Game: Lightning: Midway

Thread: Just played

420017 — 2008-09-16T17:10:22+00:00

A game that looks simple to play but needs good tactics to to win.

The first plays are a matter of all out attack and counter attack.

After a few games one learns to limit attacks and defences while a decicive force can be mustered.

A good hand of Leader ,Event, Tactics, Speical cards needs to be biult up too.

A massive attack is not allways the way to victory.

We also started to use a D20 each to record attack/defence points so it is easier for your opponent to see want they need to counter

Good box size and nice cards
Rules could be a bit clearer to use.

Have won as US and JAP

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

Pudsy — 2008-08-22T14:46:38+00:00

Invité wrote:
Do this rule still apply in the following case: US and Japan both have only a fighter committed and the US play the Tactic Card "Fighter Escorts". So the Japan Fighter is discarded (great way of getting rid of a Zero by the way). So now Japan doesn't have a Force card committed anymore

Just spotted that this same question was asked some time ago over on consimworld & received an answer from the designer (couple of posts below).

Question
Darin Leviloff wrote:

If you are in a battle and the defender has committed one fighter to the defense and then the attacker plays a card that makes the fighter go away, can the defense continue without any committed forces left or does the attacker automatically win ?

Answer
Dan Verssen wrote:

Darin,
He could continue to play cards, because he did commit at least one force to the battle.

Hopefully will be of interest to others.

Thread: Re: Lightning: Midway wargamer's review

swandive78 — 2008-07-16T21:48:29+00:00

Peso Pete wrote:
Of the current games in the Lightning series, this is the one I have enjoyed the most. It is simple, but a better (actually more explicit) rulebook would've made this game much easier to get into than it is now. It doesn't try to be a historically faithful recreation of the Battle of Midway. If you are looking for that, look for a copy of CV by Yaquinto. Instead, this is meant to be a fun game that can be played in under an hour and has enough historical flavor to be worth your time to play. Good review, Seth.

Once again, I agree; I think this is the best in the series, so far. Not a simulation, but it gives a good tense feel of the battle without giving much effort to re-creation of the actual sequence of the battle.

Thread: Re: Lightning: Midway wargamer's review

Peso Pete — 2008-07-12T17:39:29+00:00

Of the current games in the Lightning series, this is the one I have enjoyed the most. It is simple, but a better (actually more explicit) rulebook would've made this game much easier to get into than it is now. It doesn't try to be a historically faithful recreation of the Battle of Midway. If you are looking for that, look for a copy of CV by Yaquinto. Instead, this is meant to be a fun game that can be played in under an hour and has enough historical flavor to be worth your time to play. Good review, Seth.

Thread: Re: Lightning: Midway wargamer's review

desertfox2004 — 2008-07-11T22:43:15+00:00

Has anyone undertaken to "rewrite" the rules in order to improve upon their presentation and reduce the confusion? If such a document exists and can be easily obtained, it might encourage me to buy the game.

Thread: Re: Lightning: Midway wargamer's review

swandive78 — 2008-07-11T22:24:19+00:00

wargamer55 wrote:
Lightning: Midway is published by a wargame company and is about one of history's most famous, dramatic and consequential battles -- but it's not a wargame.I agree. Not exactly a grognard's fantasy...unless the grognard is looking for a light, fast, challenging war-flavored card game.

wargamer55 wrote:
But Lightning: Midway is a game so permeated with the flavor of its topic that is not a simple military-themed card game like Battle Line or Naval War.That's why I like it...the theme is so integral to the mechanics that it is a very satisfying game to play when you are unable to play a real wargame.

wargamer55 wrote:
While I didn't have any trouble understanding how to play the game, the very minimalist presentation did cause some problems for players used to more elaborate explanations and less experienced players. The company Website includes FAQ that are easily longer than the base rules, although to be fair, this isn't really a reflection of any real problems with the rules. The game is perfectly playable out of the box.I totally disagree. The rules are badly written: vague and incomplete. The first play for almost everyone I've spoken to has involved a lot of head-scratching and baffled expressions.

wargamer55 wrote:
Nearly everything in the FAQ merely makes explicit many provisions that are implicit in the rules.Good FAQ; however, the written rules set contains far too much "implicit" information which needs to be explicit to easily and correctly play the game.

wargamer55 wrote:
It's an excellent two-player "filler" game for wargamers.Absolutely. Great game to stick in the game bag or suitcase if you'll be in a two-player situation with a fellow wargamer.

wargamer55 wrote:
For non-wargamers the unfamiliar terms and too-sparingly worded rules may make the game seem a bit more difficult than it really is.Even for many long-time wargamers as well, I'm afraid. I think it's probably stopped many gamers from enjoying this game and purchasing the other great games in this series (D-Day and North Africa).

Thread: Lightning: Midway wargamer's review

wargamer55 — 2008-07-11T18:21:36+00:00

Lightning: Midway is published by a wargame company and is about one of history's most famous, dramatic and consequential battles -- but it's not a wargame.

But Lightning: Midway is a game so permeated with the flavor of its topic that is not a simple military-themed card game like Battle Line or Naval War.

The basic structure of the game is exceedingly simple. Each player has four objective cards the opponent may target, four Japanese aircraft carriers on the one hand, and on the other, three American aircraft carriers and an island base that's indistinguishable from an aircraft carrier in game terms. These objectives are attacked and defended by various "force" cards as modified by different "action" cards. On a player's turn he/she can either attack an objective, put up to three force cards into play or draw cards up to a hand size of nine cards.

That's pretty much it. It's a very spare game design and the rules included with the game reflect that, being included on two sides of a single 8 1/2-inch sheet of paper, with plenty of white space and illustrations. While I didn't have any trouble understanding how to play the game, the very minimalist presentation did cause some problems for players used to more elaborate explanations and less experienced players. The company Website includes FAQ that are easily longer than the base rules, although to be fair, this isn't really a reflection of any real problems with the rules. The game is perfectly playable out of the box. Nearly everything in the FAQ merely makes explicit many provisions that are implicit in the rules.

