From: CRJehlen@aol.com Subject: U.S.N. Variant Hello all, Here are the current U.S.N. rules revisions we are using. Unless noted, we are using the rules as written (RAW). These are not in any particular order and we don't claim to be rules lawyers. If time permits, we will retype the entire rules booklet with these revisions included. Or maybe we'll leave that to the professionals. Our goal is to devise a good single-map campaign game on the Pacific Campaign. Lacking the desire to create from whole-cloth, we used this veteran system as our vehicle. The revisions have created a tense match as each side plans and executes their strategy while reacting tactically to enemy movements. There's quite a bit of interaction. It was a great way for two teachers to spend summer vacation. If anyone has questions or wants information about the thought process, drop us a line. We're starting another campaign game this weekend. Maybe if the game is reissued we'll be listed as playtesters ;^) Charlie Jehlen Chuck Minshew Sequence of Play - I. Reinforcement Phase. A. Reinforcements. B. Replacements. C. Designate naval units under repair. II. Japanese Sea Movement Phase. A. Designate Emergency Transport units and units embarking or debarking. B. Naval Movement Part One. C. Naval Surface Combat (options are mutually exclusive). 1. Bombardment of land units and bases. 2. Surface naval engagement. 3. Combat with Coastal Defense units. 4. Designate for ground support. D. Naval Movement Part Two. E. Refueling. III. Allied Sea Movement Phase (per above). IV. Allied Land Phase. A. Complete Pacification of hexes. B. Land unit movement and paradrops. C. Base building. D. Entrenchment. V. Allied Land Attack Phase and Mutual Air Strike Phase. A. Disembark units from assault transports or emergency transports. B. Announcement of land attacks. C. Mutual air allocation (record missions and hexes involved). D. Allied air attacks on naval units at sea E. Japanese air attacks on naval units at sea. F. Allied air attacks on everything else. G. Allied Air Attacks on Everything Else. H. Mutual ground support resolution in hexes under attack. I. Resolve ground combat. J. Air unit return. VI. Allied Sea Movement Phase. VII. Japanese Sea Movement Phase. VIII. Japanese Land Movement Phase. IX. Japanese Land Attack Phase / Mutual Air Strike Phase. X. Record Keeping Phase. Unit Breakdown - We are making numerous substitution counters for information counters, land, and air units and allowing unit breakdowns at any point in the turn. (This was originally a magazine game and the countermix is limited. Under the "wouldn't it be nice" list we would like to see individual capital ship counters. This would reduce the "all or nothing" feel of the original naval combat system. We almost bought a copy of FGA's "The Eagle and the Sun" just to look at the unit strengths. Using individual ships counters would also involve redoing the combat charts, but would add so much more color to the game). Coastal Defense Units (CDU) - Every Japanese or Allied naval base on the map or constructed during the game has a CDU in its hex. Small CDUs (i.e., Wake) are at every naval base that does not have a larger CDU (i.e. Truk). This means that any constructed or repaired naval base will have at least a 6-2 CDU. Each CDU has an anti-aircraft strength equal to its surface attack strength, less damage. Aerial bombardments of CDUs will use CRTs #3 and #5, not #4. CDUs will be eliminated when cumulative weeks damage equals its defense strength. Undestroyed CDUs add their defense strength to any land attacks made against their hex. They have no offensive land attack capability. Small CDUs (such as on Wake) are the size of battalions, all others are regimental-sized units. Bases - Bases may be repaired using Transports or the Assault Transport. Allied base construction still requires the Assault Transport. Neutralized airbases may operate at level 5 (all capacity above 5 cannot be used). Captured airbases always operate at level 5 (all capacity above 5 must be repaired before using). Airbase defense shall equal its capacity less any part destroyed. Bases shall be built and repaired according to the following schedule (no die roll required) - Japan repairs in 4 weeks, constructs in 8 weeks. Allies repair in 2 weeks and constructs in 4 weeks. Emergency Transport - The transporting unit(s) must start the initial naval movement phase of the turn stacked with the ground unit to be transported. The naval units do not move during the entire turn. The land unit is placed in the debarkation hex during the land movement phase. Units may be landed on class 2 terrain even if enemy occupied. Naval units may be grouped to carry large ground units (i.e. 2 Allied DDs can carry a regiment). If one of the grouped units is sunk, the ground unit may break down (if possible) to continue