it is available as a supply source (See 13.75). Chinese replacements that cannot be used in the turn they are received are lost. Other replacements may not be used for Chinese units.
11.35 Dutch
There are no replacements for Dutch units. Once a Dutch unit is eliminated it is permanently removed from the game.
12.0 Strategic Warfare
Strategic Warfare is all about determining Japanese and Allied Strategy Card hand size. The number of Strategy cards, which represent resources in the game, drawn for each side is determined by conditions on the map and the outcome of Allied Strategic Warfare.
12.1 Japanese Strategy Cards
12.11 Resource Hexes
The Japanese player is entitled to draw one Strategy card for each 2 resource hexes under Japanese control (See 6.5 Hex Control), rounding up, at the start of the Strategic Warfare Segment as the base Japanese draw; however, the draw is always at least 4 cards regardless of number of resource hexes. The number of cards drawn can be modified by Strategic Warfare (12.2, 12.3). The 14 resource hexes are:
- 1813, 1916, 2017: Sumatra
- 2008: Burma
- 2014: Malaya
- 2220: Java
- 2415, 2517, 2616: Borneo
- 2813: Philippines
- 3219: New Guinea
- 3302, 3303: Manchuria
- 3305: Korea
12.12 Japanese Strategic Reserves
For game turns 2 through 4 the Japanese player draws 7 cards per turn to represent pre-existing strategic reserves, regardless of the number of resource hexes controlled. This draw can be reduced due to submarine warfare.
12.2 Submarine Warfare
12.21 Submarine Warfare Procedure
Before the Japanese card draw is made, the Allied player conducts submarine warfare. The Allied player rolls the die and subtracts the game turn number from the die roll. The result is then modified by the factors in 12.22 below. If the modified result is zero or less, the Japanese draw is reduced by one card, but not below 4 cards. In addition, the Japanese player permanently loses one Amphibious Shipping point and has any existing Escort modifier reduced from +4 to +2 or from +2 to zero. However, the Japanese cannot lose their last ASP in this manner and cannot have their Escort modifier reduced below zero.
12.22 Submarine Warfare Modifiers
There are two potential modifiers to the Allied submarine warfare die roll:
- Japanese escort events, each of which add two to the submarine warfare die roll (+2).
- The Allied player adds one to the die roll (+1) for all 1942 game turns due to defective torpedoes.
12.3 Strategic Bombing
12.31 B29 Availability
Only US B29 LRB units may conduct Strategic Bombing (the 20th BC arrives on turn 9 and the 21st BC arrives on turn 10). A B29 must be in supply and either in an airfield within its 8 hex range of Tokyo or in the Air units in China box in order to conduct Strategic Bombing. B29 reinforcements cannot be delayed and they may conduct strategic bombing on their turn of entry if they meet all of the appropriate conditions. A B29 returned to play through replacements may not conduct strategic bombing during the turn it was returned from elimination. B29s that conduct Strategic Bombing cannot participate in Battles during Offensives, but may activate in reaction if opposing units enter their hex.
PLAY NOTE: If, through a combination of event cards or military successes, the Japanese player manages to eliminate a B29 unit, it will not be available for strategic bombing the next game turn even if the Allies use air replacements to bring it back into play.
12.32 Strategic Bombing Procedure
The Allied player rolls a die for each B29 unit that is participating in Strategic Bombing. A full strength B29 successfully strategically bombs Japan on a die roll of 0-8 and fails on a die roll of 9. A reduced strength B29 successfully strategically bombs Japan on a die roll of 0-4 and fails on a die roll of 5-9. Each successful strategic bombing reduces the Japanese Strategy card draw for that game turn by one, but not below 4 cards. An unsuccessful strategic bombing has no effect. When conducting strategic bombing any time a full or reduced strength B29 rolls a 9, the B29 loses one step unless the Allies control an airfield that is within 5 hexes of Tokyo. This hex can be the same hex the B29 is located in (for instance, Iwo Jima, hex 3709). The Japanese High Altitude Interceptors event add 1 to the strategic bombing die rolls until the Allies control a supply eligible airbase within 5 hexes of Tokyo.
12.33 B29 Event Cards
There are Allied event cards that reference B29 unit locations that may reduce the Japanese hand during the Offensives phase. These effects are in addition to any Strategic bombing effects. Note: The Japanese can lose at most two cards during Strategic Bombing, but may lose additional cards due to B29 events during the game turn.
12.4 Japanese Draws and Passes
If the Japanese receive 6 cards (not including a possible Future Offensive Card) they receive one pass, if they receive 5 (not including a possible Future Offensive Card) or less cards they receive 2 passes. The Japanese cannot receive less than 4 cards during the Strategy draw phase. A pass may be used instead of the play of a card during the Offensives phase. Unused passes are lost at the end of the Offensives phase.
12.5 Allied Strategy Cards
12.51 Allied Draw
The Allied player base Strategy card draw is 7 cards per turn, except during the first three game turns. On game turn one the Allied player receives no cards. On game turn 2 the Allied player base draw is 5 cards and 2 passes. On game turn 3 the Allied player base draw is 6 cards and 1 pass. Thereafter the Allied player base draw is 7 cards per game turn. The Allied player's minimum Strategy card draw is 4 cards per turn, even if the conditions would dictate a smaller hand. Allied passes are used in the same way as passes for the Japanese player, and, as with the Japanese player, cannot be accumulated.
12.52 Allied Draw Limitations
The Allied player loses one card draw per turn for each of the following conditions plus gains one pass per card lost (maximum of two passes total):
- If China has surrendered.
- If India has surrendered.
- If Australia has surrendered.
- If the War In Europe is at level 4 at the beginning of the game turn.
13.0 National Status
13.1 National Surrender
A nation surrenders if the opposing player controls certain hexes of that nation during the National Status Segment. If Japan surrenders the game is over and the Allied player wins the game. If an Allied nation surrenders, the Japanese player automatically gains control of all of its on map airfields and ports that are not occupied by Allied units unless the specific rules for country's surrender below specify otherwise. An Allied nation can only surrender once per game. Allies can retake surrendered country by recapturing the locations that the Japanese player had to capture to make the nation surrender. If they do, they regain control of all of that nation's airfields and ports except for those that have a Japanese unit (of any type) in the hex. However, this does not cancel the card draw effect from surrender.
PLAY NOTE: Surrender markers have been supplied to keep track of which nations have surrendered over the course of the game.
DESIGN NOTE: We have chosen not to burden the map with extensive map boundaries and other means of denoting to which nation each and every island belongs. From a game point of view it is only important to know which ports, airfields, and resource hexes belong to a given nation. Consequently, we have defined many of these boundaries in terms of their distance from some key hex. Most are obvious, but this section of the rules defines them specifically for all game purposes.
13.2 Philippines
13.21 Philippines Definition
The Philippines are defined as all hexes that are contiguous land hexes with Manila (2813) or Davao (2915) or an island hex within 2 hexes of Manila/Corregidor, plus Jolo Island (2715). The key Philippines bases are hexes: 2715, 2812, 2813, 2911, 2915, 3014.
13.22 Philippine Surrender
The Philippines surrender when the Japanese player controls Manila (2813) and Davao (2915). Remove all allied ground units in Philippine hexes from play during the National Status Segment. If the unit is eligible for return to the game, such as a US HQ, it can do so through the appropriate reinforcement and HQ rules. Any US air or naval units in Philippine hexes when it surrenders must use an Emergency Air or Naval move to leave Philippines. Any non-US air and naval units are eliminated.
13.3 Malaya and Siam
13.31 Malaya Definition
Malaya is defined as all contiguous land hexes within 3 hexes of Singapore (2015). The key bases are: 1912, 1913, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2112.
13.32 Malaya Surrenders
Malaya surrenders when the Japanese player controls Singapore (2015) and Kuantan (2014). No Allied units are removed from play nor are there hex control changes due to the surrender of Malaya.
13.33 Siam Definition and Surrender
Siam has no forces and does not surrender. It is treated as individual hexes.
13.4 Dutch East Indies
12.41 Dutch East Indies Definition
The Dutch East Indies comprises the Islands of Sumatra (1813, 1914, 1916, 1917, 2017), Java (2018, 2019, 2220), Borneo (2216, 2318, 2415, 2517, 2616), Celebes (2620, 2719, 2917), Bali (2320), Amboina (2919), Timor (2721), and Morotai (3017).
DESIGN NOTE: The Dutch East Indies comprises most of the islands surrounding those that are defined above. Since they have no bases they rarely come into play. Consequently we have simplified the definition to what has impact vice geographical correctness.
13.42 Dutch East Indies Surrender
The Dutch East Indies surrender when the Japanese player controls the seven resource spaces on Sumatra, Borneo, & Java, AND controls Tjilatjap (2019). When the Dutch East Indies surrender, all Dutch units are removed from play during the National Status Segment and the Japanese gain control of all airfields and ports in Dutch East Indies that do not contain US or Commonwealth ground units, HQs alone do not qualify for this purpose. Any Allied air or naval units in hexes gained by Japanese must immediately use air-naval emergency movement to exit Dutch East Indies.
13.5 Burma
13.51 Burma Definition
Burma has a border on the map, but for completeness is defined as comprising the bases in hexes: 2006, 2008, 2106, 2206, 2305 and the adjacent jungle hexes without bases.
13.52 Burma Surrender
Burma surrenders when the Japanese control Rangoon (2008), Mandalay (2106), Lashio (2206), AND Mytkiyina (2305). Remove all Commonwealth units that have Burma (B) in their unit designation from play during the National Status Segment. No hexes change control due to Burma surrender.
13.6 India
DESIGN NOTE: India was too large for the Japanese to conquer, but it could be made unstable and taken out of the war due to the Gandhi peace movement and the requirements of garrisoning a very unstable native population, which could defect from Allied offensive operations.
13.61 Movement in India
India is defined as having three parts. Northern India consists of Jarhat (2104), Dimasur (2005), Ledo (2205), Dacca (1905), and Imphal-Kohima (2105). Mainland India is composed of all Indian coastal hexes that are not in Northern India or Ceylon. Ceylon consists of all hexes on that island. Japanese units may never enter Mainland India, although Japanese air and naval units may attack Mainland India hexes that are within range. Allied units may enter any hex in India.
13.62 India Surrender
The India Status Track consists of 5 boxes that are from right to left: Stable (at start), Unrest, Strikes, Unstable, and Revolts. If the Japanese player controls all hexes of Northern India, move the India marker from right to left to the next box in the India Status track during the National Status Segment. If the marker is in the India Revolts box during a National Status Segment India surrenders (flip the marker to its surrendered side). Other events may also move the India marker forward; however, they can't move the marker beyond the India Revolts box and cannot directly cause Indian surrender.
Once India has surrendered the India Status marker never moves from the surrender box. The India Status track marker is returned to the Stable position under one of two conditions.
- If during the National Status segment of the Political Phase, the Allied player controls one or more Northern India hex(es).
- If during the Offensive segment the Japanese control all of Northern India and in any manner the Allied player regains control of a Northern India hex, immediately move the marker to the India Stable position restarting the surrender sequence.
13.63 Implications of India Surrendering
All Indian Commonwealth units are removed from the game. All other Commonwealth units in Mainland India are either placed on Ceylon or the Maldive Islands (1005), or are permanently removed from the game if all of Ceylon and the Maldive Islands are Japanese controlled. Commonwealth HQs in India are involuntarily repositioned (6.14). US units in India do not have to move although they can by treating them like Commonwealth units. Hexes the units that are moved to must be supply eligible and not within an un-neutralized Japanese aircraft Zone Of Influence. Units that would overstack or have no legal location to move to are permanently removed from play (by the Allied player's choice).
Control of hexes in Mainland India does not switch to Japanese as a result of India surrendering. Allies can return to Mainland India via Amphibious Assault or ground movement. The Mainland India hexes are not eligible to Japanese Special Reaction nor do the hexes count for Progress of War if re-occupied by Allied units.
13.7 China
13.71 Moving in China
Non-Chinese Allied or Japanese units may enter and attack only Chinese coastal hexes. Chinese units may only enter Northern India, Burma, Kunming (hex 2407), and all hexes adjacent to Kunming. The one exception to this is Air Units in China box, which can be entered by Allied air units as per 13.74.
Hong Kong, hex 2709, and the island of Formosa (Taiwan) are not considered to be parts of China.
If the Allies control all Chinese coastal ports and both Korean port hexes, the Japanese can no longer remove Japanese China divisions from China and cannot conduct any further China Offensives (OC or EC, see 13.72).
13.72 China Offensives
The Japanese player may launch OC and EC China Offensives. EC China offensives are based on the play of a particular event card. A China OC offensive is due to the Japanese player playing any 3OC card and successfully conducting a China OC Card Offensive (13.72A). An OC China offensive can occur no more than once per two turns, but there is no limit to the number of Chinese Offensive Event cards that can be played during any game turn.
The Japanese player can launch a China OC card Offensive during any game turn, but not on consecutive game turns. A successful Japanese conducted Chinese Offensive moves the China marker one box toward the Government Collapsed box on the track. Unsuccessful Japanese Chinese OC Offensives or the Allied play of a China Offensive event may move the China marker one or more (for some events) boxes on the China track toward Stable Front. However, unless specified by an event, if the China marker would enter the Stable Front box it remains in the Unstable Front box instead.
A China OC Card Offensive is resolved by the following procedure:
A. The Japanese player first determines an Offensive Baseline value. To do this, take the number of Japanese Divisions in China (see the specific scenario set up for the starting level of this track) and subtract from this value any Allied Burma Road support as indicated by the marker position on the Burma Road Status track. In addition, add one to the China Offense die roll for each Allied air support unit (see B). The Japanese player then rolls the die. If this die roll is equal to or less than the Offensive Baseline value, move the marker on the Chinese Government Front Status track one box toward or into the Government Collapsed box. On all other results, the marker does not move unless the China Offensive failed and there was at least +1 modifier for Allied air support units, in which case the marker is moved one box towards the Stable Front box, but if the China marker would enter the Stable Front box it remains in the Unstable Front box instead.
B. The Allied player increases the China Offensive die roll by one for each in supply non-LRB air unit in China. Special Exception: If the 14th Air Force LRB is in China box, it increases the China Offensive die roll by one just like a non-LRB unit.
13.73 China Surrenders
The instant (does not wait for the National Status Segment) during the Offensive segment that the Chinese marker is in the China Collapses box due to a China Offensive or an event, China surrenders. If China surrenders, all Allied air units in China are placed on the game turn track to return as reinforcements in the next game turn. These reinforcements may be delayed. In addition, permanently remove all Chinese units from the game.
DESIGN NOTE: China was always too much for the Japanese to swallow. Surrender in this context means that the Central government has collapsed and the portions not under Japanese control have fallen into the hands of local warlords. The Japanese might have been able to make separate deals with these warlords, while continuing the conflict against the Communists allowing Japan to annex the occupied portions of China.
13.74 Allied Air Units in China
Up to two Allied air units may be in the Air Units in China box (hereafter called China Box) at any one time, but only one of these air units may be a B29. Allied air units are in supply in the China Box if the Burma Road is open or the HUMP is active and there is a supply eligible airfield in Northern India (regardless of road status). An Allied HQ can activate in-supply air units in the China Box if it can trace an activation path to Kunming or if the HUMP active to any supply eligible friendly controlled airfield in Northern India.
If China has not surrendered and the Burma Road is open, the Allied player may place Allied Air units as reinforcements directly into the China box. Allied air units (including B29s) that are activated during an offensive (to include reaction) can fly from a Northern India supply eligible airfield to the China Box and vice versa. The distance between the China box and any airfield in Northern India is considered one 'leg' (8.31) regardless of the air unit's actual range factor. A B29 unit in China is considered to be in range of Tokyo only for Strategic Bombing (12.3) and Allied Victory purposes (16.2).
If an Allied air unit in the Air Units in China box is out of supply it cannot be activated, does not generate a die roll modifier for a China Offensive, and suffers attrition, but cannot be eliminated due to attrition.
13.75 Kunming, Allied Supply, and Chinese Army Units
Kunming is a supply source if the Burma Road is open (See 13.78) or the HUMP is active (through the play of Allied event card 17) and there is a supply eligible Northern India airfield. If these conditions are met, any Allied unit is in supply if it can trace an overland (only) 4 or less MP overland supply path directly from Kunming akin to a Supply Eligible port. This is an exception to the normal supply rules where an HQ is required to place a unit in supply. This supply path can be used to activate a unit assuming an activation path also exists. Kunming and all adjacent hexes are considered Allied controlled and occupied for all game purposes.
Chinese Army units can be activated by any Allied HQ in range. Unsupplied Chinese Army units cannot be activated and suffer attrition normally. Chinese units may enter only Northern India, Burma, Kunming (hex 2407), and hexes adjacent to Kunming. If forced to enter a hex in any other nation, Chinese units are eliminated.
13.76 Japanese Intrinsic Strength in China
Each city hex in Japanese occupied China is considered to contain one intrinsic, 9-12, one step, Japanese ground unit, for each 4 boxes still remaining on the Japanese Divisions in China track. This count is rounded up, so, for example, if there are 5 remaining boxes on the track, there would be two intrinsic units per hex of China. If there are no Japanese divisions left, one unit would still considered to be in the hexes in China. This information is incorporated into the track. These units do not count for stacking purposes and are always the last ones eliminated in the hex, if there are other non-intrinsic units present. These units are considered no longer present in a hex controlled by the Allies, but are not permanently eliminated from the hex, and return to consideration if the hex returns to Japanese control.
NOTE: Hong Kong (hex 2709) begins the 1941 Campaign Scenario as Allied controlled, but once it becomes Japanese controlled or begins a scenario as Japanese controlled it has Japanese intrinsic strength and adheres to all rules in this section.
13.77 CBI Infrastructure
A. CBI Infrastructure: At the start of the 1941 Campaign Scenario the three hexes Jarhat, Imphal, and Ledo have a marker placed on them denoting that the strategic transportation route printed on the map is not yet constructed. Later scenarios will give instructions on whether these markers are in place or removed to show that the strategic transport route has or has not been constructed.
B. If the Allies control all of Northern India plus Akyab, the Allies can construct one of the three strategic transport routes in Jarhat, Imphal, or Ledo with the complete play of a 3 OC card. The Jarhat strategic transport route must always be constructed by the Allies first and is required to subsequently construct the Ledo or Imphal routes. The Allied player can decide to build the other two strategic transport routes in any order for the cost of a 3OC play each. Construction occurs upon the play of the 3 OC by removing the appropriate marker revealing the strategic transport route printed on the map that is immediately useable for the 1/2 MP cost for all game purposes. The 3 OC card cannot be used to activate any units. Construction is permanent and cannot be altered for the remainder of the game.