Of the 110 cards included, two are "country cards" that review the sequence of play, describe the starting force cards and tell players who goes first (The U.S. player). Eighty more are the objectives, leaving 100 cards to actually play with -- 50 for each side.

The cards fall into five types:

The first are "force" cards, which in Lightning: Midway all represent groups of aircraft such as B-17 bombers, Zero fighters, Dauntless Dive Bombers and the like. Each is rated for its strength in attack and defense. Some have bonuses based on certain conditions (such as defending a carrier) and some are "dependent" on a specific objective and are removed from play if that objective is take out of play.

Supporting the force cards are three types of "action" cards: leaders, events and tactics. Each of these provides various modifications in combat. The key aspect of playing these cards is that there can be just one of each in any combat. Note, not one per side, but one total. So playing these cards is very much a zero-sum move that causes a big swing. Not only do you get whatever benefit your leader may provide, you also deny your opponent the benefit he might have gained from his leader. The same goes for tactics and events.

This provides some interesting game play while also providing a way to introduce many colorful personalities and real-life events to the game with few rules.

Filling out the card roster are a few "special action" cards that are played outside of combat resolution to affect the game in some way. I think the use of the term "special action" is one of the truly confusing aspects of the rule because they are not "action" cards as otherwise defined. I would have just called them "special" cards and left it at that.

The game plays very fast, the box says 30 minutes and that seems about right. It's an excellent two-player "filler" game for wargamers. For non-wargamers the unfamiliar terms and too-sparingly worded rules may make the game seem a bit more difficult than it really is.

For other reviews see my game blog at http://pawnderings.blogspot.com

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EndersGame — 2008-06-05T18:43:49+00:00

Leader card for USA forces

Thread: Re: HELP-Missing card

EndersGame — 2008-05-31T23:22:40+00:00

Here's an image of the card you are asking about:

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Thread: HELP-Missing card

Flahdonk — 2008-05-31T18:51:43+00:00

I just got midway and the japan card was not in the deck...could somebody tell me what the card reads....i think i need to know so i can play the game?????

Thanks

Thread: Re: Scratch One Flattop!

swandive78 — 2008-05-20T11:20:45+00:00

A great review of one of my favorite games. I, too, think it is the best of the series, and also agree that the rules leave the player with a lack of confidence. In fact--this is probably the reason this game hasn't sold twice as many copies as it has--the rules are actually quite good, but badly written and hard to understand as written. I rate it as a must-buy game, actually pretty easy to learn (with the F.A.Q.s, that is) and fast to play. And fun.

Thread: Scratch One Flattop!

da pyrate — 2008-05-20T02:40:05+00:00

Lightning: Midway

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Two-player Card Game of the Midway Campaign
Designed by Dan Verssen
Published by Decision games (2004)

Lightning: Midway is one of a series of card games designed by Dan Verssen and published by Decision Games. I, personally, have Lightning: D-Day and Lightning: North Africa in my collection. The series of games feature individual decks for each player and all have a intense flavour as they are played. Each game is quite different, apart from the fact that they are all card games.

Although the box says the game plays in 30 minutes I would put it at closer to 45. The game plays fast and is full of tension.

Components

1 sheet of rules – the rules are extremely short, perhaps the shortest rules I have ever read. They probably are complete but don’t give the reader the feeling of confidence. Getting the FAQ off ‘the Geek’ makes it easier to learn, play and understand the game.

110 cards – two decks of cards – one deck of 55 cards for the U.S. player and another, different, deck of 55 cards for the Japanese player.

There are four types of cards: Country Cards, Objective Cards, Force Cards and Action Cards.

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Country Cards: one card for each player which tells you your starting forces and outlines the sequence of play.

Objective Cards: each player has four objective cards. The Japanese player has four Aircraft Carrier cards while the U.S. player has three Aircraft Carrier cards and a Midway Island card. The aim of the game is to destroy all four of your opponent’s objective cards before suffering the loss of your own objective cards. Each objective has different characteristics (e.g. if the Kaga is the selected objective then each Zero gets ‘+1’ added to the defence).

Force Cards: the force cards represent air formations. Each card is ‘dependent’ upon one of the objectives. By that I mean that some Japanese force cards are based on the Kaga and if the Kaga is destroyed then the dependent force cards are removed from the game. Likewise, some of the U.S. force cards may be dependent upon Midway Island. Once the Island is captured the U.S. player loses the use of the aircraft that would have been based there.

Action Cards: these are cards which are played during the resolution of combat. They represent such things as Tactics, Leaders, Events and Special cards.

Playing the Game

The game is played in alternating turns. Each turn each player decides to either Assault, Resupply or Prepare.

Assault: you select an enemy objective and allocate one or more force cards to the attack. The defender also may allocate one or more force cards to the defence. Either player who has a force in the assault may play action cards. The force cards have a certain numerical strength – this strength may be modified by the situation (e.g. Japanese fighters defending a carrier get an extra ‘+3’, U.S. fighters based on Midway get an extra ‘+2’ when defending Midway, etc.). The object of an assault is to end up with a numerical advantage and, in the process, destroy the enemy objective.

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Both players can modify the result by adding leaders, tactics and events. Each assault may only have a single leader card, tactic card and event card. If the Japanese player puts out an event card the U.S. player may pass, put out their own event card (which will cause the Japanese event to be discarded) or put out an tactic card or a leader card.

This continues until both players pass.

At the end of the battle, all force cards are returned to the players’ hands.

Resupply: In your turn you may put upto three force cards onto the table to become part of your Uncommitted Forces.

Prepare: draw new cards to fill your hand to nine cards.

Impressions

I think that Midway is probably the most evenly balanced on the Lightning series of card games.

There is a lot of double-guessing in this game. Naturally you want to put a lot of planes into any attack to give it the best chance of success. The down-side is that planes used in the attack will be unavailable for defence if the other player responds with their own immediate attack.

When playing your Action cards, sometimes you choose not to play the best cards first, expecting that the other player will be able to nullify them.

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You may decide to put in an attack to draw cards out of your opponents hand or to get them to commit much of their uncommitted forces.

While the game is not primarily a simulation I feel that there is some simulation value in the game.

I find that at this point in time I am looking for ‘lunchtime’ games. Something that doesn’t take long to set-up or pack away and something that can be played in less than an hour. Midway is a fine ‘lunchtime’ game.

“Dead Men Tell No Tales!”

Thread: Re: New Lightning games in development!

Drewcooter — 2008-03-05T02:42:51+00:00

I received an email from Dan Verssen today and Lightning Poland is going to be the next game to come out. He thinks in should be out within the next few months, woohoo!

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

Honor — 2008-02-17T01:01:37+00:00

There is one part of ejamer's description that doesn't match Decision Game's FAQ:

Play any number of action cards from their hand, discarding any currently in play action cards that are replaced.

I believe each player is only allowed to place 1 action card at a time.

And here is the section from the FAQ
Q: When playing the Event, Leader, and Tactics cards, do the effects take place immediately?

A: Yes. Here is a summary of how the cards are resolved:
1) Both players play cards back and forth one at a time
2) Resolve card text as each card is played (unless specified as "After Battle")
3) Repeat 1 and 2 until both players pass in succession
4) Resolve the outcome of the attack
5) Resolve any "After Battle" text

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theaney — 2007-12-26T18:42:37+00:00

Ben's Kates and Vals launch yet another strike on my carriers. (I don't know why he's frowing, since he's winning.)

Thread: Re: New Lightning games in development!

Duglis — 2007-12-25T19:59:10+00:00

Stalingrad one sounds good!

Thread: Re: New Lightning games in development!

hermeticmage — 2007-12-12T04:39:21+00:00

That's very nice, but I need to see the games and the progress. I know these things take a while, but Lightning:Stalingrad was supposed to come out this year. I expectantly await...

Thread: Re: New Lightning games in development!

benwang — 2007-11-23T07:13:58+00:00

Please no more War on terror!!
Lightning series is the best card war game series. It plays fast and tense.

Thread: New Lightning games in development!

Drewcooter — 2007-11-21T17:36:14+00:00

It was posted on DG's website that Dan V. is currently working on 3 Lightning games: (1) Stalingrad, (2) Poland and (3) Operation Market Garden.

The Polish one intrigues me as it could potentially be a 3 player game.

Thread: Re: Need Advice: How can the USA win?

Drewcooter — 2007-11-20T21:17:04+00:00

It is worth risking the obsolete Buffalo in an attempt to play a card that allows you to remove a zero from play.

Additionally, don't underestimate the power that Midway provides in allowing you to return one of your commited Midway forces to the table after your turn (making resupply less necessary , unless the US player has made a substantial commitment).

Thread: Re: Need Advice: How can the USA win?

Xanthos — 2007-11-20T19:25:49+00:00

Drewcooter wrote:
The US has the advantage in Action cards while the Japanese have the advantage in Forces. The US player needs to make use of the Midway Island advantage (of being able to deploy a force for free after the battle , Midway based) by launching probing attacks to deplete the available Japanses forces on the table and maybe trade a Buffalo fighter for a Zero. Play to the US strengths in Action cards, that being said we have found that Japan has a slight edge , but it is not insurmountable.

What do you mean by trade a Buffalo fighter for a Zero? I might not be understanding some of the rules correctly.

EDIT: I believe I understand resupply and committing your forces to a battle. What happens afterwards? If the American uses a Buffalo fighter against a Zero both are simply returned to their owners hands afterwards correct? So, is it a matter of the American player needs to plan to attack two turns in a row so that at least one of the Zero's was returned to the Japanese player's hand. But the IJN can simply resupply to get that Zero back into play on his turn. Are the force cards really enough to overcome the +6 that the IJN has on defense at the begining of the game?

Thread: Re: Need Advice: How can the USA win?

Drewcooter — 2007-11-20T18:24:40+00:00

The US has the advantage in Action cards while the Japanese have the advantage in Forces. The US player needs to make use of the Midway Island advantage (of being able to deploy a force for free after the battle , Midway based) by launching probing attacks to deplete the available Japanses forces on the table and maybe trade a Buffalo fighter for a Zero. Play to the US strengths in Action cards, that being said we have found that Japan has a slight edge , but it is not insurmountable.

Thread: Need Advice: How can the USA win?

Xanthos — 2007-11-20T16:49:19+00:00

How can the USA win in this game? I've played a few times against other players and have run a few solitaire games to try out the game more. I'm having a difficult time figuring out how the USA can win.

The two Zeros that Japan gets at the begining of the game seems to make it nearly impossible for the USA to destroy a Japanese objective. I know that some depends on the cards in your hand as well as how many cards your opponent has in hand and the forces currently avaialbe.

Could some one give me some tips to help the USA player? I really want to play this game but I haven't managed to see the USA player win yet. I know the USA has some pretty cool action cards but Japan does as well.

Also, is there one Japanese objective that is usually better to target first?

