Task Forces and Convoys: A Naval Chess Game

Duration: Until all convoys get to their destinations or are eliminated.

Starting Forces and Their Deployment:

Each player picks a navy with a different color backing to use (unless you happen to have clips to stand the
ship pieces upright, so the opposing player can't see them anyway).
If using the 7-square chartboard or the 7-hexagon-side one, each of 2 players may have as many as 7 ship
units of which 1 to 3 of them may be convoys, as s/he wishes, arrayed on opposite sides on the farthestmost
ranks as much as possible. If using the 4-hexagon-side hexagonal board, each of 2 players gets as many as
5 ship units of which 1 to 2 may be convoys.
On the hexagonal boards, you can have 3 opposing players or 2 players against one as long as the
opposing sides' total number of ship units are the same.
The identities of the ships selected are secret, until contact/combat on the board occurs.

Ship Movement: All ship units are inverted - upside down - on the chartboard (unless you are using stand-up
clips) and (if chosen to move) may move 1 space in any direction per turn, until contact and/or combat is made
- the owning player may examine them at any time. Roll a die to see which player moves first. S/he moves
only unit. Thereafter, in alternating player turns, each player may move 2. Only 1 unit may remain in any
space at the end of a turn. In the most basic game, friendly units may not pass through each other - may not
switch spaces.

Contact is made when a friendly warship unit enters a space occupied by an (unknown) enemy ship unit.
Those become engaged in battle and may move no further during the game. The attacked/defending ship's
identity - warship or convoy unit - remains unknown to the attacker, until after the game is over, when all ships
are revealed. No other ship units may enter their space.

Winning: The player that gets the most victory points wins. 1 victory point each is awarded for:
- Getting a convoy to the opposite side of the chart board in his turn (Then the convoy is removed from the
game.)
- Sinking an enemy aircraft carrier or battleship.
Note: If both sides get an equal number of victory points, the side which got theirs first wins.

OPTIONAL BASIC GAME BATTLE MATRIX (showing inter-class relationships)

Combat results:
DE = Defending ship unit Eliminated.
BE = Both ship units Eliminated.
AE = Attacking ship unit Eliminated.
"-" = The attacking ship withdraws back into the (empty) space it came from or another adjacent to that, if its
original space is occupied. If there are no spaces it can withdraw to, it is eliminated.
Ship class codes: Aircraft carrier = CV, Battleship = BB, Cruisers (2 ships per piece) = CL&CA, Destroyers
(3 ships) = DD. Submarines (periscope wakes on pieces) = SS, and a Convoy has 4 freighters on its piece.

Attacker: ___CV____ BB CA,CL DD SS Convoy

Defender:
CV DE DE DE DE AE AE

BB DE BE AE AE DE AE

CA,CL DE DE BE AE DE AE

DD DE DE DE BE AE AE

SS AE AE AE DE - AE

Convoy DE DE DE DE DE -
Play balance: If a younger player loses too often and risks becoming discouraged, the older player should
play with his pieces face UP. 3:-)

forming Task Forces, on the 7-hexagon-side hexagonal chart board.

Task Forces: If All ship units are inverted - upside down - on the chartboard (unless you are using stand-up
clips) and (if chosen to move) each unit or task force of units may move 1 space in any direction per turn, until
contact and/or combat is made. The owning player may examine them at any time.
In alternating player-turns, each player may move a number of individual ships or task forces he has equal to
1/3 his total number of pieces – fractions rounded up. A task force can be up to any 3 mutually adjacent ship
units (ergo, if 3 in triangular formation), and its members may move/attack out in different directions, although
that will then require extra turns to re-assemble the task force.
Roll a die to see which player moves first. Again, only 1 ship unit - enemy or friendly - may remain in any
space at the end of a turn, although friendly units may pass through each other - switch spaces.

Duration: As long as it takes for all enemy ships to be destroyed or there is a clear winner in any case.

Starting Forces and their Deployment:

Each player picks a navy to use: U.S. Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, British Royal Navy, German
Kriegsmarine, Italian Regia Marina, or Red Navy - and note that most of these have different compositions.
The 7-hexagon-side hexagonal chartboard must be used. Each player picks 7 of his ship types/units for
the game, unless both/all players agree on however many more ship units to be used. There may be 3
players - British vs. French vs. Italians? - with none of the starting sides adjacent. There can be a special
arrangement of a 2-against-one game in which case the allied players each get 6 ship units and their opponent
10 and set up at opposite corners of the chartboard. The first rank must be filled first. If an aircraft carrier is
selected, then a Dummy must be selected too. The Dummy is permanently removed from the board the
instant either is contacted. The identities of the ships selected are secret, until contact/combat on the board
occurs.
Additionally, Island air bases are placed up to the 5th rank forward of the owning player’s side and in the
direction of the center of the chart, if both players decide they want to use them and their land-based air units,
or if a player wants to substitute one for a ship. (Think unsinkable aircraft carrier.)

