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.