Battlestations: Pacific/Volcano

The following requires the Volcano Map Pack, from either Games for Windows Live Marketplace (PC) or the Xbox 360 Marketplace (Xbox). Volcano was previously one of the most popular maps in the game, with the creation of the Volcano Map Pack DLC. However, it was quickly overshadowed by the new Carrier Map Pack, which contained over twice the number of maps as the Volcano pack. Additionally, this map contains several glitches, mentioned in each of the game modes. Volcano takes place in daylight around a large chain of volcanic islands, hence the name.

Escort
There is no escort mode for this map.

Siege
There is no siege mode for this map.

Competitive
"Level bombers are on their way to destroy two enemy headquarters. You are to provide escort and neutralize Japanese planes and AA installations."

- Map description

Just as the description says, your duty is to escort eight B-29 Superfortresses to destroy a pair of Headquarters. There are three headquarters on the map, so you'll have to follow the bomber's lead and keep them protected. To the south of your starting position is an Akagi-class carrier. Since you are equipped only with Corsairs and Hellcats, however, it's best to leave the carrier alone and focus on the J2M Raidens it launches. These interceptors can easily make trouble for the eight bombers you must protect. Made even more difficult is the bomber's own idiotic AI - they fly not in squadrons of three, but in eight squadrons of one. As a result, as they close in on the headquarters they must bomb, they tend to get a little too close and crash into each other.

The headquarters to the west is protected by a large group of Minekaze-class destroyers. Ordinarily these would be easy pickings for F4U Rocket attacks, but their combined firepower makes lone attacks difficult. You'd have to call upon your rivals to assist you if you want to sink these warships. Ignore these ships and instead keep an eye out for other targets of opportunity. A lot of players enjoy camping above the carrier and take out the planes that spawn from it. Instead focus on the southernmost Headquarters - this is the one that is usually bombed next. It is heavily protected by ground installations, so neutralize these to help keep the bombers protected. This is one of the rare moments where a land installation (specifically, a Heavy AA) can become an objective target.

All the while be sure to continue to protect the bombers. The mission ends when all the bombers are shot down, someone reaches the point total, or if the mission runs out of time. For a few extra points (to go toward the jets) be sure to keep the bombers protected. Keep in mind that, for the southernmost headquarters, a lot of fire comes from the ground as well as the air. Take a little time to neutralize those ground-based defences and keep the skies clean. Then you can aid the bombers with your own rocket attacks.

Occasionally your group will sight four cargo ships escorted by a three Gyoraiteis to the west of the bombers. These targets are a secondary objective and can easily be destroyed with machine gun fire. Be sure to beat your opponents there after neutralizing the first Headquarters and earn yourself several points.

Island Capture - Small
Map Description: One of the widest maps in the game, Volcano sized small is rarely played today because it is overshadowed by the new Carrier DLC maps. It remains an interesting map, however, with lots of base firepower and lots of troop transports. This can make for exciting landing support bouts: the four supply bases on this map are easy to get a hold of, but tough to take, thanks to the massive shoreguns (labelled "battery" in-game) each base has. You'll need as much firepower as you can muster to take the enemy's supply bases. Keep in mind that the only airfield on this map is the southern middle base, so you may want to pick a seabourne unlock.

Unlock Data: Players don't have much choice in unlocks, as the default bases spawn only destroyers and light cruisers. The southern centre base is the only one that spawns planes, so unless you're confident in your abilities to get it, avoid air unlocks. The best unlocks, therefore, are usually cruisers or destroyers.

Balancing Notes: The map is identically played for both sides.

Click on a Headquarters to see what units it can spawn.

Island Capture - Medium
Map Description: Medium Volcano is a lot like Dreadnought, but the secondary bases that players obtain have submarines. These help against battleships from the centre island, and can help stall them long enough for your team to mass a counterattack. Players will definitely want the centre island, but be aware that it is nested in a volcanic caldera. Units spawned by it must go around the caldera in order to get into the fight.

Unlock Data: The G5N Liz and the Ohka Carrier appear as unlocks, but no headquarters is capable of spawning them. Submarines can prove to be extremely valuable on this map as battleships can be quite tough opponents, and you don't need the centre base to obtain them. By extension, anti-submarine units like the ASW Fletcher and the Tone-class prove useful on this map for escorting the battleships.

Balancing Notes: The only balancing issue on this map is the inability for the Japanese to use their Ohkas. The Americans can still use their TBMs.

This map is filled with multiple glitches, including the following:
 * The two unusable unlocks, as listed above.
 * An embarrassing typo states "HQ 19" instead of "HQ 09"
 * All the supply bases are improperly labeled Headquarters on the Tactical Map.

Click on a Headquarters to see which units it can spawn.

Note that HQs 2 to 5 are actually supply bases, and do not spawn any units.

Island Capture - Large
Map Description: Large is exactly what it says on the tin - extremely large. Unlike most maps, however, the centre island is not as important as it is in other maps. This is because battleships and troop transports are the only things it can spawn. This is the only base where you can spawn battleships, so players may want to opt out of battleships and focus on heavy cruiser upgrades. The outer bases can spawn patrol boats and submarines, which will be perfect to use against battleships spawned from the centre base. The southernmost base contains the only airfield on this map aside from the ones at the players' start positions. Whoever controls the southern airfield will be able to project air power almost mapwide. The bases in the corners are good fallback positions or a place to amass a strike force to take the middle islands.

Airfields behave somewhat differently on this map; unlike every other airfield, airfields on this map can be destroyed with a burst of machine gun fire. As with the previous incarnation of Volcano, the supply bases are erroneously marked as Headquarters.

Unlock Data: This map, being extremely large, supports virtually all unlocks.

'''Balancing notes: This map can be identically played for both sides.

Click on a Headquarters to see which units it can spawn.

Note: Headquarters 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, and 17 are actually supply bases and do not spawn units.