The game uses a simple Map that represents the battlefield. Each Mission sets objectives to reach, and you are responsible for choosing the best units to achieve them. A simple Artificial Intelligence (AI) system activates the Enemy units, and the placement of Event markers on the Map introduces the "Fog of War", with uncertainty and suspense.
1.1 Components
This rulebook.
An eight-page Mission booklet.
Four Army Cards, representing the main factions of the Second World War in the Pacific.
A master copy of the Unit Roster (on the back of this manual), so that you can photocopy it at will (a few more Unit Rosters are at the end of this rulebook).
Three simplified Maps (a green topographic map with 6 numbered stripes).
An example with three squads and their Equipment, and their division into Groups (on the back of one of the Maps).
39 Unit markers.
46 administrative markers.
1.2 What the Player Needs
Five six-sided dice (D6). Where the rules ask you to roll 1d3, roll 1d6 and divide the result by 2 (rounding up).
An opaque container for drawing markers at random (a plastic cup or a small velvet bag, such as those used for liquor bottles, will also do).
1.3 Conventions and Abbreviations
1d6: a standard six-sided die.
ATTRIBUTE: unit attributes are listed in italic letters.
AD (Action Dice): used when activating your units (see 3.2).
AP (Action Points): used to build your squad at the start of the Mission (see 2.2).
BAP (Bonus Action Points): see 3.2.
BP (Build Points): used to create your squad at the start of the Mission (see 2.2).
CF (Combat Factor): the modified result of the dice (DRM) rolled in combat (see 3.4).
DRM (Dice Roll Modifier): a number (positive or negative) that is added to the result of the dice.
EM (Event Marker): the brown markers with a question mark on one side and a white number on the other (the source says "see 2.11"; the placement rules are in 2.1.2, and section 2.11 does not exist in the source).
HMG: Heavy Machine Gun.
LMG: Light Machine Gun.
MARKER: the names on the markers are written in capital letters.
RP (Recon Points): see 3.7.
1.4 Units
Each unit in the game has the following information:
Army: each unit belongs to one of the three Armies (United States, Commonwealth or Japan), and the unit markers have the colour and symbol of the Army to which they belong.
Name: a short description of the unit and/or its equipment.
ID: a letter used to identify the unit. Each unit is represented on the Map by a marker with the corresponding ID.
Unless otherwise specified, all units have a Morale of 3. Veteran units have a Morale of 2, while inexperienced units have a Morale of 4.
Some events and actions may require a unit to make a Morale Check. In these cases, roll 1d6: if the result is equal to or greater than the unit's Morale, the check is passed.
1.5 The Map
The Map is divided into six horizontal stripes, numbered from 1 to 6, and they are referred to in the rules by putting a # before their number. So stripe #1 normally represents the Enemy area, while stripe #6 is the entry point for your troops. Movement is always carried out by moving units from one stripe to another.
A note "previous stripe" indicates the preceding stripe in numerical order (that is, the one above). For example, if an event was activated in stripe #3 and refers to the "previous stripe", then the latter will be stripe #2. Exception: if you have units in stripe #1 and a rule refers to the "previous stripe", then stripe #1 is always considered.
1.6 Terrain
Terrain is represented on the Map by Terrain markers. There are two types of Terrain markers:
Base Terrain markers: represent a type of terrain that applies to the whole stripe (for example, JUNGLE). Each unit on a stripe with a Base Terrain marker will be affected by the effects of that terrain (for example, COVER, difficult movement). Unless otherwise indicated, a Base Terrain marker always blocks Line of Sight (see 1.6.3).
Terrain Feature markers (identified by a red dot on the marker): these represent a specific element on the terrain (for example: BUILDING), which offers cover only to a limited number of units. Terrain Feature markers never block Line of Sight. Each Terrain Feature marker can support only one Group of a maximum of four units of the same side (Friendly or Enemy). Enemy units occupy a Terrain Feature marker only when indicated by the Mission Card, while your units can occupy a Terrain Feature marker by moving onto it. If you form a Group, create a stack of your unit markers. When that Group moves, move its stack to another stripe and, if it enters a Terrain Feature marker, place it on top.
TN (Target Number): see 1.4. (The source's abbreviation list glosses TN as "Terrain Number" and points to section 3.0, which does not exist; the body text uses TN as the Target Number throughout, so the body usage is followed here.)
The number in the bottom right corner of the Terrain marker represents its Cover Factor. During combat this value is added to the TN of the units inside it.
1.6.1 Terrain List
OPEN: no impact on the game.
JUNGLE: TN +1 to all units in the stripe.
DEEP JUNGLE: TN +1 to units in the stripe. 2 AP to enter. Enemy units revealed in a Deep Jungle (as a result of an Event marker) or that start in a Deep Jungle are considered HIDDEN.
RIVER: TN -1 to all units in the stripe. Stripes with a river are not counted when calculating Distance. A unit cannot gain a COVER marker while it is in a River stripe. Recovery is not possible in a River stripe. Creating Groups is not permitted either.
Stripe #3 contains a River marker. A unit in stripe #2 considers a target in stripe #4 as if it were at Distance 1.
SEA: units in this stripe are always considered a single Group landing from a Landing Craft.
