Fire in the Sky: The Great Pacific War 1941-1945 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Game Components
  • 2.1 The Playing Pieces
  • 2.2 The Map
  • 2.3 Charts and Tables
• 3.0 Preparation for Play
• 4.0 Sequence of Play
  • 4.1 Japanese Player Turn
  • 4.2 Allied Player Turn
• 5.0 Transport Phase
  • 5.1 Oil Transport Segment
  • 5.2 DD Units Transfer Segment
• 6.0 Economic Warfare Phase
  • 6.1 ASW Segment
  • 6.2 Submarine Segment
• 7.0 Reinforcement Phase
  • 7.1 Reinforcement Segment
  • 7.2 Submarine Point Segment
  • 7.3 Transport Point Segment
  • 7.4 Replacements Marker Segment
  • 7.5 Off-Map Box Movement Segment
• 8.0 Deployment Phases
  • 8.1 General Rule
  • 8.2 Sea Deployment
  • 8.3 One-hex Deployment
  • 8.4 Stacking Limits
• 9.0 Operational Movement Phase
  • 9.1 General Rule
  • 9.2 Land and Air Units
  • 9.3 Naval Units
  • 9.4 Task Forces
• 10.0 Reaction Phase
  • 10.1 General Rule
  • 10.2 Task Forces
• 11.0 Air Commitment Phase
• 12.0 Combat Phase
  • 12.1 General Rule
  • 12.2 Submarine Attack Segment
  • 12.3 Battle Segments
  • 12.3.3 Surface Combat Step
  • 12.3.4 Land Combat Step
  • 12.3.5 Administrative Step
• 13.0 Damage Resolution
  • 13.1 Naval Unit Damage
  • 13.2 Land Unit at Sea Damage
  • 13.3 Air Unit Damage
  • 13.4 Land Combat Damage
• 14.0 Return to Base Phase
  • 14.1 Naval Units
  • 14.2 Base Control Changes
  • 14.3 Stacking Limits
• 15.0 End Phase
  • 15.1 Replacements Markers Removal Segment
  • 15.2 Disbandment Segment
  • 15.3 Victory Point Adjustment Segment
• 16.0 Victory Points
• 17.0 Special Rules
  • 17.1 Turn 1 Special Rules
  • 17.2 Allied Base Expansion
  • 17.3 Resource Hex Fueling
  • 17.4 The Netherlands
  • 17.5 British Oriental Fleet
  • 17.6 British European Fleet
• 18.0 Optional Rules
  • 18.1 Optional Rules Favoring the Allies
  • 18.2 Optional Rules Favoring the Japanese
  • 18.3 Optional Rules Favoring Neither Player
• 19.0 Short Campaign Game
  • Japanese Player Set Up
  • Allied Player Set Up
  • Marker Set Up
• Example of Play
  • By Adam Starkweather
  • Japanese Player Turn, Turn 2
    • Transport Phase
    • Reinforcement Phase
    • First Deployment Phase
    • One-hex Deployment
    • Operational Movement Phase
    • Allied Reaction Phase
    • Air Commitment Phase
    • Combat Phase
    • Return to Base Phase
    • Second Deployment Phase
• Player's Notes
  • Opening-Game Strategy
  • Turn 1 Strategy
  • Turns 2-4 Strategy
  • Mid-Game Strategy (Turns 5-9)
    • Taking Pearl Harbor (Wake–Midway–Pearl Harbor Axis)
    • Cutting Australia-US Supply Line (Rabaul–Guadalcanal–Noumea/Fiji/Samoa Axis)
    • Taking Australia (Port Moresby–Brisbane Axis)
    • Taking India (Rangoon–Ceylon/Calcutta Axis)
  • A Final Note on...
    • Japanese Offensive Strategies
    • Defensive Strategy
  • Endgame Strategy (Turns 9-16)
• English Developer's Notes
• Fire in the Sky Credits

1.0 Introduction

Fire in the Sky is a two-player, strategic-level game of the Pacific War covering the entire conflict between the Empire of Japan and the Western Allies, from December 7th, 1941 to the days the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hexes are roughly 900 km across and turns represent 3 months, except for the special December 1941 turn. Due to the scope of the game, unit scale is somewhat abstract. Naval units represent groupings of several ships: usually a pair for aircraft carriers and battleships, and divisions/flotillas for other types. Land units range in size from several thousand to several tens of thousands of troops. Air units represent a nation's air power as a whole and are the most abstracted.

This is version 1.1 of the rules. Changes from the published version are marked in red.

It is strongly recommended that optional rule 18.3.2 (Put a little oomph in your hits) be used in every game you play, even if you do not use any other optional rules.

2.0 Game Components

Fire in the Sky includes the following components:

• one rulebook
• one map
• three countersheets
• one Battle Board
• two Player Aid Cards
• 10 dice

2.1 The Playing Pieces

Fire in the Sky includes two types of playing pieces: units and markers. Units represent the naval, air, and land forces that participated in the actual campaign. Markers are all the other playing pieces.

The counter mix is an absolute limit, and this can greatly affect play. For instance, if a specific unit is called to arrive as reinforcement, and no such unit is available, then it is forfeited. This can be important for air units notably, as only a limited number of them are provided, while air steps are regularly scheduled to arrive as reinforcements.

The only playing pieces not limited by the counter mix are replacements markers and hit markers. Players are free to make up as many as they need.

2.1.1 Units. Four different nationalities are included in Fire in the Sky, each with its own color(s):

• Japan: red
• United States / ANZAC: green (US Army), blue (US Navy and Marines)
• Britain / India: brown (British Army), gray (Royal Navy)
• Netherlands: orange

2.1.1.1 Naval units. Naval units come in two basic types: aircraft carriers (CV and CVL) and non-carriers (all others).

Naval unit counters have two sides: an operational side—with a ship silhouette—used when the unit is part of a Task Force, and a deployment side—with an eagle (US), lion (British and Dutch), or flower (Japanese)—used when the unit is in port.

Naval units are used to attack enemy naval units and to support land combats.

The class abbreviations correspond to:

Abbreviation	Meaning	Abbreviation	Meaning
CV	Aircraft carrier	CVL	Light aircraft carrier
BB	Battleship/Battlecruiser	BBV	Battleship/carrier hybrid
CB	Large cruiser	CA	Heavy cruiser
CL	Light cruiser	CLAA	Anti-aircraft cruiser
DD	Destroyer

2.1.1.2 Air Units. Each air unit counter has two sides: the front with two air steps and the back with one air step. The number of steps determines both a unit's combat value and Transport rating. Air units can be broken down or combined at will subject to counter mix limits.

Air units are used to control the air in and around a hex, to attack enemy air bases or naval units, and to support land combats.

Air units that are eliminated are removed from the map, but are available to be used again as reinforcements or to provide counters for breakdown or recombination.

NOTE: The US counter mix includes two one-step air units of blue color, representing US Marine Corps air units (instead of green for the US Army Air Force). There is no functional difference between the two colors. Why are they different? You need to meet more Marines if you don't know.

Air Zone of Control: Any air unit at a friendly base exerts an Air Zone of Control (hereafter called Air ZOC) in its own hex and the six hexes surrounding it. An air unit using Operational Movement does NOT exert an Air ZOC (see 9.2.2). Air ZOCs can hinder enemy sea movement and cut Supply Lines.

2.1.1.3 Land Units. Each land unit has 2 steps (Exception: the Dutch ABDA unit, see 17.4). The front represents the land unit at full strength, with two steps; the back is the unit at reduced strength, with only one step.

Land units are used to attack enemy land units, and are the only units that can take control of an enemy base.

The Transport rating of a land unit is equal to its full Combat Strength, whether the unit is on its full- or reduced-strength side. Thus, a reduced 8-Combat Strength unit has a Combat Strength of 4, but still has a Transport rating of 8.

Note that the bracketed Combat Strength rating on a reduced-strength unit means that it cannot initiate combat on its own (see 12.3.4.5).

2.1.2 Markers. Markers are used on the map and the various game tracks to record running totals, serve as status reminders, etc. Their use is detailed in the appropriate rule sections.

2.1.2.1 General Record Track Markers. The markers below are placed on the General Record Track, where players keep track of running totals as they increase or decrease during play. No total may fall below 0, except for Victory Points. Fractions are retained and noted by rotating the markers on the General Record Track. A 1/4 turn clockwise indicates a 1/4 fraction, a 1/2 turn clockwise indicates a 1/2 fraction, and a 3/4 turn clockwise indicates a 3/4 fraction. Any remaining fraction is lost when the current Phase is completed.

EXAMPLE: 18 1/4 Oil Points are noted by placing the OIL PTS marker in the '18' box, rotated 1/4 turn clockwise.

• Merchantmen Pool Marker and Transport Points Markers. The Merchantmen Pool represents Japan's transport capability. The MERCHANTMEN POOL marker is set at '30' at game start, but this amount will decrease during the game as a result of Allied submarine activity and combat losses. Note that the Merchantmen Pool and the remaining Transport Points available for use are different things. Each turn, the Japanese TRANSPORT PTS marker is set to the same number as the MERCHANTMEN POOL marker. Each turn, the US TRANSPORT PTS marker is set to the number indicated on the Allied Reinforcement Schedule or the General Record Track. The British TRANSPORT PTS marker is always set to 6 (this number never changes throughout the game). Transport Points can only be used on units of the same nationality (British points may not be used on US units or vice versa). Note that the Netherlands do not receive any Transport Points, and thus cannot use Sea Deployment (see 8.2) (or Operational Movement for the ABDA land unit, see 9.2).

  Transport Points are set to the numbers indicated above even if there are still some left on the Track. Transport Points not used during a turn are lost.

  Transport Points can be used to move units and replacements markers, and, for the Japanese player only, to transport oil from Southern Asia to Japan and to transfer DD units to/from the Convoy Escort box.

• Oil Points Marker. The OIL PTS marker is used to record the number of Oil Points available to the Japanese player. These are spent to move naval units in the Operational Movement and Reaction Phases, and to attack Allied submarines during the Economic Warfare Phase. The Japanese player must spend Transport Points to receive Oil Points from Southern Asia (see 5.1).

  The Allies, who had no oil shortages during the war, do not use Oil Points.

  If the Oil Points total exceeds 30, flip the marker to its (+30) side and place it on the '1' space to represent 31, the '2' space to represent 32, etc.

• Submarine Points Markers. The SUB PTS markers are used to record the number of Submarine Points available to the Japanese and Allied players. Each submarine attack die roll costs one Submarine Point (see 6.2 and 12.2.1). Each Reinforcement Phase, the Phasing Player's SUB PTS marker is set to the number indicated on his Reinforcement Schedule or the General Record Track (see 7.2), even if he still has some Submarine Points left on the Track. Submarine Points not used during a turn are lost.

• Victory Points Marker. The VICTORY POINTS marker is used to record the current Victory Point total (see 16.0).

2.1.2.2 Air Points Markers. The AIR PTS markers are used on the Air Point Display of the Battle Board to record the Air Points available to each player during a battle (see 12.3.2).

If the Air Points total exceeds 20, flip the marker to its (+20) side and place it on the '1' space to represent 21, the '2' space to represent 22, etc.

2.1.2.3 Game Turn Marker. The GAME TURN marker is placed on the Turn Record Track to record the turn in progress.

2.2 The Map

The map depicts the area over which the Pacific War was fought. A grid of hexagons (hereafter called hexes) is superimposed on it to help regulate the movement and positioning of the playing pieces. Half hexes at the top and bottom of the map are playable and considered full hexes for all purposes. Areas of the map where there are no hexes (e.g., much of Australia) are not part of the play area. Various holding boxes are printed on the map; their use is detailed in the appropriate rules sections.

2.2.1 Sea Hexes. For movement purposes, every hex on the map is considered a sea hex, except for the Gangetic Plain hex. Sea hexes are used for sea movement during the Deployment (see 8.0), Operational Movement (see 9.0), and Reaction (see 10.0) Phases. Except for air and land units using One-hex Deployment (see 8.3), all movement in Fire in the Sky is considered sea movement.

2.2.1.2 Impassable Hexsides. Units using sea movement cannot cross impassable hexsides, which are shown as a thick light brown line.

Malaya Peninsula Special Case: The Malaya hex is cut in half by the peninsula, and for sea movement purposes is treated as two half sea hexes separated by an impassable hexside (the thick light brown lines running along the white land connection). Thus, naval units in the western half hex cannot move directly to the eastern half hex, and vice versa. Also, an enemy Task Force in the eastern half hex does NOT allow a Reaction Movement into the western half hex, and vice versa.

If a battle occurs in the hex with opposing Task Forces in the same half hex, normal rules apply.

