Greater East Asia War
Greater East Asia War Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Errata
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Components
- 3.0 Set Up
- 4.0 Sequence of Play
- 5.0 Victory Points
- 6.0 Reinforcements & Withdrawals
- 7.0 Reorganization
- 8.0 Land Movement
- 9.0 Ground Unit Stacking
- 10.0 Zones of Control (ZOC)
- 11.0 Combat
- 12.0 Retreating After Combat
- 13.0 Pursuit
- 14.0 Supply
- 15.0 Headquarters
- 16.0 Airpower
- 17.0 Naval Bombardment
- 18.0 Amphibious Operations
- 19.0 Air Transport & Airborne Operations
- 20.0 Unique Units & Markers
- 21.0 Engineering Operations
- 22.0 Seasons
- 23.0 China
- 24.0 Japanese Client-State Units
- 25.0 Staging Areas
- 26.0 USSR, Outer Mongolia & Manchukuo
- 27.0 Victory Conditions
- 28.0 Scenario I — 1941-42: Asian Blitzkrieg
- 29.0 Scenario II — 1941-45: Campaign Game
- Greater East Asia War Optional Rules
- 30.0 Random Events
- 31.0 Psychological Warfare
- 32.0 Additional Engineering Operations
- 33.0 Special Tactics
- 34.0 Additional Air Missions
- 35.0 Naval Combat
- 36.0 Bases
- 37.0 Maximum Defensive Supply
- 38.0 Supply Unit Capture
- 39.0 Building Additional Ports
- 40.0 Additional Railroad Operations
- 41.0 Untried Chinese Units
- 42.0 The USSR, Outer Mongolia & Manchukuo
- 43.0 Additional Victory Conditions
- 44.0 Scenario III — 1944-45: Time Runs Out in the CBI
- 45.0 Optional Rules Charts & Tables
- 46.0 Players' Notes
- 47.0 Designer's Notes
Errata
Counter Errata
The US 1st Provisional Brigade should be an armor unit rather than "LT". Its combat and movement factors are otherwise correct. (We'll provide an errata-fix counter in issue 15.)
Mapsheet
On the Terrain Effects Chart, the mechanized movement cost for desert should be "2" and not "4."On that same portion of the TEC, the "Defense Multiple" for desert should simply be "-" instead of the phrase that's printed there.
On that same portion of the TEC, the phrase "+ supply attrition check in monsoon" should be replaced by the phrase "+ supply attrition check in summer (III turns).
Clarification: the lower Yangtze River runs along hexsides 2915/2916, 2915/3016 and 3015/3115, and it should be the same color as the rest of the river.
Map Errata
Chittaong is misspelled and should be Chittagong.
In hex 3117, Wenchow's point value should be "1" in a circle.
Turn Record
The 1945 turns should be numbered 14-15-16.
Corps Components Table (correction)
The "3-1-5" under Japanese Mechanized Corps should be a "3-1-7".
Counter Sheet
The different colored unit boxes on British units have no effect on play. All British units are considered the same nationality for purposes of reorganization and other game functions. (The colors represent different national contingents within British Empire forces.)
1.0 Introduction
Greater East Asia War (GEAW) is a two-player, intermediate-complexity, strategic-level simulation of the World War II campaigns waged across China and Southeast Asia. One player controls the Japanese forces; the other player controls various Allied contingents.
The concept of "victory points" (VP) is central to the play of this wargame. Players begin each scenario with a designated number of VP. They may expend them to gain reinforcements and to carry out other actions. They gain new VP as a result of achieving objectives; they lose VP when they lose units in combat. To win the game you must have more VP than your opponent, so play becomes a balancing act between expending VP and attaining objectives.
GEAW uses a system based on that of a previously published S&T design, Twilight of the Ottomans; however, there have been changes owing to the developments in warfare between the two world wars.
2.0 Components
2.1 Equipment
A complete game of GEAW includes: a game map, this rules set and a sheet of 176 die-cut counters. Players will also need to provide themselves with a six-sided die.
2.2 Map
The map shows East Asia as it was in 1941-45. A hexagonal grid has been superimposed on it to regularize the movement of units and to delineate terrain types. Units are placed in hexes and must remain within hex boundaries at all times.
The map is divided into "countries" — that term is used loosely since some of them were colonies at the time. In general, both sides' units may enter all portions of the map. The only exceptions are the USSR and Mongolia, which are off limits for all game purposes (but see the optional rules). China is also divided into a Communist Zone and a Nationalist Zone. The Front Line on the map shows the kick-off positions in China for the 1941 scenario but otherwise has no effect on play. Note Japanese-controlled territory in China includes several enclaves along the coast. The front line is otherwise described in the individual scenarios.
2.3 Counters
There are two basic types of counters in the game: "units," which represent military forces, and "markers," which are used to record various game functions and display information. Units are further broken down into a number of sub-categories.
2.4 Sides
There are two sides in the game: 1) the Japanese side, which includes all Japanese units as well as those belonging to their empire's "client" states; and 2) the Allied side, which includes British, US, Dutch and Chinese (Nationalist and Communist) units.
2.5 Unit Types
Ground Combat Units
- Infantry
- Light infantry
- Garrison
- Armor
- Mechanized
- Marine
- Airborne
- Special Operations
- Cavalry
- Fortress
Support Units
- Headquarters
- Tactical Airbase
- Strategic Airbase
- Supply
Naval Units
- Naval Bombardment Task Force
- Carrier Task Force
- Amphibious Task Force
2.6 Information on Combat Units
2.7 Information on Support Units
2.8 Back-Printing
Supply units are back-printed as bases. Units are otherwise back-printed with their national flags. The base units are for use with the optional rules, which can be downloaded for free at www.strategyandtacticspress.com.
2.9 Unit Sizes
Unit sizes represent the functional organizational size according to Western military standards. Historically the Japanese termed their corps-sized units "armies," but for game purposes they are shown as corps.
- xxxx: army
- xxx: Allied corps, Japanese field force
- xx: division or air division
- x: brigade, group or task force; Allied air wing or air command.
2.10 Abbreviations on Units
Japanese
- AA: Area Army
- BAAG: Burma Area Army Garrison
- Ch Ex: China Expeditionary Army
- DEIG: Dutch East Indies Garrison
- F: (Air) Fleet or Flotilla
- ForG: Formosa Garrison
- ICG: Indochina Garrison
- ImGd: Imperial Guard
- KorG: Korea Garrison
- KTA: Kwantung Army
- KT Def: Kwangtung Defense Force
- NBF: Naval Base Force
- MGA: (Inner) Mongolia Garrison Army
- Sase: Sasebo
- SG: Siam Garrison
- SNLF: Special Naval Landing Force
- Tei Sh: Teishin Shudan (raiding group)
- Yoko: Yokosuku
Japanese Client States
- BIA: Burma Independence Army
- C Chi: Central China
- EIIA: East Indies Independence Army
- INA: Indian National Army
- IndoC: Indochina
- Manch: Manchukuo
- Meng: Mengjiang (Inner Mongolia)
- N Chi: North China
- Siam: Siam
British
- AC: Assam Command
- A/B/C/Ind: general groupings of Indian Army garrison forces
- Aus: Australian
- Bur C: Burma Command
- Bur D: Burma Division
- CD: Chindit
- Cdo: Commando
- HK: Hong Kong
- Ind: Indian
- MC: Malay Command
- Mal D: Malaya Division
- RAAF: Royal Australian Air Force
- SAF: Strategic Air Force
- SarFor: Sarawak Force
- WA: West African
Dutch
- DEI: Dutch East Indies
USA
- A Cdo: Air Commando
- AVG: American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers)
- CACW: Chinese-American Composite Wing
- MARS: 5332 Provisional Brigade
- Prov: Provisional
Republic of China
- CXF: Chinese Expeditionary Force
- GHQ: General Headquarters
- Y: "Y" Force
- Z: "Z" Force
Chinese Communist
- RA: Route Army
2.11 Unit Colors
Japanese Side
- Japanese: red on white background (including that side's supply/base units)
- Japanese Client States: white on gray background
Allied Side
- British & Commonwealth: black on tan background
- Dutch: black on orange background
- US: white on olive drab background
- Nationalist Chinese: white on dark blue background
- Chinese Communist: white on dark red background
- Allied-side supply units/bases: black on leaf green background
2.12 Markers
Players will need to scrounge marker-counters for use on the Turn Record, etc. Blank counters from other games, coins, expended shell casings, etc., can be used.
2.13 Game Scales
Each hex on the map represents 74.5 miles (120 kilometers) from side to opposite side. Each game turn represents three months.
3.0 Set Up
3.1
The game is played in scenarios, each of which covers a phase of the war. There is also a "Campaign Scenario," which covers the entire war. Players should first agree which scenario they'll play and the side each will command. They then place the units for their side as listed under the initial deployment rules in the order listed. Play starts with the first turn of the scenario and continues until its final turn, one player wins an automatic victory, or one player concedes.
3.2
The scenario instructions describe set ups in terms of unit types and combat factors. Specific unit historical identifications don't matter. Units may be set up anywhere in their designated areas. They may not be set up in the same hex as enemy units. Units may set up in enemy zones of control.
3.3 Friendly Forces
Each player controls more than one national contingent. Except where specifically noted, all units on each side are friendly to each other, meaning they may stack and conduct combat together, use each other's supply, etc.
4.0 Sequence of Play
4.1
The game is played as a series of "game turns." Each game turn is divided into two "player turns," one Japanese and one Allied. Each player turn is composed of several segments called "phases." All actions during a game turn take place in a prescribed order of phases called the "sequence of play."
4.2 Sequence of Play Outline
- Japanese Player Turn
a) Japanese Mobilization Phase. The Japanese player expends VP in order to receive reinforcements.
b) Japanese Reorganization Phase. The Japanese player may break down and combine units.
c) Japanese 1st Movement Phase. The Japanese player moves some, none, or all his units.
d) Japanese 1st Combat Phase. The Japanese player conducts attacks.
e) Japanese 2nd Movement Phase. The Japanese player moves some, none, or all his units, but he must expend supply units in order to do so.
f) Japanese 2nd Combat Phase. The Japanese player again conducts attacks.
g) Japanese Supply Attrition Phase. The Japanese player checks to see if any of his units are lost to supply attrition (applies only to certain turns).
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Allied Player goes through the same sequence of steps given above for the Japanese player, but using his own (Allied) units, VP, etc.
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Victory Point Phase. Each player totals the VP he's attained for occupying objective hexes.
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Victory Check Phase. Check to see if the conditions exist for an automatic victory by either player.
-
Turn Advance Phase. Move your Game Turn marker ahead one space on the Turn Record Track on the mapsheet. If it's the last turn of the scenario, the game ends and the players check for victory.
5.0 Victory Points
5.1
Players are given an initial amount of VP by the scenario instructions. Players gain and give up VP as play progresses. Each player openly records his own VP total using pen and paper.
5.2 Gaining VP
Each objective hex a player occupies with his units is worth the number of circled victory points printed in that hex. A player gains the VP for occupying hexes with land units during each game turn's Victory Point Phase. Each player totals his VP at that time and adds that number to his total.
5.3
A player may gain VP each turn for controlling the same objective hexes. For example, occupying Singapore throughout the game means taking its three VP each turn in step 3 of each game turn. Any kind of land unit, including support units, counts for achieving occupation. Further, occupying units may generally be from any friendly force, with the following exception: hexes occupied solely by naval units never count for VP. Remember, "occupy" means having one or more land units in the hex during a Victory Point Phase. Simply being the last to have had a unit pass through a now-empty hex doesn't count for VP.
5.4 No Deficit Spending
Both players may expend VP to bring new units into play; however, neither player may ever expend VP in such an amount as to reduce his VP to zero or less.
5.5 Losing & Gaining VP
Players may also lose or gain VP due to the loss of units in combat. All such gains or losses are instantly scored. That is, points scored for occupying cities are recorded only in Step 3 of each game turn, while VP gained or lost for other reasons are scored as they occur.
5.6 VP Limits
If a player's VP total reaches 100 it can go no higher. If it reaches zero, see rule 27.2. If some event would cause a player's VP total to both go higher and lower simultaneously, determine the difference (positive or negative) and add or subtract that difference.
6.0 Reinforcements & Withdrawals
6.1
Players may enter new units into play during the Mobilization Phases (1/a and 2/a) of their own player turns. Such units are called reinforcements (even if they've been in play earlier in the game). They may be entered into play on the map by expending VP and by special scenario instructions. Withdrawals are units in play that must be removed from the map.
Clarification: Once you purchase a naval unit, it remains in play until eliminated or (optional rules) withdrawn.
6.2 Mobilization Costs
The Mobilization Costs Table printed on the mapsheet specifies the VP cost for each unit brought into play. A player may recruit any number and type of units within the restrictions stated on the chart and those set by the counter-mix.
6.3 Mobilization Costs Table Explanations
"VP Cost" is the number of VP you must expend to enter each such unit. "-" means that unit may not be mobilized into play by spending VP. "(1942+1943)," etc., means such units may be recruited only in turns of those years. "(once)" means such units may be entered into play only once per game.
6.4 Reinforcement Placement
Reinforcement units must be placed on the map according to strictures given on the Reinforcement Placement Table printed on the mapsheet. Units may never be placed in hexes containing enemy units or prohibited terrain. They may be in excess if stacking limits. They may otherwise be placed in enemy zones of control. Placement is not considered movement and therefore doesn't use up any movement points. The Reinforcement Placement Table specifies restrictions in addition to those described above.
6.5 Restrictions
Unless otherwise noted, a player may take any number of reinforcements, of any type or types, in a turn as long as he has the VP to pay for them. Units created by combining units (such as British mechanized corps) may not be taken as reinforcements, they may be created only by combining units on the map (see section 7.0 for more details).
6.6
The Allied player may enter British and US units onto the map via amphibious movement. The Japanese player may enter Japanese units via amphibious movement. That occurs during movement phases. See rules section 18.0 for more details.
6.7
Units that are part of initial deployment don't cost VP.