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T13:29:32+00:00

Complete card reference

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T13:28:50+00:00

Detail of a Japanese Zero

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T13:28:14+00:00

The box insert and game contents

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T05:58:23+00:00

Sample SPECIAL cards (US) - all four different cards

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T05:57:29+00:00

Sample TACTICS cards (Japan)

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T05:56:21+00:00

Sample LEADER cards (Japan)

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EndersGame — 2007-11-09T05:55:29+00:00

Sample EVENTS cards (US)

Thread: Re: Instructions are horrible -- Please advise

EndersGame — 2007-11-08T19:39:54+00:00

And the BGG download for the FAQ:
http://boardgamegeek.com/file/download/9769/Midway_Q_&_A.doc

Also see ejamer's excellent post (dated May 31, 2005) in this thread:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/66514
His concise set of instructions is very helpful, and I hope he will soon make this available as as a separate document in the Files section for this game.

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

EndersGame — 2007-11-08T19:35:06+00:00

bkindt wrote:
Another, related question:
If one side hasn't played any forces, can they still play an Event such as "Lost Target"?
Presumably you mean "No Target" card, which is actually not an Event card but a Special card. As such, it can be played immediately after your opponent has designated an Objective and committed Forces. The special text reads: "Play after the Japanese player has selected an Objective and committed Forces to the attack. The attack automatically fails." There's no need to commit defensive Forces in order to play this card. Note that the attacking player can play the "Scouts" Special card to cancel the effect of "No Target".

ejamer: Your concise set of instructions above looks excellent. You should definitely consider making it into a document and uploading it in the File section for this game.

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EndersGame — 2007-11-08T18:07:45+00:00

Gameplay: Japanese carrier "Soryu" under attack from US planes (strength 9), but well defended by Japanese Zeros (strength 12)

Thread: Lightning: Midway: Session Report

hermeticmage — 2007-10-21T15:13:45+00:00

Lightning: Midway

Lightning: Midway Session Report
11 October 2007

Life has been busy, therefore the delay in posting this. The players were myself and Devin Barber, the owner of War Dogs Game Center in Jacksonville, Florida. I played the Imperial Japanese Navy. Devin took command of the United States Navy.

A quick review: Each side has a country card that lists the objectives for the opponent to achieve, the starting forces for the side, and when it takes it’s turn.

Turn 1: Devin Resupplied, placing an F4F Wildcat squadron from Midway, a Dauntless squadron from the Hornet, and another Dauntless squadron from the Yorktown.
I attacked Midway with a Val squadron from the Soryu, and a Kate squadron from the Hiryu. Devin defended with the Midway Wildcats, a squadron of F4F Wildcats from the Enterprise, and the F2A Buffalo squadron from Midway. The attack factors were 8 to 6 in favor of the Americans. Lt. Tomonaga made his presence felt to make it 9-8 in favor of the Japanese. The Americans deal with him with clever Counter-Tactics, making it 9-6 in favor of the Americans. I played the AAA card just to get rid of the Counter-Tactics, making it 8-6 to the Americans. Devin passes. The stirring words of Vice Admiral Tamaguchi spur the Vals & the Kates to work together, making it 12-8 in favor of the Japanese. However, the force becomes Disordered, turning it back to 8 to 6 for the Americans. Lt. Tomonaga reasserts himself to make it 9-8 for the Japanese. However, Admiral Nimitz rallies the Americans to repulse the attack. Midway remains functional.
The Vals immediately Rearm & Refuel, making themselves available for the next assault.
Midway Island does the same for the Midway Wildcats.
Turn 2: Devin attacked the Soryu with the Dauntless squadrons from the Hornet and the Yorktown, an Avenger squadron from the Yorktown, and the B-17 squadron from Midway. I defend with the Zeros from the Kaga and Akagi, making the battle 10-8 in favor of the Americans. Devin passes. Vice Admiral Nagumo makes his presence felt, narrowing the gap to 10-9 for the Americans. Devin passes again, as the advantage is still his. The Japanese make use of a Scouting Report to even things at 10-10. The Americans bring things together as the Dauntlesses and the Avengers execute a Combined Attack, bringing the battle to 14-10, sinking the Soryu.
I respond by Resupplying, putting Zeros from the Akagi and Kaga back into play, along with a squadron of Kates from the Hiryu.
Turn 3: Devin Resupplies, bringing out the Midway Buffaloes, the Enterprise Wildcats, and the Yorktown Dauntlesses.
With my hand dangerously low, I Prepare, drawing six cards to refill my hand.
Turn 4: Devin Resupplies again, putting an Avenger squadron from the Yorktown into play, along with a patched together Avenger squadron , and a Dauntless squadron from the Hornet.
I Resupply, putting the Val and Kate squadrons from the Kaga out, along with a Kate squadron from the Akagi.
Turn 5: Devin attacks the Hiryu with Midway B-17s, the Dauntlesses from the Hornet and the Yorktown, and the Avengers from the Yorktown and the patched together Avengers. I defend with Zeros from the Akagi and Kaga, starting things in favor of the Americans, 11-8. Devin passes. I respond with Superior Tactics, making things 11-11. The Dauntlesses respond with Dive Breaks!, making it 15-8 for the Americans. Japan’s Superior Pilots counter the Dive Breaks, making things 11-9. Devin runs out of cards and options, allowing Admiral Yamamoto to make his presence felt, making things 12-11 for the Japanese. The Hiryu survives. Midway keeps the B-17s available for duty.
I respond by attacking Midway with Kates from the Hiryu, Akagi, and Kaga, Vals from the Kaga. The Midway Buffaloes and Wildcats fly up to meet them along with the B-17s. The battle ends as it starts, with the Japanese ahead 12-5. Midway and it’s planes are rendered inactive.
Turn 6: Devin Prepares, drawing five cards to fill out his hand.
I Resupply, putting the Zeros from the Akagi and Kaga back out, along with the Kaga Kates.
Turn 7: Devin Resupplies again, dropping a Wildcat from the Yorktown, a Dauntless from the Hornet, and the patched together Avenger squadron.
I prepare and draw three cards.
Turn 8: Devin sends the patched together Avengers, the Yorktown Wildcats, and the Hornet Dauntlesses to attack the Kaga...but find No Target!
I attack the Yorktown with the Kaga Kates. The Hornet Wildcats intercept. The Japanese start with a 4-3 lead. The Japanese catch the Yorktown with Loaded Decks for an 8-3 lead. However, Aircraft Losses put the Japanese at a 6-4 disadvantage. Lieutenant Kondo makes his presence felt, putting the score back to 4-3. The Wildcats Press the Attack! for a 6-4 advantage to the Americans. The Japanese Press the Attack! themselves to bring a 7-3 advantage to themselves. Devin passes. The Japanese inflict more Aircraft Losses, while Devin passes. The Yorktown is sent to the bottom.
Turn 9: Devin launches a desperation attack with the Enterprise Wildcats against the Kaga. Once again, the Akagi and Kaga Zeros respond. The Japanese enjoy an 8-3 advantage. Lt. Commander Thatch makes his presence felt to reduce the advantage to 8-4. But the Wildcats are destroyed with the Zero Escort Fighters, and the attack fails.
I announce my intention to Resupply, whereupon Devin concedes.

