How to Play War in the Pacific: A WW2 Roll & Write Game

Objective of the Game

In War in the Pacific: A WW2 Roll & Write Game, players take on the role of a commander in the Pacific theater during World War II. The goal is to advance through the Japanese island chains, capture islands, conduct nuclear research, and strategically bomb Japan to accumulate enough Capitulation Points (CPs) to force Japan's surrender. The game is won by achieving at least 13 CPs by the end of the campaign's 11 turns.

Preparation (Setup)

1. Set the game sheet in front of you.
2. Place two black cubes inside the "naval assets tracker" on the gamesheet.
3. Place one blue cube inside the "air power tracker" on the gamesheet.
4. Place the seven white dice, three red dice, and the extra black and blue cubes at the very bottom of the gamesheet.

Fluxo do Jogo

Each game consists of a maximum of 11 turns, with each turn having the following phases:

Campaign Phase

• Prepare your dice pool: At the beginning of each Campaign Phase, place six white dice inside your dice pool on the game sheet. Dice quantities or types (red/white) may change due to timeline or campaign event effects.
• Mark off a box on the timeline: Starting with the left-most box, mark off a single empty box on the timeline each Campaign Phase. When you cross off a timeline box showing red die symbols (e.g., during the American military build-up or D-Day), replace the indicated number of white dice with red dice for that turn only.
• Roll on the campaign event chart: Roll a single die and consult the campaign event chart. Events can reduce your naval assets, grant a free roll for nuclear research, add a nuclear bomb, remove a die, or modify the color of a die in your dice pool for this turn only. You may use one or more black cubes to add +1 to the roll for each cube used, or use a blue cube to re-roll the die. Discard any used cubes after modifying or re-rolling.

American Phase

• Roll your dice: Roll all the dice in your dice pool.
• Use your dice: You may use your dice to attack islands on the campaign map, conduct nuclear research, bomb Japan, or add naval assets. Abilities to modify dice can be used in any order, either before or after allocating them.

Ações e Como Jogar

Dice Mechanics

• Red dice (D3s): Red dice always act as D3s when rolled.
• Rolling sixes (Air power and Nuclear bombs): For each white die that rolled a natural '6' in the American Phase, you may add one blue cube to the air power tracker. If nuclear bombs have been unlocked, you can instead use two natural rolls of '6' to add a nuclear bomb (green cube) to the nuclear tracker.
• Using command cubes to re-roll dice: Discard one blue cube from the command tracker (presumably the air power tracker) to re-roll a single die (white or red). This can be done at any time, including for rolls on the event chart. Re-rolls that result in a '6' also count as a natural '6' for gaining blue or green cubes.
• Naval bombardment (Using naval assets to modify dice): Discard one or more black cubes from the supply tracker (presumably the naval assets tracker) to increase the value of a single die by +1 per cube discarded. This ability cannot be used to gain a blue or green cube by modifying a die to a '6' (it must be a natural '6').

Naval Assets

• You may allocate any die roll of 2 or higher to the naval assets tracker to gain black cubes. The number of black cubes gained is the die value's D3 result. The supply tracker can hold a maximum of five black cubes; any that cannot fit must be discarded. Red die rolls of 1 or 2 cannot be allocated because they count as 1 after being converted to a D3.

Nuclear Research

• Each turn, you may assign a maximum of one die from your dice pool to advance nuclear research.
• If the die value is equal to or higher than the number in the current research box, mark it off. Progress through the tracker left to right, top to bottom.
• Critical Research Advances: If the die value is at least double the number in the current box, mark off that box and the next one over.
• Unlocking Nuclear Bombs: Once all research boxes are marked off, nuclear bombs are unlocked and can now be built.
• Building a Nuclear Bomb: After unlocking, you may build a nuclear bomb by either rolling two '6's (instead of gaining blue Air Power cubes), allocating a '6' to the nuclear tracker, or rolling the "Nuclear Advancement" event. Each nuclear bomb built adds 1 green cube to the Nuclear Tracker.

Strategic Bombing

• Capturing Bomber Bases: Each time you capture an island with a bomber icon, mark one box on the Bombing Tracker.
• Launching a Bombing Raid (Once per turn): Once at least one bombing box is marked, you may assign a single die roll of 4+ per turn to launch a strategic bombing raid on Japan.
• Roll one die per marked box on the Bombing Tracker. If any die rolls a 5+, mark 1 CP on the CP Tracker. Even with multiple successes, only 1 CP is marked per raid (unless using nuclear bombs).
• Using Nuclear Bombs: Before rolling for a bombing raid, you may decide to attach a green cube (nuclear bomb) to the Bombing Tracker from the Nuclear Tracker. If any of these dice rolls a 5+ when using a nuclear bomb, mark 2 CPs instead of 1. Even with multiple successes, only 2 CPs are marked per nuclear bombing raid. Discard the green cube after using it.

Attacking Islands

• Campaign map and command group paths: The campaign map features two command groups—Central and Southern—each with arrows and dotted lines indicating their progression paths. To advance along a path, you must capture Islands by marking off all the numbered boxes above them and unlocking the next island in that path. Guadalcanal and Tarawa are considered unlocked at the start of the game.
• Attacking islands: To attack an island, assign one die from your dice pool at a time to an island on the map that is already unlocked. If the die value matches or exceeds the number in the current box (starting with the top row, left to right), mark the box off. You may attack the same island several times during a turn or divide your dice to attack along both command group's paths.
• Major breakthroughs: When allocating a die to attack an island: If the die value is at least double the number in an island's current box, mark off that box and the next box over in line, no matter the value.
• Capturing islands and gaining CPs: Once all numbered boxes above an island are marked off, the island is captured. Mark off the large beige island box and mark off one box on the CP tracker for each rising sun icon in the captured island box. In addition, if a bomber icon is present, also mark off a box on the bombing tracker. The next island in the command group's path is now considered unlocked.
• Sea transport, logistics and escort duties: Before marking off a box with a naval icon, discard one black cube. If you cannot discard a black cube, the box cannot be marked off and the attack is cancelled. This rule also applies to major breakthroughs.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

The game ends after marking off the 11th and final box on the timeline, at the conclusion of that turn.

Winning the game

Count up all your marked off CPs on the CP tracker. If you have at least 13 capitulation points (CPs), you win the game with a historical outcome. Achieve 17-20 CPs for an unconditional surrender, in which case the Japanese emperor is deposed, put on trial, and Japanese aggression is curbed for the next 150 years.

Losing the game

You lose if you finish the game with 12 or fewer capitulation points (CPs) and fail to force a surrender on the Japanese. The Japanese hang on to eventually sign a conditional surrender with the allies and gain some concessions such as captured islands in the Pacific.

Dicas para Vencer

• When rolling on the event chart, consider using black cubes to add +1 to your roll or a blue cube to re-roll, especially if a beneficial event like "Nuclear Advancement" is possible, or to avoid a detrimental one.
• Strategically manage your blue cubes. While gaining a blue cube from a natural '6' is good, sometimes it's better to spend a blue cube to re-roll a low die to a higher value, potentially allowing for a major breakthrough or a successful attack, even if it means not gaining a new blue cube that turn.
• Prioritize nuclear research early. Unlocking nuclear bombs allows for more powerful strategic bombing raids, granting 2 CPs instead of 1, which can be crucial for reaching the higher victory thresholds.