6.8
If all hexes eligible for the entry of a reinforcement are occupied by enemy units, that reinforcement may not be entered into play. Such units aren't delayed; they're simply lost. Put them back into the general pool of available reinforcement units. (Of course, you want to be looking over the control-situation on the map at all times in order to avoid this kind of fiasco.)
6.9
In general, units that have been eliminated or withdrawn may be brought back into play as reinforcements by paying the normal VP cost for them. Exception: eliminated or withdrawn headquarters may never be brought back into play.
6.10 Chinese Reinforcements
See section 23.0.
6.11 Limits
The number of each type of combat and support unit in the game's counter-mix is a deliberate design limit. You may not mobilize more of any given type than have been presented within the counter-mix.
7.0 Reorganization
7.1
During the Reorganization Phases (1/b and 2/b) of their own player turns, players may replace corps with divisions and vice versa. Breaking down corps, as well as combining smaller units to form corps, is termed "reorganization." The Corps Components Table printed on the mapsheet gives the details for unit type for which reorganization may be carried out. Players may also break down units to extract losses for combat, for a withdrawal, and for other game actions as required.
7.2 Breakdown
To break down a corps, remove the unit from the map and replace it with the number and type of divisions indicated on the table. You may do that voluntarily only during the Reorganization Phases of your own player turn. You may also have to do it involuntarily as the result of battle in a Combat Phase (your own or your opponent's), or due to supply attrition. Units removed from the map due to reorganization immediately become available for all game actions, such as reinforcement or future reorganization. Supply units are sometimes required to facilitate the build up of a corps from component divisions; however, the supply units expended in that way are not returned if such corps are later broken down.
7.3
Combining may occur only during your own side's Reorganization Phases. The involved units must be in the same hex and in general supply (see 14.2). Remove the divisions (and possibly a supply unit and armored unit) from the map and replace them in the same hex with an appropriate corps.
7.4 Restrictions
Units that break down or combine must generally be of the same nationality and of the specified type(s). For example, the Allied player could combine three British infantry divisions and an armored brigade into one British mechanized corps; however, he would not be allowed to do that with one US and two British divisions plus the armored brigade. Unless stated in the scenario rules, players may not break down or combine units during initial deployment. Combining may occur voluntarily only during your own side's Reorganization Phases. Breakdown may occur at other times in the turn, involuntarily, due to combat results or supply attrition.
7.5
Note that only British and Japanese corps may break down or build up in the game. No other units may do so.
8.0 Land Movement
8.1
Each player has two movement phases in each of his own player turns. During the 1st Movement Phase, the moving player may move as many or as few of his own sides units as he desires. During the 2nd Movement Phase, the player may move units only by expending supply units to enable that movement.
8.2
Units may be moved in any direction or combination of directions within the pattern of the hex grid printed over the map. There are two types of land movement: 1) normal movement, which is governed by each unit's printed movement factor; and 2) railroad movement, which is conducted according to rules 8.9-8.13.
8.3 Restrictions on 2nd Phase Movement
In order for units to move in the 2nd Movement Phase, the moving player must expend supply units. Each supply unit expended allows all units within its supply radius to move in that phase. A supply unit used for this purpose may not itself move in the 2nd Movement Phase (it may have moved in the first phase). That also applies to airborne and amphibious movement in the 2nd phase. (See rules sections 18.0 and 19.0 for more details on that.) Units may not use railroad movement in the 2nd Movement Phase.
8.4 Movement Procedure
Units are moved one at a time, tracing a path of contiguous hexes through the hex grid. As each unit enters a hex it expends one or more movement points (MP) from its movement allowance (MA). Different types of units have differing MA and are affected differently by terrain. Consult the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) printed on the mapsheet for further details.
8.5 Restrictions & Prohibitions
Your units may be moved only during your own movement phases. Once you've moved a unit and removed your hand from it, it may not be moved again that phase unless your opponent agrees to allow it. Advance and retreat after combat are not regular movement and therefore don't consume MP (see sections 11.0 & 12.0). A unit may expend all or some of its MP before coming to a halt during any friendly movement phase. Unused movement points may not be accumulated from phase to phase or turn-to-turn, nor may they in any way be transferred from unit to unit. Motorized units may not enter certain types of terrain, as noted on the TEC.
8.6 Minimum Movement
All units may generally move a minimum of one hex per friendly movement phase by expending all their available movement points at the very start of that move. Units may not, however, move directly from one enemy zone of control to another enemy zone of control, nor may they ever enter an enemy occupied hex or one containing prohibited terrain.
8.7 Zones of Control
Units must stop all their movement for that phase when they first enter an enemy zone of control (EZOC); see section 10.0.
8.8 Effects of Terrain
A moving unit must expend one MP to enter a clear terrain hex. To enter other types of hexes a unit must expend more than one MP. When the TEC calls for an MP expenditure to cross a hexside, that cost is in addition to the cost for entering the hex.
8.9 Road & Railroad Movement
All hexes marked as roads, along with all those marked as railroads, are considered to have roads running in them. Units moving along roads 1) pay one MP per hex if non-mechanized; or 2) pay 0.5 MP per hex if mechanized; and 3) don't pay any movement costs for other terrain in a hex or hexside they're entering via road. Roads may be used regardless of a moving unit's supply state and, if a railroad is used as a road, regardless of which side controls that railroad.
8.10 Supply Unit River Movement
Supply units that move via hex paths adjacent to rivers: 1) pay 0.5 movement points per hex entered; and 2) don't pay any movement costs for other terrain in or around a hex they're entering via river movement.
8.11 Railroad Movement
Land and air units may move via railroad by paying one MP to initiate such moves. That expenditure having been made, the unit may move an unlimited number of hexes as long as it moves entirely by rail via friendly controlled rail hexes. Such units pay no further movement costs while making such moves.
8.12 Railroad Movement Restrictions
To use rail movement, a unit must start the movement phase in general supply (see 14.2). Your units may use railroad movement only during your own side's 1st Movement Phases.
8.13
Railroad and non-railroad movement may be combined in the same phase, in any order; however, a given unit may make only one rail move per movement phase. For example, a unit may not move by rail, move off the railroad, and then move by rail again in the same phase. Units may start and move adjacent to enemy units while using rail movement, subject to normal zone of control rules (see 10.3).
8.14
Friendly units may use captured enemy railroad hexes for rail movement. There is no need to "clear" or "convert" them.
8.15 Railroad Movement Capacity
Within the limits above, players may move an unlimited number of units via railroad in each of their own side's 1st Movement Phases throughout the game.
8.16 Crossing Borders
Generally, units may go anywhere on the map other than the USSR and Outer Mongolia. The two categories of exceptions are: 1) see 25.4 for restrictions on Chinese unit movement; and 2) see section 24.0 for restrictions on Japanese client state units.
9.0 Ground Unit Stacking
9.1
Having more than one friendly unit in a hex at the same time is called "stacking," and it's measured in terms of "divisional equivalents" (DE). The maximum number of DE a player may have in a hex is set by the TEC. Each type of terrain has its own stacking limit, which is given in terms of DE on the TEC. All units count for stacking unless otherwise specified. That includes headquarters, airbases and supply units. Markers and naval units follow the instructions in 9.5 and 9.6.
9.2 Divisional Equivalents (DE)
All land units other than corps and armies are each considered one divisional equivalent. Each corps or army is equal to three DE for stacking purposes. A corps always equals three DE even if the component units for its creation actually numbered more than that. For example, if a terrain type allows the stacking of four DE in such hexes, you could stack in it: one corps and one division; or two divisions, a brigade and a supply unit; or four divisions, etc.
9.3
Stacking limits for both sides apply at the end of each movement and combat phase, friendly and enemy. Friendly units may move through hexes stacked or over-stacked by other friendly units at no extra cost or penalty. There's no limit on the number of friendly units that may enter and pass through a single hex in one phase. If, however, at the end of any friendly or enemy movement or combat phase a hex is found to be over-stacked, the excess units are eliminated by the owning player (his choice). Reinforcements may be over-stacked when initially deployed onto the map in phases 1a and 2a.
9.4
A friendly unit may never enter a hex containing enemy units (with the exceptions noted under air movement; see section 16.0).
9.5
Informational markers don't count for stacking.
9.6
Naval units use their own stacking rules; see sections 17.0 and 18.0.
9.7
Players must obey stacking limits during initial setup.
9.8 Fog of War
A player may look beneath the top unit of enemy stacks only during combat. All the stacks involved in any one battle are examined by both players at the start of each individual battle's resolution. Once stacks have been examined in that way, the attacker may no longer call off that battle. Also see rule 16.10, Air Recon.
10.0 Zones of Control (ZOC)
10.1
The six hexes immediately surrounding a ground or air unit's hex constitute its zone of control (ZOC). Units must cease their movement for that movement phase when they first enter an enemy zone of control (EZOC).
10.2 No Negation
ZOC and EZOC are never negated by the presence of other units in such hexes, enemy or friendly, and that's true for all purposes. ZOC and EZOC extend into and out of all terrain and across all hexsides except for all-sea hexsides. All land and air units of both sides exert ZOC at all times, regardless of the phase or player turn or their supply status. Naval units never exert ZOC.
10.3 Multiple ZOC
Both friendly and enemy units may exert ZOC into the same hexes at the same time. There are no additional effects if more than one unit, friendly and/or enemy, projects its ZOC into the same hex at the same time. If one of your units is in an EZOC, the enemy unit projecting that EZOC is also in the ZOC being projected by your unit. The two units (or stacks) are equally and mutually affected.
10.4 Effects on Movement
Units must stop moving when they first enter an EZOC. They may move no farther during that movement phase. Units may exit EZOC in two ways: 1) due to combat results that call for retreat or pursuit, or if all enemy units exerting ZOC in a particular situation are eliminated; or 2) due to disengagement; see below.
10.5
Disengagement is the act of moving out of an EZOC. To do so, the exiting unit must enter a hex that contains no EZOC. Such units may enter another EZOC later during the same move, as long as the first hex they enter doesn't contain an EZOC. Disengagement may take place only at the very start of a unit's movement. It costs no extra movement points to disengage.
10.6 ZOC Effects on Combat
Attacking is voluntary; you don't have to attack simply because you have units in EZOC.
10.7
Units may retreat after combat into or through any hexes containing EZOC, but a penalty is involved, see 12.2.
10.8
Units may advance after combat (pursue) into or through EZOC; EZOC never blocks advance after combat.
10.9 Effects on Supply
Supply lines may be traced into but not through hexes containing EZOC. A line of supply terminates inside the first EZOC (see 14.2).
11.0 Combat
11.1
Attacking is voluntary; defending against attacks is mandatory. Attacking units must be immediately adjacent to the defending enemy units they will attack. The phasing player is termed the "attacker," and the non-phasing player is the "defender," regardless of the overall situation across the map. There are two different combat results tables (CRT), "Raid" and "Major Offensive," both of which are printed on the mapsheet. There are two combat phases in each player turn. Your units can always attack in your First Combat Phase. They may attack in the Second Combat Phase only if they meet the supply requirements given below.
11.2 Combat Procedure
To resolve each battle, go through the following steps.
-
The attacker declares which attacking units will be attacking which defending units. To determine which CRT will be used, see 11.19 and 20.4.
-
Total the combat strengths of all attacking and support units involved in the battle. Make any modifications for supply status and concentric attack.
-
Total the defense strength of all defending units in the battle. Make any multiplications for supply status, defensive terrain and fortifications.
-
Divide the attacker's strength by the defender's strength and multiply that result by 100. That gives a percentage.
-
Consult the appropriate CRT under the appropriate percentage column and roll a die.
-
Immediately apply the combat result, including retreats and pursuits.
-
Proceed to the next combat, if any, and revert to step one above.
11.3 Which Units May Attack
A unit must have a printed attack strength of "1" or more in order to be able to attack. Units with a "0" attack strength may not attack, though they defend normally. Units with parenthesized attack strengths are support units; their roles in combat are explained below (see 11.13).
11.4
The phasing player may resolve his attacks in any order he desires. He doesn't have to declare beforehand all the attacks he will launch during that combat phase. Once an attack has been declared, it may not be cancelled.
11.5
A given defending unit or stack may be attacked from as many as six adjacent hexes at the same time.
11.6
In general, no unit may attack more than once per combat phase.
11.7
A defending hex may not be attacked more than once per combat phase.
11.8 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat
If an attacking unit is adjacent to more than one hex of enemy units, it may attack only one of those hexes. No single attack may have as its objective the enemy units in more than one hex. An attacking force in two or more hexes must combine their combat strengths and attack as a single force into their target hex. Within those limits attacks may potentially involve any number of attacking or defending units.
11.9
The attacker may never voluntarily reduce the final percentage column of any attack.
11.10 Combat Strength Unity
A given unit's attack and defense strengths are always unitary. That is, a given unit's combat strength may not be divided among different combats on attack or defense.
11.11
Units stacked in the same hex may be combined for an attack, or they may attack separately into different hexes, or some might simply not attack at all.
11.12
Units defending in the same hex must be attacked as a single combined total; they may not be attacked separately or in small groupings.
11.13 Support Unit Attack Bonuses
Headquarters. The attacker may add in the attack factor of one HQ within its support range; see section 16.0 for details.
Airbases. The attacker may add in the attack factor of up to three airbase units within range; see 17.0 for details.
Naval Bombardment. The attacker may add in the combat factor of one or more naval bombardment units within range; see section 17.0 for details. The defending force must be on a coastal hex if that's to be done.
Maximum Attack Supply. The attacker doubles the attack strength of his units if they have maximum attack supply; see 14.7 for details.
11.14 Concentric Attack Bonus
In any battle, if the involved attacking units or their ZOC are in or immediately adjacent to all six hexes surrounding a defending hex, the attack factors of all those attacking units are doubled, including that of any involved support units.
11.15
If the attacker has maximum attack supply and the concentric attack bonus, he triples, rather than quadrupling, his attack strength.
