Red Dragon Rising: The Coming War With China Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Unit Counter Errata
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Background
  • 1.2 Game Scales
  • 1.3 No Fog of War
• 2.0 Components
  • 2.2 Game Map
  • 2.3 Counters
  • 2.4 Sample Combat Unit
  • 2.5 Nationality & Background Colors
  • 2.6 Nationality Abbreviations
  • 2.7 Ship-Type Abbreviations
  • 2.8 Aircraft-Type Abbreviations
  • 2.9 Ground Unit Types
  • 2.10 Ground Unit Sizes
  • 2.11 Naval Vessels, Submarines & Surface Ships
  • 2.12 Combat Factors
  • 2.13 Step Strength
• 3.0 Set Up & Control
  • 3.1 Set Up Order
  • 3.2 US Set Up & Reinforcement Pool
  • 3.3 Neutral Nation Set Up
  • 3.4 Chinese Set Up
  • 3.5 Control
  • 3.6 Geographic Peculiarities
• 4.0 How to Win
  • 4.1 Chinese Action Imperative
  • 4.2 Chinese Sudden Death Victory
  • 4.3 Chinese Sudden Death Defeat
  • 4.4 Chinese Victory on Points
  • 4.5 Chinese VP Awards
  • 4.6 US Victory
  • 4.7 Draws
• 5.0 Sequence of Play
  • 5.2 Sequence of Play Outline
• 6.0 Random Events
  • 6.1 Random Event Pre-Checks
  • 6.2 Random Event Check Procedure
  • 6.23 Random Event Reminder Markers
• 7.0 Stacking, Mobility Restrictions & Bases
  • 7.2 Overstacking Penalty
  • 7.3 Invading Restricted-Stacking Areas
  • 7.5 Taiwanese Restrictions
  • 7.6 Singaporean Restrictions
  • 7.7 Philippines Restrictions
  • 7.8 Korean Restrictions
  • 7.9 Russian Restrictions
  • 7.10 Bases
  • 7.11 Mainland China Restrictions
  • 7.12 Kyushu Strait
  • 7.13 Sarawak & Brunei
• 8.0 Actions (Ops)
• 9.0 Movement
  • 9.2 Diagonal Sea Zone Moves OK
  • 9.3 Island Skip-Moves
  • 9.4 Spratley Island Special Status
  • 9.5 Land-Based Aircraft
  • 9.6 Naval Vessels in Land Areas
  • 9.7 Emergency Rebasing Procedures
  • 9.8 Light Ground Units at Sea
  • 9.9 Heavy Ground Units at Sea
• 10.0 Combat
  • 10.2 Combat Procedure
  • 10.3 US CVN
  • 10.4 Protected Targets
  • 10.5 Naval Vessels in Land Areas
  • 10.6 US Stealth Aircraft (Stl)
• 11.0 War in Korea
  • 11.2 Initial Korean Situation
  • 11.3 Starting a Korean War
  • 11.4 Resolving a Korean War
  • 11.5 Die Roll Modifiers
  • 11.6 Korean War Final Resolution
• 12.0 Designer’s & Developer’s Notes
  • 12.1 Designer’s Notes
  • 12.2 Developer’s Notes

Unit Counter Errata

One of the PRC airborne brigades has "Needs Amph" printed on its reverse side. It should instead read "Special Move." The U.K. SAG unit erroneously gives an anti-air value of '1'. It should read '4'.

The back of the "SINKIANG REVOLT" memory aid marker is misprinted as "SIRKIANG."

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background

Red Dragon Rising: The Coming War With China (RDR) is a strategic-level investigation, with operational undertones, of the possibilities inherent in the first 30 or so days of a hypothetical war between the Peoples Republic of China and a US-led counter-alliance. The timeframe is the not-too-distant future, roughly between now and the end of 2014. On the Chinese side, the viewpoint of the player is that of Beijing’s top-rung national leadership. On the US side, the opposing player represents the top-rung military commander in the Western Pacific theater. The game is adaptable for solitaire play.

The system—given we’re dealing with events that haven’t happened and therefore can’t be studied in detail after the fact—has been crafted to present the war as a unitary vision rather than a strictly sequenced process. The action can alternately telescope or expand, sometimes moving ahead in whipsnake lunges, at other times decelerating to dream-like slow motion. The system is more quantum mechanics than Newtonian, more Escher than Rockwell. Its presents a time-space interflow that can only be grasped in totality by the human mind once play is over and the entire war can be looked back on and chronicled in a reconstructed linear fashion (much like day-to-day reality).

Three initial assumptions are as follows. First, the Chinese are cast—not unreasonably, we think—as the aggressor. Put in terms as politically correct as possible: they’re the “revisionist power” here, the nation wanting to overturn the present-day status quo in the Western Pacific; they’re conducting a strategic offensive. Second, the war inevitably starts over Taiwan, as that island is unavoidably the first strategic block Peking must neutralize on the way to becoming East Asia’s hegemon. Third, the war will not begin with a nuclear attack; though the danger of that kind of escalation may not be far off.

1.2 Game Scales

Most ground units in the game represent brigades (“brigade combat teams” or “BCT” for the US). The exceptions are: 1) the Singaporean army is represented by one unit-counter; and 2) the Taiwanese and Philippine armies are represented by their corps components.

Aircraft units are mostly represented by mixed-type combat wing formations, though only one aircraft type—the predominant one for each such wing—is shown on each counter. Long range bombers have their own mono-type units that can’t combine operations with the other ‘tactical’ air wings in the game.

Ship units mostly represent mission-oriented groupings of vessels. The US CVN and SSGN units each represent just one such vessel of those types. Other submarines are represented in groups called “Subrons.” On the map, each inch equals 100 miles.

1.3 No Fog of War

In this game, given the vast array of intelligence and electronic warfare and cyber-war assets both sides would have available to commit to the struggle, there’s no fog of war. That is, both players are always free to examine all the units on the map, stacked and unstacked, friendly, enemy and neutral. Even the US reinforcement pool may be examined by both players.

2.0 Components

2.1 The components to a complete game of RDR include these rules, the mapsheet and 176 die-cut counters (also referred to as “units” and “unit-counters”). Players will need to provide themselves with a standard six-sided die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events during play.

2.2 Game Map

The game map is drawn so as to emphasize the strategically critical sea zones and land areas on and near the East Asian land mass. Every unit in the game is considered to be in only one sea zone or land area at any one time. Map Errata - 'Malaya' should be labeled "Malaysia".

2.3 Counters

There are 176 unit counters in the game, most of which represent various groupings of land, sea and aerial combat units. Other counters are also provided as informational markers and memory aids. After reading these rules at least once, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming off the “dog ears” from their corners with a fingernail clipper will facilitate easier handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance.

2.4 Sample Combat Unit

All combat units of all types display at least seven (and sometimes eight or nine) types of printed information. Those data points are always arranged using the same pattern on all the units.

The seventh data point is simply the icon in the center of each unit. Also note, though, that ground units, rather than bearing pictographic icons, are identified by abstract NATO-style symbols. The eighth and ninth data points, shown on only a few aircraft units, are: “Stl” for “Stealth,” and “LR” for “Long Range.”

2.5 Nationality & Background Colors

A unit’s nationality, and therefore the side to which it potentially belongs during play, is shown by its background color. Note that some nations start the game as neutrals, but may be drawn into the war as play progresses.

• Initial Chinese-Side Units
• Peoples Republic of China: red background
• Initial US & Allied Units
• Australian: tan background
• Japanese: light blue background
• Taiwanese: gray background
• US: white background
• Initially Neutral Units
• North Korean: orange background
• Philippine: dark green background
• Russian: yellow background
• Singaporean: dark blue background
• South Korean: light green background
• United Kingdom: brown background

2.6 Nationality Abbreviations

The nationality of each unit is also shown by an abbreviation. Those abbreviations are as follows.

• Aus—Australia
• Jpn—Japan
• NK—North Korea
• Phl—Philippines
• PRC—Peoples Republic of China
• Ru—Russia
• SK—South Korea
• Sng—Singapore
• Twn—Taiwan
• UK—United Kingdom
• US—United States

2.7 Ship-Type Abbreviations

Ship units, in addition to their identifying icons, also carry letter abbreviations of their types. Those abbreviations are as follows.

