First Blood: The Guadalcanal Campaign
First Blood: The Guadalcanal Campaign Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
This document and supporting material represents a re-vamp of the classic wargame First Blood, first published in the Avalon Hill Intercontinental Kriegspiel Society Kommandeur Volume 26 #6 magazine (AHIKS version). It was later republished in Strategy & Tactics magazine #178 by Decision Games (S&T version). The S&T version substantially changed the rules of the game.
This version is based on the AHIKS version, which is freely available for download, but all text, graphics, etc. is completely new, except for the historical summary by Steve Llewellyn.
This version differs from the AHIKS version in that:
- The rules have been restructured. The original rules were organised according to command structure. That is, ground, naval and air command was separated into distinct sections. In this version, the organising principle is the game flow.
- The counters of the game have been redesigned. NATO symbology is used throughout, including for naval and air units, as well as air strip installations and activities.
- The board has been revamped. For example, entry points are no longer numbered but marked with faction symbology. Boxes for air strip status, work, and refuelling of USAF units have been introduced. Also, the board uses terrain graphics instead of iconography for jungle hex-sides and hexes. This change simplifies the rules somewhat.
- Some clean-up of description of the rules.
Game Information
- Period: WWII
- Level: operational
- Hex scale: 0.5 km (0.3 miles)
- Unit scale: battalion
- Turn scale: one third of a month
- Number of turns: 15
- Unit density: medium
- Complexity: 2 of 10
- Solitaire: 8 of 10
Rules
§1 Victory conditions
The IJ faction wins the game if, by the end of a complete turn — including the US faction part — it has units on any completed air field hex (0709, 0708, and if the fighter strip has been constructed 0605, or 0705).
If the end of the game is reached in turn Jan III, and the IJ faction has not already won, then the IJ faction wins if there are any IJ ground troops on any hex of the map. The US faction wins if it prevents these conditions. That is, if the US faction can keep IJ ground units from the air fields, eliminate all IJ ground units, and no IJ reinforcements are forthcoming, then the US faction wins.
§2 Components of the game
The game consists of this rule book, the playing board, and playing chits. In addition, a 6-sided die is needed.
§2.1 The board and map
The central part of the board is the map. The map is composed of hexagons of various kinds. Along the top is a turn track that is used to keep track of the game using the dedicated chit. Below the turn track, are 9 boxes — four for IJ, one for each of the air fields on the map, and three for US. The first four and latter three boxes are used to simulate naval and air combat and support. The two air field boxes are used to keep track of air strip status. Along the bottom of the map are four off-map movement boxes — A through D. These boxes are used to simulate IJ movement on the parts of Guadalcanal island that are not in the map.
The hexes of the board are of various kinds. These are summarised in Table 1, along with a summary of the consequences for movement.
Hex sides. Movement into a hex has the same base cost. In addition, the traversed hex side of the hex moved into may impose additional costs. See also §6.
Table 1: Terrain
| Hex side | Movement |
|---|---|
| Clear | 1 MF |
| Beach | 1 MF |
| Rough | 1 MF |
| Jungle | +1 MF |
| Ridge | +1 MF |
| River | +2 MF |
| Entry, Off-board | ½ MF† |
| Air strip | — |
Hex types. For combat purposes, a hex containing jungle in its centre is considered a jungle hex (hexes 0908, 1008, and 0618 are not jungle for combat purposes, 0619 and 0620 are).
- Clear. These hexes represent open fields and the like. These hexes are easy to move into and provide little cover in combat.
- Beach. Similar to clear hexes, and provides no combat modifiers or movement penalties.
- Jungle. This is dense growth of trees and brush, making them hard to traverse, and providing additional defence. For movement purposes, the important part is the hex side moved over. If the target hex contains jungle on the hex side moved over, then jungle movement must be paid. For combat purposes, a hex is considered jungle if there is jungle in the centre of the hex.
- Ridge. Higher ground on the map. Moving up or down a hill or mountain is harder than traversing clear terrain. On the other hand, the higher ground provides a defensive advantage. For movement purposes, the important part is if unit crosses into the hex over a ridge hex side. Once on the hill, crossing to another adjacent higher ground does not incur a penalty.
- River. These are marked on the map between hexes, and affect movement and combat from either side. Rivers are hard to cross and attackers crossing a river are vulnerable. Thus, when a unit moves across a river hex side, an additional penalty is incurred, and similarly a defensive advantage is obtained if all attackers are on the other side of the river. Note the bridge between 0909 and 0910. Crossing this hex side — in either direction — counts as crossing a clear hex side.
Air fields. Four hexes on the map have an air strip installation marking. Two are 0709 and 0708 which constitute the Henderson air field. At the start of the game this air strip is fully operational. The other air field is 0605 and 0705. This is the location for a US planned fighter-plane air field. At the start of the game, the air field is not constructed (but may be later on by engineering units).
Note, for the purpose of tracking repairs, construction (see §10), maintenance of USAF units (see §11), or air strip hex status, the US faction may choose to either use the hexes on the map, or use the corresponding status hexes in the top row of boxes on the board. Ground units must never be placed in the status hexes in the top row boxes.
In the following, 'air strip hex', or 'air strip status', can be understood as either the on-map hex, or the corresponding status hex when it comes to engineering work and status markers. The on-map air strip hexes must be used by ground units (including engineering units).
Since one can potentially place a lot of chits on a single air strip — six USAF units, a 'Oper' marker, and three ground units for a total of 6 + 1 + 3 = 10 chits, it can be quite cumbersome to use the map hexes. Instead, the US faction can place USAF units or work or status chits in the status box where there is more room.
Setup border. The map has a blue dashed line which indicates the area within which the US may initially set up its units. It has no other effect on the game.
§2.2 Units and other chits
On the Imperial Japanese faction side, the available units consist of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), the Imperial Army Aviation Force (IJAAF), and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). IJAAF and IJN units are used to simulate the naval and air part of the conflict and do not count as ground units. All IJA units are ground units.
On the United States of America side, the available units consist of United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Army (USA), and United States Air Force (USAF). Both USMC and USA are ground units, while USAF units are used to simulate the aerial aspect of the conflict. Table 2 summarises the different unit types.
