RED SKY MORNING (A XTR ziplock game) Design: David Bowers 1925, British naval expert Hector Bywater first published "The Great Pacific War," his fictional account of a war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan. Bywater saw that the roots of war existed and hoped to publicize these factors through his well-researched book. He predicted that the war would begin with a massive surprise strike by Japanese naval forces at U.S. naval forces, then the Japanese would dominate the Pacific. The superior industrial might of the U.S. would eventually turn the tide and the Navy and Marine Corps would "islandhop" on the way to Japan. The parallels between Bywater's account and the subsequent 1941- 1945 conflict are startling. Ironically, journalist William Honan has found evidence that Isoroku Yamamoto, a naval attache in Washington in the mid-1920s, read Bywater's book and probably incorporated some of its plans into his operations when he became commander-in-chief of the Japanese Navy. In 1991, "The Coming War with Japan," a fictional account of "The Second U.S.- Japanese War," was published. The authors of this book predict that economic conflict between the two countries in the post-Cold War era will lead to military conflict. Also in 1991, XTR Corp. published the wargame "Red Sky Morning: The Second Japanese- American War 1997-98. "Red Sky Morning (hereafter RSM) is based upon the premise that Japan kicks U.S. forces out of Japan and rebuilds its Navy. Technology comes into play as the Japanese develop "stealth" aircraft carriers and cruisers. An incident at sea sparks a confrontation between the two countries, leading to an American blockade of the Japanese islands. The game revolves around U.S. player enforcing the blockade while the Japanese player tries to break it. COMPONENTS The colorful 22" by 34" map reaches from Hawaii in the east to Indonesia in the west and Alaska in the north to New Guinea in the south. Tracks for various types of markers used in the game are printed on the map as are ground-based aircraft holding areas. Ocean areas are drawn as"deep-sea zones" or "chokepoints" while land masses block ship movement. Each side has ports from which supply lines begin and where ship repairs can be made. Surface ships and aircraft are represented by 5/8" counters. The larger counters are easier to handle and read. Each ship or aircraft counter includes a well-drawn silhouette, a designation, and up to six numbers that describe the properties of that unit. The various markers and submarine units are printed on 1/2" counters. The submarine counters contain less information, so the smaller size is acceptable. RSM is a game flush with charts and player aids. Each player has a carrier display to indicate aircraft locations and status (ready, readying, or not ready) and a "battle board" to indicate placement of ships and aircraft in a task force for combat. The combat results table, engagement range table, and aids for each player are listed on pages removed from the rulebook. The player-aids are comprehensive and complete. The turn and combat sequences are long and detailed, but having a copy for quick reference makes game procedures bearable. RULES Once the various charts and displays have been removed, the rulebook contains four pages of introductory material, 15 pages of rules, and two pages of optional rules. Design notes and helpful examples are interspersed throughout the rules in boxes. These boxes make the rules much easier to read and to understand. One of the uses of the boxes is to delineate "Beginners' Rules." The idea is that certain complicated rules such as supply and submarine/antisubmarine combat can be skipped while players are first learning the game. As the players become familiar with the game, they can add these rules to increase the scope of the action. The players may then add the optional rules if desired later. RSM is really almost two games within one. Most of the time, the players are concerned with moving forces about the Pacific, repairing vessels, and attending to economic and political conditions. Combat, when it occurs, is furious and involved. In fact, XTR suggests that players learn the combat system by playing a separate "tactical" game without the map. Each turn starts with the players being awarded "replenishment points" (RPs). The RPs are used to purchase "action" points (to enable naval maneuvers and engagements), "repair" points (to add strength to damaged ships and aircraft units), and "political" points (to influence non-military events that can occur). The players can attack port facilities to reduce repair capabilities and oil platforms to reduce the number of RPs available to the other player. Once the economic and maintenance needs have been addressed, the players may move units and engage in combat. The game is won by reaching a set number of victory points (VPs) first. The list of VPs for each player is rather long. Both