"Before Guadalcanal, the enemy advanced at his pleasure. After Guadalcanal, he retreated at ours." Admiral William F. ("Bull") Halsey, Jr.
Island Infernos ("I.I.") is a WWII Pacific strategy game that features four Allied amphibious invasions in that theater: Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Biak, and Saipan. Although the master rulebook sets out a common framework, each island battle presents unique challenges.
Guadalcanal. As the Japanese player, can you overcome debilitating attrition and command-and-control problems and drive the Marines back into the sea? As the U.S. player, can you defend Henderson Field like your real-life counterparts?
Bougainville. As the Japanese player, you only need to survive to win. As the Allied player, you must achieve two objectives-building and defending American airbases and using your Australian troops to wipe out the Japanese garrison. Will you accomplish both?
Biak. As the Japanese player, your options might include Operation Kon, a massive naval mission to repel the U.S. invasion. As the U.S. player, no matter how well you do, you must deal with General MacArthur's War by Public Relations: premature victory announcements from MacArthur's headquarters that adversely affect the invaders' morale. As in the real campaign, the Biak scenario is rich in what-ifs.
Saipan. As the Japanese player, you can explore a variety of outcomes. What if the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot had never occurred? What if many more Japanese vessels carrying troops and supplies had made it to the island? What if Japanese submarines had been more effective? Conversely, as the U.S. player, you must overcome a virulent inter-service rivalry, capture key objectives, and eliminate the Japanese garrison. Doable? Yes. Easy? No.
Island Inferno's combat system almost guarantees the Allied player will try to maximize firepower to destroy determined Japanese resistance. Moving too cautiously will mean you don't conquer strategic Pacific Islands fast enough to win. Move too aggressively, and Allied casualties will become prohibitive-and the Japanese player will win on Victory Points. An optional combat card system helps ensure players can't "crack" the Ground Combat system. Naval and air support are abstract, simplifying and streamlining the game system.
This is a low-to-moderate complexity two-player game that easily lends itself to solitaire play. Units are mostly battalions for an operational-level treatment. All four scenarios fit on a small-to-moderate tabletop space, with even the longest scenarios (Guadalcanal and Saipan) being playable in an afternoon. The master rules offer a gentle learning curve with minimal administrative overhead. I.I. offers Pacific War buffs a fun and challenging experience for beginner and veteran wargamers alike.
Product Information:
Complexity: Low to Moderate
Time Scale: 1 turn = 2 days to 3 months
Map Scale: 1.5 to 5 miles per hex
Unit Scale: Battalions (air and naval are abstract)
Players: 2 (suitable for solitaire play)
Solitaire: Medium
Playing Time: 1-3 hours
Components:
4 full color maps
4 sheets of 5/8" die-cut counters
4 setup sheets
2 double-sided Play Aids
4 detailed Sequence of Play (SOP)
1 detailed Terrain Effects Chart (TEC)
2 Resource tracks
2 Tactical Card decks (20 Allied, 20 Japanese) Rulebook
Scenario Book
2 6-sided dice (d6)
Box and Lid
Game Credits:
Designer: Ernie Copley
Artist: Shayne Logan
Hersteller und/oder Verantwortliche Person innerhalb der EU:
Hersteller:
Compass Games, LLC.
PO Box 271
06416 Cromwell
Vereinigte Staaten
eMail: sales@compassgames.com
Web: https://www.compassgames.com
Verantwortliche Person für die EU:BNW Distribution GmbH
Winkelsweg 169
40764 Langenfeld
Deutschland
eMail: sales@bnw-distribution.com
