Game Turn, Seasonal Turn, Weather & Sample Counters

Each turn is divided into phases, which are further divided into steps. Note that some steps, and even complete phases, may be skipped because no one wants to perform any of the actions that normally occur during that step or phase.

Rule section numbers ((1.0), (2.0), etc.) next to the steps in the sequence of play are for reference-they indicate which rule covers that procedure.
Sequence of Play

The members of a partnership perform each phase simultaneously, except for offensives, which are performed individually.

In the sequence of play, units belonging to the partnership performing a given phase are referred to as "friendly"; units belonging to the opposing partnership are called "enemy" units.

1. WEATHER PHASE [1.0]

Check the turn track for the weather in the current month. If more than one possibility is listed, roll a die to determine the actual weather condition. Determine which weather zone suffers any possible weather effects; this always includes the arctic zone, and may include the monsoon or land zones, depending on the condition for the month. Roll two dice for each affected weather zone to determine whether air units in that zone are grounded for the turn.

2. STRATEGIC WARFARE PHASE [2.0]

Resolve strategic warfare for all attacks the U.S. player chooses to make. Strategic warfare is optional; players are never required to attack, so some or all of these steps may be skipped in many turns. Perform strategic warfare in the following order:

Step 1: Strategic Bombing of Japan (6.0). Mark as committed attacking Allied bombers and fighters on the map. The Japanese player marks defending fighters. Players alternate committing additional fighters, if desired, until all participating fighters have been marked. Air-to-air combat is resolved. Total the surviving, unaborted bomber strength points and roll two dice, consulting the Bombing table (on the player aid card) to determine how many Japanese EPs are lost.

Step 2: Submarine Blockade of Japan (3.0). Roll a die for every eligible Allied SS unit, and subtract the total EP loss from the Japanese EP track. Place activated markers on all SS units that performed strategic warfare.

3. NAVAL AND AIR PHASE

The player with initiative decides which side performs this phase first. That side performs the following steps:

Step 1: First Naval Movement [4.0]. Move friendly naval units and sea transports (STPs). Units are embarked and moved for amphibious assault and naval transport. Supply markers are embarked on STPs and moved from port of origin to port of destination.

Enemy naval and air units in interception range (see 5.0 and 11.0) can intercept moving friendly units. Friendly naval and air units in interception range of moving enemy units can perform counterinterception. Resolve combat in each space as it occurs, counter-interceptions before interceptions.

Naval units that do not occupy a port, but have used half or less of their movement points can be marked standby at the owning player's option.

Step 2: Air Attacks. Friendly air units that are attacking enemy naval or air units move to their target hexes. These air units can be intercepted by enemy fighters, which can in turn be counterintercepted, and so on. Interception combat is resolved in each hex during movement as it occurs; however, combat
is not resolved in any final target hexes until all airstrike movement has been completed (18.5).

Step 3: Naval Attacks [5.0, 6.0]. Friendly naval units that have not performed a successful counter-interception this phase can attempt to intercept enemy units if the two stacks occupy the same space. Resolve combat in each space as it occurs.

Step 4: Air Movement [10.0]. Move friendly air units that are changing base. Air transport points (ATPs) can carry air supply markers and land units from origin to destination. Enemy fighter units can move to intercept moving friendly air units within range; friendly fighter units can counter-intercept moving enemy fighter units. Resolve combat in each
hex as it occurs, before air units continue moving.

Step 5: Final Air Movement. Return all air units from both sides to base. No interception or air combat occurs during this step. Air supply markers are landed, with transporting ATPs returning to their original bases, if desired.
Now the other side performs the Naval and Air phase, following the same sequence. When both players have concluded steps 1 through 5, both perform step 6 simultaneously.

Step 6: Sea Supply Debarkation. Supply markers that have been transported by sea are debarked in their ports of destination.

4. OFFENSIVE PHASE

One nation with initiative performs an offensive, activating some or all of its units and following the procedure below. After this offensive, an enemy nation performs an offensive, followed by another friendly offensive, etc. The sides alternate until all players have performed all desired (or eligible) offensives.

A player may choose to perform a land offensive, a sea offensive, or an air offensive [19.0]. Combined and joint offensives, involving more than one offensive performed simultaneously, can be performed, sometimes requiring an EP cost for additional offensives. A sea offensive cannot combine with a land offensive; however, an air offensive can combine with either type.