C. Using the same construction procedure, the Japanese player can only construct the Imphal route, never Jarhat or Ledo, if they can trace an LOC from Imphal via strategic transport route to a Japanese controlled Rangoon, provided it is Supply Eligible. Unlike the Allies the Japanese do not require that the Jarhat route have been previously constructed.
13.78 Burma Road
The Burma Road is the strategic transport route in hexes 2206, 2306, and 2407. The following rules determine the status of the Burma Road marker on the Burma Road status track. The Burma Road can be in one of three status boxes, Open, Closed/HUMP, Closed/No HUMP each of which as a value that is the Chinese offensive strength modifier. The status on the Burma Road status track determines whether Kunming is a supply source (13.75) and the Chinese offensive strength modifier (13.72).
A. The Burma Road is open if a strategic transport route can be traced from Kunming to Rangoon and then via sea to Madras or by sea to a map edge. The sea portion of the route cannot pass through an unneutralized enemy AZOI. OR
B. The Burma Road is open if a strategic transport route can be traced from Kunming to Madras, via the constructed Jarhat/Ledo or Jarhat/Imphal routes (13.77).
C. If neither conditions A or B is achieved the Burma Road is closed. Place the Burma Road marker in the appropriate box. Place the Burma Road marker in the Burma Road Closed/NO HUMP box.
D. If the Allies play card 17: Chinese Airlift, HUMP Operations into China event, the HUMP is active and the Burma Road marker is flipped to its HUMP side for the remainder of the game. If the Burma Road is closed and the marker is on its HUMP side, the Burma Road marker is placed in the Burma Road/HUMP box as long as the Allies control a supply eligible Northern India airfield. If the Allies do not control a supply eligible Northern India airfield and the Burma Road is closed, the Burma Road marker is placed in the Burma Road/NO HUMP box, but returns to the Burma Road Closed/HUMP box as soon as this condition can be met.
E. During a Japanese player Chinese OC Offensive, the Allied player subtracts the Burma Road support modifier from the Chinese Offensive baseline value (13.72).
13.79 Bridge over the River Kwai
The Bangkok to Rangoon transportation route (also referred to as the Bangkok to Rangoon RR) can only be constructed through the play of the Bridge over the River Kwai card (Japanese card 18) as an event. When activating any Japanese units in Burma, Northern India, Ceylon or any combination thereof, the efficiency value of the activating HQ is modified depending on the status of Japanese logistical network.
- If Bridge Over the River Kwai event has not been played and Rangoon is Allied controlled, the efficiency value is modified by -1 (to minimum of 0).
- If Bridge Over the River Kwai event has been played AND Rangoon is Japanese controlled with at least one Japanese activating unit tracing a supply line via the Bangkok to Rangoon transportation route, the activating HQs efficiency value is modified by +1.
- If neither of the above is true, the efficiency value of the activating HQ is not modified.
The above modifiers are applied if at least one unit activated during the offensive starts in Burma, Northern India, or Ceylon. The modifiers are not applied if all units activated start outside these areas, even if some of the units enter Burma, Northern India, or Ceylon during the offensive.
DESIGN NOTE: Long time players of EotS will note that I have incorporated an earlier supply rule variant directly into the China rules. The small amount of rules overhead adds a great deal of historical realism that I eschewed a decade ago, but at this point I think now needs to be in the core system. Burma was a logistical nightmare and these rules better represent the situation and the engineering struggle that are a large piece of this theater's history.
13.8 Australia
13.81 Australian Territory
Australia has two parts, mainland Australia and the mandates. Mainland Australia consists of all hexes in Australia. The Mandates consist of the following locations and all one hex islands or contiguous land hexes adjacent to them: Admiralty Is. (3820), Kavieng (4020), Rabaul (4021), Bougainville (4222), Guadalcanal (4423).
13.82 Australian Surrender
If all Australian coastal airfields and ports on mainland Australia (not the Mandates) are Japanese controlled during a National Status Segment, then Australia surrenders.
13.83 Effects of Australian Surrender
Australia can only surrender once per game. Allied units can regain control of Australian mainland hexes later in the game and use them, but it doesn't undo the earlier surrender. Any Australian reinforcements that would arrive after Australia surrenders are permanently lost. Australian units already in play remain in play. Reduced Australian units that remain in play may receive replacements, but if eliminated, they are removed from the game.
13.84 Mandate Control
Whoever controls Rabaul (4021) and Guadalcanal (4423) during National Status Segment gains control of all Mandate hexes that are not occupied by opposing ground units. Any opposing air and naval units in hexes that change control must immediately use emergency air-naval emergency movement to exit. It takes the control of both hexes during a National Status Segment to change control back, recapturing one of the hexes is insufficient.
13.85 New Guinea
Whoever controls all the ports plus the resource hex on New Guinea during National Status Segment gains control of all named locations on New Guinea that are not occupied by opposing units.
13.9 Japan
Japan consists of six parts: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, Manchuko (hexes 3302 and 3303 plus all adjacent hexes except 3304), Korea (3305 and adjacent hexes), and the Mandates (Formosa, Sakhalin Is, the Kuriles, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Marcus, the Marianas minus Guam, the Carolines, and the Marshall Islands); see the map boundary. The Japanese Home Islands consist of only Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Note: Card text references to Japanese islands means Japanese Home Islands.
13.91 Manchukuo
Japanese and Allied units of any type may not enter Manchukuo. Manchuko may be conquered by the play of the Soviet Manchurian Offensive card at the appropriate time.
13.92 Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands are defined as all islands that are within 2 hexes of 4415 Eniwetok and 4715 Kwajalein. If the Allies control these two hexes during the National Surrender phase, then all islands in the Marshall Islands that do not contain Japanese land units become Allied controlled. Any Japanese air or naval units in hexes that change control must immediately use emergency air-naval movement to exit.
13.93 Japanese Surrender
Japan surrenders when all hexes on Honshu are Allied controlled or if no ultimate Japanese Supply Source can trace a path of hexes to a Resource hex for three consecutive National Status segments. This path is traced like a supply line. If Japan surrenders, Allied player wins the game immediately.
13.94 Invading Japan
Each city hex in the Japanese Home Islands, that is Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, is considered to contain an intrinsic 12-12, one step ground unit with no stacking affect. This step is always the last one eliminated in the hex. Once an Allied control marker is placed in a Japanese hex, this intrinsic ground step is permanently eliminated, even if the Japanese later regain control of the hex.
14.0 Inter-Service Rivalry
Both sides experienced inter-service rivalry during the war. When these conditions were present, the coordination of military units and logistics was less effective. To simulate this, certain events create inter-service rivalry, which is denoted by flipping the appropriate Inter-Service rivalry marker to its Inter-Service rivalry side on the map. When an Event card (or one year scenario special rule 17.26, 17.37, and 17.47) ends Inter-Service Rivalry, flip the appropriate marker to its Strategic Agreement side to designate this condition.
14.1 US Inter-Service Rivalry
If US Inter-Service rivalry is in effect the following conditions prevail:
A. All US Army/Air Corps (not Allied or US Marine/Navy) reinforcements are automatically delayed. B. All WIE diverted to Europe die rolls have 1 subtracted from them. C. An HQ cannot activate both US Army units and US Navy units during the same offensive or in reaction to the same offensive. Only US Army units OR US Navy units may be activated in this case, but other Allied units are not restricted. US Army ground units may use Amphibious Assault during inter-service rivalry. Naval escort can occur due to card text or if a Joint HQ activates a non-US naval unit.
14.2 Japanese Inter-Service Rivalry
If Japanese Inter-Service rivalry is in effect the following conditions prevail:
A. An HQ cannot activate both army and navy units in the same offensive or in reaction to the same offensive. B. The Japanese can only use one half (round up) of their total amphibious shipping points while this condition persists.
15.0 War In Europe
The War In Europe (WIE) level is denoted by the WIE track. The current WIE status is either No Effect or a level from 1 to 4, based on the location of the WIE marker on the track. War In Europe Event cards increase (Allied) or decrease (Japanese) the WIE level. Different levels of WIE have varying game effects as follows.
15.1 No Effect
No Effect: Level of +1 to +3. No impact on play.
15.2 Level 1
Level 1: WIE Level of 0 to -2
A. Allied reinforcements delayed. B. US Sent to Europe range is 0-1.
15.3 Level 2
Level 2: WIE Level of -3 to -4
A. Allied reinforcements delayed. B. US Sent to Europe range is 0-3.
15.4 Level 3
Level 3: WIE Level of -5 to -6
A. Allied reinforcements delayed. B. US Sent to Europe range is 0-5. C. Allies lose their Amphibious Shipping point reinforcement.
15.5 Level 4
Level 4: WIE Level of -7
A. Allied reinforcements delayed. B. US Sent to Europe range is 0-7. C. Allies lose their Amphibious Shipping point reinforcement. D. Allies draw one less card (see 12.52 D).
15.6 Modified Die Rolls
Die rolls that are less than zero are treated as zero. Die rolls that are greater than nine are treated as a modified nine.
15.7 Maximum Levels
The WIE level may never increase beyond +3 or decrease beyond -7. Actions that would exceed these limits are ignored and do not accumulate.
16.0 Winning The Campaign Scenarios
These victory conditions apply to the Full Campaign Scenario (17.1), the Shortened Campaign Scenario (17.8) and the Even Shorter Campaign Scenario (17.9). The other seven scenarios covering shorter periods during the war (17.2 - 17.7) have their own victory conditions detailed individually.
16.1 Automatic Victory
If Japan surrenders due to conquest of Honshu or blockade of Home Islands (13.93) the game immediately ends and the Allied player wins. If during any End Of Turn Phase, the US Political Will marker is in the Negotiations Box (Zero), the game ends and the Japanese player wins. If none of these conditions occur, then there is no automatic victory, and the winner is determined at the conclusion of the scenario.
16.2 Allied Victory
The Allied player wins if, during the game turn 12 End Of Turn Phase, Japan has been successfully strategically bombed on four consecutive turns, has 1 or zero resource hexes, and a B29 is in range of Tokyo, or Japan has surrendered.
DESIGN NOTE: The most difficult part of this design was how to determine Allied victory, while still making the game interesting for the Japanese player. There was never a chance that Japan could "win" the war. Their strategy, and the best they could have hoped for, was that the US would negotiate a settlement of less than unconditional surrender. In addition, I needed to force the historical mindset on the Allied player that an invasion of Japan had to be contemplated and planned for, especially since most wartime personages were unaware of the Manhattan project until the A-bomb was ready for operational use. Consequently, to make a contest of it, the Allied player must perform a bit better than was achieved historically by the conclusion of the war or the Allies must carry out the invasion of the home islands. The notion here is that, if a variety of factors associated with the Japanese decision to surrender were delayed, other paths may have been chosen. So, if the Allies have to invade Japan to win the game, it is because the Manhattan project was delayed, the Soviets failed to invade Manchuria, or the Allies were unable to destroy Japanese industry due to a later starting B29 campaign. If the Allies do not complete the surrender of Japan through invasion, it is assumed that the high casualty cost causes a move to negotiate an end to hostilities, resulting in a pyrrhic Japanese victory.
16.3 Japanese Victory
If the Allied player does not win by the conclusion of game turn 12, the Japanese player wins.
16.4 US Political Will
The US Political Will marker moves due to the play of an event or during the National Status Segment when the following conditions occur.
16.41 Allied Surrenders
- Australia: Reduce US Political Will by 2.*
- Burma: Reduce US Political Will by 1.*
- China: Reduce US Political Will by 2.
- Dutch East Indies: Reduce US Political Will by 1.*
- India: Reduce US Political Will by 2.
- Malaya: Reduce US Political Will by 1.*
- Philippines: Reduce US Political Will by 1.*
All Allied nations on this list have surrendered: Reduce US Political Will by 2.
* = If this Allied Nation has surrendered to the Japanese and is subsequently recaptured by the Allies, US Political Will is increased by the value lost when this Nation originally surrendered. For example if the Allies recapture Malaya the US Political Will is increased by 1.
Any other locations that are not mentioned above have no impact on US Political Will when they surrender.
16.42 Occupation of Alaska or Hawaii
Alaska is considered occupied if a Japanese unit has continuously occupied any single hex in Aleutian Islands (Hexes 4600-5100) at the end of any third consecutive US Political Will Segment: Reduce US Political Will by 1. This result can be earned only one time per game.
Hawaii is considered occupied if a Japanese unit has continuously occupied any hex in the major Hawaiian Islands (Hexes 5708, 5808, 5908) or Midway (5108) at the end of second consecutive US Political Will Segments: Reduce US Political Will by 1. This result also can be earned only one time per game.
16.43 Strategic Warfare
A. If the Japanese control 3 or less Resource hexes during any game turn between turn 5 and 12, increase US Political Will by 3. This can occur only once per game.
B. If US Strategic Bombing roll result indicates reduction of the Japanese card draw by one or more cards, shift the US Political Will marker 1 to the Right, even if the Japanese card draw cannot be reduced further due to already being at minimum. This can occur no more than once per game turn.
16.44 Events
A. Operation Z: Pearl Harbor Attack Event: The play of this card increases US Political Will by 8. B. Other Event cards increase or decrease US Political Will as per the event text.
16.45 US Casualties
If, as a result of a combat when the Allies are the Offensives player, the entire attacking force in a ground battle is eliminated and at least one of the ground units was a US land unit of division or corps size (XX or XXX) that can receive replacements, the Allied player automatically loses 1 Political Will point, moving the marker one box to the left. No PW losses are taken for Allied units other than US units. The Allies cannot lose more than one Political Will point per game turn due to this condition.
16.46 Strategic Naval Situation
If at the end of any game turn there are no US carrier units on the map, the Allied player loses 1 US political will point, moving the marker one box to the left. The Allied player loses an additional US political will point if there are no US naval units of any type on the map.
16.47 Progress of the War
From game turn 4 until the end of the game, the Allies have a requirement for capturing and holding until the Political Will segment of the turn a certain number of hexes that began the turn under Japanese control. The required number of hexes is 4 or the number of ASPs available at the conclusion of the reinforcement phase, whichever is smaller. To count as a required hex for this purpose, the hex has to contain a named location, Resource, port, or airfield. If Allies fail to capture the required number of hexes during the turn, they lose 1 political will point. The capture of Allied controlled hexes has no impact on this calculation, except the re-capture of hexes that began the turn as Japanese controlled hexes. One hex islands that do not contain a resource, port, or airfield do not count for progress of the war purposes (e.g., Attu/Kiska). Hexes captured due to National Surrender do count for calculating the Allied total of captured hexes.
EXAMPLE: On game turn 4 the Allies have 3 ASPs at the conclusion of the Reinforcement phase. Therefore 3 is the number of Japanese hexes that must be captured. During the turn the Allies capture 5 Japanese controlled hexes and the Japanese re-capture 3 of those hexes for a net difference of 2 hexes captured and retained, which is less than the required 3 so US Political Will is reduced by one.
Changes in national status that alter the control of a group of hexes count for the Allies toward achieving their goal.
16.48 Tournament Play
Although the full campaign scenario is designed for the ultimate EOTS playing experience, it will often be a bit lengthy for the time constraints of a tournament situation. The yearly scenarios (1942, 1943, and 1944) were designed with tournament play in mind. It should take two players well versed in the rules approximately 3 hours to play a year scenario, although it will take longer when you are learning the system.
The year scenarios were designed to be as balanced as possible, but play style is a hard thing to define and it is often the case that a player favors one side or another in a tournament situation. It is suggested that players use the bidding system to determine sides in a tournament situation.
Tournament Bidding
A. Non-Campaign Scenario Bidding
Players bid victory points to determine which side they will play. After the pieces are set up, both players write down on a piece of paper a number of victory points that they are bidding to play a particular side. A player can choose either side and can bid any number of victory points they desire. A player must pick a side, but is allowed to bid zero victory points. There are two possible outcomes: both players pick the same side or each player picks a different side.
- If both players pick the same side, the player who bid more points gets to play that side. If the winning player is playing the Japanese side, the bid number of victory points is subtracted from the Japanese total at the end of the scenario. If the winning player is playing the Allied side, the bid amount is added to the total of Japanese victory points at the end of the scenario.
EXAMPLE: If Mark bids 1 VP to play the Japanese and Grant bids 0 VPs to play the Japanese, Mark gets the Japanese and subtracts 1VP from his VP total at the end of the scenario. If, on the other hand, both Mark and Grant bid for the Allied side, and the winning bid was 2 VPs, then the player with the Japanese would have 2 VPs added to his total at the end of the scenario.
- If both players pick different sides, the net difference is added or subtracted from the Japanese total.
EXAMPLE: If Mark bids 2 VPs to play the Japanese and Grant bids 3 VPs to play the Allies, each player gets the side they bid, but Mark (the Japanese player) adds 1VP to his total at the end of the scenario, however, if Mark had bid 3 VPs to play the Japanese and Grant bid 2 VPs to play the Allies, then Mark (still as the Japanese player) would subtract 1VP from his total at the end of the scenario.
- In cases of ties, a high die roll determines the winning bid. In case of tie die rolls, re-roll until someone wins.
PLAYER NOTE: Playtesting results indicate that a bid of higher than 3 victory points for any side is probably excessive.
B. Campaign Game Bidding
Players bid US Political Will boxes to determine which side they will play. After the pieces are set up, both players write down on a piece of paper a number of US Political Will boxes that they are bidding to play a particular side. A player can choose either side and can bid any number of US Political Will boxes they desire. A player must pick a side, but is allowed to bid zero US Political Will boxes. There are two possible outcomes: both players pick the same side or each player picks a different side.
-
If both players pick the same side, the player who bid more US Political Will boxes gets to play that side. If the winning player is playing the Japanese side, the US Political Will bid is added to the US Political Will total at the conclusion of Operation Z when the US Political Will is normally set at +8. If the winning player is playing the Allied side, the bid amount is subtracted from the US Political Will total at the conclusion of Operation Z.
-
If both players pick different sides, the net difference of US Political Will bids are added or subtracted from the initial US Political Will total of +8 at the conclusion of Operation Z.
DESIGN NOTE: The 1942 campaign scenario and the yearly scenarios were intended as the main format for tournament play.
17.0 Scenarios
The counters are geared for the start of the full campaign scenario. In order to set up the campaign game, set up all of the counters with hex setup locations in those hexes. All other units enter the game on their indicated game turn of entry.
17.1 The Full Campaign, Dec '41-Aug '45
17.11 December 1941 Special Turn
This is a mini-turn consisting of the Japanese player only playing two specific Strategy cards as Event cards in the following order:
Card 1: Operation Z - Attack on Pearl Harbor. All Japanese naval units must remain together. Allied units at sea (e.g., US CVs) may not be attacked. Follow all event text.
