SOPAC: Naval Action in the South Pacific 1942–1943 (1999)

About this game

SOPAC: Naval Action in the Southern Pacific 1942-43, is part of Avalanche Press Ltd's Second World War at Sea series of naval battle games. SOPAC recreates the Solomon Islands Campaign of late 1942. Like other games in the series, SOPAC uses a combination of Operational and Tactical displays, similar to those originally found in Avalon Hill's Midway, but much more detailed and accurate. This allows for the mixture of aerial and surface combat that characterized the Pacific theater of operations. Players must write orders and assign missions to tasks forces prior to movement, then conduct aerial searches for enemy fleets and submarines. Frequently, forces will clash in surface battles, and players track damage, hit by hit, reducing ship capabilities and inflicting casualties. SOPAC includes 20 scenarios -- 10 Battle and 10 Operational -- allowing players to explore the early days of combat and try some what-if situations that history never explored.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 3.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.