War in the Wind: The Battle of Attu Island, 1943
War in the Wind: The Battle of Attu Island, 1943 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Counters
- 3.0 Turn Sequence
- 4.0 Stacking Limits
- 5.0 Movement and Terrain
- 6.0 Zones of Control
- 7.0 U.S. Supply
- 8.0 Combat
- 9.0 Refit and Reinforcements
- 10.0 Victory Zones
- 11.0 The Heroes of Attu
- 12.0 Setup and Start
- 13.0 Solitaire Considerations
- 14.0 Optional Victory Point Chit System
- 15.0 Short Scenarios
- Player Aid: 3.0 Sequence of Play
- Player Aid: Things to Remember
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Components List
- This rulebook
- One 22" x 34" game map
- 230 Die-cut Counters
- Six 10-sided dice
- Two identical player aid cards
- One box and lid set
1.2 The Dice
When reading a die, treat a '0' as a '10'.
2.0 Counters
2.1 Unit Types
There are six basic types of combat units in the game: Infantry, Recon, Engineer, Depot, Unknown and Artillery. Except for the Unknown units, each of these uses a NATO symbol to distinguish its type.
2.2 Unit Ratings
Moving counter-clockwise from the upper-left corner of a combat unit, the basic unit ratings are as follows:
- Steps: The number of hits a unit can sustain prior to elimination.
- Melee Combat: The number of dice rolled in Melee Combat.
- Ranged Combat: The number of dice rolled when employing Ranged Combat.
- Range Superscript: The maximum number of hexes a unit may be from an enemy unit and still be able to attack it using Ranged Combat.
- Movement: The number of Movement Points (MPs) a unit may expend in a turn.
Combat Unit Ratings diagram labels: Steps, Battalion/Regiment, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Range, Unit Size, Company, Movement.
Note that some units do not have Ranged Combat capabilities. These units only have ratings for Melee Combat and Movement Points. Additionally, some units that are capable of Ranged Combat may lose that ability once damaged.
Unit Types chart (Japanese and US): Infantry, Artillery, Engineer, Depot, Recon, Independent Infantry, Independent Recon, Unknown, Unrevealed. The Japanese Unknown unit's table side reads: DR 1-4: 1 step; 5-9: 2; 0: 3.
2.3 Unit Size and Designation
Most U.S. units are companies, and most Japanese units are platoons. To the left of a U.S. unit's unit-type symbol is the unit's Battalion/Regiment designation, to the right is its Company designation. These designations aid in figuring out U.S. stacking limits (see 4.1), and replacing U.S. units that have suffered step losses with their lower-step versions (see 2.4). Note also that U.S. units are color-coded by battalion for ease of play.
2.4 Unit Steps
As noted, each unit has a step rating, which is the total number of hits the unit can sustain until it is destroyed. This system requires units with more than two steps to have two counters, e.g., a four-step unit has a 4/3 step counter and a 2/1 counter. When a unit takes a hit, flip it over to its reduced-step side or replace it with its reduced-step version (on the appropriate side). Use the unit designation (see 2.3) to select the replacement unit. Note that all Japanese infantry and artillery units have only one step. Only the U.S. has multi-step units.
2.5 Fog of War
The game has fog of war mechanics to model superior Japanese tactics and operational capability as well as the U.S.'s poor training and inexperience.
The first such mechanic is unrevealed Japanese units. All Japanese units (Infantry, Unknown Infantry ("Unknown"), and Artillery) have a rising sun graphic on one side of the counter. All Japanese units begin the game face-down (i.e., rising sun-side up) and are only revealed to the U.S. player at the moment of Melee Combat. As soon as a revealed unit is no longer in the Line of Sight of a U.S. unit (see 8.1.2) or during a Refit Turn (see 9.0), the Japanese player may flip the unit back over to its unrevealed side (see 9.5). Note that Japanese artillery units that engage in Ranged Combat and are not in the line of sight of a U.S. unit remain face down, even though it might be obvious from the situation that they are artillery units.
The second fog of war mechanic uses the Japanese Unknown units, of which there are 16 in the game. These units, which represent a variable number of Infantry units, all begin the game on the map and face-down. The Japanese Infantry units, of which there are 64, all begin the game off-map. The Unknown units have the rising sun flag on one side and a table on the other.
When an Unknown unit attacks (not defends) using Ranged Combat, or attacks or defends in melee combat, the Japanese player flips it over to its table side, rolls a die against the table, and replaces the Unknown unit with at least one Infantry unit, and at most the number of units indicated on the table. Infantry units are drawn at random from the pool of available units. The Infantry unit(s) are placed on the map face-up and the Unknown unit is placed off-map.
Important: if more than one Unknown units are stacked together in the same hex, and the Japanese player chooses to fire or engage in melee with one of them, or if they are attacked in melee combat, they are all removed and only one die roll is made for the lot (the Japanese player selects which table to roll against). So no matter how many Unknown units are in a hex, the most number of Infantry units they can yield is three.
When an Unknown unit is attacked by Ranged Combat, it is not revealed unless it suffers a hit, in which case it is immediately taken off the map, with no die roll made against the table and no replacement by Infantry units (in essence, the Japanese troops have stealthy melted away)(see 8.5). If there is more than one Unknown unit in a hex that is the target of a successful Ranged Combat, only one is removed.
Until they are flipped and replaced, Unknown units are treated exactly the same as unrevealed Japanese Infantry units, i.e., they have 5 movement points, a zone of control (see 6.0) and can be used to call in Artillery attacks (see 8.1.2 and 8.1.4). Unknown units that have been removed from the map are eligible to return during a Refit Turn (see 9.6).
3.0 Turn Sequence
War in the Wind is played in a series of game turns. Each game turn is broken up into a series of steps. These steps must be completed in the order provided. The U.S. player is always the first player (exception: see 3.2).
Note that setting up and starting the game is covered in section 12.0.
3.1 Step 1: Refit Decision
The U.S. player decides if the current turn will be a Refit Turn (see 9.0). A Refit Turn is the only time when U.S. units are Refit, reinforcements landed, and independent units and supply depots created. The Japanese player can also flip over face-up units and place previously removed Unknown units back on the map during a Refit Turn (see 9.6).
If the U.S. player declares a Refit Turn, ignore the remaining steps of the regular Turn Sequence and instead follow the procedure outlined in section 9.0.
There is no limit to the number of Refit Turns the U.S. player may declare. There may be consecutive Refit Turns.
3.2 Step 2: Night Turn Decision
The U.S. player decides if the current turn will be a Night Turn. The Japanese player is the first player during a Night Turn. Night affects movement, zones of control and combat (see 5.2, 6.1 and 8.3). Follow the regular Turn Sequence for a Night Turn.
There is no limit to the number of Night Turns the U.S. player may declare. There may be consecutive Night Turns.
