Tactics in Guadalcanal
By Doug McNair
January 2006

Panzer Grenadier: Guadalcanal is unique among our line of Panzer Grenadier games, and not just because of the incredibly cool, historically accurate maps. Upon opening the box, players will notice significant differences from other Panzer Grenadier games, and when they get into play they’ll encounter radically-different tactical challenges from those they’ve experienced on the Russian Steppes or the Ardennes.

Some of the immediate differences players will notice are:

American setup. Marines come ashore, 7 August 1942.

“It’s Raining Second Lieutenants!”

Guadalcanal has almost as many leaders as it does troop counters. This is very different from our other Panzder Grenadier games, in which an entire Russian force may have only four or five officers. But when the Marines land, they usually have two or three officers per stack of units. This is because of the impenetrable jungle into which the Marines must advance once they’re off the beach. A leader in a jungle hex can’t activate or assist in any way units that are outside his own hex. So, instead of a major or colonel being able to mobilize a huge formation just by activating the officers around him in chain of command, each leader in Guadalcanal lives in his own little leafy world, along with the platoons in his hex. This means that if a player wants to form a line of units to scour the jungle for the enemy, each hex in that line needs its own leader, and the units in that hex must activate on their own.

Warships

These take the prize for sheer coolness. A warship in Guadalcanal both moves and fires in the same activation, with a movement allowance of 10 and a direct fire range of 9. This lets it move up and down the coast, providing fire support to units that need them, while keeping out of range of enemy guns. Japanese units confronting Marines with naval support are best advised to hang back in the jungle where ships can’t spot them.

Morale

In a previous article (“Leadership in Panzer Grenadier”), I noted that winning in Panzer Grenadier requires only breaking enemy morale, not killing them. This is not so much the case in Guadalcanal, where most units on both sides have a fanatically high morale rating. It is well that the Marines have overwhelming firepower, and that the Japanese have the ability to lure the Americans into deadly traps, because without these strengths these unshakeable enemies would have serious trouble making headway against each other.

Scenario #1,“Tulagi: The First Day,” is an excellent introduction to Guadalcanal, and lets both players use most of the toys and tactical options that make the game so much fun. It also brings out the need for each side to focus on its strengths, and use them carefully to avoid being annihilated.

Japanese Strengths

Hidden Units

This is the Japanese secret weapon. Dense jungle terrain and other prepared defenses lets the Japanese player write down the starting locations of up to five units on Tulagi (plus unlimited leaders), with the counters kept offboard until the Marines spot them. The units can move normally (with the Japanese player rolling each time they move to see if the Marines spot them), and can lie in wait for the Marines to stray too close or enter the hidden units’ hexes unawares.

On-board Japanese units can work with the hidden units as well, moving so as to lure Marines into traps set by hidden units. Such hidden units can then unleash deadly opportunity fire at adjacent American units (getting a +3 column shift on the direct fire table), or assault Marines that enter their hex.

Marines who are careless enough to stumble into hexes containing hidden units are likely to take step losses (since the hidden units can fire first with extra column shifts for surprise). This is very bad in Scenario #1, where the U.S. player can’t win if he or she takes more than two step losses. And even if the Marines find and kill the units that start the game hidden, on-board Japanese units can pull back to a range of 4 or more hexes and make dierolls to attempt to become hidden themselves. This puts them in a position to set more traps to slow the Marines down and inflict more losses.

Terrain and Geography

Tokyo Rose once taunted the U.S. Marines by saying, “The jungle is where we live — it’s where you die!” On Tulagi, she’s probably right unless the Marines are very careful. Slogging through jungle terrain is a slow business, and the Marines need to spray adjacent jungle hexes with fire before entering (to roust out any hidden units that might be there). Units need to stay in the same hex with their leaders to avoid being cut off from command, so leaders have to stop and stay behind with units that become disrupted or demoralized.