the emergency transport. If it cannot break down, it is destroyed. Naval units that are slowed through damage and lack the necessary movement factors to reach the debarkation hex during transport will return with the ground unit to the point of origin. Transport - Embarkation or disembarkation at a port takes one sea movement phase. Embarkation or disembarkation at any other hex takes two sea movement hases. Units to be embarked at a port must start a sea movement phase stacked with their transporting unit. At the end of the sea movement phase, the units are embarked. This uses up the entire movement allowance of the naval unit. Units disembarking at a port use the same procedure. Additional Air Missions - Air Transfers (AT): Transfers from base to base occur during the air mission phase and count as the alloted mission for the moving units. Note the hexes involved when plotting air strikes and resolve after all combat. Extended CAP (ECAP): An air unit may be assigned this mission in any hex within normal range (except its base hex). It will defend against enemy missions at its extended range strength. (This allows some flexibility whereby planes at an air base can partially cover a unit within range.) Transit Attack (TA): An air unit may be assigned this mission whenever an enemy surface unit moves with its airbase ZOC. If more than one hex of the zone is entered, only one attack by that air unit may be made with the owning player choosing which hex in which to attack. Air units from more than one base may combine for this attack if in range. Air units using this mission are not available in the next air attack phase. If intercepted by any CAP, the TA air units use extended range strength unless conducting this mission in their base hex. (This is a MAJOR innovation and prevents the "Panzerbush syndrome" of the original game. Naval units moving close to enemy air bases will need to be on guard.) Emergency CAP (MCAP): The NAC of a moving carrier unit that generates a Transit Attack may fly this mission. MCAP set using this mission remain over the moving carrier through the following air attack phase (less aborts and losses). Emergency CAP units aborted during a transit attack are not available for missions in the following air attack phase and are considered to be on the carrier. Emergency Transfer (ET, phone home): Air units whose base is captured by land units or whose base hex is entered by naval units may fly to any friendly supplied airbase in transfer range. Neutralized airbases may not take air units in excess of the 5 level minimum. Units flying this mission may not operate in the following air attack phase. (Thus an air unit whose bases appears to be in danger of naval bombardment has several options - Transit Attack to hit the enemy before or after they bombard, undergo the bombardment and attack during the following air attack phase, or fly away from the base before the bombardment. Our vision was that of Henderson Field and the choices the Cactus Air Force faced. Of course, they never faced a stack of three IJN BBs coming down the Slot!) Extended Emergency CAP (XCAP): A naval unit undergoing a Transit Attack may be defended by air units within normal range. The air units flying this mission use their extended range strength unless operating in their base hex. Units flying this mission may not operate in the following air attack phase. Land Units - Anti-aircraft ability: Land units that are attacked by air units flying the "bombing of land units mission" will have an AA factor equal to its attack strength (halved if unsupplied or disrupted). Ground Combat Results: D1 = If any defending unit is entrenched, the defender becomes unentrenched. If no units are entrenched, all units must retreat one hex unless one regiment is removed. D2 = If any defending unit is entrenched, the defender becomes unentrenched and loses one regiment. If no units are entrenched, the defender loses one regiment and surviving units must retreat unless one additional regiment is removed. DX = if entrenched, the defender becomes unentrenched and loses two regiments. If not entrenched, the defender loses two regiments and surviving units must retreat unless one additional regiment is removed. AX = The attacker loses one regiment. Entrenchment: Units that do not move or suffer any combat result dig during each land phase. After four cumulative weeks of digging (which may be interrupted by enemy action), they are entrenched. While in supply, Allied units in Bataan may still entrench in one turn. An engineer that entrenches a hex creates a fortified zone similiar to Bataan. All units in such a fortifed hex may entrench in one turn. If these units suffer a combat result, the process of entrenchment must restart. (Our intent was to remove the all-or-nothing aspect of the land combat rules. These interpretations give