3.3 Step 3: Determine the Weather
There are four weather conditions: Cloudy, Rain, Fog and Williwaw (a combination of fog and high winds). Roll a die and consult the Weather Chart:
| Previous Turn | Die Roll: New Weather Condition | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudy | 1-3: Cloudy | 4-8: Rain | 9-0: Fog |
| Rain | 1-2: Cloudy | 3-6: Rain | 7-0: Fog |
| Fog | 1-3: Rain | 4-7: Fog | 8-0: Williwaw |
| Williwaw | 1-2: Rain | 3-9: Fog | 0: Williwaw |
Note that the Turn 1 weather roll is made on the "Fog" line.
3.4 Step 4: Determine Airpower
Each player rolls on the Airpower Determination Table to determine how many factors of Airpower they have available for this turn. Reduce the die rolls by -1 if Rain conditions, -3 if Fog, or -5 if Williwaw. Airpower factors not used in a turn are lost.
| Die Roll | U.S. | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| 1 or less | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 4 | 2 |
3.5 Step 5: First Player Actions
The first player (the U.S. in a day turn, the Japanese in a Night Turn) may activate his units, one by one, allowing each to perform one of the following actions: Move, Declare Melee against an adjacent enemy unit that can be attacked through melee, or Ranged Combat. Each unit may only perform one of these actions, but different units may perform different actions (i.e., they don't all have to do the same thing).
3.6 Step 6: Second Player Actions
This is the same as Step 5 but for the second player.
3.7 Step 7: Melee Combat
Units of both sides that declared Melee during Steps 5 or 6 are now activated for Melee Combat. The U.S. player selects the first hex activated to engage in combat, followed by the Japanese player, with each player sequentially initiating and completing Melee Combat. During Night Turns, however, this order is reversed. Each Melee Combat continues until the U.S. units retreat or either side's units are eliminated.
3.8 Step 8: Victory Determination
Players check to see if either player has won the game. There are three ways for a player to win: capture of geographic objectives, destroying enemy units, or surviving (Japanese player only).
3.8.1 Capture of Geographic Objectives
The U.S. player wins if, during this Step 8, he occupies all six "Victory Hexes" on the map. Victory Hexes are marked with a yellow star symbol [and are hexes (1425 (Temmac Bay), 2011 (Holtz Bay), 2117 (Jarmin Pass), 2717 (Engineer Bay), 3409 (Attu Village), 3622 (Alexei Point)]. The Japanese player wins if, during this Step 8, he occupies U.S. Landing Zones D, E, F and G, or he occupies hex 2717 (Engineer Hill) with either a Japanese Artillery unit or a captured U.S. Artillery unit (see 8.2.1.4) that can fire on Landing Zones D, E, F and G.
(Transcriber's note: the rulebook prints "2717 (Engineer Bay)" in the list above and "2717 (Engineer Hill)" elsewhere, as shown.)
3.8.2 Elimination of Enemy Units
The U.S. player wins immediately if he eliminates all Japanese Infantry and Artillery units (Unknown units do not count for this calculation; the Japanese player still loses if he has Unknown units left, either on map or off). The Japanese player wins immediately if the U.S. Casualty Track ever reaches 30.
Note that this type of victory is achieved at any point in a game turn that the condition is met; it is not confined to this Step 8.
3.8.3 End of Game Victory
The Japanese player wins if, at the end of the last game turn, the U.S. player has not won.
3.9 Step 9: Advance Turn Marker
The Turn marker is advanced to the next space on the Turn Track. If the marker is advanced into a "Komandorski Effect" Box (see 12.0), flip the KE marker over to determine its effect upon the next turn. Also, flip any Japanese units that are not within an enemy zone of control (see 6.0) over to their hidden side.
4.0 Stacking Limits
There is a limit to how many units can co-exist or "stack" in the same hex at the same time. Stacking limits are in effect at all times, even while units are being moved.
4.1 U.S. Stacking Limits
The U.S. player may stack up to 12 steps from the same battalion or 8 steps from different battalions. Independent units (see 9.3) are considered to be part of all battalions for stacking purposes. See "Landing Zone Capacity" (9.2.1) for an exception to these limits.
4.2 Japanese Stacking Limits
The Japanese player may stack up to three Infantry or Artillery units in a single hex along with an unlimited number of Unknown units.
5.0 Movement and Terrain
Units move individually (not as stacks) from hex to adjacent hex, expending Movement Points (MPs) depending on the type of hex entered and hex side crossed. Hexes may not be skipped when moving a unit. The cost in MPs to move into a hex or cross a hex side is outlined in the Table below. Note that each nationality has separate movement costs.
| Terrain Type | U.S. Costs | Japanese Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | 2 | 1 |
| River | 1 | 1 |
| Slope | +1 (up and down) | +1 (up only) |
| Lake | 3 | 2 |
| Up Level | +1 | - |
| Cliffs | Impassable | Impassable |
5.1 Weather Effects
All units have their movement ratings reduced by one under Rain conditions.
5.2 Night Effects
All units have their movement ratings halved (round up) during a Night Turn. Deduct Rain effects (per the above) after halving movement ratings.
5.3 Slopes
Slopes are a special type of hex side terrain. When moving across a slope hex side, a unit is considered to be moving 'up' the slope when the slope art is located within the hex being exited. A unit is considered to be moving 'down' a slope when the slope art is located within the hex being entered. There are several locations on the map where a unit may be moving both up and down a slope when entering a new hex (example: hex 1806 to 1807). Slope hex sides can block Line of Sight (see 8.1.2).
5.4 Levels
Each hex on the map resides at a specific height relative to sea level. Sea level is level 0, and the levels above sea level go from 1 to 4. Any unit moving across an upward slope hex side is increasing its level. Conversely, a unit moving across a downward slope is decreasing its level. Terrain levels play a key role in Combat (see 8.1 generally and 8.1.2).
Overall, the terrain on Attu is extremely steep and treacherous. The Japanese stationed there were used to the conditions by the time the poorly trained and equipped U.S. troops arrived. The U.S., therefore, suffers a movement penalty when moving up a level. Moving across an up-slope into a higher elevation costs the U.S. 4 MP (2 for the new Clear hex, +1 for the up slope and +1 for the higher elevation). The same move would cost the Japanese 2 MP (1 for the new Clear hex and +1 for the up slope).
Movement Example
In this example, the 1/17 Company is taking advantage the dry river bed to advance up the Hogback. Each hex entered costs only a single movement point except at the point where the unit moves up the slope, which costs three movement points (one for the river, one for the slope, and one for the increase in level). The unit can nearly make it from its landing zone to Engineer Hill in one turn. The Independent unit is opting to go cross-country. This costs two movement points for the first hex and four for the second (moving up slope). It has two more movement points to spend and can move into hex 2718, but does not have sufficient movement to get up slope into hex 2919 (which would cost another four movement points). The Japanese move much more efficiently. They can get from their original position to challenge the U.S. infantry moving up hill for one point and then one point per hex. They do not have to play to move down slope like the U.S. forces do. Note also that the Japanese were not halted by the existence of U.S. units because ZOCs do not cross cliff hex sides.