Table 2: Unit types
| Force | Description |
|---|---|
| IJA | Ground unit |
| IJAAF | Fighter and bomber |
| IJN | Destroyer |
| USMC | Ground unit |
| USA | Ground unit |
| USAF | Fighter, bomber, both |
All ground units have a number of elements as shown in Figure 1 (echelon, turn, type, identifier, range, movement, combat).
Combat factor (CF). The strength of a unit. This is used when resolving combats — both offensive and defensive. A unit's combat factor may be modified due to terrain.
Movement factor (MF). How mobile a unit is. A unit may expend these, once per turn, manoeuvring the unit around the board.
Range (artillery only). Range of artillery fire. This range does include the hex occupied by the unit.
Setup. This indicates at which turn the unit becomes available. Units with no setup field are part of the initial setup. This has no other consequence for the game.
Identifier. Historical identification of the units. These typically denote the parent regiment (the number before the slash) and battalion identifier. These have no significance for the game and are merely there for the historically interested. (Source footnote: Wikipedia has a rather long article on the Guadalcanal Campaign, including Order of Battle on both sides. The unit identifiers may in some cases help the players identify specific units and their commanding officers.)
Echelon. The size of the unit. All ground units in First Blood are battalions (roughly 500 soldiers and supporting equipment).
Type. The frame indicates the type of unit. These are denoted using NATO symbology. The types are outlined in Table 3.
Other chits. Included are 3 other types of counters. The counters marked 'Dest', 'Dam', and 'Oper' are for keeping track of the state of the 4 air field hexes, and indicate 'Destroyed', 'Damaged', and 'Operational', respectively. These chits should be placed on the air strip hexes in the top boxes, according to the current condition of the air strips. The counters with a stylised shovel and the number '1' and '2' are for keeping track of engineering work on the air strip hexes. The counter '1' should be placed on an air strip hex the turn that work on that air strip is begun, and '2', on the second turn of work on the air strip. Once the air strip is fully constructed these counters should be removed from the map and an 'Oper' should be placed in the top box for that air strip hex. Finally, there is a chit to mark the current turn and faction on the board turn track. Ideally these chits are made double sided.
Unit types (Table 3). The unit frame shows the unit type. Types are denoted using NATO symbology:
| Type | Type |
|---|---|
| Infantry | Machine gun |
| Raiders | Airborne |
| Defence | Marines |
| Artillery | Mountain artillery |
| Defence | Motorised artillery |
| Armoured | Reconnaissance |
| Amphibious | Anti air |
| Anti tank | Engineer |
| Police | Labour |
Other chits (Table 4). The 'Dest', 'Dam' and 'Oper' air strip status chits track the state of the air strips; the 'construction progress' chits '1' and '2' track engineering work; and the 'Turn' chit marks the current turn and faction on the turn track.
§3 Initial setup
Each faction places its units on the Order of Battle sheet for that faction.
US sets up first. The units in the US Order of Battle (OOB) chart with At-start are placed within the blue dashed boundary on the map. That is between the northern 02XX and southern 12XX rows and eastern XX02 and western XX15 columns, inclusive. That is, hex 0202 and 0212 are the south eastern and western, respectively, most possible hexes for US to set up. The units must be set up respecting the stacking rules (see §6.4) — that is, no more than three ground units per hex.
USAF units may be placed in:
- hexes of Henderson air field,
- the USAF Combat Air Patrol (USAF CAP) box, or
- the USAF Ground Attack box.
IJ places all At-start units in off-map movement boxes A or D. IJ is free to allocate units in any way. Note, the game starts with the IJ reinforcement phase of turn Sep I, which will make more units available.
Players may decide to put air strip chits as appropriate on the air strip hexes — either on the board on in the status boxes on the top of the board. In that case, the two hexes of the Henderson air field (0709 and 0708) must have 'Oper' markers in them, and the two hexes of the fighter air field (0605 and 0705) must have 'Dest' markers in them.
§4 Turn sequence
The game runs for 15 turns, until IJ victory conditions, or until it is no longer possible for IJ to meet the victory conditions (§12). Every turn follows the same turn sequence. Since IJ are the aggressors launching an counteroffensive, it is IJ that starts every turn. The turn sequence is summarised in Table 5. The following sections will describe each step in more detail.
Table 5: Turn sequence
| Faction | Phase | Section |
|---|---|---|
| IJ | Reinforcements | §5.2 |
| IJ | Movement | §6 |
| IJ | Combat | §7 |
| IJ | Supply | §8 |
| IJ | Strategic | §9 |
| US | Reinforcements | §5.3 |
| US | Movement | §6 |
| US | Combat | §7 |
| US | Engineering |
§5 Reinforcements
On some of the turns either IJ or US, or both, will receive reinforcements. The reinforcements are listed on the OOB of the respective faction. The exact method of reinforcement varies with the faction. Both factions have a number of entry points on the map, as shown in Figure 2. No more than four ground units may be placed on an entry point, and factions may only use their own entry points. Units cannot stay on entry points. Units that fail to enter the map by the end of the faction's combat phase are eliminated. Enemy Zone of Control (ZOC, see §6.2) does not extend into entry points or off-map boxes.
Figure 2: Entry points. The star on blue background is a US entry point for reinforcements. The IJ sun in a circle near the bottom is an IJ entry point. A US unit landing on 0701 has the full movement allowance available to move further on the map. An IJ unit with 8 MF landing on 0600 has 4 MF for further movement into the map. The US unit can only enter on the indicated hex, while the IJ unit may enter any of the three hexes pointed to.
§5.1 Attack upon entry
Units cannot enter the map from entry points (or off-board movement boxes) into hexes occupied by enemy ground units. Under specific circumstances, reinforcements may conduct combat to enter the board, but if the attack does not clear the hex from enemy units, then the reinforcement units are eliminated. The conditions under which this is permissible for each faction is described below. The defending units are doubled in strength in this case.
If the entry hex is cleared from enemy units, then the attacking ground units must enter that hex (and cannot do any other movement). If this results in over-stacking (see §6.4), then the controlling faction takes casualties until the stacking rules are met. The control faction decides on the eliminated units.
Figure 3: IJ units entering map. In the Oct III turn, 228/1 & 3 are placed in the south western entry point, and are moved to hex 0220. They now have 4 MF each to move further on to the map with.
§5.2 IJ Reinforcements
A IJ ground unit enter:
- either on entry points on the east or west edge of the board (max 4 units per entry point),
- or in one of off-map movement boxes A or D, with no stacking limitations. Units should be placed in the middle part of the off-map movement box.