SHALLOW WATER: TN -1 to all units in the stripe. A unit cannot gain a COVER marker while it is in a Shallow Water stripe. Recovery is not possible in Shallow Water. Creating Groups is not permitted either. Only Rifle and SMG units can fire from Shallow Water, but with a DRM -1. (Printed as "DMR -1" in the source; read here as DRM, the term used everywhere else.)
BEACH: in a Beach stripe it is not possible to place any Terrain Feature marker. On the Beach units cannot perform a Hide action. To leave a Beach, Vehicles need 2 AP or 1 BAP.
TREE: TN +1 to units adjacent to this Terrain Feature.
FOX HOLE (trench): TN +1 to units adjacent to this Terrain Feature.
VILLAGE: TN +2 to all units in the stripe.
BUILDING: TN +2 to units adjacent to this Terrain Feature marker.
FIELD: TN +1 to all units in the stripe, but only in an attack at Distance 1 or greater.
HILL: TN +1 to all units in the stripe during attacks at Distance 1 or greater (units in a Hill stripe have a clear Line of Sight to any unit on the Map and vice versa, ignoring the presence of Base Terrain markers).
1.6.2 Barbed Wire
Barbed Wire is normally placed on the Map as a result of resolving an Event marker. Use an OBSTACLE marker to represent Barbed Wire and place it near the Group that caused the Event to be resolved.
As long as it is near Barbed Wire, a unit cannot perform any action except Movement. Spend one Action Point on the Movement action to allow the Group an attempt to remove the OBSTACLE marker.
To attempt to remove a Barbed Wire marker, roll 1d6. With a result of 4 or more the OBSTACLE marker is removed. By spending a Bonus Action Point (BAP) you gain a die modifier (DRM) of +2. While it is near Barbed Wire, a Group has a +1 modifier in any attack against it (this DRM is cumulative with other modifiers).
1.6.3 Line of Sight
Units in the same stripe or in an adjacent one can always see each other.
Units two or more stripes apart can see each other only if no stripe separating them contains a Base Terrain marker.
Example: stripe #4 contains a Base Terrain marker "Village". A unit in stripe #3 cannot see a unit in stripe #5 (and vice versa) because the intervening stripe blocks Line of Sight.
2 Sequence of Play
A game always follows these steps:
Mission Preparation
Squad Selection
Mission Resolution
Mission Debrief (Campaign mode only)
2.1 Preparing the Mission
Choose one of the available Missions: in this game there are eight, each of which is described in the Mission Booklet. If this is your first game, we recommend starting with Mission #1.
Follow the instructions for preparing the chosen Mission (usually, to prepare the Event markers you will need to read 2.1.1), which are found in the notes box at the top right of each Mission Card.
Place the Game Turn marker in the space on the Turn Track that corresponds to the number of turns available for the chosen Mission. The Turn Track is at the bottom of each Mission Card.
Example: if the Mission Card specifies 12 turns ("Game Turns: 12"), then the Turn marker is placed on the space "12" on the Turn Track.
2.1.1 Preparing the Terrain
Prepare the Terrain: roll 1d6 for each stripe and determine the type of terrain by consulting the Terrain table on the Mission Card. Then place the corresponding Terrain marker on that stripe.
2.1.2 Placing the Event Markers
Put in an opaque container the Event markers specified in the Event Table on the Mission Card. Then draw them at random and place them face down following the Mission's instructions (usually one marker in each stripe). Discard any remaining Event markers (if any are left), without looking at them.
2.2 Squad Selection
Choose one of the available Armies, then choose an Enemy Army to face. Take an empty Unit Roster to record your units.
In Rifles in the Pacific the following Armies are available; in brackets you will find the Enemy Armies you can face, matched as follows:
Japan (possible enemies: USA, Commonwealth)
America (possible enemy: Japan)
Commonwealth (possible enemy: Japan)
The Army Card contains all the information required to use it, including the details of the units and the tables needed to generate the Enemy forces.
Each Army provides a maximum value of Build Points (BP) that you can use to create your Squad, printed directly under the name of the Army's nationality on its card. Some Missions provide additional BP or specific types of units.
Choose your units using the available BP (see the units section on the Army Card) and their equipment (see the equipment section on the Army Card): for each unit chosen, write its name on the Unit Roster (which often corresponds to the weapon used), then choose a marker that represents that unit. Write the corresponding ID (the letter in the top left corner of the marker) on the Unit Roster.
Example: we start a new Mission by checking the German forces. Our Army provides 10 BP, which we will use to create a squad in line with the historical order of battle. The chosen equipment can be distributed freely among your units: the notes in the equipment section of the Army Card define the limits of that distribution.
[Table from the source, "Example squad", reproduced as text:]
BP
Unit/Eq Name
Designation
ID
Equipment
1
SMG
Leader
Grenade
1
Rifle
Asst Leader
Grenade
3
LMG
Gunner
1
Rifle
Rifleman
Grenade
1
Rifle
Rifleman
Grenade
1
Rifle
Rifleman
Grenade
1
Rifle
Rifleman
Grenade
6x
Grenades
Equipment
(The example table in the source has no letter IDs printed in the ID column; they are left blank here.)
2.3 Mission Resolution
Unless the Mission rules say otherwise, place your units at the bottom of the Map, immediately below stripe #6. For movement, this special entry area is adjacent to stripe #6, but your units cannot fire or be attacked while they are in this position (off the Map). At this point you can begin the first Game Turn. Repeat the Turn procedure until you have achieved the Mission Objective or you have lost the Mission (see Section 9).
