Pacific War 1942 2nd Edition

Pacific War: 1942 (2nd Edition) is an operational wargame covering the critical campaigns of the Pacific War from May to December 1942. The game recreates the decisive battles that followed America's entry into the war, including Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz, and the New Guinea campaign.

Players command either the Japanese or Allied forces, coordinating naval, air, and ground operations across the vast Pacific while managing carrier warfare, reconnaissance, amphibious invasions, and logistics.

Game system

The game is a hex-based operational system emphasizing combined-arms operations.

Ground units represent regiments, brigades, and divisions, while naval forces are organized into task forces composed of carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and transports. Air units represent carrier air groups and land-based aircraft.

Key mechanics include:

• naval reconnaissance and search
• carrier strike planning
• logistics and supply
• amphibious operations
• combined naval, land, and air warfare

Carrier battles reproduce the historical "over-the-horizon" nature of Pacific naval combat.

Included scenarios

Coral Sea

May 1942

Midway

June 1942

Guadalcanal Campaign

August–December 1942

Eastern Solomons

August 1942

Santa Cruz Islands

October 1942

New Guinea Operations

1942

1942 Campaign Game

A full campaign covering operations across the Southwest and Central Pacific from May through December 1942.

Objective

Japan must preserve its strategic initiative, defend its expanding perimeter, and cripple Allied carrier strength.

The Allied player must halt Japanese expansion, secure Guadalcanal, maintain supply lines, and gradually seize the initiative.

Players

2 players

Playing time

• Scenarios: 2–8 hours
• Full campaign: 15–30 hours

Complexity

High

The game combines naval warfare, carrier operations, amphibious invasions, logistics, and land combat in a detailed operational system.

Game scale

Period: May–December 1942

Level: Operational

Units:

• Ground: regiments, brigades, divisions
• Naval: individual ships organized into task forces
• Air: carrier and land-based air groups

Replayability

Multiple historical scenarios

Complete 1942 campaign

Strong Japanese–Allied asymmetry

Detailed carrier warfare

Reconnaissance-driven operations

Extensive operational freedom

Components (indicative)

2 mounted maps

Multiple countersheets

Rulebook

Scenario book

Player aids

Dice