Cactus Air Force: Air War Guadalcanal

Cactus Air Force is a tactical game that allows you to fight the air battle over the Solomons in late 1942. As either the raiding Japanese or the defending Americans, you will take command of a small flight of aircraft, representative of a larger air battle, and engage in swirling dogfights around Guadalcanal. As the players advance in the campaign game, they can increase their skills, earn promotion and receive awards for heroic feats, all in an attempt to defeat the enemy. One player takes the Japanese side and sends raids from his main base at Rabaul to try and knock out the American presence on Guadalcanal. The second player takes the American side and sends his motley crew of Marine, Army and Navy pilots up to intercept the raids and help to maintain their foothold in the Solomon Islands. Play starts on the Operations Map and when contact is made between the opposing flights, they will move to the Tactical Map to fight it out. Take command of your individual aircraft and that of your flight. Can you penetrate the intercepting fighters and bomb the American installations? Or can you keep your home, Henderson Field, from falling into Japanese hands? Can be played solitaire, two-four player, or cooperatively. —description from designer