Overview

Fire in the Sky is a two-player strategic-level wargame covering the entire Pacific War, from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One player commands the Japanese Empire while the other controls the Western Allies (US, Britain, ANZAC, and Netherlands). Players maneuver naval, air, and land forces across a hex-based map of the Pacific theater, vying for control of bases and sea lanes. The game uses an alternating player-turn structure within each game turn, with each player executing a full sequence of phases.

Components

• 1 Game Board (hex map of the Pacific)
• 1 Battle Board (for resolving individual battles)
• 1 Rulebook, 1 Scenario Book, 2 Player Aid Cards
• 115 Naval units (33 Japanese, 82 Allied) — square counters with Operational/Deployment sides
• 25 Land units (11 Japanese, 14 Allied) — round counters with full/reduced strength sides
• 30 Air units (15 Japanese, 15 Allied) — hexagonal counters with 2/1 Air Strength sides
• 10 Replacement markers (3 Japanese, 7 Allied)
• 7 Task Force & Fleet markers, 7 Task Force & Fleet screens
• Tracking markers: Game Turn, Victory Points, Oil Points, Merchantmen Pool, Transport Points (3), Submarine Points (2)
• Battle Board markers: Air Points, Air Superiority/Supremacy markers, Air Strike/Hit markers
• 5 Occupied Base markers, 1 Battle marker, 1 Tokyo Express marker
• 10 Dice, 30 Wooden cubes

Setup

1. Choose sides (Japanese or Allies) and select a game scenario from the Scenario Book.
2. Determine optional rules to use.
3. Set up all units and markers on the map according to the chosen scenario.
4. The main scenario (“From the Battle of the Java Sea to Japanese Surrender”) starts on Turn 2 and is recommended for competitive play.
5. Initial Victory Points equal the sum of Japanese-controlled bases. The Merchantmen Pool begins at 60.

Turn Structure

Each game turn represents approximately 3 months. Both players execute an identical sequence of phases, with Japan going first each turn.

Phase Sequence (per player)

1. Economic Phase (5.0): Japan transports oil from Resource Hexes and transfers DD units to/from Convoy Escort Box. Allies conduct Anti-Submarine Warfare and Submarine attacks against Japanese merchant shipping.
2. Reinforcement Phase (6.0): Receive scheduled reinforcements at Home Bases. Reset Submarine Points and Transport Points. Receive Replacement markers.
3. First (Major) Deployment Phase (7.0): Redeploy units via Sea Deployment (up to 4 hexes, costs TPs) or One-hex Deployment (free, limited movement).
4. Operational Movement Phase (8.0): Move units as Task Forces. Naval units move up to their Movement Allowance; air/land units up to 4 hexes. Japanese naval movement costs Oil Points.
5. Reaction Phase (9.0): Non-phasing player’s naval units may react (move up to half Movement Allowance) to intercept enemy forces. Must end in a hex with an enemy unit.
6. Air Commitment Phase (10.0): Phasing player commits air units to hexes (own hex or adjacent) for upcoming combat.
7. Combat Phase (11.0): Resolve Submarine Attacks, then Battles in hexes with opposing forces (Air Combat, Surface Combat, Sea Control, Land Combat).
8. Return to Base Phase (12.0): Naval units return to Home Bases. Occupied Base markers resolve into base control changes.
9. Second (Minor) Deployment Phase (13.0): Additional redeployment (no One-hex Deployment; units that used Operational Movement cannot deploy).
10. End Phase (14.0): Remove Replacement markers. Check Victory Point adjustments.

After both players complete their phases, advance the Game Turn marker.

Actions

Task Forces

Units move during Operational Movement as Task Forces (max 4 naval units + 1 air or 1 land unit). All units in a TF must start at the same base and move together at the speed of the slowest unit.

Battle Resolution (on Battle Board)

Battles occur in hexes with opposing forces:

1. Battle Board Preparation: Place units in appropriate boxes (Carrier TF, Bombardment TF, Ships at Anchor, Air at Base, Land at Base, Long Range Air).
2. Air Combat: Calculate Air Points from carriers and air units. Both sides roll dice simultaneously; hits reduce opposing Air Points. The player with more remaining Air Points gains Air Superiority (or Air Supremacy if the opponent has zero).
3. Surface Combat: Naval units committed to Sea Control boxes fight in rounds — Combat Groups Forming, Withdrawal Declaration, Fire Combat (cross-reference Firepower vs. Defense), End of Round. Continues until one side withdraws or is eliminated.
4. Sea Control: Player with surviving naval units in Sea Control box gains Sea Control, which is critical for amphibious landings and supply.
5. Land Combat: Amphibious landings (within 2 hexes of friendly base, requires Sea Control), then ground support (Air Points + naval Firepower), supply check, and land combat dice rolls. Higher total eliminates or damages opposing land units.