• Amph—amphibious transport ships
• CVL—light aircraft carrier
• CVN—US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
• SAG—Surface Action Group
• SSK—diesel-powered attack submarine
• SSGN—nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarine
• SSN—nuclear-powered attack submarine

2.8 Aircraft-Type Abbreviations

Aircraft units, in addition to their identifying icons, also carry alpha-numeric abbreviations of their predominant types, such as “B-2,” “F-35,” “Su-27,” etc.

2.9 Ground Unit Types

The ground unit types in the game are identified by NATO-style abstract symbols. Ground units are further broken into two broad (relative) categories: heavy and light. The heavy/light characterization is important in terms of the transportability, by sea and/or air, of each ground unit. Those symbols are as follows.

• Heavy Ground Units
• Artillery
• Armor
• Mechanized infantry
• Light Ground Units
• Air-assault (heliborne infantry)
• Airborne infantry (paratroops)
• Marines
• Infantry

Chinese recon, US Stryker, combined arms for all others.

2.10 Ground Unit Sizes

The sizes of each of the ground units in the game is indicated by the symbol atop each one’s unit-type identification box. If that symbol is bracketed, it means that unit is ad hoc, or otherwise transitional in organization, or that the symbol is the nearest size equivalent to that unit. Those symbols are as follows: XXXX—army; XXX—corps; X—brigade or US “brigade combat team.”

2.11 Naval Vessels, Submarines & Surface Ships

There are two broad categories of naval vessels in the game: submarines and surface ships. If a rule is said to apply to “naval vessels,” it applies to both submarines and surface ships. If a rule only applies to submarines or to surface ships, the appropriate naval vessel category will be used in that rule. SSK, SSN and SSGN are the submarine types in the game; Amph, CVL, CVN and SAG are surface ships.

2.12 Combat Factors

Each unit in the game carries four combat factors. A unit’s “anti-ground” combat factor is used by that unit when it fires at an enemy ground unit. A unit’s “anti-aircraft” combat factor is used by that unit when it fires at an enemy aircraft unit. A unit’s “anti-submarine” combat factor is used by that unit when it fires at an enemy submarine unit. A unit’s “anti-surface ship” combat factor is used by that unit when it fires at an enemy surface ship unit.

If one or more of a given unit’s combat factors is “0” (zero), that unit can’t fire at that kind of target. For instance, a submarine with an anti-aircraft combat factor of zero may never fire at enemy aircraft units. Note, though, that doesn’t mean the opposite is true. That is, to extend the example, a submarine with an anti-aircraft combat factor of zero could certainly be fired on by enemy aircraft that had an anti-submarine combat factor greater than zero.

The units’ various combat factors are, in essence, “hit” numbers. That is, if a given unit with, let’s say, a combat factor of two, is attacking an enemy unit (of the appropriate type for that combat factor), that enemy unit is “hit” on a die roll result of two or one (the hit number or less). For more details see section 10.0.

2.13 Step Strength

A “step” is a wargaming hobby term of long standing. It’s used to describe the overall ability of a given unit to absorb some certain amount of punishment (hits) in combat prior to being eliminated from play and removed from the map. In this game almost all the combat units are “one-steppers.” That is, units with their combat factors printed on just one side of their counter require only one hit to fully and permanently eliminate them from play. The only “two-step” units in the game are US CVN units and Singaporean, Philippine, and Taiwanese ground units. When a two-step unit suffers a hit in combat, flip it over so its “reduced”side shows upward. If such a reduced unit takes another hit in combat, either then or later, it’s fully eliminated and permanently removed to the dead pile. (Philippine units only have one step each.)

Note that reduced (“damaged”) US CVN may be repaired back to full two-step strength during the course of a game (see 8.8); however, there’s no way for a reduced two-step ground unit to ever regain its lost step during the course of a game.

2.14 Carrier-Based Aircraft

All the actual aircraft units in the game are land-based. The aircraft aboard aircraft carriers are ‘built in’ to those ships’ combat factors and are inseparable from them.

2.15 Static Ground Units

The Singaporean, Philippine and Taiwanese ground units in the game are immobile once placed on the map. That is, once placed, they never move except to go into the dead pile. Note, though, that the aircraft and naval vessels belonging to those countries aren’t static.

2.16 Memory Aid Markers

In addition to the combat units described above, the counter-mix also includes two types of memory aid markers. Those markers are as follows.

• Control Markers (see 3.5)
• Random Events Reminder Markers (see 6.23)

3.0 Set Up & Control

3.1 Set Up Order

The US player starts and completes his side’s set up prior the Chinese player starting the other side’s set up.

3.2 US Set Up & Reinforcement Pool

The US player should set up his side’s units according to the instructions provided on the Initial US & Allied Set Up Table printed on the mapsheet. The US units not initially deployed on the mapsheet should then be put into a large-mouth opaque container, such as a cereal bowl or coffee mug The units in that container constitute the US reinforcement pool. For details on their entry into play see 8.10. The Set Up Table lists units by general type. When any one type of unit contains individual units within it that have differing factors, randomly pick the proper number from among them.

3.3 Neutral Nation Set Up

The US player should then set up all the units in the game belonging to those nations initially neutral. That is, he should put all Russian units in the Russia land area, all Singaporean units in the Singapore land area, all South Korean units in the South Korea land area, and all North Korean units in the North Korea land area. The remaining initially neutral nation, the Philippines, is a multi-area country made up of the island land areas of: Luzon, Leyte, Palawan and Mindanao. The US player should set up all Philippine units on Mindanao or Luzon. Also note North Korea is bi-coastal, with a west and east coast. As soon as the US player has placed the North Korean units, the Chinese player should arrange that nation’s three SSK units along either the North Korean east or west coast.

3.4 Chinese Set Up

Once the set up of the US, Allied and neutral nations has been completed as described above, the Chinese player should carry out the set up of his nation’s forces according to the instructions given on the Initial Chinese Set Up Table printed on the mapsheet. Note that he may choose to start one or both of his two at-sea SSN units in any sea zones on the map, including those containing US at-sea units.

3.5 Control

In this game there are no “zones of control.” (If you don’t know what that phrase means, don’t worry about it.) The sea zones on the map are never controlled by either player; it’s possible for units of both sides to be co-located in the same sea zone(s) at the same time and even to ‘move through’ each other.

The control status of the various land areas on the map has bearing on determining the winner of the game (see section 4.0), as well as determining which side’s forces can make use of the base facilities (if any) located within them (see section 7.0).

Each land area on the map is always in one of the following control states: 1) neutral, and therefore not controlled by either player; 2) controlled by the US side; 3) controlled by the Chinese side; or 4) contested. A land area is contested if both sides simultaneously have one or more ground units there. A contested or enemy controlled land area comes under your control the instant your side is the only one to have one or more ground units within it. The control status of a given land area may switch back and forth between the two sides, and possibly go into or come out of neutrality, any number of times during play.

At the start of play the Chinese player controls only the three land areas that make up China (Northern, Central and Southern China). The US player controls Japan (which includes Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa), Taiwan, and Guam/Saipan. The US Off-Map Bases holding box is considered a land area that directly borders on the sea zones along the entire east edge of the map. Note that it is entirely unreachable by Chinese forces during the course of the game. All other land areas on the map are initially neutral.

3.6 Geographic Peculiarities

The two small sea zones on the east side of Celebes island are unplayable for all purposes. Hainan Island, just off the coast of Southern China, is, for all purposes in the game, considered part of that mainland land area. The islands of Saipan and Guam are, for all game purposes, considered one joined land area.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 Chinese Action Imperative

Turns aren’t recorded as such in this game. Instead, one or both of the players should openly keep track—on a piece of paper, using hash marks—of the number of Chinese actions completed during a game. If that number reaches 30 without the Chinese player having achieved some kind of victory (see below), play stops and the US player is declared to have won. In situations in which the Chinese player is awarded a double action (see 6.15), those sets of doubled actions each count as only one action for purposes of this rule.

4.2 Chinese Sudden Death Victory

Play stops, and the Chinese player is declared the winner, the instant one of the following three situations is created: 1) there is no US CVN anywhere on the map; or 2) Chinese ground units are simultaneously the only ground units on both Taiwan and the Spratley Islands; 3) one or more Chinese ground units are the only ground units on Saipan/Guam. In the case of victory condition number one above, CVN in the US & Allied Off-Map Bases holding box don’t count as being “on the map.”