3 The Game Turn
During each Turn you must follow the next sequence of steps:
Creating Groups
Activating Friendly Units
Enemy Presence Check
Activating Enemy Units
Advancing the Game Turn marker
3.1 Creating Groups
At the start of each Turn your units in the same stripe may be divided to form one or more Groups of adjacent units (NOTE: you cannot Redeploy units that are located in a stripe with a SHALLOW WATER marker or a RIVER marker). In a Turn, a Group can be activated as a single entity, regardless of the number of units it contains.
Groups are also created in the first Turn of the game, before entering the Map; they will then move as a single Group.
Every Enemy unit is always deployed as a single Group, unless specified otherwise.
Exception: units with the VEHICLE attribute cannot be part of a Group (they instead form a single Group consisting only of the Vehicle itself).
Groups in combat. Combat is always resolved by targeting a specific Group: only the units belonging to the Target Group will be affected by the outcome of that combat. In particular, weapons with the AREA EFFECT will hit every unit belonging to the Target Group.
Note: creating Groups allows you to activate several units by spending only one Action Point (see below), so this is an important element for game strategy. Single units are ineffective, and Groups of more than five units tend to be harder to control. It may help to have Groups of a maximum of three or four soldiers. Historically, during the Second World War the Squad Leader often commanded his group with a Light Machine Gun (LMG). This makes sense in the game too, since you could use the Leader Bonus (especially in direct fire) to support that LMG's attacks.
3.2 Activating Friendly Units
Roll three dice. These are called Action Dice (AD). Discard then all results of 1 or 2. Each result from 3 to 5 will instead give 1 Action Point (AP) to your squad.
A result of 6 gives a Bonus Action Point (BAP) to your squad.
At this point you can spend the AP obtained from the dice to activate your units. BAPs can always be spent as if they were APs, but they also provide an additional effect usable for certain actions, so use them wisely! Actions that benefit from BAPs have an asterisk after their name. AP and BAP not spent in the Turn are lost.
Choose a Group and assign it one or more AP so that it performs one of the available actions. Repeat this process until you have spent all the available AP (or until you decide to stop).
Regardless of the number of available AP, a unit can attack only once per Turn.
3.2.1 Available Actions
Movement into a stripe*: move the chosen Group up or down into a stripe. You may spend a BAP to gain one Recon Point (RP) (see 3.7). Remove the COVER marker from that Group (if it has one).
Movement onto a Terrain Feature*: move the chosen Group onto a Terrain Feature marker in the stripe where it is located. You may spend a BAP to gain one Recon Point. Remove the COVER marker from that Group (if it has one).
Take Cover: the chosen Group gains one Cover Point (place a COVER marker or a die showing 1 as a reminder). You can gain only one Cover Point per Group.
Fire*: the chosen Group can attack a Target (see Combat, Section 4). You may spend a BAP to gain +1 DRM.
Stand by*: place an OVERWATCH marker on the chosen Group. If a new Enemy enters the Map in the current Turn, a Group with the OVERWATCH marker may attack it before it activates. You may spend 1 BAP to remove the -1 DRM normally associated with Overwatch Fire. You cannot choose this action for a Group that has already attacked in the current Turn.
Flank Fire (cost: 2 AP): the chosen Group can attack a Target with a Flank Fire bonus (see the section "Combat Modifiers" on the Unit Card).
Recovery*: you can roll the dice to recover SUPPRESSED units in the chosen Group (cost: 1 AP if the Leader is in that Group, 1 BAP if the Leader is not in that Group).
Hide: place a HIDDEN marker on the chosen Group. This action cannot be performed if the Group has made any kind of attack in the current Turn. See Section 5 for more details.
Spot*: the chosen Group may attempt to spot a HIDDEN Enemy Group. You may spend 1 BAP to gain +2 DRM on the spotting attempt.
Redeploy: remove a COVER marker from an Enemy Group that is in the same stripe or in one adjacent to the Group you have chosen.
3.3 Enemy Presence Check
If no Enemy unit, or at most one Enemy unit, is on the Map (excluding Vehicles), roll 1d6 and check the Enemy Presence Table on the Mission Card. If there is more than one Enemy unit on the Map, skip this Phase.
3.3.1 Enemy Entry
When an entry on the Mission Card includes a phrase that begins with "Enemy:" (for example, "Enemy: 2x Rifle"), then a new Enemy Force must immediately be placed on the Map, following the entry instructions. These always include a list of Enemy units to deploy.
If no additional information is specified, these forces are placed on the stripe that contains the Event marker that triggered their arrival.
When you deploy a new unit, choose an Enemy unit marker and place it on the Map. As a reminder, write the corresponding ID (the letter in the top left corner of the unit marker) on the "Enemy Units" table, followed by the name.
Sometimes Enemy forces must be placed on a specific Terrain Feature marker. In that case, if that marker is not present, then place a new one on the stripe that refers to the missing Terrain Feature.
Example: the entry on the EVENT TABLE is the following: "Enemy: LMG on a BUILDING on next stripe". If there is no BUILDING in the next stripe, place a new one in that stripe, then place the Enemy marker on top of it.