5.5 Rivers
The U.S. maximized its ability to move by using dried riverbeds that led upward to higher altitudes. These dry rivers are depicted on the map as blue lines. Any unit may use the river movement cost (i.e., ignore non-elevation terrain costs) while moving along the same river.
5.6 Lakes
There are a few lakes on Attu. These constitute mostly soggy, swampy terrain that is very difficult to cross.
5.7 Cliffs
Heavy lines between hexes indicate cliffs. A unit may not move across a cliff, nor does a Zone of Control (see 6.0) extend across a cliff. Units cannot Melee Combat across a cliff. Cliff hex sides do not block Line of Sight (see 8.1.2).
5.8 Minimum Move
Regardless of the cost to enter a hex, a unit may always move one hex provided this move does not cross an impassable hex side (e.g., Cliffs).
6.0 Zones of Control
Zones of Control (ZOCs) indicate the influence that a unit projects into an adjacent hex. A unit's ZOC extends into the six adjacent hexes surrounding the hex it occupies, provided that the unit would be able to move into the adjacent hex (for example, a ZOC does not extend across a Cliff hex side). All units, including Japanese Unknown units, extend ZOCs.
6.1 Movement
A unit must stop upon entering an enemy's ZOC. A unit may not leave an enemy's ZOC until the enemy unit retreats or is eliminated, except during Night Turns, when a unit may expend all its movement points to enter an adjacent hex that is free of enemy ZOCs.
6.2 Combat
A Melee attack on a target hex that is adjacent to five attacking units or their ZOCs receives a plus one combat die roll modifier; the modifier is plus 2 if there are six hexes occupied by the attacking units or their ZOCs. Units and their ZOCs belonging to the attacking side but that are not involved in the Melee do not count for this rule. All impassible hexes adjacent to the target unit are treated as friendly occupied or ZOC hexes. Enemy units (but not enemy ZOCs) nullify friendly ZOCs for this rule.
Zone of Control Examples
This diagram shows how a unit extends a Zone of Control into adjacent hexes where it could ordinarily move. Since a unit cannot move across a cliff hex side, it does not extend a ZOC into those hexes.
In the diagram above (Zone of Control in Combat), the Japanese are surrounding the US 1/17 Company. All of the hexes surrounding the 1/17 Company are occupied by enemy units or their ZOCs. However, the US Independent unit cancels one of those ZOC hexes. Therefore, the Japanese attack die rolls are all increased by +1. If the Independent unit were not there, the Japanese would add +2 to their attack die rolls. Additionally, if there were a cliff (or otherwise impassable terrain) between 1406 and 1505, the Independent unit would also have no effect as its hex would be considered enemy-occupied for the purposes of determining this bonus.
7.0 U.S. Supply
The supply rules only apply to U.S. units, which suffer ill-effects when out of supply.
7.1 U.S. Supply Sources
The U.S. draws supply from the Landing Zones, which are indicated on the map by lettered boxes.
7.2 Supply Lines
To be in supply, a U.S. unit must be within a "standard move" (defined as how far that unit could move at that moment) of a Landing Zone hex, or a standard move from a Supply Depot that is itself within a standard Engineer unit move of a Landing Zone or another Supply Depot (thus drawing supply through a chain of Supply Depots that terminates at a Landing Zone). A supply line may not be traced through a Japanese unit or a Japanese ZOC unless a U.S. unit occupies the ZOC hex. Note that under this rule, Night and Rain effects do apply to the calculation of a "standard move."
All supply lines are traced from a Landing Zone to the unit.
7.3 Supply Depots
During a Refit Turn (see "Refit and Reinforcements" 9.0), an Engineer unit may reduce itself by one step (even its last step) to create a Supply Depot. A player may use each Engineer unit to create one Supply Depot per game by giving the Engineer a step loss and placing its corresponding Supply Depot in the same hex. (The Supply Depots are numbered to their corresponding Engineer units to help keep track.) A Supply Depot may not move, nor may it be "reincorporated" into an Engineer unit. Although it cannot move, a Supply Depot may trace a supply line back to another Supply Depot or Landing Zone the length of a standard Engineer unit's move (6 MP).
7.4 When to Check Supply
Check supply immediately before a unit engages in combat, or is to be Refit.
7.5 Out of Supply Effects
Out of supply units suffer an adverse combat die roll modifier (see 8.3) and may not Refit (see 9.1).
7.0 Supply Example
In the supply line example, we're assuming daylight and non-rain weather. The 13th Engineer supply depot is within six movement points of the landing zone, so it is in supply and can provide supply to other units. The 1/17 Company is also within its movement rate away from the landing zone so it is in supply as well. The 13th Engineers unit is within its movement rate from its supply depot and is therefore in supply. The Independent unit is nine movement points away (its movement rate is eight points) so it is out of supply. If the weather were rain, all of the units would have their movement rates reduced by one, so all of them would be out of supply.
8.0 Combat
There are two types of combat: Ranged and Melee. Both are resolved by rolling a number of dice equal to the unit's Ranged or Melee Combat rating and modifying the rolls as per 8.3. All dice are rolled at once against the target hex. A modified roll of '7' or higher is a hit. Regardless of modifiers, a natural die roll of '0' is always a hit.
The same hex may be the target of multiple attacks in the same turn. Each hit eliminates one step from the hex, the step or steps to be eliminated at the owning player's choice; excess hits are lost. There is one exception: if the U.S. player attacks a hex with Ranged Combat and that hex contains a combination of face-up and face-down units, the U.S. player must first choose a target unit, to which all hits are applied; excess hits are lost.
8.1 Ranged Combat
Ranged Combat is an action performed in Step 5 or 6 of a turn in lieu of Move or Declare Melee. For Infantry units, it represents the use of mortar fire and heavier automatic weapons. A unit may not attack a hex with Ranged Combat unless there is a Line of Sight between the firing unit and the target hex (see 8.1.2), and the target hex is within the attacking unit's range (see 2.2) and Spotting Distance (see 8.1.1) (exception: see 8.1.4).
8.1.1 Spotting Distance
A unit can only conduct ranged Combat against an enemy unit that is within Spotting Distance. Spotting Distance varies with the weather. It is three hexes in Cloudy and Rain, one hex in Fog, and zero hexes (i.e., Ranged Combat is prohibited) in Williwaw.
8.1.2 Line of Sight
A unit can only conduct ranged Combat against an enemy unit to which is has a Line of Sight (LOS) (exception: see 8.1.4). LOS is determined by drawing an imaginary line from the center of the attacker's hex to the center of the target hex. A unit has a LOS to another unit provided there is no obstruction along the line between them. The obstructions are:
- Any terrain level higher than both units.
- Any terrain level higher than either unit and closer or equidistant to the unit at the lower elevation.
- Any slope (not cliff) hex side between, but not adjacent to, either unit and at the same or higher level.
- Any cliff hex side at the same elevation as the higher unit, but not part of the higher unit's hex.
