Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea

Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea is a solitaire WWII naval-air wargame from Compass Games, covering the largest carrier battle in history during the invasion of Saipan in June 1944. You take command of U.S. task forces, searching for the Japanese fleet while trying to avoid being found and struck first.

The core of the game is detection and timing. You must conduct air searches, position your carriers and react to incoming threats, often with limited warning. Japanese actions are handled through game systems, meaning you will not know an air strike is coming until radar detects it and you scramble fighters to intercept.

The game includes nine scenarios. Four are learning scenarios that introduce the system step by step, while the others cover single-day battles, the full two-day engagement and alternative historical situations. This structure lets you ease into the system before committing to a full campaign.

Based on the classic Carrier system but redesigned as a standalone game, Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea combines manageable rules with tense decision-making around search, strike and defense. It offers a different pace from land-based wargames, where positioning and information matter as much as firepower.

Contents include: one mounted map, two countersheets with 528 9/16″ counters, one rulebook, one charts and tables booklet, multiple player aid cards, one 10-sided die, and a box with lid.