IJ units entering the map from either entry points or off-map movement boxes must spend half of their MFs to enter the first hex (when crossing the red dashed boundary, see also Figure 3). Reinforcements placed in movement boxes A or D cannot, however, move this turn.
IJ air units are placed in the IJAAF Reserve box. IJ naval units are placed either in the IJN Reserve or IJN Attack boxes. Note, at the end of the IJ strategic phase (see §9), units in the Attack boxes are removed from play, and naval and air units in the Reserve boxes must be moved to the corresponding Attack box.
This means that some planning at this point can prevent the needless loss of naval or air units for the IJ faction. There are no limits to how many units can be placed in any of the IJ Reserve or Attack boxes.
§5.3 US reinforcements
US reinforcements enter on the US entry points. No more than 4 ground units may be placed on an entry point. US ground units do not expend MFs when moving onto the map, and thus have their full movement allowance to manoeuvre on the turn of entry. US air units are placed in the USAF Reserve box.
US ground units may attack on entry if, and only if, all entry hexes are occupied by enemy ground units. Artillery units on entry points may not participate in the attack, but can be taken as casualties. US bomber units in the USAF Ground Attack box may support such attacks (each adding a +1 bonus to the die roll).
If US ground units occupy all entry hexes, then reinforcements must be placed in off-map movement boxes A or D. If the US also occupies all entry hexes from off-map movement boxes, then IJ units may move to another box it has not already been in, or if that is not possible (see §6.5), then IJ may attack US units from below. The defending units are doubled in strength in this case.
If IJ units attack from off-map movement boxes, then:
- All defending units are doubled in strength.
- Artillery units may attack with direct fire but not with artillery support.
This means that IJ may prevent rear attacks by occupying hexes 0701 and 0702 in the east, and hexes 0618 and 0619 in the west. Of course, if IJ only occupies one of these pairs of hexes, they can prevent further progress by the US by forcing a combat when the US reinforcements land.
§6 Movement
In each faction's movement phase, all ground units may expend their movement factors (MF) on manoeuvring their units on the board. For example, the infantry and artillery units in Figure 1 have 8 MF and 6 MF, respectively.
Figure 4: Example of movement. The unit in 0710 may move into 0809 by spending 4 MF (jungle(+1) and river(+2) hex side), 0709 costs 3 MF (river(+2) hex side), 0810 is 2 MF (jungle(+1) hex side), while 0711, 0610, and 0609 only cost 1 MF to move into (clear hex side).
Figure 5: Example of movement. The IJ unit in 0507 can move to an adjacent hex (0406) on Bloody Ridge at 1 MF cost. Moving to any of 0508, 0506, or 0407 will cost 3 MF (jungle(+1) and ridge(+1) hex sides). If the IJ unit moves to either 0607 or 0606 it will cost 2 MF (ridge(+1) hex side). The US unit in 0306 can move onto the Bloody Ridge 0307 at 2 MF (ridge(+1) hex side).
§6.1 Map movement
Moving a unit into a hex always costs 1 MF. However, the hex side traversed in the target hex may impose additional MF cost. The hex side traversed on the source hex does not matter.
- Clear, beach, rough. Crossing over a hex side of either of these kinds does not cost extra MF.
- Jungle. Moving into a hex where the hex side traversed into contains jungle costs an additional 1 MF. This applies only one direction. I.e., if the hex moved into has jungle on the edge over which the hex is entered, then it costs +1 MF (see also Figure 4).
- Ridge. Moving into or out of a hex across a ridge hex side incurs an additional 1 MF cost. From the map, it is clear that this applies both ways — that is, moving up or down the ridge.
- River. Crossing a river always costs an additional 2 MF. That is, no matter what side of the river one comes from it is more difficult to move across. Note, the bridge between 0909 and 0910 nullifies this additional cost (it only costs 1 MF to move between these two hexes.
Table 1 summarises the movement costs of different terrains, Figures 4 and 5 show examples of movement costs, and Table 6 gives some examples of movement costs.
Table 6: Examples of movement costs. Columns give the modifier for the hex side entered: Jungle (+1 MF), Ridge (+1 MF), River (+2 MF). The MF Cost column is the total as printed.
| From | To | Jungle | Ridge | River | MF Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0200 ↔ 0301 | 1 | ||||
| 0200 ↔ 0201 | +1 | 2 | |||
| 0400 ↔ 0500 | +2 | 3 | |||
| 0400 ↔ 0501 | +2 | 3 | |||
| 0400 ↔ 0401 |
Note: the printed MF Cost for 0503 → 0603 and 0603 → 0503 does not equal the sum of the printed modifiers (a river entry shown as +2 with a total of 1). Transcribed as printed; the modifiers and totals may need checking against the map.
§6.2 Zone of Control
Every ground unit on the map exerts a Zone of Control (ZOC) into the 6 hexes adjacent to the hex occupied by the unit. Units must halt movement upon entering an enemy ZOC. Unit cannot move from one enemy ZOC hex to another enemy ZOC hex. It must first disengage by moving into a hex free of enemy ZOC, and then it can re-engage in another enemy ZOC hex.
The presence of friendly units in an enemy ZOC does not negate the effect of the enemy ZOC. A unit's ZOC extends across rivers and ridges, but not into off-map movement boxes or entry points.
ZOC provides an effective defensive strategy. By placing units behind a river in such a way that their ZOC prevents the opponent from moving past the units, one can set up a strong defensive line. Strategic retreats into such a formation can indeed be advisable in the face of a strong offensive counter-part.
Friendly units may occupy the same hex (within stacking rules — see §6.4) thus forming a stack. This does not change the ZOC of the units. That is, a stack of units exerts a ZOC into the adjacent 6 hexes. Units may never occupy hexes occupied by enemy units.
Units may move through hexes occupied by friendly units or their ZOC, and thus temporarily ignore stacking rules (see §6.4).
§6.3 Air strips
If an IJ unit enters any air strip hex (Henderson air field 0708 and 0709, Fighter air field 0605 and 0705) during its movement or as a consequence of advance after combat (see §7.8), then immediately:
- all USAF units in the hex (either on the map or in the top-row boxes on the board) are eliminated,
- any engineering work (see §10) is disrupted, and
- the air strip is 'Destroyed' (place a 'Dest' marker in the corresponding hex or status box).