A LOS does not exist if the imaginary line runs along the side of a hex containing an obstruction.
Note: The map art may not run exactly along the hex sides, but it should be clear as to which hex sided would be affected if it did. Assume the terrain in a hex completely fills it (including the hex sides) if this is not clear.
A LOS always exists between adjacent hexes.
8.1.2 Line of Sight example: Note that hexside terrain may not completely cover the hexsides (as in Hex 1909). Players should assume that terrain completely fills a hex. The following cases indicate clear or blocked Line of Sight (LOS). A can see B (the hexes are adjacent). A cannot see C (the intervening hex at the same level as the higher hex blocks LOS). A can see D (the units are at the same elevation). A cannot see E (a higher elevation exists between both units). A can see F (there is no intervening terrain higher than the lower hex). A cannot see K (the intervening terrain is higher than and closer to the lower hex). A can see G (the slope hex side crossed is part of hex G). C cannot see E (the intervening terrain is higher than and closer to the lower hex). C can see G (the slope hex side crossed is part of hex G). D cannot see F (the intervening hexside at the same level as the higher hex blocks LOS). E cannot see F (the intervening hexside at the same level as the higher hex blocks LOS). F can see G (the slope hex side crossed is part of hex G). F cannot see I (F is not adjacent to a slope hexside). F cannot see L (the intervening slope hex blocks LOS because neither unit is adjacent to the slope hex side). F can see K (the intervening hex at a higher level than the lower hex is closer to the higher hex). G can see H (both units are adjacent to the slope hexsides crossed). G cannot see I (sighting down the length of a slope hexside blocks LOS). H cannot see J (the intervening hexside at the same level as the higher hex blocks LOS).
8.1.3 Weather Effects
Ranged Combat is not allowed under Williwaw conditions (exception: see 8.1.6) because the Spotting Distance is reduced to zero. In Fog, the Spotting Distance (see 8.1.1) is reduced to one hex.
8.1.4 Calling in Artillery
Artillery units do not require a LOS to their targets for Ranged Combat if a friendly unit "calls in" the Artillery. A unit can call in Artillery if the unit has a LOS to and is within Spotting Distance of the target. Any unit, including Japanese Unknown units, can call in Artillery. Any unit, regardless of activation status, may call in artillery.
8.1.5 Soft Ground
U.S. fixed Artillery positions (all 105mm units) run a chance of becoming ineffective when fired. For each natural '1' or '2' rolled during an attack, a firing 105mm unit loses a step. These losses are sustained after any successful hits are applied. Remember, combat dice are rolled all at once against a single target--no rolling one die at a time to get a hit and avoid sinking into the sand.
8.1.6 Airpower
During the Airpower Determination Step, each side rolls a die to determine how many factors of airpower it will have for the turn (see 3.4). Airpower attacks are individual Ranged Combat die rolls that may be used all in a single attack or in multiple attacks during a Player Activation. A player must announce all his Airpower attacks against individual hexes (not units) before he makes them. An Airpower attack scheduled for a hex in which there are no more units is therefore wasted. Airpower attacks use different modifiers than normal Ranged Combat (see 8.3) and they do not require a LOS. A hit is scored for each modified '7' or higher rolled. If a modified Airpower die roll is '2' or less, the hit is applied to the nearest friendly unit instead! In case of multiple options, the U.S. player selects the friendly-fire target except during Night Turns, when the Japanese player chooses. Airpower factors not used in a turn are lost.
8.1 Ranged Combat Example
In this example, the US player is allocating actions to combat units. The Japanese occupy Engineer Hill with two strong platoons. The US player marks two adjacent units with Melee markers, indicating that these will assault once actions have been allocated. The US player decides to attack with the 105mm artillery on Massacre Beach. Since Engineer Hill is too far away to spot, the US player can spot with call in the artillery attack with one of the adjacent units or either of the 2/32 companies as they are within spotting distance (three hexes). The artillery unit rolls five dice and gets a 6, 6, 5, 2, and 1. There are no modifiers for attacking a higher elevation, since the firing unit is artillery. None of the dice resulted in a hit. Unfortunately, the die rolls of 2 and 1 eliminate the US artillery unit. It has sunk into the soft ground! The US player now opts to conduct ranged fire with the two in supply 2/32 companies. They roll a combined four dice at the Japanese that are up hill, two hexes away, resulting in a 0, 9, 7, and 3. The 0 is an automatic hit that eliminates a Japanese step. The other dice are reduced by -1 for firing up hill (now an 8, 6, and 2). The modified 6 and 2 are misses. The 8 is a hit, but since ranged combat never eliminates the last Japanese step in a hex, it has no effect.
8.2 Melee Combat
During the Player Action Phase, a player may Declare Melee with any of his Infantry (not Artillery) units that are adjacent to enemy units. Declaring Melee is an action, so a unit that declares Melee may not Move or perform Ranged Combat during the same Action Phase. Melees declared during Steps 5 and 6 are resolved in Step 7, Melee Combat. A unit that declares Melee must attack if at all possible.
To Declare Melee, a player states that one or more units from the same hex will melee enemy units in an adjacent hex and places a Melee marker on the units as a reminder. Not all the units in a hex must Declare Melee. When melee is resolved in Step 7, units that Declare Melee are the attackers, and units in a target hex are the defenders.
Melee is initiated by selecting a target hex adjacent to one or more hexes containing friendly units that previously declared melee. Melee may not be declared against a hex into which the declaring units could not move. All units in a hex that Declare Melee must do so against the same hex. Units from more than one hex can declare melee against the same target hex. Finally, all units in a target hex must be attacked (including units that moved into the target hex after the declaration of melee).
Players distribute losses among their units as they see fit. Units that did not Declare Melee but that occupy the same hex as attacking units suffer any excess combat losses if all the attacking units are eliminated. If they are the only units left in a hex after a Melee Combat round, they must retreat (if U.S.) or are eliminated (if Japanese). Units that participate in melee (attacking or defending) may not subsequently attack or be attacked by other units during the same Melee phase. Thus, attacking a unit that has declared melee eliminates the opportunity for the latter to initiate melee itself.
8.2.1 Melee Resolution
Each Melee Combat is resolved in rounds. Each round begins with defensive fire (see 8.2.1.1), followed by offensive fire (see 8.2.1.2), and then by a retreat option (see 8.2.1.3). The rounds are repeated until either the attacker's hex or the defender's hex is empty of units, at which point an advance option is possible (see 8.2.1.4).
8.2.1.1 Defensive Fire
All defending units roll a number of dice equal to their Melee Combat rating, applying die roll modifiers per 8.3. A hit is scored for each modified '7'or higher rolled. Any hits are immediately applied against the attacking units. The owner of the attacking units designates how the losses are distributed. Should all attacking units be eliminated, excess hits are applied to any non-attacking units in the hex.
