Against the Odds #58: Clash of Carriers – The Battle of the Philippine Sea

Against the Odds #58: Clash of Carriers – The Battle of the Philippine Sea is a magazine-format naval wargame covering the largest carrier battle in history.

Product Type: Magazine issue with included wargame.

Designed by Mark E. Stille, Clash of Carriers recreates the June 1944 carrier clash between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Marianas campaign. The historical battle shattered Japan’s carrier air arm, but the game gives both players room to test different operational choices and possible outcomes.

The game uses the same system as Imperial Sunset from ATO #17, emphasizing playable carrier operations rather than excessive complexity. Random activation, task groups, submarine counters, dummy task groups, detection rules, air strikes, surface battles, and anti-submarine warfare all work together to create uncertainty at sea.

Contents include: one full-color 22” x 34” hex map, 160 large 5/8” die-cut counters, 160 standard 1/2” die-cut counters, 16 pages of rules, 8 pages of charts and tables, and the accompanying Against the Odds magazine issue.