This applies even if the IJ unit is forced to retreat or is eliminated in the US combat phase.
The air strip hexes are of vital importance to the US faction. For one, if the IJ occupies any air strip hex at the end of a complete turn, the IJ faction has automatically won the game. But even if the IJ units are successfully removed from the hex, the US faction will have lost important air capability and left its ground troops more vulnerable to air strikes.
§6.4 Stacking
In map hexes up to three friendly ground units may occupy a single hex. This only applies at the end of the movement phase. Thus, a friendly unit may move through a hex which is already at capacity. Note that USAF units do not count toward stacking limits, nor do game mechanics chits such as air strip or construction status chits.
Entry boxes can hold up to four ground units. It is not possible to move into entry boxes and thus it is not possible to move through these.
- The number of air strip hexes currently in operation dictates how many USAF units can be in play (but does not affect the capacity of the USAF Reserve box). Up to six USAF units per operational air strip hex are allowed in total in air strip hexes, and USAF CAP, and USAF Ground Attack boxes. There is no individual limitation on the number of USAF units in air strip hexes or the two boxes — what matters is the total number of USAF units.
- There is no limit to how many USAF units can be in the USAF Reserve box.
- All IJ boxes can hold an infinite number of units. That is, IJAAF Reserve, IJAAF Attack, IJN Reserve, and IJN Attack boxes can hold as many units as the IJ faction wants.
IJ and US ground units may never occupy the same hex.
§6.5 IJ off-map movement
IJ ground units in the off-map movement boxes A through D may move between off-map boxes, at the cost of half the unit's MF per box moved. That is, a unit with 8 MF that moves from A to B will expend 4 MF. A unit with 6 MF moving between the same off-map movement boxes will spend 3 MF.
IJ ground units in the off-map movement boxes must move every turn, except the turn the unit arrived in the box as reinforcement. If a unit is placed in an off-map movement box upon reinforcement it cannot move during that turn, including moving on to the map. By placing the reinforcement units in the middle of the off-map box, it can help the IJ faction see which units are newly arrived and which must be moved during the turn. Units that are to be moved must move at least one box during a turn, or enter the map. Once a unit enters the map, it can move as regular map movement if it has available MFs.
Units can only move in one direction — either east or west. Another way of saying this is that a unit can never re-enter an off-map movement box it has already been in. When moving units between off-map movement boxes, place them in the field of the movement box with the arrow pointing in the direction of movement. For example, if a unit moves from B to C, place it in the (sub)field of off-map movement box B pointing eastward. In this way, the IJ faction can keep track of which units moved in what direction and ensure that further off-map movement continues in that direction.
Units in the off-map movement boxes may move onto the map (hexes) by spending half their MF — regardless of the terrain of the hex entered. That is, a unit with 8 MF must spend 4 MF to enter the map on the first hex. A unit with 6 MF must spend 3 MF for the same manoeuvre. The map boundary is marked with a red dashed border to remind the IJ faction of the movement cost.
IJ units may never re-enter off-map movement boxes from the map (hexes). US ZOC (see §6.2) does not extend into the off-map movement boxes. IJ artillery units may not support ground unit attacks on the board, except in the special case of attack upon entry (see §5.1).
§6.6 IJ Shore bombardments
IJN units can support the IJA ground troops. Any IJN destroyer in the IJN Attack box, and only from that box, can do shore bombardment to help IJA units in combat. This is done by placing as many IJN destroyer units on to defending US ground units on the map. Each such IJN destroyer unit will give a +2 modifier to the ground attack die roll. Note, IJN destroyers cannot attack US ground units on their own. They can only support already existing ground attacks by IJA ground units. The destroyer units are eliminated after the combat has been resolved.
IJN units can only perform one action in a turn: either provide support to ground combat via shore bombardment or bombard air strip hexes (§7.10).
IJN units may also bombard air strip hexes during the IJ combat phase. Note, however, that IJN units may only support ground attacks from the IJN Attack box, while they may bombard air strips from both IJN Attack and IJN Reserve boxes. In the IJ strategic phase IJN units in the IJN Attack box are removed from play, and units in the IJN Reserve are moved to the IJN Attack box (see §9).
§6.7 IJ Air-to-air combat
During the IJ movement phase, IJAAF fighters or bombers from either IJAAF Reserve or IJAAF Attack boxes may engage in air-to-air combat with USAF units in the USAF CAP box.
- One IJAAF fighter eliminates one USAF fighter in the USAF CAP box. The IJAAF unit is also removed from play.
- Two IJAAF bombers eliminate one USAF fighter in the USAF CAP box. Both IJAAF bombers are removed from play.
If the IJ faction succeeds in emptying the USAF CAP box, thus clearing the skies of US patrols, it can go on to attack USAF units in the USAF Ground Attack box. Only IJAAF fighters may engage in air-to-air combat with USAF bombers in the USAF Ground Attack box.
- One IJAAF fighter eliminates one USAF bomber in the USAF Ground Attack box. The IJAAF fighter is removed from play.
Note, IJAAF bombers cannot perform air strip bombing runs if there are any USAF units in the USAF CAP box (see §7.10).
This simulates the fight for air supremacy over Guadalcanal. The IJ faction must first ensure air supremacy by engaging in dog-fights with the USAF fighters conducting patrols over the battlefield. Once the IJ faction has gained air supremacy, it can start to suppress USAF support for ground combats, and start aerial bombardment of the air fields, thus ensuring that the US faction has less air support for the ground campaign.
Table 7: IJAAF missions. Only possible after clearing USAF CAP.
| Attacker | Target | Casualty |
|---|---|---|
| IJAAF fighter | USAF CAP | USAF fighter |
| 2 × IJAAF bomber | USAF CAP | USAF fighter |
| IJAAF fighter | USAF Ground Attack | USAF bomber |
§6.8 US Ground support
During the US movement phase, any bombers in the USAF Ground Attack box may be placed on defending IJ units, thus lending air support to US ground units attacking on those units. Any number of available bomber units may be placed on a single combat. Each bomber placed on a combat will add a +1 die roll modifier to that combat. Note that USAF bombers cannot initiate a ground attack on its own — it must support US ground units attacking. The bomber unit is returned to the USAF Ground Attack box after the combat has been resolved.