4.3 Chinese Sudden Death Defeat

Each time Russian forces are used to perform an action—other than the first time—the Chinese player rolls a die at the completion of that action. A result of six or more means fighting has spread around Russia’s periphery to the point much of Eurasia is engulfed in war. The upshot of that is the game ends and the Chinese player loses. If random event 3-5 / 3-6 has been rolled into effect, add one to this Russian die roll check.

4.4 Chinese Victory on Points

If a sudden death victory eludes the Chinese player, he can still win through the accrual of victory points (VP). VP are gained and lost only by the Chinese player. The Chinese player is reckoned to have won the game on points if, at the end of any Chinese action, he has 12 or more VP. Both players should keep track of the number of VP the Chinese player has, adding or subtracting them as each new development takes place. The Chinese player starts the game with zero VP and his tally may drop into negative numbers.

4.5 Chinese VP Awards

• +/- 1 VP for having uncontested control of an Allied or initially neutral land area other than Taiwan, South Korea or the Spratley Islands. That’s one VP for each such controlled area, with no overall limit on the number of points that may be accrued in this way.
• +1 VP if random event 4-1 or 4-2 or 4-3 is rolled into effect.
• +2 VP for each US CVN sunk during play of the game.
• +/- 4 VP for winning/losing the ground war in Korea.
• +/- 4 VP for gaining/losing uncontested control of the Spratley Islands.
• +/- 6 VP for gaining/losing uncontested control of Taiwan.

4.6 US Victory

Play stops, and the US player is declared the winner, the instant there are no Chinese units anywhere on the map. Alternatively, the US player may win if his opponent concludes the overall situation will no longer allow for any kind of Chinese victory and he therefore concedes the game. Last, the US player wins the game if the Chinese player has failed to do so by the time he (the Chinese player) completes his 30th action (see 4.1 above).

4.7 Draws

Random event 3-5 / 3-6 may end the game in a draw (which should actually be interpreted as a mutual loss). Drawn games aren’t possible in any other way.

5.0 Sequence of Play

5.1 RDR is played in a sequence of steps, the outline for which is given below. Each time step III is completed, the player recording the number of Chinese actions (see 4.1) should make a hash mark on that record sheet. Each time step VI is completed, play reverts to step I and the sequence is gone through again. Repeat that sequence until one player wins, or until random event 3-5 / 3-6 forces a draw, or until the Chinese player has completed 30 actions, whichever comes first.

5.2 Sequence of Play Outline

• I. Chinese Random Event Pre-Check
• II. Chinese Random Event Resolution (if called for)
• III. Chinese Action
• IV. US Random Event Pre-Check
• V. US Random Event Resolution (if called for)
• VI. US Action

5.3 Once a step or a sub-routine within a given step has been completed by a player, no portion of it may be “taken back” or in anyway redone unless his opponent graciously gives his permission to do so.

6.0 Random Events

6.1 Random Event Pre-Checks

Each time a new step I is begun (see 5.2 above), the Chinese player should make a random events pre-check by rolling a die. If that result is a three through six, there’s no random event at that time. In that case play proceeds to step III (see section 8.0). If, however, the Chinese player’s pre-check die roll result is a one or a two, play proceeds to step II and an actual random event die roll check is made (see below, 6.3 to 6.22).

Each time a new step IV is begun (see 5.2 above), the US player should make a random events pre-check by rolling a die. If that result is a three through six, there’s no random event at that time. In that case play proceeds to step VI (see section 8.0). If, however, the US player’s pre-check die roll result is a one or a two, play proceeds to step V and an actual random event die roll check is made (see below, 6.3 to 6.22).

Note that when executing steps II or V, both players will be rolling on the same Random Events Table (see mapsheet), and it’s possible players may each roll into effect events that effect them alone, or their opponent alone, or both players together. Some events may be rolled into effect more than once, others may occur only once per game. In all cases, follow each event’s specific instructions as detailed below.

6.2 Random Event Check Procedure

Each random event check requires the rolling player to roll two dice (or one die twice). The result on the first die is set in front of that of the second die, and that combination of two numbers (from 1-1 through 6-6) is indexed against the list below to determine the particular event rolled into effect at that time. For example, a roll on the first die of “3,” followed by a roll on the second die of “5,” would bring into effect random event 3-5 / 3-6 (“Major Regional War Erupts in the Middle East”).

6.3 Random Event 1-1 / 1-2. The Philippines joins the war on the US side. Philippine units and bases are immediately available for full use according to all normal rules of play. If this event is rolled again, or if the Philippines had been earlier brought into play by other means, treat it as “no event.”

6.4 Random Event 1-3 / 1-4. British units available. The US player should immediately place all three of the British (UK) units in either Singapore—provided that nation has joined the war and is under uncontested friendly control—or Guam/Saipan. The UK force must be entered in a unitary way in one locale or the other. If neither of the those locales is available, enter the UK units in to the US & Allied Off-Map holding box. In any case, the entered UK units are immediately available for full use in subsequent actions according to all normal rules of play. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.5 Random Event 1-5 / 1-6. Singapore joins the war on the US side. That nation’s units and its territory, including the base facility, are immediately available for full use according to all normal rules of play. If this event is rolled again, or if Singapore were earlier brought into play by other means, treat it as “no event.”

6.6 Random Event 2-1 / 2-2. Vietnam enters the war on the US side. Vietnam is henceforth available for use as a US/Allied base area for naval vessels and aircraft (no ground units). If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.7 Random Event 2-3 / 2-4. Iran enters the war on the Chinese side. The US player should roll a die, halve that number and round up any remainder. That’s the number of units (one, two or three) he must now blindly draw from his reinforcement pool and send to the new Middle East front. If there are insufficient units remaining in the US reinforcement pool at this time, he must make up the difference by deliberately choosing the appropriate number of units from those already on the map. There is a chance these units may be returned to play on the map; see event 2-5 / 2-6 below. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.” Sending the drawn units to the Middle East doesn’t use up a US action.

6.8 Random Event 2-5 / 2-6 India enters the war on the US side. If this event is rolled prior to event 2-3 / 2-4, simply note that fact and do nothing else at this time. If event 2-3 / 2-4 is rolled later, the US player need not dispatch forces to the new front as described above; it’s assumed India is helping on that front. If event 2-3 / 2-4 was rolled sometime prior to rolling this event, the US player may now immediately move the forces he earlier dispatched to the Middle East into the US & Allied Off-Map Facilities holding box (and that doesn’t use up a US action).

6.9 Random Event 3-1 / 3-2. Moslems in Sinkiang revolt against the Chinese. That player should roll a die, halve that result and round up any remainder. That number (one, two or three) is the total of Chinese ground or air units he must immediately and permanently remove from the map. (He picks them deliberately.) The removed units must generally be chosen from one or more of the three areas of the Chinese mainland (and this doesn’t use up a Chinese action). If, and only if, there are insufficient units on the Chinese mainland to meet the die roll requirement for withdrawal, he must then make up the difference by similarly choosing Chinese units from elsewhere on the map. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.10 Random Event 3-3 / 3-4. Venezuela and Cuba enter the war on the Chinese side. The US player should roll a die, halve that number and round up any remainder. That’s the number of units (one, two or three) he must now blindly draw from his reinforcement pool and permanently send to the new Caribbean front (and this doesn’t use up a US action). If there are insufficient units remaining in the US reinforcement pool at this time, he must make up the difference by deliberately choosing the appropriate number of units from those already on the map. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.11 Random Event 3-5 / 3-6. A major regional war erupts in the Middle East. The Chinese player should roll a die. If that result is a six or more, that new war has gone nuclear and the upshot is the game ends in a draw. Die roll modifier: if event 2-3 / 2-4 has been rolled, add one to the die roll. Make a die roll check each time event 3-5 / 3-6 is rolled. Subsequent checks are considered to mark a further expansion of the fighting across the Middle East.