8.2.1.2 Offensive Fire
Any surviving, attacking units roll a number of dice equal to their Melee Combat rating, applying die roll modifiers per 8.3. A hit is scored for each modified '7' or higher rolled. Any hits are applied against the defending units. The owner of the defending units designates how the losses are distributed. Set aside any eliminated defending U.S. artillery units until the end of the melee.
8.2.1.3 Retreat Option
After both sides have fired, the U.S. player (only) has the option to retreat all of his units from combat, whether he is attacking or defending. Units retreat to any adjacent hex to which they could legally move, but may not retreat into a Japanese ZOC.
8.2.1.4 Advance Option
If the defender's hex is vacated, the attacker has the option to advance any attacking units into it, regardless of the movement point cost. The defender may not advance into a vacated attacker's hex. If a victorious attacking Japanese unit advances into a hex from which an eliminated U.S. Artillery unit was set aside, the Japanese player captures that unit. Place the captured artillery unit in the same hex as the Japanese unit that advanced. The captured unit should be set to the same number of steps that the U.S. unit had prior to melee.
8.2 Melee Combat Example
Carrying on from the ranged combat example, the US player has two companies adjacent to Japanese units on Engineer Hill that were selected for melee during the Action step. Both companies attack the same Japanese unit. The US units project ZOCs into hexes 2716 and 2718. Since there is a cliff hex between Engineer Hill and hex 2817, that hex is also assumed to be enemy controlled. Therefore, the US extends ZOC into five of the six hexes surrounding Engineer Hill. This means that all US attack dice will be +1.
The Japanese player rolls defensively, first. The Japanese platoon rolls three dice and gets 5, 5, and 3. No hits are scored. Now it's the US player's turn.
The company in 2617 is out of supply and attacking a higher elevation, so its die rolls are reduced by -4 making a net modification of -3. This means that only a roll of 0 results in a hit. It rolls six dice and gets 9, 8, 8, 7, 4, and 1. Ordinarily a great roll, but it results in no hits. It's scored for attack while out of supply!
The company in 2618 is in supply, but attacking a higher elevation, so its die rolls are reduced by -2 making a net modification of -1. The company rolls six dice and gets 7, 5, 5, 3, 2, and 2. The US player has missed with both companies!
The US Player now has the option to retreat, but chooses not to do so. Therefore, the Japanese strike defensively again, rolling three dice and getting 0, 8, and 7 for three hits. Ouch! The US player opts to reduce his out of supply company by three steps. He replaces the unit with its matching reduced unit on its reverse side (showing one step remaining). Additionally, he moves the American Casualty Track marker up three boxes.
The reduced unit in 2617 strikes. It still has a -3 die roll modifier and only rolls a single die in its reduced state. It rolls a 1. Ugh!
The full strength company in 2618 rolls now with a -1 die roll modifier. It rolls six dice and gets an 8, 5, 4, 4, 2, and 1. Whew! The 8 result eliminates the Japanese platoon. The US player now has the opportunity to advance either the reduced or the full strength company onto Engineer Hill.
8.3 Combat Die Roll Modifiers
The following die roll modifiers are cumulative. Use the first column for Melee Combat, the second for Ranged Combat, the third for airpower. A hit is scored for each modified '7' or higher rolled.
| Melee* | Ranged | Airpower | Reason for Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2 | -1** | - | Attacking Higher Level |
| -1 | - | - | Attacking across Up Slope |
| -2 | -2 | - | Out of Supply |
| -2 | n/a | -3 | Williwaw Weather |
| -1 | -1 | -2 | Fog Weather |
| -1 | - | -1 | Rain Weather |
| -1** |
*Artillery units may not declare Melee. **Only applies to non-Artillery units.
8.4 U.S. Losses
Each U.S. infantry step lost is tracked on the U.S. Casualty Track. These losses may be recovered during a Refit Turn (see 9.0). U.S. recon, engineer, supply and artillery losses are never recorded on the U.S. Casualty Track.
8.5 Japanese Losses
A Japanese Infantry unit that takes a hit is permanently eliminated and removed from play. However, Ranged Fire Combat never eliminates the last Japanese Infantry unit in a hex--the unit simply stays there. A Japanese Unknown unit that takes one or more hits from Ranged Combat is secretly removed from the map and is eligible to return to play (see 9.6). (Note that Japanese Unknown units can never take a hit from Melee Combat since they convert to Infantry units prior to melee resolution (see 2.4)).
The Japanese player should make sure to keep his eliminated Infantry units separate from his available off-map Infantry, as this is important for placing Unknown units (see 9.6) as well as for victory conditions (3.8.2).
9.0 Refit and Reinforcements
At the beginning of any turn, the U.S. player can call for a "Refit" Turn. During Refit Turns, the U.S. player first attempts to restore losses to in-supply units and then attempts to land any desired reinforcements on Landing Zones. These two actions must be performed in this order as the landing process may result in additional losses that cannot be restored on that same turn. The U.S. may also create Independent units and Supply Depots during a Refit Turn. After the U.S. has refitted and reinforced, the Japanese player may rearrange his on- and off-map units per rule 9.6.
A Refit Turn replaces the normal sequence of play with the following steps:
9.1 Refit Turn Step 1: Roll for Weather and Refitting Losses
A normal weather die roll is first made (see 3.3). The U.S. player then rolls two dice against the Loss Recovery table, adding the two dice together, modifying as necessary for fog (-1) or Williwaw (-2), and cross-indexing the result against the number on the U.S. Casualty Track. The result is the number of refit steps the U.S. Player gets.
Following the Refit die roll, the U.S. player resets the U.S. Casualty Track to zero, so steps that are lost on the refit die roll are permanently gone. Note how this affects possible Japanese victory in section 3.8.2: as long as the U.S. calls a sufficient number of refit turns, he can prevent the U.S. Casualty Track from reaching the 30 level for an automatic Japanese victory.
Refit steps are generic and can be used on any Infantry unit. Recon, engineer, supply depots and artillery may not be refit. An Infantry unit can receive any number of Refit steps, but it can never be restored to a number of steps greater than that with which it started, nor may it receive steps if this would result in over-stacking in its hex. An eliminated unit may not be Refit (but note that its lost steps are, in effect, eligible to be Refit into other units).
American Loss Recovery Table
Cross-index the modified two-dice roll (rows) with the Losses Sustained on the U.S. Casualty Track (columns 1-29). Result = number of steps recovered. Modifiers: -1 if Fog; -2 if Williwaw.
| Dice Roll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
|---|
9.2 Refit Turn Step 2: Reinforcements
The U.S. player has reinforcements at his disposal in the Reinforcements Box on the map. He may attempt to land all, some, or none of them during this step. These units can be landed at Landing Zone hexes that are not occupied by Japanese units or in a Japanese ZOC.
9.2.1 Landing Zone Capacity
Each Landing Zone has a stacking limit that differs from the standard stacking rules. The number in the red dot on the map indicates the number of steps that can stack in a Landing Zone. If stacking is exceeded in a Landing Zone, the U.S. player must eliminate sufficient steps, removing the most recently landed units first, until the capacity is no longer exceeded. These losses are tracked on the U.S. Loss Track, just like combat losses, and may be restored during a subsequent Refit Turn.
