Picket Duty
The inspiration for the game came while I was reading the book, “Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships,” by Robin L. Reilly. I immediately thought of a solitaire game in which the player is the “captain” of a Fletcher Class destroyer while serving on radar picket duty off Okinawa. I jotted down my ideas and began the long process of design to printing.

Left: Preliminary Cover provided by Legion Wargames.

The ship depicted in the game is a Fletcher Class destroyer. Its weapons load out -- when it comes to aerial attack -- consists of the following: five 5” main guns (a gun crew of 11 men), 10 40mm guns (in 5 twin mounts - gun crew of seven men) and seven 20mm guns (a crew of four men).

Click here for a sample game | Click here for a flow chart of basic and advanced game sequence

PRE-ORDER the Game by clicking here!

The 5” inch guns can fire at high, medium and low angles, the 40mm guns can fire at high medium and low, and the 20mm guns can only fire at medium and low.

The Japanese are depicted by 27 different types of planes. Each of these types is known to have participated in kamikaze attacks. When these planes hit a ship, it was devastating. Most were armed with bombs, so not only the plane and its fuel caused damage, but also the bomb. Some of the planes also executed special attacks -- torpedo runs, dive bombing and launching Ohkas.

Each turn in the game (basically the passage of one day) is divided into three phases: Morning (0400-1200); Midday (1200-2000); and Evening (2000-0400). Each phase is also broken down by sub-phases depending on the flow of the game. Once three phases have been completed, a day is marked off on the turn record sheet.

The game comes with six scenarios depicting historical situations, a mini-campaign and a full blown campaign (March through June 1945). Making your own scenarios is a snap. Enterprising players will no doubt do so. A player is not restricted to playing a historical scenario. The player can name his own ship, pick a date to start and play away!

How do you win? If playing a scenario – stay afloat and remain at your assigned picket station. Any other result is a Japanese victory. Determining the victor in a campaign is done with a point system: whoever has the larger amount is the victor. If the score is equal, it’s a draw.

Sample Counters below - click here for the map | sample scenarios
(Note: All graphics are for play testing and may change in final product.)

Captain marker                            Kate with torpedo ability             Repair one crewman marker

5" gun target marker                   Willow kamikaze counter            Hit marker - Ship

Air support fire marker               Air support fire marker                Destroyed marker

4 Land Radar Stations Active    Flood Marker                               Hit marker - Japanese plane

Ship Radar Value Marker           Land Radar Value Marker          Surface Fire Support Marker