Opposing Task Forces NOT in the same half hex can interact in a limited way during a battle for the Malaya hex, specifically in the Air-to-Air Combat Step and Land Combat Step. Normal rules apply, except:

• During the Target Determination Round of the Air-to-Air Combat Step, Air Points can only choose the base as target, not enemy Task Forces (12.3.2.2).
• Each player still has to place at least one naval unit in the Sea Control box to have Sea Control in his half hex (and thus to be able to provide ground support with his naval units, or to have land units perform an amphibious landing), but no naval surface combat can occur.
• Sea Control in a half hex does not automatically put enemy land units in the Malaya hex out of supply.

Once the battle is over, any surviving naval units must be placed back in the half hex they occupied before they were brought on the Battle Board.

DEVELOPER'S NOTE: Ok, so what happens if there are friendly units in both half hexes and enemy units in one? You know what, I am not wasting 2 pages of rules for a situation that should never come up. Actually, I have never even heard of the Malaya hex being defended by a land unit at all, let alone an invasion of a defended Malaya hex. So if this does happen in your game, first of all, bang the player who did this over the head with the nearest available blunt instrument. Then use the above rule to work out the logic with your groggy opponent (don't worry, in his current condition, he will accept anything you say). If all this doesn't work, email me and I will give you an answer that is personally catered to your situation—as long as you follow all the above steps first of course.

2.2.2 Land Hexes. Hexes containing a square or a circle with a name are land hexes. When using One-hex Deployment, land units can only enter land hexes: if there is no square or circle in a hex, land units cannot enter it. A square represents a base (see 2.2.3). A circle denotes a land hex that can be entered by land units, but cannot be used as a base by air or naval units; these hexes are worth no Victory Points.

White land connections allow land units to move between two linked land hexes using One-hex Deployment. If there is no such connection between two land hexes, land units cannot use One-hex Deployment between them.

2.2.2.1 Stacking Limit. Each land hex has a stacking limit for land units, shown by the border color of its square or circle: red or white indicates a limit of 8 Transport factors, while green (representing an atoll) indicates a limit of 4 Transport factors. When both sides have units in the same hex, the stacking limit applies to each side separately.

EXAMPLE: 4 Japanese and 4 Allied Transport factors can occupy the same atoll at the same time.

Remember that a land unit's Combat Strength and Transport ratings may be different (see 2.1.1.3).

Stacking limits apply at the end of each Deployment Phase (see 8.4), at the beginning of the Amphibious Round (see 12.3.4.1), and at the end of the Return to Base Phase (see 14.3). If a stacking limit is found to be exceeded at these moments, the enemy player may immediately remove any excess units from the hex. These are placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as reinforcements in their next friendly Reinforcement Phase.

2.2.3 Bases. Bases are represented on the map by squares. A base's Air Capacity is the maximum number of air steps that can be stacked in the base. A base's Port Capacity is the maximum number of naval unit Transport factors that can be stacked in the base. These limits apply at the end of each Deployment Phase (see 8.4) and at the end of the Return to Base Phase (see 14.3).

EXAMPLE: A maximum of 4 air steps, and a number of naval units with up to 2 combined Transport factors can be stacked in a '4-2' base.

The Anti-Aircraft rating of a base is half its printed Air Capacity. Bases worth more than 1 Victory Point have their VP value indicated in a yellow star (see 16.0).

At game start, control of a base is determined by the national flag in its square. Japanese flags indicate Japanese control, while US, British, Australian, New Zealand, Dutch, and French flags denote Allied control (Allied units can use bases from any Allied nationality). Control changes occur during the Return to Base Phase (see 14.2).

EXCEPTION: Bangkok, Hollandia, and Lae are uncontrolled by either side at game start and are marked with an UNCONTROLLED BASE marker to denote their status.

2.2.3.1 Home Bases. Each nation has its own Home Base(s), represented by a red-border square or an off-map box:

• Japan: Kure and Yokosuka
• United States: West Coast USA off-map box
• Britain: Indian Ocean Ports off-map box (but also see 17.5)
• The Netherlands: none (but also see 17.4)

Each nation uses its Home Base(s) to place reinforcements (see 7.1) and replacements markers (see 7.4), for returning to base (see 14.1), and for tracing supply (see 2.2.3.2).

The Allied off-map boxes are each connected to a base on the map. During the Reinforcement Phase, Allied units may move to the connecting base without spending Transport Points (see 7.5).

2.2.3.2 Supply Lines. Oil Point transport (see 5.1), land unit supply (see 12.3.4.4), and the lifeline between the United States and Australia (see 16.0) require an unblocked Supply Line from a nation's Home Base to the appropriate hex. Tracing is done as follows:

1. A Supply Line is traced from any friendly-controlled Home Base to the destination hex, along a string of friendly bases each within 2 hexes of the previous one. The last "leg" of the Supply Line, 2-hex long at most, must link the last base of the string and the destination hex. The final destination hex need not be a friendly base.
2. A Supply Line can cross any hexside, even an impassable one (including the Malaya peninsula).
3. A Supply Line may not be traced through a hex in an enemy Air ZOC unless the hex also contains a friendly air unit (NOT a carrier unit). If there are no friendly air units, the line can enter the Air ZOC but must stop there. In other words, if a hex is in an enemy Air ZOC, it can be supplied (as long as that Air ZOC is the first entered).

A land unit is always in supply whenever it is in a friendly Home Base or its side has established Sea Control in the hex (see 12.3.3.3). Enemy Sea Control in a hex prevents friendly land units to be in supply in this hex, unless it is a Home Base (see 12.3.4.4).

Play Note: The only way to supply Japanese land units in the Paramushiro hex is by establishing Sea Control, since the Japanese player cannot trace a Supply Line to this hex.

2.2.4 Entry Hexes. Hexes bearing a nation's flag are Entry Hexes for that nation. The Stars and Stripes marks Entry Hexes from/to the West Coast USA off-map box and the Union Jack marks Entry Hexes from/to the Indian Ocean Ports off-map box. An Entry Hex is considered to be one hex away from its off-map box for movement, supply tracing, and amphibious landing purposes. A naval unit could thus go from an Entry Hex to the off-map box (or vice versa) by spending one movement point; or the Allied player could perform an amphibious landing in Dutch Harbor even if both Dutch Harbor and Attu were lost to the Japanese (see 9.2.1).

No unit can react from an off-map box during the Reaction Phase (see 10.1).

No Japanese unit may ever enter an off-map box.

2.2.5 Resource Hexes. There are three Resource Hexes on the map, marked with an Oil symbol: Singapore, Surabaya, and Brunei. These allow the Japanese player to acquire Oil Points (see 5.1) and move naval units for free under certain circumstances (see 17.3).

2.2.6 Japanese Home Base Holding Boxes. Any units located in Kure or Yokosuka can be placed in these holding boxes to reduce counter clutter, if needed. For all purposes, units in the holding boxes are considered to be in the Kure or Yokosuka hexes.

2.3 Charts and Tables

The game includes the following charts and tables:

• Battle Board: The Battle Board is used to resolve battles. At the start of a battle, units are placed in specific holding boxes on the Board; these regulate their behavior and capabilities in combat. At the end of the battle, the surviving units are returned to the map.
• Player Aid Cards: Each Player Aid Card (Japanese and Allied) contains that player's Reinforcement Schedule and Campaign Game Set Up, and a copy of the various charts and tables, notably the Combat Table. All combat types (except naval surface combat) use this table, with the player rolling the required number of dice and applying any modifiers to each die. Each 5 or 6 results in one hit.

CHARTS ERRATA:

• Transport Cost Chart: The cost of Japanese ASW die rolls should be 0.5 Oil Point, not 1.
• Combat Table: The 'Ground support' combat type should list the following modifier: "The player has Air Points providing ground support and also has Air Supremacy (+1)"
• Allied Campaign Game Set Up: Add the following to the 'US CV Reaction Force' special rule: The US CV Reaction Force is treated as a normal reacting force, as if it had moved to that hex using Reaction Movement; the naval units thus comprise a Task Force. When the US CV Reaction Force returns to port, it returns to its Home Base (the US West Coast off-map box) like any other Task Force using Reaction Movement.

3.0 Preparation for Play

There are two scenarios in this game. The Campaign Game starts on Turn 1 and the Short Campaign Game starts on Turn 2. The Campaign Game scenario requires the Japanese to have at least average luck on Turn 1 to maintain a competitive game but allows for players to game the entire war. The Short Campaign Game scenario is recommended for competitive play.

After selecting sides, the players deploy their units according to the set up instructions, found on the Player Aid Cards for the Campaign Game and in this rulebook for the Short Campaign Game.

4.0 Sequence of Play

Fire in the Sky is played in successive turns, each composed of the phases outlined below. After both player turns have been completed, the GAME TURN marker is advanced one box on the Turn Record Track and another turn begins.

NOTE: The rules are presented in Sequence order of play, but be sure to follow the Sequence of Play carefully, as you might miss the Second Deployment Phase if you only go with the rulebook order of presentation. The second Deployment Phase is (with two exceptions) identical to the First Deployment Phase.

4.1 Japanese Player Turn

The Japanese player is the Phasing Player.

• Transport Phase
• Reinforcement Phase
• First Deployment Phase
• Operational Movement Phase
• Allied Reaction Phase
• Air Commitment Phase
• Combat Phase
• Return to Base Phase
• Second Deployment Phase
• End Phase

4.2 Allied Player Turn

The Allied Player is the Phasing Player.

• Economic Warfare Phase
• Reinforcement Phase
• First Deployment Phase
• Operational Movement Phase
• Japanese Reaction Phase
• Air Commitment Phase
• Combat Phase
• Return to Base Phase
• Second Deployment Phase
• End Phase

5.0 Transport Phase

(Japanese Player Turn only)

The Japanese player may perform one or both of the actions below with his remaining Transport Points:

• Transport oil to the Japanese mainland (see 5.1).
• Transfer DD units to/from the Convoy Escort box (see 5.2).

5.1 Oil Transport Segment

Each turn, the Japanese player can transport to the Japanese mainland up to 4 Oil Points from each Resource Hex he controls. This requires a Supply Line from a Japanese Home Base to the Resource Hex (see 2.2.3.2).

The Japanese player can transport a number of Oil Points up to half his Merchantmen Pool (round down). Each Oil Point transported to the mainland costs one Transport Point.

EXAMPLE: The Japanese player controls the three Resource Hexes, he has 15 Transport Points still available, and his Merchantmen Pool is at 21. He can transport a maximum of 10 Oil Points: he has 15 available Transport Points but may use only half his Merchantmen Pool (21/2 = 10) to move Oil Points.

5.2 DD Units Transfer Segment

The Japanese player can transfer any number of DD units to or from the Convoy Escort box. Each DD unit transferred costs one Transport Point. The Japanese player may use as many available Transport Points as he wishes. Simply spend one Transport Point, pick any DD unit on the map, and place it in the Convoy Escort box. If transferring a DD unit from the box, spend one Transport Point and place the unit in a Home Base; it is immediately available for use in the upcoming turn.

6.0 Economic Warfare Phase

(Allied Player Turn only)

In this phase, the Allied player may use any of his available Submarine Points to attack Japanese merchant shipping. The Economic Warfare Phase is conducted in the following order:

6.1 ASW Segment

The Japanese player may roll as many dice as he wishes up to the number of DD units in the Convoy Escort box. Each die roll costs one half of an Oil Point. Refer to the Combat Table; each hit eliminates one of the available Allied Submarine Points.

6.2 Submarine Segment

The Allied player may roll as many dice as he has Submarine Points available, each die roll costing him 1 Submarine Point. Refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. Each hit immediately reduces the Japanese Merchantmen Pool and available Transport Points by one.

EXAMPLE: The Japanese player has 10 available Transport Points and his Merchantmen Pool is at 25. The Allied player scores 2 hits. This immediately reduces both numbers by 2: the Merchantmen Pool is down to 23 and the available Transport Points to 8.

7.0 Reinforcement Phase

The Reinforcement Phase is conducted in the following order:

7.1 Reinforcement Segment

The Phasing Player consults his Reinforcement Schedule. All units scheduled to arrive this turn, as well as units that re-enter play this turn as reinforcements after having been damaged or eliminated in combat (see 13.0), disbanded (see 15.2), or for other causes, are placed on a Home Base (see 2.2.3.1) of the appropriate nationality.

If both Japanese Home Bases are occupied by Allied units, the Japanese player does not get any reinforcements that turn. They are placed on the next box of the Turn Record Track, awaiting the liberation of a Home Base.

The counter mix represents an absolute limit on what units can enter play as reinforcements. If there is no available unit of the type scheduled to arrive that turn, that reinforcement is forfeited.

7.1.1 Japanese Carriers and Naval Aviation. All Japanese carriers that were damaged in combat and are re-entering play must go into the Carriers without Planes box. They cannot leave it until their air group has been replenished with naval aviation aircraft.