Once a USAF unit has flown a mission (either Ground Attack or Combat Air Patrol) it must return to an airfield. Here, it will sit idle for at least one turn before it can be activated again. This means that a USAF unit cannot fly missions on every turn, and while it is in the air fields it is vulnerable to artillery, air, or naval bombardment.
§7 Combat
In the combat phase, each faction declares and resolves ground combats, as well as bombardments. Ground combat happens between ground units, possibly with artillery, air, or naval support.
All air-to-air combat is resolved during the IJ movement phase, as explained in §6.7. In this game there is no naval battles. The IJN functions in a supporting role or as a means to eradicate the US air supremacy.
Combat must occur if enemy units are in adjacent hexes at the start of either faction's combat phase. That is, if the faction in turn finds any of its ground units in enemy ZOC (see §6.2), then a combat must be resolved. All defending units in an attacker's ZOC must be attacked. All attacking units in enemy ZOC must attack at least one hex. That is, the playing faction cannot choose to engage enemy units during the combat phase (in the movement phase, a faction may choose to disengage).
If all defending units are adjacent and all defending units are adjacent to the attacking units, then the attacker may choose to attack into more than one hex. Figure 6 shows an example. Note that the attacking units must be adjacent to all defending units. An attack cannot be done by proxy via an intermittent hex, even if that hex is occupied by a friendly unit participating in the attack.
Figure 6: Example of dividing attacks. On the left, each US unit attacks each of their own IJ unit. In this case, all combats would have odds 1:1. On the right, the bottom US unit in 0705 attacks two units (0604 and 0605) at odds 1:2, while the two top US units combine strengths and attack the IJ unit in 0606 at odds 2:1. Note that the US faction must attack all IJ units, even if at unfavourable odds.
A unit may only participate in one combat per turn. Artillery units may either provide remote fire support to one combat or participate in a direct fire combat, not both. Artillery units cannot provide remote fire support to defending units, but may defend with direct fire i.e., if adjacent to the attacking units.
Stacked defending units i.e., units occupying the same hex, must be attacked as a whole. An attacker cannot attack some units in a stack in one combat and then the other units in a different combat.
Table 8 summarises the various modifiers for combat.
Table 8: Combat modifiers
| Defender hex | Defender CF | Die roll | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach | Beach (§7.1) | ||
| Jungle | −1 | Jungle (§7.1) | |
| River* | ×2 | River* (§7.1) | |
| Ridge* | ×2 | Ridge* (§7.1) | |
| Shore bombardment (IJ) | +2 | IJ only (§7.3) | |
| Air support (US) | +1 | US only (§7.4) | |
| Odds 4:1 or better |
* Only if all attackers are on the other side.
§7.1 Terrain effects on combat
Different terrain provides support for the defending units. In a combat, it is the type of terrain occupied by the defending units that matters. It does not matter which type of terrain is in the hexes occupied by the attacking units. Figure 7 illustrates the effects of terrain on combat.
- Clear. These hexes have no effect on combat in-and-of-themselves.
- Beach. Beach hexes are considered as clear for combat purposes, except if there is jungle in the middle of the hex. In that case, it is considered jungle.
- Jungle. If any of the defending units are in a jungle hex, then one is subtracted from the combat resolution die roll (see §7.6). A hex is considered a jungle hex for combat only if it has jungle in the centre of it. That is, a hex may have jungle sides but no jungle terrain in the centre, in which case it does not count as jungle for combat purposes.
- River. If all attacking units, not including artillery units providing remote fire support, are on one side of a river and any defending units are on the other side of the river, then the CFs of individual defending units on the other side of the river are doubled.
- Ridge. If all attacking units, not including artillery units providing remote fire support, are on one side of a ridge and any defending units are on the other side of the ridge, then the CFs of individual defending units on the other side of the ridge are doubled.
Had the US faction, in the right-hand example of Figure 7, split its stack so that one unit would attack the IJ unit in 0506, and the two other units would attack in 0507, then the outcome may turn out better. Both combats would have odds 1:1 (5 versus 4 and 5 + 5 = 10 versus 2·4 = 8) but only the lower would suffer a −1 to the die roll.
§7.2 Air strips
If the IJ attacks an air strip hex in which a US engineer is doing construction (see §10), then that work is disrupted and all progress is lost. The engineering unit must restart the work at some later stage. Remove any progress marker in the hex or status box. Note that the engineering unit must still participate in the defence of the airstrip and can therefore not start work in the following US turn, even if it survives the combat.
Figure 7: Examples of combat. Left: The two IJ units, with a combined strength of 4 + 4 = 8 are attacking the US unit. Since both IJ units are on the other side of the river, the US strength is doubled to a total of 10. This means the final odds are 1:2. Furthermore, since the US unit is in a jungle hex, the IJ faction must subtract one from its die roll when resolving the combat. Right: The US stack in 0606, with a combined strength of 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 is attacking both IJ units in 0506 and 0507. Since the IJ unit in 0507 is behind a ridge its strength is doubled to 2 · 4 = 8, and thus the final defensive strength becomes 2 · 4 + 4 = 12, giving 1:1 odds. Since the IJ unit in 0506 is in a jungle hex, the US faction must subtract one from its die roll.
§7.3 IJ Shore bombardment
If the IJ faction has allocated IJN destroyers to support ground attacks during its movement phase (see §6.6), then those combat receives a +2 to its die roll per IJN destroyer unit allocated to each combat. Once the destroyer unit has carried out its mission it is removed from play.
§7.4 US Air support for ground attack
If USAF bombers are assigned to provide combat support of a combat during the US movement phase (see §6.8), then for each USAF bomber allocated the US faction receives a +1 bonus to the combat resolution die roll.
USAF bomber units are returned to the USAF Ground Attack box after completing their missions.
§7.5 Artillery
Artillery units (see §2) have remote fire capabilities. Remote fire are attacks performed on non-adjacent hexes. That is, at least one hex is in between the artillery unit and the target unit.
The range of the remote fire capability is printed on the units between the CF and MF. If a unit does not have this number, it does not have remote fire capabilities.
The range is measured including the hex occupied by the artillery unit and the target hex. This is illustrated in Table 8 (see also Figure 8). When attacking one or more enemy units in one or more hexes all hexes must be in range of the artillery unit.
