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Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas
2010
Rules assistance for Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas is a board game released in 2010 for 1–2 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Eric R. Harvey and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
Saipan was a critical objective in the US Navy's "island hopping" campaign in the Pacific; its two airfields were suitable for heavy bombers. Hence three US divisions were scheduled to invade Saipan on 15 June 1944, supported by nearly two-dozen battleships that had begun a bombardment two days before. More than 30,000 fanatic Japanese were entrenched on the island, dug into caves and other formidable defensive positions. The battle for Saipan proved to be one of the fiercest battles of the Pacific War, and the deadliest up to that time for both sides. Saipan utilizes the new Fire & Movement combat system that's designed so players can augment their units with "support fire" during the course of the turn. From naval bombardment to bazookas, units can receive support to engage enemy positions and formations, allowing combat to develop at all levels. A single engineer battalion, for example — perhaps supported by flamethrowers — could be tasked to assault a lone enemy infantry regiment defending a plateau. As its attack gets underway, however, the engineer battalion may suddenly come under fire from enemy mortars. More support will be needed to take the plateau, but assets are limited. In Saipan the attritional design of the new Combat Results Table simulates the true nature of the battles in the Pacific. Units are typically two-sided formations that can incur casualties, accurately replicating the realities of combat and the high losses sustained by both sides during the actual fighting on Saipan. Winning the battle is thus a matter of maneuver, firepower and asset management. Game Scale: Game Turn: 2 days Hex: 1/3 mile (580 yards) / 538 meters Units: Company to Regiment Game Inventory: One 17 x 22" full color map One dual-side printed countersheet (80 1/2" counters) One Saipan rulebook One Fire & Movement Folio Standard rulebook Solitaire Playability: High (4 out of 5) Complexity Level: Low (2 out of 5) Players: 2 Playing Time: 1-2 hours (from the Decision Games' website and back of folio)
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas are: Eric R. Harvey. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Saipan: Conquest of the Marianas as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.