a better attritional feel. Outnumbered units that cannot retreat can trade men for time. Note there is no differentiation between class one and class two land hexes.). Turns Minus 1 (11/5/41) and 0 (12/1/41) - Only the Japanese player may move units during this turn, using the restrictions listed in the special rules. No Allied movement is allowed and Allied air units may not perform any missions during these turns (including CAP). No combat may occur until the second air attack phase of Turn 0 (12/1/41). Anti-aircraft and defensive strengths at Pearl Harbor are halved during Turn 0. The game turns remain as they are listed. (Historically Kido Butai left Japan in late November and refueling concerns were a factor in leaving the Hawaiian Islands. We have not been using the optional setups for CLs and DDs as we felt such movement would have attracted attention and possibly affected the strategic surprise. Under the RAW, naval units can get a bit of a jump, but must stay away from Allied air bases. Keeping the game turns as they are means the Allied carriers do not become available at Pearl iimediately after the surprise attack. We realize the "Big E" sailed in that day, but felt the restriction reflected the flux in command which permeated CincPac until Nimitz arrived. The ships may have been present, but the will to hazard them was not there.). Allied OOB At-Start Changes - CA1 to 1066 (several cruisers were escorting transports in this general area, not enough were left in Pearl to justify the unit), CA5 to 286 (at sea one impulse; re - Morison, very few surface ships were left at Cavite), CL2 to 220 (Dutch Navy), CL3 to any port in Australia (Australian and New Zealand Navies), DD5 to 318 (at sea for one impulse; re - Morison). Allied NAC Replacements - Allies start with 10 NAC on the west coast and receives only 1 NAC per turn in replacement aircraft. This will increase to 2 NAC on Turn 27 and 3 NAC on Turn 54. All arriving carriers have full air groups. (Our purpose is to prevent large amounts of Allied NAC from being deployed to the map. Allied LAC remains unlimited on the West Coast.) Proportional Air Losses - There are times when combat results are suffered by mixed groups of aircraft. When this occurs, apply losses in this sequence LAC, NAC, LAC, NAC, LBAC. Removed destroyed units first, then aborts. LBAC still count as 2 units when removed. If there are no LBAC present or if only one factor needs to be affected, begin the sequence again. (The RAW allows the attacker to choose which units are destroyed. This appears a bit extreme. Alternatives to this sequence are to apply proportions mathematically or to allow each player to apply losses alternately with the attacker choosing first). Hex Control - Each hex is either friendly or enemy. The owner of the hex places his units below those of the attacker. A hex undergoing pacification is considered friendly to the side with the unit present. Supply may not be traced through enemy hexes. Units may not retreat into enemy hexes. Units may not move directly from one enemy hex into another. Pacification - On the turn that any land unit is the sole occupant of an enemy Class 2 land hex, the unit may be flipped over to indicate that pacification has begun. If the unit is in supply in the friendly land movement phase of the next turn, the unit is flipped back over and pacification of the hex is complete. The unit may not move in the turn that pacification is complete. Air units may be based at a hex where pacification is in progress (occupied by flipped unit) or where it has been completed. (Our purpose is to reflect the amount of time necessary to eliminate resistance at levels below the scale of the game. Note that a flipped unit may breakdown and leave a unit behind to pacify while others move away. Also note that pacification is voluntary - a unit moving through the interior of Borneo does not have to pacify the headhunters. But watch that supply trace!). Naval AA At Sea - When naval units are attacked by enemy air units at sea, all ships in the target hex contribute to the AA total. The attacker is told the ships present and chooses which units will be attacked. Ships that will be attacked contribute all of their AA factors to the defense. All other units have their AA strengths totaled and reduced to 25% (rounded up). The total of these two represents the column used. Naval Surface Combat - The four options of bombardment of land units and bases, surface naval engagement, combat with Coastal Defense Units, and ground combat support are mutually exclusive. We did not want a single ship to do all four in a half-week movement phase. Note that the naval unit must be present in the hex when the ground combat is fought for the support to be effective. Supply - As needed during the turn, supply is traced from a unit to the source. It is blocked