Variant Play Options
3 months ago
– Wed, Aug 21, 2024 at 05:38:29 PM
One of the biggest developments in Guadalcanal - The Battle for Henderson Field is the multiple variant play options that can be experienced individually or in combination, along with the range of Difficulty Levels. :)
Fog of War Cards
Fog of War cards are placed in the USMC Card deck and serve as 'dud' draws. The number of FoW cards used is dependent on the Difficulty Level, and the Boot option allows the new player to place the cards in the IJA Card deck.
Event Cards
Event cards remain in effect throughout the game. They are also graded by Difficulty Level and reflect historical events or possible events. An example of an historical event would be rules for Malaria that deplete the pool of USMC counters available. An example of an ahistorical event would be Savo Island, which assumes damage was done to Task Force 62 in the battle, which in turn disrupts the supplies even further to the 1st Marine Division.
Tactics Cards
These will be familiar to fans of Valiant Defense! Tactics cards are drawn at the beginning of the IJA Card and Counter Phase and remain in effect for the duration of that turn. The number of cards is also determined by the Difficulty Level selected.
Variant IJA Cards
Variant IJA cards are primarily intended to prevent the player 'reading' the IJA deck. As experience with the game grows, the player can work out which cards remain in the IJA deck as familiar cards are drawn. Variant IJA cards ensure the IJA Wave decks are random each game.
Epic Battle
This utilizes ALL the Variant IJA cards along with the regular IJA cards to create a longer, epic battle. Each of the four IJA Waves is increased by 2 or 4 cards depending on the Difficulty Level, along with stipulated Fog of War cards to neuter Henderson Field.
Surprise
Historically one of the major contributing factors to the Japanese defeat was the inability to achieve surprise. This variant assumes the IJA did achieve surprise and puts the 1st Marine Division under more pressure from the beginning.
Co-ordinated Attack
Another failure of the Japanese was the inability to co-ordinate an attack across the Southern Lunga Perimeter. These rules reflect that historical situation with the number of IJA cards drawn in each Wave fluctuating from turn to turn.
All Quiet on the Guadalcanal Front
This is a Boot level option and ends each Wave after resolving the Banzai card, rather than continuing to draw up to three IJA cards. This makes it a touch easier for the new player to recover after the onslaught!
Boot Cards
Again, exclusively for the Boot level. These cards introduce conditions that make it easier for a new player to achieve victory.
Cooperative (2 Players)
Familiar to fans of Pavlov's House. One player assumes command of Henderson Field and the other player controls the defense of the perimeter.
Competitive (2 or 3 players)
One player controls the IJA and the remaining one or two players control the USMC.
This is a big step forward!
Along with rules for Fog of War and Tactics cards, the IJA player gets to choose three Event cards AND build a deck using the Variant cards. The astute player will be able to shape his choices to give him the greatest chance of victory. In addition, the IJA player draws the normal number of Tactics cards (as determined by the Difficulty Level) plus one. The IJA player then gets to choose which cards he keeps (again, dictated by Difficulty Level), discarding one.
Victory and Defeat
3 months ago
– Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 05:22:19 PM
First of all, let's cover the Defeat conditions.
There are three ways to lose the game:
- 1st Marine Division HQ (located on the Henderson Field section of the game board) is destroyed by accumulating two Disrupted Tokens. Disrupted Tokens are created by 'Betty' bomber cards in the IJA Card Phase and by bombardment by the light cruiser Yura when resolving Banzai cards.
- An IJA counter (other than the Infiltrator) passes from an IJA Attack Position into a USMC Defense Position.
- No USMC counters remain in any Combat Positions in any Combat Sectors.
As long as the player avoids one of these Defeat conditions by the end of the game (after resolving the Wave 4 Banzai card) he can check the number of Victory Points he has accumulated.
Victory Points are scored for surviving USMC counters, for forcing the light cruiser Yura to turn back, for locating Admiral Nagumo's Carrier Strike Force, for defeating Colonel Oka's attack and for using Coast Watchers to Gain Intel. Victory Points are lost for surviving IJA counters on the game board.
From the rulebook:
Depending on your final Victory Point total, you will be awarded a medal!
From the Companion book:
Weapon Teams & Weapon Counters
3 months ago
– Mon, Aug 19, 2024 at 05:02:25 PM
There are four Weapon counters available to the player: the 37mm AT gun (also capable of firing canister), the M1919 MG, the 60mm Mortar and the 81mm Mortar.
Each Weapon counter needs to be attended by a specific Weapon Team, comprising of a further two counters.
The Deployment Point cost is high, but once deployed, heavy weapons can do a lot of damage!
37mm AT Gun
There are two options:
- The 37mm AT gun can be used to fire directly against the Tank counter. In this case, the weapon has an Attack Value of 3, so the player rolls 3d6 and compares each individual result to the Defense Value of the Tank. Any result that is equal to or greater than this value destroys the tank.
- The second option allows the Weapon Team to resolve the Suppress action (covered in a previous Update) to generate anti-personnel Suppression tokens. Suppression Tokens are used to destroy enemy counters when they first enter play and are placed on the Attack Track.
M1919 MG
There are two options:
The MG can be used to fire directly against IJA counters in any Attack Position, including the entry Attack Position. The Attack Value in this case is 2, so that gives the player 2d6. If a result is equal to or greater than the Defense Value of the targeted IJA counter, that counter is destroyed.