11.16 Defensive Terrain Bonus
Defending units benefit from the terrain in the hex they occupy or that run along that hex's sides. Terrain in hexes occupied by attacking units has no effect on combat. The effect of terrain on combat is reflected by doubling the defender's printed combat strength. The TEC lists which terrain grants that defensive doubling. Terrain benefits aren't cumulative; if there's more than one type of terrain bonus available in a hex, the defending force receives only one multiple. No defending force may ever be more than doubled for any reason or combination of reasons.
11.17 Hexsides
A force receives the benefit for defending behind a hexside only if all attacking units are attacking across the hexside.
11.18 Fortifications
If the defender has a fortification in the hex, the defense strength of the non-fortification units in that hex is doubled if defending in terrain that otherwise does not have a defensive multiple. A fortress counter doesn't double its own printed defensive strength.
11.19 CRT Choice
The attacker always chooses which of the two CRT will be used in each attack. The attacker is almost always free to choose the CRT he wants to use, but see 25.1 and 25.2 20.4 for an exception.
11.20 Combat Resolution
The combat percentage is determined by dividing the attacker's strength by the defender's strength and then multiplying by 100. Use the column corresponding to that percentage on the CRT when rolling the die. Example 1: The attacker has 20 combat factors and the defender 13. Thus 20/11x100=14.3; so that combat is resolved on the 100-199% column. Example 2: The attacker has 10 combat factors and the defender 11. 10/11x100 = 83; so the combat is resolved under the 50-99% column of either CRT.
11.21 Combat Result Explanations
AA (Attacker Attrition)
-
Eliminate one attacking unit.
-
No retreat or pursuit.
AC (Attacker Catastrophe)
-
Eliminate all attacking units.
-
Defending units may pursue a maximum of one hex.
AD (Attacker Defeated)
-
Units amounting to half the total attacking combat factors are eliminated.
-
The attacker must retreat all his surviving units two hexes.
-
Defending units may pursue a maximum of one hex.
AT (Attacker Routed)
-
All attacking non-corps units are eliminated.
-
All attacking corps are broken down into their component units.
-
The attacker rolls a die for each surviving unit and retreats them that number of hexes.
-
Defending units may pursue a maximum of one hex.
AW (Attacker Withdrawal)
-
All attacking units are retreated one hex by the attacker.
-
No pursuit.
BA (Both Attrition)
-
Eliminate one attacking unit.
-
Eliminate one defending unit.
-
No retreat or pursuit.
BB (Bloodbath)
-
The defending force is entirely eliminated.
-
The attacker eliminates a number of attack factors at least equal to the number of defense factors the defender lost.
-
The attacker may advance any survivors into the defending hex but no farther.
DA (Defender Attrition)
-
Eliminate one defending unit.
-
No retreat or pursuit.
DC (Defender Catastrophe)
-
Eliminate all defending units.
-
Attacking units may conduct pursuit.
DD (Defender Defeated)
-
Units that amount to half the total defending combat factors are eliminated.
-
The defender must retreat all his surviving units two hexes.
-
Attacking units may conduct pursuit.
DT (Defender Routed)
-
All defending non-corps units are eliminated.
-
All defending corps are broken down into their component units.
-
The defender rolls a die for each surviving unit and retreats them that number of hexes.
-
Attacking units may conduct pursuit.
DW (Defender Withdrawal)
-
All defending units are retreated one hex by the defending player.
-
Attacking units may conduct pursuit.
MD (Mobile Defense)
-
Eliminate one attacking unit.
-
Defending units are retreated one hex by the defending player.
-
Attacking units may conduct pursuit.
11.22 Unit Eliminations
The choice of which units are to be eliminated to satisfy a combat result is always up to the owning player. In cases where "half" the factors in a force are to be eliminated, round up any remainder.
11.23 Breaking Down for Combat Losses
A player may break down corps in order to more efficiently extract combat losses. Use the combat value of the component units, not the corps, for any calculations. If a result calls for one unit to be lost, the player may break down a corps and eliminate one of its component divisions. For example, a Japanese infantry corps with a defense factor of "8" receives a DD result. The Japanese player breaks down the corps into three 2-2-4 infantry divisions. Two of the infantry divisions are then eliminated. As another example, in the case of a DA, a corps could be broken down into divisions and one division would then be eliminated.
11.24 Defending
Air and headquarters units defend normally using their defense factors. Naval gunfire units never defend (they are used only when attacking). Support units are never affected by retreat results unless their own hex is being attacked by enemy land units.
11.25 Support Units & Losses
Headquarters are never affected by losses when attacking. Airbases aren't affected by losses when attacking unless there's an airbase in the defender's hex. Naval units aren't affected by losses when attacking unless there's a fortification in the defender's hex. In those cases in which air and/or naval units are affected by unit eliminations, their strengths then count toward the total for their side. For example, say the British player had 8 infantry attack factors supported by a 3-strength air unit, for a total of 11 attack factors. He rolls an AD (requiring the loss of 50% of his attack strength) when attacking an enemy force containing a Japanese airbase. The British player would have to lose 6 attack factors, and could use his own airbase to satisfy 3 of those losses.
11.26
While support units (headquarters, air and naval units) contribute their strength to an attack, their strength does not normally count when determining total strength when 50% losses are called for (nor would they be lost or retreated when making any kind of an attack). The exception is in the case of an air unit attacking a hex with an enemy airbase, or a naval unit attacking a hex with a fortification. In those cases, attacking air or naval units count, respectively, and could be taken as losses, though never retreated. Remember, support units apply their special strengths only when attacking, never when defending.
12.0 Retreating After Combat
12.1
When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated, the player designated by the result must immediately move those units the indicated number of hexes away from their combat position. If the combat result doesn't specifically designate one player to conduct a retreat, the player owning the retreating units conducts the retreat. Retreat is not normal movement; it's counted in terms of hexes, not MP, and units may always retreat the number of hexes indicated regardless of their printed movement allowances.
12.2
Retreat is subject to the following restrictions. If a unit is unable to retreat within these restrictions it's eliminated in place.
-
Units may never retreat into hexes containing enemy units.
-
Units may retreat into hexes containing EZOC, but they are penalized as follows: for each EZOC entered, the retreating force loses one unit. You may break down corps in order to extract divisions as losses.
-
Units may not advance or retreat after combat off the map or into terrain or across hexsides they can't normally enter.
-
Units may retreat into and through hexes containing friendly units. That doesn't affect the units retreated through. Remember, though, units must be within stacking restrictions at the end of the combat phase.
-
A retreating unit must terminate its retreat the indicated number of hexes away from its former position. If it can't, and can retreat only a portion of the number of the hexes called for, it's eliminated in the last hex into which it was able to retreat.
-
Stacked units may be retreated together or separately.
-
In no case may a unit be retreated into a hex that would cause it to be eliminated or over-stacked, nor may it retreat into an EZOC, if other retreat paths are available.
-
No hex within a retreat path may be entered more than once by a given retreating unit.
-
"0" movement factor units other than fortresses are eliminated when called upon to retreat.
12.3
Units that retreat into a hex that's attacked later that same phase defend normally and contribute their defense strength normally. If, however, the retreated units cause their new hex to be over-stacked, they contribute nothing to the defense of that hex, though they would be subject to any combat results inflicted there.
12.4 Fortifications & Retreat
Fortifications ignore retreat results. Units defending in hexes containing a fortification may, at the option of the owning player, ignore retreat results if the fortification otherwise survives the combat. That also applies to units that attack out of fortifications. Units that retreat into a fortification may cease their retreat in that hex if the owning player desires, no matter the actual length of retreat originally called for by the combat result.
13.0 Pursuit
13.1
"Pursuit" is a special form of movement that may occur after combat. Pursuit is more or less what's called "advance after combat" in other wargames.
13.2 Procedure
If a combat result allows a player to conduct pursuit, he may immediately move one hex with one, some, or all of his eligible units involved in that attack. The hex advanced into must be the hex the defending enemy units occupied.
13.3 Limits
All land combat units with an un-parenthesized attack factor of "1" or more and a printed MF of "1" or more may pursue one hex. All other types of units may not pursue at all.
13.4
Pursuit movement doesn't expend movement points, but it may be made only into hexes the pursuing units could normally enter. Pursuing units may ignore EZOC, but they may not enter hexes containing enemy units or prohibited terrain. Stacking limits must be immediately observed in the hex being entered as a result of pursuit.
14.0 Supply
14.1
There are two types of supply: 1) general supply, which is used to sustain units on the map; and 2) offensive supply, which is used to enhance normal movement and attack capabilities.
14.2 Supply Radius
Each supply unit has a supply radius number (3) printed on its top. Supply radius is always traced from the unit providing the supply to the supplied unit(s). That trace is counted in terms of hexes, not MP. That is, tracing through jungle is the same as tracing through clear terrain, etc. Supply radius is blocked by enemy units as well as terrain prohibited to land unit movement. Supply may be traced into but not through EZOC (that is, the line of supply terminates within the first EZOC hex).
14.3
A unit is in general supply if it can trace a supply line to a supply unit or fulfills one of the conditions given below in 14.4.
14.4 Automatic General Supply
The following units are always in general supply: 1) supply units; 2) naval bombardment, aircraft carriers, and amphibious units as well as land units being transported by them; 3) fortifications and units in them; 4) Chinese units in China. Note that while you can trace a line of supply to a supply unit, when a units uses a fortification for general supply it must in the same hex.
14.5 Offensive Supply
A unit is in offensive supply if it can trace a supply line to a supply unit and the supply unit is then expended. A supply unit may not move and provide general supply that same phase, nor in the combat phase immediately following. However, a supply unit that moved in a First Movement Phase could provide offensive supply for the Second Movement or Combat Phases if it did not move in that Second Movement Phase. A supply unit placed on the map as a reinforcement during the mobilization phase may be used to provide maximum attack supply in the immediately following combat phase. That's because mobilization is not part of the movement phase; however, a supply unit that enters the map via amphibious movement (6.6) counts as having moved.
14.6 General Supply
Units must be in general supply in order to be able to do the following.
-
Combine units in the same hex during a friendly Reorganization Phase.
-
Conduct railroad movement.
-
Avoid an attrition check during an Attrition Phase.
Using a supply unit for general supply doesn't consume that supply unit. The same supply unit may perform any number of general supply functions in the course of a phase or turn and still remain in play on the map. If used for offensive supply (see below), it's immediately consumed (removed from the map).
14.7 Supply Attrition
During the Supply Attrition Check Phase of the IV (Autumn) turn, you must check land units for supply attrition. If they aren't in general supply at those times, roll a die for each such unit. On a 1-3, a rolled-for unit is eliminated; on a 4-6 it survives.
Terrain: units in certain terrain must make supply attrition checks during certain other turns, depending on the terrain they occupy — see the TEC.
Cities: units occupying a city hex with a VP value of "1" or more don't have to make supply attrition checks. Otherwise, cities do not provide any kind of supply.
Breakdowns: players may choose to break down corps into divisions prior to making supply attrition checks in those hexes.
14.8 Offensive Supply
Offensive Supply applies only to the following situations.
2nd Movement Phase Movement. The supply unit is expended at the start of the 2nd Movement Phase. The effect is to allow all friendly units within the expended supply unit's range to move in that phase.
Maximum Attack Supply During Friendly 1st Combat Phases. The effect is to double the attack factors of all attacking land and air units within the expended supply unit's radius. That includes support units, with the exception of naval bombardment units.
Attack Supply During Friendly 2nd Combat Phases. The effect is to allow units to attack in the 2nd Combat Phase. In this case, units use their normal attack strength. That includes headquarters and air units. There is no maximum attack supply in the 2nd Combat Phase.
14.9 Strictures
In order for a supply unit to be used for 2nd Movement Phase movement it may not move in that phase. Rotate the supply unit to indicate that. In order for a supply unit to be used for 1st Combat Phase maximum attack or 2nd Combat Phase attack supply, it must not have moved in the movement phase immediately preceding that phase. A supply unit is consumed (removed from the map) at the end of the phase in which it is used for movement or maximum attack or attack supply. An expended supply unit provides maximum attack or attack supply to all units within its radius for the remainder of the phase. That is, a single supply unit used for maximum attack supply would double the attack factors of all friendly units within its radius for that entire 1st Combat Phase, or allow combat in the 2nd Combat Phase, even if those units were involved in more than one attack.
14.10
Supply status and expenditure is determined at the start of the phase. A player must declare all supply units he is expending for any purpose at the start of the phase in which they are to be expended.
14.11
A player may combine non-supplied and maximum attack supplied units in the same attack (which may happen owing to the way supply radius is traced).
14.12 Moving Out of Supply
Units may move into unsupplied positions. Units that initiate railroad movement or second impulse movement need only start the movement phase in a supplied position; they may move out of supply during that move.
14.13
Supply units may use 2nd Movement Phase movement themselves, but another supply unit would first have to be expended to allow for the moving supply unit's movement.
14.14
Supply units may also be expended to build mechanized corps (see 8.5).
14.15
Units don't have to be in general or offensive supply to move or attack in a 1st Movement or 1st Combat Phase. They may always move and attack in those phases using their printed movement and attack factors. Units may always conduct all game actions normally, with the exception of those for which general or offensive supply is specified. That is, units don't require supply expenditure to move, or attack in first phases or to defend. That normal supply state is built into the movement and combat factors of the units.
14.16 Mountain Supply
Supply lines may be traced into and through mountain hexes only via road/rail hexes and hexsides. Note, though, this stricture doesn't prevent supply units themselves from moving into mountain hexes that lack such infrastructure. In such cases, expending a supply unit in such mountain hexes would work to provide all normal supply functions to units in that same hex.
15.0 Headquarters
15.1
Headquarters have a parenthesized attack factor, meaning such units may not attack by themselves. Each HQ may, however, add its attack factor to any one friendly attack per combat phase. At least one friendly attacking unit must be within the support radius of the involved headquarters (parenthesized number to the right of the unit-type box). That radius may be traced into and through EZOC, any types of terrain, and even hexes containing enemy units. Headquarters are never affected by the outcomes of attacks they support. They defend normally.
15.2
A player may not use more than one headquarters to support any one attack.
15.3
The Japanese "Yamashita" and "Okamura" HQ may use their support values only if at least one Japanese land unit is involved in the combat.