Card 2: IAI - Operation No. 1 - Conquest of SE Asia. The Allied player may not react to any Japanese moves that are not specified in the event descriptions. No Allied air units project Zones of Influence during IAI, but all Allied air units that are not in a battle hex can automatically participate in a battle hex that is within range of its location. For the duration of the IAI card only, Manila (hex 2813) and Singapore (hex 2015) prevent Japanese amphibious assault unless the ground units are escorted by a Japanese naval unit (adhering to all restrictions in 8.45 B) and the Japanese cannot use the Shore Bombardment die roll modifier in the ensuing Ground combat. Any escorting Japanese naval unit in the Manila or Singapore hex automatically loses one step prior to battle due to coastal artillery and mines. The Japanese may only use Amphibious Assault to hexes that are within 5 contiguous water hexes of a Japanese controlled port.
At the conclusion of IAI the Allies get a one time Emergency Naval Move for all of their naval units. After this Allied action finish out the remaining phases of the turn, except the Attrition Phase, and then start normal play.
The Allies choose Arcadia card 4: Arcadia Conference as one of their cards for game turn 2 and optionally play Arcadia prior to the first Japanese card play.
DESIGN NOTE: The Japanese went into the war without foreknowledge of how successful they would be in catching the Allies unprepared for war. Consequently, they went into this initial operation with some critical assumptions that need to be accounted for in order to give you the opportunity to write your own history of this event within a reasonable set of historical restrictions.
17.12 Game Turns 2 to 12
Follow the rules normally.
Historical Variant: for the game turn 2 hand of cards, use 17.25 D and F.
17.13 Winning the Game
See 16.0.
17.14 Track Marker Starting Locations
Here are there starting locations for the game markers:
- US Political Will Marker: begins in the Zero box on the US Political Will track.
- China Marker: begins in the Stable Front Box on the China track.
- Japanese Division in China marker: begins on the 12 box of the Japanese Divisions In China track.
- Burma Road marker: begins on its NO HUMP side in the Burma Road Open box on the Burma Road track.
- India Marker: begins on the India track in the India Stable box.
- War In Europe Marker: begins on the WIE track in the Zero box.
- Japanese Amphibious Shipping Marker: begins on its No Barge side on the Strategic Record track in the 7 box.
- US Amphibious Shipping Marker: begins on the Strategic Record Track in the Zero box.
- Japanese Resource Marker: begins on the Strategic Record Track in the 3 box.
- Game Turn Marker: begins on its PM Tojo side on the Game Turn track, in the 1: December '41 box.
- US Inter-Service Rivalry Marker: begins on its Strategic Agreement side in the Inter-Service Rivalry box.
- Japanese Inter-Service Rivalry Marker: begins on its Strategic Agreement side in the Inter-Service Rivalry box.
- There are no units in the Delayed Reinforcement box on the map.
- Allied & Japanese Pass markers are in the zero box on the Strategic Record track.
- Place the Jarhat (hex 2104), Ledo (hex 2205), and Imphal (2105) no transport route markers on map in the indicated hexes.
CONTROL MARKERS: There is an Allied control marker on Guam (3814) and Hong Kong (2709).
17.2 1942
This scenario is three game turns long and begins on game turn 2 at the beginning of the Offensives Phase. There is no Reinforcement, Replacement, or Strategic Warfare Segments conducted for game turn 2, as it has already been incorporated into the starting locations. Similarly, Japanese cards #1 & #2 are not in play and should be put aside. Set up the units and markers for both sides as described and then play out the game normally. The game is concluded at the end of game turn 4.
17.21 Allied Setup
Set up all game turn 1 Allied units in their starting locations with the exceptions of the following units that are permanently removed from play (these are the units that were destroyed during game turn 1) and the other listed units that have alternate setup locations and are reduced or improved in strength. If a unit is not listed here, it begins on its counter indicated starting location at its original strength. Note: the US 7th air units were both eliminated during game turn 1, but have been brought back into play with replacements.
PLAY NOTE: The Australian forces usually remain out of command throughout game turn 2 and subsequently suffer attrition. This is intentional and represents the losses incurred by the various air and ground contingents such as Gull Force that were lost in the early fighting.
Eliminated at start Allied units:
- BB MD/CA
- Mindanao (M) Corps
- HK Division
- Force Z
- NL Corp
Repositioned, Altered, or Replaced Allied Units:
- 1805: SEAC HQ
- 2813: US FEAF Air unit (reduced strength)
- 2912: SL Corps (reduced strength)
- 2917: 19th LRB air unit (reduced strength)
- 3014: CA US Asia Naval (reduced strength)
- 5108: 7AF Air Force
- 5808: 7AF LRB Air unit
- 5808: CV Lexington (full strength)
- 5808: CV Enterprise (full strength)
- 5808: CA N Orlns (reduced strength)
17.22 Japanese Setup
Place all Japanese units in the hexes indicated. All units are at full strength unless otherwise indicated. No Japanese units start this scenario having been eliminated.
- 1912: Japanese Control marker
- 1913: 38th Army
- 2012: Japanese Control marker
- 2109: 15th Army
- 2110: 28th Army (reduced)
- 2112: 25th Army (reduced)
- 2212: HQ (South), 22nd Air Flotilla
- 2311: BB Kongo, CA Mogami
- 2415: 2nd SN
- 2709: 17th Army (reduced)
- 2812: 5th Air Division, 14th Army
- 2909: 21st Air Flotilla, CA Takao
- 2911: 1 SN
- 2913: 19th Army (reduced)
- 2915: 16th Army (reduced), CVL Ryujo, CVL Zuiho, CA Nachi
- 3004: 2nd Air Division
- 3007: 35th Army (reduced)
- 3009: 23rd Air Flotilla
- 3305: Korean Army
- 3407: HQ (Combined Fleet), BB Nagato, Yamato (reduced), 25th Air Flotilla
- 3607: 3rd Air Division, 4th Air Division
- 3704: 27th Army (reduced)
- 3706: 1st Air Division, Eastern District Army, 18th Army (reduced), CV Akagi, CV Soryu, CV Shokaku, BB Hiei
- 3814: 3rd SN
- 4017: HQ (South Seas), APD Kamikaze
- 4021: SS Brigade, CA Aoba
- 4715: 4th SN (reduced), 24th Air Flotilla, CL Tenyru
17.23 Markers
All markers are in their Campaign Game (17.14) starting positions with the following exceptions:
- The Japanese have 4 Resource hexes under control, instead of 3.
- The Japanese have 11 Divisions in China.
- The Allies have 1 Amphibious Shipping Points.
- US Political Will is at +8 instead of Zero.
17.24 Delay Box
The following Allied units are in the Delay Box: All game turn 2 reinforcements except the British HQ (SEAC), which is in Calcutta hex 1805.
17.25 Special Rules
A. Japanese cards 1 and 2 have been played and are removed from play. All other cards are eligible for use in this scenario. For game turn 2, the Japanese receives 7 cards and the Allied player receives 5 cards and 2 passes.
B. No nations have surrendered. The Japanese control all hexes originally part of the Japanese Empire.
C. The Allies get a free Emergency Naval Move for all naval units prior to the play of the first Japanese Strategy card play.
D. The Allied player may optionally take and declare Card 4: Arcadia Conference as one of their five card draws for game turn 2. Optionally they may also play this event prior to the first Japanese card play in game turn 2.
E. If the Japanese do not receive any military offense cards in their opening hand (e.g., Military Events that have a logistic value) they may discard a 3 OC card of their choice, or one of lesser value if no 3 OC cards are in the Japanese hand, and replace that card with Japanese card 47: VADM Kondo.
F. Historical Japanese Opening Hand Option: If the players agree to play with this option the Japanese player takes the three Japanese cards: Col. Tsuji (card 3), VADM Kondo (card 47), and Central Force (card 59) and then deals themselves 4 additional cards for their opening hand.
DESIGN NOTE: Due to the ongoing war in China the Japanese southern offensive was conducted with a limited number of resources and a force ratio that was more evenly matched than is appreciated in hindsight. It is my intention that part of the Japanese experience in EotS is to experience this uncertainty as represented by the large number of possible Japanese opening hands. To aid in this process I have created several YouTube videos that can be seen for free on the GMT and my personal channel (Mark Herman). For those players who are new to the game or who do not play the game regularly I offer an historical variant that ensures that the Japanese historical dominance is a sure thing.
17.26 Short Game Inter-Service Rivalry and Political Will Events
During yearly scenarios any time Inter-Service Rivalry comes into effect for either player, that player can remove Inter-Service Rivalry at any Offensives card play by playing a 3OC value card as a Remove Inter-Service Rivalry play (flip the marker to its Strategic Agreement side). This is then the entire effect for that card play, and counts for that player as a complete card play action. In addition, all events that modify US Political Will can only be played as OC not EC (Doolittle's Raid, Bataan Death March, Tojo, Tokyo Rose).
17.27 Victory Conditions
Automatic Victory: If the Japanese do not control at least 12 of the 14 Resource hexes by the conclusion of game turn 4, they lose the game and the Allies win an automatic victory. If an automatic victory has not occurred then the Japanese player gains victory points for the following conditions at the conclusion of game turn 4. Victory points are assessed at the end of game turn 4 unless otherwise indicated.
For Tournament play: A hex counts as captured for victory points only if some non-HQ unit would be in supply in it. If these criteria are not fulfilled, the hex counts as being held by the player who had control of it at the start of the scenario.
A. For each box, left of the Stable Front box inclusive, 1 VP (4 VP max). If China surrenders receive a bonus 5 victory points (9VP with surrender) B. For closing the Burma Road, 1 victory point. C. For isolating Townsville from Oahu, e.g., no supply line can be drawn between the two locations, 5 victory points. D. For controlling each hex of Northern India, 1 victory point per hex. E. For India Unrest or Strikes, 1 victory point (awarded on the last game turn). F. For India Unstable, Revolts, or Surrender; 2 victory points (not cumulative with E; awarded on last game turn). G. For Control of Australian Mandates, 1 victory point. H. For Control of 4 or more New Guinea Ports (includes Biak), 2 VP. I. For each box US Political Will is 5 or below, 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 5 equals 1 victory point. J. For each box US Political Will is 6 or above, minus 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 7 equals minus 2 victory points. K. For the capture Kauai or Hawaii, 1 victory point, for each hex, if controlled and occupied at the end of any game turn, but only once per hex per game. L. For the capture Oahu, 3 victory points if controlled and occupied at the end of any game turn, but only once per game. M. For the capture of Midway or Wake, 1 victory point for each hex if controlled and occupied at the end of game turn 4. N. For control of Attu/Kiska 1 VP. O. For control of Dutch Harbor 2 VP. P. If Japan controls 12 Resource Hexes minus 3 VP.
Victory Point Levels:
- Allied Decisive Victory: Japanese have 2 or less victory points.
- Allied Tactical Victory: Japanese have 3 to 5 victory points.
- Japanese Tactical Victory: Japanese have 6-9 victory points.
- Japanese Decisive Victory: Japanese have 10 or more victory points.
17.3 1943
This scenario is three game turns long and begins on game turn 5 at the beginning of the Offensives Phase. There is no Reinforcement, Replacement, or Strategic Warfare Segments conducted for game turn 5, as it has already been incorporated into the starting locations. Set up the units and markers for both sides as described and then play out the game normally. The game is concluded at the end of game turn 7.
17.31 Allied Setup
Place all Allied units in the hexes indicated. All units are at full strength unless otherwise indicated.
Eliminated at start Allied units:
US Units — CV: Wasp; BB: MD/CA; CA: N Orleans, Northampton, and US Asia; DD: US Asia; Marines: Wake (W), and 211 Air Unit; Army Corps Units: NL, SL, R, and M Corps; P Brigade; Air Units: AVG, FEAF, and 19th LRB; HQs: ABDA, South Pacific (Ghormley).
Commonwealth Units — Force Z; Australian 8th Division; HK Division; All Non-Australian at start units (units with hex setup) except for the Indian 1 Ind Corps; CVL Hermes.
Dutch Units — All Dutch units.
Allied Setup:
- 1005 Maldive Islands: CV Indomitable, BB Warspite, CA London
- 1805 Calcutta: CW SEAC HQ, CW SEAC Air unit
- 1905 Dacca: CW 15th Corps, US 10AF LRB Air unit
- Air Units in China: US 14AF LRB Air unit
- 2006 Akyab: CW 4th Indian Corps
- 2104 Jarhat: US 14AF Air unit
- 2105 Imphal/Kohima: CW 33rd Corps
- 2205 Ledo: CW 1st Indian Corps (reduced), Chinese 5th Army
- 2407 Kunming: Chinese 6th, 66th Armies (all reduced)
- 3023 Darwin: Aus 1st Corps
- 3626 Cairns: US 5AF Air unit, US 5AF LRB Air unit, US 1st Marine Division
- 3727 Townsville: US SW HQ, Aus 2nd Corps, Aus CA Kent
- 3823 Port Morseby: ANZAC HQ, Aus Port Moresby Brigade (reduced), Aus 3rd Corps, Aus Air unit
- 3922 Buna: US XIth Corps
- 4024 Gili-Gili: US Ist Corps
- 4423 Guadalcanal: US XIV Corps, US 2nd Marine Division, US 1MAW Marine Air unit
- 4825 Espiritu Santo: US 2MAW Marine Air unit, US 13AF Air unit, US 13AF LRB Air unit, US Marine SF Brigade
- 4828 Noumea: US Halsey HQ, NZ 3rd Division, US CV Lexington (reduced), US CV Enterprise (reduced), BB Washington, BB North Carolina
- 5100 Dutch Harbor: US 11AF Air unit, US 11AF LRB Air unit
- 5108 Midway: US 7AF LRB Air unit
- 5808 Oahu: US CPac HQ, US 7AF Air unit, US Xth Corps, US Marine Brigade, US BB Miss
17.32 Japanese Setup
Place all Japanese units in the hexes indicated. The Japanese control all of their original hexes within the Japanese Empire boundary. All 14 resource hexes are controlled by the Japanese, if no Japanese unit is present, a control marker should be placed to indicate this resource hex control. Malaya, Philippines, Dutch East Indies, and Burma have surrendered. In addition, the Japanese control the Australian Mandates, so all hexes in these countries and locations are Japanese controlled unless occupied by an Allied unit. Key bases are indicated with a control maker, but this list is not exhaustive and does not supplant full Japanese player control of those surrendered nations.
Eliminated at start Japanese units: BB Kongo; CV: Akagi, and Soryu; CVL Ryujo; CL Tenyru; Tainan Air unit.
Japanese 1943 Set up (all units are at full strength unless otherwise indicated):
- 1813 Medan: Control Marker
- 1916 Palembang: 25th Army, 3rd Air Division (both reduced)
- 2008 Rangoon: 28th Army, 5th Air Division
- 2014 Kuantan: Control Marker
- 2015 Singapore: Control Marker
- 2017 Banka: Control Marker
- 2018 Batavia: Control Marker
- 2106 Mandalay: 33rd Army
- 2019 Tjilatjap: Control Marker
- 2110 Bangkok: Control Marker
- 2206 Lashio: 15th Army
- 2212 Saigon: South HQ, 38th Army, 27 Air Flotilla
- 2220 Soerabaja: 16th Army (reduced), 23rd Air Flotilla
- 2305 Myitkyina: Control Marker
- 2415 Miri: Control Marker
- 2517 Balikpapan: Control Marker
- 2616 Tarakan: 37th Army (reduced)
- 2620 Makassar: 28th Air Flotilla
- 2709 Hong Kong: Control Marker
- 2813 Manila: 14th Army
- 2909 Tainan: 22nd Air Flotilla (reduced)
- 2915 Davao: 35th Army, 8th Air Division
- 3004 Peking: 2nd Air Division, 4th Air Division
- 3119 Sarong: 7th Air Division
- 3219 Vogelkop: Control Marker
- 3305 Seoul: Korean Army
- 3319 Biak: Control Marker
- 3407 Kure: Yamamoto Combined Fleet HQ, CVL Junyo, BB Nagato, CA Mogami (reduced)
- 3520 Hollandia: Control Marker
- 3620 Altape: Control Marker
- 3704 Hakodate: 27th Army (reduced)
- 3706 Tokyo: Eastern District (ED) Army, 1st Air Division
- 3720 Wewak: 19th Army, 6th Air Division
- 3721 Madang: Control Marker
- 3814 Guam: Control Marker
- 3813 Saipan/Tinian: 31st Army (reduced)
- 3822 Lae: 18th Army
- 4017 Truk: South Seas HQ, BB Yamato, CV Shokaku, CVL Zuiho, BB Hiei, CA Nachi
- 4021 Rabaul: 17th Army, 21st Air Flotilla (reduced), CA Aoba (reduced), CA Takao, APD Kamikaze
- 4222 Buin: 25th Air Flotilla (reduced)
- 4322 New Georgia: South Seas Detachment (SS Bde)
- 4415 Eniwetok: 26th Air Flotilla
- 4600 Attu/Kiska: 2nd SN (reduced)
- 4612 Wake Island: 4th SN (reduced)
- 4715 Kwajalein: 3rd SN, 24th Air Flotilla (reduced)
- 4719 Nauru: Control Marker
- 5018 Tarawa: 1st SN
17.33 Markers
All markers are in the following positions:
- Game Turn 5: PM Tojo
- The Japanese have 14 Resource hexes under control.
- The Japanese have 7 Amphibious Shipping Points.
- The Japanese Divisions Available In China is in the 7 box.
- The Allies have 4 Amphibious Shipping Points.
- China Government Front Status Track: Major Breakthrough Box
- US Political Will is at +6.
- Japanese Inter-Service Rivalry: Yes
- US Inter-Service Rivalry: Yes
- Japanese Air Replacements: 2
- Japanese Naval Replacements: 1
- WIE: -1 (Delay Allied Reinforcements)
- Japanese Barges
- Burma Road Closed/Hump
- Place the Ledo (hex 2205), and Imphal (2105) no transport route markers on the map in the indicated hexes.
- India: Stable
17.34 Delay Box
Allied Game Turn 5 Reinforcements.
17.35 Strategy Cards
Japanese Strategy cards 1, 2, 5, 6, 13, 15, 18, 39, 55, 73, 78 have been played and are removed from play. Allied Strategy cards 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 51 have been played and are removed from play. Allied cards 13 and 15 are in the discard pile. Japanese cards 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 29, and 35 are in the discard pile. The Allies have card 29 and the Japanese have card 26 as future offensives cards. Bridge over the River Kwai card had been played, Rangoon to Bangkok transportation route is open. All other cards are eligible for use in this scenario. For game turn 5, the Japanese player receives 7 cards and the Allied player receives 7 cards.
17.36 Political Situation
The Japanese control all hexes originally part of the Japanese Empire. The following countries have surrendered and the Japanese control all of these hexes unless specifically noted in the Allied Set Up: Malaya, Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Burma, or Australian Mandates.
17.37 Short Game Inter-Service Rivalry and Political Will Events
During yearly scenarios any time Inter-Service Rivalry comes into effect for either player, that player can remove Inter-Service Rivalry at any Offensives card play by playing a 3OC value card as a Remove Inter-Service Rivalry play (flip the marker to its Strategic Agreement side). This is then the entire effect for that card play, and counts for that player as a complete card play action. In addition, all events that modify US Political Will can only be played as OC not EC (Doolittle's Raid, Bataan Death March, Tojo, Tokyo Rose).
17.38 Victory Conditions
The Japanese player gains victory points for the following conditions at the conclusion of game turn 7. Victory points are assessed at the end of game turn 7, unless otherwise indicated.
For Tournament play: A hex counts as captured for victory points only if some non-HQ unit would be in supply in it. If this criteria is not fulfilled, the hex counts as being held by the player who had control of it at the start of the scenario.
A. If China surrenders receive a bonus 5 victory points. B. For closing the Burma Road, 1 victory point. C. For isolating Townsville from Oahu, e.g., no supply line can be drawn between the two locations, 5 victory points. D. For controlling each hex of Northern India, 1 victory point per hex. E. For India Unrest or Strikes, 1 victory point (awarded on the last game turn). F. For India Unstable, Revolts, or Surrender; 2 victory points (not cumulative with E; awarded on last game turn). G. For Control of the Australian Mandates, 3 victory points. H. For each box US Political Will is 5 or below, 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 5 equals 1 victory point. I. For each box US Political Will is 6 or above, minus 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 7 equals 2 victory points. J. For the capture Kauai or Hawaii, 1 victory point, for each hex, if controlled and occupied at the end of any game turn, but only once per hex per game. K. For the capture Oahu, 3 victory points if controlled and occupied at the end of any game turn, but only once per game. L. If the Allies control the Australian Mandates, minus 3 victory points. M. If the Allies do not control the Australian Mandates, but control 4 or more Australian Mandate hexes, minus 1 victory point. N. If the Allies control the Marshall Islands, minus 3 victory points. O. If the Allies control New Guinea, minus 3 victory points. P. If the Allies do not control New Guinea, but control 4 or more New Guinea ports, minus 1 victory point. Q. If the Allies control a port that is 11 or less hexes from Tokyo, minus 3 victory points. R. If the Allies control a Resource hex, minus 1 victory point per Resource hex.
For Tournament Play Purposes: 1943 Starting Score
The initial conditions at the beginning of the 1943 scenario are the Japanese start with +3 victory points (effectively an Allied Tactical Victory). Here are the details at the start of the scenario (if not specified, then the condition is not satisfied for VP gain or loss at the start of the scenario):
- 17.38 B: The Burma Road is closed (+1 VP)
- 17.38 G: The Japanese control the Australian Mandates (+3 VPs): the Allied control of Guadalcanal does not change control.
- 17.38 I: The US Political Will stands at 6 PW (-1 VP), but Attu/Kiska (hex 4600) has been occupied by the Japanese starting with the National Status Phase of game turn 3 (two turns at the start of the scenario). If the Allies do not control Attu/Kiska at the conclusion of game turn 5, as per 16.42, the Allies would lose one PW. Note: Attu/Kiska is not a named location and does not count toward PoW calculations.
- 17.38 L: The Japanese control the Australian Mandates at the beginning of the scenario. Control would only convert to the Allies if they were to control Guadalcanal and Rabaul (12.84) at the conclusion of game turn 7.
- 17.38 M: Guadalcanal counts as one of the four Australian Mandate hexes required to fulfill this condition.
- 17.38 O: Neither side controls New Guinea at the beginning of the scenario.
- 17.38 P: The Allies begin the scenario controlling two New Guinea ports (Port Moresby, Gili-Gili).
PLAY NOTE: The 1943 scenario has become the main tournament scenario as player statistics indicate that it is very balanced. The 1943 starting score is intended to make it clear what the opening VP scores are at the initiation of play.
Victory Point Levels:
- Allied Decisive Victory: Japanese have 2 or less victory points.
- Allied Tactical Victory: Japanese have 3 to 5 victory points.
- Japanese Tactical Victory: Japanese have 6-9 victory points.
- Japanese Decisive Victory: Japanese have 10 or more victory points.
17.4 1944
This scenario is three game turns long and begins on game turn 8 at the beginning of the Offensives Phase. There is no Reinforcement, Replacement, or Strategic Warfare Segments conducted for game turn 8, as it has already been incorporated into the starting locations. Set up the units and markers for both sides as described and then play out the game normally. The game is concluded at the end of game turn 10.
17.41 Allied Setup
Place all Allied units in the hexes indicated. All units are at full strength unless otherwise indicated.
Eliminated at start Allied units:
US Units — CV: Wasp; BB: MD/CA; CA: N Orleans, Northampton, and US Asia; DD: US Asia; Marines: Wake (W), and 211 Air Unit; Army Corps Units: NL, SL, R, and M Corps; P Brigade; Air Units: AVG, FEAF, and 19th LRB; HQs: ABDA, and South Pacific (Ghormley).
Commonwealth Units — Force Z; Australian 8th Division; HK Division; All Non-Australian at start units (units with hex setup); CVL Hermes.
Dutch Units — All Dutch units.
Allied Setup:
- 1005 Maldive Islands: CV Indomitable, BB Warspite, CA London
- 1805 Calcutta: CW SEAC HQ, CW SEAC Air unit, CW SEAC LRB Air Unit
- 1905 Dacca: CW 15th Corps, US 10AF LRB Air unit
- Air Units in China Box: US 14AF LRB Air unit
- 2006 Akyab: CW 4th Indian Corps
- 2104 Jarhat: US 14AF Air unit
- 2105 Imphal/Kohima: CW 33rd Corps
- 2205 Ledo: 77th Special Forces Brigade, Chinese 5th Army (reduced)
- 2407 Kunming: Chinese 6th Army (reduced), Chinese 66th Army (reduced)
- 3023 Darwin: Aus 1st Corps
- 3626 Cairns: US 11th Airborne Division
- 3727 Townsville: US SW HQ, Aus 2nd Corps, Aus CA Kent
- 3822 Lae: US XI Corps, Aus 3rd Corps
- 3823 Port Morseby: Aus ANZAC HQ, Aus 4th Corps, US 5AF Air unit, US 5AF LRB Air unit, Aus Air unit
- 3921 Gasmata: US 1st Marine Division
- 3922 Buna: US 1st Corps
- 4024 Gili-Gili: Aus Port Moresby Brigade (reduced)
- 4122 Woodlark: Control Marker
- 4222 Bougainville: US 3rd Marine Division, US 2MAW Marine Air unit, US XIV Corps
- 4322 New Georgia: NZ 3rd Division, US 13AF Air unit, US 13AF LRB Air unit
- 4423 Guadalcanal: US Marine SF Brigade
- 4826 Efate: US 6th Marine Division, US CVL Cowpens, US CVL B. Wood, US CVE Sangamon, US CVL Bataan, US CVE Casablanca, US BB NJ
- 4828 Noumea: US Halsey HQ, US CV Lexington, US CV Enterprise, CV Essex, CV Bunker Hill, BB Washington, BB North Carolina, US IXth Corps
- 5018 Tarawa: US 7AF Air unit, US 7AF LRB Air unit, US 2nd Marine Division
- 5100 Dutch Harbor: US 11AF Air unit, US 11AF LRB Air unit
- 5108 Midway: US 1MAW Marine Air unit
- 5808 Oahu: US Central Pacific HQ, US Xth Corps, XXIVth Corps, US Marine Brigade, US BB Miss, US CVL San Jacinto, US BB Mass, US CV Franklin, US CV Intrepid, US CV Hancock
17.42 Japanese Setup
Place all Japanese units in the hexes indicated. The Japanese control all of their original hexes within the Japanese Empire boundary. All 14 resource spaces are controlled by the Japanese. If no Japanese units present a control marker should be placed. Malaya, Philippines, Dutch East Indies, and Burma have surrendered. In addition, the Japanese control the Australian Mandates, so all hexes in these countries and locations are Japanese controlled unless occupied by an Allied unit. Key bases are indicated with a control maker, but this list is not exhaustive and does not supplant Japanese control of the indicated nations.
Eliminated at start Japanese units: BB Kongo; CV: Akagi, and Soryu; CVL: Ryujo; CL Tenyru; CA Aoba; Air Units: 21st, 50th, and Tainan (T); Naval Brigades: 1st SN, 2nd SN, and SS; Combined Fleet HQ (Yamamoto).
Japanese 1944 Setup (all units are at full strength unless otherwise indicated):
- 1813 Medan: Control Marker
- 1916 Palembang: 25th Army (reduced), 9th Air Division
- 2008 Rangoon: 28th Army, 5th Air Division (reduced)
- 2014 Kuantan: Control Marker
- 2015 Singapore: 29th Army (reduced), 28th Air Flotilla (reduced)
- 2017 Banka: Control Marker
- 2018 Batavia: Control Marker
- 2019 Tjilatap: Control Marker
- 2106 Mandalay: 33rd Army
- 2110 Bangkok: Control Marker
- 2206 Lashio: 15th Army
- 2212 Saigon: South HQ, 38th Army
- 2220 Soerabaja: 16th Army (reduced)
- 2305 Myitkyina: Control Marker
- 2409 Hanoi: 8th Air Division
- 2415 Miri: Control Marker
- 2517 Balikpapan: Control Marker
- 2616 Tarakan: 37th Army (reduced)
- 2813 Manila: 14th Army, 23rd Air Flotilla
- 2909 Tainan: 3rd Air Division (reduced)
- 2915 Davao: 35th Army
- 3004 Peking: 2nd Air Division, 4th Air Division
- 3119 Sarong: Control Marker
- 3219 Vogelkop: Control Marker
- 3305 Seoul: Korean Army
- 3319 Biak: Control Marker
- 3407 Kure: Combined Fleet HQ (Ozawa), CVL Junyo, BB Nagato, CA Mogami (reduced), CVL Kaiyo, CV Shokaku, CV Taiho, 11th Air Division
- 3416 Palau: 26th Air Flotilla (reduced)
- 3520 Hollandia: 2nd Army (reduced)
- 3615 Ulithi: BB Yamato, CVL Zuiho, BB Hiei
- 3620 Altape: Control Marker
- 3704 Hakodate: 27 Air Flotilla (reduced), 51st Air Flotilla, 27th Army (reduced)
- 3706 Tokyo: Eastern District (ED) Army, 1st Air Division, 10th Air Division
- 3720 Wewak: 19th Army (reduced), 6th Air Division (reduced), 7th Air Division (reduced)
- 3721 Madang: 18th Army (reduced)
- 3813 Saipan/Tinian: South Seas HQ, 31st Army (reduced), 61st Air Flotilla, 62nd Air Flotilla
- 3814 Guam: Control Marker
- 4017 Truk: 22nd Air Flotilla (reduced), CA Nachi
- 4021 Rabaul: 17th Army, 25th Air Flotilla (reduced), CA Takao (reduced), APD Kamikaze (reduced)
- 4612 Wake Island: 4th SN (reduced)
- 4715 Kwajalein: 3rd SN, 24th Air Flotilla (reduced)
17.43 Markers
All markers are in the following positions:
- Game Turn 8: PM Tojo
- The Japanese have 14 Resource hexes under control.
- The Japanese have 5 Amphibious Shipping Points.
- The Japanese Divisions Available In China is in the 5 box.
- The Allies have 8 Amphibious Shipping Points.
- China Government Front Status Track: Major Breakthrough
- Japanese Card #31 has been played: +1 Ground Combat DRM in effect.
- US Political Will is at +5.
- Japanese Inter service Rivalry: Yes
- US Inter service Rivalry: Yes
- Japanese Air Replacements: 0
- Japanese Naval Replacements: 0
- WIE: +2
- PT Boats - No Japanese Barges
- Burma Road Closed/Hump
- Place the Ledo (hex 2205), and Imphal (2105) no transport route markers on the map in the indicated hexes.
- India: Stable
17.44 Delay Box
No Allied units are in the delay box.
17.45 Strategy Cards
Japanese Strategy cards 1, 2, 5, 6, 13, 15, 18, 26, 31, 39, 51, 53, 54, 55, 73, 78 have been played and are removed from play. Allied Strategy cards 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 39, 41, 42, 47, 51, 73 have been played and are removed from play. Japanese card 7 is in the discard pile, as is Allied card 2. The Allies have card 45 and the Japanese have card 4 as future offensives cards. All other cards are eligible for use in this scenario. For game turn 8, the Japanese player receives 6 cards plus 1 pass and the Allied player receives 7 cards.
17.46 Political Situation
The Japanese control all hexes originally part of the Japanese Empire. The following countries have surrendered and the Japanese control all of their hexes unless specifically noted in the Allied Setup:
- Malaya
- Philippines
- Dutch East Indies
- Burma
- Australian Mandates
17.47 Short Game Inter-Service Rivalry and Political Will Events
During yearly scenarios any time Inter-Service Rivalry comes into effect for either player, that player can remove Inter-Service Rivalry at any Offensives card play by playing a 3-OC value card as a Remove Inter-Service Rivalry play (flip the marker to its Strategic Agreement side). This is then the entire effect for that card play, and counts for that player as a complete card play action. In addition, all events that modify US Political Will can only be played as OC not EC (Doolittle's Raid, Bataan Death March, Tojo, Tokyo Rose).
17.48 Victory Conditions
The Japanese player gains victory points for the following conditions at the conclusion of game turn 10. Victory points are assessed at the end of game turn 10 unless otherwise indicated.
For Tournament play: A hex counts as captured for victory points only if some non-HQ unit would be in supply in it. If this criteria is not fulfilled, the hex counts as being held by the player who had control of it at the start of the scenario.
A. If China surrenders receive a bonus 5 victory points. B. For closing the Burma Road, 1 victory point. C. For isolating Townsville from Oahu, e.g., no supply line can be drawn between the two locations, 5 victory points. D. For controlling each hex of Northern India, 1 victory point per hex. E. For India Unrest or Strikes, 1 victory point (awarded on the last game turn). F. For India Unstable, Revolts, or Surrender; 2 victory points (not cumulative with E; awarded on last game turn). G. For Control of Australian Mandates, 1 victory point. H. For each box US Political Will is 5 or below, 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 5 equals 1 victory point. I. For each box US Political Will is 6 or above, minus 1 victory point per box. Example a US Political Will of 7 equals 2 victory points. J. For the capture Oahu, 3 victory points if controlled and occupied at the end of any game turn, but only once per game. K. Control of New Guinea, 5 victory points. L. If the Allies do not control New Guinea, 3 victory points. M. If the Allies have not captured Rabaul (4021) or placed it out of supply on the last turn of the scenario, 3 victory points. N. If the Allies control no Philippine port hexes, 5 victory points. O. If the Allies control 1 in supply Philippine port, 3 victory points (corollary if the Allies control 2 in supply Philippine ports, 0 victory points). P. If the Allies do not control a port hex within 8 hexes of Tokyo (3706), 5 victory points.
Victory Point Levels:
- Allied Decisive Victory: Japanese have 2 or less victory points.
- Allied Tactical Victory: Japanese have 3 to 5 victory points.
- Japanese Tactical Victory: Japanese have 6 to 9 victory points.
- Japanese Decisive Victory: Japanese have 10 or more victory points.
17.5 1942-1943
For this scenario, use the starting conditions and setup of the 1942 scenario (17.2) but play turns 2-7 and use the victory conditions of the 1943 scenario (17.3).
17.6 1943-1944
For this scenario, use the starting conditions and setup of the 1943 scenario (17.3) but play turns 5-10 and use the victory conditions of the 1944 scenario (17.4).
17.7 1942-1944
For this scenario, use the starting conditions of the 1942 scenario (17.2) but play turns 2-10 and use the victory conditions of the 1944 scenario (17.4).
17.8 The Shortened Campaign (1942-1945)
This scenario starts as if for the 1942 Scenario (17.2) and uses all of the setup requirements of that scenario, but plays the rest of war, using the Campaign Scenario (17.1) conditions and length for everything else, including victory conditions.
17.9 The Even Shorter Campaign (1943-1945)
This scenario starts as if for the 1943 Scenario (17.3) and uses all of the setup requirements of that scenario, but plays the rest of war, using the Campaign Scenario (17.1) conditions and length for everything else, including victory conditions.
17.10 South Pacific
Map: Use South Pacific mini-Map instead of Main map.
Cards: To play this scenario create two decks of 24 cards from the list below. These are all of the cards used for this scenario.
Allied Cards:
- 8: Coast Watchers
- 13: Watchtower
- 20: Halsey Replaces Ghormley
- 21: Operation Cartwheel
- 23: PT Boats
- 24: Skip Bombing
- 25: Lilliput
- 27: Operation Vengence
- 28: Chronicle
- 29: Operation Toenails
- 31: Black Day
- 32: Operation Reno II
- 36: Operation Cherry Blossom
- 40: Operation Dexterity
- 43: Japanese Army-Navy Dispute
- 44: Operation Squarepeg
- 46: Operation Brewer
- 50: Tornado TF
- 52: Roosevelt Nimitz MacArthur
- 56: Typhoon TF
- 64: Tradewind TF
- 66: War in Europe Major Allied Victory
- 81: China Offensive
- 82: China Offensive
Japanese Cards:
- 9: RADM Ugaki
- 13: JN 25 Code Change May 28, 1942
- 16: Operation RI
- 17: Savo Island
- 20: Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
- 23: Operation RE
- 25: Operation KA
- 27: Submarine Attack
- 28: Big Tokyo Express Operation
- 29: Combined Fleet
- 32: Operation I-GO
- 33: Imperial Intervention
- 34: US Army-Navy Dispute
- 35: Operation KE
- 42: Ichi Go
- 44: Tokyo Express
- 48: General Adachi
- 49: JN-25 Code Change
- 51: War in Europe Minor Axis Victory
- 52: War in Europe Minor Axis Victory
- 73: Ants
- 75: Submarine Attack
- 84: JN25 Code Change
- 85: Battle of Kolombangara
PLAY NOTE: Any card reference to an HQ or unit not in the scenario should be ignored. For example the Japanese South HQ referred to on several cards is not in this scenario.
Overview
This scenario is four game turns long (game turns 3, 4, 5, and 6) and begins on game turn 3 at the beginning of the Offensives Phase with the US having the option to use their Future Offensive card to pre-empt the Japanese going first. There is no Reinforcement, Replacement, or Strategic Warfare Segments conducted for game turn 3.