6.12 Random Event 4-1 / 4-2 / 4-3. The Chinese corporation running the Panama Canal blocks that critical transit route. The Chinese player scores one victory point. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.13 Random Event 4-4. Taiwan leaves the war. Remove all Taiwanese units from the map and award the Chinese player six VP. If this event is rolled again by either player, treat it as “no event.” Any US/Allied units that may be on Taiwan at this instant are immediately rebased to Guam/Saipan or the off-map holding box (US player’s choice on a unit-by-unit basis). That rebasing doesn’t cost the US player an action. Surrendered Taiwan is subject to possible attack and/or reinvasion by US/Allied forces.

6.14 Random Event 4-5 / 4-6. Tibet revolts against the Chinese. That player should roll a die, halve that result and round up any remainder. That number (one, two or three) is the total of Chinese ground or air units he must immediately and permanently remove from the map. (He picks them deliberately.) The removed units must generally be chosen from one or more of the three areas of the Chinese mainland (and this doesn’t use up a Chinese action). If, and only if, there are insufficient units on the Chinese mainland to meet the die roll requirement for withdrawal, he must then make up the difference by similarly choosing Chinese units from elsewhere on the map. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.15 Random Event 5-1 / 5-2 / 5-3 / 5-4. Whichever player rolled this event may conduct two actions in a row. Don’t make another random events pre-check or check at the start of the second action. This event may be rolled any number of times per game by either player. This twinned action counts as only one action for purposes of rule 4.1.

6.16 Random Event 5-5 / 5-6. The government of the player who rolled this event is floating a ‘peace feeler’ at the UN. The effect of that is to prohibit the rolling player from choosing any kind of attack as his upcoming action. This event may be rolled any number of times per game by either player.

6.17 Random Event 6-1. Russia drops out of the war. If Russia had previously been brought into the war by the Chinese player, immediately and permanently remove all those forces from the map. The Russian land area is out of play for the rest of the game; any Chinese units that may be there at this instant are immediately rebased to Northern China. That rebasing doesn’t cost the Chinese player an action. If Russia wasn’t brought into the war prior to rolling this event, Russia is now no longer eligible to be brought into the war in any way. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.18 Random Event 6-2. Japan drops out of the war. Immediately and permanently remove all that nation’s forces from the map. All four Japanese islands (Okinawa, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku) are out of play for both sides for the rest of the game; any US/Allied units that may be in those areas at this instant are immediately rebased to friendly-controlled Saipan/Guam or the off-map holding box (US player’s choice on unit-by-unit basis). That rebasing doesn’t cost the US player an action. If any Chinese ground units are on Okinawa, immediately rebase them to Northern or Central China (that player’s choice). If the Chinese player had earlier gained a VP for securing uncontested control of Okinawa, he keeps that point through the end of the game. All Japanese units and territory are permanently and fully out of play for both sides for the rest of the game. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.” Also see rule 7.12.

6.19 Random Event 6-3. Australia drops out of the war. Immediately and permanently remove all that nation’s forces from the map. If this event is rolled again, treat it as “no event.”

6.20 Random Event 6-4. The US has successfully executed a major special forces raid. That player should immediately examine the map and then eliminate any one Chinese air or naval unit from anywhere on it. If the Chinese player had begun a ground war on the Korean peninsula prior to this, and that war is still going on, the US player may choose to eliminate one North Korean air or naval unit instead. If the Chinese player had earlier brought Russia into the war, and event 6-1 hasn’t been rolled, the US player may choose to eliminate one Russian air or naval unit instead. If the elimination of a unit results in the total elimination of the Chinese garrison force on some previously invaded and conquered land area, the Chinese player keeps the VP he earned there until such time as one or more US/Allied grounds units is sent to actually reclaim the place. This event may be rolled any number of times per game.

6.21 Random Event 6-5. Successful US “Rods From God” strike. The US has successfully executed a strike with a new kinetic energy space weapon. That player should immediately examine the map and permanently eliminate any one enemy unit of any type—including ground units—from anywhere on it. The same restrictions apply as given above in 6.20, though, in regard to his ability to choose a North Korean or Russian target unit in place of a Chinese unit. This event may be rolled any number of times per game.

6.22 Random Event 6-6 The Chinese have successfully executed a major special forces raid. That player should immediately examine the map and permanently eliminate any one US, Allied, or neutral air or naval unit. In the latter case, that neutral nation immediately joins the war on the US side. If the Chinese player hadn’t yet begun a ground war on the Korean peninsula prior to this, and he now chooses to eliminate a South Korean unit, that action starts the ground war on the Korean peninsula and thereby also uses up what otherwise would’ve been the Chinese player’s next action. Units in the US & Allied Off-Map Bases holding box may not be chosen by the Chinese player. This event may be rolled any number of times per game.

6.23 Random Event Reminder Markers

An assortment of markers with abbreviated random events descriptions printed on them (see 2.15) have been provided in the counter-mix for players to use (or not) as memory aids during play. For instance, if random event 4-5 / 4-6 were rolled into effect (see 6.14), you might take the marker printed with “Tibet Revolt” and place it in one of the Chinese land areas as a reminder of that fact.

7.0 Stacking, Mobility Restrictions & Bases

7.1 “Stacking” is the term used to describe the piling of more than one friendly unit in same sea zone or land area at the same time. In general, stacking is infinite, with only three exceptions. Those exceptions are: 1) Okinawa and Singapore may never have more than three friendly ground units and three friendly aircraft units and three friendly naval vessels located in them at the same time; and 2) the corresponding limit on the Spratley Islands is one ground and one naval vessel unit. (Note there is no base facility in the Spratleys; so aircraft may never base there. Also see 9.4.) When units of the opposing sides are co-located in those restricted-stacking locales, their stacking limits are calculated exclusive of each other.

7.2 Overstacking Penalty

If either player is at any time discovered to have his forces overstacked in one or more of the three restricted-stacking land areas listed in 7.1, the penalty is the elimination of the minimum number of units (owning player’s choice) necessary to bring each such locale back into compliance with the stacking rule.

7.3 Invading Restricted-Stacking Areas

No more than three ground units may be used to launch a single amphibious invasion (Op 19; see 8.21) of Okinawa or Singapore. Similarly, no more than one ground unit may be used to launch a single amphibious invasion of the Spratley Islands. Of course, there’s no limit to the number of such operations that may be launched over the course of the game. Also note the stacking rule places no restrictions on the number of naval vessels that might support such invasions with their combat factors (see 8.21).

7.4 In general, units belonging to all three major categories of units—ground, aircraft and naval vessels—may potentially stack together in every land area and sea zone on the map. There are no ‘inland’ water bodies or exclusive land areas anywhere. For certain other mobility restrictions, all based on nationality rather than unit type, see below. Also note the nationality restrictions given below only affect the units of those particular nationalities; other units of the US/Allied side may operate normally in, out of, and through the listed locales.

7.5 Taiwanese Restrictions

Taiwanese ground units never leave that island except to go into the dead pile. Taiwanese aircraft and naval units only operate in the Taiwan Strait and/or the East China Sea.

7.6 Singaporean Restrictions

The Singaporean army never leaves that land area except to go into the dead pile. The Singaporean naval vessel and aircraft units may operate in Singapore and/or any of the sea zones bordering on that country.

7.7 Philippines Restrictions

Philippine naval vessels operate only in sea zones bordering on their islands. Philippine land units never move once placed on map except to go into the dead pile.

7.8 Korean Restrictions

North and South Korean naval vessels operate only in the Sea of Japan and/or Yellow Sea. North and South Korean naval vessels and/or aircraft may attack separately from resolution of the “big war” on that peninsula (see section 11.0), but those would be separate actions. North Korean or Russian or Chinese units never move or fight together except in trying to resolve a ground war on the peninsula. South Korean units, within the limits set out above, may cooperate normally in movement and combat with units of US and other Allied nationalities. Note that once a Korean War has begun (see op. no. 2, rule 8.4) attacks other than the all-out offensives implied by the use of op. no. 11 may be prosecuted by either side into the Koreas; however, only op. no. 11 can “win” the big Korean War

7.9 Russian Restrictions

Russian aircraft units base only out of Russia. Similarly, the only land area Russian naval vessels may enter is Russia, though they may enter any sea zones on the map within normal movement rules. Russian units of all types may attack normally into other base areas and sea zones. Russian units may never be combined into actions containing North Korean or Chinese units.