4A. LAND OFFENSIVE SEQUENCE

Step 1: Command Status

A. Reduce your country's total on the offensives track by 1, or more if this is to be a combined offensive. Pay EPs if necessary for combined offensive or impromptu offensive costs.

B. Indicate the nation or island group where the offensive will occur; indicate all locations if this is a combined or joint offensive.

Step 2: Land and Amphibious Offensive Movement

A. Move all eligible ground units activated for this offensive [20.0].

B. Debark units that will perform amphibious assaults in their destination hexes [7.6].

Perform air offensive here, if an air offensive is combined with the land offensive.

Step 3: Combat

A. Friendly paratroops that will make paradrops this step are activated and moved [16.0].

B. Friendly bomber units that will provide ground support to friendly attacks are moved. Friendly fighter units can move to accompany the bombers. Enemy fighter units can intercept moving friendly units within range; friendly fighter units can counter-intercept moving enemy fighters. If air combat occurs, all attacks in a given hex are resolved before unaborted, moving air units continue on to further hexes.

C. The attacker designates which ground units will be attacking which enemy hexes.

D. Eligible enemy bomber and fighter units move to provide ground support to defending hexes. They can be intercepted (and interceptors counter-intercepted) as outlined in B, above.

E. Resolve all paradrops (16.2).

F. Conduct all ground attacks (21.0). Perform advance after combat (22.5) for each combat as it is resolved.

G. Return all air units from both sides to base. No interception or air combat occurs now.

Step 4: Unit Status

A. Mark all air units that flew, for either side, as committed.

B. Mark ground units "Activated" or "Standby," as appropriate.

4B. SEA OFFENSIVE SEQUENCE

Use this sequence only when a player decides to use his offensive to perform a sea offensive instead of a land or air offensive.

Step 1: Command Status

A. Reduce your country's total on the offensives track by 1, or more if this is to be a combined offensive. Pay EPs if necessary for combined offensive or impromptu offensive costs.

B. Indicate the stack of naval units that initiates the offensive (the command stack), or each stack initiating an offensive if this is a combined offensive. (Note: Other stacks marked standby can be activated during this offensive, if they are within range of the initiating stack [19.1].)

Step 2: Naval Movement

Friendly naval units that are marked standby and are activated for the offensive can move. They can use up to 10 naval movement points (exception: damaged units and STPs can move only 5).

This move is subject to interception by enemy naval and air units, just like during the Naval and Air phase except: 1) only enemy naval units marked standby or activated can intercept; and 2) only enemy air units that have not been committed can fly.

Perform air offensive here, if an air offensive is combined with the sea offensive.

Step 3: Offensive Naval Attacks

Activated naval units in spaces with enemy naval units can attempt to intercept and attack the enemy units. (Enemy units fight back regardless of activation status.)

4C. AIR OFFENSIVE SEQUENCE

Step 1: Command Status

A. Pay for offensive.

B. Indicate target hexes) (maximum of two per air offensive).
Step 2: Air Movement

Move attacking air units to target hexes, resolving interception attempts along the way.

Step 3: Airstrikes

Resolve airstrikes.

Step 4: Return to Base

Return all air units to bases and mark a1 units participating in the offensive (for either side) committed.

5. MOVEMENT PHASE

The side with initiative must perform this phase first, followed by the opposing side. Only ground units that were not activated for any offensive can move during this phase.
Eligible units are moved as desired by the friendly player, within the limits of the movement rules. Units transported by sea are debarked and, if in a port hex, can move up to one hex. Rail capacity can be used to move eligible land units by rail.

6. END PHASE

All players perform this phase simultaneously.

Step 1: Second Naval Movement. Return all naval units to ports, or pay 1 EP per area to maintain ships at sea (or 1 EP per 3 SS units). The player with initia tive moves his naval units first. Note restrictions on movement during this ste [4.7]. Resolve air interception of moving naval units as it occurs; no naval interception or combat occurs during this step. STPs that reach ports can debark transported land units, though those units must remain in the port hexes.

Step 2: Supply. Determine and mark units that are out of supply [25.0]. Roll for depletion of units marked.

Step 3: Replenishment. Japanese, Chinese, Australian, and Indian units in the replenishment box may be returned to the map (27.1, 37.2). Players can attempt to repair destroyed installations (27.5). Players can attempt to have their engineer units complete airfields (27.6).