Hex Control at the Beginning of the Scenario
Allied: The Allied player controls all ports and airbases in Australia, the New Hebrides (all hexes within 3 hexes of Noumea hex 4828), Oahu (hex 5808 box), Port Moresby (3823), and Gili-Gili (4024).
Japan: All other ports, airbases and resource hexes on the map begin the game under Japanese control. (Example: All Solomon Islands and New Guinea ports, airbases and resource hex except for Port Moresby and Gili-Gili.)
17.10.1 Allied Set Up
Scenario Hex Setup/Game Turn of Entry. Numbers in brackets [ ] set up at reduced strength.
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 5AF | 3626 |
| Air | 5AF LRB | 3626 |
| Air | 13AF | 4825 |
| Air | 13AF LRB | 4825 |
| Air | 14AF LRB | China Box (no counter) |
| Air | Marine 1 MAW | 4826 |
| Air | Marine 2 MAW | 4 |
| Ground | Marine M Bde | 4825 |
| Ground | Marine SF Bde | 4828 |
| Ground | Marine 1M Div | 4828 |
| Ground | Marine 2M Div | 4 |
| Ground | Marine 3M Div | 6 |
| Ground | I Corps | [3727] |
| Ground | XI Corps | 5808 (Oahu) |
| Ground | XIV Corps | [3626] |
| Ground | XXIV Corps | 5 |
| HQ | C Pac | 5808 (image on map, no counter) |
| HQ | S Pac Gho | 4828 |
| HQ | S Pac Hal | Event |
| HQ | SW Pac | 3727 |
| Naval | CV Enterprise | [4828] |
| Naval | CV Wasp | [4828] |
| Naval | CV Lexington | [4828] |
| Naval | CA Northampton | 4828 |
| Naval | BB N Carolina | 4828 |
| Naval | BB Washington | 4 |
| Naval | BB Mass | 5 |
| Naval | CVL San Jacinto | 5 |
| Naval | CV Bunker Hill | 6 |
| Naval | CV Essex | 6 |
| Naval | CVL Belleau Wood | 6 |
| Naval | CVE Sangamon | 6 |
| Naval | CVL Cowpens | 6 |
Commonwealth/Joint:
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Air | Aus | 3823 |
| Ground | 1 Australian Corps | 3023 |
| Ground | 2 Australian Corps | 3727 |
| Ground | 3 Australian Corps | 3626 |
| Ground | 3NZ Division | 4828 |
| Ground | PM Brigade | [3823] |
| HQ | ANZAC | 3823 |
| Naval | CA Kent | 3727 |
17.10.2 Japanese Set Up
Scenario Hex Setup/Game Turn of Entry. Numbers in brackets [ ] set up at reduced strength.
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Air | Tainan | 3922 |
| Air | 6 | 3720 |
| Air | 21 | 4021 |
| Air | 25 | 3822 |
| Air | 26 | 3119 |
| Air | 7 | 4 |
| Air | 27 | 4 |
| Air | 28 | 5 |
| Ground | 4 SN Brigade | [4423] |
| Ground | SS Brigade | 3822 |
| Ground | 17 Army | 4021 |
| Ground | 18 Army | 3720 |
| Ground | 19 Army | 4017 |
| HQ | Comb Fleet Oza | Event |
| HQ | Comb Fleet Yam | 3416 |
| HQ | South Seas | 4017 |
| Naval | BB Kongo | 4017 |
| Naval | BB Hiei | 4017 |
| Naval | BB Yamato | [4017] |
| Naval | CV Shokaku | 4017 |
| Naval | CVL Zuiho | 4017 |
| Naval | CL Tenryu | 4021 |
| Naval | CA Aoba | 4021 |
| Naval | APD Kamikaze | 4021 |
| Naval | CA Nachi | 4021 |
17.10.3 Markers
- Game Turn (Tojo PM): Turn 3
- US PW (Political Will): 4 Box
- Japanese ASP (Amphibious Shipping Point): 7 Box, No Barges
- Allied ASP (Amphibious Shipping Point): 2 Box
- WiE (War in Europe): +1 Box (No delay)
- Japanese Resource marker: 1 Box
- Japanese Air Repl: 2 Box
- Japanese Naval Repl: 2 Box
- China: Major Breakthrough Box
- US ISR: Yes
- JP ISR: Yes
PLAY NOTE: All other markers are set aside and are used to note changes due to game play. Note that the China Offensive marker is included to mark the turn of this occurrence.
17.10.4 Delay Box
There are no units in the Delay Box.
17.10.5 Special Rules
A. Both sides draw 4, not the usual 7 cards per game turn. (Exception see B, C, D, E)
DESIGN NOTE: It is assumed that 3 cards per turn would be used in the China-Burma-India Theater and other locations outside of the scenario map area.
B. The Japanese hand size can be reduced to 3 if Allied Submarine Strategic Warfare is successful. In this case the Japanese would receive 3 cards and 1 pass.
C. The Allied hand size can be reduced to 3 if China surrenders. In this case the Allied player would receive 3 cards and 1 pass.
D. The Allied player on the first turn (game turn 3) is dealt 2 not 4 cards and has the Operation Watchtower card in their Future Offensives queue.
PLAY NOTE: For new players, see rules on initiative, but the initial card set up allows the Allies to use Operation Watchtower as an event to go first, otherwise the Japanese must go first.
E. The Japanese player on the first turn (game turn 3) has the Battle of Savo Island card in their initial hand plus 2 random cards. The Japanese do not have a Future Offensive queue card on the first game turn.
F. The Japanese player cannot activate any units in the Truk hex during game turn 3. The Allied player cannot declare Truk a battle hex during game turn 3. The Japanese player can still use the South Seas HQ at Truk for activation and supply, while this restriction is in effect. The Truk restriction reflects the Japanese fleet arriving after the US invasion of Guadalcanal.
G. Starting with game turn 4, the Japanese and the Allied player receive 1 ground replacement step per game turn (See J). Neither side may save unused replacements.
H. Starting with game turn 4, the Allied player receives 4 air and 1 Naval replacement step per game turn. The Allies may not save any unused replacements.
I. The Japanese player does not receive any air or naval replacements during the game except for the starting replacement points.
J. The Burma Road for the entire scenario has the Burma Road Closed, No Hump (China Offensive modifier of Zero) and the number of Chinese Divisions in China marker is placed on the 9 space. Each game turn that the Japanese take their ground replacement (see G) the China Division marker is reduced by one box. The China Divisions value is used in conjunction with the Burma Road modifier (zero) and the presence of the 14th AF LRB in the China box (die roll modifier) to calculate any China offensives initiated with a 3OC card play. For purposes of this scenario, the 14 AF LRB in the China Box is in supply.
K. US Central Pacific HQ can only be used to activate units in the New Hebrides, its range does not reach into any other hexes.
L. The northern map edge is the Japanese ultimate supply source.
M. If using the VP Victory Conditions ignore 13.84 (Mandate Control) in this scenario. All Mandate hexes must be captured individually.
DESIGN NOTE: Central Pacific has oversight for South Pacific HQ, but it is the South Pacific HQ that is running operations in the Solomon Islands.
17.10.6 ISR
For experienced players this is a reminder that unlike the yearly scenarios you CANNOT use a 3OC card to remove ISR, only a card event can remove or create ISR in this scenario.
17.10.7 Victory Conditions
Automatic Victory: If either side at any time has no HQs on the map they immediately lose the game. Play Note: Oahu is not considered on the map, so Central Pacific HQ does not count for these purposes.
Automatic Japanese Victory: If Allied Political Will reaches zero, the Japanese win the game. The Allies lose Political Will point(s) for each occurrence listed on this Political Will schedule:
- Minus 1 PW: The Allies Progress of the War objective for game turn 3 is zero and it is 2 for game turns 4, 5, and 6 of the scenario.
- Minus 2 PW: China Surrenders.
- Minus 1 PW: If at the end of any game turn there are no US naval units on the map (Note: Oahu is a box and not technically on the map, so US naval units cannot hide in Oahu).
- Minus 1 PW: If an Allied attack, not defense, results in all US Army Corps and Marine Divisions eliminated, US Brigades and Australian units do not count for this purpose.
If at the end of game turn 6 neither side has achieved an automatic victory, then either the Port Control Victory Condition or the Victory Point Schedule determines the winner as decided by the players at game start. For beginning players, it is recommended to use the Port Control Victory Condition.
Port Control Victory Condition
At the beginning of the scenario the Japanese control 11 ports and 1 Resource hex for a total of 12 and the Allies control 9 ports (Note that Oahu is an Allied port). The Allies win if they control 5 or more ports/resource hexes than the Japanese at the end of the game if the Allied turn 6 reinforcements are delayed else its 6 or more controlled ports/resource hexes. All other results are a Japanese victory. In order for a port/resource hex to count for victory it must be controlled and in supply at the end of the game else it is not controlled and counts as controlled by its original owner at the beginning of the scenario for this calculation.
Victory Point Schedule
The Japanese player gains victory points for the following conditions and they are all assessed at the end of game turn 6, unless otherwise specified. A hex counts as captured for victory points only if some non-HQ unit would be in supply in it. If this criteria is not fulfilled, the hex counts as being held by the player who had control of it at the start of the scenario. At start, the Japanese have a calculated VP score of 12.
A. China track: +1 VP per box left or -1 VP per box right of the Major Breakthrough box. If China Surrenders, receive a bonus +3 victory points for a total of +5 VP and the China track can no longer be altered for the rest of the game. B. For isolating Townsville from the East edge of the map, meaning no HQ supply line can be drawn between the two locations: +5 victory points. C. For each box US Political Will is below 4: +1 VP per box. Example, a US Political Will of 3 equals +1 VP. D. For JP Control of the Australian Mandates (all port hexes) bonus +3 victory points; for Allied control -3 VP. E. For JP Control of New Guinea (all port hexes + Vogelkop), bonus +3 victory points; for Allied control -3 VP. F. For each JP controlled Australian Mandates and New Guinea port hex, +1 VP. G. For Allied Control of Vogelkop (JP Resource Hex), -1 VP. H. For JP control of any port hex in the New Hebrides, +1 VP. I. For JP Control of any Australian mainland port hex, +1 VP.
Victory Point Levels:
- Allied Decisive Victory: Japanese have 2 or less victory points.
- Allied Tactical Victory: Japanese have 3 to 5 victory points.
- Japanese Tactical Victory: Japanese have 6 to 9 victory points.
- Japanese Decisive Victory: Japanese have 10 or more victory Points.
17.11 Burma: The Forgotten War
Set Up: Each counter is set up on its front or back depending on 17.11.1 or 17.11.2. See 17.11.3 for where to place all markers.
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Map: Note that there is an off map box for Singapore where the Japanese naval units marked OM (Off Map) are set up. There is also a China Air Units box where the Allied 14th Long Range Air unit marked 'C' (China) is placed. Allied forces may never move outside of China, Burma, or India. All units (both sides) can enter Burma, Northern India, Ceylon, Andaman Island, and the Maldives. Japanese forces cannot enter China, but can move in Siam, French Indochina, and Malaya.
-
Cards: To play this scenario, create two decks of 24 cards from the list below. These are all of the cards used for this scenario.
Allied Cards:
- 2: Imperial HQ Debate
- 7: Vinegar Joe Stilwell
- 18: Edwin Booz
- 19: Anakim Operation
- 22: Orde Wingate
- 26: US Army Breaks Codes
- 33: Quadrant Conference
- 34: Operation Culverin
- 38: Operation Tarzan
- 39: Sextant Conference
- 41: War in Europe Minor
- 42: War in Europe Minor
- 48: New China Army
- 49: Roosevelt Chungking
- 52: Roosevelt Nimitz MacArthur
- 57: Axiom
- 58: Operation Romulus
- 59: Ultra Information
- 60: 20th Bomber Command
- 77: Mao Tse Tung
- 78: Submarine Attack
- 81: China Offensive
- 82: China Offensive
- 83: China Offensive
Japanese Cards:
- 3: Col. Tsugi
- 4: JN 25 Code Change
- 5: Japanese Aircraft Production
- 6: China Operation
- 7: US Joint Staff Debate
- 8: Operation C
- 15: Mahatma Gandhi
- 16: Op RI
- 21: Mahatma Gandhi
- 22: Weather
- 26: Chiang Kai-Shek
- 33: Imperial Intervention
- 39: Subhas Chandra Bose
- 40: Operation U-Go
- 41: Patrick Hurley
- 42: Ichi Go
- 48: General Adachi
- 49: JN 25 Code Change
- 50: Ha Go
- 53: War in Europe Minor
- 54: War in Europe Minor
- 67: Japanese Army Navy
- 82: Indian Workers Strike
- 86: Submarine Attack
PLAY NOTE: Any card reference to an HQ or unit not in the scenario should be ignored.
Overview
This scenario examines Burma, the lowest priority Allied theater. The scenario begins on turn 6 with each side receiving a reduced hand of cards. On turns 7, 8, and 9, each side begins with a base of four cards that can be reduced for both sides by a variety of reasons specific to a particular session of the scenario.
Hex Control at the Beginning of the Scenario
Control: The Allies control the Maldives, Ceylon, India, Northern India, and any hex that sets up with an Allied unit. All other hexes are controlled by the Japanese. Note the inclusion of an airbase on the Andaman Islands under Japanese control. This hex does not have an airbase in Empire of the Sun and is only available in this scenario.
17.11.1 Allied Set Up
Scenario Hex Setup/Game Turn of Entry. Numbers in brackets [ ] set up at reduced strength.
US Units:
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 14 Short Range | 2104 - Jarhat |
| Air | 14th Long Range | Air units in China Box |
| Air | 10 Long Range | 1805 - Calcutta |
Commonwealth Units:
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Naval | CV Indomitable | 1307 - Colombo |
| Naval | BB Warspite | 1307 - Colombo |
| HQ | SEAC | 1805 - Calcutta |
| Ground | 33 British Corp | 1905 - Dacca |
| Air | SEAC Short Range | 1905 - Dacca |
| Air | SEAC Long Range | 1905 - Dacca |
| Naval | CA London | 1307 - Colombo |
| Ground | 1 Indian Corps | [2205] - Ledo |
| Ground | 7 Armor Brigade | 2006 - Akyab |
| Ground | 15 British Corps | 2006 - Akyab |
| Ground | 4 Indian Corps | 2105 - Imphal |
Chinese Units:
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | 5 Army | 2205 - Ledo |
| Ground | 6 Army | [2407] - Kunming |
| Ground | 66 Army | [2407] - Kunming |
17.11.2 Japanese Set Up
Scenario Hex Setup/Game Turn of Entry. Numbers in brackets [ ] set up at reduced strength.
| Type | Unit Designation | Set Up |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | 28 Army | 2007 - Burma |
| Air | 5 AD | [2008] - Rangoon |
| Ground | 37 Army | [2008] - Rangoon |
| Naval | APD Kamikaze | 2008 - Rangoon |
| Naval | 28 AF | 2102 - Singora |
| Ground | 15 Army | 2106 - Mandalay |
| Air | 9 AD | 2110 - Bangkok |
| Ground | 33 Army | 2206 - Lashio |
| HQ | South | 2212 - Saigon |
| Ground | 38 Army | [2305] - Myitkyina |
| Air | 8 AD | 2409 - Hanoi |
| Naval | CVL Zuiho | Off map - Singapore |
| Naval | CVL Junyo | Off map - Singapore |
| Naval | BB Nagato | Off map - Singapore |
| Airbase on map | Control Marker | 1809 - Andaman |
17.11.3 Markers
- Bridge over the River Kwai: Active
- War in Europe: 0 space
- US Political Will: 4 space
- Game Turn: Turn 6, PM Tojo
- India: Stable
- JP Divisions in China: 8 space
- Allies ISR: Rivalry side
- Japanese ISR: Rivalry side
- China Government: Major Breakthrough
- Burma Road: Hump Closed
- JP Air Replacements: 2 space
- JP ASP: 1 space, No Barges
- Allied ASP: 1 space
- JP Amph Used: 0 space
- Allied Amph Used: 0 space
- JP Resources: 1 space
- JP Passes: 0 space
- Allied Passes: 0 space
- JP Future Offensive: Military Event, Japanese Choice
- Allied Future Offensive: None
- Imphal: hex 2105
- Ledo: hex 2205
PLAY NOTE: All other markers are set aside and are used to note changes due to game play.
Units Available:
| Unit | Entry |
|---|---|
| CW British 77 Brigade | Card Event |
| Control Markers x9 | British Flag/Japanese Flag |
| JP 29 Army (reduced) | GT 8 Reinforcement |
| US 20th BC B29 | GT 9 Reinforcement |
-
Counters: The Allied 77th Special Forces unit is not set up at the beginning of the game as it enters due to the play of the Orde Wingate event card. The reduced Japanese 29th Army enters on turn 8 (marked with an 8). The US B29 air unit enters on turn 9 (marked with a 9).
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Control: The Allies control the Maldives, Ceylon, India, Northern India, and any hex that sets up with an Allied unit. All other hexes are controlled by the Japanese. Note the inclusion of an airbase on the Andaman Islands under Japanese control. This hex does not have an airbase in Empire of the Sun and is only available in this scenario.
-
Burma has already surrendered; India and China have not yet surrendered.
-
Allies trace to an ultimate supply source off the Western Map edge (Maldives edge). Japanese trace to an ultimate supply source supply overland to Saigon or via hex 1912.
-
Scenario uses game turn 6, 7, 8, and 9. The game ends on game turn 9 after the last card is played.
-
On all event cards, ignore any HQ requirements, assume all cards state SEAC (Allies) and South (Japanese) HQ.
-
HQs cannot be attacked or removed from play (by either player) for any reason.
-
Turn 6 cards: Allies draw three cards, Japanese draw two cards and choose an additional fourth Military Event for their Future Offensive card (Japanese secret choice from amongst Military events #s 3, 8, 16, 40, 48, 50).
PLAY NOTE: The Japanese can go first by playing a military event as an event.
- Turns 7, 8, and 9: Each player draws four cards. These cards are subject to reduction. Each player receives one pass, up to two, for each card not drawn.
a. Strategic Warfare: Japanese, potentially lose one card from Submarine Warfare (12.2) and one card from Strategic bombing (12.3), maximum of two less card draws. b. Allies draw one less card for the surrender of China and one less card for the surrender of India (12.52), maximum of two less card draws. c. Diverted Logistics: Prior to the Allies drawing cards if neither China nor India have surrendered AND the Japanese do NOT control one or more of Akyab (2006), Imphal (2105), or Ledo (2205) the Allies roll a 1d10. On a roll of 0-3 the Allies draw one less card else the Allied card draw is unaffected by diverted logistics.