Some of the Japanese reinforcement air steps may be used either as regular air units or to replenish the air groups of repaired carriers. When eligible air steps are received, the Japanese player may choose to either place them in the Naval Aviation box or to enter them as regular air step reinforcements. If entered as regular reinforcements, they cannot be placed later in the Naval Aviation box.

The Japanese player may use any air steps in the Naval Aviation box to replenish a carrier's air group. This is NOT mandatory; he can keep a crappy carrier unit in the Carriers without Planes box as long as he wants, to save his precious Naval Aviation air steps for a nice, good carrier unit coming back on the map in a later turn.

This replenishment requires one air step for each Air Strength factor of the carrier (e.g., a 4-Air Strength carrier will require 4 air steps). When done, the carrier immediately arrives as a reinforcement. Partial replacement is not allowed; if there are insufficient air steps to replace the air group, the carrier remains in the Carriers without Planes box.

The Naval Aviation box and Carriers without Planes box are each divided into a Kure space and a Yokosuka space. Repaired carrier units and air steps must be placed in either space of their respective box; for all purposes, they are considered to be in the Kure or Yokosuka hex, and as such they can be attacked by Allied units. If the Allied player declares a battle in the Kure or Yokosuka hex, any air units in this space of the Naval Aviation box are placed on the Battle Board. These units have two options: (1) they can fight normally, following the regular rules, but they immediately lose their Naval Aviation status and become regular air steps; (2) they can stay in the Land/Air at Base box, where they might become targets and give no benefit to the Japanese (they contribute no Air Points to the battle and do not provide for 3rd bullet of rule 12.3.4.5), but they keep their Naval Aviation status. Carrier units are placed in the Ships at Anchor box of the Battle Board and are treated normally.

When a carrier unit receives a new air group and arrives as a reinforcement, it must be placed in the Home Base corresponding to the space it occupied in the Carriers without Planes box.

7.1.2 Naval Aviation Transfer. The Japanese player may remove any air steps from the Naval Aviation box and place them as regular reinforcements. These may not return to the Naval Aviation box afterwards. Air units already in play may not enter the Naval Aviation box.

7.2 Submarine Point Segment

Reset the Phasing Player's SUB PTS marker to its appropriate level indicated on the Phasing Player's Reinforcement Schedule or the General Record Track. Remember, unused Submarine Points are not carried over consecutive turns and are lost.

Play Note: The level to which the Allies reset their SUB PTS marker periodically increases during the game, while the Japanese always reset their SUB PTS marker to the '2' space.

7.3 Transport Point Segment

Reset the Phasing Player's TRANSPORT PTS marker(s) as indicated below:

• Japanese: The Japanese TRANSPORT PTS marker is set to the same level as the MERCHANTMEN POOL marker.
• Allied: The British TRANSPORT PTS marker is set at '6' each turn throughout the game. The US TRANSPORT PTS marker is set to the number indicated on the Allied Reinforcement Schedule or the General Record Track.

Remember, unused Transport Points are not carried over consecutive turns and are lost.

7.4 Replacements Marker Segment

Replacements markers allow reduced-strength land units to be brought up to full strength. The Phasing Player may receive as many replacements markers as he wishes (the counter mix isn't a limitation; players are free to make up as many as they need). These are placed on a friendly Home Base (see 2.2.3.1) of the appropriate nationality. The player can choose the value of these markers by setting the appropriate side up. The Transport rating of a replacements marker is equal to its value.

Replacements markers move like land units during the Deployment or Operational Movement Phases (see 8.0, 9.0, and 12.3.4.1), except that they may not use One-hex Deployment (see 8.3). All sea movement rules for land units apply to replacements markers. They may only be transported by Transport Points of the same nationality.

Replacements markers do NOT count toward stacking limits, cannot take part in land combat, and cannot take control of an enemy base.

A replacements marker is removed from the map when it is used to bring a reduced-strength unit back to full strength. This may be done at any time during the turn as long as the replacements marker and the land unit are in the same hex or in adjacent hexes with a land connection between them, and neither the marker nor the unit is part of a Task Force (they need to be on land for the replacement to occur). The replacements marker's value must be equal to or greater than the land unit's reduced Combat Strength. Flip the land unit back to its full-strength side and remove the replacements marker, even if its value is greater than the reduced Combat Strength.

Only one replacements marker can be used to bring one unit back to full strength; combining several markers is not allowed (using two 2-value markers to flip a reduced 8-Combat Strength unit back to full strength is not possible, for instance). Also, one replacements marker can bring back only one unit to full strength; you cannot use one marker to rebuild several units.

Any replacements marker that has not been used is removed from the map during the End Phase (see 15.1) and will be available in the upcoming turn.

7.5 Off-Map Box Movement Segment

The Allied player may move as many units as he wishes from any off-map box to the base to which it is connected, including reinforcements he just received in this phase.

• The West Coast USA off-map box connects to Pearl Harbor.
• The Indian Ocean Ports off-map box connects to Bombay.

This movement does not cost Transport Points. If the connecting base is not under Allied control, or if there are Japanese units in its hex, this movement is not allowed.

8.0 Deployment Phases

8.1 General Rule

The Phasing Player may deploy each of his units during his First Deployment and Second Deployment Phases—twice per player turn.

Two types of deployment are available:

• Sea Deployment: Units can move more than one hex but this costs Transport Points to do so. This may be done in either Deployment Phase.
• One-hex Deployment: Units can move one hex without spending Transport Points. This is only allowed in the First Deployment Phase—not the Second.

During a given phase, a unit can only use one type of deployment or the other, not both.

The Second Deployment Phase is carried out like the First, with two exceptions:

• A land or air unit that used Operational Movement may not deploy during the Second Deployment Phase.
• One-hex Deployment may not be used during the Second Deployment Phase.

Play Note: Any naval unit, provided it pays the required Transport Points, can deploy during the Second Deployment Phase, even if it deployed during the First, used Operational Movement, etc.

8.2 Sea Deployment

Any unit may use Sea Deployment in each Deployment Phase (Exception: A land or air unit that used Operational Movement may not deploy during the Second Deployment Phase) within the following restrictions:

• It must start the Deployment Phase in a friendly base.
• It must move to any other friendly base within 4 hexes.
• It must end its move in a friendly base. No enemy units may be in this hex.
• It may not cross an impassable hexside.
• It may move into an enemy Air ZOC but must stop upon entering. If starting in an enemy Air ZOC, it may leave that hex but must stop upon entering the first hex in an enemy Air ZOC (even if this entered Air ZOC is exerted by the same enemy unit that exerts the Air ZOC in the starting hex).

Each unit deploying must spend a number of Transport Points equal to its Transport rating multiplied by the factor given in the Transport Cost Chart.

EXAMPLE: A 4-Transport rating land unit is using Sea Deployment. It must spend 4 x 0.5 = 2 Transport Points.

Unless its Sea Deployment is interrupted by an enemy Air ZOC, a unit may deploy an unlimited number of times as long as the Phasing Player continues to pay for each deployment with his available Transport Points. So, for example, you can deploy to a hex within 4 hexes, and after completing this, may do so again and again. Each such deployment is treated as a completely new one. A unit entering an enemy Air ZOC cannot perform any type of deployment for the remainder of that Deployment Phase.

8.3 One-hex Deployment

One-hex Deployment may only be used during the First Deployment Phase. Units using One-hex Deployment can move one hex only. This costs no Transport Points. One-hex Deployment is not affected by enemy Air ZOCs or land units (Exception: see 8.3.3).

8.3.1 Naval Unit Restrictions. Naval units can use One-hex Deployment to any adjacent friendly base, unless this would have them crossing an impassable hexside.

8.3.2 Air Unit Restrictions. Air units can use One-hex Deployment to any adjacent friendly base.

8.3.3 Land Unit Restrictions. Land units can use One-hex Deployment along land connections only. The hex entered may be occupied by enemy units and does not have to be a base. If the unit is using One-hex Deployment from an enemy-occupied hex, it cannot deploy into another enemy-occupied hex or enemy-controlled base.

8.4 Stacking Limits

Stacking limits apply at the end of each Deployment Phase. They depend on land hex type for land units (see 2.2.2.1) or base capacity (see 2.2.3) for naval and air units.

9.0 Operational Movement Phase

9.1 General Rule

Any Phasing Player's unit may move within the following restrictions:

• It can move a number of hexes up to its Movement Allowance for naval units, or up to 4 hexes for air and land units.
• It may not cross an impassable hexside.
• If it enters an enemy Air ZOC, it can either stop or move one more hex (player's choice). If starting in an enemy Air ZOC, it may leave that hex but must stop in the first hex entered (i.e., it may move only one hex).

Each unit using Operational Movement spends Oil or Transport Points, depending on its type (see 9.2 and 9.3).

9.2 Land and Air Units

A land or air unit using Operational Movement must spend a number of Transport Points equal to its Transport rating (see the Transport Cost Chart).

EXAMPLE: A 2-Transport rating air unit uses Operational Movement. It must spend 2 Transport Points.

9.2.1 Land Units. Land units using Operational Movement are transported by ships. They are not able to fight until the Amphibious Round when they can perform an amphibious landing (see 12.3.4.1).

Amphibious landings can occur in any land hexes (even friendly-controlled hexes) that are within 2 hexes of any friendly base (even a base in which the land unit did not start its move) and where sea movement is allowed. Note that the Allied off-map Home Bases are considered one hex away from Entry Hexes and can be used to satisfy this provision.

9.2.2 Air Units. Air units using Operational Movement are transported by ships. They are not flying, and as such cannot fight and do NOT exert Air ZOCs. They can only disembark at a base under specific circumstances (see 12.3.5.2).

9.2.3 Amphibious Landing/Disembarking. To be able to stay in the hex where their Operational Movement ended, land units must perform an amphibious landing and air units must disembark. This happens during the Amphibious Round (see 12.3.4.1) for amphibious landings and during the Administrative Step (see 12.3.5.2) for disembarking, and requires friendly Sea Control in the hex.

Design Note: Operational movement represents sea travel in areas where enemy forces could be in the vicinity. In a game of strategic scope such as Fire in the Sky, much of what is happening occurs at too small a scale to be under a player's direct control and to be featured on the map. Unescorted land and air units on transports would be too vulnerable to enemy forces invisible at the scale of the game (motor torpedo boats, patrol vessels, etc.). That's why these units need friendly Sea Control in a hex to be able to land or disembark.

9.3 Naval Units

A Japanese naval unit using Operational Movement must spend Oil Points. If it moves 1-4 hexes, the Oil Point cost is equal to its Transport rating; if it moves more than 4 hexes, the Oil Point cost is equal to its Transport rating multiplied by 1.5 (see the Transport Cost Chart).

EXAMPLE: A 1/2-Transport rating destroyer unit moves 6 hexes during the Operational Movement Phase. It must spend 0.5 x 1.5 = 0.75 Oil Points.

Allied naval units may use Operational Movement at no cost.

NOTE: This is slightly different than for land and air units. Land and air units of both sides must spend Transport Points to use Operational Movement.

9.4 Task Forces

Units using Operational Movement move as a Task Force. A Task Force consists of at least one unit, and at the most four naval units and one land or air unit. All of them must start at the same base and move to the same hex together. A Task Force can only move as far as its slowest unit.

A Task Force may only defend itself with its own units against air and submarine attacks. Thus, a land or air unit moving in a Task Force with no DD units is a nice target for prowling enemy submarines (see 12.2)…

10.0 Reaction Phase

10.1 General Rule

Any non-Phasing Player's naval unit (only) may move during his Reaction Phase within the following restrictions:

• It can move a number of hexes up to half its Movement Allowance (round up).
• It may not cross an impassable hexside.
• It must end its move in a hex with an enemy unit of any type (naval, land, or air). Note that it can move to a hex containing enemy units that it will be unable to attack, or to a hex containing enemy units that did not deploy or move in the previous phases.
• If it enters an enemy Air ZOC, it can either stop or move one more hex (player's choice—but this adjacent hex must have an enemy unit in it). If starting in an enemy Air ZOC, it may leave that hex but must stop in the first hex entered (and this must be a hex with an enemy unit in it).
• It cannot start in an off-map box.

Units can react out of a hex containing enemy Task Forces or units; the only thing that can affect a reacting force's movement is an enemy Air ZOC.

Reaction Movement by Japanese units costs Oil Points, calculated as for Operational Movement (see 9.3). If a Japanese naval unit reacts into the hex it occupies, in response to an Allied Task Force moving here, it must pay the "1-4 hexes" Oil Point cost. Japanese naval units always pay Oil Points to be part of a Task Force. Allied units use Reaction Movement at no cost.

10.2 Task Forces

Units using Reaction Movement move as Task Forces, exactly as they would in the Operational Movement Phase (see 9.4).

11.0 Air Commitment Phase

The Phasing Player must declare which hexes his air units will be committed to in the Combat Phase. Committed air units can attack enemy naval and air units on their own or support land combats (note that they cannot attack enemy land units on their own).

