From the publisher:
Deluxe U.S.N. War in the Pacific, 1941-45, in a unique wargame which is strategic in scope, operational in planning and tactical in execution as naval, air and land forces fighting for victory in one of the greatest campaigns of history. U.S.N. was originally published in S&T 29, and the system has held up surprisingly well over the three decades of its existence. It's held up so well that it was worth an update as well as an expansion. Deluxe U.S.N. uses the same system as the original, but adds additional rules and scenarios to provide a most complete simulation. The map stretches from the Hawaiian Islands to the Indian frontier, from Australia to Manchuria. Whereas the original game scenarios covered only 1941-43, Deluxe U.S.N. provides new scenarios to cover the situation in 1943-45, and entire war, 1941-45. Deluxe U.S.N. also provides additional rules and units to cover the fighting in China and Manchuria, as well as additional mini-games.
Deluxe U.S.N. has naval, air and land operations in an interactive sequence of play, and players who integrate their forces have the opportunity to win great victories. The quasi-tactical execution of naval-air combat leads to tense situations, as attacking waves of aircraft attempt to fight their way through fighters on combat air patrol and penetrate flak screens, and then launch deadly attacks against warships.
Aircraft carriers are represented as the individual warships. Other naval forces are at the squadron to flotilla level. Logistics are simply, but realistically shown. Naval units must be refueled periodically. This means that players must coordinate their oilers or great fleets can easily become rendered ineffective. Air units are at the squadron/group/wing level.
A wide range of air missions are available, and players have to out-think their opponents in order to win control of the skies. Land units include regiments/brigades/division/corps/armies, which players can build up and break down. Infantry, amphibious, armor and airborne forces are all included. New research has provided a complete order of battle and unit appearance on all fronts.
There are two levels to the game: the Standard Rules and the Optional Rules. The Standard Rules provide a solid simulation of the war. The Optional Rules are modular in nature, and players can select them to increase realism and play balance. Among other things are included changes in pilot quality as the war progresses, new air missions such as Strategic Bombing, and special forces (Chindits, Merrill's Marauders). A limited intelligence module uses Task Force markers to reduce on-map congestion and deceive the enemy. And the Allies get the use of the MAGIC code breaking system. Deluxe U.S.N. also provides markers to simplify many of the more complex functions of the original game. Finally, there is a simple economic model which accounts for the disintegration of the Japanese economy in the latter half of the war.
Deluxe U.S.N. campaign scenarios include the 1941-42 Japanese offensive, the turning point in mid-1942, the first 18 months of the war (to mid-1943), mid-1943 to the end of the war, and a grand game of 1941-45. There are also numerous mini-games using only part of the map. These include the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Solomons, the Japanese offensive in the CBI Theater in 1944, the 1944-45 Philippines Campaign, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945.
Deluxe U.S.N. also includes a War Plan Orange scenario, hypothetical United States versus Japan in the 1930s, based on actually U.S. Navy planning for just such a contingency. Finally, there are additional counters for players to develop their own "what if" scenarios, including the capital ships scrapped by the Washington Naval Treaties of the interwar year.
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