by enemy land units, enemy hexes, enemy naval units, and uncontested enemy air ZOCs. Enemy land or naval units in the same hex as the friendly unit do not affect this trace. Thus, sea supply from an island can be blocked by surrounding the island (but, note combat supply). Combat Supply (CS): Allows a defending unit to defend at full strength for eight weeks after normal supply is blocked. A unit reduced to combat supply cannot move, attack, construct, pacify, repair, or entrench. Such a unit that is sea or air bombarded and receives a DX result is disrupted (new term) for one full game turn (may carry over until the start of the phase in the next turn). Disrupted units defend at half-strength and suffer the effects of being out of combat supply for the turn that the result is in effect. An air unit reduced to combat supply may only fly the transfer or emergency transfer missions (they are grounded, so watch strafing and bombardment!). If normal supply is re-established, each turn adds one week back to the unit's CS ability until it reaches the eight-week maximum. Naval Fueling - Fueling status of naval units is tracked on an naval movement impulse basis (-1.1, -1.2, 0.1, 0.2, 1.1, 1.2, etc.). For example, the Pearl Harbor Attack Force sails from Japan on turn -1.1 (first movement impulse of turn -1). It must be refueled by the end of impulse 1.2 (six impulse or three turns later). Units that refuel by oiler are considered to be in port the turn they refuel (so their 6 impulses of movement begin the turn after they are stacked with the oiler). An oiler cannot refuel itself. Allied Aircraft Quality - During the first twelve turns, Allied LAC shift one column to the left on the air to air chart (1 to 5 column is the minimum; Gladiators, Buffaloes, and Hurricanes. Oh my!). Attacks on Class One Atolls: Since land combat is attritional, attacking units do not have to clear the hex or be re-embarked. Opposing units may stack here and continue combat (Iwo Jima is such a hex). Strategic Intelligence: Naval units are replaced by numbered task force markers. The naval units are kept out of the opponent's sight on a display sheet. Units are revealed as they approach enemy air bases or naval units under the following schedule: Five hex range reveals the number of counters in a force, four hex range reveals if carriers are present, three hex range reveals unit types present, and all units are revealed at two hex range and closer. Any TF marker under attack reveals all naval units present prior to resolution of combat. (The RAW allowed perfect knowledge of the enemy forces and strengths. Thus the guessing game begins). MAGIC: Beginning in January 1942, the Allies may choose to have perfect intelligence of the Japanese forces for a week. For one complete turn starting during the Reinforcement Phase, all Japanese units are placed on the map. The Allies may use MAGIC once every six month period. Tactical Intelligence: To prevent factor counting, units undergoing transit attack are not told the strength of the attacking air units until after all CAP missions are marked down. The force being attacked is told the origin hex(es) of the air strike prior to designating CAP. Tactical Surprise: Beginning in 1942, each side has a Tactical Surprise marker for use in a single combat. Each side may use their marker only once in a game. The Allied marker is played at the start of a mutual air attack phase and achieves two results: First, it reduces the amount of CAP the Japanese player can assign in one hex attacked by Allied NAC flying from a carrier. The Japanese may only assign 1 NAC per CV (not CVL or CVE) in the hex under attack. Second, the marker prevents the Japanese from attacking any Allied naval units during that phase. The Japanese marker is played at the start of a Japanese sea movement phase and achieves two results: First, it prevents the evasion of an Allied force from one surface combat. Second, the marker allows the results of the Japanese surface attack to take effect before the Allied units fire back. (Midway and Savo Island, anyone? We envision the Allied counter being named McClusky showing a picture of his Dauntless dive bomber and the words "Turn Right!". The Japanese counter might be named Mikawa with a picture of a Long Lance torpedo and the words "Evade This!"). Surface Combat and Bombing Table Minimums: Ratios less than 1 to 1 are rolled on the 1 to 1 table. (On occasion, DDs did torpedo BBs and single planes popped carriers). Needless to say we are using lots of legal pads running this game. Many notes are kept on the side - hexes pacified, units entrenching, bases being repaired, where extended CAP is flying from and which hex it is covering. This allows us to check each other as we fly and bomb each other. Hope these ideas rekindle your interest in the game. And no, our copy is not for sale.