If historical accuracy is your thing, then skip the following article and find another to read. If you are a watcher of old WWII movies of the Grade B caliber, such as THE PURPLE HEART, AIR FORCE, BACK TO BATAAN, and all the others; if you don't mind a little role-play in your gaming; and if you want to do something off the wall, then read on; The following items are needed for play:
- one green ground cloth to represent the jungle of Bataan.
- Means of marking the road, paths, river, streams, swamps and clearings.
- Lots of six sided dice - all die rolls are herefore on a D6.
- Several boxes of Japanese infantry from Airfix, MPC or Esci.
- 24 figures of Americans. You can convert WWII British or other figures to be early war Americans, or you can get Platoon 20 (an excellent little line of early Pacific War figures including Marines, Sailors 6 Airman - the pilot in flying suit and helmet with a Tommy gun is a great figure!)
Set up the table on a board 4' X 8' or 5' X 10' so that the road runs the length of the table. Have the river biscet the board halfway across. Add swamps, streams, paths and clearings to suit, Place a destroyed bridge marker where the road and river intersect;
There should be four Japanese and four American players. Each player has a special force with abilities under him. To start with, divide the Japanese into four platoons of 30-40 figures each. Divide the crew served weapons as evenly as possible, do the same with the officers.
Each Japanese player should pick to see which of the four platoons he gets to command. The platoons and their special abilities are as follows:
- 1st Platoon: Having spent several years in China practicing on the civilian population, your command is expert with the bayonet. You add +1 to the die for any melees that you fight.
2nd Platoon: You have four figures which are trained as snipers, They do not need to obey command control orders/rules, and can only be spotted by Americans on the turn they fire on a roll of S or 6. They fire one die per figure and hit on a 6. They will join in a banzai charge, if ordered.
3rd Platoon: You have control of the tank. It is armed with 2 machine guns as well as a cannon. If lost, the tank does not come back as do the infantry.
4th Platoon: You are actually a detachment of the Japanese Navy, the Special Naval Landing Force. As elite troops, the command control rules that apply to the other Japanese commanders do not apply to you.
The four American players get to pick from the following commands;
- 1st Squad: 1 Naval Officer with Tommy Gun, 1 Chief Petty Officer with Tommy Gun, 4 sailors with Springfield Rifles. If the American Naval Officer -- who has been a social gadfly all of his life, and whose previous posting was as social aide to an admiral, wishes to redeem himself by blowing up the tank (and himself), consider it an automatic kill.
2nd Squad: 1 American Officer with pistol, 5 Philippine Scouts with Springfield Rifles. Experts at home in the jungle, the Scouts can spot the Japanese snipers on a roll of 3, 4, 5, 6.
3rd Squad: The Marines - 1 Gunnery sergeant with Tommy Gun, 1 Marine with BAR, and 4 Marines with Springfield Rifles.
4th Squad: The Air Corps - 2 pilots with Tommy Guns, 2 ground crewmen with tummy guns, 2 ground crewmen with .30 machine gun (each also has a pistol).
The game starts out with the Americans on the board except within the first two feet, Americans can start the game entrenched, but may not build new entrenchments during the course of the game. The Americans are not placed on the board till seen by the Japanese, snipers and all are always on the board.
LAST STAND ON BATAAN is played in a series of waves, with victory depending on how many waves are needed by the Japanese to clear the board of all American figures. Within each wave, the game is played by turns, till all the Japanese are either killed or unable to move due to loss of command control. At that point the wave ends, all the Japanese are brought back to life, and a new start line for the Japanese is agreed on based on the terrain that they captured during the turn. This sequence continues till the Americans are driven from the board. There is no commanding officer for the Americans.
For the first wave, the commander of the 1st Japanese platoon is the overall commanding officer. Once it fails, he commits hari-kari after apoloizing to the Emperor and the commander of the 2nd Platoon becomes the CO of the second wave. This continues to the force till on the 5th wave, the commander of the 1st Platoon finds himself back in command of the force. After a player commits hari-kari for his failure as Wave Commander, he still commands his platoon on the next waves.
Last Stand on Bataan Victory Conditions
| Wave | Level of Victory | American Result | Japanese Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese Decisive | Survivors shot to encourage the rest of troops on Bataan | Unit sent to Tokyo for victory parade personal review by Emperor. |
| 2 | Japanese Impressive | Survivors sentenced to serve as bomb disposal officers | Unit sent to Japan for War Bond Tour, movie made of their exploits. |
| 3 | Japanese Tactical | Survivors returned to front | Unit sent to Manila for victory parade |
| 4 | Tie | Survivors given pat on back, returned to front lines | Unit given pat on back and kept on front lines |
| 5 | American Tactical | Survivors sent to island of Corregidor and given medals | Unit ordered to Wake Island to serve as garrison |
| 6 | American Impressive | Survivors sent to island of Corregidor; back home B movie made of story of their stand | Unit ordered to capture and hold islands of Attu and Kiska |
| 7 | American Decisive | Survivors sent to Corregidor | Unit ordered to Guadacanal and then home for War Bond Tour |
The American player whose forces are the last to be forced off the board treats his victory as one level better. The Japanese in command when the Americans are forced off the board treats the level of victory as if it were one level higher (i.e. if he wins on wave 4, the other Japanese players count the level as wave 4 and he counts it as Wave 3.