Step 4: Command Status. Remove all PC, activated, and standby markers.

Step 5: End of Turn. Advance the month marker to the next turn. If the next turn is a winter seasonal turn, advance the year marker to the next year.

Seasonal Turn

Seasonal Turn: Sequence of Play

All players perform the individual phases of the seasonal turn simultaneously. When everyone has completed one phase, the next begins.
Phase One: Income [28.O]
Step 1: EP Collection. Collect seasonal income for major countries. Japan adds EPs for conquests.
Step 2: Lend Lease to China. The U.S. and the U.K. can send EPs to China; up to 12 EPs total can be sent [28.3].
Phase Two: Construction [29.0]
Step 1: Additions To Force Pools. (Winter seasonal turns only) Consult the
Allied and Japanese orders of battle (on the player aid cards) to determine what new units should be added to each force pool for the upcoming year and add these units to the force pools. Place units that are designated for the turn track into their appropriate boxes there.

Step 2: Entering Delayed Units. Place units in the current seasonal turn box of the turn track onto the map. Flip underconstruction airfields, fortification counters, and supply bases to their completed sides.

Step 3: Construction and Repair. Rebuild depleted land and air units and repair damaged naval units, paying EP costs for all repairs. Pay for and build units from the force pool, placing them on the turn track or map as appropriate. The Japanese player can add points to his economic reserve and adjust the ER marker. Pay for offensives that will be declared in the Initiative phase.

Phase Three: Initiative [30.0]
Step 1: Adjust Offensive Tracks. Adjust all offensives tracks to 0. All unused offensives left over from the previous season are lost.

Step 2: Buying Offensives. Secretly mark the number of offensives purchased on the offensives tracks, revealing the tracks when all have been adjusted. The side (Japan or Allies) with the most offensives has initiative for the coming three months. If the totals are equal, roll a die for each side. The player with the high roll gets initiative (reroll ties).

When these phases and steps are completed, the seasonal turn is over. The month marker is moved to the next turn on the turn track. After three monthly turns have been played, another seasonal turn begins.

Weather

In the WWII:PTO game, weather can affect ground operations, prohibit air activity, and hamper naval interception. Check the weather for the current month by looking at the turn track. If only one condition is listed (W, M, or F), that is automatically the weather for this month. If several letters and numbers are listed, roll one die. The resulting number indicates the weather condition for this monthly turn.

Three types of weather occur in the game: fair (F), monsoon (M), and winter (W). The weather condition lasts for an entire month.

There are four weather zones on the map: arctic, land, monsoon, and fair. The effects of weather vary depending on the condition and the weather zone.

Movement effects apply to all units that enter a hex in an affected weather zone during the month.

Combat effects are determined by the weather in the defender's hex.

[1.1] F Condition. Fair weather has no effect on play, anywhere on the map, except:

- Air units may be grounded in the arctic weather zone. One player rolls two dice; a roll of 2-6 has no effect, but a roll of 7-12 means that all air units are grounded in the arctic weather zone.

[1.2] M Condition. Monsoon weather affects the monsoon and arctic weather zones as follows:

- Air units in the arctic weather zone are grounded as during fair conditions, except that a roll of 2-7 has no effect; 8-12 grounds all air units.

- Air units in the monsoon weather zone are grounded on a roll of 7-12; a roll of 2-6 has no effect.

- The movement allowance of land units entering a hex in the monsoon zone is reduced to 1 hex, regardless of terrain.

- All attacks against land units in the arctic and monsoon zones suffer a -1 die modifier.

- Attacks across rivers into a monsoon hex suffer a -2, instead of a -1, modifier (cumulative with the above penalty, for a total of -3).

- A - 1 penalty applies to all naval interception rolls in the monsoon zone.

[1.3] W Condition. Winter weather affects the arctic and land weather zones as follows:

- Air units in the arctic weather zone are grounded on a roll of 6-12; a 2-5 has no effect.

- Air units in the land weather zone are grounded on a roll of 8-12; a 2-7 has no effect.

- Land units in the arctic and land weather zones lose 1 movement point (if they enter a hex in an affected zone).

- Land attacks in the arctic and land zones suffer a -1 penalty.
[1.4] Grounding Air Units. If the dice result for a weather zone results in air units being grounded, every type of air activity, including air reconnaissance, is prohibited in all hexes of that weather zone.

If more than one zone can be affected, make separate dice rolls for each zone.