A Phasing Player's air unit can be committed to the hex it is in or an adjacent hex. Several air units in the same hex may each be committed to different hexes, but an air unit can be committed to only one hex. Commitment is indicated by positioning the air unit counter against the side of the hex it is committed to. If the unit is committed to the hex it is in, just leave it in the middle of the hex.

A player can commit his air units however he wants, regardless of the presence of enemy air units, aircraft carrier units, or Air ZOCs. A non-Phasing Player's air unit can only be committed to the hex it is currently in.

An air unit will use all its steps in any upcoming combat if it is committed to its own hex, but will use only half its steps (round down) if it is committed to an adjacent hex.

When applying the ASW modifier "Friendly land-based air unit in hex" and for all Air ZOC purposes, the hex occupied by the air unit is what matters, even if the unit is committed to an adjacent hex.

12.0 Combat Phase

12.1 General Rule

The Combat Phase is divided into two different kinds of Segments: a Submarine Attack Segment, in which both players can attack enemy Task Forces with any remaining Submarine Points, and one or more Battle Segments, in which battles occur in any hex containing opposing forces.

NOTE: If you have units in a hex without enemy forces, follow the Battle Segment sequence to know what to do with yours. E.g., if you moved one Task Force with a land unit to one of your friendly bases, just follow the appropriate steps: you establish Sea Control during the Surface Combat Step, then have the land unit perform an amphibious landing during the Amphibious Round, etc.

12.2 Submarine Attack Segment

Resolve this segment in the order given below.

12.2.1 Target Determination Step. Both players can attack any enemy naval, land, or air unit that is part of a Task Force. Each Submarine Point attacks separately. Only one Submarine Point can attack a particular Task Force in a given Submarine Attack Segment.

First the Phasing Player designates all the Task Forces his Submarine Points will attack and spends 1 Submarine Point per attack, then the non-Phasing Player does the same. Once target allocation is done, all the Submarine Point attacks are resolved in any order.

12.2.2 ASW Step. If the attacked Task Force includes any DD units, they may perform an ASW attack. The Task Force player rolls as many dice as he has DD units. Refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. Should any hits occur, the attack has failed and this ends this particular Submarine Point's attack.

NOTE: The +1 modifier for Friendly land-based air unit/carrier in hex is received only once per Task Force, no matter how many air units or carriers are in the hex. Air units using Operational Movement do NOT qualify for this modifier, as they are unable to fight (see 9.2.2).

12.2.3 Attack Step. If no ASW hits occur, the Submarine Point may attack any one unit in the Task Force by rolling a die. Refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. If a naval or air unit is hit, immediately apply the Damage Resolution rules (see 13.1 and 13.3.1, respectively). If a land unit is hit, place a 1 HIT marker on it as a reminder; damage will be resolved at the end of the Air Strike Round.

NOTE: If there is no possibility of an air strike attacking the land unit at sea later in the Combat Phase, damage can be resolved now by applying immediately the Land Unit at Sea Damage rule (see 13.2).

12.3 Battle Segments

One such Segment is resolved, in the order given below, for each hex containing opposing forces. Some Steps may not occur, because of the opposing forces' compositions, for example; in this case, simply skip these Steps.

The Phasing Player determines the order in which battles are resolved.

• Battle Board Preparation Step
• Air Combat Step
  • Air-to-Air Combat Round
  • Target Determination Round
  • Air Strike Round
• Surface Combat Step
  • Surface Combat Round
• Land Combat Step
  • Amphibious Round
  • Replacement Round
  • Ground Support Round
  • Supply Round
  • Land Combat Round
• Administrative Step

12.3.1 Battle Board Preparation Step. In any hex where combat occurs, both players take their units off the map and place them on the Battle Board, Phasing Player first. The BATTLE marker is placed in the hex to record the location of the battle.

• Each Task Force must be set up in either a Carrier Task Force box or a Bombardment Task Force box. A Task Force may not be split up between the two types of boxes. Task Forces cannot be regrouped or created at this time.

  Carrier Task Force Boxes: A Task Force with any carriers (CVs or CVLs) must be placed in one of these boxes. Any carrier in the Task Force may use its Air Strength to perform air-to-air combat and air strikes. Naval units in these boxes cannot be used in any upcoming surface combat or provide ground support, land units cannot perform amphibious landings, and air units cannot disembark during the Administrative Step. So it is generally not a good idea to put land or air units in Task Forces with carriers.

  Play Note 1: That indeed means that the only way to sink a carrier unit, outside of optional rules and uninvited pets, is through submarine attacks and air strikes.

  Play Note 2: A Task Force that lost its only carrier because of damage due to a submarine attack is NOT a Carrier Task Force, and as such must be placed in a Bombardment Task Force box.

  Bombardment Task Force Boxes: Any Task Force that was not placed in a Carrier Task Force box is placed in a Bombardment Task Force box. The naval units of a Task Force placed in these boxes can either perform surface combat (to establish Sea Control in the hex) or provide ground support. Land units in Bombardment Task Forces may perform an amphibious landing during the Amphibious Round (see 12.3.4.1) and air units in Bombardment Task Forces may disembark during the Administrative Step (see 12.3.5.2).

  Play Note: Naval units cannot hurt enemy ground units on their own—only by providing ground support to friendly land units.

• Naval units in the battle hex that are not part of a Task Force are placed in the Ships at Anchor box.

• Air and land units not part of a Task Force are placed in the Land/Air at Base box, except for air units that were committed from adjacent hexes (see 11.0); these are placed in the Long Range Air box, and cannot be targeted by enemy attacks.

12.3.2 Air Combat Step. Each player calculates his Air Point total and records it on the Air Point Display of the Battle Board with his AIR PTS marker:

• All carrier units in the Carrier Task Force boxes provide their Air Strength rating as Air Points.
• All air units in the Long Range Air box provide half their number of steps as Air Points. Total up all air steps in the box and halve the result (round down).
• All air units in the Land/Air at Base box provide their number of steps as Air Points, unless they were committed to an adjacent hex: in this case, they provide no Air Points to the current battle, but still can be targeted by an air strike.

EXAMPLE: It is the Japanese player turn, and during the Reaction Phase the Allied player moved a carrier Task Force to Rabaul, where the Japanese have 4 air steps. During the Commitment Phase, the Japanese player commits his 4 air steps to the Guadalcanal hex, where a battle will occur. During the Guadalcanal battle, the 4 Long Range steps provide 2 Air Points. Afterwards, during the Rabaul battle, these same 4 steps do not provide any Air Points, but they can be chosen as air strike targets. If, for some reason, the Japanese player decided to resolve the Rabaul battle first and the air steps were reduced, this would reduce the number of Air Points available in the Guadalcanal battle.

12.3.2.1 Air-to-Air Combat Round. Both players roll as many dice as they have Air Points on the Air Point Display. Refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. Each hit reduces the opponent's Air Points by one. Apply results simultaneously.

Play Note: Air steps and Air Points are not the same thing. During air-to-air combat, no air steps are eliminated; when you lose Air Points, you are not losing steps, just the ability to use them for this battle. The only ways to actually eliminate air steps are to have an air strike target them (see 13.3.1), to kill them when part of a Task Force (see 13.3.2), or to capture their base (14.2).

After applying the hits, compare both players' totals on the display. The player with more Air Points than his opponent has Air Superiority over the battle hex. Place his AIR SUPERIORITY marker in his Air Status box. If the remaining totals are the same (including if neither player has any points remaining), both players roll a die: the higher result determines which player has Air Superiority. If one player has Air Points remaining while the other has none, the player with remaining Air Points has Air Supremacy over the battle hex. Place his AIR SUPREMACY marker in his Air Status box. Air Supremacy offers all the advantages of Air Superiority, plus a modifier on air strike rolls (see 12.3.2.3) and ground support rolls when Air Points are involved (see 12.3.4.3).

12.3.2.2 Target Determination Round. Each Air Point remaining after the Air-to-Air Combat Round may strike the enemy base or any enemy Task Forces on the Battle Board. The player without Air Superiority announces all his targets first, then the Air Superiority player does the same. An individual Task Force or the base each constitute a legal target for an Air Point. Multiple Air Points may attack the same target.

12.3.2.3 Air Strike Round. After target determination, resolve the air strike as follows for each target:

1. ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. The player being attacked determines the number of Anti-Aircraft factors defending the target and rolls that number of dice:

   • If the target is a Task Force, use the combined Anti-Aircraft ratings of all the units in the targeted Task Force only. Round down any fraction remaining once all the Anti-Aircraft ratings have been added.
   • If the target is the base, use the Anti-Aircraft rating of the base (do not use the Anti-Aircraft ratings of any naval units in the Ships at Anchor box—these are defended by the base Anti-Aircraft rating). The Anti-Aircraft value of a base is equal to one half its printed Air Capacity.

   Refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. Each hit reduces by one the number of Air Points that are attacking the current target. If more hits are scored than there are Air Points attacking, the extra hits are ignored.

2. AIR STRIKE. Each Air Point that survived anti-aircraft fire may now do one of the following (attacking player's choice):

   • If the target was a Task Force, the Air Point can attack any unit in this Task Force.
   • If the target was the base, the Air Point can attack any air unit in the Land/Air at Base box or naval unit in the Ships at Anchor box, or provide ground support for an upcoming land combat (this is announced now, but will be resolved later in the Ground Support Round, see 12.3.4.3).

   Multiple Air Points may strike the same enemy unit or provide ground support. The owner of the attacking Air Points must assign a target unit to each of his Air Points before rolling the dice; he cannot see whether an Air Point scores a hit before assigning the others. Roll a die for each attacking Air Point, referring to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers. Resolve any damage per the Damage Resolution rule (see 13.0). Remove Air Points from the Air Point Display as they attack.

12.3.3 Surface Combat Step

12.3.3.1 General Rule. The player without Air Superiority can take any of his naval units out of any of his Bombardment Task Force boxes (regardless of which Task Forces they are part of) and put them into his Sea Control box of the Battle Board. He may choose to leave some of his naval units in the Bombardment Task Force boxes so they may participate in the upcoming Ground Support Round, but if he allocates no units to the Sea Control box, he won't be able to vie for Sea Control (see 12.3.3.3) and thus to allow the naval units that did not participate in surface combat to support land combats. Once this choice has been made, the Air Superiority player does the same, with the advantage of knowing which units his opponent has already chosen.

Surface combat consists of a number of rounds that will continue until one or both players withdraw from combat or have all of their naval units destroyed or damaged.

12.3.3.2 Surface Combat Rounds. Resolve each Surface Combat Round in the order given below:

1. COMBAT GROUPS. Players now create Combat Groups. The player without Air Superiority lines up all his naval units off map. The Air Superiority player then pairs his chosen units with those of his opponent, so that each unit is matched against one enemy unit. Then, if either player still has some unmatched naval units, he can assign them to enemy units however he likes.

2. WITHDRAWAL. Either player can declare a withdrawal. The player without Air Superiority must declare his intentions first. If either player elects to withdraw, all his naval units slated for surface combat must withdraw.

   A Surface Combat Round is still resolved normally, with the following exceptions:

   • Withdrawing units may not fire.
   • Non-withdrawing units may only fire at units that have a lower Movement Allowance than their own.

   All withdrawn units are placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as reinforcements in their next friendly Reinforcement Phase.

3. FIRE. Each unit fires once at his matched enemy unit. If a unit has more than one enemy unit matched against it, it may choose its target. All attacks are considered to occur simultaneously.

   For each firing naval unit, refer to the Surface Combat Table, cross-index the firer's Firepower rating and the target's Defense rating to determine the To Hit number, and roll a die (one die only—not one per Firepower factor). Place HIT markers on units as hits accumulates. Once the firing is over, every unit must roll a Damage Check for each hit scored against it (see 13.1). A lone 1/2 hit does NOT cause a Damage Check.

4. END OF THE ROUND. All remaining naval units are put back into their friendly Sea Control box. If either player has no remaining units in the surface combat, either because they were destroyed, damaged, or they withdrew, the Surface Combat Step is over. Otherwise, any 1/2 HIT markers are removed and a new Round begins.

12.3.3.3 Sea Control. At the completion of the Surface Combat Step, the player with naval units remaining in his Sea Control box has Sea Control in the hex. If neither side committed naval units to surface combat, all naval units were destroyed, or both players withdrew from combat, neither player has Sea Control in the hex.

If one player has Sea Control, all opposing naval units in Bombardment Task Force boxes (those that did not participate in the surface combat) are immediately placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as reinforcements in their next friendly Reinforcement Phase. Also, in any upcoming land combat, this player's units will be in supply, while enemy units will be out of supply regardless of their ability to trace a Supply Line.