Thread: Re: Instructions are horrible -- Please advise

SubbySSBN — 2007-09-26T10:35:02+00:00

The FAQ page has been moved here:
http://www.decisiongames.com/html/erules.html

Thread: Re: Instructions are horrible -- Please advise

southseasnurse — 2007-01-03T21:56:17+00:00

I think this is some kind of record; one page of rules producing 4 pages of Q&A

Thread: Re: Session Report

Xanthos — 2006-08-19T23:06:56+00:00

I also just played my first game. I was IJN and had a similar experience though the Americans did take 2 objectives near the end of the game. It ran over 45 minutes for us as we figured out the rules and such. I also anticipate that it will take 30 minutes in the future. My friends played another game of this while I played Memoir with the same result of the IJN winning. I am guessing that the more experienced player should play the Americans though I've only personally played one game so far. I'm going to do more research online and play more times before writing a session report / review.

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

bkindt — 2006-06-13T22:22:23+00:00

Another, related question:

If one side hasn't played any forces, can they still play an Event such as "Lost Target"?

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

bkindt — 2006-06-13T22:21:36+00:00

Good question. I too prefer option 1.

Thread: Re: Which side goes first?

Michael Ward — 2006-05-06T03:25:04+00:00

The Americans. The words "YOU GO FIRST" is at the bottom of their country card.

Thread: Which side goes first?

bkindt — 2006-05-06T02:45:04+00:00

Do the Japanese or Americans play first in this game? Or, do you just pick a side?

Thank you,

Ben

Thread: When you've thrown everything you have at the enemy...

swandive78 — 2006-03-26T03:42:55+00:00

The Backstory:

There we were, my best buddy (General D.) and I were going on a weekend road trip with the wives. None of us had seen much of each other for a while, so the wives were going to be occupied catching up and resting up from the nominal twelve-hour drive. General D and I wanted a new game, and we needed it to be a game that had several important characteristics. It needed to be complete in itself (not collectible); we needed to be able to easily tote it around; it had to occupy only a small playing area; it had to be easily learned; it had to be playable in a short time; and it had to be a game of agressive warfare. We'd both been reading about the Pacific theater of WWII, so the Pacific War was much in our thoughts.

We put the question to the Geeks, and several people recommended the first two games in the Lightning series (D-Day and Midway). Since we'd been thinking about the Pacific, Midway seemed the perfect choice. It had the advantage of being currently available in our friendly neighborhood game store, so I bought it and took it home to anticipate the upcoming fray.

The Preparation:

I used my Swiss Army Knife to slit the shrink-wrap at the red light at the edge of the game store's parking lot. I opened the box and saw that there was not much to the game: two decks of cards (110 cards in all) and a single two-sided sheet of "Quick-play" rules.

I waited until I got home to peel open the decks of cards. There was a single deck of cards for each side (the U.S. and Japan). Each player gets one "Country Card" that gives a list of the starting forces and the sequence of play of each turn. The top half of the cards were taken up by black and white illustrations of ships, planes, aerial seascapes, historical figures, and, of course, Midway Island, with the card name at the very top. Most were actual photographs, but several were naval aviation artwork. Like most collectible card games, the bottom half of the cards gave information on what to do with the card. The cards were designed well, but there was nothing exceptional about them.

The rules were on a single double-sided 11" X 8.5" sheet. The front was the actual rules, and the back was a diagram of the layout of the cards on the game table. The rules only took a couple of minutes to read, so I read them several times, and thought I understood them.

I was to be proven quite wrong.

The Maiden Voyage:
While the wives took naps at the hotel rooms in an attempt to recover a whole day on the road, General D and I sat at the Cracker Barrel next to the hotel and opened up the box. I explained the rules, General D read the rules, and we dealt the cards.

The game is fairly straightforward. Each country has four objectives to protect: Japan has four aircraft carriers, and The U.S. has three aircraft carriers and Midway Island (which functions as an aircraft carrier).

Each player must bring planes (fighters, dive-bombers, torpedo bombers and level bombers) to a state of readiness by bringing them from his hand to the table, then commits them to attack or defend objectives. Then the players escalate the conflict by playing cards which represent Tactics, Events, or Leaders. These cards allow the players to alternately raise the stakes until one side can not raise the stake further and capitulates, thus ending the combat, resulting in either an unsuccessful attack, or the loss of the defender's objective.

When each objective is taken, plane cards that are linked to the carrier or island are discarded for the rest of the game. What this means is that the see-saw starts to tilt as soon as the first carrier goes. As further carriers are taken, the game becomes a bit more panicky, and play becomes suddenly more defensive or more agressive, depending on the player. Fear drives either a scared unwillingness to attack or a crazed, all-out attack that leaves no defensive forces to screen retribution on the following turn.

