Victory in the Pacific

Victory in the Pacific is a simple strategic wargame covering the Pacific Theater of WW2. It is a successor to the system developed in War at Sea which covers the Battle of the Atlantic.

The game divides the Pacific into 13 sea areas. Each turn the players move their ships, land based air and marines from the ports and bases (which are located on the borders of sea areas) to one of the areas.

Ships can either be patrollers (the only ships that will take control of area after battle, but they must commit their move first) or raiders.

After all ships have been moved, the players dice off determine whether a day battle (where air power is decisive) or night battle (when ship board gunnery rules) is fought. After a number of rounds, until one side or the other retreats or loses all of his ships, the player with patrolling ships left takes control of the area and a scores a number of "Points of Control".

The Japanese will almost always take a large lead that will be inevitably turned back by the Americans as they get large numbers of carriers as the game goes on.

from "The Avalon Hill General Index and Company History, 1952-1980"

Victory in the Pacific (1977)
Designed by Richard Hamblen

A sister game to WAR AT SEA, this version added much sophistication while maintaining the simple game mechanics which made WAS so popular. The elements of carrier warfare and island hopping are excellently portrayed in a very playable game system.

Magazine References:

The GENERAL Index Article List:

• The GENERAL Vol.14,No.4
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Nuts, Bolts, Philospohy and Design” (Designer Notes / Variant) Richard Hamblen
  • Victory in the Pacific, War At Sea – “War at Sea” (Variant) Richard Hamblen
  • Victory in the Pacific, War At Sea – “Additional Zones of Control, Ship Counters” (Insert)
  • The Question Box - Victory in the Pacific
• The GENERAL Vol.14,No.6
  • Series Replay - Victory in the Pacific Seth Carus, Bill Barr, Don Greenwood
• The GENERAL Vol.15,No.2
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Air Power in the Pacific” (Variant) Harry Buchanan
• The GENERAL Vol.15,No.6
  • Victory in the Pacific, War At Sea – “Realistic Victory at Sea” (Variant) Kurt Kimball
• The GENERAL Vol.17,No.2
  • Series Replay Victory in the Pacific – Ron Wright, Chris Roehl, Grady Hendrix, Don Greenwood
• The GENERAL Vol.17,No.3
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Air Power in VITP - Variant Units and Rules” (Variant) Craig Burke
  • Victory in the Pacific - “Return Fire” (Designer Notes) Steve Jackson Games
• The GENERAL Vol.17,No.4
  • Victory in the Pacific – “TKO in Three” (Strategy) Alan R. Moon
  • The Question Box - Victory in the Pacific
• The GENERAL Vol.17,No.6
  • Victory in the Pacific – “The Maniacal Approach - Countering the TKO” Ed O'Conner
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Another Country Heard From - Option 15: The USN Strikes Back” Grady Hendrix
• The GENERAL Vol.18,No.2
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Pearl Harbor Defended - A Flexible Response to an Ideal Japanese Strategy” (Strategy) James M. Lutz
• The GENERAL Vol.18,No.3
  • Victory in the Pacific – “More Realism for VITP” (Variant) Robert Calcaterra
• The GENERAL Vol.18,No.6
  • Victory in the Pacific – “The British Fleet in Victory in the Pacific” (Commentary/Variant) Jim Davis
  • Victory in the Pacific – “Our Designer Replies...” (Design Notes/Variant) Richard Hamblen
  • Blitzkrieg, Victory in the Pacific – “Blitz in the Pacific - Or Victory in the Krieg” (Variant) James Stahler
  • The Question Box - Victory in the Pacific