PILOT

TRAINING FIGHTERS
OF THE PACIFIC
MANUAL
N T OF THE N
T ME AV
In 1942 in the Pacific, two huge war fleets face each other.
The Japanese are filled with confidence after their surprise
Y
AR

attack on Pearl Harbor. However, nothing is yet decided

DEP

F I C I A L because the US Navy has managed to save their essential

OF
asset: aircraft carriers. For the first time in history, this new
weapon will be used extensively in epic carrier battles involving
hundreds of aircraft and warships. Brave pilots will attack
FIC

these steel giants as they spit fire in all directions. Most will
FI
CI

GH P A not return, shot down by enemy fighters, by ship batteries, or

TERS OF THE forced to land in the middle of the ocean when they run out of
fuel. Fighters of the Pacific pays homage to these courageous
soldiers by reproducing in a playful way the fury of air combat
at that time.
GAME SETUP
SCENARIO :
Each scenario shows how to build the board, and where to place airplanes and REFERENCE SHEET:
Available maneuvers and
ships. The scenario may include reinforcements and indicates on which turn rules of flight.
airplanes arrive, and in which zone of the board. Reinforcements are always
placed at the end of the indicated turn.
We suggest you play the scenarios in order, as they progressively introduce new
rules and game concepts.

AIRPLANE TOKENS: They represent airplanes, their type and direction.

VICTORY BOARDS: One side represents the airplane at high altitude (cloud background), the
Place destroyed enemy airplane, torpedoes and
other the airplane at low altitude (ocean background). Simply flip the token
bombs that hit their target, and objective markers
to indicate a change in the airplane’s altitude. The tokens are placed on the
in the area indicated by the scenario. At the end of
hexagons, facing a specific side.
the game, add up the corresponding points to get
your final score.
SHIP TOKENS: They represent ships on the ocean surface. They cover
either two hexes (destroyers) or three hexes (airplane carriers).

PAGE 2
 REFERENCE SHEET: TOKEN INVENTORY
Attributes of American or Japanese airplanes. TYPE VISUAL QTY TYPE VISUAL QTY
FRONT FRONT

MODULAR BOARD: The 8 modules are labelled on both sides: A1/

REINFORCEMENTS
INITIATIVE
A2, B1/B2, etc. up to H1/H2. Scenarios indicate which faces to use to BACK 1 4
BACK

build the playing area. Some hexes represent clouds or islands. Assemble
the playing area by setting up the boards as indicated in each scenario.

F4F WILDCAT
REFERENCE SHEET:

A6M ZERO
18 17
Rules for determining initiative.

TBD DEVASTATOR SBD DAUNTLESS

D3A VAL
22 18

B5N KATE
10 12
INITIATIVE MARKER:
It has two sides: USA and
Japan. It is used to indicate
which player has the initia-
tive for the turn.

USS HORNET
1 1

KAGA
REFERENCE SHEET:
Indicates current turn
number, in which turns
the players get rein-
forcements (if any), and
which turn the game
ends, as indicated in
each scenario.
USS ENTERPRISE

AKAGI
1 1

REINFORCEMENT MARKERS:
They indicate the turn of arrival of reinforce-
ments in a scenario. Red for Japanese, blue
for Americans.
END OF GAME MARKER: FRONT BACK

It indicates the turn on which the game ends, FRONT BACK

depending on the scenario. Reaching the

DESTROYERS

TORPEDOES

4 12
marker triggers the last turn.
TORPEDO AND BOMB TOKENS: BARRAGE MARKERS:
They are placed on the airplanes that are They indicate the hex on which an AA battery
equipped with them at the start of the is firing a barrage. FRONT BACK
BOMBS

12 6
AA

game, then on the board if necessary.

OBJECTIVE MARKER:
DAMAGE MARKERS: It indicates the hexes that must be destroyed
They are placed under an airplane or on on islands or any type of objective depend-
BARRAGES
DAMAGE

part of a ship or a land hex to indicate that ing on the scenario.. 14 8

it has suffered damage.
ACTIVATION MARKERS:
AA MARKERS: They are used to mark an airplane or group of FRONT BACK
ACTIVATION

OBJECTIVES

They represent the locations of anti-aircraft airplane already activated in the current turn. 30 6
defenses (AA) on an island.
ATTITUDE MARKER:
END OF GAME

TURN MARKER: For the solo mode. It indicates the attitude of 1 1

TURN

It indicates the current turn. the BOT player.