15.4
The British "Slim" HQ may use its support value only if at least one British land unit is involved in the combat.
15.5
The US "Stilwell" HQ may use his support value only if at least one US or Chinese Nationalist land unit is involved in the combat.
15.6
The US "Chennault" HQ may use his support value only if at least one US air unit is involved in the combat. Chennault must be in range of the involved air unit, not the ground combat hex.
16.0 Airpower
16.1
Both sides have airbase units that represent the bases for their air forces. In general, airbase units are treated as land units that can provide support. Each air unit has printed on it a (parenthesized) range factor in its upper-left corner.
16.2 Air Support
During a friendly combat phase you may add the parenthesized attack strength of any air unit to the strength of in-range attacking land units. The supported attack must be within support range of the airbase unit. An air unit may support only an attack, never a defense.
16.3 Range
An airbase may support a land attack at distance up to the number of hexes equal to its range. Range is counted from the air unit to any one unit in the attack. Don't count the hex in which the airbase unit is located; do count the hex into which the support attack is being launched. Airbase range may be traced into and through EZOC, enemy units, and any kinds of terrain.
16.4 US Range
US airbases have two ranges. The number before the slash is used in 1941-43 turns; the number after the slash is used in 1944-45 turns.
16.5 Coordination
Up to three airbase units may support a single attack. Airbase units may be combined with naval and headquarters support units to support the same attack.
16.6
Each airbase may support no more than one attack per combat phase. You may not split an airbase unit's attack strength among more than one attack. They don't negate the terrain in the defender's hex.
16.7
Airbases are not affected by the outcome of any attack they've supported unless there is an enemy airbase unit in the defender's hex. See 11.25.
16.8
Air units may not attack by themselves. They defend normally in their own hexes and they exert ZOC.
16.9 Supply
Air units are affected by offensive supply considerations. That is, you may expend a supply unit to provide maximum attack supply in a 1st Combat Phase and to allow an air-supported attack in the 2nd Combat Phase.
16.10 Aerial Recon
You may at all times examine all enemy stacks in hexes within range of one or more of your airbase units, even if the enemy likewise has one or more airbase units within range.
16.11 No Nationality Restrictions
Japanese airbases may provide support for attacks even if they contain only client-state units. On the Allied side, airbases may support attacks no matter the nationalities of the ground units involved in that attack.
17.0 Naval Bombardment
17.1
Naval bombardment units represent gunfire support from fleets off the coast. You place naval gunfire markers in all-sea hexes during your combat phases. They may then attack into adjacent coastal hexes, adding their strength to friendly ground units attacking enemy ground units that are attacking into a coastal hex. Simply add the combat strength of the gunfire units to the attack.
17.2
Naval bombardment units are generally not affected by the outcome of land attacks they support, with the following exception: if there's an enemy fortification in the defending hex, any result that would cause one or more attacking land units to be eliminated also eliminates one gunfire unit (never more than one).
17.3
Naval bombardment units are always in maximum attack supply. They never have their printed combat strength increased or decreased. They may always be used in both impulses. Note, though, they never attack alone, only in support of an attack being conducted by friendly ground units.
17.4
Naval bombardment units are placed on the map only during the resolution of the one attack they support per game turn. They are otherwise not treated as units, have no ZOC, etc. They may never be used defensively.
17.5 Further Restrictions
-
In general, Allied naval bombardment units may attack coastal hexes only at and west of Singapore, as well as in coastal hexes of the Dutch East Indies islands.
-
In general, Japanese naval bombardment units may support attacks into hexes only on or east of Singapore, as well as in coastal hexes of the Dutch East Indies islands.
-
A player who controls Singapore may conduct bombardments into all otherwise playable coastal hexes.
17.6 No Nationality Restrictions
Japanese bombardment units may provide support for attacks even if they contain only client units. On the Allied side, bombardment units may support attacks no matter the nationalities of the ground units involved in that attack.
18.0 Amphibious Operations
18.1
You may use amphibious movement to move land-units (including airbases) from one coastal hex to another. Additionally, some reinforcements may be entered onto the map via amphibious movement.
18.2
You may move a maximum of one corps (or three division equivalents) per amphibious marker per movement phase. That can be done in one of the following two ways.
-
The units to be transported must begin that movement phase on a port hex. They're then picked up and placed on any other coastal hex (including ports, obviously) that's not enemy occupied.
-
Unit(s) to be transported must begin that movement phase already in a coastal hex. They're then picked up and placed on a friendly occupied port hex.
Effectively, then, transported units must either start or end their amphibious movement in a port. Also, if a transported unit was the only friendly unit in its starting port hex, it could still use amphibious movement to leave it.
18.3
Amphibious movement consumes all the moving unit's movement for the phase. Such units may still attack normally. The presence of EZOC doesn't affect amphibious movement. If more than one unit is being transported during the same phase by the same amphibious marker, all of those units must move entirely together.
18.4
Supply status is irrelevant for a unit to use amphibious movement in a 1st Movement Phase. In a 2nd Movement Phase, you must expend offensive supply to enable such transport (and that supply expenditure may still also provide 2nd Movement Phase movement to other in-range units moving by ground).
18.5
The amphibious markers are just that, markers. They're nothing more than a mnemonic for amphibious movement. They otherwise have no effect on play.
18.6 Reinforcements
British, US and Japanese reinforcements may enter the map via amphibious movement. They're considered to be starting the phase in an off-map port when they do so. Hold them off map during the Mobilization Phase, and then place them on the map during the movement phase on an eligible landing hex. That kind of arrival uses up an amphibious marker the same way as described above in 18.2. It may be done also in a Second Movement Phase by expending an off-map supply unit. Units from the Reinforcement Chart state can be entered at friendly occupied ports don't require an amphibious unit for entry there. They're considered to enter the map via transports not otherwise shown in the game.
18.7 Restrictions
Only the following units may use amphibious movement: all British, Commonwealth, Dutch and US units, and all Japanese units (but not client-state units). Allied amphibious movement may take place only on and west of Singapore, as well as Dutch East Indies hexes. Japanese amphibious movement may take place only on and east of Singapore, as well as Dutch East Indies hexes. If a player's units occupy Singapore, he may conduct amphibious movement in any otherwise eligible hexes both east and west of Singapore.
Further Clarification: only the following units may use amphibious movement: all British, Commonwealth, Dutch and US units, and all Japanese units (but not client-state units). Allied amphibious movement may take place only on coastal hexes between hex number 1033 and Singapore (inclusive). Japanese amphibious movement may take place only on coastal hexes between Singapore and hex number 3106 (inclusive), as well as Hainan and Formosa. Both players may always conduct amphibious movement on Dutch East Indies and British Borneo coastal hexes. If a player's units occupy Singapore, he may conduct amphibious movement in any coastal hexes anywhere on the map.
18.8
Amphibious Assault takes place when a friendly force of land units attacks an enemy occupied coastal hex from an all-sea hex. Amphibious assault is initiated during any friendly movement phase, first or second. The assaulting units must start that phase in a port hex, make a normal amphibious move, but end on an all-sea hex adjacent to an enemy occupied coastal hex. During the ensuing friendly combat phase, the force must attack that coastal hex. Conduct the combat normally; if the attacker gains a result allowing them to pursue, they may land in the invaded hex. If they fail to gain a result allowing them to pursue, they're eliminated and the amphibious unit supporting the invasion is also eliminated. A unit that lands on an undefended coastal hex may attack normally during its side's combat phase and uses normal rules of attack and retreat, not those given here for amphibious assault.
18.9
A force making an amphibious assault may use maximum attack supply only if there is a supply unit in the same all-sea hex with the landing force and that unit is expended. That would require that supply unit to be amphibiously landed along with the supported units.
19.0 Air Transport & Airborne Operations
19.1 Air Transport
Players conduct air transport as follows: the unit to be transported must begin that movement phase in the same hex as a friendly airbase unit. The player may then move the unit up to twice the airbase's range to another airbase, and land it on that airbase. That expends all of the transported unit's movement for that phase. A unit may land in EZOC and conduct combat in the same turn.
19.2 Restrictions
Each air transport operation consists of the movement of one Divisonal Equivalent. Only non-mechanized divisional land units, including supply unit, may be moved by air transport. To conduct an air movement in a 2nd Movement phase, you must expend a supply unit as described in rule 14.8. An air unit that conducts an air transport mission may conduct other missions that same phase. Air units may also be air transported.
19.3 Limits
The Allied player may conduct one air transport operation per air unit per movement phase. The Japanese player may conduct a maximum of one air transport operation per movement phase regardless of number of air units he has.
19.4 Airborne Operations
Airborne, special operations units and supply units may also conduct airborne operations. Airborne operations are generally conducted in the same manner as air transport with the following exceptions.
-
The airborne/special operations unit moves out to the range of the airbase.
-
The airborne/special operations unit may land in any kind of hex it could normally enter via land movement, with the following exception: all-sea, mountain and enemy occupied hexes. There doesn't have to be an airbase in the hex.
19.5
Airbase units used to facilitate air transport or airborne operations may themselves move that same phase. Note, though, all air transport and airborne operations that are to be conducted during a given phase must be completed before any other movement is begun. An airbase that facilitates an air transport move may not also facilitate an airborne move that same phase, and vice versa.
20.0 Unique Units & Markers
20.1 Chinese Expeditionary Force (CXF)
This Nationalist unit may be brought into play only in 1942 or later if the Allied player expends a supply unit in the same hex as a Nationalist infantry army during friendly mobilization phase. Return that infantry army to the Nationalist reinforcement pool and replace it with the Chinese Expeditionary Force. The CXF may be eliminated and rebuilt in that manner any number of times during a game.
20.2 Marines
All units of both sides with the marine unit-type symbol have organic landing craft. They may conduct amphibious operations without having to use an amphibious marker.
20.3 USMC
Additionally, the US marine division may always make an amphibious landing anywhere on the map, regardless of who controls Singapore.
20.4
Special Operations Units are treated as airborne units. Additionally, if the only units defending in a hex are special operations, the defending player may choose which CRT will be used to resolve that combat, not the attacker.
20.5 Light Divisions
The Allied player has three "light" divisions. They're treated as normal Allied infantry divisions.
20.6 Chinese Communist Armies
Chinese Communist infantry and garrison armies ignore the first EZOC into which they retreat. If they then must retreat into a second EZOC, they are eliminated.
20.7 Aircraft Carriers
If a player has an aircraft carrier, he uses it as if it were an airbase, except it's placed on the map only during a friendly combat phase, only on all eligible all-sea hexes (judged in the same way as described in section 17.0). Aircraft carriers may not conduct air transport/airborne missions.
21.0 Engineering Operations
21.1
At the start of the 1941 scenario, neither the Ledo Road nor the Bangkok Railroad is in effect, as they haven't yet actually been built. Treat those hexes according to the natural terrain in them. The road and railroad are built as described below.
21.2
Ledo Road is built if it's 1944 or later and Allied units simultaneously occupy, or are adjacent to, all hexes of the Ledo Road and none of those hexes are occupied by Japanese units or their EZOC.
21.3
Bangkok Railroad is built if it is 1942 or later and Japanese units simultaneously occupy, or are adjacent to, all hexes of the Bangkok Railroad and none of those hexes are occupied by Allied units or their EZOC.
22.0 Seasons
22.1 Monsoon
The "III" turn of each year is the Monsoon. The Monsoon affects the following regions: India, Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Indochina, Dutch East Indies, and British Borneo.
22.2
In Monsoon game turns, players may not expend supply units for any reason within the areas listed above. Likewise, supply units expended outside of those regions, but within their supply range, are prohibited from projecting their supply, for all purposes, into the Monsoon region until such time as the Monsoon is over. Other supply functions are not affected.
23.0 China
23.1 Factions
The Allies potentially control two factions in China: the Nationalists and the Chinese Communists (Chi-Com). Each faction may be either neutral or active. Neutral and active states are initially set by the scenario instructions, but may change in the course of the game due to Japanese attacks or rule 23.3.
23.2 Japanese Attacks
The Japanese player may attack either or both Chinese factions. An attack is defined as any land, air or naval attack against a unit of that faction; merely moving into a neutral faction's territory doesn't trigger that faction's activation. If the Japanese player attacks a neutral faction, that faction immediately becomes active and controlled by the Allies. Once active, a faction remains so until some event triggers neutrality.
23.3 Chi-Com Status
At the start of every winter game turn, the Allied player rolls a die for the Chinese Communists. If that result is one or two, then, if the Chinese Communists were active, they become neutral. If they were neutral, they become active.
23.4 Neutrality
Neutral Chinese units may not conduct any game function other than simply remaining in place. Such units are always in general supply. The Allied player may not mobilize units for a neutral faction. Neutral units retain their ZOC. Allied units may move through and stack with neutral units. Japanese units may not do so. Note that means Japanese units may be "trapped" behind Chinese lines as a result and have to fight their way out, thereby triggering Chinese belligerency. Neutral units still collect VP for their side. Effectively, only the units are neutral. Thus, Japanese and non-neutral units may still fight each other in a neutral region, collect VP for occupied cities, etc.
23.5 Movement & Combat Limits
In general, Chi-Com units may only move into hexes in the Chi-Com sector of China, but their infantry armies may also enter Manchukuo. Nationalist units may generally only move into hexes in the Nationalist sector. Additionally, though, the Allied player may have a total of up to two Nationalist infantry armies in Indochina, Thailand, Burma and India at any time. Units of both factions may attack out of their respective zones; however, at no time may Chi-Com and Nationalist units cooperate in the same attack or use the same supply unit for any function. Those limits also apply to retreat and advance out of China. Note the Nationalist and Chi-Com sectors extend across the Japanese front line in China.
