Quick Rules Question...

[Sturmgrenadier]

AP and Super AP give a +1 and +2 to the DD roll, does that count towards a critical? :?
We read it that way in our first VaS game last friday, but upon re-reading it tonight, I'm now not so sure.

PS: Is it just us, or does VaS really reward Destroyers over Cruisers as much as it appears to, or is it just us? Target 6, Flank speed to get the +1 to hit, then throw a pile of torpedoes at your opponent and either run away or pick off the survivors...

 

[Burger]

No, it doesn't. The AP and Super AP bonuses are added to the results of the Damage Dice, when trying to beat the Armour score. Only natural 6's can (potentially) cause criticals.

 

[Sturmgrenadier]

OK, then SAP long lance torpedoes aren't as nasty as we thought then.
I think it was the reference to a natural 6 always doing damage, but no similar 'natural' mention in the damage roll for crits that had me confused.

Still, massed destroyers with torpedoes looks to be a great way to get rid of cruisers though...

 

[Myrm]

Well long lance torps do have a reputation of being nasty.

DDs can charge at high speed and loose the torpedoes. We do find that it can be risky as once close they often have to expose their beam with port/starboard torpedoes so they are shootable on the turn they fire the torpedoes - and if they maintain the flank speed on the turn they fire then they have more difficulty hitting.

However it is very handy, on the approach, to flank speed and for those ships with long lances the extra range limits the worries about return fire. Again, those with long lances and reloadable tubes can then flank speed and dance away.

 

[Wishbone]

after a few small games now, i feel that i'd rather cash in on destroyers rather than pay more for a cruiser. well, certainly a light cruiser...
addmittedly, if you should get lucky and actually hit one with a torpedo or a couple of shells, then it's going down, but othwise its a low cost torpedo run with little or no risk of getting hurt!

of course, a couple of games with a different sort of luck could change that perspective...

 

[Sturmgrenadier]

Well long lance torps do have a reputation of being nasty.

DDs can charge at high speed and loose the torpedoes. We do find that it can be risky as once close they often have to expose their beam with port/starboard torpedoes so they are shootable on the turn they fire the torpedoes - and if they maintain the flank speed on the turn they fire then they have more difficulty hitting.

However it is very handy, on the approach, to flank speed and for those ships with long lances the extra range limits the worries about return fire. Again, those with long lances and reloadable tubes can then flank speed and dance away.

Why is it more difficult to hit?
The Torpedoe rules (as they stand) don't use any modifiers but for night/bad weather, evasive manouvers and shooting at the beam, unless I've read the rules completely wrong (again).

edit: Ah, now I see it, flank speed isn't on page 7, so is included. Fast ships like some Japanese and German destroyers however can move 8 normally, so are nastier than normal destroyers.

Even when they expose their beam, it's still 6's to hit them, and if they do get sunk, it's a destroyer exchanged for a cruiser.

 

[Myrm]

Indeed, don't get me wrong I do think its a very useful tactic, just it can go wrong as it is dice reliant and it has some weaknesses that you can try to exploit.