NOTE: The Japanese can potentially lose a card due to a card event.
-
Per rule 4.21, if the Japanese with fewer cards use their Military event as an event, they go first otherwise the Allies go first and play proceeds with 4.22 Offensive segment.
-
Kwai Bridge Event has been played, note impact on Japanese activations.
-
Ledo and Imphal infrastructure have not yet been completed, Jarhat infrastructure is complete and treated as strategic transport routes.
-
Singapore: the Japanese have three naval units in Singapore, they can only be activated by the play of the Operation C military event. Singapore can be attacked by a card event or when they sortie onto the map via hex 1912 on the play of the Operation C card. During Japanese PBM the naval units must exit the map via 1912 and return to the off map Singapore box. This event can occur more than once per game. If the Japanese APD exits the map to Singapore, thereafter it can only be activated via Operation C and it can no longer reside on the main map area.
-
Andaman Islands has an airbase on it, use the new marker. This space acts like any on map airbase and begins the game controlled by the Japanese player.
-
Turn 8 Japanese reinforcements: 29th Army (reduced) arrives in Rangoon if it is Japanese controlled else it is lost.
-
Turn 9 Allied reinforcements: US B29. If China has not surrendered and the Allies have an eligible airbase in Northern India the B29 arrives in the Air Units in China Box. The Allies do not gain any reinforcement ASPs. Allied ASPs can only be increased by the Edward Booz event card.
-
Allies can receive the 77th British Brigade via the Orde Wingate event.
-
Allied Replacements: 1 Commonwealth ground step per turn, 1 Chinese ground step on Game turns 7 and 9, 1 air step per turn, one Naval on game turn 9.
-
Japanese Replacements: Japanese begin the game with 2 air replacements, 1 Ground taken from China per turn (optional) plus Air steps per event card, no naval replacements.
-
Doolittle Raid has occurred meeting the condition for the Doolittle Reprisal card.
-
Progress of the War (PoW): Ignore the normal PoW rules. If the Allies do not capture at least one hex at the conclusion of the game that began the game controlled by the Japanese, minus 1 US Political Will.
-
Both sides begin the game with ISR Rivalry; you can only change ISR to Strategic Agreement through the play of an event not operations.
-
Each side begins the game with one ASP and only the Allies can increase this to two ASP with the play of the Edwin Booz event card. The Japanese do not receive any additional ASPs and their single ASP cannot be reduced to zero from Strategic Warfare.
-
At the end of the game if the War in Europe is in a box with a negative number the US PW is reduced by one prior to scoring. If positive, the US PW is increased by one. If zero, no effect.
-
During the Game turn 9 Political Phase the India status can only shift for India surrender, else do not move the India marker and score any VP based on its location during the last Political Phase.
Victory Conditions
Auto Victory: If the Allies Political Will is driven to zero the Japanese win a decisive victory.
A. China track: +1 VP per box left or -1 per box right of the Major Breakthrough Box. If China Surrenders, receive a bonus +3 victory points for a total of +5 VP and the China track can no longer be altered for the rest of the game. B. Burma Road is closed: +3 VP C. Burma Road is open: -1 VP D. For each box US Political Will is below 4: +1 per box. Example, a US Political Will of 3 equals +1 VP. Cumulative with Victory Condition E.
PLAY NOTE: You both reduce US Political Will and if negative you also apply Victory Condition E.
E. War in Europe: +1 VP if WiE is a negative number (not zero) or -1 if WiE is a positive number (not zero). If zero, 0 VP. F. For controlling each hex of Northern India, +1 VP per hex. G. For India Unrest or Strikes, +1 Victory Point (awarded on the last game turn). H. For India Unstable, Revolts, or Surrender; +2 VPs (awarded on the last game turn). I. Rangoon is Allied Control: -2 VP (no additional VPs for the Resource hex). J. Rangoon is Japanese Control: +2 VP K. If the Allies are under ISR at the end of the game +1 VP. L. If the Japanese are under ISR at the end of the game -1 VP.
PLAY NOTE: If both sides are under ISR Victory Conditions K and L will effectively cancel each other out.
Victory Point Levels:
- Allied Decisive Victory: Japanese have 2 or less Victory Points
- Allied Tactical Victory: Japanese have 3 to 4 Victory Points
- Japanese Tactical Victory: Japanese have 5-8 Victory Points
- Japanese Decisive Victory: Japanese have 9 or more Victory Points
PLAY NOTE: At the beginning of the game the Japanese begin with 5 VPs (2VP for Rangoon and 3 for closing the Burma Road).
18.0 Master Scenario Setup List
This extensive chart shows the setup location for every counter at the beginning of the four yearly starts. Numbers in brackets [ ] indicate that a unit sets up on its reduced side.
DESIGN NOTE: The Designer and Developer of this game have over fifty years of experience designing and publishing games. We have learned that no matter how many times you check this quantity of numbers, it is possible that some unintended mistakes are made. In any situation where there is ambiguity, the hierarchy of correctness is the counters are always correct, followed by the master scenario list, and last the scenario listings.
US
| Type | Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 5AF | 2 | Delay | 3626 | 3823 |
| Air | 5AF LRB | 2 | Delay | 3626 | 3823 |
| Air | 7AF | 5808 | 5108 | 5808 | 5018 |
| Air | 7AF LRB | 5808 | 5808 | 5108 | 5018 |
| Air | 10AF LRB | 2 | Delay | 1905 | 1905 |
| Air | 11AF | 3 | 3 | 5100 | 5100 |
| Air | 11AF LRB | 3 | 3 | 5100 | 5100 |
| Air | 13AF | 3 | 3 | 4825 | 4322 |
| Air | 13AF LRB | 3 | 3 | 4825 | 4322 |
| Air | 14AF | Event | Event | 2104 | 2104 |
| Air | 14AF LRB | 4 | 4 | China Box | China Box |
| Air | 19 LRB | 2812 | [2917] | Elim | Elim |
| Air | 20BC | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Air | 21BC | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Air | AVG | 2008 | 2008 | Elim | Elim |
| Air | FEAF | 2812 | [2813] | Elim | Elim |
| Air | Marine 211 | 4612 | 4612 | Elim | Elim |
| Air | Marine 1 MAW | 2 | Delay | 4423 | 5108 |
| Air | Marine 2 MAW | 4 | 4 | 4825 | 4222 |
| Air | Marine 3 MAW | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Ground | Marine 1M Div | 3 | 3 | 3626 | 3921 |
| Ground | Marine 2M Div | 4 | 4 | 4423 | 5018 |
| Ground | Marine 3M Div | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4222 |
| Ground | Marine 5M Div | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Ground | Marine 6M Div | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4826 |
| Ground | Marine M Bde | 2 | Delay | 5808 | 5808 |
| Ground | Marine SF Bde | 2 | Delay | 4825 | 4423 |
| Ground | Marine W Bde | 4612 | 4612 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | M Corps | 2915 | Elim | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | NL Corps | 2812 | Elim | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | P Brigade | 3014 | 3014 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | R Corps | 2813 | 2813 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | SL Corps | 2913 | [2912] | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 11 Division | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3626 |
| Ground | I Corps | [3] | [3] | 4024 | 3922 |
| Ground | IX Corps | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4828 |
| Ground | X Corps | 5808 | 5808 | 5808 | 5808 |
| Ground | XI Corps | 2 | Delay | 3922 | 3822 |
| Ground | XIV Corps | [3] | [3] | 4423 | 4222 |
| Ground | XXIV Corps | 5 | 5 | Delay | 5808 |
| HQ | C Pac | 5808 | 5808 | 5808 | 5808 |
| HQ | S Pac Gho | 3 | 3 | Elim | Elim |
| HQ | S Pac Hal | Event | Event | 4828 | 4828 |
| HQ | SW Pac | 2813 | 2813 | 3727 | 3727 |
| Naval | BB Mass | 5 | 5 | Delay | 5808 |
| Naval | BB MD/CA | 5808 | Elim | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | BB Miss | 2 | Delay | 5808 | 5808 |
| Naval | BB Missouri | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Naval | BB N Carolina | 3 | 3 | 4828 | 4828 |
| Naval | BB New Jersey | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4826 |
| Naval | BB New York | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Naval | BB Washington | 4 | 4 | 4828 | 4828 |
| Naval | BC Alaska | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | CA Baltimore | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Naval | CA N. Orleans | 5808 | [5808] | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CA Northampton | 2 | Delay | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CA US Asia | 3014 | [3014] | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CV B. H. Richard | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | CV Bunker Hill | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4828 |
| Naval | CV Enterprise | [5609] | 5808 | [4828] | 4828 |
| Naval | CV Essex | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4828 |
| Naval | CV Franklin | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5808 |
| Naval | CV Hancock | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5808 |
| Naval | CV Intrepid | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5808 |
| Naval | CV Lexington | [5410] | 5808 | [4828] | 4828 |
| Naval | CV Shangri La | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Naval | CV Wasp | 3 | 3 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CVE C. Bay | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | CVE Casablanca | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4826 |
| Naval | CVE St Lo | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | CVE Sangamon | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4826 |
| Naval | CVL Bataan | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4826 |
| Naval | CVL Belleau Wood | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4826 |
| Naval | CVL Cowpens | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4826 |
| Naval | CVL San Jacinto | 5 | 5 | Delay | 5808 |
| Naval | DD US Asia | 2616 | 2616 | Elim | Elim |
Commonwealth/Joint
| Type | Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Aus | 3727 | 3727 | 3823 | 3823 |
| Air | FE | 1905 | 1905 | Elim | Elim |
| Air | MA | 2015 | 2015 | Elim | Elim |
| Air | SEAC | 2 | Delay | 1805 | 1805 |
| Air | SEAC LRB | 5 | 5 | Delay | 1805 |
| Ground | 7 Armor Bde | Event | Event | Event | Event |
| Ground | 77 Brigade | Event | Event | Event | 2205 |
| Ground | 1 Aus. Corps | 3023 | 3023 | 3023 | 3023 |
| Ground | 2 Aus. Corps | 3727 | 3727 | 3727 | 3727 |
| Ground | 3 Aus. Corps | 3 | 3 | 3823 | 3822 |
| Ground | 4 Aus. Corps | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3823 |
| Ground | 8A Division | 2015 | 2015 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 1B Division | 2108 | 2108 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | B Ind Division | 2008 | 2008 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 15 British Corps | 3 | 3 | 1905 | 1905 |
| Ground | 33 British Corps | 3 | 3 | 2105 | 2105 |
| Ground | HK Division | 2709 | Elim | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 1 Ind Corps | 2105 | 2105 | [2205] | Elim |
| Ground | 2 Ind Corps | 1905 | 1905 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 3 Ind Corps | 2014 | 2014 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 4 Ind Corps | 4 | 4 | 2006 | 2006 |
| Ground | 3NZ Division | 3 | 3 | 4828 | 4322 |
| Ground | PM Brigade | 3823 | 3823 | [3823] | [4024] |
| HQ | ABDA | Event | Event | Elim | Elim |
| HQ | ANZAC | 3 | 3 | 3823 | 3823 |
| HQ | Malaya | 2015 | 2015 | Elim | Elim |
| HQ | SEAC | 2 | 1805 | 1805 | 1805 |
| Naval | BB Duke of York | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | BB Force Z | 2015 | Elim | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | BB Warspite | 2 | Delay | 1005 | 1005 |
| Naval | CA Exeter | 1307 | 1307 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CA Kent | 3727 | 3727 | 3727 | 3727 |
| Naval | CA London | 4 | 4 | 1005 | 1005 |
| Naval | CV Indomitable | 2 | Delay | 1005 | 1005 |
| Naval | CV Victorious | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Naval | CVL Hermes | 2 | Delay | Elim | Elim |
Chinese
| Type | Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | 5 Army | [2407] | [2407] | 2205 | [2205] |
| Ground | 6 Army | [2407] | [2407] | [2407] | [2407] |
| Ground | 66 Army | [2407] | [2407] | [2407] | [2407] |
Dutch
| Type | Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Dut | 2019 | 2019 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 1 Regiment | 1916 | 1916 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 2 Regiment | 1813 | 1813 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 3 Regiment | 2616 | 2616 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 4 Regiment | 2919 | 2919 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 5 Regiment | 2517 | 2517 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 6 Regiment | 2917 | 2917 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 7 Regiment | 2719 | 2719 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 8 Regiment | 2721 | 2721 | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | J Division | 2019 | 2019 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CL Dutch | 2019 | 2019 | Elim | Elim |
Japanese
Scenario Hex Setup/Game Turn of Entry. Numbers in brackets [ ] set up at reduced strength.
| Type | Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 1 | 3706 | 3706 | 3706 | 3706 |
| Air | 2 | 3004 | 3004 | 3004 | 3004 |
| Air | 3 | 3607 | 3607 | [1916] | [2909] |
| Air | 4 | 3607 | 3607 | 3004 | 3004 |
| Air | 5 | 2909 | 2812 | 2008 | [2008] |
| Air | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3720 | [3720] |
| Air | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3119 | [3720] |
| Air | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2915 | 2409 |
| Air | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1916 |
| Air | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3706 |
| Air | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3407 |
| Air | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Air | 21 | 3009 | 2909 | [4021] | Elim |
| Air | 22 | 2212 | 2212 | [2909] | [4017] |
| Air | 23 | 3009 | 3009 | 2220 | 2813 |
| Air | 24 | 4715 | 4715 | [4715] | [4715] |
| Air | 25 | 2 | 3407 | [4222] | [4021] |
| Air | 26 | 3 | 3 | 4415 | [3416] |
| Air | 27 | 4 | 4 | 2212 | [3704] |
| Air | 28 | 5 | 5 | 2620 | [2015] |
| Air | 50 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Elim |
| Air | 51 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3704 |
| Air | 61 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3813 |
| Air | 62 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3813 |
| Air | T | Event | Event | Elim | Elim |
| Ground | 1 SN Brigade | 2909 | 2911 | 5018 | Elim |
| Ground | 2 SN Brigade | 2311 | 2415 | [4600] | Elim |
| Ground | 3 SN Brigade | 4017 | 3814 | 4715 | 4715 |
| Ground | 4 SN Brigade | 4715 | [4715] | [4612] | [4612] |
| Ground | SS Brigade | 4017 | 4021 | 4322 | Elim |
| Ground | 2 Army | [7] | [7] | [7] | [3520] |
| Ground | 14 Army | 2909 | 2812 | 2813 | 2813 |
| Ground | 15 Army | 2211 | 2109 | 2206 | 2206 |
| Ground | 16 Army | [3416] | [2915] | [2220] | [2220] |
| Ground | 17 Army | [2708] | [2709] | 4021 | 4021 |
| Ground | 18 Army | [3706] | [3706] | 3822 | [3721] |
| Ground | 19 Army | [3209] | [2913] | 3720 | [3720] |
| Ground | 25 Army | [2509] | [2112] | [1916] | [1916] |
| Ground | 27 Army | [3704] | [3704] | [3704] | [3704] |
| Ground | 28 Army | [2] | [2110] | 2008 | 2008 |
| Ground | 29 Army | [8] | [8] | [8] | [2015] |
| Ground | 31 Army | [3] | [3] | [3813] | [3813] |
| Ground | 32 Army | [9] | [9] | [9] | [9] |
| Ground | 33 Army | [5] | [5] | 2106 | 2106 |
| Ground | 35 Army | [3007] | [3007] | 2915 | 2915 |
| Ground | 36 Army | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Ground | 37 Army | [4] | [4] | [2616] | [2616] |
| Ground | 38 Army | 2211 | 1913 | 2212 | 2212 |
| Ground | 39 Army | [10] | [10] | [10] | [10] |
| Ground | ED Army | 3706 | 3706 | 3706 | 3706 |
| Ground | Korean Army | 3305 | 3305 | 3305 | 3305 |
| HQ | C-Fleet Oza | Event | Event | Event | 3407 |
| HQ | C-Fleet Yam | 3407 | 3407 | 3407 | Elim |
| HQ | South | 2212 | 2212 | 2212 | 2212 |
| HQ | South Seas | 4017 | 4017 | 4017 | 3813 |
| Naval | APD Kamikaze | 4017 | 4017 | 4021 | [4021] |
| Naval | BB Hiei | 3705 | 3706 | 4017 | 3615 |
| Naval | BB Kongo | 2909 | 2311 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | BB Nagato | 3407 | 3407 | 3407 | 3407 |
| Naval | BB Yamato | [2] | [3407] | 4017 | 3615 |
| Naval | CA Aoba | 4017 | 4021 | [4021] | Elim |
| Naval | CA Mogami | 2311 | 2311 | [3407] | [3407] |
| Naval | CA Nachi | 3416 | 2915 | 4017 | 4017 |
| Naval | CA Takao | 2909 | 2909 | 4021 | [4021] |
| Naval | CL Tenyru | 4715 | 4715 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CV Akagi | 3705 | 3706 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CV Shokaku | 3705 | 3706 | 4017 | 3407 |
| Naval | CV Soryu | 3705 | 3706 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CV Taiho | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3407 |
| Naval | CVL Amagi | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Naval | CVL Junyo | 3 | 3 | 3407 | 3407 |
| Naval | CVE Kaiyo | [7] | [7] | [7] | 3407 |
| Naval | CVL Ryujo | 3416 | 2915 | Elim | Elim |
| Naval | CVL Zuiho | 3407 | 2915 | 4017 | 3615 |
US CVE Amphibious Support (Optional Rule)
This optional rule restricts the use of US CVE carriers.
- A US Navy CVE activated for an offensive can only participate in a battle if the battle hex has an Allied ground unit conducting Amphibious Assault movement (8.45).
- A CVE cannot be used in reaction to a battle unless the CVE is located in the battle hex when it is declared.
Beyond these two cases a US CVE can be used per the rules for naval units.
DESIGN NOTE: This optional rule prevents players from using CVEs as cheap smothering attacks.
19.0 Comprehensive Example of Play
Game Turn 1: December 1941
Card 1: Operation Z
The Japanese naval units CVs Akagi, Soryu, Shokaku, Hiei move from Ominato (hex 3705) to hex 5506 and attack Oahu (hex 5808). There is no US response to the attack. The Japanese die roll is a 8, so 36 hits are apportioned to the US forces in the hex which defend at half strength. Historical result: Eliminate BB MD/CA (10 hits), eliminate both 7th AF unit (20 hits), reduce CA New Orleans (4 hits) for a total of 34 hits, 2 are unused. Japanese naval units return to Tokyo (hex 3706). The US CVs move to the Oahu hex and the US Political Will marker is moved to the +8 box on the US Political Will track.