23.6 Chinese Reinforcements
Prior to start of play, the Allied player divides all Chinese units into two piles, Nationalist and Chi-Com. Those piles are then placed in two separate opaque containers (such as coffee mugs): one Nationalist, one Chi-Com. Those are called "pools." Whenever any game function calls for a Chinese unit to enter play, the Allied player picks a unit at random from the appropriate pool. After picking the unit, the Allied player may examine it. Also see rule 20.1 for details about the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
23.7 Placement
Nationalist reinforcements are placed in the Nationalist zone; Chi-Com reinforcements are placed in the Chi-Com zone. Infantry armies may be placed only in Allied-occupied Chinese cites. Nationalist garrison units may be placed in any hexes within that zone anywhere in China not containing enemy units or EZOC (not necessarily Allied occupied hexes). Chi-com garrison units may be placed in any hexes within that zone in China not containing enemy units (EZOC OK).
23.8
The following are not considered part of China: Manchukuo, Hong Kong and Formosa.
23.9
The Allied Player should keep track of both Chinese factions' status on a piece of paper.
24.0 Japanese Client-State Units
24.1
The Japanese player has client-state units, representing local forces under Japanese control. Those units are treated in most respects as Japanese units, but with the following limitations on movement.
- Manchukuan units may move only within Manchukuo.
- Mengjiang units may be move only within Manchukuo and Chi-Com zone of China. Note, however, that Mengjiang units may not enter Outer Mongolia, which was under Soviet control at the time.
- China client units may move only within both zones of China.
- French Indochina units may move only within Indochina.
- Siam units may move only within Siam.
- Burma Independence Army (BIA) units may move only within Indochina, Siam and Burma.
- Indian National Army (INA) units may move only within Indochina, Siam, Burma and India.
- East Indies Independence Army (EIIA) units may move only within the East Indies.
24.2
Client-state units may attack across borders into hexes outside of their movement areas, but they may not retreat or advance after combat across them.
24.3
Client-state units may never break down or build up, either alone nor in conjunction with Japanese units.
24.4
Note there are several Japanese units with geographic names (for example, "Mongolian Garrison"). Those are regular Japanese units, not to be confused with client-state units. They don't suffer any of the client-state unit restrictions given above.
25.0 Staging Areas
Both players have off-map staging areas (any locations off-map, but still conveniently within each player's reach). They're useful places to hold reinforcements scheduled to appear that turn. Staging areas are considered to have ports. Units in staging areas are always in general supply. Once a unit moves onto the map, it may never reenter a staging area. Enemy units may never move or attack into a staging area, nor may units attack out of them or retreat or advance after combat into them.
26.0 USSR, Outer Mongolia & Manchukuo
26.1
The USSR and Outer Mongolia are neutral in all scenarios. Neither player may move or attack into their territory.
26.2 Soviet Belligerency
The USSR remains neutral until the start of any Allied player turn in which the Japanese have fewer than 40 attack factors of ground and air units in Manchukuo. Support factors of Japanese air units count double.
26.3
If the USSR enters the war as described above, it's always on the Allied side. The following then come into play.
-
All units of both sides that may be in Manchukuo at that instant are out of play permanently. There's no VP loss for them.
-
No other forces of either side may enter Manchukuo for the remainder of the game.
-
Neither player any longer scores any VP for any cities in Manchukuo.
-
The USSR and Outer Mongolia remain off limits to both players.
27.0 Victory Conditions
27.1
At the end of the game, players check their own VP. That will determine their level of victory or defeat. Don't compare your total with the opposing player's total. It's possible for both players to win or lose the game.
| Final VP Amount | Level of Victory or Defeat |
|---|---|
| 0-25 | Defeat |
| 26-50 | Stalemate |
| 51-75 | Theater-Level Victory |
| ≥76 | Strategic Victory |
27.2 Automatic Victory
During the Victory Check Phase of every game turn, players check to see if one of them has won a "sudden death strategic victory." If a player has satisfied the sudden death victory condition, the game ends and he wins immediately in that way. If the opposing player's VP total is at zero, while you have one or more VP, the game immediately comes to an end and the player with one or more VP wins.
Clarification: The "sudden death" victory in this rule refers to the conditions in optional rule 43.0. If, however, a player's VP total goes to zero at any time in the turn, that player immediately loses the game – in that case do not wait until the Victory Point Check Phase.
28.0 Scenario I — 1941-42: Asian Blitzkrieg
28.1 Game Length
1941 IV through 1942 II. This scenario covers the opening phases of the war, which saw the Japanese overrun Southeast Asia.
28.2 Starting VP
- Japanese: 60
- Allies: 50
28.3 Allied Deployment (Deploy First)
British Units
- Hong Kong: 1 x garrison division.
- Singapore: 1 x fortress.
- Malaya (on or adjacent to cities): 2 x infantry divisions, 2 x garrison divisions.
- Burma (on or adjacent to cities): 2 x garrison divisions.
- India (on or adjacent to cities): 1 x infantry division, 2 x garrison divisions, 1 x tactical air unit.
- In India, Malaya, Burma or British Borneo (on any city): 1 x garrison division.
US Units
- Rangoon (Burma): 1 x tactical air wing.
Dutch Units
- Dutch East Indies (in cities): 2 x garrison divisions.
Chinese Nationalist Units
- Place the CXF unit aside; it may be recruited as per rule 20.1.
- Nationalist Zone, Allied side of the front line: 9 x armies, picked randomly from the pool.
Chinese Chi-Com Units
- Communist Zone, west of the front line: 2 x infantry armies, 2 x garrison armies, picked randomly from the pool.
- Communist Zone, east of the front line and not on any city or railroad hex, picked randomly from the pool: 1 x garrison army (represents Communist guerrillas behind Japanese lines).
Allied Supply Units
- Three total, one each in Singapore, Rangoon, and Calcutta.
Naval Available: none.
28.4 1941 Japanese Order of Battle (Deploy Second)
Japanese Units
- Manchukuo: 4 x infantry corps, 1 x infantry division, 2 x garrison corps, 2 x air divisions.
- China: 5 x infantry corps, 4 x infantry divisions, 1 x garrison corps, 3 garrison divisions, 1 x air division.
- Chosen (Korea): 2 x garrison divisions.
- Formosa: 1 x infantry corps, 1 x garrison division.
- Indochina: Yamashita HQ, 1 x mechanized corps, 1 x infantry corps; 1 x garrison division, 2 x air divisions.
- On any cities on the Japanese side of the front line: 2 x marine groups, 1 x airborne group, 1 x air division, 8 x supply.
Naval Available: 1 x bombardment, 2 x Amphibious.
Japanese Client-State Units
- Manchukuo: 1 x army (Manch), 1 cavalry corps (Meng).
- China: 2 x armies (C Chin, N Chin).
- Indochina: 1 x army (IndoC), 1 x division (BIA).
- Siam: 1 x army (Siam).
28.5 Scenario I Special Rules
Front Line
The Japanese control and may deploy in: Manchukuo, Korea, Formosa, Indochina, and their side of the China front line.
The Allies control and may deploy in: Malaya, Burma, India, British Borneo, Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, and their side of the China front line.
Neither side may initially deploy in Siam, other than the Japanese client unit that starts there. Both sides' units may afterward enter Siam all during the game.
Mobilization
On Game Turn 1 both players skip their Mobilization Phase.
Chinese Faction Status
Both the Nationalists and Chi-Coms are active on the Allied side.
Japanese Shock Effect
On Game Turn 1 the following special rules apply.
-
The Allies may not expend supply units for any reason. Allied supply units otherwise function normally and provide general supply.
-
The Allies may not build corps.
-
British and Dutch units exert no ZOC.
-
British and Dutch combat strengths aren't increased on defense for any reasons.
28.5 Special VP
On Game Turn 1 the Japanese player receives twice the normal VP for occupying VP hexes in Malaya, Burma, India, British Borneo, the Dutch East Indies, and Hong Kong. Also on Game Turn 1, the Japanese player loses twice the normal VP for eliminated Japanese units located in or attacking into those same areas.
29.0 Scenario II — 1941-45: Campaign Game
When using the standard rules, the Japanese must withdraw the following units from the map at the start of turn 10 (1944-I): 1 x headquarters, 2 x air units, 1 x naval gunfire, 1 x naval amphibious. To withdraw the units, simply remove them from the map. If there are not sufficient units on the map to be withdrawn, then there is no additional effect. Do not use this special rule when using the optional rules, since the withdrawal events account for it.
29.1 Game Length
1941 IV through 1945 III. This scenario covers the entire war on the Asian mainland and the Dutch East Indies.
29.2 Starting VP
Same as Scenario I.
29.3 Allied Deployment (Deploy First)
Same as Scenario I.
29.4 Japanese Order of Battle (Deploy Second)
Same as Scenario I.
29.5 Special Rules
Same as Scenario I.
29.6 Special VP
Same as Scenario I.
Greater East Asia War Optional Rules
Players should agree which of the following rules they'll use when playing the game. The optional rules add further historical detail, but at the cost of added complexity.
Optional Rules Index
30.0 Random Events, 31.0 Psychological Warfare, 32.0 Additional Engineering Operations, 33.0 Special Tactics, 34.0 Additional Air Missions, 35.0 Naval Combat, 36.0 Bases, 37.0 Maximum Defensive Supply, 38.0 Supply Unit Capture, 39.0 Building Additional Ports, 40.0 Additional Railroad Operations, 41.0 Untried Chinese Units, 42.0 The USSR, Outer Mongolia & Manchuria, 43.0 Additional Victory Conditions, 44.0 Scenario III — 1944-45: Time Runs Out in the CBI, 45.0 Optional Rules Charts & Tables, 46.0 Players' Notes, 47.0 Designer's Notes
30.0 Random Events
30.1
Using this rule, each player has a Random Events Phase at the very start of his own side's player turns. During those phases, the player whose turn it is consults his own Random Events Table. Do that by rolling two dice and cross-indexing the rolled numbers to get a final result. For example, rolls of "1" and "6" on the Japanese Random Events Table would bring the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere event into effect. Every rolled event is immediately implemented unless otherwise indicated. Also note it matters in which order the two die rolls are referenced on the tables.
30.2
Certain random events may occur more than once per game, others may not, and others may trigger further special events. Players should keep track of which events have occurred by making notes on paper. Certain results may occur only as the result of an earlier random event. If such trigger-requiring events are rolled prior to their triggers, they're treated as "No Event."
30.3 Reinforcements & Withdrawals
Reinforcements generated by random events are placed immediately, during that same Random Events Phase, according to the instructions given on the Reinforcement Placement Table printed on the mapsheet. Such units are received "for free"; they have no VP cost. Certain events may require units be withdrawn. To do so, simply remove from the map the designated units and set them aside. If there are insufficient units of the type designated for withdrawal, there's no 'carry over' effect. A player may break down corps to facilitate withdrawals unless otherwise stated. Units removed by withdrawal don't count as having been lost in combat for VP purposes.
30.4 First Turn
On the first game turn of a scenario, players don't roll for random events.
30.5 Japanese Random Event Table & Explanations
- Allied Guerrilla Raids. The Allied player designates any one country on the map. He may examine all Japanese units in it and then eliminate one Japanese garrison division (breaking down a garrison corps if necessary), client unit or supply unit in it. That elimination counts for VP.
- Allied Victory in the Pacific. If the current turn is in the year range indicated, the event goes into effect; otherwise, it has no effect. If it goes into effect, the Japanese player rolls two dice, totals the result, and must deduct that number of VP from his current total.
- Chinese Warlords. The Japanese player rolls a die. If the result is even, he must eliminate one Chinese client army (counts as eliminated for VP). If the result is odd, he receives one Japanese garrison division as a reinforcement he must place in China.
- Client Forces. If the Allied player currently has 25 or more VP than the Japanese player, roll a die for each Japanese client-state unit. On a 1-3 a rolled-for unit is eliminated (counts for VP). On a 4-6 a rolled for unit survives.
- Command Dispute. During this game turn's Japanese Movement Phases, each Japanese unit that moves across the Manchukuo or Chinese border, including land, airborne and naval movement, requires the Japanese player to expend one VP. This does not affect retreat or advance after combat.
- Corruption/Famine. Total the number of Japanese-occupied cities in China with a value of "2" or more. The Japanese player loses one VP for each such city he currently occupies.
- Emergency Reinforcement. If the Allied player currently has 25 or more VP than the Japanese player, the Japanese player rolls a die and receives that number of infantry or garrison divisions or supply units (any combinations) as reinforcements at no VP cost.
- Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The Japanese player immediately receives +1 VP for each city hex he currently occupies with a value of "2" or more.
30.6 Allied Random Event Table & Explanations
- Allied Morale Check. If the Allied player has at least 25 more VP than the Japanese player, the Allied player receives two supply units or two garrison divisions, or one of each, as reinforcement. If the Japanese player has at least 25 more VP than the Allied player, the Allied player must withdraw two of his supply units or garrison divisions, or one of each.
- Chiang Kai-Chek. The Allied player may immediately pick any one Chinese Nationalist army on the map, tired or untried, return it to the pool, and then deliberately pick a replacement that must be returned to the same hex. The new unit is placed with its tried side showing upward. See section . for more details.
- Chi-Com Truce. If the Communists are currently active, they become neutral. If they are currently neutral, they become active.
- Nationalist Chinese Go Home. The Allied player must withdraw any one Nationalist army currently outside of China (if any) and return it to the pool. This does not count as a unit eliminated for VP purposes.
- Nationalist Chinese Truce. If the Nationalists are currently active, they become neutral. If they are currently neutral, they become active.
- Chinese Warlords. The Allied player rolls a die. If the result is even, he must eliminate one Chinese garrison army (counts for VP). If the result is odd, he randomly picks one Nationalist army from the pool and places it as a reinforcement (untried side showing upward).
- Command Dispute. During this turn's Allied Movement Phases, each Allied unit that moves across the Chinese border, including land, airborne and naval movement, requires the Allied player to expend two VP. This doesn't affect retreat or advance after combat.
- Corruption/Famine. Total the number of Allied occupied cities in China with a value of "2" or more. The Allied player loses one VP for each such city his forces occupy.
31.0 Psychological Warfare
31.1
You may make psychological warfare (PSYWAR) attacks at the start of any phase in each of your own player turns. To do so, expend two VP; choose column "A" or column "B" on the PSYWAR Table; roll a die and apply that result.
