Luzon: Race for Bataan

About this board game

Luzon: Race for Bataan is a two-player operational wargame with a listed playing time of 240 minutes, recreating the mobile campaign during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.

The game covers December 22, 1941, through January 7, 1942, as the U.S.-Philippine Army retreats toward the Bataan Peninsula. General Wainwright must delay the advancing Japanese forces while gathering as many troops as possible in Bataan. The Japanese, meanwhile, are directed to capture Manila and may attempt to outmaneuver their opponent for an even more damaging victory.

This five-turn OCS mini-game focuses on intense maneuvering. A small but elite Japanese force must make rapid progress against a larger, less-effective opponent, creating a sharp contest between speed, delay, and the concentration of forces. An optional random-changes rule can alter the game from one play to the next.

• One 22 x 34-inch full-color map
• 140 half-inch counters on one double-sided countersheet
• A 16-page rulebook and six double-sided player-aid cards
• A scale of 5 miles per hex and 3.5 days per turn
• Units ranging from battalions to regiments

Included as a magazine game with Operational Matters #2, Luzon: Race for Bataan uses a single scenario and supports medium-complexity play. Players need the latest OCS rules and charts, along with two or three different colors of six-sided dice. Solitaire playability is rated medium.