Tulagi is a long, thin island, and the Marine landing zone is a small, three-hex area on the southwest coast. The island is mostly jungle, with tracks running along the coast and the central ridge. The Japanese need to set up a few units in places where they can fire on the U.S. beachhead from both ends, then place hidden units at crucial chokepoints where the Marines have no choice but to go. Such units have the best chance of inflicting step losses on the Marines before they can react.

“Banzai!”

Japanese troops are highly effective in close combat. This is expressed in the Panzer Grenadier rules by giving all Japanese infantry units an automatic +1 column shift in assault combat. This, combined with the excellent defensive properties of jungle terrain in assault combat (-1 column shift to attackers, +1 column shift for defenders), the fact that there are so many Japanese leaders on Tulagi (a leader gives another +1 column shift), and the hidden unit rule (which gives hidden units column shifts of +1 or +2 depending on how fast the Marines who enter their hex are moving), makes even a single Japanese infantry unit stacked with a leader deadly in assault combat.

For example, a hidden SNLF infantry unit with a combat strength of 4 that gets +4 column shifts due to the factors noted above fires on the 18 column on the Assault Table. This gives it a 50% chance of inflicting a step loss on the Marine units, and a 1 in 6 chance of inflicting two step losses. So, the Japanese player can afford to spread his units out thinly and wait for the Marines to walk into Assault traps, where they’ll likely take heavy losses.

U.S. Marine Strengths

Superior Firepower and Numbers

The Japanese only have 14 units on the entire island. The Marines, on the other hand, have eight units on the beach at start, with another 16 just offshore in the AK waiting to land. If the Marines can break out of their beachhead, there are another 20 units coming as reinforcements by Turn 7.

This means that the Marines have everything they need to scour the island and take out the Japanese defenders. They just need to keep their heads and not rush headlong into the jungle, where hidden defenders will cut exposed Marine units to pieces.

Combined Arms

In addition to overwhelming boots on the ground, the Marines have air units and warships to support them. This, plus the fact that the U.S. player has an initiative of 5 vs. the Japanese initiative of 2, means that the Marines can usually start the turn by calling in an airstrike followed by shore bombardment before the Japanese can get off a shot. This makes the job of advancing Marines significantly easier.

Game Summary

The following summary of a game I recently started illustrates how these factors drive play.

Turn 1

The U.S. gets initiative, and three SBD air units as air support. The aircraft all hit a Japanese HMG emplacement that’s up on a hill, blocking the track into the woods, two hexes to the northeast of the Marine landing zone. Two of the SBDs find their target. The Japanese player opts to keep his anti-aircraft unit (which is adjacent to the HMG in the next hex down the track into the jungle) hidden for now, so it doesn’t fire. He quickly comes to regret this, because the U.S. player rolls a 12 for the airstrike, and the SNLF Infantry unit with the HMG unit takes a step loss. The Japanese units and their leader all make their morale checks.

The Japanese then activate their hidden units in a jungle hex up on a hill that’s adjacent to the rightmost hex of the Marine landing zone. There are three Raider units plus officers there, so the Japanese player get a +3 column shift for firing at them and figures it’s worth exposing the hidden units before the U.S. can fire back. However, the U.S. player has placed his best leader (a captain with a morale of 10 and a +2 morale bonus) with those units, so the Raiders’ effective morale is 11, and they all make their morale check except for one sergeant, who is disrupted. The Japanese got nothing for revealing themselves.

The U.S. light cruiser then activates, moves in to shore, and fires at the HMG emplacement on the left flank of the beachhead. The infantry with the HMG units is demoralized by the shore bombardment.

Fire support. USS San Juan, the “CL” of Scenario One.

Then, the major commanding the landing force activates, and since his hex and the hex to his left are clear hexes he can activate all units there. The Raiders in the leftmost landing hex fire at the HMG emplacement, disrupt their leader, and demoralize the already-demoralized half-strength accompanying infantry there again, eliminating them. The Major and his units then fire into the jungle hex directly in front of them and up the hill, hoping to drive out any hidden defenders that might be there.

Then, the beleaguered Japanese HMG covering the beach finally gets to fire. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the fire has no effect on the Marines in the leftmost landing hex. However, the lieutenant commanding them there recovers morale.