9.2.2 Landing
To land reinforcements, the U.S. player moves as many units as he wishes from his Reinforcements Box to the Staging Zone boxes on the map. Each Staging Zone box corresponds to a Landing Zone. There are no stacking limits in the Staging Zone. Once all units are arrayed in the Staging Zones, a die is rolled against the Scatter Chart for each unit (not one die for all the units in a Staging Zone box) to see if it lands where intended, scatters to another Landing Zone, or is delayed. Modify each die roll by -1 for Fog conditions or -2 or Williwaw. A die roll of less than '1' is treated as '1'.
9.2.2 Landing Scatter Chart
| Staging Zone | DR | Result |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1-2 | Delayed |
| A | 3-0 | Landed |
| B | 1-2 | Delayed |
| B | 3-0 | Landed |
| C | 1 | Delayed |
| C | 2-3 | Scatter to E |
| C | 4-5 | Scatter to D |
| C | 6-0 | Landed |
| D | 1 |
If the unit lands or is scattered, place it on its determined destination. If the unit is delayed, place it in the Reinforcements Box (where it can attempt to land in a later Refit Turn). If a unit scatters to a hex containing a Japanese unit or in a Japanese ZOC, it is eliminated (track eliminated steps on the U.S. Loss Track).
After determining the reinforcements that have landed, check for over-stacking within each Landing Zone. If any Landing Zone exceeds its capacity, eliminate sufficient steps so that the capacity is not exceeded (track eliminated steps on the U.S. Loss Track).
9.2 Landing/Reinforcement Example
It's a Refit turn (or the opening US landing) and the US player is landing reinforcements on Massacre Beach. He's attempting to land a 4-step company into Zone E in foggy conditions. He rolls a 6, which would result in a safe landing under cloudy conditions. However, the foggy weather reduces the roll to a 5, resulting in the landing unit scattering to Zone F. Zone F is already stacked with 14 steps of units and can only support 15 steps total. This means that three of the landing company's four steps are eliminated and a single step lands in Zone F. The US player adjusts the American Loss Track up three spaces to account for the losses.
9.3 Refit Turn Step 3: Independent Units
For any in-supply U.S. Infantry units that are not in a Japanese ZOC, the U.S. player may now eliminate one step and replace it with an Independent (white) unit. This procedure does not generate a loss for the U.S. Casualty Track. Once created, Independent units may not be "reabsorbed", although Independent Infantry units that are eliminated are tracked on the U.S. Casualty Track. The counter mix limits the number of Independent units that can be created.
9.4 Refit Turn Step 4: Supply Depots
The U.S. player may now create supply depots from eligible Engineer units. Any Engineer unit that has not already generated a supply depot may do so by losing a step (even its last one), provided the Engineer unit is in supply and not in an enemy ZOC. Make sure to use the supply depot that corresponds to that Engineer unit, and place it in the same hex as the Engineer unit.
9.5 Refit Turn Step 5: Hidden Japanese Units
After the U.S. player has completed his actions for the Refit Turn, the Japanese player may flip to their hidden side any of his units that are not adjacent to U.S. units, or in or adjacent to Landing Zones.
9.6 Refit Turn Step 6: Japanese Unknown Units
The Japanese player may now rearrange his Infantry and Unknown units in the following order:
- The Japanese player may first move any of his on-map Unknown units to any hex on the map that is not adjacent to a U.S. unit, or in or adjacent to a Landing Zone, or in a cleared Victory Zone (see 10.0 on Victory Zones).
- The Japanese player may now remove all, some or none of his Infantry units from the map and replace them with Unknown units from off the map. All units in a hex must be removed when this swap is done. (Note the removed Japanese Infantry units can be placed again normally during later turns per rule 2.5 (they are not eliminated).) The Unknown units may now be placed in one or more hexes up to seven movement points from the hex from which Infantry units were removed, but not adjacent to a U.S. unit, or in or adjacent to a Landing Zone, or in a cleared Victory Zone (see 10.0 on Victory Zones).
Note that the number of Unknown units a Japanese player can place is limited to the number of Infantry units he has left, both on map or off map (i.e., eliminated Infantry units do not count). Also note that the Japanese player has 16 Unknown units and 64 Infantry units, so this limit will not affect him until he has lost 49 Infantry units (ie., no more than 14 Unknown units may be placed if only 14 Japanese infantry units remain).
9.7 Refit Turn Step 7: Advance Turn Marker
The Turn marker is advanced to the next space on the Turn Track. If the marker is advanced into a "Komandorski Effect" Box (see 12.0), flip the KE marker over to determine its effect upon the length of the game.
9.0 Refit Example
The US Player has accrued 16 points of casualties and feels a need to refit. At the beginning of the turn, a Refit turn is called. Weather is checked and, unfortunately, a Williwaw blows up. The US player then rolls two dice to refit and reduces the result by -2 due to the Willwaw. A 14 is rolled, which is reduced to 12. This result is cross-referenced with the number of losses sustained so far on the American Loss Recovery Table, resulting in 4 recovered steps. The US player restores four steps to in-supply infantry units. The remainder of the casualties are permanently lost.
(American Casualty Track: boxes 0 to 9, with an "American Losses +10" marker shown; the track repeats in tens.)
10.0 Victory Zones
The game map is divided by dashed red lines into six "Victory Zones". Each Victory Zone contains one Victory Hex (see 3.8.1). A Victory Zone is considered "cleared" the moment that a U.S. unit occupies the Victory Hex and no non-Unknown Japanese units are in that Victory Zone. If a Victory Zone is cleared, the Japanese player immediately removes all unknown units from the Victory Zone and places them off-map for later use. A "Zone Cleared" marker is now placed in the Victory Zone. The Japanese player may not place or move Unknown units in a cleared Victory Zone. If the Japanese player moves a non-Unknown infantry unit into the Victory Hex in a cleared Victory Zone, the Zone Cleared marker is removed. There is no limit to the number of times a Victory Zone can be cleared. Exception: The Attu village zone is never considered cleared, even if the Victory Hex is taken.
11.0 The Heroes of Attu
The brutal conditions during the Battle of Attu created many instances of great valor on both sides. There were a few examples of bravery and leadership that proved pivotal during the battle, specifically the actions of PFC Joseph Martinez (posthumous winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor), Japanese Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki (leader of the first and one of the largest "Banzai" attacks of the war) and General Archibald Arnold (the recipient of Yamasaki's assault). The effects noted below simulate the contributions of these men. Using these effects is at the discretion of each player and each effect may only be used once per game.
11.1 Joe Martinez
In any melee involving a U.S. Infantry unit, the U.S. player may convert any single die roll to a '0' after all U.S. melee dice have been rolled.
11.2 General Arnold
The combat value of any one Engineer unit or Supply Depot defending in any one Melee Combat is increased to '6'.
