Test scenario

Green Dragon · **Green Dragon**

I put this one together to run some games to test the rules. I even tried it solo and it worked out fine. It's an early war Pacific game where the US is badly outclassed by the IJN. I used ships that I had on hand, but it seemed to balance out well.

Maps used: Channel maps, with three small islands grouped on the US side, and two shoals in the middle of the board to break up movement.

US - USS Baltimore CA
USS Boise CL
USS Helena (Boise CL)
USS Fletcher DD
USS Samuel Roberts DE
USS Jeremiah OBrien - IJN Objective
USS Barb SSN
Devastator TBM x 2

IJN - Akagi CV - US Objective
Myoko CA
Jintsu CL
Yukikaze x 2
Val x 2
Zeke x 1

Victory - take out objectives. If both are destroyed, count points of destroyed ships and aircraft.

The US sets up near the islands, with the OBrien moored at the farthest island. The Boise starts out in an adjacent sector. The Baltimore and Helena start together two sectors from the OBrien, along the back edge. The Fletcher and Sam Roberts are two sectors opposite. The TBMs are land based. The Barb starts in a pre-determined sector in the center of the map. It remains hidden until it is 1 sector away from an enemy ship.

The IJN sets up at the far opposite edge of the map. They can be arranged per the IJN Player.

The first time I played this the Vals took out the OBrien right away. The Akagi hung back, and used it's aircraft to harrass the Americans. The Zekes remained as CAP around the Akagi, preventing the TBMs from doing any damage. A cruiser fight ensued, with the Americans getting the worst of it, with help from the Vals. The Barb was a surprise for the IJN, taking out a destroyer before being blasted by depth charges.

The second time this was run, the IJN inexplicably ran the Akagi into harms way with the rest of the fleet. She was blasted to pieces by combined gun and torpedo hits. The OBrien doesn't seem to stand a chance, even with added AAA on the island.

In both games virtually all ships were sent to the bottom...in the first game only the Akagi remained, and in the second only the Barb. I'm thinking a second IJN carrier would make it true to early 1942.
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Mad Ghost/0331 · **Mad Ghost/0331**

interesting. I have to play this out to see for sure, but on the surface it looks like a US looses scenario. why wouldn't the IJN stay back and let the vals work some targets over before comiting to a surface action with more risk? JOB's death seems to be a forgone conclusion. but it might be fun once, especially if you have been beaten down by USN too many times...
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Green Dragon · **Green Dragon**

Yes, the JOB doesn't last very long. I think once I get a few more warships, or some more cargo ships, I'll modify the scenario. Also, I've aquired some US fighters, so that may change things a bit.

It is very difficult for the US to win this one. I think that if it becomes more of a points battle, with the IJN taking it hard for points lost, it may revise the strategy. Keeping the Akagi back definately made a difference, but interestingly enough in both games there were few pieces left. In the game where the Akagi hung back it was the only survivor!

I'm working on getting enough ships to do Toulon, and maybe even Mers-el-Kebir. Both are definately do-able, and closely matched, although the French will have to have a good chance of getting out of the harbors.
_________________
"It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack"