Saipan 1944

[JayTownsend]

After playing all 40 scenarios of the finished version of the Saipan product, I can say overall I am very pleased with Saipan. There is a little errata, between design-development-production but I have posted all that in my designer notes and all the websites as well, so if you follow that and my clarification notes you shouldn’t have any problems playing though this Pacific Battlefield. Saipan added a lot of new unit types and older ones as well, American: INF, HMG, ENG, ENG FLAME, 81mm, 60mm, 37mm, 75mm, 105mm, 155mm, M5, M3/75mm, M4, M3A1 Flame (Satan), Mk 7, LVT 4, LVT (A)-1, LVT (A)-4, LCVP, LCI(G), Trucks, Jeeps, P-47, B25, P-38, Corair (F4U), Hellcats. Japanese: INF, HMG, SER, SNLF, ENG, 81mm, 20mm, 25mm, 37mmAA, 37mmAT, 47mm, 70mm, 75mm, 75/88, 105mm, 120/10, 150mm, Type 95, Type 97, Type 2 KA-MI, Shinhoto, Daihatsu, Casemates, Zero, Betty, Trucks and Caves. Many of the units come in both Army or Marines or both Army and SNLF versions. The scenarios range in many different types and situations including actual Amphibious Landings which I am very satisfied with in the PG scale and I feel they worked out excellent for what I was trying to model without too many extra rules. I think it gives a good bloody feel for the actual battle. The scenarios are a nice mix of unit types and battle situations and in no way reflect a boring image some gamers might have had of a PG Pacific game, in fact just the opposite, it seemed to have more action at a faster pace and that is what I was trying to achieve in the historical way.

For those who have or will purchase Saipan, there is another product in the works that will add a lot of value to owning Saipan, in what I think will have my best scenarios yet, as far as interest, balance, subject and fun game play.