31.2 Limits
The Allies may make no more than two PSYWAR attacks per turn. The Japanese may make no more than one PSYWAR attack per turn. Neither player is ever required to make any PSYWAR attacks.
31.3
Reinforcements generated by PSYWAR don't cost VP and don't count against per-hex mobilization phase limits. They're placed immediately upon the result being rolled.
32.0 Additional Engineering Operations
32.1
At the start of the 1941 scenario, neither the Ledo Road nor the Bangkok Railroad have been built. Treat those hexes according to the other terrain in those hexes. The road and/or railroad may both be built during play via engineering operations. None of the road/rail hexes involved are treated as road/rail hexes until the entire project of which they are a part have been completed.
32.2 Building the Ledo Road & Bangkok Railroad
The Allied player (only) may build the Ledo Road. The Japanese player (only) may build the Bangkok Railroad. The procedure for building both is the same: the player must have a supply unit in the start hex (see 32.3) during a 1st Movement Phase. Expend the supply unit. The first hex of the road/railroad is now built. During any following movement phases, the player can continue this process on the next hex to be built. Continue this until all hexes are built. Players should note this separately, or use a blank marker, or a railhead marker scavenged from another game, to indicate the extent of the road or railroad.
32.3 Start & Completion Hexes
The start hex for the Ledo Road is the city of Ledo. It's completed when it reaches the Burma Road, as indicated on the map.
The start hex for the Bangkok Railroad is the rail hex south of Bangkok. It's completed when it reaches Kunming.
32.4 Limits
A player may build a maximum of one road or railroad hex per turn, and only in a 1st Movement Phase. The supply unit may not move conduct other support in that phase. A road or railroad may be built in a hex containing EZOC. Construction must always be done directionally, as described above, and never from both ends at once. You may not "leap-frog" building road or railroads hexes; they must be built connected to already completed road or railroad hexes.
32.5
Once built, a road or railroad may not be destroyed; there is no destruction of railroads or roads in the game.
32.6
Note the Burma Road, between Mandalay and Kunming, is operational in all scenarios — it doesn't need to be built.
33.0 Special Tactics
33.1 Infiltration
Certain units may move through EZOC via "infiltration." The following units are infiltration-capable: Japanese infantry divisions; Allied special operations and light infantry units.
33.2
They may use infiltration movement if they start a movement phase in an EZOC and then move directly into another EZOC, at which point their movement comes to an end for that phase.
33.3
Units capable of infiltration also have a limited ability to retreat through enemy EZOC. That is, they're not eliminated in the first EZOC they enter during a retreat, though retreating into a second EZOC would affect them normally. Infiltration-capable units are still affected by EZOC for all other purposes.
33.4 Banzai!
After combat odds have been determined, but before the resolution die is rolled, the Japanese player may declare "Banzai!" by expending three VP. That has the following effects: Japanese land units involved in that battle aren't affected by retreats or routs. Instead, any result involving a retreat or rout by either side is converted into a "BB."
33.5 Banzai Restrictions
The Japanese player may declare "Banzai!" only if the combat is being resolved on the Major Offensive CRT and only if all units involved on the Japanese side are Japanese, not client. Banzai may not be used to increase support-unit strength. Within those limits, the Japanese player may potentially declare any number of Banzai attacks per turn.
33.6 Allied Maximum Combat Supply
At the start of any combat, offensive or defensive, the Allied player may declare "maximum combat supply" by expending one supply unit per stack of friendly units involved. The supply unit must be in the same hex as the stack being supported, and each supply unit may support only one such stack and may not provide supply to other hexes. Allied attacking units supported by maximum combat supply have their attack factors tripled if a 1st Combat Phase, or doubled if a 2nd Combat Phase. If defending, in either phase, they have their defense factor tripled (but never more than tripled). Also see rule 37.1.
33.7 Restrictions
The Allied player may declare maximum combat supply only if the combat is being resolved on the Major Offensive CRT (offensively or defensively) and only if all units in the stack are British or US. Extreme combat supply may not be used to increase support-unit strength.
34.0 Additional Air Missions
34.1 Air Superiority
You may use your airbases to attack enemy airbases by themselves. The enemy airbase must be within range. Total the attack strengths of all attacking airbases against the total support strength (not defense strength) of the defending airbases in the targeted hex. Terrain and non-airbase units are ignored. The combat is resolved normally, except only results calling for unit eliminations (on both sides) are implemented. A maximum of one air unit on each side may be eliminated.
34.2 Air Attacks on Cities & Supply
The attacked hex has a defense strength of "1" plus the support value of any defending air units in the hex. Resolve this as per Air Superiority above, but if a result calls for any kind of defender unit elimination, the attacker can choose one of the following: 1) eliminate one supply or air unit in the hex; or 2) neutralize the city. Also, if there are any enemy airbases in the hex, apply any eliminations to the attacker as in 34.1.
(The source numbering goes from 34.2 to 34.4; there is no 34.3.)
34.4 Neutralization
Any port in a neutralized hex may not be used. A neutralized city/port may not be used as a supply source. An already neutralized city/port may not be further neutralized. No railroad movement can be used in or out of the city. Neutralization counts regardless of who occupies the hex.
34.5 Neutralization Recovery
You recover a neutralized city by expending a supply unit in the hex during a mobilization phase. This is done after all other mobilization has been completed.
34.6 B-29 Raids on Japan
Starting in the 1944 II turn, the US Strategic Air unit may, in addition to normal missions, bomb Japan. The unit must be located in China to do so. The Allied player declares "bombing Japan" during any combat phase. The Allied player gets one VP for each SAC unit that bombs Japan per combat phase, and two VP if a supply unit was expended to support it. The SAC unit (and any supporting supply unit), may conduct no other operation in the same combat phase. Supporting supply units must be in the same hex as the SAC unit.
34.7 Defensive Air
Whenever a friendly air unit is attacking a hex containing an enemy air unit, the defending air unit uses its support strength, not its defense strength, as its defense factor. That includes all the situations above, plus whenever defending against enemy air support missions (rule 16.3).
35.0 Naval Combat
35.1 High Seas Actions
You may contest enemy use of a naval bombardment, aircraft carrier, or amphibious unit if you have a naval bombardment or aircraft carrier unit available. Note the non-phasing player initiates this kind of naval counterattack, temporarily interrupting the sequence of play to resolve it.
35.2
Each unit attacks separately, rolling one die on the Naval Combat Results Table in section 45.0. A naval unit attacking on the Naval CRT may have conducted no other operation in the same game turn, and it's considered used for the remainder of the game turn. Units eliminated via the Naval CRT count for VP.
35.3
When using this rule the Allied player starts 1941 scenarios with one Naval bombardment unit.
35.4 Naval Bombardment of Coastal Fortifications
Naval bombardment units may attack hexes containing enemy fortifications without any friendly land units being involved on either side. In such cases only use the bombarded fortification's defense factor when calculating the combat percentage, even if there are also enemy non-fort land units in the same hex. Apply the combat results against the naval gunfire units normally, except there are never any retreats or pursuits. Apply the combat results in such bombardment attacks only against the defender's fortification counter and, again, there are no retreats or pursuits.
35.5
It's possible to bombard an enemy fortification and then also launch an overland or amphibious invasion attack into that same hex later that same phase. The naval bombardment units used to bombard the fort would not be available to support the follow-on effort. Of course, if the bombardment removed the fort prior to that land attack, the warships have made their contribution in that way. There's no limit on the number of bombardment units that may stack in a hex, attack into an enemy fortification hex, or provide support to a hex under land-unit attack.
36.0 Bases
36.1
Supply units are back-printed with bases. A player may flip friendly supply units to their base side, and vice versa, during any friendly reorganization phase. Bases are treated as supply units, with the following additions.
-
A supply unit may be converted to a base only in a city hex.
-
A base unit has its values changed as printed on the counter.
-
You may enter reinforcements on friendly bases during friendly mobilization phases. A maximum of one DE per turn may be entered per base. That's in addition to normal reinforcement placement.
-
During initial setup, a player can choose to deploy his supply units as bases.
36.2
A base unit is expended in the same manner as a supply unit when it supports operations requiring such expenditure.
37.0 Maximum Defensive Supply
37.1
The defender may declare "maximum defense supply" at the start of any enemy combat phase, after the attacker has declared, or declined to declare, maximum attack supply. This has the effect of doubling the defensive value of units within the expended supply unit's radius. If the supported units would normally be doubled in defense owing to terrain, they're tripled. Units may never be more than tripled in defense. Unlike maximum attack supply, which is only available to British and US units, this option is open to both players, and all their units, whenever defending. This option is open to both players, and all their units, whenever defending. Unlike 33.6, defending Allied units are only doubled, never tripled, when using this rule.
38.0 Supply Unit Capture
38.1
Whenever an attacking force eliminates a defending force that contained an enemy supply unit, and then advances after combat into the hex containing that supply unit, the advancing player may check for capture. Roll a die for each supply unit formerly in the hex. On a "1–3," that unit is captured; replace it with a friendly supply unit if available. On a "4–6," it's eliminated normally. This applies only to eliminated supply units, not to supply units that have been retreated.
38.2
This also applies when attacking bases – replace a captured base with a friendly supply unit (not a base).
39.0 Building Additional Ports
39.1
Both players may build ports, which takes place during friendly mobilization phases. You must have two supply units in a coastal city hex that doesn't otherwise have a port. Expend the supply units immediately and place a blank marker (or port marker from another game) in that hex. Once placed, the marker may never be removed and is treated in all respects as a regular port city.
40.0 Additional Railroad Operations
40.1 Railroad Capacity
A unit may not initiate railroad movement unless it can draw general supply from a base or supply unit. Each base or supply unit may initiate rail movement for one corps or army, or three divisional equivalents, per turn. This does not expend the base or supply unit.
40.2 Rail Line Clearing
You may not use railroad movement to enter a city unless that city was occupied by friendly units at the start of that movement phase. Movement along non-city railroad hexes is not so restricted. For example, Japanese units occupy Saigon and Hanoi, in Indochina, but not Nanning, in China. The unit in Saigon could move north on the railroad through Hanoi and into China, but would have to stop in the rail hex just south of Nanning.
41.0 Untried Chinese Units
41.1
Chinese units are initially placed on the map face down, so only their side with the flag shows. Units placed that way are called untried units. When using this rule, change rule 23.7 to the following: Nationalist armies may be placed only in Chinese cites not occupied by Japanese units. Communist armies may be placed in any hexes in China not containing a Japanese unit or EZOC. Units must always be placed in their own faction's zones.
41.2
Untried Chinese units have a movement factor of "2." Neither player may examine an untried unit until it has first engaged in combat. At that time, flip it to its tried side and use its combat and movement factors normally. Once flipped over, the unit remains face up until eliminated.
41.3
If an untried unit in an attack is revealed to have a combat strength of "0," it doesn't participate in the attack. If it was the only attacking land unit, that combat is cancelled, and any support committed to it would still be considered to have been used and any supply unit supporting the attack is expended.
41.4
The Chinese Expeditionary Force is never deployed in an untried state.
42.0 The USSR, Outer Mongolia & Manchukuo
42.1
The USSR starts all scenarios as a neutral. Neither player may enter or attack into its territory. All rules in this section also apply to Outer Mongolia.
42.2
Players are normally free to enter Manchukuo, conduct combat there, etc.
42.3
The USSR Confrontation random event may trigger a check to see if the USSR actively enters the war on the Allied side. That's done as follows.
-
Add the total of all Japanese land unit attack factors, plus double the Japanese air unit support factors, in Manchukuo.
-
Roll a die on the Soviet Intervention Table in section 45.0, using the modifiers listed for the number of totaled Japanese factors and year.
42.4 Soviet Belligerency
If the USSR becomes a belligerent, then all the following come into effect.
-
All units of both sides currently in Manchukuo are permanently out of play, though there are no VP losses for them.
-
Neither player's forces may enter Manchukuo for the remainder of the game.
-
Neither player scores any further VP for objectives in Manchuria.
-
The USSR and Outer Mongolia remain off limits.
-
Treat any further rolls of the USSR Confrontation event as "No Event."
42.5
When using this rule, ignore the provisions of 26.2. Soviet intervention is no longer triggered by the Japanese having less than 40 attack factors in Manchukuo.
43.0 Additional Victory Conditions
43.1 Additional Japanese Sudden Death Victory
If Japanese forces occupy all cities on the map that have a VP value of "2" or more, the Japanese player immediately wins. Don't count cities in the USSR and Outer Mongolia. If Soviet Belligerency (via 26.2 or 42.4) goes into effect, the Japanese can't win a sudden death victory in this way.
43.2 Additional Allied Sudden Death Victory
If Allied forces occupy all cities with a VP value of "2" or more in China on the Allied side of the 1941 front line, plus all "2" or more VP cities in Indochina, Thailand, Malaya, Burma, India, British Borneo and the Dutch East Indies, the Allied player immediately wins.
44.0 Scenario III — 1944-45: Time Runs Out in the CBI
44.1 Game Length
1944 I through 1945 III. This scenario covers the final Japanese offensives in China and India, as well as the Allied counteroffensives that retook Burma.
44.2 Starting Victory Points
- Japanese: 50
- Allies: 40
44.3 Allied Deployment (Deploy First)
British Units
- India: 2 x mechanized corps, 1 x light division, 3 x garrison divisions, 1 x special operations group, 2 x tactical air, 1 x Slim headquarters.
US Units
- India: 1 x special operations group, 1 x tactical air wing, 1 x Stillwell headquarters.
- Burma (Ledo Road two hexes southeast of Ledo itself): 1 x supply unit.
- China: 1 x tactical air wing, 1 x Chennault headquarters.
- Burma or China: 1 x strategic air.
Dutch Units
- none.
Chinese Nationalist Units
- Burma (any Ledo Road hex): 1 x "CXF" army.
- China, Nationalist Zone, Allied side of the front line: 10 x armies, picked randomly from the pool.
Chinese Chi-Com Units
- Communist Zone, west of the front line: 2 x infantry armies, 2 x garrison armies.
- Communist Zone, east of the front line and not on any city or railroad hex: 1 x garrison army (represents Communist guerrillas behind Japanese lines).