The end came quickly, and we both wanted an immediate rematch, but the wives had awakened and called to say they were on their way to come eat French Toast with us, so we packed the game away for the evening.
We liked it, but there was something not quite right about it.

Research and Salvage Operations:

I went to BoardGameGeek.com and checked out the reviews and files for the game and found a link to the publisher's FAQ for Lightning: Midway. The FAQ answered all our questions and a few we hadn't thought of. Going back to the rules sheet, I reread the rules, and they made sense with the additional clarifications. Our conclusion: the rules set itself was great, but the written rules were awful.

We played again and again and again, and with the complete, clear rules set, really, really enjoyed the game. It's very much the sort of game you ache to play again immediately after finishing. I've taught it to another player (who is not an experienced card player) since General D and I played, and he picked it up immediately and, true to form, wanted a rematch after every game. General D and I sent a copy of Lightning: Midway (with rewritten rules) to a friend serving with the Army in Iraq, with whom I plan to play in several weeks.

Mission Debriefing:

MY CONCLUSIONS:

COST: A bit high for what it is, but affordable considering the quality of the game play.

COMPONENTS: Nice, but could be better. The cards are simple but well-designed, but are not printed on cards that will live a long life. I wouldn't mind the high cost if the cards were better.

RULES: To reiterate, the rules set is great, but the provided printed rules are not. Get and read the FAQ before playing.

DIFFICULTY: Easy to learn, with the right rule materials; easy to teach; easy to play; but not necessarily easy to win. Involves both strategic and tactical thinking. Chance, in the form of the luck of the draw, does play a large part, but it tends to even out.

VERSIMILITUDE: Not a simulation, but it does give a pretty good feeling of the panic, of the escalating conflict, and of the accelerating loss of war materiel during the Battle of Midway.

REPLAYABILITY: Obviously, you're replaying the same battle over and over again, but that doesn't matter. Every game is different enough to keep your interest, and compelling enough to keep you coming back for more.

WOULD I BUY ANOTHER GAME WITH THE SAME SYSTEM? Yep. I bought Lightning: D-Day, which has a related set of rules. I would like to see more WWII battles represented. The Battle of the Bulge and Guatalcanal come foremost to mind.

FUN: Very fun.

SHOULD YOU GET IT? I think so.

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

Invité — 2006-02-22T12:10:56+00:00

Great rewrite Ed!

Important Note: To play action cards, you must have at least one Force card committed during the assault. If you do not have any Force cards commited, your only option is to pass.

Do this rule still apply in the following case: US and Japan both have only a fighter committed and the US play the Tactic Card "Fighter Escorts". So the Japan Fighter is discarded (great way of getting rid of a Zero by the way). So now Japan doesn't have a Force card committed anymore,

so
1 - he can't play Action Cards anymore (nor Force Cards of course) so he loose the battle?

Or
2 - because he had Force card at the beginning of the battle he can continue to put Action Cards even if there is no more Force card at one point of the battle resolution?

I prefer choice 1.

Thread: Re: Pearl Harbour avenged

Gamegrunt — 2005-08-03T03:33:42+00:00

A very nice session report indeed, Elijah!

I recently obtained a copy of Lightning: Midway's sister game, Lightning: D-Day. It too will inspire session reports that read like units in an American history textbook.

Gg

Thread: Lightning: Midway Review

pilgrim — 2005-08-02T17:27:57+00:00

Overview

Lightning: Midway (to be referred to hereafter as "Midway") is one of a trilogy of the two-player, fast-playing "Lightning" series by Dan Verssen, with the topic of this game being the pivotal WWII Battle of Midway. With a play time of roughly 30-45 minutes, Midway offers the refreshing option to play a military simulation with strong historical flavor and tense gameplay in a fraction of the time of a traditional wargame. The backbone of successful World War II carrier operations was centered around three main issues: (1) finding the enemy carries, (2) quickly and decisively striking the enemy, while (3) maintaining a strong enough defensive presence to protect your own carriers. Midway attempts to capture the flavor of that process by a novel method of cardplay.

The Mechanics

Each player begins the game with a fixed starting force of carriers (including the island of Midway) and aircraft. Players then alternate turns and have three available options: (1) Prepare -- draw cards to fill the hand to capacity, (2) Resupply -- place cards on the table as ready (or "uncommitted") forces, or (3) Assault -- choose some of the uncommitted forces and commit them to an attack on a specific enemy carrier. This provides a wonderful feeling of the entire Refueling/Rearming ("cards in your hand"), Ready-5 ("cards on the table"), and Sortie/CAP ("cards committed to an attack or defending against an attack") process of carrier warfare. Unfortunately, and this is a huge unfortunately, the rules as included in the box give very little indication of how the process works. After reading the rules through several times, I still was not sure exactly how, when, and where to play cards, and it wasn't until I read the FAQ under the files section here at BGG that I understood both the designer's intention and the mechanics of play.

Once an attack is declared, the defender is able to choose forces from the table in front of him ("Ready-5") to defend, and that begins the battle resolution. This is the other unique, but less historically-flavored, mechanism of Midway: the Tactic, Leader, and Event cards. Starting with the attacker, each player may play one Tactic, Leader, or Event card to the table to help him in the battle, and any Tactic, Leader or Event card replaces the one of that kind already played (for both players). In addition, the Tactic, Leader and Event cards can trigger a number of other special effects to happen either immediately or after the battle. Play alternates until both sides refuse or are unable to continue, at which point the strength of each force is summed and the higher total wins, with the result being either the destruction or successful defense of the carrier. All planes return to the player's hand (barring any special after battle effects, or planes lost due to special card effects during the battle), and the turn passes to the other player. At first glance at the rules, the casualty rate seemed quite wrong: how could I successfully defend the Soryu with an overwhelming number of Zeroes only to have all the lumbering Dauntlesses return to their carriers? Shouldn't the USN have lost much of the attacking force? However, the first play of the game settled the issue. Although it may not seem to match history exactly (why aren't the Devastators dropping like flies?), the "returning to hand" mechanism combined with an occasional, but devastating, destruction of an airplane provides the perfect balance and tension to the game.

