Getting into a good rhythm with Empire of the Sun’s SOPAC scenario.  And well I should since this is about my fifth playthrough.

This is situation at the end of the first card play round of Turn 3.  Yes, I whiffed on getting a screen shot before Turn 3 began as well as the Strategy Cards drawn.

The key to tempo is not thinking too much, and just playing.  Especially since VASSAL let’s you “Undo” any number of stupid/misguided offensives.  Here’s an example:

The above is an Allied misadventure during Turn 4.  The Japanese played their Future Offensives card “Battle of Santa Cruz” as an event and set Guadalcanal as the Battle Hex.  They could  activate a total of six units; the four naval bomber units highlighted in red, along with a carrier and accompanying battleship (to absorb damage).  The Allies were able to pass their Reaction die roll (d10 – “7”), and activated two carrier task forces.  The  two air units at Henderson Field are in the Battle Hex and do not have to be activated in order to participate.  Sounds OK….NOOOOOOOO!!!  The Japanese have sixty (60) attack factors, while the Allies had a paltry thirty-four (34).  That is not going to work.  UNDO!  I let the Marine air units take a pounding.  Save the fleet for their Turn 5 reinforcements.

Outside of this abortive effort, the real action during Turns 3 and 4 took place in New Guinea.

During Turn 3, the reinforced Australians successfully attacked Buna, taking the airfield.

During Turn 4, the Australians decisively defeated the reinforced Japanese ground units, eliminating two Armies.  The attack was made at a negative strength differential hoping to attrit  the Japanese forces.  The Australian air unit (noted with the “A”) was used to offset the Japanese air unit in the Battle Hex.  If not activated, the Japanese would have enjoyed air superiority and a +2 modification to their combat die roll.    The Allied die roll of “8” allowed them to inflict 1.5 times their attack strength as Japanese casualties.  For once my tactic of using a card with low Operations value (rather than Event value) did result in a surprise attack, with the Japanese strength reduction taking place before being able to strike back at the Allies.  In this case, there was nothing left to strike with.

I had decided to reinforce the Japanese, so the ground units would not be eliminated piecemeal.  Instead they were eliminated en-masse.  Not good.

What IS good is that Turn 4 is finished and I can move on to Turn 5.  Hopefully I’ll wrap this iteration up by mid-week.  That will free up the computer for “Groza’s” opening moves.

Whew!  That took awhile.

Was pleased the last turns flowed pretty smoothly.  Especially when compared to my initial efforts.  Well, that’s what should happen, right?

I kept some play notes, but as with most efforts at this, what was cogent at the time is  now indecipherable.  So, this post will not include a blow-by-blow account of Turn 6.

However, I can chronicle some of my lessons learned.  But first, a picture.

During Turn 6, I had to take four airfields/ports/resources to meet Progress of War requirements.  I only took three, but this shortfall had no impact on whether the Allies won or lost the scenario.

What did have an impact was my capture of four ports during the course of the game.  They are highlighted by the red arrows.  This fulfilled the conditions for an Allied Victory.

The “X”s represent locations where I botched the rules.

The lower right “X” represents my failure to move the US Naval Headquarters (HQ) to control landings north of Guadalcanal.  I assumed actions there could be initiated by the headquarters in Hawaii.  It’s in range, but the scenario rules limit that HQ’s  influence to the New Hebrides.  Only the play of the “Halsey Card” extended the HQ’s range to cover operations nearer Rabaul.

The “X” in southern New Guinea indicates a significant rules gaffe.  I had been using the SW Pacific Headquarters to activate both U.S. and Australian units.  No!  Only the Australian HQ can activate Australian air/ground/naval units, unless a special event card is played.

The “X” in northern New Guinea marks a real tactical blunder.  I activated an Australian ground unit with an attack strength of “11” to battle an opponent with a defense strength of “12”.  This significantly reduced my chances of destroying the Japanese unit, as it would take a D10 roll of at least “7” (inflicting 1.5 times the Allied attack strength) to eliminate the Japanese unit.  The Allies rolled low and the Japanese  rolled high.  The understrength Australian unit was  eliminated.   Dumb.

I started playing cards for their Operations Value rather than as events during Turn 6.  The reason was unless the event involved a significant special condition, the lower intelligence value of the operation use made a successful defender reaction die roll less likely….in theory.  This is very important since no reaction means the attack is a Surprise Attack, with the defender taking losses before they can fight back.

However, there were a couple of occasions when a reaction roll of two or lower was needed, and damned if it wasn’t rolled!  Is there something creepy going on with VASSAL die rolling iterations?

I now fully appreciate why this game is so well regarded.  Encouraged by my  rules familiarity and increased speed of play, I’m going to give it one more try.

Yes, progress….however slowly.  Finished up Turn 4.

Allies met their Progress Of War target by securing four Japanese held airfields northwest of Guadalcanal.  Most of the action took place with the last Allied card play of the turn.

It was an unusual situation, I guess.  Their initial card play(s) of the round  had inflicted significant damage to the Allied fleet, reducing two battleship counters and sinking the Lexington by playing a “Submarine” Reaction Card.  However, their only had a Future Offensives card left.  The Allies had one card left, along with their own Future Offensives card.