Allied Supply Units
- India: 4 x supply.
- China (on Kunming): 1 x supply.
- China (on Kweiyang): 1 x supply.
Naval Available: none.
44.4 Japanese Deployment (Deploy Second)
Japanese Units
- Manchukuo: 3 x infantry corps, 2 x garrison corps, 2 x armored division, 1 x air division.
- China: 1 x mechanized corps, 5 x infantry corps, 4 x infantry divisions, 4 x garrison corps, 1 x air division, 3 x supply units, headquarters Okamura.
- Korea: 1 x infantry division, 1 x garrison division.
- Formosa: 1 x infantry corps, 1 x garrison division.
- Hong Kong: 1 x garrison division.
- Dutch East Indies + British Borneo: 2 x infantry divisions, 2 x garrison divisions (total).
- Indochina: 1 x infantry division, 1 x garrison division, 1 x air division, 1 x supply unit.
- Malaya: 1 x infantry division.
- Siam: 1 x garrison corps.
- Burma (south of the Ledo road): 2 x infantry corps, 1 x infantry division, 1 x garrison corps, 1 x air division, 1 x supply unit.
Japanese Client-State Units
- Manchukuo: 1 x army (Manchukuo), 1 cavalry corps (Mengjiang).
- China: 2 x armies (Chinese).
- Indochina: 1 x army (French).
- Siam: 1 x army (Siamese).
- Burma: 1 x corps (INA), 1 x corps (BIA).
Naval Available: none.
44.5 Scenario III Special Rules
Front Line
Japanese control and may deploy in: Manchukuo, Korea, Formosa, Indochina, Siam, Malaya, British Borneo, the Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, and their side of the China front line. Japanese control and may deploy in all of Burma south of the path of the Ledo Road.
Allies control and may deploy in: India, and their side of the China front line. Allies also control the hexes of Burma on and north of the trace of the Ledo road.
Neither player may start any units in the USSR or Mongolia, nor enter them.
Random Events
On Game Turn 1 of the scenario, the Japanese event Orders from Tokyo automatically goes into effect (don't roll). The Allied player rolls for random events on Game Turn 1.
Mobilization
Both sides may recruit normally on Game Turn 1.
China
The Nationalists are active; the Chi-Com have declared a truce and are neutral.
Bangkok Railroad
The Japanese have built all hexes of the Bangkok Railroad.
Ledo Road
The Allies have built the two hexes of the Ledo Road south of Ledo itself.
45.0 Optional Rules Charts & Tables
45.1 Japanese Random Events Table
Rows are the 1st die roll; columns are the 2nd die roll.
| 1st \ 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orders From Tokyo | Political Crisis | Emergency Reinforcement | Intelligence Coup | Japanese Morale Check | Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere |
| 2 | Command Dispute | Allied Guerrilla Raids | Allied Guerrilla Raids | Allied Guerrilla Raids | Allied Guerrilla Raids | Allied Guerrilla Raids |
| 3 | Chinese Warlords | Chinese Warlords | Corruption / Famine | Client Forces | Client Forces | Client Forces |
45.2 Allied Random Events Table
Rows are the 1st die roll; columns are the 2nd die roll.
| 1st \ 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orders From High Command | Political Crisis | Emergency Reinforcement | Command Dispute | Intelligence Coup | Intelligence Coup |
| 2 | Allied Morale Check | Allied Morale Check | Allied Morale Check | Lend Lease | Lend Lease | V for Victory |
| 3 | Withdraw: One Air Unit | Withdraw: On HQ | Withdraw: One Naval Unit | Withdraw: Land Units | Withdraw: Land Units | Special Operations |
| 4 |
45.3 PSYWAR Table
| Die Roll | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reaction. Roll a die, and the enemy receives that number of VP. | Reaction. Roll a die, and the enemy receives that number of VP. |
| 2 | No Effect | No Effect |
| 3 | Desertion. Eliminate one enemy Nationalist or Chinese garrison unit or one enemy Client-State unit. | Intelligence. You may now make a one-time examination of all enemy stacks on the map. |
| 4 | Defection. As above but: if the Japanese eliminate an Allied Chinese garrison unit, replace it with a Client Chinese unit if available. Or, if the Allies eliminate a Japanese Client Chinese unit, replace it with an Allied Chinese unit picked from the pool. | Sabotage. As above, you may examine all enemy units on the map and then you may also eliminate any one enemy supply unit anywhere on the map. |
| 5 | Propaganda. Roll a die and subtract that number of VP from the enemy player's total. | Guerrilla Warfare. As about, but you may eliminate one enemy supply unit or one garrison division (may break down a corps to do so). |
| 6 | Propaganda. Roll two dice and add that number of VP to your total. Or, you may instead change the status of one Chinese faction from neutral to belligerent or vice versa. |
45.4 Naval CRT
| Die Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Attacking naval unit eliminated. |
| 2-3 | No effect. |
| 4-5 | Defending naval unit doesn't complete its mission. Return any transported units to friendly occupied ports. |
| 6 | Defending naval unit eliminated along with any transported units. |
Cumulative Die Roll Modifiers
- +1 if combat hex is in range of one or more friendly land airbases.
- +1 if defending unit is amphibious.
- -1 if combat hex is in range of one or more enemy land airbases.
45.5 Soviet Intervention Table
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | USSR reaffirms neutrality. Japanese player rolls die and gains that number of VP. |
| 2-3 | No effect. |
| 4-5 | Border Clash: Japanese player rolls two dice and loses that number of VP. |
| 6 | USSR enters the war on Allied side; apply effects of belligerency given in 42.4. |
Cumulative Die Roll Modifiers
Japanese factors in Manchukuo as described in 42.3:
- 0-20 = +2
- 21-40 = +1
- 41 = 0
- It's a 1945 turn = +1
46.0 Players' Notes
You win the game on Victory Points. But you can also lose the game with them. If you let your VP Index go too low, the loss of a few battles or an adverse random event can sink you to zero points—and that will force you to capitulate. Consequently, you need to maintain a reserve of VPs unless you are really going for broke.
To facilitate the toting up of VPs each turn, simply record your starting number, then check the value of objectives you have gained or lost during the turn, and add or subtract the difference.
You translate VPs into reinforcements. This represents allocating units and resources that would otherwise go into fighting the war on other fronts. The exchange of VPs for units, and the necessity for having supply units in the right place supply, means that taking several turns to build up can be a more successful strategy than attacking at the first available opportunity. But if you decide to go for broke, you can overwhelm an enemy who is playing too conservatively.
You have to plan your offensives. A small number of well supported units can accomplish a lot more than a large numbers of units attacking across the front with no support. You have to create sufficient supply units and emplace them in positions from which they can create maximum combat supply and second impulse movement and combat. Airpower and headquarters are also useful for concentrating offensive capability. You can divide operations into several fronts.
China. The Japanese have an edge here because they fight a divided Chinese foe. They can concentrate on either the Communists or Nationalists while keeping a few units to guard their flank. Since Chinese armies have no breakdown divisions and can be eliminated by even "attrition" results generated by the Raid CRT the Japanese can make some real headway here. On the other hand, since Chinese units can be replaced in China relatively cheaply, and their garrison armies can be placed anywhere in their respective zones (as long as they are not placed in an enemy occupied hex or ZOC), the Allies can keep this front active. With a little support from Allied airpower and supply units, the Chinese can go over to the offensive and give the Japanese some real problems. The Allies need to get an air unit into China to create an air transport "bridge" to airlift in supply and other forces. The Allies should try to get an armored units up into China while the land rout is still open. This can be very useful as a mobile reserve, given that the Chinese armies tend to have low movement factors. An active campaign in China creates the necessity for the Japanese to cut the Burma-Ledo Roads, which can become the focus of much of the mid-game operations.
Southeast Asia. The Japanese player can recreate the historical 1941-42 "blitz" if he thinks through the entire operation and deploys accordingly. The Japanese mechanized corps can drive to Malaya or into India, while amphibious and airborne forces seize critical objectives. Among other things, the Japanese must plan where they will need supply units to support the second impulse, because the first couple of turns are critical and the game can be won or lost at this time. The Japanese have to get to the Indian frontier before the Allies can build up sufficient strength to block them. An active Allied defense can hold up the Japanese timetable. The Allied have to be sure to watch their rear, especially when/if the Japanese take Singapore, since this allows them to amphib along the long and vulnerable coast. Once the Japanese have been held, it will take a year or two to build up sufficient strength to begin the counteroffensive. The dilemma is, time may not necessarily be on the side of the Allies. Assuming the Japanese can be held, the Allies still have to retake objective hexes in order to shift the balance of VP. Commando units are useful for harassing the Japanese, but they often are not very cost effective.
Dutch East Indies: This is an easy target for the Japanese at the start of the game. The dilemma is there many objectives but not quite enough amphibious and airborne capacity to seize all of them at once. It may make sense to wait until the second game turn to consolidate here. As for the Allies, the East Indies are difficult to hold—too many objectives, too few units, and a lack of sufficient air and amphibious capacity during the opening stage of the war. Later in the game, the Allies can build up sufficient marine units to retake the Dutch East Indies. But as with Southeast Asia, if you wait too long then the Japanese can maintain their VP levels, and VPs are where the game is won and lost.
And now for a word or two about logistics. You never will have quite enough supply to do everything you want. This is an intentional design feature. This theater was at the bottom of the priority list for both sides, so I kept the number of supply units limited. What this means is that you will not be able to attack every turn at maximum strength. You have to think in terms of objectives on a particular front, and what you can do in one or two turns. Once you get beyond the limits of your lines of supply, be prepared to defend. For both players, it may seem as if you have a lot of units available. But you have a lot of territory to hold, plus all those cities in the rear area to garrison. This means you will be conducting a limited number of attacks per turn. Nonetheless, the combat system allows you to do a lot with a small number of units if they are properly supported. You can get a lot of offensive power out of a couple of high offensive value corps when they are backed up by supply, airpower, naval gunfire and HQs. Attacking requires careful planning, which means have supply units in the right place and time. You can double your attack strength by burning supply units. This can shift an otherwise uneven fight into your favor. But there is always the chance that the attacker can take a loss, so you have to be prepared to lose units.
Creating corps for the offensive may take a couple turns, since you have to build them up from the division level. Even if you bring in the component divisions at the same reinforcement hex and build the corps in the same turn's reinforcement phase, you still have to get the unit to the front. This delay is an intentional design feature, as it represents the time needed to train units to work in larger formations, as well as getting command control issues sorted out. You also should be building up corps since this allows you to re-use the component divisions for other operations in the game. You may find you may often not have enough separate divisions to do what you want. Again, this is a deliberate design feature to keep the orders of battle within historic parameters—so you will have to manage your forces as well as fight with them.
There is a reason to not build all the units in your counter mix. For example, say the Japanese build all three of their infantry corps, plus all of their infantry divisions. If one corps has to take a one-division loss, the Japanese will not have sufficient divisions to make "change". Just to clarify a point in the rules, it would be permissible to break down the corps into whatever units are available. For example, say the Japanese player had only two infantry divisions in his pool of available units. He could replace the corps with the two divisions, while the third one is considered eliminated by the combat.
Airborne, air transport and amphibious operations are useful in getting troops to otherwise inaccessible places. They are also good for landing a unit in the enemy rear and cutting off units and supply lines. The downside is that this can lead to high value units being destroyed by enemy counterattacks. Second impulse movement is where you can really run amok, breaking through into the enemy rear and conducting envelopments. You can really exploit any multi-hex retreats the CRT forces on the enemy. But it also means you have to move up your supply units to support these operations. So you need even more planning.
Speaking of the second impulse, this gives you an opportunity that you did not have in Twilight of the Ottomans. You can use your first impulse to move up supply units, which you can then use to move and support attacks in your second impulse. You can then move supply units in your second impulse that will then be available for use in the following turn's first impulse. You can also airdrop or amphibiously land supply units behind enemy lines in the first movement impulse in anticipation of units breaking through and using them in the second impulse. The game favors an active defense. Counterattack against enemy breakthroughs and try to destroy spearheads. Also, if you can break through into the enemy rear, you can have a shot at destroying his support units. When using the optional air missions rule, use your own airpower to attack enemy air and supply units. This can do much to cripple an upcoming enemy offensive.
The optional PSYWAR Table is very useful for harassing the enemy, and attacking his otherwise secure rear area.
When using the optional rules, the Japanese have to consider their Manchurian policy. They can withdraw units — especially air divisions — from Manchukuo to fight on other fronts, but as the war drags on there is a greater chance for the Soviets to enter the war. The loss of Manchuria's VPs can be a serious blow to sustaining operations as well as gaining victory.
And always remember the sudden death victory conditions. A player can pull out a victory if he makes the right moves.
47.0 Designer's Notes
Greater East Asia War is another of my forays into the Pacific Theater of Operations WWII, after USN Deluxe and Solomons Campaign. The vast scope of the campaign, from Manchuria to the frontiers of India, and the deserts of Mongolia to the jungles of the East Indies, sets the stage for every kind of ground combat. And in a sense, this theater is what the Pacific War was about, the Japanese attempting to secure the resources of East Asia for the ever-expanding Co-Prosperity Sphere. I figured this was something on the scale of Barbarossa, a titanic land campaign which decided the fate of a continent, nay, a hemisphere! The difference is that that Axis forces ended the war in Asia still in possession of many of their strategic objectives!
Greater East Asia War is strategic in scale, so players can make the big decisions. Each turn represents three months, though players can generate additional impulses by expending supply for intense periods of operations. Units are corps level for Japanese and Allied forces, and armies for the Chinese. (Actually, the Japanese called their corps level units "armies", but I used "corps" to keep the game terminology consistent.) There are also some divisions which can be used as break-down units. Airpower is represented by wing/air division units. Naval forces are represented as bombardment and amphibious markers. There are three scenarios, one covering 1941-42, another 1944-45, and a grand campaign scenario covering the entire war.