The second option again allows the Weapon Team to resolve the Suppress action to generate Suppression Tokens that are used to destroy IJA counters when they first enter play.
60mm & 81mm Mortars
There is only one option. There is no Direct Fire option for either Mortar counter.
- Either Mortar Weapon Team can resolve the Suppress action to generate Suppression Tokens. Both Mortars generate more Suppression Tokens than either the 37mm AT gun or the MG.
USMC Counter Actions
3 months ago
– Sun, Aug 18, 2024 at 06:55:09 PM
The menu of Actions available to the player during the USMC Counter Phase will be very recognizable to Valiant Defense veterans, with just a few new options. Attack was covered in the last Update, so I will highlight the remaining Actions that can be selected in a turn.
Reload
If, when making an attack, the player rolls a natural '1', that counter is Out of Ammo. The Reload action removes the Out of Ammo Token and thereafter that counter can use the Attack action as normal. This also requires discarding a Supply Token.
Suppress
Suppress can be selected by Weapon Team counters (to be covered in a future Update) that share a Combat Position with a Weapon counter (37mm AT gun, M1919 MG, 60mm and 81mm Mortar). This action generates Suppression Tokens that can be used to destroy an IJA counter when it first enters play.
From the rulebook:
Recover
At different times in the game a USMC counter may become Exhausted or Disrupted. When Exhausted, the counter cannot take any other Action except Recover. When Disrupted, the counter is close to being destroyed (2 Disrupted Tokens = Destroyed). The Recover action allows the counter to flip back from being Exhausted to combat ready or it removes an attached Disrupted Token.
Command
This action can only be used by an Officer. It gives up to three USMC counters a free Recover action. It cannot target another Officer counter and each counter can still only take one action per turn, so a counter that is Exhausted with a Disrupted Token attached would need to remove the Disrupted Token in one turn and flip from being Exhausted in a future turn.
From the rulebook:
Request Reinforcements
To use this action both the Combat Sector and Division Intelligence (located on Henderson Field) must have a Comms Token in place. This grants the player 2 Deployment Points to spend on additional USMC counters or Weapon counters.
Barrage
This action can only be taken by the Forward Observer counter. Remove one or two Artillery Tokens from the 11th Marine Regiment on Henderson Field (these are generated in the USMC Card Phase). A single Artillery Token grants five Barrage dice, while two Artillery Tokens grant nine Barrage dice. Yes, two single Barrage Tokens grant ten Barrage dice, but this requires two Actions, and that the Forward Observer Recover in between.
Barrage dice are assigned to any Attack Position the Forward Observer has Line of Sight to, except the front-line Attack Positions (because they are too close to the USMC line, endangering the Marines). Resolve the attack roll as normal: d6 and compare the result to the Defense Value of the target. If equal to or greater, that target IJA counter is Destroyed.
From the rulebook:
Place Barbed Wire
Barbed Wire can be placed in the front-line Attack Positions. This causes a penalty to the Defense Value of an IJA counter in that Attack Position (except the Tank and the Infiltrator). In addition, if an IJA counter moves forward into the USMC line from an Attack Position containing a Barbed Wire Token, any USMC counter with Line of Sight can use Defensive Fire (this was covered in a previous Update).
Two Barbed Wire Tokens require one Supply Token to be discarded.
Rapid Move
As previously noted, all Moves must be completed in the Move Sub-Phase. Rapid Move is an action and is resolved in the Action Sub-Phase, but in effect, it grants a USMC an extra Move.
Rapid Fire
This can only be used to target IJA counters in front-line Attack Positions. This gives a USMC counter an extra attack, but both attacks are made with a -1 penalty. Out of Ammo rules also apply, so by making two attacks, the chance of rolling a natural '1' double.
USMC Attack Action
3 months ago
– Sat, Aug 17, 2024 at 05:51:11 PM
After completing the Move Sub-Phase, the player next moves on to the Action Sub-Phase. As noted in the last Update, the number of actions available to the player is determined by the Difficulty Level selected.
The most important action is Attack.
To be able to make an Attack, a USMC counter must have Line of Sight to the target IJA counter.
This is determined by matching a letter below the Combat Position of the USMC counter taking the Attack action with the corresponding letter below the Attack Position the target IJA counter occupies. So, A matches with A, B matches with B and so on.
From the rulebook:
Different counters using different weapons have limitations on which Attack Positions they can target.
Only the Machine Gun and Artillery can target the entry Attack Position. However, due to the proximity to the Marine lines, Artillery cannot target the front-line Attack Positions. The 37mm Anti-tank gun can be used to target the Tank counter in the entry Attack Position.
Resolving an Attack
Resolving an attack is as simple as rolling a number of d6 die equal to the Attack Value of the USMC counter or Weapon counter. Compare each result to the Defense Value of the target IJA counter. If at least one result is equal to or greater than the Defense Value of the IJA counter, that counter is destroyed.
Out of Ammo
If, when resolving an Attack, the player rolls a natural '1', that USMC counter is Out of Ammo. Ammunition was in very short supply during the Battle of Henderson Field. An Out of Ammo result will require that counter to take the Reload action before it can use the Attack action again, though other actions can be selected.
From the rulebook:
