First Blood: The Gaudalcanal Campaign

Content

Rules

A PDF of the rules is available through the Help menu. Please note that it may take a little while for your PDF viewer to launch.

Game preferences

The module has a number of user-settable preferences in the First Blood: The Gaudalcanal Campaign of the File-Preferences dialog. These options are all boolean (enable/disable) options, and are

Be verbose
Show various messages in the chat-log, for example contributions to combat calculations and so on.
Show debug chat messages
Enabling this will output a lot of extra information to the chat-log. This is mainly useful for tracking down problems in the module logic.
Calculate Odds on battle declaration
If this option is enabled, then the module will automatically determine combat odds and die-roll modifiers. The calculations factors in terrain, remote artillery support, ground attack support (by USAF bombers or IJN destroyers). Note that this is not omnipotent, and the players should make sure that the rules are followed.
Resolve battle results automatically
If this option is enabled, then combat can be automatically resolved by the module. Players must still implement the results.
Autmatically move IJAAF, IJN, and USAF
When this option is enabled, then the module will automatically take some actions.

Before the IJ Strategic phase

Before the US Air phase

Automatically stage reinforcements
The module will put reinforcement units on the map, though not placed on entry point, as they become available. USAF and IJAAF are placed in the USAF Reserve and IJAAF Reserver pools, respectively. If this option is enabled at the start of game, then initial units are also placed in the staging area.
Automatically check IJ supply
The module will roll a die and tell the IJ faction if it needs to eliminate a ground unit or an IJN destroyer in the IJ Supply phase.

Set-up

At the start of a new game, the starting units are already placed in staging areas, if the option Automatically stage reinforcements is enabled.

If the option is not enabled, then the starting units must be set-up by opening the Order-Of-Battle (OOB) window (Alt-B or button), and dragging them from there onto the map.

The US faction must set-up first. All ground units must be on land and within the blue boundary drawn on the map. USAF units may either be placed in the USAF CAP (fighters) or USAF Ground Support (bombers) pools.

Then the IJ faction sets up. Ground units must be in either off-board movement box A or D. The IJ faction has no initial IJN or IJAAF units.

Turn and phase tracker

Use the Turn tracker in the menu bar (short cuts Alt-T to move forward, Alt-Shift-T to move backward), to keep track of the turn and phases. The module will take some appropriate actions (see above). Note that game turn marker cannot be moved by hand. Only the turn track interface will allow movement of the game turn marker. Be carefull with moving backward in phases and turns. The automatic actions above are agnostic to the direction of "time".

Reinforcements

If the Automatically stage reinforcements option is enabled, then reinforcement units are automatically placed in a staging area on the map.

If the option is not enabled, then reinforcements are taken by opening the Order-Of-Battle (OOB) window (Alt-B or button), and dragging them from there onto the map.

 Battle declaration and resolution

The module can automatically calculate odds, if the option Calculate Odds on battle declaration is enabled, and resolve combats, if Resolve battle results automatically is enabled, via the use of battle markers .

Declaration

To place a battle marker, select the attacking and defending units and press the battle marker button () or Ctrl-X. This will place markers on the involved units that identifiy the battle uniquely.

Artillery units providing remote fire support should also be selected.

Ground support units (IJN destroyers or USAF bombers) should also be selected when declaring the combat.

If the option Calculate Odds on battle declaration is enabled, then the combat odds and Die Roll Modifiers (DRM) are automatically calculated.

An example of the result is shown below

A battle marker is added to all units participating in the battle, and an odds marker is placed on one defending unit. The odds marker also shows any DRM.

If the option Calculate Odds on battle declaration is not enabled, then the faction in turn can add an odds marker by right-clicking a battle marker and selecting the odds.

If you regret a declaration, simple right-click (Mouse-2) the combat markers and select Cancel from the pop-up menu, or press Ctrl-C

Odds and DRM can be recalculated via the context menu of the odds marker.

Resolution

If the option Resolve battle results automatically is enabled. then the module can automatically calculate combat results.

Select and odds marker and press Ctrl-Y, press the button, or select Resolve form the context menu.

This will roll a die, add any DRMs, and cross reference the odds with the modified die roll in the appropriate Combat Resolution Table (CRT) to find the combat result.

A result marker then replaced the odds marker, indicating the result of the combat.

The players must then implement the combat outcome (e.g., defender must retreat on ).

Note that the dice windows may steal the mouse focus. In that case, simply click the main window (or any element in it), to put focus back there.

An example is shown below

If the option Resolve battle results automatically is not enabled, then players may still show the combat result by selecting the appropriate entry in the context menu of the odds marker.

If you want, you can now clear the combat by right clicking the result marker and selecting Clear. Alternatively, you can leave the markers - they will be cleared at the end of the combat phase.

Tutorial

When stepping throught the tutorial, there are a number of steps being taken in the background. If it seems that the tutorial is "stuck", try pressing Page-Down a few more times - the module is doing stuff in the background.

Automatic actions

Pay attention to messages in the chat. Messages in green are fully automatic actions taken by the module. Messages in red are semi-automatic actions taken by the module, but which requires the some user actions too.

The specific automatic actions are summarised Above.

Note, if the module determines that the IJ faction must loose a unit in the Supply face, then that message will be displayed in red.

Likewise, if the module determines that the US faction has too many USAF units in action, then a message in red will direct the faction what to do.

The module does not keep track of engineering work or damaged or destroyed air fields. The factions must flip counters as needed, according to the rules obviously.

Changes

Version 1
Initial release of module
Version 2
Many improvements:

TODO

Add a tutorial

About this game

This VASSAL module was created from LATEX sources of a Print'n'Play version of the First Blood game. That (a PDF) can be found at

https://gitlab.com/wargames_tex/firstblood_tex

where this module, and the sources, can also be found. The PDF can also be found as the rules of this game, available in the Help menu.

The original game was release by Avalon Hill International Kriegspiel Society, and is available

https://grognard.com/fb/

Credits

Game Developer:
Steve Llewellyn
Game Design:
Chester Hendrix
Map work:
Chester Hendrix
Counter Craft:
Chester Hendrix and Tom Hanover
Rules Typing:
Betty Spriggs
Rules Organization:
Chris Harrison
Playtesting:
Sieve Ball, Chris Harrison, Chester Hendrix, Steve Llewellyn, Ken Nied, Paul Nied, Bill Smook, Tom Thornsen, Richard Tucker
Rule Inquiries:
AHIKS Judge
Opponents:
AHIKS Match Coordinator
Research:
Bob Best, Joe Bukal, Anthony Daw, Chester Hendrix, Todd Hively, Kevin Kelly, Dennis Reilly, Ed Snarski
Charts and Tables:
Steve Llewellyn and Chris Harrison
Illustrations:
Tom Hanover

Copyright and license

This work is 🄯 2022 Christian Holm Christensen, and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

or send a letter to

Creative Commons
PO Box 1866
Mountain View
CA 94042
USA