Greg Smith
Mongoose
We played our first game last night. It was 1000 points.
British:
HMS Barham QE battleship 400
HMS Belfast Edinburgh class cruiser 160
HMS Kent cruiser 110
HMS Norfolk cruiser 175
3 type H destroyers 45 x 3
Germans
Scharnhorst Battleship 500
Leipzig cruiser 95
Admiral Scheer Cruiser 280
2 1936a destroyers 2 x 60
The Germans outranged the British, so for the first couple of turns were scoring a lot more hits and Belfast took a lot of pounding. The Germans came straight at the British, so only A & B turrets came into play, while the Brits effectively crossed the T. The British side-on helped the Germans score more hits at long and extreme range. The Scharnhort's armoured deck also helped keep the German's safe.
But as the Germans closed the range, the Scharnhorst's armoured deck no longer mattered. And the Barham's -2 AP proved to be massively effective. The German's sank the Belfast, and began to fire on the other cruisers. The Scharnorst concentrated on the Barham, but with -1AP wasn't dishing out as much damage.
I sent my destroyers on a flanking run, but they proved to be more vulnerable than in first edition and they came a cropper against secondary guns.
The Germans continued to close and a lucky initiative roll meant I was able to bring the Norfolk alongside the previously undamaged Scheer. One torpedo strike and she was crippled.
The Barham's continued pounding of the Scharnorst paid off, doing massive damage at point blank range. Finally with the big German ship was crippled, two German cruisers sunk, and one destroyer crippled, victory fell to the Brits, who had lost a single cruiser and 3 destroyers.
Conclusions:
This is definitely a better game that first edition.
Secondary weapon range took us a little by surprise. It made it much easier to target destroyers. Also it made destroyers not just a torpedo delivery system. This is a good thing.
Destroyers are easier targets. At longer range. Getting them in for a torpedo strike is going to be tricky.
Torpedoes are NASTY. Getting in to a decent range may prove to be tricky. Also winning initiative at torpedo range will be hugely important.
Is there any reason not to be on all hands to deck? Granted there are a couple of other special actions you may want to be doing, but if you are coming under any fire at all there is no reason not to attempt it every turn.
Weapon ranges slowed down the game a little, but not as much as I expected. I have to admit I was kind of rounding them, and never checking ranges to less than a full inch. I am looking forward to them being on the ship data.
We pretty much forgot about restricted on secondary weapons. I realise I will upset the history buffs, but does it add anything to the game? I don't need to try and remember to half AD in certain arcs for weapons that are, well, secondary.
-2AD was hugely important. When it comes to balancing ships, this is a big factor. Barham was 400 points to Scharnhorst's 500 but the Barham was able to dish out far more damage once it got to closer range.
British:
HMS Barham QE battleship 400
HMS Belfast Edinburgh class cruiser 160
HMS Kent cruiser 110
HMS Norfolk cruiser 175
3 type H destroyers 45 x 3
Germans
Scharnhorst Battleship 500
Leipzig cruiser 95
Admiral Scheer Cruiser 280
2 1936a destroyers 2 x 60
The Germans outranged the British, so for the first couple of turns were scoring a lot more hits and Belfast took a lot of pounding. The Germans came straight at the British, so only A & B turrets came into play, while the Brits effectively crossed the T. The British side-on helped the Germans score more hits at long and extreme range. The Scharnhort's armoured deck also helped keep the German's safe.
But as the Germans closed the range, the Scharnhorst's armoured deck no longer mattered. And the Barham's -2 AP proved to be massively effective. The German's sank the Belfast, and began to fire on the other cruisers. The Scharnorst concentrated on the Barham, but with -1AP wasn't dishing out as much damage.
I sent my destroyers on a flanking run, but they proved to be more vulnerable than in first edition and they came a cropper against secondary guns.
The Germans continued to close and a lucky initiative roll meant I was able to bring the Norfolk alongside the previously undamaged Scheer. One torpedo strike and she was crippled.
The Barham's continued pounding of the Scharnorst paid off, doing massive damage at point blank range. Finally with the big German ship was crippled, two German cruisers sunk, and one destroyer crippled, victory fell to the Brits, who had lost a single cruiser and 3 destroyers.
Conclusions:
This is definitely a better game that first edition.
Secondary weapon range took us a little by surprise. It made it much easier to target destroyers. Also it made destroyers not just a torpedo delivery system. This is a good thing.
Destroyers are easier targets. At longer range. Getting them in for a torpedo strike is going to be tricky.
Torpedoes are NASTY. Getting in to a decent range may prove to be tricky. Also winning initiative at torpedo range will be hugely important.
Is there any reason not to be on all hands to deck? Granted there are a couple of other special actions you may want to be doing, but if you are coming under any fire at all there is no reason not to attempt it every turn.
Weapon ranges slowed down the game a little, but not as much as I expected. I have to admit I was kind of rounding them, and never checking ranges to less than a full inch. I am looking forward to them being on the ship data.
We pretty much forgot about restricted on secondary weapons. I realise I will upset the history buffs, but does it add anything to the game? I don't need to try and remember to half AD in certain arcs for weapons that are, well, secondary.
-2AD was hugely important. When it comes to balancing ships, this is a big factor. Barham was 400 points to Scharnhorst's 500 but the Barham was able to dish out far more damage once it got to closer range.
