In all fairness, there might be some bias involved here because we designed and playtested it, so we’re not officially putting a rating on Makin Mayhem, but we both feel this is a fun and intense scenario featuring one of the first engagements by U.S. forces in World War 2.
AAR: Neal Ulen & Scott Rowland
Scenario Design: Neal Ulen
SITREP
It was D-Day +1 on Guadalcanal in the Solomons, and half-way across the Pacific two submarines, the Nautilus and Argonaut, departed Pearl Harbor carrying U.S. Marine Corps Raiders. Their destination was Makin Atoll and the Japanese garrison stationed there. The secret raid, under the command of Lt. Colonel Evans F. Carlson, was to gather intelligence and inflict mayhem at the garrison in hopes of drawing Japanese resources and attention away from the invasion of Guadalcanal.
Nine days later the subs surfaced, the Marines loaded their LCRL and made for the atoll under the cover of darkness. After battling high seas and rough surf for 45 minutes, the exhausted Raiders landed on Beach Z without being detected. Lt. Petaross’s raft became separated in the darkness, and his units landed much further west. As dawn was about to break, Carlson ordered his men inland toward the garrison on the lagoon side of Makin Atoll. At his side was Major James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Players
Neal – Japanese – Defenders:
61st Guard Force Detachment
Scott – USMC Raiders – Attackers:
2nd Marine Raider Battalion
After Action Report
Location:
Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands
Date:
9 August 1942
Download the VASL .vsav setup file.
Neal (Japanese)
Advantages:
- Concealment and Terrain: Jungle, palm trees, and huts.
- No Breaking: Japanese striping is a definite bonus.
- Victory by Survival: I didn’t need to kill the Raiders, just slow them down.
Disadvantages:
- Visibility: Dawn = harder to spot Raiders.
- Marines Raiders: 8 morale, ELR 5, and better weapons make them a nightmare to fight.
- Sniper and Strafing Rolls: Add flavor, but the Japanese can’t rely on them.
Before we get rolling, this was the last playtest session of this scenario, and it’s essentially unchanged from the one that appears in SK Expansion Pack #3. All right, let’s hit the beach!
The sun was barely up when I saw them—shadows creeping through the kunai grass, skimming the beach, slipping into cover like they were planning on staying for a while. U.S. Marine Corps Raiders. They weren’t your standard dogfaces; they were elite, and they were here for blood. My job? Hold the garrison, secure the barracks, defend the fuel depot, and make sure as few of these bastards walked away as possible. A task easier said than done as it would turn out!
I had the advantage of terrain and concealment, so my first instinct was to hold fire. The low visibility on Turn 1 and 2 was my best friend—those Raiders knew I was here, but they didn’t know where. If I waited, I could let them get close enough to feel their breath before opening up. If I fired too soon, they’d scatter, regroup, and bulldoze me. So I waited.
I set up my best firepower in the radio hut. That included my 9-1 leader and my one functional MMG—a weapon that, if all went well, would cut down Marines like a scythe through sugarcane. To my right, my MTR team was in a questionable spot, barely able to see anything. I knew it was a gamble, but I needed some kind of indirect fire support. Spoiler: that gamble did not pay off.
And then they came. Carlson’s group went straight through the kunai, using every bit of cover they could find, like seasoned jungle hunters. Roosevelt’s group, though? They jumped onto the beach, making a mad dash to the jungle. I knew I could take a shot, but was it worth it? If I missed, I’d lose my concealment. If I hit, maybe I’d slow them down. I hesitated too long, and they were in the jungle before I could decide. Dammit.
By Turn 3, things were starting to warm up. The visibility lifted, which meant it was time to fight. Carlson’s men were moving up through the village, and I knew if I didn’t fire soon, I’d never get the chance. So I cut loose. The MG up. The MTR plopped a few rounds into the jungle. A couple of squads let off some rifle fire. And what did I get for my trouble? Jack shit.
The U.S. morale was ridiculous. Raiders are tough; they shrug, wipe the sweat off their brows, and keep coming. I saw Marines get hit, look down at their wounds, and say, “Guess I’ll just keep moving.” Meanwhile, my machine gun jammed faster than a secondhand typewriter.