Enemy units are always deployed as a single Group, unless specified otherwise.
3.4 Event Markers
At the start of a Mission the Event markers (EM) have been distributed face down on the Map and will be revealed immediately if:
one of your Groups has entered the stripe where an Event marker is located. If more than one Event marker is present in the stripe, reveal only one of your choice,
or
you activate one of your Groups in a stripe where a face-down Event marker is located. If more than one Event marker is present in the stripe, reveal one of your choice.
When an Event marker has been activated (revealed), you must consult the Event Table on the Mission Card to determine its outcome. Follow the instructions on the table.
The reference to an "Active Group" in the Event Table means an effect that will impact your Group that caused the Event marker to be activated. A "Rain" Event affects the whole Map and lasts the whole game.
3.5 Activating Enemy Units
If there are Enemy units on the Map, then roll 1d6 for each Enemy Group and consult the Enemy Activation Table on the Mission Card. The possible Enemy actions are the following:
Attack: each unit in that Enemy Group rolls the dice for the attack. See the attack procedure in 3.5.1. If none of your units is within the range of that Enemy, then that Enemy Advances.
Interpretation of the order: if possible, the Enemy unit will fire, otherwise it will advance towards your forces.
Close Attack: an Enemy Group performs a Close Attack if one of your Groups is at Distance 0, otherwise it will perform a standard Attack. Only Enemy units equipped with Pistol, Rifle, SMG or Assault Rifle can perform a Close Attack, and only if the activated Group has a number of units equal to or greater than those in your Group. In the other cases, treat a Close Attack order as a simple Attack.
Interpretation of the order: the Enemy Group will try to approach and defeat your Group with a close attack.
Cover: if the Enemy unit or Group is not on a Terrain Feature marker and there is an available Terrain Feature marker in its stripe, move that Enemy unit or Group onto that marker. Otherwise, place a COVER marker on the Enemy unit or Group (if it does not already have one).
Interpretation of the order: the Enemy unit uses Terrain and/or COVER markers to improve its defence.
Advance: the Enemy unit or Group moves into a stripe towards your nearest Group. If a Terrain Feature marker is present in the stripe, the Group moves onto it (priority: the one with the best TN). If there is no Terrain Feature marker in the stripe and no Friendly force of yours, place a COVER marker on the Group. Remove the COVER marker from the Enemy unit or Group (if there is one).
Interpretation of the order: the unit moves onto the terrain that offers the best defensive position. If there is no protective terrain, it will avoid entering an area with hostile forces.
Rally: make one Recovery attempt for each SUPPRESSED unit in the Enemy Group.
Grouping: if the active Enemy Group contains only one or two units and another Enemy Group in the same stripe or an adjacent one contains one or two units, move the activated units so that the two Groups join together. If the active Group contains more than two units, then carry out the Cover order.
Interpretation of the order: Enemy Groups with one or two units are ineffective, so they will try to join together.
In any case, Enemy units can be activated only once during each Turn.
3.5.1 Enemy Attack
To determine which Group/unit will be attacked by the active Enemy Group, proceed as follows, starting with the units that have the lowest CF:
Unless otherwise specified, Enemy units will attack your nearest Group. If more than one Group is at the same distance, roll 1d6 on the Target Table on the Mission Card and determine which will be the Target Group. In the same Turn, the same result applies to all attacks of that Enemy Group. If the chosen Target Group is HIDDEN, the Enemy units will attempt to Spot that Group instead of attacking it (see 5.4).
To determine the target unit of each Enemy attack, roll 1d6 again on the Target Table. Each Enemy attack requires a separate roll (so more than one unit in the same Group may be affected).
An Enemy equipped with a Grenade that attacks one of your Groups at distance zero will use the Grenade instead of its standard attack, provided that more than one of your units is present.
3.5.2 Enemy Desperate Attacks
The general idea is that Enemy units will always try to avoid an attack if they have no chance of hitting their Target, combining their forces where possible.
A little simple arithmetic reveals that if the Target's TN minus the CF of the firing unit is greater than 6 (the highest result obtainable on a die), then the attacking unit has no chance of hitting the Target.
TN - CF > 6 = no chance to hit
Example: a Rifle unit (CF = 1) firing at an SMG unit in a Building (TN = 6 + 2 = 8) has no chance of hitting its Target, since TN - CF = 8 - 1 = 7 > 6.
If one or more Enemy units have no chance of hitting a Target, they will automatically form a Fire Group, adding their CFs together, and carry out a single Attack.
Example: two Rifle units (CF = 1) fire at an SMG unit in a Building (TN = 6 + 2 = 8). A single Rifle unit would have no chance of hitting the Target since TN - CF = 8 - 1 = 7 > 6. So the two Rifle units form a Fire Group by adding their CFs (CF = 1 + 1 = 2), and can therefore attempt to hit the Target.
If even the Fire Group is unable to hit the Target, a different Target with a lower TN is chosen (if available). If an attack is not possible at all, the Enemy force will receive an Advance order.
3.5.3 Enemy Units in Special Terrain
Barbed Wire: when an Enemy unit/Group enters a stripe with an OBSTACLE marker, place it next to that marker. When it is activated, the Enemy unit adjacent to the Obstacle may only attempt to remove it (skip the standard activation procedure). Roll 1d6 and on a result equal to or greater than 3, the OBSTACLE marker is removed. Vehicles remove Obstacles automatically. As long as it is adjacent to Barbed Wire, a unit (not Vehicles) receives a DRM +1 on any attack it receives.
