Victory at Sea (game)

Last updated
Cover of original hardcover book, 2006 Cover of Victory at Sea naval wargame.png
Cover of original hardcover book, 2006

Victory at Sea, subtitled "World War II Naval Combat Game", is a set of World War II naval wargaming rules published by Mongoose Publishing in 2006.

Contents

Description

Victory at Sea is a hardback book that contains a set of wargame rules used to simulate naval combat during World War II using 1/1800 scale. [1]

The rules, both basic and advanced, take up about 20% of the 206-page book. [1] Other sections contain scenarios, longer campaigns, lists of ships, and illustrations of ship counters. The latter can be photocopied and cut out for use in the game, [1] or players can use 1/1800 plastic ship miniatures from popular wargames like Axis & Allies .

In addition to the book and ship counters, the game requires a 4 ft × 6 ft (1.2 m × 1.8 m) playing surface, a tape measure or ruler, and several six-sided dice. [1]

Scenarios

Victory at Sea contains a number of historical scenarios such as the Battle of Denmark Strait. These scenarios contain a list of the ships present during the combat as well as opening positions and fleet objectives. [1]

Designing a scenario

Players can also choose to design their own scenario. First the players choose a Priority Level for the scenario: War, Battle, Raid, Skirmish, or Patrol. Each player is then given a certain number of Fleet Allocation Points with which to purchase ships. Ships rated below the chosen Priority Level cost less, while ships rated above the Priority Level cost more. [1]

Once the fleets have been chosen, the type of scenario defines the beginning positions of the fleets, as well as the fleet objectives. [1]

For example, if the players choose a Convoy Duty scenario, the convoy player must deploy their ships 48 inches from a short edge of the playing surface and at least 18 inches from either long edge. The convoy's objective is to safely traverse the 48 inches to the edge of the playing surface, while the attacker's objective is to eliminate the convoy. [1]

Gameplay: Basic rules

Each turn is divided into four phases: Initiative, Movement, Attack, and End. [1]

Initiative

Each player rolls two dice. The player with the highest score has the choice of moving first or letting the other player move first. [1]

Movement

Each ship is rated for movement in terms of inches per turn. For example, a battleship might have a movement of 6 inches per turn. Each ship can move up to its maximum rate, but must move at least one inch each turn, unless combat damage has left it dead in the water, or if the ship is undertaking a special action such as Create Smoke, or Rig for Silent Running. [1]

Each ship also has a turn rating, and can make one change of direction during each game turn. Once a ship has moved half its rated movement, a turn template is placed on the ship, and the ship can change direction as marked on the template. For example, a battleship might have a turn rating of "1", meaning it can turn as far as the "1" mark on the turn template. Once a ship has turned, it continues on its new course for the remainder of its movement. [1]

Attack

Once both players have completed all movement desired, the first player can attack an enemy ship by declaring the ship that will fire, and the target chosen. To simulate the split-second decisions made during actual naval combat, the attacking player may not pre-measure the range, or determine if the defending ship is within the firing arc of a particular gun. [1]

Once the declaration has been made, the attacking player then determines if the ship is within range and if the ship is within the firing arc of the chosen gun. If the answer is yes to both, then the attacker rolls attack dice according to the gun's attack rating. If all the attack dice have a score equal to or greater than the target's Target Rating, then the attacker rolls the pertinent gun's damage dice and compares the result to the target's armour rating. [1]

For example, if a battleship were firing a gun with an attack dice rating of 2 and a damage rating of 3 at a cruiser with a target rating of 4 and an armour rating of 6, then the attacker would need to roll 4 or better on both attack dice to score a hit. If the attacker succeeded in scoring a hit, the attacker would then roll 3 damage dice. If the total of the dice was more than 6, then a point of damage is deducted from the target ship. [1]

If any of the damage dice is a 6, this may result in a critical hit. The attacker rerolls the die and if it is a 4 or better, then the attacker rolls on a critical hit table, which will may result in fires, loss of crew, loss of speed, or damage to weapons. [1]