The Raiders in the rightmost landing hex (which is jungle) then activate, firing on the adjacent, formerly hidden Japanese units in the hex adjacent to them to the northeast. They disrupt one Japanese unit, and their sergeant recovers morale.

Then a U.S. destroyer moves east and fires on Japanese SER units in a clear hex on the eastern flank of Tulagi’s high hill. There’s no effect, but the SER units then move west down the track and into the jungle to avoid being bombarded again. The other DD, stationed off the northern coast of Tulagi, fires at the remaining SER units in the clear, but misses as well. Finally, hidden Japanese units move down the track to the western flank of the central high hill, to cover the coastal track east of the Marine beachhead.

Turn 2

The Marines get initiative again, beating the Japanese by 6 on the die roll. This gets them three activations before the Japanese can activate at all. They also roll and can draw three SBD air units again. The SBDs start by hitting the formerly-hidden Japanese units NE of the landing zone. Two out of three air units find their target, but all the Japanese units make their morale check. Then the CL bombards the HMG position to the west again, but the HMG and leader make their morale checks, too. Then, the Major activates the rest of his units in the non-jungle LZ hexes. He and his units advance directly ahead, into the hex they sprayed for hidden units last turn.

The Japanese HMG fires again on the leftmost LZ hex fires and disrupts one Raider unit.

There is now an empty landing hex, so Raiders in the AK offshore (who have previously loaded onto LCVPs) come in and land in that hex. The elite captain in the jungle landing hex to the right now activates and has his Raiders fire on the adjacent Japanese units. They roll a 3 on the 22 column of the Direct Fire table, inflicting one step loss on the Japanese there. Both Japanese units there fail morale and become demoralized.

The leader of the just-demoralized Japanese units tells them to hold their ground against the barbarians, but they fail to recover and flee northeast (the leader goes with them). A Japanese unit just to the north moves into the hex the fleeing units vacated to fill in the line.

Turn 3

The Marines get the initiative again, and draw two SBD units as air support. The SBDs hit the hex to the northeast of the landing zone into which the fresh Japanese unit just moved. Only one air unit hits the target, and there’s no effect on it. The targeted units then fire at the Marine units next to them. All those units make their morale check, except for the poor sergeant who failed the last time. . . .

The CL then fires again at the HMG covering the beach. Both the HMG and its leader are disrupted by the cruiser’s fire. Those units then activate and decide not to try for recovery because they think the Marines are going to advance on their position this turn, and they want to hit the Marines with opportunity fire (recovering would take up their action for the turn). The Japanese player passes.

A DD moves in to hit the HMG again, but there’s no effect. The Japanese player passes again, so the Marines in the clear hexes of the landing zone all activate. The units on the left do indeed advance on the disrupted HMG’s position, and since it’s disrupted its opportunity fire is at half-strength, so it is unable to harm the advancing American units.

The major who moved one hex inland has his units spray the new hex in front of him with direct fire to roust any hidden units. The Japanese player passes, so the elite captain in the jungle hex on the right of the LZ fires on the unit and leader that moved into the hex to their northeast. He rolls a 2 on the 22 column of the Direct Fire table, eliminating the unit (the leader survives).

The Japanese player then activates two SER units on the track that runs the length of the central ridge. He moves them westward as if to oppose the major, who’s advancing toward the central track and could use it to greatly increase his movement eastward. The Japanese are hoping the major will move directly ahead to try to reach the nearest track hex before the Japanese do, and thereby stumble into an assault from hidden Japanese units in the hex ahead of him.

More Marines from offshore land in the leftmost landing hex.

Don’t scorn Japanese anti-aircraft. Destroyed Marine SBD, Guadalcanal, August 1942.

Turn 4

The Marines get the initiative by five, meaning they get three activations before the Japanese can activate. They also draw three SBDs. The SBDs hit the SER units which just moved west to block the major’s advance. The SER units pass the morale check, but their leader fails and is demoralized!

