Battle of Luzon 1945. From Joni Nuutinen: by a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Last update on March 2026.

You are in command of the American forces, tasked with taking back control of strategically and economically important Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, which fell to Japanese forces in the spring of 1942. Unlike the previous U.S. attacks in the Pacific campaign, which only required a handful of smaller units, the invasion of Luzon threw 10 U.S. divisions and a handful of independent regiments plus Philippine guerrilla forces into the largest campaign of the Pacific war.

MacArthur surprised the Japanese defenders, who expected an attack in southern Luzon, by landing American troops in western Luzon (Lingayen Gulf). By landing close to the main roads of the island, MacArthur could immediately start to advance south to seize the key airfields and liberate Manila, the Pearl of the Orient.

Extra: In addition to the main landing, this campaign includes multiple smaller landings by 11th American Airborne Division, which can be turned on or off from the settings. For players who like the old tabletop campaigns, this offers a familiar challenge.

"The entire Philippine Islands are now liberated... The enemy during the operations employed twenty-three divisions, all of which were practically annihilated. Our forces comprised seventeen divisions. This was one of the rare instances when in a long campaign a ground force superior in numbers was entirely destroyed by a numerically inferior opponent."
- General Douglas MacArthur on July 5, 1945

FEATURES:

+ Historical faithfulness: The campaign stays true to the historical backdrop and order of battle.

+ Customization Options: There are numerous settings that allow you to personalize your gaming experience. You can modify the difficulty level, adjust the size of hexagons, control the animation speed, and select your preferred icon sets for units (NATO or REAL) and cities (Round, Shield, Square, or block of houses). Furthermore, you have the flexibility to choose what elements are displayed on the map, and there are many more options available for you to explore and tailor the game to your liking.

"The enemy had made good use of the terrain which, with its sharp ridges and deep ravines, was ideally adapted for defense. He had dug innumerable caves, had provided defense positions on the reverse slopes of the ridges and had established excellent observation stations that permitted him to use his artillery to best advantage. Repeated personal observation convinced me that the advance along the Villa Verde Trail would prove to be costly and slow."
- General Krueger