River: Enemy units in a stripe with a RIVER marker may consider any "Cover", "Rally" and/or "Grouping" order as an Advance order.
As a guideline, Enemy units will always avoid staying on a River and will advance towards Friendly units.
3.6 A New Game Turn
After activating the Enemy forces, move the "Game Turn" marker one space towards the start of the Turn Track. If this takes it off the track, i.e. beyond the space "1", then you have lost the Mission.
3.7 Recon Points
Some actions allow your squad to gain one or more Recon Points (RP). Record the number of Recon Points you have by using a die on the Unit Roster (placing the die or dice in the "Recon Points" box in the bottom corner of the page).
Recon Points can be spent as follows:
Spend 1 RP to re-roll a die.
Spend 1 RP to apply a -1 DRM on the Enemy entry tables (such as the Patrol Table on the Army Card). The tables on which you can spend an RP have the words "(RP: -1 DRM)" after their name. If the final result is 0, you may skip the encounter. This represents your squad's ability to avoid an unnecessary fight.
Some Missions require a certain number of RP to be completed.
Spend 1 RP to gain +1 DRM on any attack.
Recon Points can be used by any of your Groups, regardless of who actually allowed you to gain them.
4 Combat
Combat by your units is activated with a Fire order or a Flank Fire order; in addition, a unit with an OVERWATCH marker can trigger a combat against an Enemy that has just been deployed. Enemy combat is always triggered as a result of an Enemy Activation. In any case, combat is always directed against a single Group and each unit can attack only once per Turn.
4.1 Choosing the Target
As the Target of one of your units you may choose any Enemy unit in the Target Group. Different units in the activated Group may choose different Targets.
To determine the Target of an Enemy attack, roll 1d6 on the Target Table on the Mission Card. In the same Turn, the same result applies to every attack of the Enemy Group. Unless otherwise specified, the Enemy will attack your nearest Group. If several Target Groups are available, roll 1d6 on the Target Table to determine the Target Group.
4.2 Rolling the Dice for Attack
To resolve an attack, for each unit in the Target Group roll 1d6 and add the Combat Factors of the units present. If the Target is a Base unit, use the CF Base of the firing unit (see the "Units" section on the Army Card); otherwise, use the Armoured CF. Each unit attacks individually. If a unit has a CF of zero against a certain type of Target, it cannot attack.
If the total is greater than or equal to the Target Number (TN) of the Target unit (after applying the relevant modifiers), the attacking unit scores a hit; place a SUPPRESSED marker on the Target unit (see the chapter on Suppression for more details).
The modifiers on the attack are described in the "Combat Modifiers" box on the Unit Card. The TN of a unit may be modified by the Terrain it is in and/or by the COVER markers it has; see the "Combat Modifiers" box on the Unit Card for a list of the possible modifiers.
Example of Attack: one of your Rifle units is attacking an Enemy SMG unit near a TREE Terrain. The TN of the Target unit is 6 (SMG), modified by +1 for the Terrain Feature, for a total of 7. The attacker rolls 1d6 and gets 3. It then adds its CF (1), for a total of 4. Since 4 is less than the Target's TN, the attack has not scored a hit.
4.3 Area Effects
If the firing unit has an AREA(X) attribute, as indicated on the Army Card, you may make "X" attacks to try to hit "X" different Targets. If the Target Group contains fewer than "X" units, the excess attacks are not considered.
Example: a unit has AREA(3); during combat, it can make one attack against three different Targets in the same Group. If the Target Group contains only two units, the attacking unit will make only two attacks.
Combat is always directed against a single Group, so an Area Effect cannot be aimed at units belonging to different Groups. For activation purposes, Area Effect attacks are always considered "single" (a unit can make only one attack per Turn).
4.4 Suppression (Damage)
A unit that receives a hit from an attack is marked with a SUPPRESSED marker. This represents physical damage, disorganisation and a drop in morale caused by enemy fire.
A Suppressed unit receives -1 DRM on every dice roll, except for Recovery attempts. A Suppressed unit that receives a second hit is eliminated from the game. See 4.9.2 for the rules on damage to Vehicles. Leaders do not lose their command ability even if they are Suppressed.
4.5 Cover Fire
Cover Fire represents the combined fire of a Group, intended to reduce the effectiveness of an Enemy attack. These attacks hit the area where the Enemy is, rather than individual units.
A Group performs Cover Fire by making a standard attack against TN 5, regardless of the modifiers given by the type of Enemy unit and/or by the Terrain (or by the Cover). Any hit does not inflict damage on the opposing forces, but instead cancels one hit of the Enemy with a base ratio of one to one. Place a COVER FIRE marker on the Target Group, as a reminder of this situation.
Example of Cover Fire: a Rifle unit is performing Cover Fire against a Group of two Enemy Rifle units in a BUILDING. The Target's TN is 5 (the Terrain and the unit's TN are never considered). The attacker gets a 4, then adds its CF (1) for a total of 5. A COVER FIRE marker is placed on that Enemy Group. Later in the Turn, the Enemy Rifles attack and score two hits; one is cancelled by the COVER FIRE marker.
