Overview
Beachhead is a squad-level Pacific theater wargame published by Yaquinto in 1980. Set during 1942-1944, the game simulates American amphibious landings against Japanese island defenses. Each hex represents 25 yards, each counter represents one squad (~10 men), one heavy weapons team (~5 men), or one tank, bunker, emplacement, or gun. Each turn represents 20 minutes. The game is divided into basic and optional rules, with two main scenarios: “Opposed Landing” and “Banzai!”
Components
- Hex-grid map of a Pacific island beachhead
- Die-cut counter sheets with American and Japanese units
- Rules booklet (basic and optional rules)
- Combat Results Table
- Terrain Effects Chart
- Turn Record Track
- Dice
Setup
Players select a scenario. “Opposed Landing” has Americans attempting to land and force their way off the beachhead against prepared Japanese defenses. “Banzai!” has Japanese defenders launching a counterattack to retake a jungle plantation. Units are placed according to the scenario’s deployment charts. Japanese defensive positions (bunkers, gun emplacements) are placed on the map.
Turn Structure
Each Game-Turn represents 20 minutes:
- First Player Movement Phase: Move units within movement allowances.
- First Player Direct Fire Phase: Resolve direct fire attacks.
- First Player Indirect Fire Phase: Resolve artillery and mortar fire.
- Second Player Turn: Same sequence of phases.
- End Phase: Advance turn marker, check victory conditions.
Actions
- Movement: Squads and vehicles move across the hex grid. Terrain (jungle, beach, water, fortifications) affects movement costs. Amphibious landing movement handles the transition from sea to shore.
- Direct Fire: Infantry, machine guns, and tanks fire at visible enemy units. Combat considers range, terrain, and target type. Results may cause casualties, suppression, or route.
- Indirect Fire (Optional): Mortars and off-board artillery fire at areas rather than specific units. Indirect fire can target hidden units behind cover.
- Close Combat (Optional): Adjacent units may engage in hand-to-hand fighting, resolved separately from fire combat.
- Amphibious Landing: American units arrive by landing craft, disembarking onto the beach under fire. Landing craft are vulnerable to defensive fire during approach.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Scenario-dependent. In “Opposed Landing,” the Americans win by establishing a beachhead and moving units off designated map edges. In “Banzai!”, the Japanese win by recapturing the plantation area. Victory may also be determined by casualty ratios.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Japanese Defensive Positions: Bunkers and gun emplacements provide heavy defensive bonuses and are difficult to destroy.
- Banzai Charges: Japanese units may conduct banzai charges, gaining combat bonuses at the cost of increased vulnerability.
- Smoke (Optional): Units can lay smoke to block line of sight, covering advances across open ground.
- Japanese Reinforcements (Optional): Hidden Japanese reinforcements may appear during the game, representing reserves emerging from concealed positions.
- Air Strikes (Optional): American player may call in air strikes on fixed positions, using bombardment rules.
- Album Game Format: The game was packaged in Yaquinto’s unique “Album Game” format, with the box styled like a dual LP record cover.
Player Reference
| Terrain |
Movement Cost |
Defense Bonus |
| Beach |
1 MP |
None |
| Jungle |
2-3 MP |
Significant |
| Bunker |
N/A |
Very High |
| Water |
Special |
N/A |
| Scenario |
American Objective |
Japanese Objective |
| Opposed Landing |
Establish beachhead |
Defend beach |
| Banzai! |
Hold plantation |
Recapture plantation |