12.3.4 Land Combat Step

Resolve land combat in the order given below:

12.3.4.1 Amphibious Round. Land units may perform amphibious landings only in hexes within 2 hexes of any friendly base (even a base in which the land unit did not start its move). Note that the Allied off-map Home Bases are considered one hex away from Entry Hexes and can be used to satisfy this provision.

Any land units and replacements markers in Bombardment Task Force boxes may now move into their friendly Land/Air at Base box, but only if the player has Sea Control. The stacking limit must be observed in the friendly Land/Air at Base box. If a unit would exceed the limit, it cannot land and must remain in the Bombardment Task Force boxes.

Land units in a Carrier Task Force box cannot land.

Land units that lost a step while at sea during this Combat Phase (from either a submarine attack or an air strike that rolled a hit) cannot land.

12.3.4.2 Replacement Round. If a replacements marker lands in a hex where there is a reduced-strength friendly land unit, or in a hex adjacent to such a unit and there is a land connection between the two hexes, the marker may be used to bring the unit back to full strength (see 7.4).

12.3.4.3 Ground Support Round. Both players now see how much support they may provide to the land combat. Each adds up his remaining Air Points (those kept for ground support during the Air Strike Round) and the Firepower factors of any naval units remaining in Bombardment Task Force boxes (not naval units in the Sea Control box), and rolls this number of dice (refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers). Any hits rolled will be added to the hits rolled in the Land Combat Round (see 12.3.4.5). The number of ground support hits cannot exceed that player's total Combat Strength factors in his Land/Air at Base box.

12.3.4.4 Supply Round. Each player checks supply for his land units.

• If a player has Sea Control in the hex, his land units are in supply, and the enemy land units are out of supply.
• If neither player has Sea Control in the hex, both players check their respective Supply Lines to determine whether their units are in supply or not (see 2.2.3.2).

A land unit in a friendly Home Base is always in supply. Out of supply land units incur a negative modifier in the upcoming combat. This is the only effect of being out of supply in the game.

12.3.4.5 Land Combat Round. Only the Phasing Player may initiate a land combat and only if he has at least one unit with a non-bracketed Combat Strength rating in the hex. The non-Phasing Player cannot declare a combat.

Both players now roll as many dice as they have Combat Strength factors in the hex (refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers). Then they total their land combat hits. This consists of the following:

• The hits they just rolled, plus...
• The hits they rolled in the Ground Support Round (see 12.3.4.3), plus...
• For the non-Phasing Player, the total number of friendly air steps in his Land/Air at Base box (this number may be less than the number he had at the start of the battle if he incurred losses from an enemy air strike).

Apply the Land Combat Damage procedure (13.4).

12.3.5 Administrative Step

All surviving units are placed back on the map, as per the rules below. Where both sides have units in the same hex, the units of the player controlling the base are placed under those of the player who does not control it.

If a land unit is in an enemy-controlled (or neutral) base without enemy land units, place an OCCUPIED BASE marker in the hex (over any enemy naval or air units at the base). This marker indicates that friendly air units can disembark at this base during the Administrative Step, but it does NOT change control of the base (yet).

12.3.5.1 Naval Units. All naval units on the Battle Board, regardless of the actual box they are in, must be placed back on the map in the battle hex.

12.3.5.2 Air Units.

• Air units in the Land/Air at Base box must be placed back on the map in the battle hex.
• Air units in the Long Range Air box must be placed back on the map in the hex they were in before the battle.
• Air units in a Bombardment Task Force box and whose side has Sea Control can disembark and be placed back on the map in the battle hex (up to the base's Air Capacity) if the base is friendly-controlled or contains an OCCUPIED BASE marker.
• Air units in a Carrier Task Force box cannot disembark.

If an air unit cannot disembark, it is placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as a reinforcement in its next friendly Reinforcement Phase.

12.3.5.3 Land Units.

• Land units in the Land/Air at Base box must be placed back on the map in the battle hex.
• Land units that couldn't land during the Amphibious Round are placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as reinforcements in their next friendly Reinforcement Phase.

Players can then continue with the next battle.

13.0 Damage Resolution

13.1 Naval Unit Damage

Any naval unit hit by the enemy must roll a number of Damage Checks equal to the number of hits it suffered. Damage Checks are rolled immediately after a submarine attack or air strike, or at the end of a Surface Combat Round.

A Damage Check is resolved by rolling two dice and adding any applicable modifiers (see the Naval Damage Check Table). If the result is equal to or greater than the unit's Defense rating, it is sunk.

Japanese CV and CVL units, and both sides' BB units, are permanently removed from the game. All other naval units may be recycled to arrive as reinforcements at a later time.

If the unit hasn't been sunk after all Damage Checks have been rolled, it is damaged and is placed on the Turn Record Track, a number of friendly Reinforcement Phases later to arrive as a reinforcement (Exception: Dutch naval units, see 17.4). This number is equal to twice the number of hits the unit has received. Damaged Japanese carriers will return without an air group (see 7.1.1).

EXAMPLE: A US BB unit suffered 2 hits during the Surface Combat Step of the Japanese player turn of Turn 3, but it wasn't sunk. It is placed in the 'Turn 6' space of the Turn Record Track, to show that it will reenter play during the Allied Reinforcement Phase of Turn 6.

13.2 Land Unit at Sea Damage

When a land unit receives in one player turn a number of hits from submarine attacks and/or air strikes equal to its reduced Combat Strength, it loses one step. One step loss flips a full-strength unit to its reduced-strength side, and eliminates a reduced-strength unit (so, if enough hits are scored against a full-strength unit, it could lose two steps and be eliminated). Eliminated land units are placed on the Turn Record Track, two friendly Reinforcement Phases later to arrive as reinforcements.

Each hit on a Japanese land unit also reduces the Japanese Merchantmen Pool (but NOT Transport Points) by one, even if no step loss occurred. The amount lost cannot exceed the unit's Combat Strength before damage was applied.

EXAMPLE: A full-strength Japanese brigade (full Combat Strength 2, reduced Combat Strength 1) has suffered a total of three hits during the Submarine Attack Segment and the Air Strike Round. It loses two steps (and is eliminated), and the Japanese Merchantmen Pool is reduced by two.

Any remaining hits (whether a step loss occurred or not) on a land unit once the Air Strike Round is over are removed. They have no effect on any upcoming land combat.

Replacements markers are ONE-STEP units and are never flipped to a reduced-strength side. A replacements marker taking a number of hits equal to its value while at sea is removed from the map.

13.3 Air Unit Damage

13.3.1 Damage at Sea. Each hit scored on an air unit in a Task Force (from either a submarine attack or an air strike) eliminates one air step. Each hit on a Japanese air unit also reduces the Japanese Merchantmen Pool (but NOT Transport Points) by one. The amount lost cannot exceed the unit's number of steps before damage was applied.

13.3.2 Damage on the Ground. Each hit scored by an air strike eliminates one air step.

13.4 Land Combat Damage

The players compare their respective land combat hit totals (see 12.3.4.5).

• If the non-Phasing Player's total is equal to or greater than the Phasing Player's, neither side loses any steps, and the land combat is considered to have had no effect.
• If the Phasing Player's total is greater than the non-Phasing Player's, then all the non-Phasing Player's units lose one step.
• If the Phasing Player's total is greater than the non-Phasing Player's PLUS the number of non-Phasing Player's Combat Strength factors, then all the non-Phasing Player's units are eliminated.

One step loss flips a full-strength unit to its reduced-strength side, and eliminates a reduced-strength unit. Eliminated land units are placed on the Turn Record Track, two friendly Reinforcement Phases later to arrive as reinforcements (Exception: the Dutch ABDA unit, see 17.4).

14.0 Return to Base Phase

14.1 Naval Units

Naval units that moved during the Operational Movement or Reaction Phases (i.e., they are on their operational side) are placed in their nation's Home Base (on their deployment side). The Japanese player may choose which Home Base since he has two.

14.2 Base Control Changes

Units under an OCCUPIED BASE marker are eliminated: naval units are sunk (see 13.1) and air units are removed from the map. Any base with an OCCUPIED BASE marker becomes friendly to the occupying side and the marker is removed.

14.3 Stacking Limits

Stacking limits apply at the end of this Phase (see 2.2.3).

IMPORTANT! The Second Deployment Phase takes place at this point (see 8.0), once the Return to Base Phase is over.

15.0 End Phase

15.1 Replacements Markers Removal Segment

Remove all replacements markers still on the map.

15.2 Disbandment Segment

The Phasing Player may voluntarily disband any friendly units anywhere on the map. Disbanded land and naval units are placed on the Turn Record Track to arrive as reinforcements in their next friendly Reinforcement Phase. Disbanded air units are removed from the map but are still available, to be used as reinforcements for example.

15.3 Victory Point Adjustment Segment

Players adjust the VICTORY POINT marker up or down if any Victory Points have been earned or lost in the just-completed player turn (see 16.0).

16.0 Victory Points

During the Victory Point Adjustment Segment, any bases that have been captured by the Japanese add to the Victory Point total, and any bases that have been captured by the Allies deduct from the Victory Point total. Note that for the purpose of this rule, "capture" means taking control of a neutral or enemy-controlled base (even if this previously was a friendly base).

The amount of Victory Points added or deducted for captured bases varies as follows:

Victory Points	Bases
5 VP	Pearl Harbor, Kure, Yokosuka
3 VP	Singapore, Manila, Calcutta, Bombay, Brisbane
1 VP	All other bases

Note that only bases provide Victory Points. The Gangetic Plain, Burma, and Malaya hexes (with a circle) are worth no Victory Points.

• Every Japanese Player Turn a Supply Line cannot be traced from the US Home Base to Brisbane during the Victory Point Adjustment Segment, two Victory Points are added to the total.
• Additionally, at the start of Turn 4, if the Japanese have not captured Manila, one Victory Point is deducted; if Singapore has not been captured, one Victory Point is deducted. This deduction is made at the start of every turn beginning with Turn 4. Should the Japanese capture either base, this special Victory Point loss will no longer occur for this specific base, even if the Allies recapture it later.

If the Victory Point total reaches 20 or more, the game ends immediately with a Japanese player win. If the Victory Point total ever reaches -1 or less, the game ends immediately with an Allied player win.

If neither side has won by the Victory Point Adjustment Segment of Turn 16, the players check the Victory Point total. If it is 0, the game is a draw; if it is 1 or more, it is a Japanese player win.

Whatever the final Victory Point total, Japan, the country, always loses the war.

17.0 Special Rules

17.1 Turn 1 Special Rules

During the Japanese Operational Movement Phase, any one Japanese Task Force may pay the Oil Point cost corresponding to a move of 1-4 hexes, regardless of actual distance moved.

During the Japanese Player Turn, air-to-air combat is not simultaneous. The Japanese player rolls first and applies the results. The Allied player may then fire only with any surviving Air Points.

During the Japanese Player Turn, the Anti-Air rating of all Allied bases is '0'.

The Allied player may not perform amphibious landings on Turn 1.

Special modifiers apply to combat rolls and Damage Checks during the Japanese Player Turn (see the Combat Table and the Naval Damage Check Table).

Play Note: When the die is rolled to determine where the US CV Reaction Force appears on the map, it is ALWAYS set up as a Task Force, NOT as a force in port. This is true for every possible die roll, even and especially a '1'. Even if the CV Reaction Force appears at Pearl Harbor, its naval units make up a Task Force, ready to fight; they are NOT sitting ducks in port.

17.2 Allied Base Expansion

Beginning with Turn 6, increase the Air and Port Capacities of all Allied-controlled bases per the schedule below:

Turns	Multiplier
6–9	x2
10–13	x3
14–16	x4

The Anti-Aircraft ratings of each base remain unchanged throughout the game. It is always one half its printed Air Capacity.

17.3 Resource Hex Fueling

From Turn 10 on, any Japanese naval units that start an Operational Movement or Reaction Phase in a Resource Hex can move without spending any Oil Points.

17.4 The Netherlands

The Netherlands receive no Transport Points during the game, and so cannot use Sea Deployment (see 8.2) (or Operational Movement for the ABDA land unit, see 9.2).

The Dutch ABDA land unit has only one step, and is always considered out of supply for land combat purposes.

Dutch naval units must return to Surabaya in the Return to Base Phase. If the Japanese take control of Surabaya, all Dutch naval units are permanently removed from the game.

Note that Surabaya is not a Home Base, and thus cannot be used to place returning damaged naval units or eliminated/disbanded land units as reinforcements. If a Dutch naval unit is damaged, or if the Dutch ABDA unit is eliminated, it is permanently removed from the game.

17.5 British Oriental Fleet

At the start of the game, all British naval units use Singapore as their Home Base during the Return to Base Phase, and only for this game application (Supply Lines are still traced to the Indian Ocean Ports off-map box and all reinforcements still arrive there as well).

