Jeff Petraska - 02:46pm Oct 28, 2001 PST (#8532 of 8544) Starting a new career as a Rules Lawyer Freshly out of the wrapper: Eastern Fleet by Avalanche Press, game #2 in their Second World War at Sea series. This one comes in a small box like the many of the earlier GWAS games. Unlike SOPAC, this game includes unmounted mapsheets, both operational and tactical. The tactical mapsheet is much larger than the original SOPAC tactical mapboard, with a size comparable to the earlier GWAS tactical maps. The hex pattern is the same as SOPAC, which is different from GWAS. The only glaring mistake I've seen is the omission of the tactical impulse movement chart from the tactical mapsheet, which means I'll need to keep my SOPAC mapboard handy just to reference the impulse chart. The operational map covers the Indian Ocean from the Malay Peninsula in the east to Addu Atol southwest of Ceylon, a much larger and more sparse area than the SOPAC map of the Solomons Islands. The game includes the same SWWAS series rulebook that comes with SOPAC. No rule changes or revisions. Special rules for Eastern Fleet are minimal, the most noteworthy being armored flight decks and the ability of British Albacores to make nighttime naval strikes. The scenario mix contains 3 battle scenarios and 8 operational scenarios. The largest two operational scenarios require ship counters from SOPAC. Maps and counters are the usual APL quality, which is very good. There is a single counter sheet containing 42 large IJN ships and 28 large Allied (mostly Royal Navy) ships, plus all the smaller counters for aircraft, etc. Some of the Japanese ships included in Eastern Fleet are duplicates of those in SOPAC, such as the Kongo-class BBs and the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. Highlights of the counter mix are are Japanese carriers Akagi, Soryu, and Hiryu (Kaga is noticably absent), the British carriers Hermes, Illustrious, Formidable, and Indomitable, and the old British BBs Warspite, Resolution, Ramillies, Revenge, and Royal Sovereign. Fairey Swordfish and Albacores are rated "3" for naval strikes, and the Fulmar is rated "2" for air combat. A quick look at the counters and scenarios suggests that the British are in for a tough time. The aircraft are outclassed by the Japanese, their carrier air groups are smaller and lack offensive punch. Their battleships are the equals of the Japanese Kongos in firepower, but will that be enough?