4.6 Close Combat
This type of combat represents hand-to-hand fighting, which often took place in the jungle and in the thinner forests of the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. In these fights units used small weapons, such as pistols, bayonets, knives, helmets, fists, kicks and anything that could be effective at close range. These were extremely bloody clashes, in most of which one of the two sides was completely wiped out.
You may spend 1 AP to order a Group to attack an Enemy at Distance 0. The chosen Group must first make a Morale Check (see 1.4.1), with the following DRM:
+1 if you spent 1 BAP instead of 1 AP to start the Close Combat
+1 if the Leader is in the Group
+1 if the Target Group contains an HMG or a Flame Thrower (FT)
If the Morale Check succeeds, the Group may resolve the Close Combat. Move it adjacent to the Target Group.
To determine the effects of Close Combat, roll 1d6 for both Groups and apply the following modifiers, considering each unit in both Groups:
-1 if the unit is Suppressed
-1 if the unit is equipped with an LMG, HMG, Mortar, FT or an Anti-Tank weapon
0 if the unit is equipped with a Rifle
+1 if the unit is equipped with an SMG or an Assault Rifle
+1 if the unit is equipped with a Pistol
+1 if the Group is in a BUILDING (defender only)
+1 if the Group is adjacent to a Terrain Feature (except BUILDING) or is on top of a Terrain marker that provides a TN bonus (only in the first round of combat; not applicable to Groups already engaged in combat). Defender only
+1 if the Group contains more units than the opposing Group
+1 if the Group contains more Veteran units than the opposing Group
The DRM for certain traits or special abilities
The Group with the higher total is considered the winner of the close combat, while the other is the loser. If the winner's total is double or more than the loser's total, the losing Group receives 2d3 SUPPRESSED markers (which must be distributed as evenly as possible among the units of the losing Group). If the winner's total is simply greater than the loser's (that is, less than double the winner's), the losing Group receives 1d3 SUPPRESSED markers (which it must distribute as evenly as possible among its units in the Group).
In case of a tie, both Groups immediately receive a SUPPRESSED marker, to be assigned to a random unit (first among the units not yet Suppressed, then among those already Suppressed).
Example of Close Combat: a Japanese Imperial Army (IJA) Group of three units, SMG (Leader), Rifle and Rifle (Veteran), tries to enter close combat with a Commonwealth Group located in a BUILDING. The IJA player must spend 1 AP and make a Morale Check. This has a DRM of 0 (+1 for the presence of the Leader, -1 because the Target Group contains an HMG; editorial note: the Morale DRM list above gives +1 for an HMG in the Target Group, while this example applies -1; both are kept as printed in the source). The result is a 4, so the Morale Check is passed (a 3 or more was needed). Each Group rolls 1d6 for the Close Combat. The IJA Group gets a 5, with the following modifiers: +1 for the unit equipped with an SMG, +1 because the Group contains more units, +1 because the Group contains more Veteran units. The total is therefore 8. The Enemy (Commonwealth) gets a 3, with the following modifiers: -1 for the unit equipped with an HMG, +1 because the Target Group is in a BUILDING. Its total is 3. The IJA Group has defeated the Commonwealth Group at a ratio of 2x, so the latter must receive 2d3 SUPPRESSED markers. The result is 3, so the Rifle unit in the Commonwealth Group receives a SUPPRESSED marker and the HMG unit is destroyed. The two Groups are now considered Engaged (that is, locked in combat - see below).
4.6.1 Engagement and End of Close Combat
A Close Combat ends when one of the two Groups involved has been completely removed from the Map. After one round of close combat, if both Groups still contain one or more units, they remain adjacent on the Map and are considered Engaged.
When an Engaged Group is activated, it may perform only a Close Combat, but it skips the initial Morale Check.
When a unit defeats a numerically superior Enemy Group in Close Combat, the player gains 1 XP (in Campaign mode) or may immediately promote one of their units (of their choice) to Veteran.
4.6.2 Joining a Close Combat
An activated Group may join an existing Close Combat only if the Friendly units in that clash have not yet been activated. Follow the standard Morale Check procedure (see 4.6). If it is passed, the activated Group may join that Close Combat (forming a new Group) and one round of combat must be resolved to determine the results.
4.6.3 Enemy Units Entering a Close Combat
Enemy units may enter a Close Combat if they receive the "Close Combat" order. No Morale Check is required for Enemy units.
Only Enemy units equipped with Pistols, Rifles, SMGs or Assault Rifles may enter Close Combat, and only if the activated Group contains a number of units equal to or greater than the Target Group. In any other case, treat the "Close Combat" order as a simple Attack order.
4.7 Recovery
Recovery allows a unit to remove a SUPPRESSED marker it has received. To attempt a Recovery roll 1d6. If the result is 3 or more the SUPPRESSED marker is removed. Some units may have a modifier on Recovery; for example, Veteran units always have a +1 DRM on Recovery attempts. See the unit's attributes (in the section on the Army Card) or the Mission Card to determine the applicable modifiers.
Usually you can Recover units located in a Group only if a Leader is also present in that Group. Units with the VEHICLE attribute can always attempt a Recovery without any restriction.
4.8 Special Weapons
4.8.1 Grenades
A Grenade can be used only at Distance 0 instead of rolling the dice as for normal combat, and it has the AREA(3) attribute.