7.10 Bases

Certain land areas on the map are marked as containing aero-naval basing facilities (or simply “bases”). If you gain control of a neutral or enemy area containing a base, you thereby also gain control of that base. Bases are indestructible in game terms, and their control may change hands any number of times.

Aircraft units may operate only from land areas containing bases. Damaged US CVN units may be repaired onlyin land areas containing bases (Op. 6, see 8.8). The US player may airlift light ground units only from base area to base area (Op. 7, see 8.9).

A base within a contested area (see 3.5) is considered to still be under the control of—and therefore useable by —the player who controlled that area prior to the entry of the contesting enemy units.

7.11 Mainland China Restrictions

Ground units of the US/Allied side are never allowed to enter, or in anyway attack into, Northern China, Central China or Southern China. Naval vessels of the US/Allied side are allowed to attack into those areas, but they may never move into them. Aircraft units of the US/Allied side may both move into and attack into those three areas (within normal ops restrictions; see section 8.0).

7.12 Kyushu Strait

The Kyushu Strait governs all naval vessel movement between the Sea of Japan and the North Pacific Ocean. Accordingly, no naval vessel of the Chinese side may move directly from the Sea of Japan into the North Pacific Ocean, or vice versa, until such time as random event 6-2 (rule 6.18) has occurred. Similarly, once that random event has occurred, no naval vessels of the of US/Allied side may move through the strait in either direction for the rest of the game. (Prior to that, they may do so without hindrance.)

7.13 Sarawak & Brunei

Note that the real-world nations of Sawarak and Brunei aren’t shown as political entities separate from Borneo. That’s because within the time and space scales of this game they aren’t operatively separately from Borneo.

7.14 Indonesia

Indonesia is a neutral unless and until the PRC invades its territory. At that time, Indonesia is in the war and US/Allied side units are free to re-invade and recapture invadeable territories within the country and/or base at its ports. The PRC player may never, though, invade and occupy the port on Java.

8.0 Actions (Ops)

8.1 An “action” (also called an “op”) is the term used to describe the basic increments of movement and/or combat by which action in the game progresses. There is a total of 20 possible actions in the game. Some may be conducted only by one player or the other, while most are available to be conducted by either player. The list of available actions is summarized on the mapsheet on the Action/Op Table and all are described below in detail.

Design Note During playtesting it was found some preferred the term “action,” while others preferred the term “op.” Those preferences were held so strongly we decided not to try to force either one on our customers. Note that for all purposes, then, the two terms are entirely interchangeable: an “action” is an “op,” and an “op” is an “action.”

8.2 Each time the Chinese player begins step III in the sequence of play, he should announce to his opponent which action he’ll be conducting at that time. The US player must do the same each time he begins step VI in the sequence of play. Neither player may ever conduct operations listed as being available only to the other player. Outside of that restriction—along with the one mandated occurrence of random event 5-5 / 5-6 (see 6.16)—it’s possible for both players to pick the same action any number of times in a row. All 20 possible actions in the game are described below in detail and summarized on the Action/Op Table on the mapsheet.

8.3 Op. No. 1: Bring Russia into the War. This action may be performed once per game, and only by the Chinese player. It’s upshot is to change Russia from a (pro-Chinese) neutral into an active belligerent on the Chinese side. Also see rules 6.17 and 7.9.

8.4 Op. No. 2: Initiate a ground war in Korea. This action may be performed once per game, only by the Chinese player. Once such a war has begun, it may be ended only by the Korean Ground War Resolution Table. Note that initiating the ground war doesn’t gain the Chinese player immediate access to the resolution table. That would require a separate and subsequent action. See section 11.0 for further details.

8.5 Op. No. 3: Move a force of Chinese ground units from anywhere in China to anywhere else in China or North Korea This action may be conducted only by the Chinese player, and he may do so any number of times per game. Units sent to Korea under the provisions of this action may include Chinese airborne and/or air-assault units. Chinese ground units may be sent to North Korea prior to the initiation of a ground war there. Chinese units once in North Korea may not leave there for the duration of the game except to go into the dead pile. Also note the island of Taiwan is never considered part of “China” for purposes of this rule, even it comes under PRC control.

8.6 Op. No. 4: Move a force of airborne and/or air assault units from Central China to Taiwan. This action may only be performed once per game, and only by the Chinese player. That is, if the airborne/air-assault force is to go to Taiwan, then all of those two kinds of units in Central China at the time this op is activated must go together to Taiwan at that time. (Some airborne/air-assault units may have earlier been dispatched to Korea, Sinkiang or Tibet.) If there are any enemy ground units on Taiwan at the time of this move, that results in a mandatory (and unsupported) attack by the airborne/air-assault force on those units, which is resolved as part of this same action.

8.7 Op. No. 5: Launch and out-and-back aircraft raid from Central China to Taiwan. This action may be conducted only by the Chinese player, and he may do so any number of times per game. To do so he takes one, some, or all of the non-LR aircraft he has based in Central China at that time and temporarily moves them to Taiwan. He must then use those aircraft in an normal (and otherwise unsupported) attack on the enemy units located there. At the conclusion of that attack’s resolution (including normal return-fires), all surviving Chinese aircraft are moved back to Central China.

8.8 Op. No. 6: Repair one damaged CVN located in a friendly base area. This action may be conducted only by the US player, and he may do so any number of times per game. The damaged CVN must already be located in a friendly controlled land area containing a base. The land area may be contested at the time of the repair. Flip the unit back to its full-strength side.

8.9 Op. No. 7: Airlift one light US ground unit from any friendly base to any other friendly base This action may be conducted only by the US player, and he may do so any number of times per game. The light BCT chosen (see 2.8) may be moved from any friendly controlled land area with a base to any another friendly controlled land area with a base on the map. Such areas may be friendly-but-contested at the time of the move (see 3.5), and may also include, in either direction, the US & Allied Off-Map Base Areas holding box.

8.10 Op. No. 8: Call for reinforcements This action may be conducted only by the US player, and he may do so any number of times until his reinforcement pool (see 3.2) no longer contains any units. The US player should immediately roll a die and then blindly draw that number of units (one through six) from his reinforcement pool. Those units are then placed in the US & Allied Off-Map Bases holding box. From there they may be moved normally into play on the map in subsequent actions. All drawn CVN are received at full-step strength.

8.11 Op. No. 9: Make a diplomatic effort to get a neutral to join the war This action may be conducted only by the US player, and he may do so any number of times per game. He names aloud any one neutral nation from the following list: Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore or Malaysia, and then rolls a die. If that result is a one through three, the named nation immediately enters the war on the US side. If the result is a four through six, the nation rolled for remains neutral. Failure in one attempt doesn’t preclude later attempts to bring in the same nation. If the nation rolled for enters the war, all its land areas, bases and armed forces immediately and permanently join the US side.

8.12 Op. No. 10: Make an aerial interception of a Chinese aerial rebasing action This action may be conducted only by the US player, and he may do so any number of times per game, provided only that the Chinese action carried out just prior to this one was an op. no. 16 (see below, 8.18) or op. no. 18 (see below, 8.20). If that Chinese aircraft move took those planes over or adjacent to one or more land areas or sea zones containing US aircraft and/or CVN, those US units (not Allied) may make one combined, and otherwise unsupported and normally resolved, attack on those Chinese aircraft. When intercepting a Chinese op. no. 18, the US interception effort is resolved prior to the surviving Chinese or Russian LR aircraft being allowed to make their strike.

8.13 Op. No. 11: Attempt to resolve a previously begun ground war in Korea. This action may be conducted by either player, potentially any number of times per game. It can’t be conducted, however, until after the Chinese player has declared op. no. 2 (see above, 8.4). Further note that once the ground war in Korea has been resolved (see section 11.0) another one can’t be initiated there during the course of the same game.

8.14 Op. No. 12: Move a force of naval vessels from a base area to a neighboring sea zone. This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. If such a move takes a force of naval vessels into a sea zone containing enemy units, combat may result as part of the same action. See sections 9.0 and 10.0 for more details.

8.15 Op. No. 13: Move a force of naval vessels from a sea zone into a neighboring friendly controlled or contested land area. This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. If such a move takes a force of naval vessels into a land area containing enemy units, an attack by the moving vessels may be conducted as part of that same action. Further, that attack may include the participation of some or all of the other friendly units that may happen to have already been in that land area when the moving ships arrived.