11.3 Colonel Yamasaki
If the Japanese are reduced to four or less steps of Infantry units, they may activate all units in any single hex with the following effects:
11.3.1 Movement and ZOCs
The movement points of the activated units are doubled and they ignore U.S. ZOCs.
11.3.2 Assault
The units may enter an enemy-occupied hex at the cost of one additional MP and immediately initiate a Melee Combat, rolling attack dice before receiving the effects of defensive fire (basically reversing the first two steps of the melee process). If an enemy unit attacked in this manner is eliminated, the Japanese units may continue moving and engage in melee (providing they have sufficient MPs to do so).
12.0 Setup and Start
There are several ways in which War in the Wind can be played. Full campaign games may be played employing full or historical setups for either the U.S. or Japanese forces. There are also several shorter scenarios for those players pressed for time. The rules that follow are for play of a full campaign game.
12.1 Game Length
The length of the game is dependent upon the ability of the Japanese to be either reinforced or evacuated from Attu. The game design operates under the assumption that the destruction of the Japanese northern convoy system at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands was pivotal to this effect. Players randomly determine the result of this battle and its effect upon the length of the game.
12.1.1 Komandorski Effect
At the beginning of the game, the Japanese player draws a Komandorski Effect chit (May 24, May 27 or May 30), secretly examines it, and secretly places it face-down on the May 24 square of the Turn Track.
12.1.2 Komandorski Delay
At the beginning of the game, the Japanese player draws a Komandorski Delay chit (1-4), examines it, and places it face-down on the May 24 square of the Turn Track.
12.1.3 Effect and Delay Revelation
When the Turn marker is advanced into the May 24 spot on the Turn Track, the Komandorski Effect marker is revealed. If it is the May 24 marker, the Delay marker is also revealed; otherwise the Delay marker is advanced to the date spot indicated by the Effect marker. Once that date is reached, the Delay marker is revealed. The Delay marker indicates how many more turns will be played in the game.
12.2 Other Marker Setup
Place the Turn marker on the May 11 space of the Turn Track and the U.S. Loss marker on the '0' space of the U.S. Loss Track. Place the Weather marker on the 'Fog' spot on the Weather Track.
12.3 Historic Japanese Setup
Place all Japanese infantry steps into an opaque container (the game's box top, a coffee mug, a dice bag, etc.). Place the sixteen Unknown units into the following hexes: 1216, 1509, 1822, 1919, 2108, 2112, 2117, 2307, 2717, 2915, 3116, 3409, 3610, 3717, 3812, and 3915. Place the Japanese 20mm artillery units into: 1812, 2314, and 3210 (x2). Place the Japanese 75mm artillery units into: 1809, 1917, and 3409.
Designers Note: This historic setup was discovered sometime after development for War in the Wind had been completed. Given the design of War in the Wind, the Unknown units comprise several Japanese positions into a consolidated location.
12.4 Free Japanese Setup
Place all Japanese infantry steps into an opaque container (the game's box top, a coffee mug, a dice bag, etc.). Setup 16 Japanese Unknown units anywhere on the map with no more than one per hex and not adjacent to any Landing Zones. At least two Japanese Unknown units must set up within two or three hexes of each Landing Zone (note that the same Japanese unit can be used satisfy this condition for more than one Landing Zone). Set up the four 20mm Artillery units within five hexes of 3311. Set up the three 75mm Artillery units in hexes 3311 and 2409 (at least one step per hex).
12.5 Historic U.S. Setup and Start
When using the historic setup, place the following units in their respective Staging Zone boxes on the map. Any units indicated as Reinforcements are placed in the U.S. Reinforcements Box. To begin the game, play Step 2 of a Refit Turn (see 9.2) with the weather being Fog. Once the U.S. reinforcements have been landed and all scatter results resolved, the May 11 turn starts with Step 1 of the regular turn sequence (see 3.1). All units begin at full strength (i.e., maximum steps unless otherwise indicated).
| Landing Zone | Units |
|---|---|
| LZ A | 1 Company 7th Scout Company; 1 Company 7th Recon Troop (at 3 steps) |
| LZ B | 4 Companies 1st Battalion, 17th Regiment; 1 Battery 105mm Artillery |
| LZ C | 1 Company 2nd Battalion, 32nd Regiment |
| LZ D, E, F, G* | 4 Companies 2nd Battalion, 17th Regiment; 4 Companies 3rd Battalion, 17th Regiment; 3 Companies 2nd Battalion, 32nd Regiment; 3 Batteries 105mm Artillery |
| LZ H or I | 1 Independent Recon Platoon |
| Reinforcements | 4 Companies 1st Battalion, 32nd Regiment; 4 Companies 3rd Battalion, 32nd Regiment; 4 Companies 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment; 3 Companies 13th Engineer Battalion; 3 Companies 50th Engineer Battalion; 2 Batteries 105mm Artillery; 1 Section 75mm Artillery |
*Units for landing zones D, E, F and G can be placed as the U.S. player pleases. A zone can contain all, some or none of the allotted units.
12.6 Free U.S. Setup and Start
Rather than use the historical setup above, the U.S. player is free to assign his forces to the Staging Zones as he sees fit. Any units he chooses not to land are placed in the Reinforcements Box. The U.S. player may opt to move the Turn marker forward one space in hopes of better weather results. In these cases, weather results are rolled prior to scatter results. The U.S. player can delay landing for as many turns as he deems necessary.
12.7 Short Scenarios
Rather than play out the entire campaign to liberate Attu, players can opt to play only a portion of the campaign if pressed for time and table space. Refer to section 15.0 for these options.
13.0 Solitaire Considerations
The situation simulated in War in the Wind lends itself well to solitaire play, given the inherent one-sidedness of the battle. Players without nearby opponents can play the game solitaire by taking the side of the U.S. and allowing the mechanics outlined below to manage the Japanese. Note, however, that these rules cannot control the Japanese entirely. When required, move the Japanese units in their own best interest. Except where noted below, the standard rules of play apply.
13.1 Unknown Units
The tables on the reverse of the Unknown units cannot be examined until engaged in Melee. Place these units in an additional opaque container and draw them randomly when necessary.
13.2 Victory Hex Defense
When determining the strength of Unknown units occupying Victory Hexes, do not roll on the table. Three units are automatically received if available (if less than three units are available, draw units randomly from the eliminated units). Additionally, any Japanese air support points are automatically assigned to the defense of Victory Hexes. If multiple hexes are attacking, divide the air support evenly and against the strongest stack of attackers.
13.2.1 Initial Placement
Place one Unknown unit on each Victory Hex. These units cannot move. Roll an additional die and add +1 to the result. Draw the resulting number of Unknown units and place them in such a manner as to get in the way of the U.S. advance.
13.2.2 Ad Hoc Placement
When a U.S. unit comes within four hexes of a Victory Hex, roll a die and add one to the result. Draw this number of units from the Japanese infantry steps (not Unknown units) and place them within two hexes of the Victory Hex and between the Victory Hex and the U.S. units and at higher elevation than the U.S. units (if possible). These units will use Ranged Combat against the nearest U.S. unit until engaged in Melee.