After a certain amount of damage, the target ship is crippled, resulting in reductions in speed, turning capability and weapons. Crew loss will result in lessened performance in repair capability, maneuverability and combat capability. [1]

End phase

During the End phase, players may attempt to extinguish fires and repair damage caused by critical hits. Failure to accomplish these may result in crew loss. [1]

Advanced rules

The Advanced rules cover additional concerns such as aircraft, weather, night battles, radar and submersibles. [1]

Publication history

In 2004, the UK game company Mongoose Publishing based in Swindon released A Call to Arms , a tabletop miniatures spacefleet wargame designed by Matthew Sprange that was set in the Babylon 5 universe. [2] It proved to be very popular, and Sprange adapted the rules for World War II naval combat. The result was the 206-page hardcover book Victory at Sea, published in 2006.

The following year, Mongoose released the supplement Order at Sea designed by Richard L. Bax, Wulf Corbett, David Manley, Agis Neugebauer, and Erik Nicely that included new rules, new classes of ships and expanded ship lists.

In 2009, Mongoose released Victory at Sea: Age of Dreadnoughts designed by David Manley revised the rules and ship lists for naval combat during World War I.

In 2013, iEvilgames, the gaming subsidiary of Evil Twin Artworks, created a videogame for iOS, Android, PC and Mac based on the Victory at Sea rules. [2]

In 2020, Warlord Games published a revised edition of the rules designed by Matthew Sprange titled Victory at Sea: Battle for the Pacific. It was released as a boxed set that also included fifteen 1/1800 scale ships. [3]

Reception

Brandon Neff, writing for Armchair General, commented, "This is a light, fast game. In an hour or so, you can recreate a naval battle without being bogged down by overly complicated and seemingly pedantic rules. This game can be taught in a few minutes and there is very little downtime for either player." Neff's only complaint was the minor role played by aircraft. Neff concluded by warning that "This is a beer and pretzels game and the serious grognard may be dismayed if expecting something different." [1]

Stuart Fieldhouse was ambivalent about Victory at Sea, finding that "it is NOT good for fighting convoy actions, and the rules for sub-hunting are sparse and inadequate". Fieldhouse also found that "Airpower in the game is understrength, to say the least" and commented that record-keeping might be a concern for some players, saying, "There is also a lot of paperwork in VaS. Each ship has its own record sheet, even destroyers. This is great in a multi-player game, where each player has his own squadron of four or five ships, but if there are two of you playing a larger battle, you will be swamped with record keeping as you struggle to track how many torpedoes HMCS Haida has left to shoot. It does seem to set a ceiling on what can be gamed." Fieldhouse concluded that Victory at Sea was not what he was looking for in a naval combat game, commenting, "A Call To Arms was a very successful project for Mongoose, and they are apparently in the process of hatching a new set of sci fi rules that draws heavily on CTA as its game engine, but [Victory at Sea] has simply not worked well for [naval combat set in] WW2." [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wargame</span> Strategy game that realistically simulates war

A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of some military operation. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to study the nature of potential conflicts. Many wargames re-create specific historic battles, and can cover either whole wars, or any campaigns, battles, or lower-level engagements within them. Many simulate land combat, but there are wargames for naval and air combat, as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miniature wargaming</span> Wargame genre

Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use abstract pieces such as counters or blocks, or computer wargames which use virtual models. The primary benefit of using models is aesthetics, though in certain wargames the size and shape of the models can have practical consequences on how the match plays out.

<i>Full Thrust</i>

Full Thrust is a science fiction strategy wargame written by Jon Tuffley and published by Ground Zero Games of England. It is usually played with miniature figurines representing imaginary starships, although cardboard chits representing the vessels can also be used. Unlike many games, the publishers encourage the use of any miniatures rather than only "official" ones, though Ground Zero Games does also sell an extensive miniature range.

<i>Triplanetary</i> (board game) 1973 Science fiction board game

Triplanetary is a science fiction board wargame originally published by Game Designers' Workshop in 1973. The game is a simulation of space ship travel and combat within the Solar System in the early 21st Century.

World in Flames is a board wargame designed by Harry Rowland and released in 1985 by the Australian Design Group. It is currently in its 8th edition, World in Flames - Collector's Edition, each new edition featuring changes to the rules, maps and counters provided with the game.

