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Japan's daring plans to conquer Southeast
Asia and its rich resources involved several
stages. In the complicated fashion typical
of the Imperial Navy during World War II,
first the American Pacific Fleet would be
knocked out of action at Pearl Harbor. Next,
the carrier forces that had fought there would
cover amphibious invasions in the Dutch East
Indies and Malaya. Finally, the First Air
Fleet's aircraft carriers would surge into
the Indian Ocean to knock out the British
Eastern Fleet.
Eastern Fleet, the second game in the Second
World War at Sea series, is based on this third stage
of Japanese aggression and also covers parts of the second.
There are 70 "long" playing pieces, depicting the major
fleet units of both sides: battleships, aircraft carriers,
cruisers and fleet destroyers. There are also 140 square
playing pieces, half the size of the ship pieces, mostly
depicting aircraft but also smaller warships and markers.
The operational map depicts the eastern half of the Indian Ocean, including
all the major ports and airbases of 1942. The tactical map is a generic
blue field of hexagons, used to resolve surface combat. There, ships maneuver
and fight using their gunnery and torpedo factors. Each player rolls a
number of dice according to the ship's capabilities, hitting on a result
of 6. Gunnery and torpedo damage tables give the results: ships can suffer
damage to engines, hull or armament.
Air attacks are resolved in similar fashion. The combat systems yield
results rapidly but in a historically accurate fashion, giving a good
balance of fun and insight.
There are eleven scenarios, or game situations, re-creating the battles
and campaigns from the Indian Ocean. Three of these are "battle scenarios,"
useful for learning the combat system or for a quick game of 30 minutes
or less.
The other eight are operational scenarios. Players form their ships
into fleets, and plot their movement across the operational map. When
contact is made between fleets, play moves to the tactical map to resolve
combat. The scenario instructions give each side a set of specific tasks
that must be accomplished to win the game: launch amphibious invasions,
escort troop convoys, bombard key enemy positions, or seek and destroy
enemy fleets. These tasks are the same ones given to the admirals on the
spot, usually Chuichi Nagumo for the Japanese and Sir James Somerville
for the British.
The scenarios give each player varied and difficult tasks. In Operational
Scenario One, "Come In Rangoon," the Japanese must bring a troop convoy
to southern Burma. They have six heavy cruisers to protect it, which they
must use carefully. The British have an aircraft carrier, and a slow but
powerful battleship. It's a closely-balanced scenario between speed and
power.
Operational Scenario Two, "Andaman Invasion," has the Japanese invading
the Andaman Islands chain in the middle of the map. They can cover this
with one small aircraft carrier and their cruiser flotilla. The British
have three aircraft carriers and five battleships. It's another matchup
of strength against stealth.
The Japanese turn the tables with Operational Scenario Three, "Raid
on Ceylon." Six aircraft carriers and four battleships come to pound British
installations. Operational Scenario Four is "Operation Number Eleven,"
the invasion of Ceylon that some Japanese leaders felt should have followed
the carrier raid but never actually took place.
In Operational Scenario Five, "Operation Stab," it's the British turn
to launch an amphibious invasion of the Andamans in the face of Japanese
resistance. Operational Scenario Six, "Operation Pamphlet," is a British
convoy operation across the length of the map which the Japanese must
stop.
Operational Scenarios Seven and Eight are based on British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill's demands for American
forces to bolster the British hold on South Asia. These
are large free-for-all campaigns, but require playing
pieces from SOPAC,
the first game in the series.
The scenario book Distant
Oceans adds more scenarios using Eastern Fleet with
parts of other Second World War at Sea series game as well.
Links:
Eastern Fleet includes:
- 32"x22" strategic map
- 11"x17" tactical map
- 210 counters
- 12-page rulebook
- 12-page scenario book
- 2 player aid cards
- 1 organizational card
STK #0019
Price: $44.99
Status: Now Available
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