Rules of Play
I. COMMAND AND CONTROL:
The American players, and the 4th Japanese Platoon are exempt from command control, as are the snipers of the 2nd platoon. All other Japanese figures may only shoot or move if they are within 6" of a Japanese officer or flagbearer. If unable to meet this condition, they spend their time milling about in disorder and confusion.
II. TURN SEQUENCE:
- A. Japanese move
B. Americans move
C. All fire
D. Melee
III. MOVEMENT
Movement rates are as follows: Run Walk Crawl
- Japanese: Run: 8" Walk: 4"
American: Run: 8" Walk: 4" Crawl: 2" (wounded Americans only)
Terrain effects are as follows:
All units moving in Jungle and swamp do so at half rate.
All units crossing streams move at half rate.
All figures crossing the river do so at half walking rate, Figures may neither run nor crawl while crossing the river. The Japanese tank moves at the same rate as the figures, it may only cross the river where the road and paths gross. It may fire while moving at the run rate. With the exception of the tank, figures may not fire nor throw grenades while running. Firing and grenade tossing may be done at a walk rate, but with half the normal number of dice. Anytime the tank moves, it's dice are halved, no matter what speed it is at.
IV. FIRE:
Fire is resolved in the order of:
- A. All Japanese Snipers
B. All non-moving figures
C. All figures that moved during the turn.
Figures hit which can fire in the same phase may fire back, a stationary figure hit during the non-moving fire phase could shoot back, A moving firer hit during the non-moving phase can not shoot back,
Weapons Chart
Figures which move area allowed half the number of dice, hence if the Japanese riflemen move, they need 12 figures firing per shot (What do you expect from a bunch of slanty eye guys who wear coke bottle glasses anyway?).
Visibility: unlimited except in jungle where it is 6".
Hits: All Japanese figures hit are automatic kills. Just leave' them on they board where they have fallen till the wave is over. Riflemen may pick any figure within visibility to shoot at, while BAR's, Tommy Guns, and .30 MG's kill the closest figures first.
Americans hit by Japanese fire roll on the following chart, subtracting one from the die if they are in an entrenchment;
- 1,2,3 Light wound-no effect (Aw, they nicked me')
4,5 Serious wound - may only crawl, fire at half effect.
6 Dead
Grenades: In place of firing, figures may toss grenades. Grenades function the following way:
Americans: may toss grenades 12". Roll 1 die for the number of Japanese killed within 3" of the point the grenade was thrown to.
Japanese: May either throw grenades or use their little knee mortars. If hand thrown, range is 6"; if fired from knee mortar, range is 12". Roll one die on the chart below for effect:
- 1- Grenade blows up in hand of Japanese tossing it.
2,3- Dud
4, 5- One American hit, roll for saves.
6- Two Americans hit if they are within 2", roll for save.
Antitank Work: Americans seeking to destroy the tank need to run/walk up to it and hurl themselves on it. On a roll of 4,5,6 they destroy the tank. One 1,2,3, they fail. Either way, they die automatically) For exception, see rules under first American Squad.
The Banzai Charge:
During a wave, the overall Japanese commander may order a Banzai Charge. Once ordered, it remains in effect till either all the Japanese are killed, or all the known Americans are driven off the board resulting in a Japanese victory. All Japanese figures will be allowed to ignore all command control rules while under a Banzai Charge. No Japanese unit or figure is allowed to fire or toss grenades, rather all figures will run toward the nearest American figures and attempt to engage them in melee. While under a Banzai Charge, all Japanese troops are +1 in melee.
V, MELEE:
Figures are considered in melee if after movement and fire, the stands are touching. Each figure in melee rolls a die with a modified 6 needed to hit.
The following modifiers are made to the die roll:
- +1 If American (their hearts are pure) unless seriously wounded. +1 If officer
+1 If Japanese 1st Platoon.
+1 If Banzai Charge has been ordered.
If more than one figure can reach an enemy figure, each is allowed to roll a die. American figures are allowed saving throws, including the rl for cover.
VI. OTHER ODDS AND ENDS;
A. Wounds of a light nature for the Americans are not cumlative. However, if two or more serious wounds are inflicted on an American, he is killed.
B. During the Japanese "resurrection phase" at the end of a wave, all Japanese dead are returned to life. However, once the Japanese tank is lost, it is not returned to play. For that reason the commander of the 3rd Platoon can chose to hold the tank off board.
C. Once American troops fire and reveal their position, they remain revealed for the rest of the game. Japanese troops passing within 2" of an American figure automicatlly spot them,
D. Banzai charges must be announced before Japanese movement, As mentioned, all Japanese platoons must obey this order and charge the nearest visible Americans,
E. Melees are fought to the death - that is, they continue till all figures are killed on one side or the other.
F. To enter in the spirit of things, Japanese players should wear glasses, have buck teeth, hiss a lot and speak broken English. American players should recite heroric dialouge from Grade B movies.
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© Copyright 1986 Hal Thinglum
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