From the moment the Japanese get to place an OCCUPIED BASE marker in Singapore, British naval units normally use the Indian Ocean Ports off-map box during the Return to Base Phase.

17.6 British European Fleet

The British naval units scheduled to arrive as reinforcements on Turn 14 may, instead, arrive in the Allied Reinforcement Phase of the next game turn after any Japanese land unit enters Calcutta, Bombay, or Ceylon.

18.0 Optional Rules

18.1 Optional Rules Favoring the Allies

18.1.1 Gentlemen do not read other people's mail. During any Allied Reaction Phase, the Allied player may move one (only) Task Force by Sea Deployment prior to performing any Reaction Movement. This is treated as a regular Sea Deployment using normal rules, and as such Transport Points must be available to be spent. Once the Sea Deployment is over, the Allied Task Force may immediately react from the hex it has deployed to, using all normal Reaction Movement rules.

EXAMPLE: The Japanese have just launched an attack on Midway and the Allies want to counterattack with naval units currently at Noumea, which is out of Reaction range. Having a sufficient number of Transport Points available, the Allies first deploy the Task Force to Ellice and then to Pearl Harbor. Now, as if it had started the Reaction Phase in Pearl Harbor, the Task Force may use Reaction Movement to move to Midway.

This special Sea Deployment may be performed only once per game and must be the first thing the Allied player does during his Reaction Phase, but this cannot be on the first turn of either scenario (Turn 1 in Campaign Game, Turn 2 in Short Campaign Game). Once completed, the Allied player performs all his Reaction Moves as normal.

18.1.2 Man, those decks are really hard. The British followed a different design philosophy in carrier design. Unlike the USN and the IJN, they designed their carriers with armored decks and sacrificed plane capacity. In all air strikes against British CVs (not CVLs), the Japanese player subtracts one from his die rolls.

18.1.3 Curtis LeMay wants to help win the war. The Allies may launch strategic bombing attacks against the Japanese oil reserves. During the Economic Warfare Phase, after all submarine attacks have been conducted, the Allied player may use any of his remaining Transport Points to bomb Japan. He must have a friendly base within 4 hexes of a Japanese Home Base to do so, and he must be able to trace a Supply Line from the US Home Base to this friendly base. For each Transport Point spent, the Allied player rolls a die (refer to the Combat Table for any applicable modifiers). Each hit reduces the Japanese Oil Points by one.

Strategic bombing is not allowed on the first turn of either scenario.

18.1.4 Allies are just a little sneakier. The Allied player may form his Task Forces in secret and move them without the Japanese player knowing their composition. When forming Task Forces, the actual units are kept off map and out of view (the Allied player might want to make a display for holding them). The five US TASK FORCE and two British FLEET markers are used on the map to track the Task Forces' positions. At the conclusion of any Reaction Phase, all TASK FORCE and FLEET markers are removed from the map and replaced by the units they represent. All normal rules apply and the Japanese player is free to see what naval units are available at a base before Task Forces are created, where they moved from, and how far they moved. He may gather any intelligence he can from this information.

18.1.5 Ranger to the rescue. At the end of any Allied Reinforcement Segment where there are no Allied CV units on the map (units on the Turn Record Track and CVL units are NOT taken into account) once reinforcements have been placed, the Allied player may place the CV (Ranger) in the West Coast USA off-map box. This immediately adds one Victory Point to the current total.

18.1.6 Semper Fi. All US Marine units (with an anchor on their unit symbol) add one to their land combat die roll on the player turn they perform an amphibious landing in an enemy-occupied hex containing no friendly units. The Japanese SNLF Marine unit does NOT benefit from this modifier.

18.1.7 RADAR and SONAR.

• Beginning with Turn 10 and until the end of the game, the Allied player adds one to all his ASW die rolls.
• Beginning with Turn 10 and until the end of the game, the Allied player also adds one to all his air-to-air combat die rolls.
• Beginning with Turn 10 and until the end of the game, the Allied player also adds one to all his anti-aircraft fire die rolls.

18.1.8 You need to unpack your things. Air units disembarking in a hex with an OCCUPIED BASE marker (see 12.3.5.2) do NOT exert an Air ZOC until the end of the Player Turn. Turn the units sideways as a reminder. Turn them back to normal at the very end of the End Phase.

In addition, during the Second Deployment Phase of a player turn, air units cannot deploy to a base that was just captured in the Combat Phase. You can use HIT markers as reminders to designate such bases, removing them from the map at the end of the Second Deployment Phase.

18.2 Optional Rules Favoring the Japanese

18.2.1 Long Lance torpedoes. In the first Surface Combat Round of any Surface Combat Step, any Japanese CA or DD units are considered to have a Firepower rating of 2 instead of the printed value. This only applies in the first Surface Combat Round. In all subsequent rounds, the units' normal rating is used.

18.2.2 Tokyo Express. The Japanese player can use the Tokyo Express marker, every player turn throughout the game, by placing it on one Task Force composed of CA and DD units only (no land or air units are allowed). It must be placed when the Task Force is formed. This Task Force is not hidden as are Allied Task Forces when using rule 18.1.4. In every Surface Combat Round, all naval units making up this Tokyo Express Task Force fire first—combat is not simultaneous as would normally be the case. Once the surface combat is over, the marker is removed and kept aside for later use.

18.2.3 Elite and not-so-elite pilots. The Air Points associated with the CV (Akagi, Kaga) and CV (Hiryu, Soryu) units are elite pilots. The Japanese player adds one to all their air-to-air combats and air strikes. Either unit loses this benefit should it become damaged and have its air group replenished with air steps from the Naval Aviation box.

Once he has received the 2 air steps that can be placed into the Naval Aviation box on Turn 4, as per the normal rule (see 7.1.1), the Japanese player no longer receives air steps that can automatically be placed into the Naval Aviation box. Instead, he can now choose to train any of his air step reinforcements as carrier pilots. He still starts both scenarios with 2 air steps, trained and ready, in the Naval Aviation box.

If he chooses to, he can place on the Turn Record Track any air steps received in the Reinforcement Phase, to arrive one year later (turning them 180° to avoid mistaking them for "normal" air units). Once the year of training is complete, the air steps are placed in the Naval Aviation box. They cannot be pulled from the Turn Record Track but are treated as in the normal rules once in the Naval Aviation box (they may replace carrier air groups or be converted to land-based air steps).

All Japanese carrier units entering play as reinforcements must be treated as returning damaged carriers (i.e., they are placed in the Carriers without Planes box and must stay there until air steps from the Naval Aviation box are used to constitute their air groups). The CVL (Junyo, Hiyo) unit that arrives as a reinforcement on Turn 4 is an exception: it has a complete, trained air group, and enters play as per the normal rule (see 7.1).

18.2.4 A Divine Wind. Beginning with Turn 10, if the Victory Point total is 7 or less, the Japanese player may declare he is using Kamikaze at the moment the BATTLE marker is placed on the map, just before play proceeds to the Battle Board. Once declared, Kamikaze effects remain in force for the rest of the game.

The Allied player gets to add one to all his air-to-air combat and Task Force anti-aircraft fire die rolls. During the Air Strike Round, each Japanese Air Point attacking a Task Force and surviving anti-aircraft fire automatically hits (no die roll is needed). The Allied player chooses which unit is hit by each odd surviving Air Point and the Japanese player chooses which unit is hit by each even surviving Air Point. The attacking Japanese air units are NOT eliminated.

Once Kamikaze are in effect:

• At the end of each Japanese Reinforcement Phase, the Japanese player must choose one Japanese air step to be removed from anywhere on the map.
• At the end of each Allied Reinforcement Phase, the Allied player may choose one Japanese air step to be removed from anywhere on the map.

Air unit counters removed because of the Kamikaze rules are permanently eliminated from the game and cannot be recycled as future reinforcements or as "change" for breakdown or recombination. The counter has to be actually removed from the map to be eliminated from the game; reduction of a 2-step unit to a one-step unit has no counter mix impact.

18.2.5 I want it all! A few Japanese optional carrier and battleship units are provided in the game. They start the game on the map or arrive as reinforcements as indicated in the Japanese set up instructions and Reinforcement Schedule.

If this rule is used, the BB (Ise, Hyuga) unit must be removed from the map for conversion as indicated on the Reinforcement Schedule. When it returns as the BBV (Ise, Hyuga) unit, it is treated as a returning damaged carrier unit (see 7.1.1): it must be placed in the Carriers without Planes box, and must stay there until one air step from the Naval Aviation box is used to provide planes for it. It receives no benefit from this (i.e., it has no Air Strength rating) but its air group must be replenished before any other Japanese carrier can receive planes. Ignore this rule if the BB (Ise, Hyuga) unit is eliminated prior to being removed for conversion. It is strongly suggested that rule 18.2.3 be used in conjunction with this rule.

18.3 Optional Rules Favoring Neither Player

18.3.1 Mutsu go boom. During his Reinforcement Segment, after placing his reinforcing units on the map, the Phasing Player must roll two dice: on a '2' result, a catastrophic accident has occurred.

Should this happen to the Japanese player, he selects one of his Home Bases that contains at least one BB, CV, or CVL unit (if neither base contains such units, the roll is ignored). The Allied player may then pick any one unit in that Home Base and sink it (see 13.1). This does not have to be a BB, CV, or CVL unit; any unit can be sunk.

Should this happen to the Allied player, all CV, CVL, and BB units in the West Coast USA Home Base are placed in a cup, from which the Japanese player picks one counter. That unit is sunk (see 13.1).

18.3.2 Put a little oomph in your hits. In the basic game system, there is no accruing of damage from multiple hits. Although you do get longer repair times, one hit is as likely to sink a ship as any other. So how about spicing up the target allocation decisions a little? Choice is always good for a game.

A damaged unit still rolls one Damage Check per hit sustained, but it must add one to the die roll for each hit over one.

EXAMPLE: A BB unit suffered 2 hits. It must roll two Damage Checks, each with a +1 modifier to the die roll.

19.0 Short Campaign Game

This scenario is for the more competitive-minded players. On Turn 1 of the game, when the Campaign Game scenario starts, there is little for the Allied player to do. More importantly, the potential for a run of very bad luck (particularly at Singapore) could put the Japanese in a bad way right away. This could have really happened historically but can drastically affect the game. This scenario is offered also so that players can get right into the action and strategy of the game. All victory conditions and rules (unless specifically noted) are the same.

Japanese Player Set Up

At either Japanese Home Base: CV (Akagi, Kaga), CV (Shokaku, Zuikaku), CV (Hiryu, Soryu), CVL (Zuiho, Shoho), [opt] CVL (Hosho, Ryujo), BB (Mutsu, Nagato), BB (Ise, Hyuga), BB (Fuso, Yamashiro), BB (Hiei, Kirishima), BB (Kongo, Haruna), 5x CA, 12x DD, 4x 4-Combat Strength land unit.

At Formosa: 8 air steps.

At Manila: 1x 8-Combat Strength land unit.

At Saigon: 8 air steps.

At Singapore: 1x 8-Combat Strength land unit.

At Bangkok: 1x 8-Combat Strength land unit.

At Marshall Islands: 2 air steps.

At Gilbert Islands: 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Rabaul: 2 air steps, 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Wake: 1x 2-Combat Strength Marine land unit.

At Brunei: 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

Allied Player Set Up

United States of America

At Pearl Harbor: 1x CA, 1x CL, 2x DD.

At Midway: 2 air steps, 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Ellice Islands: 2 air steps, 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Noumea: 1x CV, 1x CA, 2x DD.

At Manila: 1x (4)-Combat Strength land unit (reduced 8-Combat Strength unit).

At Port Moresby: 1 air step, 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Guadalcanal: 1 air step, 1x 2-Combat Strength land unit.

At Brisbane: 1x CL.

Britain

At Singapore: 1x (4)-Combat Strength land unit (reduced 8-Combat Strength unit).

At Calcutta: 1x 8-Combat Strength land unit.

At Rangoon: 1x 4-Combat Strength land unit.

At Ceylon: 2 air steps.

Netherlands

At Surabaya: 1x CL, 1x DD, 1x 4-Combat Strength land unit.

Marker Set Up

• Japanese Merchantmen Pool: 30
• Japanese Oil Points: 12
• Japanese Transport Points: 4
• Japanese Submarine Points: 2
• Convoy Escort box: Empty
• Naval Aviation box: 2 air steps
• Victory Points: 5 (for Wake, Gilbert Islands, Rabaul, Brunei, and Bangkok)
• US Transport Points: 14
• US Submarine Points: 2
• British Transport Points: 6
• Game Turn marker: Turn 2
• Uncontrolled bases: Hollandia and Lae

Example of Play

Damaged US Units on the Turn Record Track (Turn 3): BB (Maryland, West Virginia); BB (California, Tennessee); BB (Nevada, Oklahoma). Sunk Units: US BB (Pennsylvania, Arizona); British BB (Prince of Wales, Repulse); 1x British DD.