<i>War at Sea</i> Board wargame published in 1975

War at Sea is a strategic board wargame depicting the naval war in the Atlantic during World War II, published by Jedko Games in 1975, and subsequently republished by Avalon Hill in 1976 and more recently by L2 Design Group in 2007.

Battle Cry is a board wargame based on the American Civil War, designed by Richard Borg and published by Avalon Hill in 2000.

Midway is a board wargame published Avalon Hill in 1991 as a revision of a 1964 edition that simulates the Battle of Midway from World War II.

<i>Guadalcanal</i> (1992 game)

Guadalcanal is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill as part of the Smithsonian American History Series. The game simulates World War II naval battles near the Solomon Islands and is primarily designed for two players. It uses the same game design as the Smithsonian edition of Midway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval wargaming</span>

Naval wargaming is a branch of the wider hobby of miniature wargaming. Generally less popular than wargames set on land, naval wargaming nevertheless enjoys a degree of support around the world. Both historical and fantasy rulesets are available.

Second World War at Sea is a game series produced by Avalanche Press covering naval combat during World War II. The series is based on Avalanche Press' Great War at Sea. The two series share many features although they are separate both from a rules standpoint and a scale standpoint.

Close Action is a naval board wargame published by Clash of Arms in 1997 and designed by Mark A. Campbell. The game replicates naval warfare of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The game was inspired by and shares superficial similarities to the Avalon Hill game Wooden Ships and Iron Men (WS&IM). It was created chiefly in response to perceived errors in the simulation found in WS&IM.

<i>Privateers and Gentlemen</i> Tabletop Age of Sail role-playing game

Privateers and Gentlemen is a role-playing game published by Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU) in 1983 that is set in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail. The game combines role-playing and ship-to-ship combat. The game received generally positive reviews, although some critics questioned the blending of both role-playing and naval combat, the lack of any scenarios or adventures, and the disorganization of the rules.

<i>Grav Armor</i> Board game

Grav Armor is a science fiction tank combat board game published by Heritage Models in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuzzy Heroes</span>

Fuzzy Heroes is a miniatures wargame published by Inner City Games Designs in 1992 that features combat between plush toys and plastic toys.

<i>Tokyo Express: The Guadalcanal Naval Campaign – 1942</i> 1988 WWII naval wargame

Tokyo Express: The Guadalcanal Naval Campaign – 1942 is a solitaire board wargame published Victory Games in 1988.

<i>Ironbottom Sound</i> (board game) Naval board wargame

Ironbottom Sound, subtitled "The Guadalcanal Campaign", is a naval board wargame published by Quarterdeck Games in 1981 that simulates the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. Four editions have been released by various publishers over forty years.

Tsushima is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1975 that simulates naval battles during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Tsushima was part of a two-game collection titled The Russo-Japanese War. The second game in the box was Port Arthur, which covered the land combat during the war. The two games could either be played separately, or combined into one master game.

<i>IJN</i> (wargame) 1978 World War II board wargame

IJN, subtitled "A Tactical Game of Naval and Naval-Air Combat in The Pacific, 1941–1945," is a board wargame published by Simulations Canada in 1978 that simulates various naval encounters during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. It was the first in a series of three interlocking naval wargames.

<i>Torpedo!</i> (wargame) 197 board wargame

Torpedo!, subtitled "A Tactical Study of Submarine and Anti-Submarine Warfare, 1941–1945," is a board wargame published by Simulations Canada in 1979 that simulates various naval engagements involving submarines World War II. It was the second in a series of three interlocking naval wargames.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Neff, Brandon (2007-10-17). "Victory at Sea (Mongoose Publishing) Review". Armchair General. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  2. 1 2 Hudson, Barrie (2013-05-09). "Cult board game made in Swindon to get new version for tablets". Swindon Advertiser. Swindon, England.
  3. "Victory at Sea: Battle for the Pacific - First Thoughts". Dice Productions. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  4. Fieldhouse, Stuart. "Victory At Sea". GM's Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-13.