8.16 Op. No. 14: Move a force of naval vessels from one sea zone to a neighboring sea zone This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. Moves between zones connected only at corner points are allowed, as are skip-moves through Okinawa, Singapore and Spratleys if you control or contest them. See 9.3 for more details. If such a move takes a force of naval vessels into a sea zone containing enemy units, an attack by the moving vessels may be conducted as part of that same action. Further, that attack may include the participation of some or all of the other friendly units that may happen to have already been in that zone when the moving ships arrived.

8.17 Op. No. 15: Use naval vessels in any one sea zone to attack the enemy units in that same zone or in a land area bordering that zone This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. See section 10.0 for more details. If such an attack is made into a contested land area, it may not include the participation of any of the friendly units in that land area.

8.18 Op. No. 16: Rebase aircraft from one friendly base area to another friendly base area. This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. The move may be over any distance but, in the case of Chinese-side rebasings, it must still be traced area-by-area and/or zone-by-zone across the map in order to allow for the possibility of the US player immediately calling an op. no. 10 (see above, 8.12). The US player need not make such tracings; he simply conducts the rebasing. For both players, the take-off base area may be contested, but the receiving base area may not be. The US player may use his side’s Off-Map Bases holding box as either the takeoff or landing point for his rebasings. Note that rebasing units may perform no combat, offensive or defensive, as part of their rebasing operation. That is, intercepted Chinese rebasing units don’t get to fire back at the US/Allied units intercepting them.

8.19 Op. No. 17: Use aircraft in one base area to attack enemy naval vessels in one neighboring sea zone This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. See section 10.0 for more details. If such an attack is made into a contested sea zone, it may not, as part of the same action, include the participation of any of the friendly naval vessels in that same zone.

8.20 Op. No. 18: Move long range (LR) aircraft anywhere on-map and conduct an attack. This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. Chinese-side LR can’t reach the US & Allied Off-Map holding box. Return Chinese LR aircraft to their originating base area, which must always be in one of the three Chinese land areas. Russian LR aircraft always base out of Russia. US LR aircraft are always based in that side’s off-map holding box. Neither side may ever combine an LR aircraft attack with participation by any other of their forces. Chinese-side LR moves are susceptible to US interception, and those interceptions are resolved prior to resolving the attack of the moving Chinese LR aircraft (see above, 8.12). One activation of this op doesn’t necessarily allow all the LR aircraft of that side to fly to and attack different targets; it allows any number of LR aircraft then co-located in one base area, to fly to and attack one-and-the-same target.

8.21 Op. No. 19: Use ground forces at sea in any one sea zone to make an amphibious invasion of any one invasion-susceptible enemy land area bordering that zone This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. Note the Chinese player may also choose to invade an invasion-susceptible neutral, thereby instantly bringing that nation into the game on the US side. Invasions may also include, within the same action, the combat participation of friendly naval vessels, as long as they’re located in the same sea zone as the invading ground units. Note that only certain areas on the map are identified as being susceptible to amphibious invasion. That restriction holds for both players. Areas not susceptible to amphibious invasion may never be moved into the other category; though that will not necessarily shield such places from being involved in other aspects of the game.

8.22 Op. No. 20: Use a force already in a contested land area to attack the enemy force within that same area This action may be conducted by either player any number of times per game. See section 10.0 for more details.

9.0 Movement

9.1 In general, movement takes place between contiguous land areas and/or sea zones within the parameters of the actions detailed in section 8.0. Except as given in 8.9, 8.18 and 8.20 for the US player, and as given in 8.5, 8.6 and 8.7 for the Chinese player, no ‘skipping over’ of land areas or sea zones is permitted during any move.

9.2 Diagonal Sea Zone Moves OK

Diagonal moves—that is, moves from one sea zone to another when they’re touching only at one corner point—are allowed just as if the two zones were connected along a linear border.

9.3 Island Skip-Moves

Provided you control, or your ground forces are ashore contesting that control, it’s allowed for your naval vessels to make “skip-moves” through Okinawa, Singapore and the Spratleys. That is, for example, naval vessels may, in one movement operation, go directly from any one of the sea zones bordering on those island locales to any other of those bordering sea zones.

9.4 Spratley Island Special Status

The control of the Spratley Islands is today a matter of international dispute. To reflect that in the game, the Spratleys are the one “neutral” land area on the map open to US/Allied occupation prior to Chinese entry there. That is, the Spratleys are open to entry by both sides’ forces from the very start of the game. Note, however, the VP for the Spratleys don’t come into play in any way unless and until the Chinese once gain uncontested control of the place.

9.5 Land-Based Aircraft

The aircraft units in the game are all land-based. They may only ever operate from land areas containing base facilities and, on the US side, the US & Allied Off-Map Bases holding box. In general, then, the non-LR aircraft in the game will only move to rebase (op 16, see 8.18). Emergency rebasing is mandatory (but doesn’t use up an action) when your ground forces lose control of their base area to enemy ground units. Other aircraft movement across the map will occur during execution of op. no. 5 (see 8.7) and op. no. 18 (see 8.20).

9.6 Naval Vessels in Land Areas

In general, bases aren’t as important for naval vessels in this game as they would be in games covering an earlier era of warfare. That’s because the ships represented by counters in the game are fueled and provisioned so as to be able to remain at sea during pretty much the entire portion of the war covered here. The advantage of moving ships into a land area—in other words, to deploy close-in along their coasts and/or to go into port—comes with activations of op 6 (see 8.8) as well as ops 13 and 20 (see 815 and 8.22). Note, however, there is also a disadvantage to such naval in-shore deployments (see 10.5). Also note that ships in a land area are also subject to emergency rebasing in case of certain combat and/or random events.

9.7 Emergency Rebasing Procedures

Whenever emergency rebasing is called for, players should first check to see if a specific location is mandated to receive those rebasing units (see 6.17 and 6.18). If so, the rebasing units go there. In other circumstances, when specific receiving locations aren’t called for, the player owning the rebasing units should move them to the nearest friendly-controlled or contested base area (consider that all to be one category). If two or more such areas appear roughly equidistant, the opposing player makes the call. Chinese emergency rebasings aren’t subject to US interceptions.

9.8 Light Ground Units at Sea

To go to sea (and potentially remain there any length of time), a light ground unit need only be flipped over so its reverse side, printed “At Sea” shows upward. That means its been put aboard smaller transport vessels that aren’t themselves represented by counters in the game. The only limit is neither side may ever have more than three “At Sea” units deployed in the water at any one time (figure their two limits separately). Also note flipping over to their “At Sea” side isn’t a separate action, it’s simply a part of moving out to sea (perhaps accompanied by other naval vessels). While at sea, light ground units are for all movement and combat purposes considered surface ships with combat factors of all zeroes. Note, too, that “At Sea” ground units are “protected targets” (see 10.4).

9.9 Heavy Ground Units at Sea

Heavy ground units may only go to sea in amphibious transport ships (Amph) of their own side. Each such Amph unit can carry up to three heavy units (any combination of types). To show a heavy unit is being transported by an Amph unit, place the ground unit beneath the Amph unit’s counter. Also note boarding an Amph unit isn’t a separate action, it’s simply a part of moving them out to sea (perhaps accompanied by other naval vessels). While at sea, heavy ground units are for all movement and combat purposes considered an inseparable part of the Amph unit transporting them. That is, if their Amph unit comes under attack, no separate attacks are made against the transported ground units; they simply and fully share the fate of that Amph unit. Note, too, that Amph units are “protected targets” (see 10.4).

Units may remain on Amph units at sea for any length of time. Whenever an Amph unit transporting ground units moves into a land area, the ground units it’s carrying are considered instantly unloaded as part of that same movement action. If/when an Amph unit is used to deliver ground units to an amphibious invasion (that is, to either an enemy controlled or contested land area), that Amph unit is not subject to return fire from the enemy units defending there during that one action.

10.0 Combat

10.1 In general, combat is voluntary, and it generally only occurs between opposing units in the same sea zone or land area. Combat is mandatory when conducting: 1) a first-ashore amphibious invasion; or 2) a Chinese airborne/air-assault move to Taiwan; and 3) Chinese land-based air move-and-attack to Taiwan. A “first ashore amphibious invasion” refers to any time the entry of your ground units into an enemy controlled land area represents your only ground unit presence in that place at that time. The details of numbers two and three above are given in 8.6 and 8.7, respectively.