Components

The game comes in a small, sturdy box which is slightly oversized for the contents (110 cards and a quarter-folded sheet of rules). (However, I appreciate the box; we have children in the house that we allow to play our games, and the cardgames that we have in the deck-of-cards sized flimsy boxes -- Mamma Mia, King's Breakfast -- end up in plastic bags more often than not after the closing tab rips off. ) The cards themselves are fairly lightweight stock with period photography of the object at the top (whether a plane, carrier, leader, etc.) and the strength and special effects of the card in clear text at the bottom. The photography is, in general, quite good, but there are several pictures that are less than clear.

Rules

As I mentioned previously, the rules are poorly presented and dreadfully incomplete. It would surprise me if anyone who had no prior exposure to the game could play it correctly, or possibly even at all, with only the included rules in hand. That having been said, the FAQ does clear up all the issues.

Balance

In my first two games I played as the USN, winning two crushing victories, and I feared that the game was horribly unbalanced. However, in the third game I was the spectator, and the IJN player was much more aggressive than my opponent had been and soundly beat the USN. Each navy has it's own strengths: the USN has a clear edge in the Tactic/Leader/Event cards while the IJN can place much stronger forces to the table. That information must be taken into account during the game; like an aerial dogfight, if you can force your Boom-and-Zoom opponent out of his envelope and into a turning fight your job is much easier.

An additional note is that Midway contains a card, "Knock Out Blow", which may provoke a reaction similar to that of the much-disliked "All Out Offensive" in Battle Cry. It allows a player to attack every enemy carrier simultaneously, with success in the battle ending the game and giving the victory to that player. Personally, I have a hard time justifying the card and would prefer to take it out of the deck.

Replayability

With fixed starting forces and a fixed deck, this is not an infinitely replayable game. Furthermore, there are obvious moves in the early game (the IJN player receives a bonus for attacking the still-damaged Yorktown) that constrain, or at least channel, the play. However, the numerous combinations of Tactic/Leader/Event cards have resulted in quite a different end-game in each of the battles we've played so far.

Fun-factor

Midway is a thoroughly enjoyable game. The decisions each turn are horribly difficult -- Do I risk an attack with so little CAP available to defend? Should I fill my hand in hopes of drawing an excellent card, or should I make do with what I have? -- and the cat and mouse game of the Tactic/Leader/Event resolution is incredibly tense. Nothing about the game feels dry or abstract.

At the same time, there are a few niggling problems. First, there is very little simulation of the searching portion of a WWII carrier battle; the opposing carriers are on the board and able to be attacked at all times. This was slightly disappointing, especially in light of the fact a primary factor of the USN victory at Midway was two providential sightings of the Japanese carrier group.

Secondly, the Fog of War comes only through the Tactic/Leader/Event cards. The planes available for attack/defense are clearly visible in the Uncommitted Forces row on the table, so it's an easy calculation to determine if a player even has an outside chance at victory.

Summary

Lightning:Midway is a great game in a small package. The game mechanics are perfectly suited for the historical setting and the resultant gameplay, once you are helped past the abysmal rules, is exciting and enjoyable. This is a game that is highly recommended for anyone familiar with the historical background who is looking for a quick, fun game.

Thread: Pearl Harbour avenged

elijah234 — 2005-07-31T12:06:09+00:00

This is the story of how a few US dive bombers inflicted the greatest defeat on the Imperial Japanese navy.

Right from the start, the US attacked hard and fast, sending all its initial forces except for the Buffaloes on Midway against the Akagi. The Japanese Zero fighter screen was foiled by Lt. Thach, who shot down a Zero squadron. The Japanese were unable to overcome the setback and the Akagi was sunk by US firepower. The Japanese tried to counterattack by launching a strike against the Enterprise but failed to find the target (No Target).

Both sides took the lull to ready their planes and to resupply. The US deployed more Wildcat fighters, while the Japanese deployed more Kate torpedo bombers and Val dive bombers. A US attack on Soryu was foiled when the Americans failed to find the target (No Target). Finally noticing the weaker Yorktown, the Japanese went on the attack with Superior Pilots. The US put up 3 Wildcat squadrons to defend the Yorktown but failed and the Yorktown went down.

The US now decided to go for the Knock-Out Blow, targeting the 3 remaining Japanese carriers. The US threw everything into the attack, except for the Buffaloes on Midway. The Japanese sent everything up to defend, even their torpedo and dive bombers. Leaders were called on to lead the attack and were neutralised by opposing leaders. The US had Radar and the Japanese were found to have Loaded Decks! But in the end, the US attack was too ambitious and missed out on sinking the Japanese carriers. Again, both sides used the lull to ready and replenish.

The Americans finally drew 2 Dauntless and 1 Devestator squadrons. The US now threw them into action against Soryu, which had a full complement of aircraft in play. If the US could take it out, the Japanese would lose 3 squadrons of planes! This time, the B-17, Dauntless and Devastator squadrons were right on the mark, catching the Soryu with Loaded Decks and the Soryu was sunk. A Japanese counterattack by the weakened Kaga and Hiryu complement was brushed aside with the help of AAA Guns.

It was now only a matter of time before the Japanese defeat. The US took the time to replenish allowing the Japanese to launch a strike at Enterprise. The US made no attempt to defend Enterprise and it was sunk. Now, the US threw a massive attack against Hiryu led by Lt. Best and using superior dive-bombing tactics (Dive Brakes), finishing off Hiryu. Another Coordinated Strike led by Lt. Dickson finished off Kaga, giving the US their victory.

