Thinking out loud about Battle of Midway.
You can introduce the idea of Dead Zone over a SZ and how it is a must to keep as much naval units together to the new players.
A) It is USA’s turn. They get the initiative because USA crack the Japanese Secret Code. (To explain to new player why it is not IJN on attack.)
All US’ units will attack SZ24.
Attacking roster:
USA
Put 1 StB & 1 Fg on Midway.
1 Fleet Carrier with 1 Fg & 1 TcB, 1 Destroyer and 1 Sub in the nearby SZ25 of Midway
1 TcB on Hawaii and 1 Cruiser & 1 damaged (or not) Fleet Carrier in Hawaiian SZ26
Making for the damaged USS Yorktown during Battle of the Coral Sea being repaired at the start of US turn, if you want to introduce this rule about 2 hits Carrier on which planes cannot land when damaged.
Defensive roster:
IJN
Put 2 Carriers with 2 Fgs & 2 TcBs in SZ 24, between Iwo Jima and Midway. Here is the Dead Zone. :evil:
Put 1 Battleship, 1 Cruiser, 1 Destroyer, 1 Sub and 3 transports in Iwo Jima SZ17
B) It is also possible to show what could happen if IJN player choose to keep all is better defensive units (2 Fgs and 2 TcBs) while taking hits on both Carriers.
Let’s just talk about Retreat option for attacker (by pushing IJN planes to ditch into the ocean for a 42 IPCs lost, at no cost for USA) and how it can become a complex matter to select casualty.
About US casualty choice for planes.
You can explain why it is better to kill the Tactical Bomber coming from Hawaiin Islands (3 moves done) instead of Fg from Midway (only 2 moves done) if it becomes necessary to put damage on all US Carriers. So, all planes can reach Midway on NCM.
And if there is an untouched surviving US Carrier, it will be better to have a defense @4 instead of the TcB Def @3, in case of IJN counter-attack coming from SZ17.
In addition, this could be an historical reminder of the first US Torpedo Bombers lost against Nagumo’s Carriers.
C) You can add a variation by moving the Destroyer unit from SZ17 with the 2 IJN Carriers in SZ24 (playing the role of the IJN Arashi against the USS Nautilus).
To explain Subs against Destroyers dynamics.
D) Another variant would be to put all the units from SZ17 alongside of Carriers in SZ24.
To show how different the battle could turn when all warships are together to defend.
Probably CWO Marc can help up with other interesting details to get a better refined Midway Battle modelisation.
I hope, at least that scenarii A, B and D could help players understand why IJN lost all his planes and precious Carriers during the Battle of Midway.
There could be some explanatory introduction such as IJN player was planing to attack Midway, for instance.
The 3 transports were in Okinawa SZ19 and moved toward Iwo Jima SZ17 droping their loads of grounds units for the next turn assault.
1 Battleship, 1 Cruiser, 1 Destroyer, 1 Sub moved from Japan SZ6 to protect them in SZ17.
The Carriers were coming from far away SZ30 near Johnston Island and have no other choice than moving into SZ24 to prepare the Midway attack.
Once this said and played all examples, you can used it to show how it was bad planification and how putting the 3 Transports in Japan SZ6 while all other warships would have been covering the 2 Carriers in SZ24 is a much better plan to counter the USA defense which make SZ24 a Dead Zone.