By Adam Starkweather

The following is one of my more frequently used openings for the Japanese on the first turn of the Short Campaign Game scenario. It is fairly aggressive but not completely hell bent on leather. I encourage players to set up the Short Campaign Game scenario and follow along. And by all means, players are welcome to improve on this opening and find fault with my play. This opening gets the essentials done and starts to mount up the threat for both the Knockout (the Japanese getting 20 VPs) and the Holdout (having at least 1 VP at the end of the game). Keeping the Allies guessing as long as possible is the key to both strategies in the end.

I have purposely included two moves that I would consider mistakes for you to analyze. See if you can figure out why they are mistakes.

Generally, the key hex to capture in the early game to help project out for a Knockout win is Guadalcanal. This base is two hexes away from 3 different Knockout victory hexes—Espiritu Santo, Noumea and Fiji—allowing an amphibious invasion of any of them. Taking any of these three is not easy but if accomplished, and if the more mundane business is taken care of, it should lead to a Japanese Knockout. The Allies must at least prepare for this and that will spread their defense more and more.

One of the major lynchpins in a Holdout defense is Port Moresby. It only leads to one Knockout hex (Brisbane) but because of geography, if the Japanese take it, it is very hard to take back. Replacements can funnel in through Lae (which is covered by Rabaul air units) making it very hard to eliminate a stubborn Japanese defense. Thus taking Port Moresby also means taking Rabaul and Lae and this can be a 3-4 turn operation. This is maybe 50% of the US time remaining with their massive material superiority to go for the Holdout win. The Allies are in a big enough rush that adding a major operation to take back New Guinea could very well lead to a Japanese Holdout win.

This opening forces the Allies to consider both ways for the Japanese to win and forces an Allied defense of multiple Japanese objectives. That is the major reason why I favor it. I have found, at least in my view of play in this game, that holding off a commitment to a chosen strategy to win as long as possible is a great advantage in play. Although in the limited replay here, I will not be taking either Guadalcanal or Port Moresby, I am in a strong position to do so next turn—and yet I still take care of the required business.

Enough talk. How about playing the game a little?

Japanese Player Turn, Turn 2

All Japanese naval units that are set up in either Home Base are placed in Kure for this example.

Transport Phase

I like my Texas Tea so I never think much about this. The Japanese are maintaining high tempo operations in the early game and oil is everything. 4 Transport Points add 4 Oil Points to the track. The Japanese now have 16 Oil Points.

Reinforcement Phase

2 air steps are placed in Kure. The Japanese TRANSPORT PTS marker is placed on the MERCHANTMEN POOL marker (still at 30 for now).

First Deployment Phase

As the game progresses, the tempo of Japanese operations will slowly reduce. On Turn 2, the Japanese still have a lot to accomplish so economy of force is the rule.

I will be attacking Rangoon and Singapore so I need Sea Control in those two hexes. The British Fleet is still a player turn away so I don't need to send much. 2 destroyer units are deployed to Hainan.

Transport Points are now at 29.

The Surabaya invasion force must be assembled, and because of transport limits and the number of operations the Japanese need to do on this turn, it needs to be on a shoestring budget. I will be sending just enough to do the job and be praying for at least passable luck. A 4-Combat Strength land unit (from Kure), one heavy cruiser unit, and two destroyer units are sent to Palau.

Transport Points are now at 25.

I want to be in position to attack Port Moresby next turn and also want to capture Hollandia so Lae is very much worth taking. Invading it also prevents an aggressive move by the Allies (but one I would certainly do) of grabbing Lae with the brigade in Port Moresby in the Allied Player Turn. Allied reaction to this force is impossible due to Air ZOCs so only submarines are the worry. One destroyer unit moves to Brunei to join up with the 2-Combat Strength land unit there; two Sea Deployments are needed for this.

Transport Points are now at 24.

Next up is some air steps shuffling. Formosa seems overstocked for what is needed so I will grab 4 air steps from there and move them to better defensive positions. Unfortunately, where I want to go is more than 4 hexes away and will need two deployments. 2 air steps go to Rabaul and 2 air steps go to Wake.

Transport Points are now at 20.

Next up is to move the Fleet to a better offensive position. No place on the map is better than Truk (which allows movement to the east and south) so major forces are deployed from Kure to Truk. (Zuiho, Shoho) and (Shokaku, Zuikaku), with an escort of 2 heavy cruiser units and 5 destroyer units are deployed to Truk.

Transport Points are now at 12 1/2.

Lastly, 2 air steps are moved from Kure to Truk.

Transport Points end the First Deployment Phase at 11 1/2, which is rounded down to 11 as the Phase ends.

One-hex Deployment

The 8-Combat Strength land unit in Bangkok moves to Rangoon.

4 air steps move from Saigon to Bangkok (this is actually a mistake if you are playing an experienced player but I wanted to illustrate the move so you are aware of the choice).

2 air steps move from Marshalls to Gilberts.

The Battleship Conga line starts. (Fuso, Yamashiro) moves from Kure to Okinawa.

The 4-Combat Strength land unit in Yokosuka moves to Kure (meaningless in this example but Kure is a better place for future turns).

Operational Movement Phase

All naval units moving now are flipped to their operational side (with a ship silhouette) as they sail.

Now to put the plans into action.

One destroyer unit moves from Hainan to Rangoon. Note that because of the impassable hexsides, the destroyer has to go south through Singapore and will be moving more than 4 hexes. This costs more oil.

Transport Points are now at 11. Oil Points are now at 15 1/4.

One destroyer unit moves from Hainan to Singapore.

Transport Points are now at 11. Oil Points are now at 14 3/4.

One destroyer unit moves from Kure to Manila.

Transport Points are now at 11. Oil Points are now at 14 1/4.

One destroyer unit and one 2-Combat Strength land unit move from Brunei to Lae.

Transport Points are now at 9. Oil Points are now at 13 3/4.

One heavy cruiser unit, two destroyer units and a 4-Combat Strength land unit move from Palau to Surabaya.

Transport Points are now at 5. Oil Points are now at 11 3/4, and are rounded down to 11 as the Phase ends.

Allied Reaction Phase

The Japanese have pretty much closed off any major Allied reaction. The Dutch fleet of one light cruiser unit and one destroyer unit comes out of port to fight for Surabaya (not the better move considering Japanese deployment and movement—where should they go?).

Air Commitment Phase

Only the Phasing Player performs this action and the Japanese commit the following:

Two 2-step air units will fly to Rangoon from Bangkok.

Two 2-step air units will fly to Singapore from Saigon.

Two 2-step air units will fly to Manila from Formosa.

Two 2-step air units will fly to Port Moresby from Rabaul.

Combat Phase

During the Submarine Attack Segment, Allied submarines take a shot at the Surabaya and Lae invasion forces and fail to score a hit. The Japanese are saving their points for possible Allied movement in the upcoming Allied Player Turn.

Moving west to east, the first combat is in Rangoon. 4 Long Range air steps (worth 2 Air Points) are attacked by the 2 Anti-Aircraft factors of the Rangoon base; the Allied player gets lucky and both Japanese Air Points are negated. The destroyer unit is moved into the Sea Control box. Last up land combat. The Japanese roll 8 dice (needing a 5 or 6 to hit) and get 3 hits. The British roll 4 dice (needing a 6 to hit because Japanese Sea Control puts their division out of supply) and get 2 hits. The British division is flipped.

Next up is Singapore. The Japanese fly in 4 air steps of Long Range air (worth 2 Air Points) and the Allies fire the 4 Anti-Aircraft factors of the Singapore base. They get the 2 hits needed to negate the Japanese air. The Japanese destroyer unit moves into the Sea Control box. Now, land combat. The Japanese roll 8 dice (needing a 5 or 6 to hit) and get 2 hits. The British roll 4 dice (needing a 6 because of Japanese Sea Control putting the army out of supply) and get no hits. Singapore has fallen. Place an OCCUPIED BASE marker in the hex.

And now for the big battle of the player turn, the Battle of the Java Sea. Place the BATTLE marker on Surabaya. No air here so Air Superiority is decided randomly. Luck is with the Allies. The Japanese place a heavy cruiser unit and 2 destroyer units into the Sea Control box. The Allies place a light cruiser unit and a destroyer unit into the Sea Control box. The Japanese places his three units in a line and lets the Allied player match them up. The Allies match up the light cruiser with the Japanese heavy cruiser and the destroyer with a Japanese destroyer. The remaining and unmatched Japanese destroyer is placed by the Japanese player against the Allied light cruiser.

Surface combat goes two Rounds and sees the plucky Dutch come close but not quite. All naval units except the Japanese heavy cruiser are damaged, but one unit in the Sea Control box is enough. The Japanese 4-Combat Strength land unit lands at Surabaya. The Japanese roll 4 dice (needing a 5 or 6 to hit) and get 2 hits. The Dutch (who are out of supply by special rule anyway) need a 6 to hit, and get no hits with 4 rolls. Surabaya falls (the ABDA unit has only one step) and an OCCUPIED BASE marker is placed on Surabaya.

The battle for Manila is now fought. 4 Long Range air steps fly from Formosa and face 4 Allied Anti-Aircraft factors. Again, the Allied player gets lucky and scores 3 hits! The Japanese air attack is negated. The Japanese roll 8 dice (needing a 5 or 6 to hit) for his 8 Combat Strength factors and get 2 hits. The Allies get 4 dice (and need a 6 to hit because of Japanese Sea Control putting them out of supply) and roll 2 hits. Manila holds out for at least another turn.

A long range air combat between Port Moresby and Rabaul is resolved. 4 Long Range air steps fly into Port Moresby and go up against one Allied air step in air-to-air combat. The Japanese score one hit on the Allies (which is really meaningless) but the Allies miss. 2 Japanese Air Points attack Port Moresby and lose 1 point to the fire of the 2 Allied Anti-Aircraft factors. The last Air Point attacks the Allied air unit and gets lucky. The Allied air unit is destroyed.

Lastly, a DD unit grabs Sea Control around Lae and the Lae invasion force lands uncontested.

Return to Base Phase

No Allied naval units remain on their operational side so this is an all Japanese affair. All ships on their operational side return to Kure except one heavy cruiser unit and 2 destroyer units which go to Yokosuka.

Singapore and Surabaya fall under Japanese control. The OCCUPIED BASE markers are removed.

Second Deployment Phase

Just a few final housekeeping chores remain.

2 destroyer units move from Kure to Singapore (to prevent an easy British replacement of the lost step at Rangoon).

Transport Points are now at 3.

Lastly, 2 air steps move from Truk to Lae.

Transport Points end at 2.

Not much left in the bank for more Oil Points next turn but a lot was accomplished and the Japanese are pretty well positioned for a major attack on Turn 3 without the use of a great number of Transport Points. Also, the fleet is well positioned to counter any Allied operations should the Americans feel frisky.

Player's Notes

By Tetsuya Nakamura. Translated by Tomoki Kondo and Adam Starkweather.

Opening-Game Strategy

During the opening game (Turns 1-4), the Japanese player has numerous targets, including Manila, Singapore, Brunei, Surabaya, Rangoon, Rabaul, the Gilberts and Wake. The strength of the Japanese mid-game position (Turns 5-9) will depend on the success of their opening. The opening game is the only moment when the Japanese player controls his destiny, because the Allies will become stronger and stronger as the game goes on.

Turn 1 Strategy

For Turn 1, the Japanese player will have to plan his attacks carefully to match the stunning success of his historical counterparts. The main obstacle to successful Japanese operations will be the British Far East Fleet in Singapore. In Fire in the Sky, this fleet consists of a battleship unit and its destroyer escort. However, the Japanese air steps in Saigon help to limit the British options. If all or part of the British Far East Fleet reacts, it must do so from a hex in a Japanese Air ZOC, limiting its reaction to only one more hex. A well-prepared Japanese player can use this to his advantage. If the British react, the air steps in Saigon can attack the reaction force. If the British do not react, the Japanese can use their Saigon air steps to attack Singapore with its ships in port.

For the invasion of Singapore, the Japanese player may wish to consider a strong escort fleet (battleships, cruisers, destroyers) for the invading land unit in case the British Far East Fleet survives Japanese air attacks. Although the escort fleet will consume precious oil, the added insurance is probably worth it.

Another important Turn 1 target is Manila. For this job, the needs are somewhat different since only the weak Dutch naval units are close enough to react. A smaller escort of cruisers and destroyers should suffice to protect the invading force.

Unoccupied Brunei is also worth considering. A small land force will suffice to occupy it, but again, some token escort is necessary to protect against Dutch interference.

Rabaul, as with Brunei, is unoccupied. But the Japanese player faces some danger here from the small Australian fleet. The size of the Japanese escort will depend on how much of a risk the Japanese player is willing to run. Cruisers and destroyers will do the trick, but a less expensive force may slip in as well. Either way, establishing an air presence in Rabaul will limit future Allied options.