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

Drewcooter — 2005-05-31T16:58:38+00:00

Ed is right on the money. Once you have committed your forces you can not add more.

Thread: Re: Force cards during attack

kostek — 2005-05-31T03:41:21+00:00

Thanks for your input. Is it an official ruling, or is it your best guess?

I agree the rules aren't clearly written, but I agree with their decision to go with a single sheet. The problem isn't the single sheet; the problem is the unclear wording.

I take this as an example of how difficult good writing can be. It's doubly difficult for game companies, because they already know what they mean. Not that I mean to excuse sloppy rules; I just want to say I know it's hard work.

tmk

Thread: Force cards during attack

kostek — 2005-05-30T23:54:43+00:00

I just got this game, and it looks great. I'm anxious to play it. One thing isn't quite clear to me, however. When I initiate an attack, do I have to commit all my forces at the beginning, or can I add them piecemeal? I can imagine situations where I would put in a few planes, then see how the battle plays out before committing more forces.

Is this allowed? Or is the idea that you must choose up-front what forces are committed to the battle?

Thanks for any insight.

tmk

Thread: Re:Clarification on 'Dependent' Cards

Drewcooter — 2005-03-04T08:08:35+00:00

wkover (#78530),

I think once they are discarded they are removed from the game. Not that it would make much difference, I have yet to have a game where either player got through there whole draw pile and had to reshuffle.

Thread: Re:Instructions are horrible -- Please advise

Ronnn — 2005-02-23T01:06:33+00:00

davedanger (#86207),
During your turn you can either:
Fill your hand up to nine cards or
Move force cards from your hand to the table (these forces aren't committed yet)or
Attack, now you use the force cards already on the table to be comitted in battle

All committed surviving forces are returned to your hand after battle.
Objective cards are put aside and not put into your hand of cards thus they don't count towards hand limit.

Go to:
http://www.decisiongames.com/html/living_rules.html
for FAQ.

Hope this helps,
have fun.

Thread: Re:Couple of questions about tactic cards and resupply

UncleBuck — 2005-02-21T05:03:55+00:00

bkornele (#87639),

1. I just figured that the tactic card that says that it discards the American tactic card just said that so that there was something to say rather than having blank text.

2. Resupply cards are played face up.

Note that the rules have the resupply and prepare words switched. Resupply would be the act of drawing cards to resupply one's hand where to prepare would be preparing forces for attacking and defending (playing to the table.) I think that the turn sequence on the Country Card has them in the right places.

Thread: Couple of questions about tactic cards and resupply

bkornele — 2005-02-20T20:00:10+00:00

1. There is a Japan tactic card that states "Discard the American Tactic card". Doesn't playing the Japan tactic card discard the American tactic card anyway?

2. Are resupply Force cards played face up or face down?

Thread: Re:Instructions are horrible -- Please advise

davedanger — 2005-02-15T18:09:35+00:00

fuji8bit (#74436),
Not clear yet.

What is Resupply?
the answer, or course, affects this question:

When attacking, where do the forces come from?
Out of your hand?
If not, what is a "commited force"?

If you have 9 cards and add one from an objective, what happens?

Please explain a turn starting with "I attack" up to
both passing.
for simple wargmes rules, my brain hurts..
tnx

Dave

Thread: Re:Clarification on 'Dependent' Cards

wkover — 2005-01-19T14:37:20+00:00

Also, just to clarify, the discarded "dead weight" cards are actually placed in the discard pile. They aren't removed from the game.

Thread: Re:Question about Midway Objective card

wkover — 2005-01-19T14:35:53+00:00

I just heard back from the game designer. The text on the Midway objective is always in effect -- not just when Midway has been successfully defended from a Japanese attack.

Thread: Re:Question about Midway Objective card

wkover — 2005-01-12T19:00:44+00:00

theaney (#52916),

Note that the Grognard Q&A file says the exact opposite:

"Midway's text is in effect at all times (not just when engaged)."

[this is the very last statement in the file]

I like your interpretation better, though.

Thread: Re:Clarification on 'Dependent' Cards

will64 — 2005-01-08T00:55:51+00:00

revtim (#75255),
If you draw a force card that was dependant on a now sunk carrier, it has to stay in your hand as "dead weight" for that turn. The "dead weight" force card can be discarded at the start of your next turn to make room for fresh cards if you choose to draw up to nine for that turn.

Game on!!!

Thread: Session Report

revtim — 2005-01-05T22:18:06+00:00

Played our first game of Lightning:Midway. I'd gone onto the web to get some clarification on the rules, so we didn't get as confused as the printed rules form the box might have led us to be.

I played the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and Dave played the United States Navy (USN.) Description of the rules to Dave took only a couple of minutes and we started in playing. I attacked the Yorktown right out of the gate on my first turn (the game seems to beg the IJN to do this by giving a bonus to the IJN on a Yorktown attack,) and had enough action cards to easily win. I decided on an aggressive strategy and didn't hold much back.

Dave was more controlled in his attacks and didn't manage to take out any of the Japanese carriers. I used the Zero's to good advantage as Carrier screens and managed to fight off all attacks.

It may have been the luck of the draw, but the game felt heavily wieghted to the IJN. I managed to clear all his carriers and Midway without him taking any of mine. I play more games, so there may have been some advantage to me there as well.

The game ran long, 50 minutes, while we felt our way through, subsequent games ought to be in the stated 30 minute range.

It was a lot of fun, great lunchtime game. The cards are really lovely with real photos on them and attracted a lot of interested onlookers.

Thread: Clarification on 'Dependent' Cards

revtim — 2005-01-05T22:08:11+00:00

Clarification: Cards which are dependent on a captured objective are no longer playable. The ones on the board are removed from play and any in your hand are no longer playable (dead weight.) If you draw on you keep it.

{According to the Q&A of collected answers from the designer on Grognards.}