PAGE 3
TURN DESCRIPTION
Each game lasts a number of turns set by the scenario. Each PHASE 1 - INITIATIVE
turn is made up of 3 successive phases. For the first turn, the scenario indicates which player has
the initiative. Initiative is determined at the beginning of
1 - THE INITIATIVE PHASE
each subsequent turn as follows:
Players determine who has the initiative for this turn.
Each player counts his handicap for all his airplanes still
2 – THE ACTIVATION PHASE in play:
Players activate all their airplanes and anti-airplane • + 1 handicap point for an AG at high altitude.
batteries (AA). including those on surface vessels • + 2 handicap points for an AG at low altitude.
.
• + 1 handicap point per damaged airplane.
3 – THE END OF TURN PHASE The player with the fewest handicap points gets the initi-
Compulsory movements are carried out, reinforcements ative. The Initiative token is placed on the corresponding
placed and the victory conditions are checked. side. In the event of a tie, the player with the initiative
Turns continue until victory conditions are met by one of keeps it.
the players or the number of turns reaches the scenario AA, Ships and Islands do not count in this calculation.
limit.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY

1 - INITIATIVE
主
Each group of aircraft
at high altitude =
+1 handicap
INITIATIVE

2 - ACTIVATION
導
Each group of aircraft
at low altitude =
- Activate groups in turn +2 handicap
- Player with initiative plays first

権
Each damaged
and can always pass aircraft =
+1 handicap

3 - END OF TURN Player with least

handicap wins
- Move Ships the initiative

- Move Torpedoes OFFENSIVE

- Place Reinforcements
If a draw
BOT ATTITUDE
= initiative
MODE SOLO
DEFENSIVE
- Check for victory doesn’t change

PHASE 2 – ACTIVATION
AIRPLANE GROUP During this phase, the players alternately activate either
The notion of airplane group (AG) is very important one of their AG or AA. When an AG is activated, the player
for phases 1 and 2. An airplane group (AG) is a set of controlling it moves an airplane and resolves its attack
airplanes that meet these 4 conditions: (if any), then moves a second airplane in the same AG (if
• Belonging the same player, any) and resolves its attack, etc., until all airplanes in the
• Adjacent, i.e. a series of hexes that connect by at group have been activated. It is then his opponent’s turn
least one side to form a continuous whole, to possibly activate an AG or AA. Activation markers
are placed next to airplanes or AGs that have completed
• At the same altitude,
their activation. An airplane of an AG does not have to
• Facing the same direction. end its movement still as a part of the group. It then will
A single airplane forms an AG
G on its own. form or join a separate AG in the next turn.

PAGE 4
EFFECT OF THE INITIATIVE The movement of an airplane must follow these 4 rules:
The player with the initiative begins the activations, but
1. Use all the MPs.
can let his opponent play first. Generally speaking, the
player with the initiative can always skip his turn. He can 2. Never perform a maneuver to the right (Slide or
therefore let his opponent activate all his AGs and then Turn) after a maneuver to the left (Slide or Turn)
activate all his own. However, he can only activate one AG and vice versa.
at a time and must let his opponent play between two of 3. Never perform a Climb and a Dive maneuvers in
his activations. the same movement.
4. Never end the movement on another airplane at
MOVEMENT the same altitude.
Each airplane has a speed value that corresponds to the
SHOOTING
A6M FIELD OF FIRE SBD FIELD OF FIRE
number of movement points (MP) it must spend, except
in case of Dodging (see below). Each airplane has a Field of
Here are the possible maneuvers of an airplane with their Fire, a set of hexes in which
cost in MP: it can shoot at an airplane
at the end of its movement
ADVANCE – 1 MP : Move forward one
(see page 8). The Field of
hex, straight ahead and do not
Fire is valid only at the same altitude as the airplane.
change direction or altitude.
It is not possible to shoot an airplane at a different alti-
SLIDE – 1 MP : Move forward one tude. At the end of its movement, an airplane can shoot
hex to the right or left and do not at a signle target present in its Field of Fire.
change direction or altitude. 1. If the target has not yet been activated, it must Dodge.
TURN – 1 MP : Turn 60 ° (one notch)
to the right or left, then move for-
ward one hex without changing
altitude.
DIVE – 0 MP : Move forward one
hex straight ahead and switch from
2. If the target has already been activated, or is still in the
high to low altitude. It can be per-
Field of Fire after dodging, then it is hit and takes damage.
formed at any time during move-
ment, including when Dodging.

CLIMB – 2 MP : Move forward one hex

straight ahead and go from low to
high altitude.

