
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,390
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Over There
- 2–4 players
- 720 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 2000

1999
Rules assistance for The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 is a board game released in 1999 for 2 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by A. E. Goodwin and Eric Pierce and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
The Damned Die Hard, the second game in The Glory Series, is a detailed, operational-level game depicting the conflict between Japanese and Allied forces in and around the Philippine Islands from December 1941 to May 1942. The game is designed for two players (but can easily accommodate additional players - a side might have separate air, naval, and ground commanders and/or multiple ground commanders, for example). The Allied player controls the US Army Forces Far East command and the US Asiatic Fleet. The Japanese player controls the IJA's 14th and 16th Armies and the IJN's 3rd Fleet. The Allied player must disrupt the Japanese advance, inflicting unacceptable losses on his opponent and denying him use of the Philippine ports and airbases for as long as possible. The Japanese player must quickly overrun the Philippines, allowing his forces to be redeployed for the campaigns to come in the Netherlands East Indies and The Solomons/New Guinea. Both players maneuver their ground, air, and naval forces and conduct combat in an attempt to achieve these goals. There are five scenarios in the game. These are: Luzon is an introductory scenario designed to familiarize players with the core ground and air rules. No naval units or naval rules are used and the scenario is only 4 turns long. Play begins with the main Japanese invasion force already ashore on Luzon Island. Invasion of the Philippines recreates the historical campaign for the Philippines. The Philippines Reinforced explores how a somewhat reinforced Philippines garrison - based on accelerating scheduled US arms deliveries by about 1-2 months - would stand up to the Japanese assault. The Philippines Fully Prepared posits acceleration of scheduled US arms deliveries by about 6 months, allowing for a nearly full-strength Philippine Commonwealth army to meet the Japanese attack. Bataan models the campaign for the Bataan peninsula and Corregidor Island using a special map at a scale of 1.6 miles to the hex and with play focused at the battalion rather than regimental level. Game Components: One rule booklet Two orders of battle booklets - the Japanese Order of Battle and the Allied Order of Battle. Nine The Glory Series mapsheets (G7:NE, G7:NW, G7:SE, G7:SW, G8:NE, G8:NW, G8:SE, G8:SW, and G9). Three counter sheets (G-9, G-10, and Europa universal marker sheet). A set of ten charts for the play of the game two dice
The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 is 360 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 The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 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.
The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid. 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 The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 are: A. E. Goodwin and Eric Pierce. 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 The Damned Die Hard: Philippines '41 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.