In the navy?????

We have had several major battles, my game playing friends are usually pretty aggressive even if the situation doesn’t call for it. However, If you play the game with just the VP’s in mind the strategy of avoiding a big fight is the way to go, instead of being a Admiral you are a foreman of an airfield construction company.

We however play on after the VP winner has been declared, we take note of it, but fight until (1) all six islands are owned by one side or (2) exhaustion. Usually #2 comes first  :wink:

Thus to win all 6 islands you have to fight. Airplanes are not the threat they should be in this game so most naval moves I have seen are pretty bold.

One game where the US was crushed the final battle took place on the New Caledonia Island board, the IJN was preparing to invade the island when the US player called it quits.

PS we like this game very much for the big (and lots of small) naval battles

Well it does extend the game, sometimes it really extends it, sometimes we just quit and sometimes we right down where we were and finish later. We have been able to play with up to 4 players giving seperate US and Japanese fleet assignments and land areas.

For example US Admiral 1 would have the north sea slots ABCD and K to deal with and the islands of Malaita, Santa Isabel and Choiseul
and Admiral 2 would have the other three Islands and the southern Sea zones E, I and J and both would deal with threats from the slots.
Allocation of forces is the tricky part and the two need to work together…which can also be the tricky part too.

@Battlingmaxo:

I’ve played several games of Guadalcanal now and there has never been a big naval battle. It seems that  both fleets are content to stay in their end of the slot and wait for a turn where they can build one last  airfield and possibly damage the enemy’s to steal a win. Are there any players who have the nads to bring their fleets out to force a decisive confrontation?

Certainly. This is the whole ‘trick’ of the game - staying even on VPs and islands controlled till you can get a naval confrontation on your terms. You kill the other guy’s fleet and take his airfields. While you can win without a big battle I’m always on the lookout for it.

Secondly, does anyone have good ideas for alternate victory conditions other than extending the game to 30 vp?

You need to kill all the other guys starting capitol ships? You need the standard VP total in airfields and you need to kill the 3 (1BB, 2 AC) capitol ships of the other side.

Or just figure some amount of shipping value that needs to be sunk based on cost?

If you want naval battles and alternate victory conditions the obvious answer would seem to be making sinking enemy ships a requirement for victory instead of the option for victory it is now wouldn’t it?