Band of Brothers: Old Breed South Pacific is a fast playing game of squad level combat in WWII. It covers the exploits of the U.S. First Marine Division in the battles for Guadalcanal and New Britain. Landing in Guadalcanal in August 1942, the division would fight for 6 long months until relieved. During that time they would face some of the most grueling conditions faced by American soldiers during World War II, suffering from food shortages, jungle fatigue, diseases, the constant threat of enemy attack, and relentless jungle weather conditions.

For their part in the Guadalcanal operation, the USMC 1st Marine Division won three World War II Presidential Unit Citations (PUC). The battle would cost the division 650 killed in action, 1,278 wounded in action with a further 8,580 contracting malaria and 31 missing in action.

After a short relief the USMC 1st Marine division would again be sent into jungle combat during Operation Cartwheel which was the codename for the campaign in New Britain. They came ashore at the Battle of Cape Gloucester on 26 December 1943 and fought on New Britain until March 1944 at such places as Suicide Creek and Ajar Ridge. During the battle the division had 310 killed and 1,083 wounded. Following the battle they were sent to Pavuvu in the Russell Islands for rest and refitting.

WHAT MAKES BAND OF BROTHERS OLD BREED SOUTH PACIFIC DIFFERENT?

The Band of Brothers team has fleshed out the Band of Brothers rules to cover all past, current, and future games and packs in the series. The rules introduce some component changes for Pacific specific packages, including company identifiers, weapon specific characteristics, special combat events, and Campaign rules linking scenarios.

Some Pacific specific rules for Old Breed have changes built in for things like Fog of War, here are the rules for Fog of War from the rules:

16.0 FOG OF WAR

16.1 AREA OF CONTROL (AOC)

Area of Control (AOC) is used for placing units. It is defined as any hex that is closer to a friendly Rout Edge than at least two friendly units (or the sole remaining friendly unit). It also cannot have two or more enemy units closer to that same friendly Rout Edge. Units in Melee still count when determining AOC.

16.2 FOG OF WAR (FOW) CUP

If your side receives FOW reinforcements, place them in a cup. You may draw one random unit from the cup each turn, during either side’s Ops Range, and immediately place it on the board. Note that you can't place it out of sequence with a CP (3.0, case 2), and you don't need to place it in Command Range, if using Command and Control rules (63.0).

If drawn during the opponent’s Operations Range, the FOW unit must be placed:

· In Beneficial Terrain within 1-2 hexes of an enemy that just entered a new hex. Pause the enemy move as if pausing for Op Fire.

· Within its own AOC, and closer to its Rout Edge than the moving enemy. Not in the hex the enemy just left, nor within 1 hex of a non-moving enemy.

· Unused, and Concealed (until removed per 15.0), as if it had been in all respects present before the moving enemy entered its new hex. For example, it may immediately Opportunity Fire at the foe whose movement triggered its placement.

If drawn during your Operations Range, the FOW unit:

· Must be placed in Beneficial Terrain, within its AOC, within 3 hexes of a friendly unit, and at least 3 hexes away from all enemy units.

· May instead immediately enter from a friendly Rout Edge.

In either case must be Used for an Operation or marked for Op Fire (4.0), counting against your Operations Range.

Additionally rules have been added for random combat events:

17.0 COMBAT EVENTS

This rule allows for unexpected events to occur during combat. It is an optional rule in scenarios set in Europe, but it is required in scenarios set in the Pacific because of the prevalence of Japanese snipers.

Whenever a Squad or WT rolls a ‘1’ when firing on another unit during the Operations Phase, there is the possibility of a Combat Event. MCs and SATW Checks (33.0) cannot trigger a Combat Event, but a roll against the SATW FP could. The effects of the original roll are resolved normally. Afterwards, an additional roll is made and on a roll of 1, 2, or 3 a Combat Event occurs (4-10 is no effect):

· If the result is a 1, then the player whose unit made the attack must roll on the Combat Event Table.

· If the result is a 2, then the other player rolls on the Combat Event Table. If the entry in the table gives a choice, the player rolling on the table makes that choice. However, a choice must be made (if possible). This means that the player choosing the results of an event may have to do something that is detrimental to him. Apply the effects immediately.

· If the result is a 3, then roll on the Japanese Event Table. If the scenario does not include Japanese units, then ignore a roll of a 3. The Japanese player may still end up rolling on the Combat Event Table on a 1 or a 2, but the Japanese also get to roll on the Japanese Event Table on a roll of a 3. If players would like to minimize Combat Events in the Pacific, they may choose to ignore the first Combat Events table and only have the Japanese roll on the Japanese Event Table on a roll of a 1.

If a scenario requires the elimination of a certain number of units and one is brought back by a Combat Event, credit for eliminating a unit is retained.

See the last page of the rule book for the Event Tables.

Also included are special rules for National Characteristics such as PLUCK for Commonwealth forces in the upcoming module for them. The national characteristics are shown to represent political, ideological, and training doctrines inherent to each country. Here are the specific Japanese rules for Old Breed:

59.0 JAPANESE

· Squads can’t change facing to Final Op Fire.

· Mortars may fire from Jungle.

· Infantry moves at night without the night MP cost (50.2).

59.1 JAPANESE MELEE

Melee FP: Most Japanese infantry units are marked with a subscripted Melee FP number that is less than their Normal FP.

No Withdrawal from Melee: A Japanese unit that is in Melee when it’s selected is marked as Used or Op Fire.

Increase Morale for Opponents: All units in Melee with a Japanese unit have their Morale increased by 2 in the Rout Phase.