Players can use their divisions to build various types of corps. For example, three Japanese 2-2-6 infantry divisions can build one 8-8-6 corps, while two 2-2-4s plus a 2-1-8 armored unit and can build a 10-7-7 mechanized corps. Allied infantry and mech corps are 6-9-5s and 10-10-8s, respectively, showing the differences between each side's organizations and tactics.
Both sides have specialized forces, including airborne, marine and commando units. Commandos include the Chindits and Merrill's Marauders. There's even a "guest appearance" of a US Marine division for hypothetical scenarios. The Japanese can build client units, representing pro-Tokyo locals. As befitting a campaign of this scope, the game uses large sized counters.
Central to play of the game is the concept of Victory Points (VP). Players earn VP at the end of each turn for holding objective hexes. They expend them to build units. They also lose them when their units are eliminated in combat. If a player's VPs drop to zero, then he loses the game. There is a trade-off here: a player can build as big an army as he wants, but with the possibility of seeing his support base collapse in the face of a few disastrous battles. This system puts you in the "hat" of the theater commander, having to make strategic decisions about the allocation of forces.
Historical Background
World War II in the Far East is usually thought of as a naval-air-amphibious war, owing to the nature of the fighting in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Okinawa, Guadalcanal to the Philippines. But the largest number of troops on both sides were actually engaged on the Asian mainland, from Manchuria to India. Japan was fighting the Pacific War in large part to secure the resources of Southeast Asia, especially petroleum, which were a prerequisite for running a modern war economy. They were also trying to win their war in China. The British, Dutch and French had their empires to preserve in South and Southeast Asia.
The land war in Asia involved numerous types of combat, from armored clashes to special operations raids, with the infantry slogging through some of the worst terrain in the world. This was all on a geographical scale equal to that of the Eastern Front in Europe. This epic scale clash became the genesis of Greater East Asia War. One thing that made this game so interesting to design is that both sides had opportunities to attack and defend. You had the stunning Japanese offensive of late 1941 and into 1942 that overran Southeast Asia and reached the Indian frontier, as well as seizing the Dutch East Indies. As early as late 1942 the Allies were launching (ill-fated) counteroffensives, while as late as 1945 the Japanese were still able to take territory in China. So the game situation is challenging for both players.
The map can be divided up into several fronts: North China, against the Communists; Central-South China, against the Nationalists; Southeast Asia, Indochina to the Indian Frontier; and the Dutch East Indies. I included the Dutch East Indies in the game, even though they are an island chain off the mainland. Militarily, they were part of the 1941-42 Japanese campaign in Southeast Asia, as well as being part of the Japanese Southern Resources Area. I considered including the Philippines, but decided against it because that was really part of the primarily naval-amphibious Central-Southwest Pacific theater of operations and would have involved all sorts of additional naval-air rules.
System
The Greater East Asia War game system is based on that of Twilight of the Ottomans, which I also designed for S&T. But I modified the system to account for advances in doctrine and practice between the two World Wars. Greater East Asia War uses a double impulse system, in which players have two opportunities to move and fight in each turn. This represents the vast increases in mobility and command control which were in place by 1941. Still, you have to expend supply units to utilize second impulse phases. So logistics remain as critical as ever.
The VP system for mobilizing units allows me to overcome the usual dilemma of strategic level games, that of reinforcements. Given the game time and space scales, a fixed reinforcement schedule would make little sense. Both sides sent in reinforcements based on many factors: political pressure from the high command to initiate offensives, response to enemy moves, mobilization of local forces, whatever. By paying VPs, players can have a hand in these decisions. It also allows for play strategies in which you can choose how much you want to risk.
The combat results tables favor the attacker slightly more than in Twilight of the Ottomans. Again, this is due to advances in tactics by 1941. Among other things, the "bloodbath" results are somewhat mitigated, since infantry tactics were somewhat more refined by this point. The bloodbath result now allows you to advance survivors after combat—this is owing to the greater tactical sophistication of World War II armies. The CRT is combined with the corps-division breakdown rule, which shows losses to cohesion. Chinese armies, while potentially powerful, will disintegrate when engaged in serious combat as they have no subordinate units into which they can break down. In comparison, Japanese and British corps have more resiliency.
Unlike Twilight of the Ottomans, there is no pursuit combat in Greater East Asia War. Bear in mind you now get two chances to attack owing to the sequence of play. You can engage in mobile warfare if you have the logistical support. Also, you can now combine more than one air unit in the same attack, owing to the greater levels of coordination of air forces in World War II.
Speaking of airpower, in many ways, the CBI (China-Burma-India Theater, as it is usually called), was an air-land campaign. Some commanders, such as the American General Chennault of Flying Tigers fame, thought that airpower alone could win the war. They were perhaps exaggerating the effectiveness of World War II era air forces, but they were not far from the mark. Airpower made a major difference in the 1941 campaign by giving the Japanese the ability to concentrate support for their dispersed spearheads. It was also very useful for maintaining a good picture of the situation on ground via air recon. Later on, Allied airlift did much to alleviate their logistical situation, notably in supporting China, and in the final advance back into Burma.
Air forces are modeled at the theater level, representing major concentrations of airpower. Each air unit represents the bases and command control for 150-300 aircraft. Air units have high VP costs because this also represents the extensive logistics required to set up airbases. Airpower can do two basic things: provide ground support and conduct airlift. I avoided the usual intricacies of an air war game to give players the overall impact of airpower. The optional rules provide some more air missions, but they are still within the scope of a campaign level game. I kicked around ideas for aerial zones of control and interception, but that would have turned this into an entirely different game.
At the start of 1941, the Allies had some airpower in Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, but it was largely ineffective. Since the Japanese overcame it relatively easily in the historically campaign, I simply deducted any air units there from the order of battle. I also did not include the Japanese air units based on Formosa which were used to support operations in the Philippines, since these were beyond the scope of the game.
Zones of control represent the area over which a unit could exercise control via its ability to react to enemy moves. Advances were frequently held up at this scale by single divisions making a stand. And then there were issues such as the special operations units "spilling over" into adjacent hexes as they ranged over wide areas of operations. Chinese armies were usually surrounded by clouds of warlord forces, guerrillas, bandits and assorted other locals whom an enemy would have to stop and engage. The zones of control also allowed me to keep the game at corps/army level, since otherwise players would have to break down their larger units into divisions to cover defensive fronts. As the game now stands, it takes about two corps to hold the front in Southeast Asia from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas, which was the historical case.
The order of battle was relatively easy to research. Among others, I used John Ellis' World War II Statistical Survey, the British official history, The War Against Japan, and Saburo Hayashi's Kogun. One thing requiring further research was the disposition of Japanese Navy land-based aviation, special naval landing forces, and base defense forces, since these were not included in the army orders of battles. But they all ended up in the game, more or less. Order of Battle
Greater East Asia War is intended to be an army/corps level game. Corps can break down into divisions to extract losses, representing their greater resiliency. The divisions are there mainly to give you some more flexibility in covering a wide front, and in garrisoning objectives. They also serve as a form of "step reduction." Chinese and Client armies may not break down, since these formations tended to be quite fragile, disintegrating, or even defecting, under the pressures of combat.
The divisional combat strengths reflect tactical practice. Japanese divisions are stronger on the offensive since they put more firepower up front, at the unit level. The Allies tended to concentrate firepower at the higher levels, in corps level artillery and armor concentrations. So their divisions are weaker offensively in the game, though capable of defending better, owing to superior firepower. It's a simple, but effective, ways of showing the battlefield differences between Japanese and Allied forces.
I gave high attack factors to Japanese marine and airborne units, and Allied special operations forces. This was a way to work in the shock effect of these units without having to write an extra rule; i.e., I used an existing game system. The US Mars unit also has a high attacker factor than defense as this represents its tactical use, which was essentially offensive.
Some notes on the units:
The Japanese 25th "corps" (actually, 25th Army, but Japanese armies were corps sized formations) is shown as a mechanized unit since in the 1941 campaign it was heavily motorized and had a considerable contingent of tanks.
The US CACW unit represents a combined USAAF-Chinese air formation. This is something of a simplification. There actually was a small and somewhat effective National air force, but since by the time the game starts the logistics and the pilot training were largely provided by the Americans, it is shown as a US unit. Interestingly enough, in the 1930s the Soviets had provided aircraft to the Nationalists and some of these were still flying.
The Chinese Nationalist garrison armies are designated after their major commands, called "War Areas." I determined their strength (more or less) by the number of divisions they had on paper in 1945, though this was stretching it at best. The Nationalist regular armies are based on formations that had better training and equipment. The Communist armies include their two main forces (4th and 8th Rout Armies) as well as their generally effective militia/guerrilla forces. The Communists have a little more flexibility in placing their units owing to the efficiency of their underground organization.
The Australian "marine" divisions and corps represent units that were trained for amphibious war and used in the last months of the campaign to retake Borneo. They actually were provided with extensive amphibious transport by the United States, so it was easiest to show them in the game as marines.
The US 5th Marine Division did not fight in the theater covered by the game map, but it is in there as a reinforcement the Allies can take. The US actually was planning amphibious operations against Formosa at one point in the Pacific War and this gives the Japanese player a reason to garrison Korea, Formosa and the Chinese coast.
Movement factors represent several things: the relative speed at which a unit could move, command control, and logistics. Chinese armies have lower movement factors as their logistics went from abysmal to non-existent, though the Chinese Communist regular armies are a little more flexible owing to their ability to gain support among the populace. Chinese armies have a wide range of strengths reflecting variations in quality. You have several really good units, such as the US trained Chinese Expeditionary Force and Communist 8th Route Army, down to lowly warlord conscript hordes.
Logistics are more flexible than in Twilight of the Ottomans. Again, this is due to developments in mobility. Supply units cost more victory points because of the severe logistical constraints both sides operated under in this theater of operations. The (optional) conversion of supply units to base units represents the building up of vast logistical complexes which also included the construction of oil pipelines, and the increase in railroad capacity. On the other hand, the supply attrition rules can be a real brake on operations as you need to have sufficient supply units to cover your forces. Supply which you might have burned for offensive operations will be used to keep your armies on the map.
The Allies made extensive use of special operations in the CBI campaign. They had the big unit special operations forces, such as the Chindits and Merrill's Marauders (the US 5307 unit). But they also conducted numerous operations in support of guerrillas, as well as sabotage and long-range intelligence missions. This is accounted for by the PSYWAR rule, which gives players a chance at making strategic level subversive attacks by expending VP. Since the Allies were better at this, they can conduct up to two PSYWAR attacks per turn to the Japanese one.
Unlike Twilight of the Ottomans, there are no guerrilla units per se in Greater East Asia War. This is in part owing to the game scale, but also due to counter mix limitations. I factored in guerrillas into various other game functions, such as the need to garrison objectives (to prevent the locals from seizing them and declaring independence against both sides), the optional PSYWAR Table, various random events, and, as noted, the ZOCs of Chinese units. The ability of Chinese Communist units to appear on the Japanese side of the front line also represents their guerrilla abilities.
The war saw a couple of big logistical feats. The Japanese built a railroad through Thailand (Siam) and Burma—if you've seen the movie Bridge on the River Kwai, you get the idea. The Allies built the Ledo Road through the highlands of Burma to China. The rules for building these items are "chrome", but since they were a memorable part of the original campaign, I included it. The same with the China Expeditionary Force special unit. The Americans went through considerable effort to build up a more effective Chinese army, and so you can try your hand at this in the game.
The optional rules add random events. These add historical color to the game, as well as allowing me to figure in the effects of operations elsewhere in the Pacific Theater which impacted on the campaign. As the war drags on, the Japanese will find that they will be losing more VP to off-map random events, representing the need to provide support to their beleaguered forces elsewhere. This in turn will reduce the number of reinforcements that can be mobilized for the game map as the VPs will not be there. The events table also allowed me to account for the possibility of Soviet intervention with a minimum of complexity. I placed the Allied Guerrilla Raids event in the Japanese table. The idea is these represent local operations which were not coordinated with the Allied high command. So the Japanese player will be able to react to them before the Allies can really exploit them. This is unlike the PSYWAR Table generated guerrilla raids, which represent operations under the control of the Allies, more or less.
Victory in the Far East
You win the game with Victory Points. The critical thing is that you accumulate VPs on a turn by turn basis. This represents the accumulation of resources (for the Japanese) which would be used to support the overall war effort, or (for the Allies) maintaining morale, especially to keep China in the war. Since you get VPs at the end of each turn, players have a reason to fight over objectives which might otherwise make little military sense, as well as holding on to them as long as possible. Cities on the Japanese side of the starting 1941 front line have relatively fewer VPs because it's assumed that most of their industrial and resource capacity is being siphoned off to support Japanese operations elsewhere. India, on the other hand, get relatively more VPs because if the Japanese could get as far as Calcutta, it would have made it incredibly difficult for the Allies to organize their logistics to continue the campaign in this theater as well as being a fatal blow for British imperial prestige.
The Japanese and Allied players pay different amounts of VPs for the same unit types, representing their relatively different industrial capacities. For example, the Japanese end up paying more for supply in the later years of the war owing to the general collapse of their war economy in the face of the US submarine and strategic bombing campaigns. On the other hand, there is no higher cost for losing, say, an airborne unit as opposed to an infantry unit. This is because the losses represent the "body count". But remember, if you want to buy back a high VP value unit from the dead pile (such as an airborne unit), you will be again paying its initial VP price, which can really cost you.
Other Stuff
What got left out? The Soviets. I considered including units for Soviet intervention, but there were a couple of things mitigating against this. For one, there were not sufficient units in the counter mix. For another, the USSR did not intervene until what would have been the last turn of the game, 1945 III. So it would not have been much of a factor in the game. I decided to leave in the Japanese Manchurian forces since these units were continually being shifted about in order to reinforce other theaters. In the game, the Japanese have the opportunity to use Manchuria as a reserve for the rest of the game map. When we have room in a future game, we will likely include a set of Soviet units. Another variant in the works is an American invasion of Formosa. There were plans for such an operation. But historically, the forces that would have been used were instead deployed to liberate the Philippines. Even so, it is a fascinating alternative. The variant will include a full US amphibious corps, an airborne division, plus some additional naval units. Look for it in a future issue of World at War,