The Gilbert Islands are usually easy pickings for the Japanese Marine Brigade on Iwo Jima. The only danger is from Allied submarines, and it is minimal.

Finally, invading Bangkok from Saigon with the army there is useful. It kicks off the Burma campaign and costs no Transport or Oil Points.

The above are fairly standard moves. The harder questions for the Japanese player lie further east and they are, of course, Wake Island and Pearl Harbor. Attacking these targets require the bulk of Japanese resources and should be given careful consideration. And if Wake and Pearl Harbor are not attacked, the question becomes what to do with the fleet.

Since capturing Pearl Harbor is one of the three basic ways for the Japanese player to win the game (the other two being the capture of India and the capture of the South Pacific bases) this decision will dictate the course of the game.

If capture of Pearl Harbor will be the Japanese goal, then taking Wake Island now becomes very important. The Japanese player must understand, however, that capturing Wake is not an end in itself—it is only important in the context of capturing Pearl Harbor.

Even if the capture of Pearl Harbor is not the Japanese aim, a Turn 1 attack on Pearl Harbor can still reap rewards by destroying the US battleships and air assets there. In that case, capturing Wake is not necessary, but neutralizing it with, perhaps, the light carrier unit at Palau, is not a bad idea.

Turns 2-4 Strategy

The Japanese player beginning the Short Campaign Game scenario on Turn 2 will still have significant choices to make and work to do. He must take Singapore and Manila by the end of Turn 3 or lose Victory Points—a disaster.

Surabaya should now be a prime target and the Dutch fleet makes at least a carrier escort necessary.

Moving the army from Bangkok to Rangoon and attacking the British defenders there is a good idea. Shifting air steps from Saigon to Bangkok will support the effort.

By Turn 4, the Japanese should be grabbing any bases that the Allied player was too preoccupied to defend. These will never be such easy pickings. Look to Leyte, Lae, Hollandia and maybe even Attu.

For the Japanese player to consider himself about even in the opening three turns, he should have the following under control, giving him a total of 12 Victory Points: Singapore, Manila, Brunei, Surabaya, Rabaul, Gilberts, Bangkok, Rangoon.

He will be ahead of the game if he also controls as many of the following as possible: Wake, Leyte, Lae, Hollandia, Attu.

This could give the Japanese player up to 17 Victory Points, a magic number in Fire in the Sky as there are several multi-VP objectives that can make him reach 20 points and a win. These include Pearl Harbor, one of the Indian bases, or cutting the Australia-United States supply line. With an outright Japanese victory looming, the Allied player is forced to play mistake-free.

Mid-Game Strategy (Turns 5-9)

The main choice for the Japanese player is whether to remain aggressive or try to defend his gains passively. If the Japanese are too passive, the Allies may build up and attack that much faster. If the Japanese are too aggressive, they may overextend and weaken their defenses. But if the Japanese player goes the historical route and tries to be both defensive and aggressive without rhyme or reason, he invites disaster.

An aggressive Japanese strategy will take the Japanese player along one of a number of axes of attack. They are:

• Wake–Midway–Pearl Harbor
• Rabaul–Guadalcanal–Noumea/Fiji/Samoa
• Port Moresby–Brisbane
• Rangoon–Ceylon/Calcutta

The axis the Japanese player chooses will depend largely on where he focused his opening efforts and how successful he was.

Taking Pearl Harbor (Wake–Midway–Pearl Harbor Axis)

This approach has many weaknesses, the most telling of which is that it takes the Japanese farther from home and closer to the United States. As such, it taps out scarce Japanese resources and plays into US strengths. Additionally, the move is easily telegraphed to the Allied player, because it depends on the capture of Wake and Midway, by which time the United States may be well prepared.

So this approach may be more powerful in the threat than in the execution. A successful bluff in this direction will keep the Allied player nervous and guessing. On the other hand, what Japanese player wouldn't want to do it just once? Call it the Fire in the Sky equivalent of "Shooting for the Moon."

Cutting Australia-US Supply Line (Rabaul–Guadalcanal–Noumea/Fiji/Samoa Axis)

There are two basic routes to accomplish this goal: Fiji/Samoa via Guadalcanal/Ellice, or Noumea via Guadalcanal.

As Guadalcanal is key to both axes of attack its capture by the Japanese will force the Allied player to pay careful attention. Accordingly, the Japanese should always take Guadalcanal just to keep the Allies guessing. For this reason, Guadalcanal is perhaps the key position on the map throughout the midgame.

Taking Australia (Port Moresby–Brisbane Axis)

The biggest advantage here is that Australia is so far from the United States that the transport costs from the USA alone make defense very difficult for the Allies. It is as easy for the Japanese to reinforce in Australia as it is hard for the Allies to do the same. Port Moresby is not only the key to taking Australia, it is also indispensable to any Allied counteroffensive. Also, Australia would be very hard for the Allies to recapture. They will be forced to defend Port Moresby at almost all costs.

Taking India (Rangoon–Ceylon/Calcutta Axis)

India offers the cheapest route because the Japanese can attack it with land units moving via connected bases and thus save on Transport Points for amphibious invasions. The Japanese will need to capture Ceylon first, and its fall will lead to Calcutta and victory.

There are some major disadvantages to an India strategy. First, it is far from the Japanese home islands and therefore expensive in transport costs for naval and air units. Second, a major thrust against India leaves the Japanese eastern flank open to the US Navy, which will roam with little opposition. Expect that if an India strategy fails, it will do so spectacularly.

A Final Note on...

Japanese Offensive Strategies

A Japanese player who controls Wake, Port Moresby and Guadalcanal will have many options. He will also have stretched the Allies almost to the breaking point. The strength of such a position is also its weakness, however: once weakened, such a line will be almost impossible to hold by a now overextended Japanese player.

Defensive Strategy

A defensive strategy is playing for the long-term win (i.e., having at least one Victory Point at the end of the game). But "defensive" doesn't mean "no attacking." Far from it, the defensively-minded Japanese player is likely to attack as much as the aggressive Japanese player, but with different goals.

Defensive goals include attacks of opportunity against weak targets, or attacking to force an Allied response and thus divert Allied resources and focus. The idea is to slow the Allies by threat and judicious attack. Taking Port Moresby, for example, can seriously derail Allied plans, as can moving on Midway when Allied attentions are focused in the South Pacific.

One move that might show profit for the defensive Japanese player is attack along the Attu-Dutch Harbor axis. Such a "defensive" attack will hamper future Allied counterattacks and also draw Allied attention from other areas.

You will be a jabber rather than a knockout puncher here, constantly moving and slashing out as the opportunities arise.

Endgame Strategy (Turns 9-16)

The Japanese player now goes from making the Allies guess his intentions to trying to guess the Allied intentions. Where will the Allies attack? The Japanese must hold key areas if they are to survive to the end.

The Japanese should make efforts to keep Rangoon as long as possible. It is helpful to put air units in Rangoon, which forces the British to use their limited Transport Points to reinforce Calcutta. This is a significant drain on the British and when it is gone, they will roam free and quickly retake a chunk of their lost empire.

The key to defending against the U.S. is a barrier of air units to prevent deep raids against the now oil-starved Japanese Navy. The Japanese player who does not heed this will receive an education when the Allies launch a devastating deep raid, made possible by a hole in the Japanese air defenses. As the game goes on, and the oil stocks diminish, the Japanese player will have painful choices to make about when to fight and when to do nothing. He will find that a successful sortie during his player turn turns to dust during the following Allied Player Turn when he no longer has the Oil Points to respond to the Allied counterattack. Nothing is worse than giving the Allies the freedom of knowing that the Japanese cannot respond. So a fleet in being and ready to react will be the prime weapon to keep the Allies honest. Plan your oil expenditures carefully.

The early Allied counterattack will often start in the Marshalls/Gilberts area, but any Allied attacks during Turns 9 and 10 may be worth contesting. The force ratio and the oil supplies will never be as good for the Japanese as in the early endgame. Other bases that offer good defensive opportunities for the Japanese are Manila and Truk. A well-planned Japanese defense can make conquest very costly for the Allies.

At some point, the Japanese will have to choose the final moment to defend. This should be accepted even if it might mean the complete destruction of the Japanese mobile forces. Knowing when this moment comes will be the key to winning a defensive battle as the Japanese. The Japanese player who dreamed of invading Hawaii is now defending against the Allied player who dreams of invading Japan.

English Developer's Notes

By Adam Starkweather

This all started when I had the game Pacific Fleet out on the table at my club. Tomoki Kondo, a frequent visitor to Metrowargamers in Brooklyn, NY, just happened to see it set up and said "There is another game on this that is only in Japanese. It is very popular and much faster than this one." As this is my favorite topic in all of wargaming, I just couldn't resist. "Bring it in Tomoki, and show it to me."

That is how it all got started. Tomoki did bring it in a month or so later and I loved it. It was fast, intuitive and fun. We joked about getting it made here in the US so others could play it. From that off-handed comment, the ball was rolling. Tomoki is a player in the Japanese wargaming scene and knows Tetsuya Nakamura well. Tetsuya contacted me… I contacted MMP… and that was it—Fire in the Sky was born.

What impressed me most about the design was how well it distilled the conflict into easy-to-play chunks. I had thought that to properly show the overall strategy of the Pacific War, so many variables had to be considered that making a one-sitting game on the topic was just not possible without massive abstraction. Hawaii, Australia and India were now as hard to conquer as they appeared to be historically. Oil and managing transport assets now had their place of pride in players' minds in a Pacific War game and yet, unlike a game like War in the Pacific by SPI, didn't so dominate play as to make the experience strictly an exercise in accounting.

As for the actual creation of the game, as with all creative endeavors, much of what this game is, is a reflection of who I am as a gamer. I greatly enjoy historical detail and want it to be a part of the game. Here, I have tried to subsume some of this detail into the graphics. Niko has hand drawn many planes and ships on these counters for us to enjoy. This wasn't at all necessary as many of the units in the game are generic but I think that maintaining as great a connection as possible with history is one major part of why we love this hobby so much. It doesn't matter at all if an F4-U or a Mustang is on an air unit counter but having the rich detail makes the experience of playing that much greater.

This craving for history is but one part of my personality here. The dichotomy that these are games for entertainment as well as paper time machines is seen in the "Loser!" counter and the levity of the Victory Point counter. I enjoy gaming immensely and all that it entails. The trash talk, the sympathy of the crucial missed roll, and the recounting of all the might-have-beens in an after action report are part of how I experience the hobby and the joy of gaming. The "Loser!" counter is meant to provide a little of that spirit of gaming. Have fun with it—that is the only reason it is there… you now have an actual Trash Talk counter to use.

I have many people to thank for, without whom this project would never have come to fruition.

First, the man I am happy to call a friend, is Niko Eskubi, the graphic artist for the game. Countless hours were spent on Instant Messenger going back and forth on graphic concepts and Niko patiently transformed my vapor-ware visions into graphic reality.

Also, this game would not exist without the faith and trust of Brian Youse of Multi-Man Publishing. Brian was a dream to work with and provided helpful and constructive criticism all along the way. For me, this was a learning ground to see how this game publishing biz works and I learned a lot that will greatly benefit me and purchasers of products I am involved with alike.

Vincent Lefavrais and Jon Gautier were the rules writers and also both major players in this game coming together. Many of you may not know that I get rules that are very hard to understand. Both Vincent and Jon waded through these rules and each came up with a creative and innovative way of explaining the game that is most remarkable considering the crude tools they each had to use.

Marc-André Brie provided his keen eye in proofing the pictures and images. A true stickler for detail if ever there was one, Marc-André was perfect for the job of checking all the drawings and historical images and his input was invaluable.

Tomoki Kondo was the key to this entire project. He taught me the game, he translated the game, and patiently answered question after question on the mechanics. And, of course, he knew Tetsuya Nakamura.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, my heartfelt thanks goes to Tetsuya Nakamura, the designer of Fire in the Sky. His innovation and brilliance in designing never ceases to amaze me. Now, looking back on it all, and with several other Nakamura games under my belt, I now know that this is not a lucky critical hit of a design. Many other quality designs have his name on the credits and I think that over the years, as gamer after gamer starts to become familiar with his work, you will see how much this man has done for the hobby.

To those listed above and to all that had enough faith in me to prepub this game, my heartfelt and sincerest thanks.

Fire in the Sky Credits

• Designer: Tetsuya Nakamura
• Developer: Adam Starkweather
• Map and counter graphics: Nicolas Eskubi
• Play aids graphics and layout: Todd Davis
• Rules writer: Vincent Lefavrais
• Proofreaders: Marc-André Brie, Pat Hirtle
• Translator: Tomoki Kondo

Special thanks to Jon Gautier and Brian Youse... and to Yuko as well.