Figure 8: Range of artillery fire. The unit in 0311 has a range of 5, including the hex occupied by the unit and the target hex. The red line above indicate the range. The unit can bombard the western Henderson air strip hex, but not the eastern hex.
The CF of an artillery unit providing remote fire support in an attack is added to the other unit's CF in the attack. However, artillery CF cannot constitute more than two thirds of the total CF. Put in another way, the artillery CF cannot be more than twice that of the ordinary units participating in the attack.
Artillery units cannot attack enemy units by remote fire on their own. That is, to provide remote fire support other ground units must be adjacent to and attacking the target enemy unit. This is also implied by the above rule (two times nothing is nothing). Artillery units may attack adjacent enemy units with direct fire using their full CF. In that case, the artillery unit is the same as other ground units.
Note that artillery units providing remote fire support cannot be taken as casualties in combat and do not retreat if the attacker is forced to retreat.
The way the range is calculated is slightly different from many other war games. Often, the source hex is not counted.
Artillery units can also bombard air strip hexes with the intent of squashing the US air supremacy. However, an artillery unit may only participate in one action: either air strip bombardment or remote or direct fire ground combat.
§7.6 Combat resolution
All ground combats must be resolved in the combat phase. The combats can be resolved in the order of choosing by the attacking faction. However, one combat must be fully resolved, including retreats, before moving on to the next combat.
Ground combats are resolved using the following procedure:
- Add up all CFs of attacking units, including any artillery units supporting with remote fire. total offensive CF: A.
- Add up all CFs of defending units in all hexes. Remember to double units behind rivers and ridges according to §7.1. This is the total defensive CF: D.
- Calculate the ratio of the total offensive CF to the total defensive CF to form the final combat odds.
- If the odds are worse than 1:2, that is, the total defensive CF are more than twice the total offensive CF (D > 2 · A), then the combat automatically results in the attacking units being eliminated. Note, this happens before any die roll.
- If the odds are more than 3:1, that is the total offensive CF are more than 4 times larger than the total defensive CF (A > 4 · D) then the odds are treated as 3:1 but with an additional +1 die roll modifier. These are the final odds of the combat: O. Note that odds are always rounded in the defender's favour.
- Add up all die roll modifiers applicable to the combat (see Table 8). This is the total die roll modifier: M.
- Roll a single 6-sided die and add the total die roll modifier. Results larger than 6 are treated as 6, and results smaller than 1 are treated as 1. This is the final die roll result: R.
- Cross reference the final combat odds (O) with the final die roll result (R) in the appropriate combat result table:
- When the IJ faction attacks, use the IJ Attack Table (Table 9).
- When the US faction attacks, use the US Attack Table (Table 10).
The indexed cell shows the result of the combat. The results are detailed in §7.7.
Table 9: IJ Attack Table
| Die roll | 1:2 | 1:1 | 2:1 | 3:1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AE | AE | A1 | EX |
| 2 | AE | A2 | A1 | EX |
| 3 | A2 | A1 | EX | EX |
| 4 | A1 | A1 | EX | EX |
| 5 | A1 | EX | D1 | D1 |
| 6 |
Table 10: US Attack Table
| Die roll | 1:2 | 1:1 | 2:1 | 3:1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AE | AE | A1 | EX |
| 2 | A1 | A1 | EX | EX |
| 3 | A1 | EX | EX | D1 |
| 4 | EX | EX | D1 | D1 |
| 5 | EX | DR | D1 | DE |
| 6 |
About calculating odds: Odds 1:2 means that the total defensive CF is between 3 and 1 times larger (both not inclusive) than the total offensive CF (D < O < 3·D). Odds 1:1 means that the total offensive CF is the same or less than twice the total defensive CF (D ≤ O < 2·D). Odds 2:1 means that the offensive CF is two times or less than three times the total defensive CF (2·D ≤ O < 3·D). And finally odds 3:1 means that the offensive bonus is three times or larger than the total defensive CF (3·D ≤ O).
For example: If the total offensive CF is 12 and the total defensive CF is 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, then the odds are 1:1. If the defensive odds are between 13 and 24 the odds are 1:2. Total defensive CF of 5 or 6 gives odds of 2:1, while defensive CF of 4 results in 3:1. Lower defensive CF results in better odds but are resolved at 3:1 but with a +1 die roll modifier. If the total CF is 25 or larger the odds are 1:3 or worse, and the attackers are automatically eliminated.
Note that it is permissible to attack at odds 1:3 or worse, even if it is plain suicide. However, it allows a faction to "soak-off" — i.e., attack at poor odds to allow for better odds elsewhere — sacrificing the attacking units with no hope of survival. A cruel and harsh tactic, but one that may save the day.
§7.7 Combat results
The results in the attack tables are interpreted as follows:
- AE — Attacker Eliminated. All attacking units are eliminated, except artillery units providing remote fire support, supporting IJN destroyers, or USAF bombers (§7.5, §7.3, and §7.4).
- A2 — 2 Attacker Eliminated. Two attacking units are eliminated and remaining attacking units must retreat (see §7.9). Artillery units providing remote-fire support (§7.5) cannot be chosen as casualties and do not retreat.
- A1 — 1 Attacker Eliminated. One attacking unit is eliminated and remaining attacking units must retreat (see §7.9). Artillery units providing remote-fire support (§7.5) cannot be chosen as casualties and do not retreat.
- EX — Exchange. One attacking unit and one defending unit are eliminated. Any remaining defending units must retreat. Artillery units providing remote-fire support (§7.5) cannot be chosen as casualties.
- DR — Defender Retreats. All defending units retreat.
- D1 — 1 Defender Eliminated. One defending unit is eliminated. Remaining defending units retreat.
- DE — Defender Eliminated. All defending units are eliminated.
Eliminated units are removed from play. Remote-fire units, such as artillery providing remote-fire support (§7.5), IJN destroyers doing shore bombardment (§7.3), or USAF bombers providing air support (§7.4) cannot be taken as casualties.
The faction suffering elimination results (AE, A2, A1, EX, D1, or DE) chooses which units to eliminate. On retreat results (A2, A1, EX, DR, or D1), the retreating faction performs the retreat.
§7.8 Advance
If the result is DE (all defenders eliminated), then the attackers may advance into the hexes vacated. Normal ZOC (see §6.2) restrictions do not apply, and no MFs are spent on this manoeuvre.
