Very well constructed dueling board, that also fits the theme excellently - That combination is hard to do! This is some of Ozyman's best work.
Like any board if you run into a great player and bad dice...you are doomed. Most of the time bad dice can be overcome if there is also flaws to be exploited in your opponents play.
Fantastic Simulgear dueling board. I have enjoyed many a game trying to both perfect and counter the surprising plethora of strategies on both American and Japanese sides. I think one of the biggest factors in the game design was the chose number of allowed moves which really makes you choose what you have to do.
Enjoyable board which takes a bit of learning, after 14 games I do not feel I have understood it yet, but should be well worth the effort if you're looking for an interesting 1-on-1 duel.
Excellent board. Lots of different attack/defend options makes gameplay variable each time. Students of history will also like this. Well done Ozyman.
As a caveat however, I must say the following - I absolutely hate playing this map as I seem to get BS dice 90% of the time I play it and a tourney on it actually drove me to a sabbatical from the site for a year. Getting bad dice on a map like this, for a competitive person, is enough to drive a person mad.
Steep learning curve, but very rewarding. If you are looking for a strategic duel map, this is one of the best.
To answer Eleazar's question, the T and A buttons (multiple attacks) allow you to make multiple dice rolls while only using 1 "attack". With limited attacks you are going to want to mostly use the A button.
Great strategy game. I'm a slow learner, so even after a few games I still don't have an effective attack strategy for either army. Great way to learn military strategy regarding this historical battle.
I'm revising my review and giving this perfect rating. I still haven't become very good at this map, but I think it's one of the best on the site
Could be great. I just find it frustrating and lack a complete understanding of the rules. Why when it says it only allows 7 attacks per turn and then lets more then 7 attacks occur for your opponent is beyond me.
Good strategy, but it feels like US has an advantage on the board. Only 3 spawn points and max units makes it difficult for Japan to claim their units - if the spawn points are low enough to claim all of their troops they are too easily taken by the US, and then Japan gets even fewer. The US already out factories Japan by 14-6, and have 14 spawn points compared to 3 for Japan. Japan has a few attack / defense bonuses, but as long as the US is aware of them and plays away from those advantages the US seems to have a huge advantage.
Extraordinary two player board, played a few games (50) before I rated it. A little bit of learning, a little bit of thought, add some tactics and patience and you get a great two player contest. Had to convince myself there could be more than one perfect board before ranking this one since I'm a newb and there are soooo many more boards to explore. Take a bow Ozyman, it's a perfect 2 player game. Also props to Berickf and Babbalouie for their promotion of the board.
A really great board. Love the strategies involved of trying to choke off reinforcements, particularly playing as the US. My one big niggle is that the end game for a Japanese victory is very drawn out if your opponent does not surrender - I have found it being sometimes 6 or 7 turns before I can mop up after the Americans have lost all hope.
Great board that takes a few games to understand, and many more to master. It really captures the strategy of either climbing the hill or defending from the better position, and strategy definitely weighs heavier than luck. Best thing is that it is fun and relatively quick to boot. The only thing I don't like is the abandonment of territories - it's screwed me a couple of times, but I realize that it's on me and it adds another strategic option, just have to be careful.
A little bit of learning on this one. Some to figure out the board mechanics (where you can place units - unit caps etc.) and some to figure exactly what your trying to do in order to secure a win.
Once you've figured it out, this is a sublime duel board.
Lots of room for different approaches, as far as I know there is no for sure winner strategy, and the board feel tight and nice to play.
Also, there is just enough restraint built in that you can't accidentally mess it all up with a single turn. ;)
Only The learning curve kept it from being "Perfect".
Gives the feel of trying to climb the hill in the face of opposition, or to fight your foes from gaining ground up the hill depending on which side you get. The Americans get more troops and a more secure production where as the Japanese placement of troops is tenuous but the dice mods favour them holding their position. Can the Americans outmaneuver the Japanese as they climb the hill and make it into the tunnels? Or, will the Japanese be able to hold their advance and eventually get into the American landing crafts? A fun board capable of unexpected momentum swings and epic battles!
Like any board if you run into a great player and bad dice...you are doomed. Most of the time bad dice can be overcome if there is also flaws to be exploited in your opponents play.