Card 2: IAI: Operation No. 1 Conquest of SE Asia
DESIGN NOTE: IAI was one of the key historical examples of economy of force. The Japanese gained the majority of their objectives within one month of Pearl Harbor. EOTS allows you to see the broad outlines of this conquest and much of the initial order of battle is designed to give some insight into the complexity of this multi-dimensional plan. Due to the small-scale nature of some of these operations that are below the granularity of EOTS, although all key features are accounted for, some of the smaller detachments are subsumed into the broader tapestry of the game design. It is important to note that the card indicates that there are no Allied ZOI during this Offensive. The order of the Japanese moves would be different if this had to be taken into account.
The Japanese player has 26 activations for this Offensive. Each group of coordinated activations will be described below in a roughly West to East direction. Battle resolution occurs after all Offensive and Reaction movement has been completed. Since the Allies have no reaction movement during the 1st game turn (except for Force Z mandated movement), the battle resolution description is included in each Offensive axis of advance.
Malaya
- 22nd Air Flotilla in hex 2212 is activated and is within range of Malaya peninsula.
- In support of the 25th Army, BB Kongo in hex 2909 moves to hex 2112 (it was actually in distant support).
- 2509: 25th Army reduced (represents elements of the 5th and 18th divisions) uses Amphibious Assault movement (1 Amphibious Shipping Point = ASP) to move to Kota Bharu: 2112; this causes Force Z in hex 2015 to be moved to hex 2112 during Reaction movement.
- 2211: 38th Army moves to Kuala Lumpur hex 1913 via 2110, 2011, 2012, 1912 and capturing all hexes as they passed through.
- 2211: 15th Army moves to 2109 via 2110 (Trans Route not yet built, which requires the Bridge over the River Kwai event card).
- Battle is declared for hex 2112, where the Japanese during the Air Naval combat eliminate Force Z and take no losses in return.
- Post Battle movement: Kongo moves to Cam Ranh hex 2311.
Borneo
- 2311: Activate CA Mogami and 2nd SN to Miri hex 2415 using Amphibious Assault. The CA Mogami supplies the Amphibious transport negating the need for the use of an ASP.
- There is no battle since the hex is unoccupied, place a Japanese control marker in the hex and increase Japanese resources by one by moving the Japanese resource marker from the 3 to the 4 box of the Strategic Record Track.
- Post Battle movement: CA Mogami returns to Cam Ranh hex 2311.
Hong Kong
- 2708: Activate the 17th Army reduced and move to Hong Kong hex 2709; declare a battle hex.
- Battle Resolution: The Japanese 17th Army has a -2 DRM and achieves a one times result scoring 9 hits. This is sufficient to eliminate the British Hong Kong Division. The British Hong Kong Division has insufficient strength to damage the Japanese 17th Army, which captures Hong Kong.
Philippines
- 2909 and 3009: Activate 5th Air Division, 21st Air Flotilla and 23rd Air Flotilla.
- 2909: Activate 1st SN and use Amphibious Assault (1 ASP) to move to hex 2911.
- 2909: Activate 14th Army and use Amphibious Assault (2 ASP) to move to hex 2812; declare battle hex.
- 2909: Activate CA Takao and move to hex 2812.
- 3407: Activate CVL Zuiho and move it to hex 2913.
- 3209: Activate 19th Army reduced and use Amphibious Assault (1 ASP) to move to hex 2913; declare battle hex.
- 3416: Activate 16th Army reduced and use Amphibious Assault (1 ASP) to move to Davao hex 2915; declare battle hex.
- 3416: Activate CA Nachi and move it to Davao hex 2915.
- 3416: Activate CVL Ryujo and move to within 3 hexes of 3014 Samar/Leyte; declare battle hex.
- Battle Resolution: Hex 2812, Japanese air units on Formosa (hexes 2909 and 3009) in conjunction with CA Takao attack US FE and 19th Air Units (famous B-17 19th Bomber Squadron). Since this is a Surprise attack all Japanese attacks are resolved first with surviving US units then responding in kind. Japanese strength is 54 Air strength points reduced to 27 due to use of extended range plus 12 for CA Takao, the die roll has 3 added to it for Surprise Attack and achieves a .5 result for a total of 20 hits. This reduces both US air units (FE takes 10 hits and 19th takes 9 for a total of 19). The Japanese win the air naval battle enabling an ensuing ground combat with the 14th Army moving via amphibious assault. The 14th Army attacks the NL Corps. The Japanese get +2 for having naval support in the hex, but the inactive air units in the battle hex prevents the Japanese from getting an additional +2 for air superiority, while the NL Corps gets a +3. The Japanese 14th Army gets 27 hits on the NL Corps destroying it, and receives 6 hits, losing one step.
- Battle Resolution: Hex 2913, Japanese Zuiho conducts air naval combat against SL Corps but has insufficient hits to reduce the ground unit. The 19th Army adds two to its die roll (air and naval modifiers minus 2 for mixed terrain) and gets a result sufficient to reduce the SL Corps, which then retreats into hex 2912.
- Battle Resolution: Samar/Leyte hex 3014, the Japanese CVL Ryujo attacks at 3 hex range, so only the Japanese player can cause damage in this battle since the US CA Asia naval unit is a surface unit. The Japanese player adds 3 to the die roll for Surprise Attack and achieves a one times result that causes 6 hits, which reduces the US CA Asia naval unit.
- Battle Resolution: Hex 2915, the Japanese conduct air naval combat using the Nachi to fire at the Mindanao Corps. This can be done because there are no US air or naval units present in the battle. The Nachi achieves a one times result causing 10 hits. This is sufficient to reduce the Mindanao Corps. The ensuing ground combat sees the 16th Army achieve a result scoring 14 hits, which is sufficient to eliminate the Mindanao Corps and win the battle.
- Post Battle Movement: The two US air units in hex 2812 use emergency air movement with the FEAF air unit being placed in the Manila hex (2813) and the 19th LRB being placed in Menando hex 2917. The CVL Ryujo, CVL Zuhio, and CA Nachi end their movement in Davao hex 2915. CA Takao returns to Tainan hex 2909. The 5th Air Division moves to hex 2812. The 21st Air Flotilla moves to hex 2909.
South Pacific
- 4017: Activate the 3rd SN and APD Kamikaze (supplies organic naval transport) which conduct an Amphibious Assault to Guam hex 3814. The move is unopposed and Guam becomes Japanese controlled. The APD Kamikaze returns to Truk hex 4017.
- 4017: Activate the South Seas Detachment and the CA Aoba (supplies Amphibious transport) which conduct an Amphibious Assault of Rabaul hex 4021. The move is unopposed and Rabaul becomes Japanese controlled. The CA Aoba remains at Rabaul.
Wake
- 4715: Activate the 4th SN, CL Tenyru (supplies organic naval transport) and the 24th Air Flotilla. The 4th SNLF uses Amphibious Assault movement to move to Wake hex 4612; declares a battle hex.
- Battle Resolution: Hex 4612: Due to Marine 211 air unit, air naval combat is conducted. The Japanese have an attack strength of 9 (Air units 10 attack strength is halved due to extended range plus 4 for the CL Tenyru). The Japanese add 3 to their die roll for Surprise attack but roll low and get a half result achieving 5 hits (round up). This is insufficient to eliminate VMF 211. Due to the fact that the Japanese have 9 factors (5 air plus 4 for the CL Tenyru) versus 1 for the US, they have sufficient air and naval superiority to conduct ground combat. The Japanese 4th SN adds 2 to its die roll because it is the only side with naval units in the hex, but does not get the additional air modifier because of the presence of Marine 211 air unit. The Japanese achieve a one times their strength outcome which results in 4 hits, which is insufficient to damage the Wake Marine Brigade. The Marine die roll is a 9 (Semper Fi) and achieves 4 hits. Since the Japanese 4th SN moved to Wake via amphibious assault its defense strength is halved from 6 to 3, so the Marines cause the 4th SN to take a step loss. Since the Japanese took more losses than the Marines, the Marines win the battle and retain control Wake. The 4th SN conducts post battle movement with the CL Tenyru back to Kwajalein hex 4715.
It should be noted, that the Japanese were able to conduct this attack on Wake because the IAI event card neutralizes Allied air ZOI for the duration of the Offensive. If the Japanese decide to attack Wake later in the game, they will need to bring an aircraft carrier to bear to neutralize the Marine 211 air units air ZOI, which the Japanese 24th Air Flotilla cannot do from Kwajalein due to range. Historically, the Japanese brought the CV Soryu naval unit to bear to complete the conquest of Wake.
This concludes the Japanese move of 26 activations for Game Turn 1.
Political Phase
During the Political phase the players would determine if any countries surrender and if there are any changes to US Political Will. No countries meet their surrender criteria and no other US Political Will criteria is met, so the US Political Will remains at +8, concluding the political phase.
Attrition Phase
There is no Attrition Phase for game turn 1 (see 17.11).
Game Turn 2
At the beginning of game turn 2; the Allies receive a number of reinforcements during the Reinforcement phase. Since the War in Europe (WIE) marker is in the zero box, the level is 1, which means that Allied reinforcements are delayed, place all Allied game turn 2 reinforcements in the delay box except for the SEAC HQ which cannot be delayed. The SEAC HQ is placed in Calcutta, India. In addition one US Army and three US Army air units are in the delay box, which due to the WIE level of 1 means that a divert to Europe roll is made for these units. Each unit makes a die roll and on a zero or one the unit is removed from play for 3 game turns. The Allies lose one of their Army air units in this manner. The Japanese place their reinforcements on the map (this portion of the example was included to show where it would occur, but in the actual 1942 scenario the Allies were luckier and did not lose any units).
Replacement Phase
During the replacement phase of game turn 2, the Japanese receive no replacements per se, but they choose to take one China Division replacement. They move the China Division marker from 12 to 11 and increase one in supply Japanese army ground unit from reduced to full strength. The Allies receive 2 ground, 5 air, and two US naval replacements (one plus the standard one US naval if they hold Oahu). The Allied player brings the two 7th AF air units back into play at full strength for the cost of 4 air replacements, losing one unused replacement. The 7th non-LRB and LRB AF air units are placed in Midway (5108) and Oahu (5808) respectively. The two US CV naval units are brought up to full strength and there are no Allied ground units available to receive the ground replacements. This ends the replacement phase.
Strategic Warfare Segment
During the Strategic warfare segment, the Allies conduct submarine warfare. The die roll result is 2, which has 1 added to it for defective torpedoes. This total (3) has the current game turn number subtracted from this total for a result of 1. Since 1 is greater than zero, there is no effect for submarine warfare. If there had been no torpedo modifier the submarine warfare result would have seen the Japanese lose one strategy card. As it is, the Japanese will now have 7 cards dealt to them. The Allies have 5 cards dealt to them and receive 2 passes.
Offensives Phase
It is the beginning of the Offensives Phase and the Japanese have more cards than the Allies, so they have the initiative and go first.
At the beginning of the 1942 scenario the Malaya Peninsula has the Japanese 38th Army in Kuala Lumpur (1913) and the 25th Army (reduced) in Kota Bharu (2112). In support are air and naval forces in French Indo-China (22nd Air Flotilla in Saigon hex 2212 and the BB Kongo and CA Mogami naval units in Cam Ranh hex 2311). The Allied player has the 3rd Indian Corps in Kuantan (2014) and the 8th Australian Division, Malaya Air unit and Malaya HQ in Singapore (2015).
The Japanese player opens the 1942 game turn with Japanese card 23: Operation RE, which is played as an EC. The Japanese player can use any HQ to activate units with a logistics value of 3. The Japanese player designates the South HQ in Saigon (2212) as the HQ for the Offensive, so 4 units (log value of 3 + South efficiency rating of 1). The Japanese player activates the 38th army, the 22nd air flotilla, BB Kongo, and CA Mogami naval units. The Japanese move the 38th army into Kuantan and declare a battle hex. The 22nd air moves from Saigon to Kota Bharu to be within 3 hexes of Singapore and the BB Kongo/CA Mogami naval units move into the Singapore hex and declare another battle hex. The Japanese can declare two battle hexes because card 23 was played as an EC whereas if it was played as an OC only one battle hex could have been declared.
The Allied player now determines what if any reaction will be made. The Japanese Military strategy card did not specify the Intelligence condition as surprise attack, so the Allied player can either make an intelligence die roll to alter the intelligence condition or play a reaction card. Luckily the Allied player is holding Allied card 5: Operation Matador, which is a Reaction counteroffensive card. The Allies play this card and alters the Intelligence condition to intercept. Since this is a counteroffensive card, the Allies can use its logistic value of 3 instead of the Japanese OC value of 2. This allows the Allies to use the Malaya HQ to activate land, naval, and air units.
The Allies activate the 3rd Indian Corps, the 8th Australian Division and the Malaya air unit. The Allies are entitled to activate 4 units also, but there are no other Commonwealth air, naval or land units within range of the Malaya HQ and so this last activation is lost. The British cannot move the 8th Australian division into the Kuantan hex, because Singapore has already been declared a battle hex. The British Malaya air unit if it had been attacked solely by the BB naval unit could have flown off to strike from afar, but the presence of the Japanese air unit in the battle makes this a moot maneuver, so it stays put. The text condition on Japanese card 23, cannot be fulfilled, so it is ignored, but the Japanese will subtract two from their ground combat die roll due to terrain. The event text on Allied card 5, allows the Allies add +2 to their MA air unit defense strength due to the Alert defenses bonus on the card.
Battle of Singapore: Both sides add up their combat values, the Japanese have 45 (BB-13 + CA-12 + 22nd - 20) and the Allies have 8 (Ma-6 +2 card bonus). Since the intelligence condition is intercept combat is simultaneous, the Japanese roll a 6 and the Allies roll a 7. The result is a 1 times result for both sides. The Japanese apply 45 hits, which eliminates the British Ma air unit despite its increased defense strength of 11, that required only 22 hits to eliminate, whereas the Japanese take no hits, since 8 hits is insufficient to damage any Japanese unit. Only an unmodified 9 for a critical hit would have caused a step loss to the 22nd air unit or CA (weakest unit). There are no ground units present, so this battle is concluded.
Battle of Kuantan: There is no air-naval combat since none of these types of units are present. Both sides add up their ground combat values. The Japanese have 18 (38th - 18) versus an Allied total of 9 (3 Ind-9). All ground combat is simultaneous and the Japanese subtract 2 from their die roll for terrain. The Japanese roll a 1, whereas the British roll a 7. The Japanese result is a .5 times result yielding 9 hits, whereas the British is a 1.5 times result yielding 13 hits. Hits are applied simultaneously whereby first the British unit is flipped to its reduced (9 hits). The Japanese have the full strength 38th army reduced in strength (12 hits) and the remaining hit cannot be applied. The Allies lost one step and the Japanese lost 1 step, so the Allies win the ground combat and the battle. Kuantan remains Allied controlled and the Japanese retreat back into the hex they entered the battle from.
During Post combat movement, the BB Kongo and CA Mogami naval units return to Cam Ranh and the 22nd air unit remains in Kota Baru. There is no Japanese post battle movement from the Kuantan battle hex. This concludes post battle movement, it is now the Allied players turn to play a strategy card or pass.
This ends the comprehensive example of play.
20.0 Designer's Notes
My history with Pacific War games.
The Pacific War has always fascinated me. Twenty years ago when I was running Victory Games I did my Pacific War design, which examined the war from an Operational point of view. That game was intended to play out famous campaigns with the strategic scenario a necessary, but fundamentally unplayable addition due to its length. Ever since then I wanted to do a game that covered the entire conflict in one, albeit long, sitting.
I created the card driven game (CDG) genre to enable me to portray the political nature of the American Revolution in my We The People game and bring historical uncertainty and tension back into gaming. When I did For The People, I expanded my CDG system by increasing the detail associated with the military dimension of the war over my previous effort. At that time I developed the desire to do a more traditional military wargame, where my CDG system could bring the military uncertainty back into more traditional hex based games. This would allow me to integrate the interesting political and military events into the fabric of this design. It was the combination of this desire and my earlier goal of doing a strategic level Pacific War game that has led to what you now hold in your hands.
Major Design Challenges
The key challenge in the game was how to deal with the victory conditions. The historical reality was the Japanese never had any chance of winning the war. The U.S. never devoted more than 20% of its overall resources to the Pacific War, so once Germany was defeated it was only a matter of time until Japan would be defeated.
The solution was in how to define Japanese victory. The Japanese intellectually, if not emotionally, understood that they could not defeat the United States in a long war. They felt that if they could make the U.S. pay a prohibitive cost for its inevitable counter offensive they could coerce a negotiated settlement from the Allies that would allow Japan to 'legalize' some of its key conquests.
As unrealistic as this notion appears in historical hindsight, it was the ultimate solution to this design issue. I was also persuaded by research into the development of the A-bomb that although the U.S. would inevitably solve the design and engineering issues required to create a weapon from nuclear theory it was not a forgone conclusion that it had to occur on the historical timeline. In addition the extremely secret nature of the Manhattan Project kept its existence from the military planners. Consequently, the Allied player must play the game with the historical mindset that they will probably have to invade Japan to end the war.
The Allies can still avoid the invasion of Japan, but they have to perform militarily on par with their predecessors. If not, the development of the A-bomb is considered to be delayed by six months forcing the invasion of Nippon and the possibility that the U.S., if faced with a very successful defense, would fall off of unconditional surrender, if only by a little, giving the Japanese a face saving 'game' victory. Although it is possible that the Japanese earlier in the war can defeat the Allies through superior play and force an early negotiation, this will usually not be the case.
Once I had sorted out the 'how do the Japanese' win issue, I then focused on the types of strategies and decisions the players had to master to win. The military portion of the game focuses on major axes of advance. Empire of the Sun is a strategic game. The player is not focused on the battles, but on resourcing and prosecuting the major axes of advance across the Pacific. For the Japanese it is the Southern offensive to secure the resources of the Dutch East Indies and its environs while creating blocking positions in the West versus the British and the East versus the Americans/Australians that dominates their thinking. For the Allies it is the fight across the Central Pacific (Nimitz), Southwest Pacific (Macarthur), and China-Burma-India (Mountbatten). In the earlier incarnations of the game I had a fully articulated China front. However, the amount of special rules and decision making took too much of the focus away from the main event, so I abstracted it into the current system where the key resource decisions were preserved, but for much less work.
This set of design decision then led to what card events would represent in the game. In some ways this was the knottier issue, since in my earlier CDGs most of the events were political or auxiliary military events. It was clear that the major use of the events in Empire of the Sun would fall into several assymetric categories. For the Japanese, the events would be the ability of the Japanese to manipulate U.S. Political Will to reduce the Allied push for unconditional surrender and the military situation in Europe to delay the Allied buildup in the Pacific. For the Allies the events would primarily be the large Offensives that will take the Allies across the Pacific, while prosecuting the War in Europe, so it does not divert resources from the Pacific.