players receive points for sinking enemy ships and destroying enemy aircraft. The Japanese player can earn VPs for damaging the port facilities at Pearl Harbor and for damaging Alaskan oil production facilities. The American player can earn VPs for enforcing the blockade of Japan: the more complete the blockade, the more points. The American player can also earn points for the conquest of Okinawa if called upon to do so by a political event. Both players can also lose VPs depending upon random events. COMBAT Combat can be rather time-consuming, especially if each side has several units involved. Combat is required if both sides have units in the same deep-sea zone or choke point at the end of an action/ reaction phase. Each player removes his forces from the map and positions them on his battle board out of the other player's sight. A battle may last up to four rounds; each round contains several phases. The battle boards represent the deployment of the ships and aircraft ina task force. Surface ships are considered to be attacking, screening (defending), at the core (where aircraft carriers belong), or disengaging. Submarines are handled separately. Aircraft are either CAP (defending) or Strike & Escort (attacking). Combat takes place between units in certain areas of the battle boards--for example, the Strike & Escort aircraft of one player first fight the CAP aircraft of the other player. Units can be shifted between the areas on the battleboards at the end of each round. RSM uses an action/reaction system for combat. The active player attacks, then the reactive player attacks. Actual combat between units is straightforward in that the appropriate combat value of the attacking unit is calculated, two dice are rolled, and the combat result is determined. Results, either hits or "weaponetions," are applied simultaneously at the end of the round. There are modifiers for a nation's Electronic Warfare level (part of the economic side of the game), presence of admirals, and U.S. E-2 Hawkeyes. At the end of each round, the players choose whether to approach, maintain distance, or disengage. The players then check the engagement range table (possibly with a player needing to make an "ECM roll") to determine the range of combat for the next round or if it ends by one or both players successfully disengaging. OPTIONAL RULES RSM includes five optional rules: U.S. air-to-air refueling aircraft, stealth aircraft, Japanese Kamikazes, Admirals, and Okinawa. The refueling aircraft simply extend the range of U.S. aircraft. Both sides have stealth aircraft groups that receive special bonuses during attacks to reflect the difficulty ships have in detecting them. If the game is not going well for the Japanese player, he can resort to Kamikaze attacks. Kamikaze aircraft have higher combat values, but can only be used once, of course. Both sides have admirals that can increase the effectiveness of surface ship attacks. The U.S. player may attempt to conquer Okinawa both for additional VPs and for the chance to have land-based aircraft within striking distance of the Japanese islands. The ground combat is highly abstracted to a counter for the Japanese Imperial Guard and a counter for U.S. Marines. CONCLUSIONS RSM is both thought-provoking and fun. The rationale of the game is reasonable and the topic certainly is timely. I realize that I barely scratched the surface of the game in preparing this review, so please recognize that I glossed over some of the subtleties. Though somewhat busy, the counters are attractive and packed with information. The map is a pleasure to view and the charts and tables are easy to read. The rules are clear with the helpful boxes; the layering of complexity from the beginners' rules through the optional rules is well implemented. Combat can be rather time-consuming, but actual naval combat is often the same way--long periods of maneuvering interspersed with fierce all-out attacks. I think that $20 is a bit steep for a ziplock game, but perhaps I just haven't adjusted to economic realities. In any case, RSM is a good investment if you are interested in modern naval combat. I hope to see) more of this game system, perhaps adapted to the Pacific Theater of World War II. In all, RSM is a good effort from XTR. BIBLIOGRAPHY Aviation Week and Space Technology, several articles that form a special report on "Japan's Growing Aircraft Manufacturing Capability," 29 July 1991, pp. 42-57. Bywater, Hector C., "The Great Pacific War," St. Martin's Press, 1991. Friedman, George and Meredith Lebard, "The Coming War with Japan," St. Martin's Press, 1991. 2091100%) Honan, William H., "Visions of Infamy: The Untold Story of How Journalist Hector C. Bywater Devised the Plans That Led to Pearl Harbor," St. Martin's Press, 1991. Honan, William H., "Who Planned Pearl Harbor? A British Expert Warned the World, but Only Japan Remembered," The Washington Post, 4 August 1991, page C5. Walter K. Daniel