59.2 JAPANESE -2 CONCEAL

JAPANESE CONCEAL PIC

All Japanese units that are Concealed when they enter play are covered with a -2 Concealment counter, indicating that FP at such a unit is reduced by -2 (instead of -1). These are removed in all of the same ways as regular Concealment. In addition, it becomes -1 Concealment counter if the unit ever leaves its starting hex. Once a -2 Concealment counter is removed, it can never be regained.

JAPANESE GD PIC

59.3 TYPE 89 GRENADE DISCHARGER SQUAD

Japanese Squads with a FP of 6/4 are armed with a Type 89 Grenade Discharger (GD). They are treated as a Mortar and use the Mortar Column on the PAC, but may not use directed fire or long range fire. Since they are not a WT, they may fire from a swamp hex and may Assault Fire. If the scenario gives the Japanese Smoke counters, then each GD Squad on the board can be Used to place one Dispersed Smoke counter per turn (within LOS and normal range) instead of moving. Once all of the Smoke counters have been used up, no Smoke can be placed.

JAPANESE SATT PIC

59.4 SUICIDE ANTI-TANK TEAM (SATT)

If the Japanese player receives SATT in a scenario, he also secretly gets an additional 1-4 SATT. Mix up the 4 SATT informational counters and secretly draw one to determine the amount of additional SATT. SATTs are kept off board and out of sight of the Allied player until they are used. SATTs do not count against the Operations Range.

The Japanese player can attempt a SATT Close Assault by selecting a SATT during his Operations Range or as Op Fire. If it’s an Op Fire attack, the vehicle is paused while the attack is resolved.

To attempt an attack, the SATT is placed within 3 hexes of a Japanese non-Vehicle unit and in a hex with an enemy Vehicle that is by itself (no other enemy units may be in the hex). It cannot be a Surf hex or Water. The Japanese player then rolls against the SATT’s Prof Rating (7). If the result is more than the Prof Rating, the SATT is eliminated. If the roll is equal to or less than the Prof Rating the SATT proceeds with the Close Assault. No more than one SATT may be used against a particular Vehicle in each hex each turn.

The SATT is considered moving when it’s placed in the hex, so it is subject to Op Fire and Final Op Fire from units outside the hex (not the Vehicle). The SATT is eliminated if it’s Reduced (Casualty number of 2). SATT ignore Suppression. If the SATT survives all Fire, it immediately Close Assaults the Vehicle with 8 FP. Regardless of the outcome of the attack the SATT is eliminated. Normal Close Assault modifiers apply.

Example: A US tank that is stacked with a Squad moves into an empty adjacent hex. The Japanese player has a SATT available and pauses the tank’s move to put a SATT in its hex. He has already used one SATT this turn and so needs to roll a 6 or lower and does. The tank cannot fire at the SATT, but the adjacent Squad does and rolls one less than its Adjusted Firepower, eliminating the SATT.

59.5 SEISHIN

Japanese Squads marked with an “S” have Seishin (spirit). This comes with two benefits:

1. They only check for Rout if in the same hex as an enemy unit.

2. A Japanese Squad not currently in the same hex as an enemy unit that passes a MC to move, and has enough MPs to reach an enemy occupied hex in that move (including the Seishin MP bonus), can declare Seishin. The Japanese Squad must then attempt to enter an enemy’s hex and engage it in Melee or Close Assault. For that turn that Squad:

· Gets +1 MP.

· Adds +1 to its Morale Ratings during the Operations Phase (not Rout).

· Adds +2 to its Melee (not Close Assault) FP that turn.

59.6 JAPANESE BANZAI CHARGE

By SSR, a scenario may list a range of turns in which the Japanese player must execute a Banzai Charge. The Japanese player announces the Banzai Charge at the start of a turn before any actions, at which point:

· All Suppressed counters are removed from Japanese units.

· The Allied player may mark any of his own units Op Fire.

After which, the rest of the turn is handled normally. All Japanese Squads (even reinforcements) must conduct a Banzai Charge unless they Op Fire (Exception: GD Squads may choose to Banzai Charge, but do not have to). Squads in Melee remain in Melee, but get the benefits of the Charge. Units which Charge:

· Do not get the effects of Seishin.

· Get +4 MPs. CPs may not be used to increase their MP.

· +2 to Morale Ratings in all phases that turn.

· +2 to Melee (not Close Assault) FP that turn.

· Attempt to enter the closest hex (in terms of hexes, not MPs) that is not fully stacked with Japanese, which is either an enemy controlled Victory Marker or a hex that contains an enemy unit (even if it is Concealed or not in LOS). It must use the fewest MPs possible to enter that hex. If this path contains Wire, it will enter that hex to clear it for others (43.6). If unable to enter, it must move as close as it can to one of those hexes along the quickest route.

· Still can’t enter a hex containing both Infantry and a Vehicle.

· May not Assault Fire.

· If playing with the Campaign Game rules (64.2), Japanese fatigue continues to accumulate during a Banzai Charge, but the fatigue morale modifiers are ignored for the turn of the Banzai Charge and the next turn for all units whether in Command or not.

If a scenario requires a Banzai Charge, until the Japanese player calls the last required Banzai Charge, no Japanese Squad can move closer to its Rout Edge, except during Rout.

All these changes, updates, and additions make for a tactical WWII game that is more realistic, engaging, ever changing and playable than any other. It also makes it much more solitaire friendly!

We hope you are enjoying the blog leading up to the launch of the Kickstarter campaign on September 4. See ya’ next week recruit!!!!

August 14: What is Old Breed South Pacific?