Hi All,
The last Panzer Campaigns game (Moscow ’42) in the series was released back in 2012. We’re planning to soon end the hiatus…
Wargame Design Studio has been expanding its capabilities over the last 18 months. We now have several development teams focused on both upgrading existing John Tiller releases as well as creating completely new titles.
Most of our work over the last 18 months has been the upgrading of both the Panzer Campaigns and Civil War Battles series but we have not neglected new titles.
We’re pleased to pre-announce the next entry in the Panzer Campaigns series (or is that Pacific Campaigns?!!); Japan ’45.
Japan ’45 covers Operation Olympic, part of the proposed Operation Downfall – the Invasion of Japan. Though cancelled after the Japanese surrender in September 1945, Olympic was fully planned and many of the forces preparing for the operation due to commence in less than two months’ time. The southern Japanese island of Kyushu was the primary target, to provide airbases for Allied air power to help subdue the rest of Japan.
Japan ’45 includes the whole of Kyushu island and environs and models the amphibious landings and subsequent push to clear enough territory to allow the air infrastructure to be built. The included 40+ scenarios ranging from small 6 turn scenarios up to large 195 turn campaigns.
All the games scenarios have been built off the actual Allied plans and Japanese dispositions and contingencies on Kyushu.
Japan ’45 is hoped to be the first of two games covering Operation Downfall with Japan ’46 covering Operation Coronet to be released some time in the future. Operation Coronet was the planned invasion of Japan’s main island, Honshu – slated for the Tokyo/Yokohama area in the first half of 1946. Where Operation Olympic used forces already in the Pacific, it was expected Coronet would include forces transferred from the European theatre and a larger contribution from other Allied nations.
We’re excited to be releasing this new title in the next month or two and want to thank Glenn Saunders for starting the project back in ~2010 and more importantly Bill Peters of Napoleonic’s fame for picking up the project, expanding it and completing it in record time.
Here are a few teaser shots with more to come when the title is released (all can be clicked for full size);
Jump map showing the entire Kyushu map. The map is just under 88,000 hexes in size.
Example units for both Japanese forces and American Marines. US Army and the British Navy are also present.
The landing beaches west of Kagoshima, one of three invasion locations.
We hope to have more on this title soon…
This looks great, have to put this on my wish list, are you planning on giving the Gold treatment to the modern campaigns series too?
We’re still evaluating which titles will get the Gold treatment. I’d like to think Modern Campaigns will be considered, but it will come down to the available resources.
Thanks for the reply
I would welcome Modern Campaigns Gold with open arms. Fulda Gap first, please!
Great news. Day one purchase for me as I love the Pacific campaign!
no offense……..but, why a hypo campaign when there are campaigns that actually happened.
Was there ever a survey asking what fans of JTS wanted for a new title?
Hi Clint,
This is a title that as mentioned had been started quite awhile ago. We have decided to complete it. As far as other titles in the Pacific, yes they have all been considered with a critical eye to scale. Most of the Pacific engagements we believe would be better at the Panzer Battles scale rather than the higher level Panzer Campaigns. There are obviously exceptions such as China and possibly the retaking of the Philippines. As far as consulting the community, yes that has been done. Look under the Quick links to blog posts in the top menu and read the blog post titled; The Panzer Battles Community Survey – 2018. Though the questions were primarily around Panzer Battles, many of the responses and particularly the comments were about Panzer Campaigns. You can download the comments and review if you desire.
thanks for response……I understand…….The Philippine Island 41 and 44 campaigns might lend itself to Panzer Campaigns.
I am sure I will give Japan a go when it’s available.
This is awesome news David! So glad to see that the panzer campaigns series will continue on. I am definitely buying this and the next when they are released! I am also glad to here that the team has expanded so titles will be released more frequently.
Interesting… i allways want see Pacifc in PzC and well, to be fair, with PzC scale is this or Philippines campaigns (41-44 ) because i dont see a title with focus in the “east front” in the Pacific (AKA as China) or with focus in Soviet-Japanese war as first enter in the Pacific (you need marines in a Pacific title hehehe).
I am curious if this Pacific couple of titles are going to offer more “what if” than Sealion40… maybe we can see a campaign with soviets invading to with a race between both “allies” (ala Sicily but in a bigger scale with with less frienldy allies).
Apart this… maybe finally we are going to see working the time ago added “fanatic nations” feature and interesting adds to cover the different Pacific campaign style, maybe fanatic semi-civilian units with 0 fire attack values, only assault values, to be used as banzai-fodder… could be interesting to add some “fire as weapon” feature… put on fire an hex with forest or village that made defender earn fatigue and even suffer casualties (i remember this feature from Steel Panthers series and how mantein your troops between burning buildings, forest and wrecks hurt their combat value eating your rally points).
I wait with interest what could offer this new title, maybe a test for Berlin45 hehehe.
No brainer – I’m buying it. Nice to see USMC units at this scale.
The Pacific War has so many possibilities when it comes to gaming from Attu to India. I remember taking a survey years ago and asking for just this game and here it is! I’m super excited to play this game!
Will new options be added in the future from Сivil War Gold? view-Map Contours, Setting-Toolbar and Map Contours (Colors and Widths).
Thank.
Eugene,
Currently Berto codes the Civil War titles while John Tiller supports Panzer Campaigns. John has had little to no time to provide new code for that series; particularly some of the new features we have added in the ACW games or Panzer Battles. If that changes we will happily update the series in a new round of patches.
Thanks.
Cannot wait for this title to be released! I’m a long-time PzC player (own just about every title) and I have long dreamed of playing these games in the Pacific theater. Panzer Battles would probably be a better fit for many of the other Pacific battles/campaigns. Either way, I look forward to many future titles in the Pacific. Banzai!
I am not usually as a attracted to non-historical scenarios….but….there are exceptions and this is one of them! I will be picking this up.
Great to see Panzer Campaigns moving to Pacific Theater… Hopefully, Panzer Battles will follow (Guadacanal?) 🙂
Looks interesting but you will really have my interest when you say you are starting on the Napoleonic series:)