blocks in the pacific
Pacific
Victory aka "Blocks in the Pacific," made its debut
at the WBC with a strong show of player support. The 1943-45
scenario was played using version 1.2 of the rules, which were
released just the previous week. Sides were determined by a secret
bid of the number of supplied production points (PPs) needed
for a Japanese win at game end, with the high bidder commanding
the IJN. Bids ranged from a low of four to a high of ten PPs.
The overall average bid was 7.9 with winning bids averaging 7.7
and losing bids 8.1 PPs.
In the first round the average bid was 8.4 and the Allies
won five of nine. By the second round, the average bid dropped
to 7.5 and the Japanese won three of four. The top four players
then advanced to the semis. In one semifinal match, Tom Cannon's
Allies reduced Peter Muenker's Japanese PPs below Peter's seven
PP bid for the win. Meanwhile, Scott Marcotte's Japanese held
on to nine PPs and won vs Tom Pavy's Allies. This set up the
finale of Tom Cannon vs Scott Marcotte. Interestingly,
both players reached the final round via alternate paths. Tom
got two of his three wins playing the Allies with an average
bid of 5.3 PPs. Conversely, Scott got two of his three wins
playing the Japanese with a bid of 9 in all three games. Thus,
the best Allied player would meet the best Japanese player in
the final.
To nobody's surprise, Scott bid 9 to Tom's 6 in the final
round. Tom's Allies gained the initiative (and moving second)
during the first three turns. The Allied forces took Tarawa,
Palembang, Rabaul, and Kwajalein with little opposition. Tom
again gained the initiative in the fourth (MAR44) turn and by
moving first, moved a strong US fleet (that had regrouped from
a battle at Midway to the hex south of Dutch Harbor during the
previous turn) into Tokyo. He also supplemented this with a CV
raid from Pearl Harbor. Since most of Scott's IJN forces could
not reach Tokyo during this turn, all he could do was take the
unfavorable attrition and retreat. Tom also retreated after the
battle as he couldn't blockade Tokyo due to the supply situation.
In the JUN44 turn, Tom again won the initiative and after a
battle at Marcus that sank an IJN cruiser force, regrouped to
the hex southwest of Kwajalein and blockaded Wake. In the SEP44
turn, Scott finally won the initiative, but had to move first
to block the many holes in his line of patrollers that Tom had
destroyed the previous turn. Scott set up three 6-block fleets
in Truk, Manokwari, and Saipan and said to Tom, "Come and
get me!" Tom did just that by attacking Truk with a strong
naval force of three CV, one BB, and two CA blocks. He also invaded
Davao, and Lae, and blockaded Hollandia, Peleliu, and Saigon
with subs. In the first big battle of the game, Tom had his "Great
Marianas Turkey Shoot" in the Carolines as his USN forces
destroyed the Japanese fleet at Truk with minimal loss and then
stuck around to blockade the Japanese land forces. Elsewhere,
Tom's Davao invasion proved unsuccessful, but it was blockaded
nonetheless. All of the above mentioned blockades cut supply
to much of Scott's forces which resulted in further loss of Japanese
CV. Tom got the initiative back in the DEC44 turn, decided to
move first, and while moving his forces into Tokyo, Scott conceded
after realizing that he only had eight supplied PP's, not much
of an IJN, and there were still two turns left to play.
Congratulations to Tom
Cannon for showing us all how to win as the Allies using a "hit
em where they ain't" strategy. In addition to receiving
a plaque, Tom also received a $50 gift certificate from Columbia
Games and a game map signed by Tom Dalgliesh.
I wish to thank Columbia Games for releasing version 1.2 of
the rules before the tournament and donating $155 in merchandise
certificates and a signed map to the tournament. I also wish
to thank John Sharp for making it all possible by sponsoring
the tournament.
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