SPLIT-S – ALL MP : Only available to If there are multiple airplane in the Field of Fire, the shoot-
airplanes with the Fighter trait. It er must shoot at the nearest airplane.
costs the entire MP allowance of
the airplane. It can be performed It is impossible to shoot to, through or from a cloud or
to Dodge. To Split-S, the airplane through another airplane. Clouds are always considered to
must be at high altitude. It finish- be at high altitude.
es the maneuver at low altitude,
DODGING
on any hex adjacent to its starting
point, with the tail of the airplane When an airplane that has not yet been activated is shot
pointing towards its starting point. at, it must dodge in an attempt to escape the Field of
Fire of the airplane firing at it. A Dodge is a compulsory
PAGE 5
movement of one hex to Advance, Slide or Turn, possi- BARRAGE
bly accompanied by a Dive if the player wishes. A Fight- Some flak have a high-altitude barrage
er at high altitude can also choose to Split-S in order to option that is used instead of normal
Dodge. You can never Climb to Dodge. After a Dodge, low-altitude fire.
the dodging airplane is considered activated. It cannot
For the Americans, each segment of a ship and each
Dodge or be activated again during this turn.
ground flak have this option.
For the Japanese, only one segment per ship (chosen each
DAMAGE
turn) and the ground flak can fire a barrage.
Each airplane has an armor value, usually 1 or 2, which
indicates the amount of damage it can take before being After the initiative calculation and before the very first activa-
destroyed. tion, the player with the barrage option may place one bar-
An airplane with an armor value of 1 is destroyed the first rage marker within 2 hexes of each flak units in question..
time it takes damage. An airplane with 2 armor must be These flak units are considered activated and may not fire
hit twice to be taken down. To indicate that an airplane at low altitude during the turn.
with 2 armor points is damaged, place a damage mark- As soon as an airplane, enemy or friendly, passes at high
er under the airplane. If this airplane receives additional altitude through the marked hex, it automatically suffers
damage, it is destroyed and removed from play. one damage. The Barrage marker is left in place. A marker
placed directly on an airplane inflicts damage to it without
RESPONSE it being able to react.
If an airplane is shot at and survives All Barrage Fire markers are removed during Phase 3 - End
the damage, it can retaliate as long of Turn
as the attacker is in its Field of Fire.
The original shooter then takes damage
and can be destroyed, but that does not
negate the effects of its initial shot. PHASE 3 - END OF TURN
Once all AGs and AAs have been activated, players move
CHAIN REACTION on to phase 3 - End of Turn and do the following actions
It is possible that an airplane that has just dodged an in that order:
attack, now has an enemy in its own Field of Fire, and 1. Ships are moved.
this enemy if not activated yet can also dodge and in the 2. Torpedoes are moved.
process of doing so end up aiming at a target of its own. 3. Activation tokens are removed.
In this case resolve first all the dodges, then all the dam- 4. Barrage markers are removed.
ages while going up the chain. 5. Reinforcements (if any) are placed as indicated
by the scenario.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSES (AA) 6. Victory conditions are checked.
All hexes of a warship are equipped with anti-aircraft If neither player wins the game, advance the Turn marker
defenses (AA). Depending on the scenario, AA markers are one space forward and start a new turn by determining
also placed on certain island hexes. AAs are considered to the initiative.
be at low altitude and cannot move (however
they follow the ship on which they are located).
They have a Field of Fire into the 6 adjacent SHIPS, ISLANDS
hexes as well as their own hex. AAs are never AND GROUND ATTACKS
grouped for activation, even if they are adjacent. AAs are
activated like AGs and can then target an airplane that is SHIPS
in their Field of Fire. The shot is resolved in the same as In some scenarios, ships are pres-
it is for an airplane. An AA is only activated once per turn. ent and are often targets to be de-
An AA on the mainland can only be destroyed by a bomb. stroyed. All warships are equipped
The AA of a ship is put out of action if the hex of the ship with an AA on each of their segments
where it is located is hit by a bomb or a torpedo. (2 for Destroyers, 3 for Carriers).
PAGE 6
Ships must move during phase 3 - End of turn. TORPEDOES
A ship cannot overlap another ship, but its movement is Airplanes with the Torpedo Bomber trait can be
mandatory if an option is possible. If no option is possi-

Mouvement = 2 segments
equipped with one torpedo per airplane at the

JAPANESE TORPEDO
ble, then he stays in place. Airplanes, even at low altitude, start of the game. To drop a torpedo, the airplane
can fly over a ship. must perform at any time during its movement
Ships of two segments (destroyers) advance one hex ei- the Advance maneuver at low altitude, then plac-
ther straight ahead, or to the front left, or to the front es a torpedo token on the hex in front of it, facing
right. Their back segment is placed on the hex where the same direction, and the airplane can end its
their front segment was located before movement began. movement as the player wishes if it has MPs left. A

Mouvement = 1 segment
Ships of three segments (airplane carriers) either advance torpedo cannot be placed this way directly onto a

US TORPEDO
one hex straight ahead or rotate 60° (one notch) to the right ship. It must be placed on a water hex first.
or to the left and advance one hex. Their back segment is
placed on the hex where their middle segment was located Torpedoes are moved straight ahead during
before movement began. phase 3: 2 hexes for Japanese torpedoes and
1 hex for US torpedoes.