At other times, combat may occur (active player’s choice) whenever a move action takes moving forces into a sea zone or land area occupied by one or more enemy units. In those cases, that combat would be up to you: it is allowed for opposing units to co-exist indefinitely within the same land areas and/or sea zones. Note, too, that if you moved ground units into a land area occupied only by opposing aircraft and/or naval vessels, there would be no combat—those enemy units would simply be forced to make an emergency rebasing as you moved in.

Combat may occur across zone/area boundary lines only within the provisions of ops 15 and 17 (see 8.17 and 8.19, respectively).

10.2 Combat Procedure

Units register their participation in combat, both offensively and defensively, by firing at opposing enemy units. In each combat, a participating unit may fire at any one opposing unit. In turn, each of your firing units may be fired at by one or more opposing units in that same battle. In general, it’s impossible for either player to withhold units from participating in a battle going on within its zone or area; however, note the important exception described below in rule 10.4.

All fire within a given battle is considered to be taking place simultaneously within and between both sides. Thus there’s no advantage to rolling your combat resolution die rolls before the other player. All combat dice are rolled, and their results noted, before any unit reductions or eliminations take place. See 2.11 for more procedural description.

For formality’s sake, the player who conducted the action that resulted in the combat about to be resolved should be allowed to fire first. Within the strictures of the protected target rule (10.4) you may assign more than one of your units to attack the same enemy unit. If, however, your first, or one of your early hits, succeeded in eliminating the multi-targeted enemy unit, you’re not then allowed to reassign your ‘overkill’ units—they’ve simply been wasted as far as that battle goes.

Also note there are never any multi-round battles. Each involved unit on both sides is allowed to fire once, and that battle is then over until some new action allows it to be fought again.

10.3 US CVN

Due to their extreme size and super hi-tech characteristics, special combat rules apply to all US CVN. That is, it takes two hits to sink a full-strength US CVN. They are the only two-hit naval vessels in the game. Register the first hit on a CVN by flipping it over so its damaged side shows upward (the side with the lower combat factors). Damaged CVN remain damaged until repaired under the provisions of op 6 (see 8.8), or until fully and finally sunk by a subsequent hit.

Further, all Chinese-side aircraft decrease their ‘to hit’ number by one when attacking a CVN. That is, for example, aircraft with anti-surface ship combat factors of “3” would, in effect, only have anti-surface ship combat factors of “2” when attacking CVN, and that remains true even when a targeted CVN is damaged. Further, CVN are “protected targets” (see below).

10.4 Protected Targets

US CVN, as well as both sides’ “At Sea” light ground units, and both sides Amph naval vessels (along with the heavy ground units they may be transporting), are together considered “protected targets” when receiving enemy fire in combat. That is, no protected target may be attacked unless every other non-protected-category surface ship in the same zone or area is also being attacked by at least one enemy unit.

10.5 Naval Vessels in Land Areas

Whenever naval vessels are in a land area, all enemy units attacking them have their hit number increased by one (except for hit numbers of five, which can never be increased to six or more). This modifier is cumulative with all other applicable positive or negative modifiers, but never beyond five.

10.6 US Stealth Aircraft (Stl)

Several US aircraft in the game are identified as stealthy (“Stl”). That means that whenever they’re fired at by enemy units of any kind, the “to hit” number of those firing enemy units is reduced to “1.” Carefully note: they’re not reduced by one, they’re reduced to one.

11.0 War in Korea

11.1 Any major new ground war in Korea would be fought at a scale incongruent with the rest of the activity in the game. Once such a conflict is started in a match of RDR, then, it’s resolved using its own rules sub-set, which is presented below in this section.

11.2 Initial Korean Situation

At the start of each game there’s no war going on in Korea. Until such time as there is, no North or South Korean units may be moved or used in any kind of attack by either player. Prior to an outbreak of war, though, it’s permitted for US (but not other Allied) units to move into and/or out of, and/or remain in, South Korea and the same is true for Chinese (but not Russian) units in North Korea. Again, though, while peace lasts on the peninsula, no attacks by either side may originate from the Koreas. In effect, North Korea starts the game as a “pro-Chinese neutral,” and South Korea starts as a “pro-US neutral.”

11.3 Starting a Korean War

War starts on the Korean peninsula when/if the Chinese player announces he’s conducting op. no. 2 (see 8.4). Once op. no. 2 has been initiated, it remains in effect until such time as the new Korean War is resolved using the rules presented below in this section. The Chinese player is never compelled to choose op. no. 2, nor is the US player ever allowed to do so. Also note that initiating op. no. 2 is an action by itself. That is, starting the war doesn’t allow the Chinese player to also begin resolving the conflict as part of that same action declaration.

11.4 Resolving a Korean War

Once the Chinese player has declared op. no. 2, either player is thereafter free to choose, at the proper time in the play sequence—step III for the Chinese player and step VI for the US player—op. no. 11 (see 8.13). That having been done, both players should refer to the Korean War Resolution Table printed on the mapsheet and follow the instructions given there. Note neither player is ever required to initiate an op. no. 11 simply because op. no. 2 was earlier initiated. Once the “big war” has begun in Korea, through the Chinese declaration of op. no. 2, it may only be ended (resolved) by the use of op. no. 11. Even if it somehow comes to pass that only one side has units in one of the Koreas, the “big war” still goes on, and its VP award remains unclaimed, until such time as that conflict is finally and fully resolved through the use of op. no. 11.

11.5 Die Roll Modifiers

Prior to rolling a Korean War resolution die, the Chinese player should add up all the Chinese and North Korean anti-ground combat factors he has in North Korea. He should then also add in all the anti-ground combat factors available from Chinese aircraft in Northern China, and then combine that number with the first total. While he’s doing that, the US player should add up all the US and South Korean anti-ground combat factors available in South Korea, and then also add in all the anti-ground combat factors from any and all friendly aircraft on Honshu and Kyushu, along with the anti-ground combat factors of any US CVN in the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan.

A -1 (minus-one) die roll modifier (DRM) is accrued for every five US-side factors counted in the process described above. Partials don’t count. That is, for example, if the US player had 13 factors, he’d thereby get a -2 (minus-two) DRM. A +1 (plus-one) DRM is accrued for every five Chinese-side factors counted in the process described above. Partials don’t count. That is, for example, if the Chinese player had 16 factors, he’d thereby get a +3 (plus-three) DRM. The two DRM amounts are then combined to create one final DRM. To extend the example from above, in this situation the final DRM would be +1 (plus-one).

The player who activated this particular Korean War resolution operation (op. no. 11) would then roll a die and apply that final DRM. That final result is then checked and applied by both players, and any called for ground unit eliminations are made. Each player eliminates his own side’s units as he chooses.

11.6 Korean War Final Resolution

If any run-through of op. no. 11 by either player gives a result of zero or less or seven or more, that war-within-a-war is over. If the Chinese player wins the Korean War, he gains four VP (see 4.5). If the Chinese player loses the Korean War, he loses four VP (see 4.5). The winning side remains unable to redeploy any of its ground units out of Korea for the rest of the game. At the same time, though, the winning side’s aircraft and naval vessels are thereafter able to move into the conquered/liberated portion of Korea and make use of the base facility there. Once a Korean ground war has been resolved, neither side may introduce new ground units into the peninsula; however, air and/or naval attacks may still be made into the peninsula from outside of it. Those latter operations, though, would be conducted using normal combat rules, not those of op. no. 11. Also note that if both sides simultaneously lose all their units in Korea during an op. 11 resolution attempt, but that same result doesn’t award a “win” to one side or the other, the Korean war continues until either the game’s end, in which case no VP are awarded for Korea, or until one or both players can bring in fresh units and again attempt op 11.

12.0 Designer’s & Developer’s Notes

12.1 Designer’s Notes

When, early in 2005, I first conceived of the design that’s now become Red Dragon Rising, I imagined a strategic/operational game of moderate complexity on a hypothetical future history conflict between the US and the Peoples Republic of China. The war would be fought for mastery of the Western Pacific, taking place sometime around on or before 2015. I adopted simple combat mechanics, stressing the “see it is to kill it” maxim of modern conflict between two high-tech forces. Intelligence, command, movement and logistics are governed by the action sequence mechanic. Combined air/sea/land operations are emphasized.

