HASL 11 - Sword & Fire: Manila

Published by: Multi-Man Publishing. May 2022
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Introduction:

Manila, on the Philippine Island of Luzon, was known throughout the world as "The Pearl of the Orient" for its lush gardens, modern buildings, and vibrant nightlife. It was also a strategically critical naval base, featuring the largest deep-water port in the Pacific. With the fall of the Philippines in 1942, the Japanese turned Manila into an enormous supply depot serving as a hub from which supplies could be shipped to bases across the Pacific, all the while ruling the Philippines with an iron fist. After more than two years of brutal Japanese occupation, General Douglas MacArthur "returned" to the Philippines in October 1944 at Leyte Gulf. In January 1945, the Americans invaded Luzon. They reached the outskirts of Manila in the first week of February and prepared to assault the city. The Japanese commander of Manila, Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi, had no grand plan for victory; just a fight to the death, taking as many American lives as possible.

Sword and Fire: Manila is a Historical Advanced Squad Leader (HASL) module covering the month-long American effort to wrest control of "The Pearl" from the Japanese. Arrayed against the attackers was a mixture of veteran Japanese Marine and Army units and inexperienced Naval units composed of sailors, aircraft crewmen, and conscripted laborers with little or no formal ground combat training or experience. They were well-equipped with numerous machine guns as well as anti-aircraft guns ranging from 12.7mm to 120mm. They would fight for every building, every courtyard, and every garden as the defenses fell back upon the ancient walls of Intramuros. Built by the Spaniards in 1571 as a fortress town, this walled city would be Iwabuchi’s “Alamo”.

Sword and Fire: Manila features rules for the city's unique terrain types such as Multi-Material, Adobe, and Steel-Walled Buildings; Stone Monuments; Bomb Craters; the many detailed elements of Intramuros; and a host of others. Twenty-five scenarios and five Campaign Games (CG) – ranging in size from 6-15 CG Dates – are played out on the six map sheets depicting the city.

Sword and Fire: Manila components:
• six 24” x 37” maps
• four countersheets
• 25 ASL scenarios
• Sword & Fire: Manila rules (with five Campaign Games)
• two Chapter Dividers
• four Player Aid cards
• one box & lid

Map board(s):

Board: SFM1, SFM2, SFM3, SFM4, SFM5, SFM6

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Scenarios:

ScenarioPlayedTotalRatingLocationTheatreAttackerDefenderLengthBalancePopularity*
SF01: Race to the River03 7.33Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese12.9 hrs68% American2%
SF02: Power Struggle on Provisor013 6.57Isla Provisor, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese5.2 hrs92% American7%
SF03: The Grim Reaper's Lair02 8.00Paco Cemetery, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese4.5 hrs71% Japanese1%
SF04: Light 'em Up07 7.25Tabacalega Cigar Factory, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese2.7 hrs56% American4%
SF05: No Safe Refuge01 4.00Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese20.1 hrs80% Japanese1%
SF06: Deliver Us from Evil00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese10.5 hrsUnknown0%
SF07: Breakin' Into the Slammer02 6.33Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese15.3 hrs100% Japanese1%
SF08: Meeting at the Elks Club01 5.50Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese5.7 hrs67% Japanese1%
SF09: First, Do No Harm01 4.00Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese13.3 hrsBalanced1%
SF10: High Rent Hooligans01 8.00South Port Area, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese7.2 hrs75% Japanese1%
SF11: Venture Into Carnage00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese7.7 hrs57% American0%
SF12: Checkout Time00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese11.5 hrsUnknown0%
SF13: You Can Fight City Hall00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese9 hrsUnknown0%
SF14: The Price of Postage00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese3.6 hrs100% American0%
SF15: No Greater Love03 5.67South Port Area, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese5.5 hrsBalanced2%
SF16: Struggle Without End01 8.00Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese9.4 hrs60% Japanese1%
SF17: Assault Across the Pasig01 8.00Intramuros, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese18 hrs100% American1%
SF18: And the Walls Come A-Tumblin' Down00 Intramuros, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese6.4 hrsUnknown0%
SF19: Fortress Within A Fortress00 Fort Santiago, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese4.3 hrs57% Japanese0%
SF20: Through the Breach, Into the Fire08 7.33Intramuros, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese3 hrsBalanced5%
SF21: A Mass for Humanity02 6.00Intramuros, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese5.3 hrs80% Japanese1%
SF22: Bamboo Spear Banzai01 7.00South Port Area, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese3.9 hrs83% Japanese1%
SF23: Iwabuchi's Sarcophagus00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese5.5 hrs100% Japanese0%
SF24: Dash for the Stairs01 8.00Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese3.2 hrs71% Japanese1%
SF25: A Change in the Government00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese21 hrsUnknown0%
SF CG I: Clearing the North Shore00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese65.1 hrsUnknown0%
SF CG V: Destruction of the Pearl00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese358.7 hrsUnknown0%
SF CG II: Fighting for the Fortresses00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese151 hrsUnknown0%
SF CG IV: The Walled City00 Intramuros, Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese144.8 hrs100% Japanese0%
SF CG III: 1st Cavalry Moves North00 Manila, Luzon, PhilippinesPTOAmericanJapanese167.3 hrsUnknown0%

 * Popularity is the sum of Roar and Archive reported playings based as a percentage of the parent publication's total games.

 (Dark) grey rows indicate Night scenarios.

Median length of scenarios: 8.35hrs

Average rating of scenarios: 6.69

Total playing time: 1101.6hrs

All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.