All units in the clear LZ hexes then activate. The units next to the Japanese HMG fire but have no effect. The units that just landed at the end of last turn unload, and one Raider moves one hex directly inland to flank the Japanese HMG.

This is what the Japanese player was waiting for. The hidden SNLF infantry unit and the 37mm Japanese AA gun in the hex northeast of the HMG (and also adjacent to the just-moved Marines) open up with point-blank opportunity fire, rolling a 10 on the 30 column of the Direct Fire table. They inflict one step loss on the Raider, who nevertheless makes his morale check.

The rest of the Raiders halt, noting the now-revealed Japanese position so they can call in an airstrike next turn. The rest of the units in clear LZ hexes move one hex northeastward now that the major has cleared a path for them.

The Japanese HMG fires at the largest stack of Marines next to it but does no damage.

Then the elite captain (with the shaky sergeant) moves his units northeast and adjacent to the SER units whose leader was demoralized by the airstrike this turn. They hit the advancing units with opportunity fire, but only a lieutenant with them is disrupted.

Then the CL fires at the Japanese HMG and rolls a 12, demoralizing it! The turn then ends on a Fog of War roll (15 or better on three dice after the fourth activation ends the turn).

Turn 5

The Marines get initiative, with two phases before the Japanese can act. They draw one SBD, which attacks the formerly-hidden infantry and AA units that inflicted the step loss on the advancing Raiders. The Japanese units are both disrupted by the airstrike.

The units in the clear LZ hexes then activate, and they pile into the hex with the demoralized HMG and assault it. The HMG’s leader is demoralized, and the HMG takes a step loss but survives. The rest of the units in the clear advance north into the jungle and toward the tracks eastward (onboard Japanese opportunity fire on the way is ineffective).

The Japanese SER units with the demoralized leader now fire at the adjacent elite Marine captain and his units. Their fire is ineffective, and their leader fails to recover morale and flees northward.

The major then activates and moves eastward toward the units whose leader just fled (leaving behind the once quietly giddy but now quietly disgusted hidden Japanese unit which was waiting to assault the major by surprise when he entered their hex). He fires and demoralizes one of the leaderless SER units. The elite captain then moves northeast to occupy a hex on the central track.

Back westward, the Japanese HMG and leader who were just assaulted both try to recover morale. The HMG succeeds and becomes disrupted, but its leader fails and flees northwestward.

More Marines land.

Turn 6

The Marines get the initiative, getting two activations before the Japanese but no SBDs this turn. All units in clear landing zone hexes activate. More Raiders pile into the assault hex with the Japanese HMG, wiping it out. Raiders next to them then fire on the infantry and AA unit which inflicted the only U.S. step loss. The Japanese units fail their morale check and are demoralized.

Then, a sergeant in the central landing hex decides to reconnoiter the coastal track and starts moving his units to the southeast. His lead unit gets to within two hexes of the summit of the high coastal hill. The Japanese player has a hidden HMG unit on the hill, so he rolls to see if the Marines spot it. He rolls a 6, and the hidden unit must be placed on the board. The Marines stop just in time to keep from being wiped out by HMG fire, but the HMG opens up anyway at a range of two hexes and demoralizes the Marine unit. The sergeant stops any further advance to the southeast.

Even Marines have to rest sometimes. Guadalcanal, August 1942.

Conclusion

At this point, the late hour (and concomitant fear of spousal disapproval . . . ) made us decide to stop the game. The Japanese had lost half of their force on the island, three of their leaders were hiding in the bushes, and the Marines had reached the central track which would let them move eastward quickly to circumvent the Japanese defensive line. The hidden Japanese HMG on the hill had been spotted and was vulnerable to airstrikes and warship fire.

The best bet for the Japanese at this point would be to move their units eastward beyond the Marines and make rolls to let them become hidden. Success would let them set more traps for advancing Marines, and hopefully inflict at least two more step losses (enough for a draw). They could also hope that Marines would walk into assault traps similar to the one the major avoided earlier. This is their best chance of inflicting the seven step losses they need for a win.