Supply and Logistics

• Supply Lines: Traced from Home Base through a chain of friendly-controlled bases, each within 2 hexes of the previous.
• Oil Points: Japanese naval units must spend Oil Points for Operational Movement and Reactions. Oil is transported from Resource Hexes (Singapore, Surabaya, Brunei) using Transport Points.
• Transport Points: Each nationality has its own TPs; reset each Reinforcement Phase. Japanese TPs equal their Merchantmen Pool value.
• Merchantmen Pool: Represents Japanese transport capacity; starts at 60, decreases from Allied submarine attacks and hits on Japanese units at sea. Never increases.

Damage Resolution

• Naval units: Roll Damage Checks per hit; if result >= Defense rating, the unit is sunk (permanently removed). Otherwise, damaged units go to the Game Turn Track and return after a number of turns equal to 2x hits received.
• Land units: Full-strength units flip to reduced; reduced units are eliminated. Eliminated land units return 2 Reinforcement Phases later.
• Air units: Each hit reduces Air Strength by 1.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Japanese Instant Win: Victory Points reach 40 or more.
• Allied Instant Win: Victory Points reach 19 or less.
• End of Game Turn 16: If VP total is 20, the game is a draw; otherwise Japan wins.

Victory Points change when bases are captured:

• Pearl Harbor, Kure, Yokosuka: 5 VP each
• Singapore, Manila, Calcutta, Bombay, Brisbane: 3 VP each
• All other bases: 1 VP each

Additional VP adjustments:

• Japan gains 2 VP during each Japanese End Phase if a Supply Line cannot be traced from US Home Base to Brisbane.
• Starting Turn 4, Japan loses 1 VP per turn if Manila is not captured, and 1 VP per turn if Singapore is not captured (until captured).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Air Zone of Control (Air ZOC): Each air unit at a friendly base exerts control over its hex and all adjacent hexes. Enemy units entering an Air ZOC must stop (or move one additional hex if already in one). Air ZOCs can block supply lines.
• Stacking Limits: Land Capacity is 4 for atolls, 8 for other land hexes. Air and Port Capacity vary per base. Checked at end of each Deployment Phase and Return to Base Phase.
• Japanese Carriers and Naval Aviation: Damaged carriers go to “Carriers without Planes” box and must be replenished with air units before returning to play.
• Amphibious Landings: Only allowed within 2 hexes of a friendly base, and only if the phasing player has Sea Control.
• Reduced-strength land units cannot initiate combat on their own.
• Allied Base Expansion: Starting Turn 6, Allied base Air/Port Capacities are multiplied (2x Turns 6-9, 3x Turns 10-13, 4x Turns 14-16).
• Resource Hex Fueling: Starting Turn 10, Japanese naval units in Resource Hexes move without spending Oil Points.
• The Netherlands: Dutch units have special handling (no Transport Point cost, ABDA units eliminated permanently if destroyed).
• Scenarios: Multiple scenarios in the Scenario Book cover different time periods and situations of the Pacific War.

Player Reference

Turn Phases (Each Player)

1. Economic Phase
2. Reinforcement Phase
3. First Deployment Phase
4. Operational Movement Phase
5. Reaction Phase (non-phasing player)
6. Air Commitment Phase
7. Combat Phase (Submarine Attacks, then Battles)
8. Return to Base Phase
9. Second Deployment Phase
10. End Phase

Key Resources

| Resource | Japanese | Allied | |———-|———-|——–| | Transport Points | = Merchantmen Pool | US: per schedule; British: 12 | | Oil Points | Required for naval movement | Not used | | Submarine Points | Reset each Reinforcement Phase | Reset each Reinforcement Phase |

Victory Point Thresholds

• Japan wins instantly at 40+ VP
• Allies win instantly at 19 or fewer VP
• At Turn 16 end: VP 20 = draw; otherwise Japan wins