Then the reinforcements showed up—mine and his. My reinforcements were a ragtag group of half-squads, running in from the south to defend the fuel depot. They weren’t exactly first-line troops; more like “hey, grab a rifle and run that way” types. The problem? So were his. Petras and his men, who got separated during the landing, came in at roughly the same time, and suddenly, my last line of defense turned into a sprint and full-blown bar brawl.
I still had one ace up my sleeve—the strafing runs by Mitsubishi Zeros that were supposed to fly as support and cause havoc. I imagined it going like this: the planes scream in low, lighting up the jungle, sending Marines diving for cover, stalling the attack. What actually happened? I rolled like absolute garbage. I think I pinned one guy. Maybe. Probably not. The strafe runs had all the impact of a mosquito on a tank. But it was cool to imagine Zeros straffing over the atoll in an SK scenario!
By Turn 6, it was desperation mode. My ragtag garrison of Japanese we decimated and the Marines were pushing hard on all fronts. My last defenders were throwing anything they could grab—rifle butts, helmets, bad language. The radio hut fell, the fuel depot was next, and my last hope was a single, desperate melee. If I could hold that depot, I’d win. If I lost, the island was theirs.
The dice hit the table.
I rolled high.
I lost.
The Raiders had taken the garrison.
Scott (U.S. Marine Corps)
Advantages:
- Superior Troops: ELR 5, morale 8, and better firepower than the Japanese.
- Visibility: Dawn = easier to approach garrison.
- Japanese Had to Play Defense: No opportunity for dreaded banzai attacks.
Disadvantages:
- Routing: Break one unit at the top of the board, and it’s a long run to cover!
- Split Force: Units come in on more than one board edge.
The sun was rising over Makin Atoll, and the Raiders were ready for a fight. We weren’t here to secure land or plant a flag—we were here to raise hell. The plan was simple: hit the beach, hit the Japanese garrison, wreck their infrastructure, and get the hell out while causing as much mayhem as possible.
I split my forces. Carlson and his men had landed further up the atoll and crept through the kunai grass from the east like ghosts, hoping to get in close before the enemy even knew what hit them. Roosevelt’s squad? Those madmen sprinted up the beach, ducking into the jungle as fast as their legs would carry them. I knew it was risky. If the Japanese opened fire too soon, we’d get cut to ribbons. But Neal hesitated, and suddenly we were in cover and on the move.
The first two turns were all positioning. The low visibility meant we had the advantage, but I had to be careful. Do I rush forward and risk getting lit up, or take my time and hope to avoid being fired on? I played it methodical. I knew I had the better troops, and I knew that if I got close enough, the fight was mine.
Turn 3, everything changed. The sun was up and visibility lifted, the Japanese opened fire, and shit hit the fan. A few Marines went down, but our morale held firm. Even when Neal’s MMG in the radio hut opened up, we kept moving. That gun was a problem, but I had a solution—violence.
Carlson’s squad pushed hard through the village, forcing the Japanese to retreat. Petras arrived from the south, charging toward the fuel depot before Japanese relief units from the wharf far to the west could get there. By Turn 5, the radio hut was mine. Then the barracks were mine. All I needed was that damn depot.
Then it all came down to the last melee.
It was brutal. I needed one final push. The dice rolled. The depot fell. The Raiders had won.
There was little left of the Japanese garrison. We gathered the wounded and withdrew to the rafts. Mission accomplished!
Debriefing
In the final playtest of Making Mayhem—now included in SK Expansion Pack #3—Neal’s Japanese garrison fought to delay Scott’s elite U.S. Marine Raiders during their 1942 raid on Makin Atoll. Neal relied on concealment, terrain, and a stronghold in the radio hut, hoping to stall the Raiders just long enough. Early low visibility helped, but once the sun rose, Scott’s better-armed, high-morale Marines pushed hard from multiple directions. Despite Neal’s use of strafing runs, sniper fire, and last-minute reinforcements, the Japanese were steadily overwhelmed. The game came down to a final melee over the fuel depot. One last die roll decided it: the Raiders won, completing their mission by Turn 6 in a close, tense finish.
This was a hell of a fight. The Japanese played smart, delaying as long as possible, but the Marines were too tough, too fast, and too determined. A damn fine game.
If you want more info about this scenario, check out these two videos:
GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!! 
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