Here’s a shot at the beginning of Allied play in this Turn 4 round.

The Allies’ card was “Operation Chronicle” allowing the invasion of one island and automatically, before Japanese reaction, controlling any adjacent islands.   The Future Offensives card was “Operation Watchtower”, allowing the activation of one ground unit, along with air/naval unit, in a surprise attack.  The Japanese could not  react to this card without a Reaction Card – which they did not have.

The Japanese card was “Combined Fleet”, allowing  the activation of several air/naval units, but no ground units.

So, the Allies had the possibility of the “free play” of one card, with the Japanese needing a low Reaction die roll (D10) to counter the “Chronicle” card.

The Allied quandary was which card to play first, and then whether or not to play the second card.  For the Japanese, it was slightly simpler question; whether or not to play the “Combined” card after the Allied play, or save it for Turn 5.  A Future Offensive card does not reduce the card draw at the beginning of a turn.

The Allies played the “Chronicle” card, betting  the Japanese would not roll a four or lower on the D10.  However, just in case, the Allies used all their activated units to support the landing.

The Japanese rolled high, and the landing was unopposed.  The Allies occupied Baka Island with Marine air and ground units.

Both sides decided not to play their Future Offensive card.  Here’s the situation at the end of Turn 4.

I’m  determined to get a solid grip on Empire Of The Sun.  So, dove back into it early this morning.

Decided to follow the GMT articles cited in my previous post.  Did so, and learned just how little I really know about the rules.

What did I learn?

• Bombers (aircraft units with range six or greater)can establish, but don’t negate Zones of Influence (ZOI).  I’d used them to negate ZOIs
• The Allies Central Pacific Headquarters (C Pac HQ, Range 25/Efficiency 8) is in play. Hadn’t used it at all.
• A U.S Headquarters can not activate Commonwealth units.    I had allowed that.
• HQ with different colors along a diagonal facing line are that way to indicate inter-     service rivalries are in effect, limiting a HQ’s ability to activating only Army or Navy units, and not both during an Offensive.  I’d followed the interservice rules, but thought the color division meant the HQ was a joint HQ.

It’s a little discouraging to find my rules comprehension still has such significant gaps.

Anyway, I used the Northampton to pin the Japanese Units in Rabaul (by declaring a Battle Hex) so they could not interfere with the Guadalcanal landing.  The ensuing fight cost me the Northampton, but the landings succeeded.  The invasion force dispersed, as per the GMT article, with the activated Japanese (having played the Battle Of Savo Island Reaction Card) using Post-Battle Movement to also sail to dispersed positions.

Here’s a shot after play of the US Turn 3 initial card.

Sequestered upstairs as RGC is busy getting ready for the Holiday Open House.  Arizona State vs. Iowa State turned into a blow-out.  Why not start up another session of SOPAC?

Allies took the first turn by playing the Operation Watchtower card lying in the Future Offensive pile.  It’s a powerful card, enabling the Allies to activate up to seven (7) units.  Because Interservice Rivalries (ISR) are in play (for both sides), only Navy/USMC/Commonwealth units could be activated.  The Allies activated the North Carolina, Northampton, Wasp and Kent, as well as the 1st Marine Air Wing and 1st Marine Division.  Guadalcanal was designated as a Battle Hex.

The Japanese played the Japanese Counterattack Card At Savo Island Card.  Another powerful card allowing them to activate their four naval units at Rabaul.

The ensuing Naval/Air Battle involved 36 Allied points and 42 Japanese Points (each Japanese naval unit also received a +2 combat bonus).

The Japanese rolled an eight (8) and Allies rolled a nine (9).  Both sides were able to apply all of their combat power.  Lower rolls reduce the percentage of total combat power  applied to the battle.  A die roll of nine (9) also includes a critical hit, allowing the Allies to designate one enemy unit to be eliminated before other units are reduced.

So, Japan won the Naval/Air Battle (42-36).

Genius Boy did not remember that if you lose the Naval/Air  Battle any amphibious landing is called off.  A bad defeat for United States…..on Pearl Harbor Day!

Last week, I read each of these opening move articles over at the GMT Web Site (Part 1 and Part 2).  Nothing sank in (pun was not intended).  Here’s a photo of the debacle.

Made it through Turn 5 of the Six Turn South Pacific (SOPAC) scenario.

The rule concerning Progress of War had been a nagging bother.  It was referred to, but the scenario rule book did not provide any information.  Couldn’t take it anymore so actually broke out the big rule book.  Whoops…….

Beginning with Turn 4, the Allies have to secure at least three (3) or four (4) Japanese held islands (with airfield/port), resource points and/or towns or suffer a reduction in National Will.  The target number is determined by the lower of the number of Allied Amphibious Shipping Points or the Number Four.   Any reduction in National Will is the difference between the target number and the gains made.

National Will starts at four (4).  If I had been keeping track, my cautious Allied approach would have resulted in a National Will of Zero, which means Negotiations and an Allied loss.

Ignorance can be National Bliss.  Here’s a photo of the game at the end of Turn 5.

Sure.  Time to start another game!