13.3 Ambushes
If a U.S. unit (or stack of units) uses its full movement allowance, draw an Unknown unit and roll a die against its table. Subtract two from the result. No ambush occurs on a modified result of less than one. Otherwise, the modified chart result is the number of Japanese units that appear in the U.S. unit's hex and engage the moving unit in an immediate melee. The Japanese units strike first (as if defending). The U.S. units have the option to withdraw to the hex from which they just advanced after a round of combat. If the U.S. units withdraw, the Japanese units remain in the hex.
13.4 Colonel Yamasaki
If defending the last Victory Hex, the remaining Japanese infantry units have their melee strength values doubled.
13.5 Night Infiltration
During night turns, a U.S. unit attempting to leave an enemy ZOC must roll a die. If a 0-4 is rolled, the U.S. unit cannot leave the ZOC. Add +1 if conditions are Fog or +2 if Williwaw.
13.6 Victory Conditions
The U.S. can only win by taking all six Victory Hexes in the time allocated. Alternatively, use the optional Victory Point Chit System described below.
14.0 Optional Victory Point Chit System
Rather than use the standard victory conditions, this option is recommended for solitaire use and can also provide additional challenges when used in games played face-to-face. If used, these rules supersede the standard method of determining victory.
During set up, place the Victory Point markers valued 1 through 3 into an opaque container and draw one randomly for each Victory Hex other than Attu. If playing face-to-face, the Japanese player may place these as desired, rather than randomly. Next, place the Victory Point markers valued 0 and "Cancelled" into the opaque container and draw one chit randomly for each Victory Hex, including Attu. Each Victory Hex should be stacked with two markers other than Attu, which has only one. If playing face-to-face, the Japanese player may secretly review these markers after placement. Otherwise, their values must remain hidden until the end of the game.
At the end of the game, reveal the markers on each Victory Hex captured by the U.S. player. Immediately discard any marker stacked with the "Cancelled" marker. Sum the remaining markers to determine the total Victory Points acquired by the U.S. player. Unless "cancelled," Attu itself is worth an additional 4 Victory Points. Finally, add 1 Victory Point if the game ends prior to May 27th or deduct 1 Victory Point if the game ends after May 30th. Compare the number of Victory Points acquired on the Victory Level table to determine how well the U.S. player faired in the battle.
Victory Level Table
| Victory Points | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 or less | Japanese Major Victory |
| 3-4 | Japanese Minor Victory |
| 5-6 | Japanese Marginal Victory |
| 7-8 | US Marginal Victory |
| 9-10 | US Minor Victory |
| 11 or more | US Major Victory |
15.0 Short Scenarios
Players who are pressed for time and table space may optionally play one of these shorter scenarios rather than complete the entire campaign. These options use all of the standard rules except where noted.
15.1 Up The Hog's Back
This scenario covers the landing of the Southern Force and its effort to capture what would become "Engineer Hill." The goal for the U.S. player is to capture the Engineer Hill Victory Hex (2717) by the end of May 18th. Play is limited to the Engineer Hill Victory Area. The U.S. player is limited to only those units received at Landing Zones D, E, F, and G and may only be reinforced by its own delayed units, those of the 32nd Infantry, and the 13th Engineers. The Japanese receive 8 Unknown units. These units are eliminated from play once converted to Infantry. All U.S. and Japanese units set up according to the free setup rules (noting, again, the limitation of play to the Engineer Hill Victory Area). None of the "Heroes of Attu" are available. Subtract one from the U.S. and Japanese Air Power rolls. Subtract two from the U.S. Refit roll.
15.2 Holtz Bay To Jarmin Pass
This scenario covers the landing of the Northern Force and its effort to clear Jarmin Pass. The goal for the U.S. player is to capture the Jarmin Pass Victory Hex (2117) by the end of May 22nd. Play is limited to the Holtz Bay and Jarmin Pass Victory Areas. The U.S. player is limited to only those units received at Landing Zones A and B and may only be reinforced by its own delayed units and those of the 4th Infantry and 50th Engineers. The Japanese receive 8 Unknown units. These units are eliminated from play once converted to Infantry. All U.S. and Japanese units set up according to the free setup rules (noting, again, the limitation of play to the Holtz Bay and Jarmin Pass Victory Areas). None of the "Heroes of Attu" are available. Subtract two from the U.S. and Japanese Air Power rolls. Subtract three from the U.S. Refit roll.
15.3 The Linkup
This scenario covers the efforts of the Southern and Northern forces to link up and divide the Japanese forces by the end of May 22nd. This is a combination of the previous two short scenarios into one meaty one that depicts the largest period of fighting during the battle for Attu. Once this linkup occurred, the rest of the battle was mostly mopping up operations. Play the scenario according to the strictures of the previous two. Additionally, the U.S. units from the Northern Force may reinforce those of the Southern Force to capture Engineer Hill once Jarmin Pass is secured (and vice versa). Any available hidden units may move and/or be placed outside of their initial areas if those areas have been secured (i.e. Hidden units defending against the Northern Force may be moved/placed in the Engineer Hill area once Jarmin Pass has been secured, and vice versa). Subtract one from the U.S. and Japanese Air Power rolls. Subtract two from the U.S. Refit roll.
Player Aid: 3.0 Sequence of Play
- Step 1: Refit Decision
- 1.1 Determine Weather
- 1.2 Refit Losses
- 1.3 Reinforcements
- 1.4 Create Independent Units
- 1.5 Create Supply Depots
- 1.6 Hide Japanese Units
- 1.7 Rearrange Unknown Units
- 1.8 Advance Turn Marker
- Step 2: Night Turn Decision (Day - U.S. is First Player; Night - Japan is First Player)
- Step 3: Determine Weather
- Step 4: Determine Airpower
- Step 5: First Player Actions
- Step 6: Second Player Actions
- Step 7: Melee Combat
- Step 8: Victory Determination
- Step 9: Advance Turn Marker
Player Aid: Things to Remember
- The U.S. Player always moves/melees first except during Night turns (3.2)
- Reduce all unit's Movement Rates by one in Rain conditions (5.1)
- Half all unit's Movement Rates (rounding up) in Night conditions (5.2)
- No Ranged Combat in Williwaw conditions (8.1.3)
- A roll of 1 or 2 when firing fixed artillery eliminates an artillery step (8.1.5)
- A modified roll of 2 or less during an air strike attacks a friendly unit (8.1.6)
- Ranged Combat never eliminates the last Japanese Infantry step in a hex (8.5)
- Only U.S. Infantry units are refit, so only U.S. Infantry losses need to be tracked (9.1)
- When reading a die, treat a '0' as a '10' (1.2)
- All supply lines are traced from a Landing Zone or Supply Depot to the unit (7.2)
- Generally, all combat dice hit on a modified roll of '7' or higher (8.0)