DESTROYER MOVEMENT CARRIER MOVEMENT

BOMBS
Damage to ships is only possible with bombs or torpe- Airplanes with the Level Bomber trait can
does. When a segment on a ship is hit, place a damage be equipped with one bomb per airplane at
marker on that segment. The AA of this space is then im- the start of the game. To drop a bomb, the
mediately out of action. airplane must perform two Advance maneuvers at low al-
titude, then place a damage marker on one of the hex it
FF
I RE
AA FIELD OF FIRE
entered. This square is automatically destroyed.
L DO
FI E
AA

OR

If the back segment of the ship is hit, the ship becomes

stationary until the end of the game.
If the center or front segments of an airplane carrier are hit, DIVE BOMBS
it will then no longer be able to launch any reinforcements. Airplanes with the Dive Bomber trait can be equipped with
When a segment is hit once, it is destroyed and cannot one bomb per airplane at the start of the game. Use Bomb
be hit again ( Victory Points, as described in scenarios, are Markers, either to indicate airplanes that still have their
scored only once per segment). bomb, or to indicate they no longer have it if it is more con-
venient to you. To drop this bomb, the airplane must per-
ISLANDS
form a Dive at any time during its movement, then place a
Depending on scenarios, islands may contain objectives Damage Marker on the hex where it is located to mark the
or AAs . An island does not hinder the move- location where the bomb fell. The player can then complete
ments of airplanes, but prevents those of ships. Damage the airplane’s movement as he wishes if it has MPs left.
to islands is only possible with bombs. When a hex on
an island is hit, place a damage marker on that hex. The
AA there is immediately out of the action. When a hex is
hit once, it is destroyed and cannot be hit again ( Victory
Points are scored only once per target hex).

PAGE 7
AIRPLANES AMERICAN AIRPLANE SPECIFICATIONS
In addition to their speed, armor and field of fire, air-
F4F WILDCAT SBD DAUNTLESS TBD DEVASTATOR
planes have one or more traits that give them unique
FIELD OF FIRE FIELD OF FIRE FIELD OF FIRE
abilities.

SPEED: SPEED: SPEED:

FIGHTER: Can perform the Split-S maneuver. ARMOR: ARMOR: ARMOR:

LEVEL BOMBER: Can drop a bomb.
DIVE BOMBER: Can drop a dive bomb. TRAITS:
TRAITS: TRAITS:
Bomber Bomber
Fighter
TORPEDO BOMBER: Can drop a torpedo. Dive Bomber Torpedo Bomber

AGILE: Can perform a free Pivot of 60° (one notch) left

or right at the end of movement while respecting the JAPANESE AIRPLANE SPECIFICATIONS
rules of flight (no left Pivot after a right maneuver and
vice-versa). A Pivot is performed on the current hex and A6M ZERO D3A VAL B5N KATE
does not change the airplane’s position or altitude. FIELD OF FIRE FIELD OF FIRE FIELD OF FIRE

20MM GUN: Double the damage on a target on the hex

just in front of the airplane.
x2

FLAMMABLE: Take double damage while in the hex just

in front of the shooter when it’s an airplane with Fighter
trait.
SPEED: SPEED: SPEED:
USING THE ACTIVATION MARKERS
Place a marker on an airplane that has completed ARMOR: ARMOR: ARMOR:
its activation, or use a single marker for an entire AG in TRAITS:
order to use fewer markers. TRAITS:
Bomber
TRAITS:
Fighter Bomber
Dive Bomber
Use markers of different colors if you have multiple Agile Torpedo Bomber
Flammable
airplanes or AAs on the same hex. 20mm Gun
Agile
Flammable

Use the numbered counters in the case of chain reac-

tions to easily resolve Damages after a chain reaction
of dodges. CREDITS
Author: Frank Garibaldi DON’T PANIC GAMES ©2021
Developer: Didier Dincher CEO : Cedric Littardi
Cover illustration : Editorial Director:
Alexandre Bonvalot Sébastien Rost
Tokens illustration : Translation:
Antoine Schindler Nicolas Lion
Proofreaders: Graphic Designer:
Andy Down, Robert Bloom, Vincent Diez
Stephen Bassett, Nathan Goodyear

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