Cruiser Action off Guadalcanal

[gbierl]

My group played it's first game of VaS last night and everyone was pleased. Game play was very smooth and the rules were quite easy to follow. Gunfire exchanges between vessels lead to little damage until a lucky hit from the San Franciso started 6 fires aboard the Furutaka. Not suprisingly, torpedoes proved to be the big killer, with the USN loosing two destroyers and the IJN loosing the Aoba and Kinugasa.

The USN had timed it's approach very nicely so that the Japanese were faced with either firing their Long Lance torpedoes when the US destroyers were at 12" or waiting until the US cruisers came into range. In the end the IJN commander elected to fire at the destroyers. This proved to be a mistake. With a range of 12" it would take the Long Lances two turns to reach their targets. The very next turn the US destroyers closed to within 10" and gave the Japanese a taste of the "inferior" American made torps. The trade was not equitable for the Japanese.

Good battle though.

Greg

 

[Soulmage]

I played this scenario with my buddy yesterday too. . . although he was disappointed at the lack of battleships present, so we added the Iowa and the Yamato.

Battle came down to essentially a draw! The US (me) had a couple cruisers and destroyers left, while everything else on both sides had been sunk. Iowa and Yamato essentially blasted each other into so much scrap metal. (He did have some extremly horrible die rolls though that tipped it in my favor somewhat.) Although, it one volley the Yamato managed to do 21 damage and start 12 fires abord the Iowa!!

My favorite part had to be where the Yamato could only target the Iowa with its A and B turrets, and so casually swivelled its X turret around to point at a Fletcher class destroyer 40" away. . hit with one shell. . . and blew it in half!!

 

[gbierl]

I was somewhat suprised also. I expected the Japanese torpedoes to be a lot more of a factor then what they were. Overall I give this game an A-.

Regards,

Greg

 

[Jammybee]

My favorite part had to be where the Yamato could only target the Iowa with its A and B turrets, and so casually swivelled its X turret around to point at a Fletcher class destroyer 40" away. . hit with one shell. . . and blew it in half!!

Hehe, how did you hit it without radar?

 

[Soulmage]

It was my buddy's first "big" game, so we played without the night fight rules.

 

[Chernobyl]

Night Fighting seems to make a game drag on much longer than otherwise...

Chern

 

[Jammybee]

It was my buddy's first "big" game, so we played without the night fight rules.

I suppose you could hit him if he was large silhouette and you had a spotter plane.

 

[Soulmage]

Night Fighting seems to make a game drag on much longer than otherwise...

Yeah, that is my impression as well. I would probably only do night fight on smaller engagements.

 

[DM]

Hmm, the Jutland "night action" scenario will probably be one that you'll want to avoid