Post by aman on Jul 17, 2011 16:50:45 GMT -5
Friend and I played out the first scenario in the mrb, p.63 "Komandorski Islands". It consisted of two modest task forces in a meeting engagement. As this was our first game, we used none of the special rules except the Inititiatve System for the Movement Phase SR (roll off and the lower Initative Total moves its ships first each phase).
The USN had a two old cruisers, a CA and CL, and four good destroyers (2xBensons, 2xFarragut). The IJN clearly outclassed them with four modern cruisers, 2xCA 2xCL, and four destroyers.
The positions had the two fleets heading directly towards each other, the IJN in Line Ahead Formation (column) with the destroyers in the van, and the USN in three groups of two ships in Line of Bearing Formation (three parallel columns of two ships). The lead two destroyers and two cruisers were offset to the left of the IJN approach vector. They started the game at 24", medium range for the cruisers and long for the dstroyers (more or less).
The IJN won Initiative in both phases and the USN force moved first, The cruisers straight ahead full 7". The IJN veered off the cruisers from the column and the USN moved the forward destroyers into the front of a Line Ahead on the cruisers while the last two destroyers tried to catch up. The IJN went straight on with the destroyers. The firing did some damage but not alot. Turn 2 went the exact same, with the IJN winning both initiatives and the USN moving first both times. Ergo, the USN took a defensive posture veering off 45 degrees to starboard and continuing to pull its force together. The IJN continued attacking in two groups, the four cruisers heading stright and the destroyers continuing to attempt to cross the USN "T".
One mistake made by the novice IJN admiral was that his destroyers ended with his shipts bow-on to the USN, so he couldn't fire his torpedoes! The USN commander, also a novice but justifiably worried by what he'd heard about IJN torps, sank the small IJN destroyer squadron. The IJN commander spread the love around the closer four USN ships, the two Benson-class DD and the cruisers. All took some damage.
With no DD to worry him, the USN commander attempted a closing vector with the IJN cruisers. The IJN veered off one CL that had been in the lead and continued to close with the USN, but also veered off a little so as to bring all his starboard batteries to bear on the USN force as well.
USN shooting sank the isolated CL and damaged a CA. IJN shooting put some damage onto the CA and sank the task force commanders CL. A torpedo from the (now) sunken CL got its revenge on the USN CA by tearing into its keel and breaking its back.
With both cruisers gone, and faced with a light and two heavy cruisers, there was little hope for the remaining four USN destroyers. The next turn Evasive action was attemped but a DD was still sunk leaving three. The return damage was significant but not enough to cripple any of the IJN ships.
Next turn, the USN DDs attempted to get close enough for torpedoes but all were sunk.
The USN DD flotilla commander was posthumously court-martialed for failing to use smoke, and found guilty.
Overall, a very fun game for both sides. While we neglected to use any special rules including smoke, it still presented interesting maneuvering issues. The IJN commander handled his DD badly, but did well to keep the cruiser force away from the USN force and batter it with gunfire into sinking.
We plan to play the scenario again using the special rules recommended for the historical scenario.
We both really liked teh rules, and felt they delivered tactical challenge and interesting details without bogging down in minutae. The entry cost is nearly nothing and it plays fast enough that we think we'll be able to switch sides and play again in most scenarios when we get faster with the rules.
An enthusiastic "Two Thumbs Up" from two veteran gamers, playtesters and rules writers!
NOTE: this was originally posted in TMP, where I found the rules. I've just joined here now. Happy to get suggestions from experienced players. Obviously we both needed to use smoke. One concern we had was that both sides could more or less fight to the death. We felt that it might be more realistic for each side to have to make a Command Check to break off teh engagment each time a capital ship was lost, or perhaps any ship.
Historically, the IJN won the tacitcal battle but withdrew due to the stiff opposition from the USN. This might be simulated with a Command Check at the loss of each ship. Just a thought.
Wikipedia says that Hosogaya withdrew after damaging and driving off the USN vessels b/c he was concerned about the intervention of US air assets. This concern might be simulated by the IJN automatically taking a Command Check each turn after the Salt Lake City is sunk or dead in the water, subtracting the turn number from the usual "10". If the USN has ships within 24" of the Northwest corner, the IJN doesn't have to take the check. So once the main threat - the CA Salt Lake City - is out of the game, the IJN might withdraw if the USN isn't being very aggressive.
History is fun!
The USN had a two old cruisers, a CA and CL, and four good destroyers (2xBensons, 2xFarragut). The IJN clearly outclassed them with four modern cruisers, 2xCA 2xCL, and four destroyers.
The positions had the two fleets heading directly towards each other, the IJN in Line Ahead Formation (column) with the destroyers in the van, and the USN in three groups of two ships in Line of Bearing Formation (three parallel columns of two ships). The lead two destroyers and two cruisers were offset to the left of the IJN approach vector. They started the game at 24", medium range for the cruisers and long for the dstroyers (more or less).
The IJN won Initiative in both phases and the USN force moved first, The cruisers straight ahead full 7". The IJN veered off the cruisers from the column and the USN moved the forward destroyers into the front of a Line Ahead on the cruisers while the last two destroyers tried to catch up. The IJN went straight on with the destroyers. The firing did some damage but not alot. Turn 2 went the exact same, with the IJN winning both initiatives and the USN moving first both times. Ergo, the USN took a defensive posture veering off 45 degrees to starboard and continuing to pull its force together. The IJN continued attacking in two groups, the four cruisers heading stright and the destroyers continuing to attempt to cross the USN "T".
One mistake made by the novice IJN admiral was that his destroyers ended with his shipts bow-on to the USN, so he couldn't fire his torpedoes! The USN commander, also a novice but justifiably worried by what he'd heard about IJN torps, sank the small IJN destroyer squadron. The IJN commander spread the love around the closer four USN ships, the two Benson-class DD and the cruisers. All took some damage.
With no DD to worry him, the USN commander attempted a closing vector with the IJN cruisers. The IJN veered off one CL that had been in the lead and continued to close with the USN, but also veered off a little so as to bring all his starboard batteries to bear on the USN force as well.
USN shooting sank the isolated CL and damaged a CA. IJN shooting put some damage onto the CA and sank the task force commanders CL. A torpedo from the (now) sunken CL got its revenge on the USN CA by tearing into its keel and breaking its back.
With both cruisers gone, and faced with a light and two heavy cruisers, there was little hope for the remaining four USN destroyers. The next turn Evasive action was attemped but a DD was still sunk leaving three. The return damage was significant but not enough to cripple any of the IJN ships.
Next turn, the USN DDs attempted to get close enough for torpedoes but all were sunk.
The USN DD flotilla commander was posthumously court-martialed for failing to use smoke, and found guilty.
Overall, a very fun game for both sides. While we neglected to use any special rules including smoke, it still presented interesting maneuvering issues. The IJN commander handled his DD badly, but did well to keep the cruiser force away from the USN force and batter it with gunfire into sinking.
We plan to play the scenario again using the special rules recommended for the historical scenario.
We both really liked teh rules, and felt they delivered tactical challenge and interesting details without bogging down in minutae. The entry cost is nearly nothing and it plays fast enough that we think we'll be able to switch sides and play again in most scenarios when we get faster with the rules.
An enthusiastic "Two Thumbs Up" from two veteran gamers, playtesters and rules writers!
NOTE: this was originally posted in TMP, where I found the rules. I've just joined here now. Happy to get suggestions from experienced players. Obviously we both needed to use smoke. One concern we had was that both sides could more or less fight to the death. We felt that it might be more realistic for each side to have to make a Command Check to break off teh engagment each time a capital ship was lost, or perhaps any ship.
Historically, the IJN won the tacitcal battle but withdrew due to the stiff opposition from the USN. This might be simulated with a Command Check at the loss of each ship. Just a thought.
Wikipedia says that Hosogaya withdrew after damaging and driving off the USN vessels b/c he was concerned about the intervention of US air assets. This concern might be simulated by the IJN automatically taking a Command Check each turn after the Salt Lake City is sunk or dead in the water, subtracting the turn number from the usual "10". If the USN has ships within 24" of the Northwest corner, the IJN doesn't have to take the check. So once the main threat - the CA Salt Lake City - is out of the game, the IJN might withdraw if the USN isn't being very aggressive.
History is fun!