Alternatively, a soldier may use a Grenade at Distance 0 against a single Target to add the Grenade's CF to the CF of its weapon. In this case the Grenade loses the AREA attribute but its CF is increased to 2.
Example: a Rifle unit (CF 1) is attacking an SMG unit (TN 6) at Distance 0. It uses a Grenade and rolls 1d6. The result is a 4, modified by the CF (1) and the Grenade's (2), for a total of 7. The attack is therefore a success.
To use a Grenade against Armoured Vehicles, the firing unit must first pass a Morale Check: roll 1d6 (adding +1 to the result if it is a Veteran unit). If the result is 3 or more, the unit is able to get close to the Vehicle and use the Grenade. Otherwise, it must give up the attack.
4.8.2 Anti-Tank Mines
Anti-Tank Mines may be used against Armoured Targets at Distance 0 instead of making a standard attack. To use an Anti-Tank Mine the firing unit must first pass a Morale Check. Roll 1d6 (adding +1 for Veteran units). If the result is 3 or more the unit can get close to the Vehicle and will proceed with the attack using the Mines. Otherwise, the unit must give up the attack.
4.9 Vehicle Combat
Units with the VEHICLE attribute represent Armoured Vehicles (for example, tanks) and Unarmoured Vehicles (for example, lorries). Use the unit's type to determine which CF to use to attack that Vehicle (Base or Armoured). Unless otherwise specified, the standard rules also apply to Vehicles.
4.9.1 Vehicles in Cover
You may spend 1 RP when attacking a Vehicle at Distance 0 to cancel the effects of its terrain. This represents your units moving into a position where they have a clear Line of Sight to the Target.
4.9.2 Damage to Armoured Vehicles
In a successful attack against an Armoured Target, instead of automatically placing a SUPPRESSED marker on that Vehicle, roll 1d6. On a result of 1, place a SUPPRESSED marker on the Target, while on a result from 2 to 6 the Target is destroyed (remove it from the game).
5 Hidden Units
In this game, hiding represents a unit's ability to use the terrain to avoid being identified (and then attacked) by the Enemy.
5.1 Gaining the HIDDEN Condition
Your units gain the HIDDEN condition when they receive a Hide order. Enemy units become HIDDEN only as a result of an Activation.
Place a HIDDEN marker on the unit concerned as a reminder of this condition.
No unit can receive a HIDDEN marker in the same Turn in which it has performed any form of combat. For example, you can Move and then Hide the unit, but you cannot make it Fire and then Hide it.
No unit can receive a HIDDEN marker while it is in a stripe with a RIVER, BEACH or SHALLOW WATER marker.
5.2 Effects of the HIDDEN Condition
A HIDDEN unit cannot be chosen as a Target in any type of attack. The only action that can be taken against a HIDDEN unit is to attempt to Spot it (see 5.4).
5.3 Losing the HIDDEN Condition
The HIDDEN marker is removed automatically in the following cases:
the unit has moved
the unit has fired
the unit has been Spotted (see the next section)
5.4 Spotting
One of your units may attempt to Spot a HIDDEN Enemy Group using the Spot order. An Enemy unit may attempt to Spot a HIDDEN unit only as a result of an Activation.
To Spot a HIDDEN unit, the acting unit must roll 1d6 and try to obtain 5 or more. If it succeeds, remove the HIDDEN marker from that Target.
6 Command
One unit in your squad must be marked as the squad Leader. Check the section on units on the Army Card (column "Attributes"), to see which units can be marked as Leader. If the Leader is eliminated during combat, you must choose another unit as the new Leader (it may help to immediately give another unit the title of "Assistant Leader", to be noted on the Unit Roster, so that you know who will take command if the Leader is eliminated). At that moment you may choose any unit, but at the end of the Mission this temporary Leader will be lost if it cannot be assigned as Leader on the Army Card.
6.1 Effects of Command
The presence of a Leader within a Group allows you to perform a Recovery action by spending 1 AP (it will not be necessary to spend a BAP).
In addition, the Leader can direct the attack of a single unit in its Group, giving it +1 DRM. This modifier will apply to every die for the weapon with the AREA attribute (for this reason, a Leader would be very useful for directing support weapons). A Leader that commands another unit loses its own attack die.
6.2 Fire Group
A Leader can coordinate the units in its Group or in one in the same stripe, combining their CF against a single Target. In this case, add the CF of all the attacking units into a single DRM. A Leader that coordinates an attack must give up its own attack die.
Regardless of the DRM, a natural result of 1 for a Fire Group is a failed attack.
7 Night Rules
When a Mission takes place at night, apply the following rules to the standard sequence of play:
In each Turn, the first time a unit or a Group makes an attack, roll 1d6 on the Night Range Table (found on the Unit Roster) to determine visibility in the current Turn. This result determines the maximum Distance for an attack in the Turn. It is possible that the unit or Group that rolled for the night is unable to attack because of the Distance limitations. In this case, the activation is lost (that is, it represents the unit firing into the dark).
Some Events (for example "Flare!") may provide a DRM to this result.
8 Landing Operations
8.1 The SEA Marker
Units on a stripe with a SEA marker are considered to be aboard a landing craft. They are considered to belong to the same Group.