Once the big pieces of the design were in place I focused on the major dimensions of the military game. The most important feature of the Pacific conflict was the importance of land-based air power. The pace and objectives of the historical axes of advance were focused on the ability to push the air units forward to cover the next advance. Much of what players will concern themselves with are which bases are they going to attack or defend heavily. Due to this need to advance the air umbrella, players will quickly discover why the battles in the Pacific were fought where they were. In fact in one playtest I discovered a graphic error from my original map because I couldn't figure out why I could not get some of my land based air in range of Leyte until I realized that Ulthi had been left off the map.
The other big issue was the brittleness of Japanese air units and their military in general. By 1943 the U.S. have deployed a new navy to replace the one that they started the war with, while the Japanese get almost all of their naval forces on the first turn. The Japanese get few if any replacements, so economy of force operations are critical to Japanese success.
I modeled the two sides air power very differently. The Japanese get new units throughout the game and in the aggregate have more total combat factors than the Allies if you add up the unit strengths, but it is irreplaceable. The Allied air units represent the key air forces that supported the major axes of advance. The Allies get less air units, but they are for all intents and purposes immortal. Allied air strength remains fairly constant over the course of the game; with improvements in aircraft represented through die roll modifiers. The Allies must regularly conduct air offensives to reduce Japanese air units just as they did historically over the Solomons. The Allied units quickly recover full strength, while the Japanese get weaker over time. If the Allies fail to be aggressive and use up their replacements, they will face a stronger than historical Japanese air force at the end of the game. This both captures the nature of the two sides military philosophies and forces the players to fight the historical air war. If the Japanese hold too much air power back to preserve it, they allow the Allies to re-conquer Asia ahead of schedule removing the need to invade Japan in order to win. The outcome of the game turns on how the two sides prosecute their air strategies.
While I am on the subject of combat, it is important to understand what the air, naval, and land battle system is portraying. This is a strategic game and combat is a necessary way to show who has done a better job at resourcing their offensives. Empire of the Sun only handles operational and tactical considerations in the most aggregate of terms. Combat in most cases represents numerous engagements that occurred in a geographical area over the course of months. Consequently it is meant to reward the player who can maintain a combined arms force with more mass than your opponent to be victorious. How I handled the intelligence element of the conflict was adapted from my earlier VG Pacific War design. This intelligence system combined with the two-tiered combat process seems to capture in the aggregate the broad-brush combat outcomes that I was looking for with as little mechanical overhead as possible. This lets the players focus on the critical strategic decisions needed to prosecute their offensive drives, while not being distracted by unnecessary tactical details.
The one other minor consideration that I wanted to put in the design was interservice rivalry. This affected both sides in similar ways and hopefully will yield some historical insights on why some less than stellar decisions were made during the war.
Lastly, I would like to thank Stephen Newberg for agreeing to develop this game with me. Stephen and I go way back to my days in SPI, but we have never had an opportunity to work together. What started out as two old friends joking around on Consimworld has led to a very enjoyable collaboration. As always I want to thank my beautiful wife of 25 years, Carole and my children Lara and Grant, who have supported a lifetime of Dad being down in the Batcave (my downstairs office) doing what I love most, being a game designer. I hope you enjoy my latest effort.
Mark Herman, Potomac, Maryland, USA, August 2004
A Brief Note From The Developer: I want to thank Mark for making this outright fun, which developing sometimes is not, and I most especially want to thank the play testers that stuck with this project, whose team leaders are in the credits just below, for always journeymen like service throughout, and often well above and beyond that. You guys did just great.
Stephen Newberg, North Oyster, British Columbia, Canada, January 2005
Reprint Designers Notes
I write these additional notes a decade after the original ones above. I was humbled that this design's initial release won the 2005 Charles S. Roberts award for best Twentieth Century Design and Graphics (thank you Rodger and Mark) plus others such as the George Luc Haas award for best simulation. The more important issue is the game is more popular now than it was when it was released. I have personally been playing it with a dedicated group of gamers on Consimworld for most of this period and it has been their collective interest, input, and support that brings this improved version back into print. Thank you my friends!
So what has changed? A decade of intense competition has revealed to me how to play EotS well, while having every conceivable question asked and answered. To support the game I have written many strategy articles published in c3i and I even learned how to shoot and edit instructional videos that you can see on YouTube. The result of this intense group study of the design has led to a number of improvements and clarifications to the original release. This has culminated with one of the perennial WBC champions, Antero Kuusi, collaborating with me on this reprint to reorganize and recast the rules to make them more accessible and easier to learn.
Another thing I learned over the last decade of intense CSW staff games is how certain cards were not being played the way I originally intended. This reprint has given me the opportunity to pump up the strength of several underused cards to increase the strategy options available to the owners of the reprint version. We have also taken the opportunity to ask Mark Simonitch to improve the original game's color palette and of course there is the new MacGowan cover art to set this version apart from the original release.
On the design side I am happy to say that the core system has held up very well and other than incorporating some FAQ items the biggest change has been to add more detailed supply rules to improve the games simulation and historical verisimilitude especially in the Burma theater.
This release also comes at an interesting time in my life as I have chosen to once again become a full time game designer. Now I work harder than ever, but enjoying it more than ever with this reprint one of the first fruits of my new labor. I hope you enjoy the game.
Mark Herman, NYC, August 2014
2nd Edition Reprint Notes
Changes between 2nd Edition and 4th Printing:
- No rules changes, just some sentence rewrites for additional clarity plus the 1942 yearly scenario and the South Pacific Scenario have had their victory conditions improved for balance. Added South Pacific and Burma scenarios.
- Maps: Added a 2-sided unmounted map for South Pacific and Burma
- Cards: No changes
- Counters: No changes
- Erasmus v2.0: No changes, one typo
- Card Driven Solitaire System Rules: Typos and minor errata.
- Play Aids: No changes, some typos
Designer Musings for Empire of the Sun 5th printing aka Second Edition, 4th printing
Print History
Empire of the Sun was published in February of 2005, over twenty years ago. First, I would like to thank all of the supporters for this design, which as many know I have been playing continually since its publication. I would also like to acknowledge and thank my good friend Rodger MacGowan, who supported the two mini scenarios (South Pacific and Burma) now included in this printing.
The history of this design goes as follows. It was published in 2005 (original developer was my old friend Stephen Newberg), and the first edition was around until I updated it with a second edition in 2014. What I discovered over the intervening nine years was that the design did not need any significant changes, but I did incorporate the community's tournament experiences by updating around twenty cards that were not working the way I originally intended. From my perspective this was and continues to be the definitive version of the game that is now in its 4th printing of the second edition (aka the 5th time this title has been reprinted as I keep getting asked this question).
What should you do now?
As an addendum to my original designer's notes, if this is the first time you have looked at this title or if you decided to upgrade your earlier edition, I would like to offer some advice. After the game had been out for over a decade, the consistent comment that I heard, and quite frankly still hear, is that once I set up the game, I do not know what to do. To this point, I will make three. First, I created the Erasmus 'bot (upgraded into its current form by Chris Crane and Francisco Colmenares) to teach strategy. Second, it's a historical wargame, worst case you make a suboptimal move. In fact, I guarantee you will make a suboptimal move, so don't worry about it, just play a card and see what happens. No matter what happens, your first session's strategy will disappoint you, so gain skill from the experience. Third, I specifically designed the South Pacific scenario (included in the 4th and this printing) to solve this conundrum. My advice is set up the South Pacific scenario that comes with its own mini map. If you are the Allies, do not consider your options, but play your Future Offensive Operation Watchtower card and start activating navy units (the blue ones). As the Allies are under interservice rivalry, only activate naval units and the 1st Marine Division (see card restrictions) with your CentPac HQ and invade Guadalcanal by strictly following the Offensive sequence of play. If you are the Japanese, watch the Allies invade Guadalcanal, play the Savo Island Counterattack reaction card, send in all of the naval units located at Rabaul to Guadalcanal and fight your first battle. If you are playing solo, follow these instructions for both sides. Then, reset, but this time the Japanese should send in an air reaction... roll dice, then rinse and repeat until you have gotten familiar with the game mechanics for playing one offensive. At some point, don't stop and play a second card and so on. Problem solved you are now playing Empire of the Sun. To play the game well requires some study, practice, and hopefully some live play else just enjoy the history lesson.
Once you move onto the full map scenarios (1943 scenario is a good choice), use the same process of setting up the game, deal out the cards then conduct your first offensive. Here I have supplied you with the aforementioned solitaire opponent (Erasmus), which is me as your strategy advisor, but if that looks to daunting, just play one card and see what happens. Each time you reset, play a different card with a different objective and so on, until you begin to understand your strategic choices. The main point is don't worry about playing well, just worry about learning the mechanics and enjoy the chaos. As I have played this design for over twenty years, I can say with confidence that I am still learning new strategies, which is why I always have a game in progress somewhere in my house.
Burma C3i #35
The big addition to the 5th printing of the game is my Burma scenario that was published as a standalone game in C3i #35. Like its predecessor South Pacific (C3i #30) it focuses on a restricted portion of the Empire of the Sun map (Mark Simonitch/Rodger MacGowan Empire of the Sun artists won the Charles S. Roberts best graphics award in 2005). If the Imperial Japanese navy was mortally wounded in the South Pacific (1942), Burma was the death knell of the Imperial Japanese army in the China-Burma-India theater (hereafter CBI) in 1944.
While both standalone scenarios share the same rules as the core game, they play very differently. The geographic South Pacific saw the majority of the war's carrier battles and the point from which MacArthur's New Guinea campaign originated. As such it is a very military operations intensive scenario to play. In contrast over the course of a Burma session, you will likely conduct only a few military offensives where political events and the war in China dominate your strategy. As such this standalone game is a good way to see the CBI's potential in a full map Empire of the Sun scenario. Note that the opposing forces in the CBI are essentially at even odds. If you overextend early and take large casualties you will experience catastrophic failure, although the opposite is almost as likely. As I said, it's one to one odds. I have found that good strategy is not to make aggressive theater wide attacks but conduct measured hex by hex advances with air power support. If you get ambitious more often than not, you will severely damage your forces and any chance you might have had to win.
For example, in my most recent play the Allies tried to capture Myitkyina with the New China Army card that was cancelled by the Japanese playing a weather card. On a later card play the Allies ended interservice rivalry, discarded a card, pulled the New China army offensive back into their hand, then used airpower to isolate Myitkyina with three Chinese army units overwhelming a reduced Japanese army defender. An alternate strategy could have been to attack all along the front, but that would likely have netted more irreplaceable losses with a similar outcome. My point is unlike South Pacific or any full map scenario, think small to achieve incremental benefits. Given the restrictive terrain and a small hand of cards (at most three or four), the game moves fast, yet lays out the historical 1944 options open to both sides in the CBI.
Historically, in contravention to Tokyo's guidance, but the one followed by General Mutaguchi, the main Japanese strategy was focused on defeating India (Imphal/Kohima) which decisively failed (U Go/Ha Go military events). The other major Japanese option was to prosecute the war in China while defending the front in the CBI to keep the Burma road closed. All of the historical options are present, so explore all of them and see which strategy fits your style the best. As always, you will be more efficient if you listen to the cards that represent senior HQ guidance. Based on many Burma sessions, especially when travelling, I finish this scenario solo in around 40 minutes and face to face has never taken more than an hour. So, when playing an opponent, like in chess, change sides and play two or three times to see who wins the match.
I would like to close these designer's notes by acknowledging my dear, but now deceased friend, Rodger MacGowan who originally published these titles. Think of him when you play them, I do.
Mark Herman, NYC, December 2025
Supplementary Bibliography 2025
More Pacific War research books used for Pacific War and Empire of the Sun (GMT Games):
The War History Office of the National Defense College of Japan (English)
- The Invasion of the Dutch East Indies
- The Operations of the Navy in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal
- The Invasion of the South: Army Air Force Operations and the Invasion of Northern and Southern Sumatra
Chung Wu Publishing, The History of the Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945
Jeffrey Cox
- Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II
- Morning Star, Midnight Sun: Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August-October 1942
- Blazing Star, Setting Sun: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign November 1942-March 1943
- Dark Waters, Starry Sky: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign March-October 1943
Richard B. Frank, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire
Brian Garfield, The Thousand Mile War
Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway
Editors: Peattie, Drea, and Ven, The Battle for China: Essays
Francis Pike, Hirohito's War: The Pacific War, 1941-1945
John Prados, The Islands of Destiny: The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun
Mark Stille
- Pearl Harbor, Japan's Greatest Disaster
- Midway: The Pacific War's Most Famous Battle
- Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Battle
Craig L. Symonds, The Battle of Midway
Ian Toll
- Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944
- Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945
Michael C. Waling, Bloodstained Sands: U.S. Amphibious Operations in World War II
Lionell Wigmore, The Japanese Thrust
H.P. Wilmott
- June 1944
- The War with Japan: The Period of Balance May 1942-October 1943
- Battle of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action
- Pearl Harbor
- The Gathering Darkness: The Coming of War to the Far East and the Pacific 1921-1942 (with Haruo Tohmatsu)
Bibliography
I have literally read hundreds of books on the Pacific War and a bibliography of my entire collection would take more space here than it is worth. I offer a few works that I feel I used more than others for this game and that you may want to consult if you are interested in reading up on this topic.
Allen, Louis, Burma: The Longest War 1941-45. Perhaps this should be called the longest read. Allen's book is a very slow but detailed account of military operations in the China-Burma-India Theater of operations during the war. It is mentioned above other works on this theater, because it consistently appears as the primary source cited by other works on this topic.
Bergerud, Eric, Touched With Fire and Fire in the Sky. Two very well written and researched books on ground and air combat (respectively) during the Solomons campaign. Gives excellent insight into operational factors that dominated combat in the Pacific.
Comptroller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office, The Japanese Air Forces in World War II. I have no clue why a British finance office would be in charge of this kind of material. In any event this is a great reference book on Japanese air organization and command structure during the war.
Costello, John, The Pacific War 1941-1945. There are numerous one volume general histories that were used at one time or another in researching this game and my earlier Pacific War game. This one is a good start if you haven't read much on this topic before.
Dorn, Frank, The Sino-Japanese War 1937-41. Dorn's book is a good background reference on the origins of the Sino-Japanese conflict prior to U.S. entry into the war.
Dull, Paul S., A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941-1945). Dull's work is the original English source book that views the naval war in the Pacific from the Japanese perspective. The book is based on original Japanese documents and gives interesting perspective and detail on Japanese naval operations.
Frank, Richard B., Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of this Landmark Battle & Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War (July 1937-May 1942). Among the best books to come out on the Pacific War. Tower of Skulls is the first book with a detailed military narrative in English on the early war in China.
Grosvenor, Gilbert (editor); Pacific Ocean and the Bay of Bengal map, compiled and drawn in the cartographic section of the National Geographic Society, September 1943. The map projection is drawn from an equal area projection taken from a U.S. Army Engineering section map from 1942. Apparently there are a lot of ways to spell the place names on the EOTS map when they are translated into English. I have chosen to use this period source for all spellings in the game, most of which are now out of vogue.
Madej, W. Victor, The Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 (volumes I and II) and U.S. Army and Marine Corps Order of Battle: Pacific Theater of Operations 1941-1945 (volumes I and II). A series of historical reprints that extensively covers Japanese and Allied ground orders of battle.
Morrison, Samuel Eliot, History of the U.S. Naval Operations in World War II. A multi-volume set of books that are the official U.S. navy account of its operations during World War II. These books are a great reference source for order of battle information and narratives of the major military operations.
Okumiya, Masatake and Horikoshi, Jiro, Zero: The Story of Japan's Air War in the Pacific 1941-1945. An excellent Japanese account on air operations during the war, based on the personal experience of the authors. Although it was not a source for the game per se, a must read is Samurai which is a riveting personal account from Japan's highest surviving ace.
Prados, John, Combined Fleet Decoded. John and I go back to our SPI days. In my opinion this is John's best work over a long and distinguished career. A must read with cogent analysis, based on impeccable research, on how U.S. intelligence successes and failures impacted Pacific military operations.
Pu-Yu, Hu, A Brief History of Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). A little known book out of Taiwan that is translated from the Chinese. A tough read grammatically with a heavy Chiang Kai-shek bias. Its main value is it details many military operations in China that are close to impossible to find in any Western texts.
Tuchman, Barbara, Stilwell and the American Experience in China. A great read with a heavy anti-Chiang Kai-shek flavor. Details many of the personalities that drove much of the inactivity in this Theater during the war.
Williams, Mary H. (compiled for the Center of Military History U.S. Army), U.S. Army In World War II: Chronology 1941-45. The entire Green Book series are useful reference books that cover World War II from a U.S. Army perspective. This volume covers the key events of every day of World War II from 1941 until its conclusion. In addition I used most of the other volumes in this series at one time or another to check information.
Willmott, H.P., Empires in the Balance and The Barrier and the Javelin. Two excellent books on the development of Pacific War strategies up to Guadalcanal. Unfortunately the author has yet to finish the series, which is a shame because he is perhaps the best living World War II historian out there.
Game Credits
- GAME DESIGNER: Mark Herman
- GAME DEVELOPER (2005): Stephen Newberg
- GAME DEVELOPER (2014 Reprint): Mark Herman
- GAME DEVELOPER (2018 reprint)/ERASMUS V2.0: Francisco Colmenares
- GAME DEVELOPER (2021 & 2025 Reprints): Mark Herman
- CDSS v2: Chris Crane
- ART DIRECTOR: Rodger MacGowan
- BOX ART AND PACKAGE DESIGN: Rodger MacGowan
- GAME MAP: Mark Simonitch
- COUNTERS: Mark Simonitch and Dave Lawrence
- PLAY TEST COORDINATOR: Andy Lewis
- 2nd Edition Rules Editing: Robert Ryer
- 3rd Edition Rules: Antero Kuusi
- 3rd Edition Rules Editing Team: Mark Popofsky, Tom Thornsen, Joel Tamburo, John Steidl, Francisco Colmenares, Craig Yope
- PLAY TEST TEAM LEADERS: Stan Buck, Tom Cannon, Dave Casper, Don Chappell, Andy Daglish, Eric Feifer, Ricky Gray, Mark Herman, Stephen Newberg, James Pei, Peter Rich, Alan Snider, Bill Thoet & Arrigo Velicogna
- PRODUCTION COORDINATION: Tony Curtis
- PRODUCTION COORDINATION (2025): Kai Jensen
- PRODUCERS: Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Andy Lewis, Gene Billingsley and Mark Simonitch
Special Thanks to all of the members of the Empire of the Sun topic on Consimworld who have contributed to these rules with their thoughtful questions and suggestions.
GMT Games, LLC, P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308, www.GMTGames.com