As the game is primarily a naval one—though with important air and land sub-systems—I consulted with all the experienced nautical hands I could find and gained important information in the process. It’s now obvious the PRC has been engaged in a far more rapid military build-up than was previously suspected, with over 100 surprises US intelligence has admitted to in the last several months. The game has benefited tremendously from that new information, and random events are improved over the earlier version of the design. The orders of battle were also much improved, and the overall system has been smoothed out.

It’s neither easy nor safe to create a “future history” game, but this one’s been fun to do nevertheless. I have taken pains to do my best and I believe that, with the help of the experienced Decision Games team, RDR will offer both a fun and challenging gaming experience easily accessible to all hobbyists, as well as providing food for serious thought about the dangers inherent in our republic’s near future.

12.2 Developer’s Notes

When Bruce Costello turned over this project to me, his Sino-American War was—systemically speaking—suspended (or so it seemed to me) about halfway between War at Sea and Sixth Fleet. (And when I refer to Sixth Fleet, I mean Victory Games’ complex boxed version, not the earlier, much simpler, old-SPI flat-box edition.) Having at that time just recently completed work on my own Nine Navies War design, itself a straight-up War at Sea adaptation, it was therefore easy and obvious for me to decide on the direction I would take to develop Bruce’s work into finished product for S&T. In RDR, then, I’ve extended the chronological reach of the classic War at Sea system from the era of the World Wars into that of the first quarter of this young century, along with one important mechanic from Victory in Normandy.

The War at Sea system has numerous advantages, from both a marketing perspective and—perhaps surprisingly to some of you—as a tool for strategic analysis of a potential near-future conflict. In the marketing sense it’s superb in that it’s a system well liked even by many who don’t generally play naval games. In the analytic sense it’s again excellent in that its mechanisms allow for handling a great deal of data and sub-routines in ways that are at once strategically accurate, easy to administer, and dramatic good fun to play. To give one example: the processes of one side or the other gaining an intelligence advantage, as well as the resolution of electronic and cyber warfare, can be dealt with here in the form of a random event that allows one player to execute two actions before his opponent can respond with an opposing action.

At the same time, scenario alteration and new scenario generation are easy. To extend the above example: the intel-related procedures in the game are based on the idea two roughly symmetric hi-tech forces would be engaged against each other in this war, with both sides playing every card they have in an all-out effort to get themselves ‘inside the command loop’ of their opponent. With that kind of universal and ferocious competition going on, the overall intelligence war can be viewed as a substrate propping up the entire rest of the design. In real-world terms, that would mean planners on both sides—at tactical, operational and strategic levels—would be unable to depend on having the intel advantage. Thus such an edge would have to be looked on as a “random event,” to be used to maximum advantage whenever it unexpectedly became available, but not something on which the planning for any operation could be made to hinge (see random event 5-1/ 5-2/ 5-3/ 5-4).

Even more, if you disagree with that assessment, believing one side or the other would indeed have the advantage in the intelligence realm, the system still makes it supremely easy for you to substitute that outlook in place of the one presented in the rules. For instance, if you think the US would have a large intelligence advantage, just change the application of the random event such that, whichever player rolls it, the double-action always goes to the US side.

In that same way, other types of scenario generation and modification are also easy and quick to implement. For instance, if you don’t believe the Russian ruling elite—despite their increasingly angry anti-US rhetoric—would actually take their nation into a war against us, then simply don’t use that nation’s force’s in the game.

The system is in all ways easily adaptable to change as new data come in and the real-world situation evolves. That advantage then also rebounds to the marketing side in that it also gives the design a potential for a longer play life. There is no reason everyone who plays the game shouldn’t tailor their experiences with it so as to perfectly mirror their own geo-strategic and ideological outlooks.

At the tactical level the system works well to point up the dramatic superiority of the US Navy’s CVNs vis a vis everything else at sea. At the same time, though, the system also demonstrates “superior” doesn’t mean “unsinkable.” Stealth capabilities, yet another sub-system with the potential to turn into a procedural nightmare, is also easily handled (and—again—is also easily modified). Some of the other questions that came up during development and playtesting were as follows.

Why no Indonesian and Vietnamese units? Indonesian forces are too scattered and technologically backward to make a noticeable contribution to this war’s opening stage. The Vietnamese armed forces are considered to be—if that nation enters the war—inescapably and fully engaged against the Chinese along their mutual border.

Why no deliberate mechanism for the US or Chinese player to go to nukes? My feeling is, if the two sides in this war start throwing nukes at each other—even just ‘small’ tactical ones—the conflict would quickly move beyond the bounds presented here. The Chinese wouldn’t be starting this war as one of general world conquest; they have specific geo-strategic goals—none of which are likely to have their achievement facilitated by such escalation. Similarly, the US ruling elite—though certainly engaged here to a degree that goes beyond the “limited war” doctrine that’s held sway among them since 1950—would still be unlikely to see their overall survival as being directly at stake here. The conventional strikes the game allows to be made into Chinese mainland “base areas” would be precision affairs, aimed at specific military targets, rather than at creating general mayhem and destruction within the populace and economy. All that having been said, though, note random event 3-5 / 3-6, as well as the danger of a broadened war if Russia is brought into play. (And—yet again—also keep in mind your own ability to alter the “no-nukes” approach in any way you like.)

What’s THE basic assumption of the game? My study of current Chinese military planning and preparation has led me to the conclusion any such war as envisioned here would have to start with a PRC attack on Taiwan, with the first blow delivered via a massive cruise missile and UCAV barrage. That barrage is therefore taken as Chinese ‘op zero,’ executed just prior to the actual start of play. Were that not the case, each of the Taiwanese ground units would start with three steps instead of two.

Why the 30-Chinese-Action-Limit? Admittedly, that rule conflicts somewhat with the general approach taken in the rest of the system. I put the limit in, though, to keep the Chinese player from adopting a come-and-get-me strategy in the game, which would be unsupportable in the real world once the decision had been taken in Peking to go to war. The Chinese are ‘on the clock’ here in the sense they’re starting a war in which their goal is to overturn the geo-strategic status quo in the Western Pacific without, at the same time, plunging the globe into some broader out-of-control conflict. The pressure is therefore on them to achieve their objectives before enough time goes by to allow for broader political, economic, and social variables to come into play. Figuring, then, one action-set can be taken to roughly equal the passage of one day, I figured one month is about the maximum amount of time the Chinese could count on to be able to operate more or less freely within their overall strategic scheme. Also, playtesting showed that after about 30 actions both players were covered in sweat, had blood coming out their ears and noses, and had exhausted their adrenaline supply. So, again, 30 seemed a good cut-off point.

Can you offer any strategy tips? At the start of play the US has conceded the initiative to the Chinese. That fact is unalterable. The US player, then, must initially use his actions simply to counter—as best as possible—the initial strategic efforts of his opponent. Don’t be fooled by the fact the action rapidly flips back and forth between the players. If you end up wasting actions on peripheral operations, wild gambits, etc., make no mistake: you will lose against competent, methodic Chinese play. You must first stand against, and then break, the opening Chinese assault—only then go over to the strategic counteroffensive. On the Chinese side, attack massively from the start and keep that up as long as possible, but don’t do so in random directions: plan your work, then work your plan. The neutralization of Taiwan is the primary early task, but don’t let it blind you to other possibilities. For instance, always send out some kind of expedition (containing at least one “at sea” land unit) toward the Spratley Islands as soon as possible. One brigade at the right place at the right time can make all the difference. In Korea, in most games, it will be best to ignite the big ground war: your timing in doing that will again, though, mean everything.

Are there sources you’d recommend to aid with further background study and scenario generation? Check out the following two books.

Babbin, Jed & Edward Timperlake. Showdown: Why China Wants War With the United States. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2006. ISBN:

1-59698-005-2. This volume would be especially valuable to those looking for ideas for further scenario generation.

Menges, Constantine C. China: The Gathering Threat. Nashville. TN: Nelson Current, 2005. ISBN: 1-5955-5005-4. This book is particularly strong on the Russian connection.