Note the special case of on-entry attacks (§5.1). In that case, the attacking units must advance into the vacated hex on retreat results too (EX, D1, or DR).
§7.9 Retreats
If a combatant is required to retreat, it must move one hex away from the battle. A unit cannot retreat into hexes occupied by enemy units or unit enemy ZOC. This includes enemy ZOC containing friendly units. A unit may not retreat across a river except at the bridge between hexes 0909 and 0910, nor can it retreat off-map. If a unit has no viable retreat route, it is eliminated.
If retreating units would violate stacking rules (see §6.4), it may continue retreating until a hex with enough capacity is met. During this extended retreat, normal retreat rules apply e.g., may not enter enemy ZOC, cross rivers, or move off-board. If the retreating faction cannot find a viable extended retreat route or opts not to do further retreat, then the unit is eliminated.
§7.10 Airfield bombardments
The IJ faction may during its combat phase choose to use remote fire units to bombard air strip hexes. The units that can participate in these actions are artillery units, IJN destroyers, or IJAAF bombers.
All engineering work in an air strip hex being bombarded is stopped, and must be started all over. Remove all engineering work progress markers from the air strip hex or status box.
Table 11: IJ bombardments
| Attacker | Target | Casualty | Combat |
|---|---|---|---|
| IJAAF bomber* | Air strip hex | USAF fighter/bomber | |
| IJAAF bomber* | Air strip hex† | 'Dest' marker | |
| IJN destroyer | Air strip hex | USAF fighter/bomber | |
| IJN destroyer | Air strip hex† | 'Dest' marker | |
| IJN destroyer | US ground unit‡ | — | +2 |
| Artillery | Air strip hex | USAF fighter/bomber |
* Bomber missions only possible if USAF CAP is empty. † Damage or destruction of air strip hexes only after all USAF units on hex are eliminated. ‡ IJN ground support can only happen from IJN Attack.
Artillery. Artillery units may bombard the Henderson or fighter airfield, if the latter has been constructed. Bombardment is done by the IJ faction declaring so. The artillery unit must be in range of the air strip hex to be bombarded.
Note, artillery units can only perform one action during a combat phase: either remote-fire support (§7.5) or direct-fire in ground combat, or bombardment of airfields.
One artillery unit eliminates one US air unit (fighter or bomber) in the bombarded air strip hex or corresponding hex in the status box. If there are no US air units to eliminate, then the air strip field becomes 'Damaged'. Note that as long as there are USAF units in the hex it is not possible to damage the air strip itself. If the air strip is already damaged, then the bombardment has no further effect, other than to disrupt engineering units working in the air strip hex.
US ground units present in the bombarded air strip hex are not affected by the bombardment.
Ground artillery units cannot destroy air strips. However, they can pave the way for other units (IJAAF bombers or IJN destroyers) to destroy the air strip.
US units in the air strip hexes are not affected by artillery bombardment of the air strip itself. Of course, if the IJ faction has ground units up against the US ground units in the air strip hex, then the artillery may provide regular remote fire support to that combat.
Naval. IJN destroyers in either the IJN Reserve or the IJN Attack box may bombard air strip hexes. IJN units can only perform one action in a turn: either provide support to ground combat via shore bombardment (§7.3) or bombard air strip hexes.
One IJN destroyer eliminates one air unit in the bombarded air strip hex, or corresponding hex in the status box. If there are no USAF units in the air strip hex (or status hex), then bombardment by a destroyer 'Destroys' the air strip in that hex. Note, the air strip hex must first be empty of all USAF units before it can be destroyed.
Ground units in the air strip hex are not affected by naval bombardment of the air strip hex, except engineering work stops and must start all over.
Once the destroyer unit has completed its mission it is eliminated.
Aerial. IJAAF bombers cannot fly air strip bombardment missions as long as there are USAF fighters in the USAF CAP box. IJAAF bombers may attack a single air strip hex. One bomber destroys one USAF unit in the air strip hex. If there are no more US air units in the hex, then IJAAF bombardment by a bomber 'Destroys' the air strip. At the end of its mission, the IJAAF bomber is eliminated.
Consider the following scenario: The US has one fighter in the USAF CAP box and one bomber in the USAF Ground Attack box. IJ has two fighters in the IJAAF Attack box and one bomber in the IJAAF Reserve box. One of the IJ fighters combat the US fighter in the USAF CAP box, and both units are eliminated. The last IJ fighter can likewise eliminate the USAF bomber in the USAF Ground Attack box, thus denying US ground forces air support. Since IJ has established air supremacy via emptying USAF CAP, it can now deploy its bomber unit against the air strip hexes. Suppose the US has two air units in the two air strip hexes of Henderson airfield. The IJAAF bomber may now eliminate one of these units. Had the US faction placed both units in a single hex of Henderson air field, then the IJ faction could have chosen between eliminating a USAF air unit, or destroyed the open air strip hex in Henderson air field.
§7.11 USAF unit refuelling
Any USAF unit that was allocated to fly a mission, whether bombers supporting ground attacks or fighters flying patrols, must be returned to their respective boxes: USAF Ground Attack for USAF bombers, and USAF CAP for fighters (though they never really left).
All USAF units face-down on an air strip hex (or corresponding status hex in the boxes on the top-row of the board) are flipped face-up. These USAF units have been refuelled and are ready for missions in the following turn (including IJAAF air-to-air combat — see §6.7).
In the US Air phase, the air capacity of the US faction will be resolved and USAF units allocated for missions during the following turn (see §11).
§8 IJ Supply
During the Guadalcanal campaign, the IJ forces suffered from lack of supplies. In the IJN faction's Supply phase, the faction must roll a 6-sided die. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, the IJ faction must remove one ground unit from the board. The loss can be taken from the map (hexes) or from the off-map movement boxes. Alternatively, the IJ faction may charge an IJN destroyer to do a supply run and remove one naval unit from the IJN Reserve box.
§9 IJ Strategic phase
After the combat and Supply phases of the IJ turn, comes the strategic phase.
Naval and air units in the IJN Attack and IJAAF Attack boxes, respectively, are removed from play. Naval and air units in the IJN Reserve and IJAAF Reserve boxes are moved to the IJN Attack and IJAAF Attack boxes, respectively. This is the only way IJ naval and air units move between the two respective boxes.
This implies that IJ naval and air units can at most be on the board for two turns — one turn in the Reserve box and another turn in the Attack box. If IJ naval or air units have not been charged with any mission in those two turns, they are simply removed from play.