While they are at sea, the Game Turn is simplified as follows:
Sea Movement Phase
Advancing the Game Turn marker
During the Sea Movement Phase, roll 1d6 and consult the Sea Movement Table on the Mission Card to determine the outcome of the movement towards the beach. This table will indicate when you must invert the standard Game Turn.
9 End of Mission
A Mission is completed successfully when you have reached the Mission Objectives specified on the Mission Card. Alternatively, you may give up the current Mission if all your units are on stripe #6 and you spend 1 AP during the Activation Phase of your Units.
A Mission is Lost when all your units have been eliminated or when the "Game Turn" marker has passed the space "1" on the Turn Track.
10 Campaign Mode
The Campaign mode rules allow you to play several Missions as part of a single Campaign, reflecting the improvement of your squad's experience and introducing further strategic elements to the game.
The Campaign is made up of 1 to 8 Missions. Always start your Campaign from Mission 1. After your first game, during the Mission Preparation Phase (see 2.1), you must choose the next Mission in numerical sequence.
10.1 Starting a New Campaign
At the start of a Campaign you must choose your Army and the Enemy Army using the standard rules (see 2.2). The first one represents your initial squad, which will act throughout the entire Campaign.
10.2 Squad Selection
Skip this Phase for the first Mission, since you have already created your squad in the first step of preparation.
Wounded units cannot take part in the next Mission. If the total Action Points for your squad (excluding wounded soldiers) is less than the maximum AP value for your Army, you may request reinforcements from HQ. Roll 1d6 and consult the following table:
1 = No reinforcements available
2 to 5 = 1 AP available to reinforce your squad
6 = 1d3 AP available to reinforce your squad. In any case, the total BP for your squad (excluding wounded units) plus the new BP cannot be greater than the maximum BP value of your Army.
Now roll another die. With a result from 2 to 6 you gain 1 AP that may be spent only on equipment; this AP cannot be spent to obtain additional units.
Then, you may spend the available AP (if you have any) to add new units/equipment to your squad. New units start as Inexperienced (Morale = 2) unless specified otherwise (see the special rules for American Marines and Japanese Special Landing Units). Record this in the Notes column of the Unit Roster.
Editorial note: the source gives "Morale = 2" for Inexperienced units here, while section 1.4.1 gives Inexperienced units a Morale of 4 and section 10.3 gives Morale = 3 for Line units after promotion. The figure is kept as printed.
10.3 End of Mission Debrief
Every wounded soldier can be healed. Remove the "Wounded" note in the "Status" section of the Unit Roster. Inexperienced units are immediately promoted to Line Units (Morale = 3).
Roll 1d6 for each unit eliminated during the current Mission and consult the following table. Apply a -1 DRM if you had lost the Mission.
1 to 2 = The soldier is dead. Remove his name from the Unit Roster (and send a letter to his family).
3 to 5 = The soldier is still wounded and needs further medical treatment. Write "Wounded" in the "Status" column of the Unit Roster to remember that he cannot take part in the next Mission.
6 = The soldier has been only slightly wounded and can return to fighting.
Calculate the Campaign Victory Points (VP) as follows:
Mission completed: 5 VP
Mission cancelled: 1 VP
Vehicle destroyed: 1 VP
Each soldier killed: -1 VP
Leader killed: -3 VP
Record the total on the Unit Roster.
10.4 Experience Points
Roll 1d6 and add the result to the Experience Points (XP) of your squad. Record on the Unit Roster the XP that you have not used. Lose 1 XP if you have lost or given up the Mission. In any case, after each Mission your squad always gains at least 1 XP. These points can be used to improve your squad, as follows:
2 XP = promote a soldier to Veteran
2 XP = gain one of the skills listed in the following Skill Table. Each unit can receive only one skill (update the Squad sheet accordingly)
10.4.1 Skill Table
The source prints this heading as "8.4.1 Tabella delle Abilità" (under section 10.4); the number is kept as printed in the source here.
Skill Name
Description
Sharpshooter
CF +1 when firing at distance 1 or 2
Camouflage
+1 to the unit's TN
Quick Shot
If the attack die result is a natural 5 or 6, it may make a second attack with CF -1
Close Combat
CF +1 when firing at distance 0
Heroic Morale
Automatically remove the SUPPRESSED marker from this unit when it is activated. The unit always passes the check to use a Grenade against Vehicles
Grenadier
+1 DRM when using a Grenade
Athletic
You may Recover the unit from Suppression and have it fire in the same Turn
Bull Strength
Add +1 DRM to the result on the End of Mission Table (printed in the source as "8.3")
Battlefield Control
The Leader (only the Leader) may keep 1 unspent AP or 1 unspent BAP, to be used in the next Turn
Hunter
Once per Turn it may perform a Movement action without spending 1 AP
War Trophy
May use a Weapon of another nationality
Local Contacts
Starts the Mission with 1 RP
Spotter
+2 to Spot a HIDDEN Target
10.5 End of Campaign
At the end of a Campaign, check your total Victory Points against the following table to determine your level of success.
32 or more VP: Major Success! You have received a medal for showing exceptional courage and excellent command ability.
20 to 31 VP: Success! You have something to tell your grandchildren and you are satisfied with yourselves.
19 or fewer VP: Defeat! Sad memories will haunt you for the rest of your life.