Note that the IJ faction decides on reinforcements which box the naval and air units enter play in. Thus, if the IJ faction decides to put an air unit, say, in the IJAAF Attack box on reinforcement, then that unit is active on the board for only one turn.
Since IJAAF units may conduct missions from either box (see §6.7), it makes little difference which box the units are placed in on reinforcements, save for the flexibility to hold off attacks.
IJN destroyers can only support ground combat from the IJN Attack box, and thus it matters more which box the naval units are placed in.
The end of the IJ strategic phase marks the end of the IJ turn, and the US faction takes over on its turn.
§10 US Engineering
US engineer units are regular ground combat units, but have the capability to repair and construct air strips. They manoeuvre like any other ground unit. However, during the US engineering phase an engineering unit may perform repairs or work on the air strip hex that it occupies.
As noted in the beginning of these rules (see §2) one can potentially stack a lot of chits in the map air strip hexes. It is therefore recommended to use the off-map status hexes in the top-row boxes for keeping track of engineering work and USAF unit maintenance.
In the following, 'air strip hex' can be understood as either the on-map hex, or the corresponding status hex when it comes to work and status markers — not for ground units.
To perform engineering work, the engineering unit must start its turn in the air strip hex, and cannot have:
- moved during the turn, including retreats as a result of IJ attacks,
- taken part in a combat, either as a defender or attacker, or
- been in an air strip hex bombarded by IJA artillery, IJN destroyers, or IJAAF bombers.
When an engineer unit declares to do work on an air strip hex, place a '1' work counter (see Table 4) on the air strip hex. On the next turn's US engineering phase that work has been completed. Replace the '1' work mark with a '2' work counter if appropriate. On the following US engineering phase the second part of the work will be completed.
A 'Damaged' air strip is repaired in one turn. That is, from when the repair is declared in a US engineering phase and until the next US engineering phase, the air strip hex remains 'Damaged' and cannot be utilised by USAF units.
A 'Destroyed' air strip is repaired, or a new air strip is constructed in two turns. That is, from when the repair or construction was declared in a US engineering phase until the next-to-next US engineering phase, the air strip hex is considered 'Destroyed' and cannot be utilised by USAF units.
When an engineer unit starts construction or repair of a 'Destroyed' air field it must complete two consecutive turns of work. The air strip hex does not go through an intermittent state of 'Damaged' in such cases.
It is therefore vital for the US faction to protect its engineering units from ground or bombardment attacks if it is to maintain any kind of air capability, and thus protect its ground units from IJ bombardments.
Once an air strip hex has been successfully repaired or constructed, it becomes fully operational. For the fighter air field hexes (0605 and 0705), place an 'Oper' air strip marker (see Table 4) in the hex. Every operational air strip hex can support USAF units, even if the full air field (Henderson in 0708 and 0709, and Fighter in 0605 and 0705) is not fully operational.
Only one engineering unit may perform work on an air strip hex at a time. Additional engineering units in the air strip hex do not affect the time needed to perform the work.
Optional. Allow any two US ground units to operate as a single engineering unit for the purposes of air strip repairs or construction.
§11 USAF Mission allocation
USAF units need one turn on the air strip hexes (or corresponding status hexes in top-row boxes) for refuelling and maintenance.
First, the US faction determines the current USAF capacity. The air capacity is determined by how many air strip hexes are fully operational. For each operational air strip hex the US can have up to six (6) active USAF units. An active USAF unit is a face-up or face-down unit in:
- air strip hex (or corresponding status hex),
- USAF CAP, or
- USAF Ground Attack.
USAF units that are not eliminated and exceed this capacity must be placed in the USAF Reserve box. USAF units may remain in the USAF Reserve box for any duration. The US faction decides which units are put into Reserve.
Any USAF bomber unit that was allocated to support ground combat must be placed face-down on an air strip hex (or status hex). That is, all USAF bombers on the map or in the USAF Ground Attack box must be inverted on an air strip hex. This is regardless of whether the bomber unit actually performed a sortie or not.
Any USAF fighter allocated to fly a patrol mission must be placed face-down on an air strip hex (or status hex). That is, all USAF fighter units in the USAF CAP box must be inverted on an air strip hex.
If the US has more air capacity than currently active USAF units, then reinforcement USAF units from the USAF Reserve box may be made active.
Any face-up USAF unit may now be allocated for air missions during the next turn (including IJAAF air-to-air combat — see §6.7). This is done by placing the fighter units in the USAF CAP box and bomber units in the USAF Ground Attack box. The US faction may decide to not allocate a unit for duty in the following turn. Such units must be put in the USAF Reserve box.
The rules for USAF missions, refuelling and so on may seem a bit complicated. The important thing to keep in mind is that the US faction allocates USAF units for the next turn at the end of its turn. The other thing to keep in mind is that any USAF unit that flew a mission during the current turn must refuel in the following turn. Refuelling takes up capacity in the air fields and thus limits the number of missions that can be flown in the next turn.
Air capacity is tightly linked to the number of operational air strip hexes on the map. Since there can be up to four operational air strips, up to 24 USAF units may be active (not in the Reserve box) at any point. Of course, if the IJ faction succeeds in destroying most air strips, then the US possibility to fly air missions becomes severely limited. Without aerial patrols or air support for ground combat it becomes harder for the US ground troops to win battles and they are more vulnerable to IJ bombardments.
§12 Check for Victory
At the end of the US faction turn, the players check if the IJ victory conditions are met (see §1). That is:
- If there are any IJ ground units in any air field hex, it is an automatic victory for the IJ faction. Note, the Fighter airfield hexes (0605 and 0705) do not count until they have been constructed.
- If the turn is Jan III and there are any IJ units on the map (not off-map movement boxes), then it is a victory for the IJ faction.
- If the turn is Jan III and none of the above conditions have been met, then it is a US faction win.
If, at some point during the game, it is obvious that the IJ faction cannot meet its victory conditions, then the two factions may decide to stop the game and declare the US faction the victor. This can happen, for example, if all IJ ground units have been eliminated from Oct III or later. The IJ faction will receive no ground unit reinforcements after this point, and if all have been eliminated then it is impossible for the IJ faction to meet its goals. Besides, the game would quickly become boring after all IJ ground units have been eliminated.