Ship Movement and Command Control: All ship units are inverted - upside down - on the chartboard
(unless you are using stand-up clips) and (if chosen to move) each unit or task force of units may move 1
space in any direction per turn - including a task force breaking up and its members moving/attacking out in
different directions - until contact and/or combat is made. The owning player may examine them at any time.
In alternating player-turns, each player may move a number of individual ships or task forces he has equal to
1/3 his total number of pieces – fractions rounded up. A task force can be up to any 3 mutually adjacent ship
units (ergo, if 3 in triangular formation).
Roll a die to see which player moves first. S/he moves only half the eligible number of units for a normal
turn. Again, only 1 ship unit - enemy or friendly - may remain in any space at the end of a turn, although
friendly units may pass through each other - switch spaces.
For tactical - battle withdrawal/pursuit - purposes, subs, convoys, and warships marked with an S are Slow.

Contact - made when a ship, sub, or air unit enters a space occupied by an enemy ship unit - and
Combat:
The identities of both attacker and defender are revealed when contact - air or surface - is made.
Air Strikes - naval/carrier-based attacks before before land-based air can attack: Only 1 air attack
(round) may be made per activated aircraft carrier per owning moving/attacking player's turn. A land-based
air unit may attack each turn. After movement, an active carrier or land-based air unit may strike either into its
own space or into an adjacent space. Either may attack 1 hex farther, but the chance of a hit is reduced by 2
on the die, and that may be a voluntary reduction, to mislead an opponent. A player is only required to say if
he is rolling for high or low numbers. He is not required to say what numbers will hit - what the attack's range
is, although a hit required by a 1-hex range will be obvious. A carrier which air strikes is not revealed, unless
the opponents cannot trust each other. Airstrikes against surface warships marked with an S are increased by
1 on the die. The Japanese Chikuma/Tone cruisers' search plane is not active in the Classic Game.
Surface/gunfire/submarine combat: occurs if one or more ship units enters the space of an enemy ship unit
or island. Note: An aircraft carrier may use its air attack against an enemy unit in the same space it has
moved into and then – if the target isn’t eliminated – must “attack” it on the surface, even if the result is an
automatic AE.
Tactical Withdrawal: Again, only one ship unit may remain in a contested space at the end of a turn. If one
side wants to voluntarily withdraw, it may do so into an empty adjacent space (back toward its home side or
sideways, if possible) if it is no slower than the opponent. If the withdrawing ship unit is Slow, the opposing
player may demand another battle round. If there are no empty spaces to withdraw to in any direction, a
player must continue to do battle unless the opposing player withdraws.
Strategic Withdrawal: If he already has at least 2 victory points, a player may permanently withdraw any of
his pieces off his side of the chart, if it/they can make it back to do so.
Landings: If islands (having land-based air unit bases) are used, Convoys may take islands, in which case a
friendly land-based air unit may be transferred onto it, next turn. The Convoy so used is then removed from
the game.

Combat results:
DE = Defender Eliminated.
DEn = Defender Eliminated on a die roll of 1-n. (If you prefer high numbers, you can roll for an equal
number of good die numbers, if you wish, so DE2 would be for a roll of 1-2 or 5-6.)
BE or DEn = Players must choose before starting the game, whether Both ship units will be eliminated -
classical/ simplest - or whether instead both players may roll for the DEn number against each other
simultaneously - the wargamer's choice.
AE = Attacking unit eliminated.
"-" = The attacking ship withdraws back into the (empty) space it came from or another adjacent to that, if its
original space is occupied. If there are no spaces it can withdraw to, it is eliminated. A ship unit may remain
in an island space, even if it hasn't eliminated an air unit on it.

Ship class codes: Aircraft carrier = CV, Battleship = BB, Cruisers (2 ships per piece) = CL&CA, Destroyers
(3 ships) = DD. Submarines (periscope wakes on pieces) = SS, and a Convoy has 4 freighters on its piece. .

CLASSIC BATTLE MATRIX

Attacker: ___CV____ BB CA,CL DD SS Convoy
LndBsdAir
Defender:
CV Air: DE3 DE DE DE4 DE - DE3
Surf: -

BB Air: DE3 BE or AE DE2 DE3 AE DE3

Surf: AE DE3 both if not, AE if not, -

CA,CL Air: DE3 DE BE or DE2* DE3 AE DE3

Surf: AE DE3* both if not, AE if not, -

DD Air: DE3 DE DE BE or AE AE DE3

Surf: AE DE3 both

SS Air: DE3 AE AE DE - AE DE3

Surf: AE

Convoy Air: DE5 DE DE DE DE - DE6

Surf: -

LndBsdAir Air: DE3 DE DE - - DE -

(at base) Surf: - (Island base taken,
enemy air DE-ed)

To Win a player must get more victory points than the opponent and he/she gets 1 victory point each for:
Each enemy aircraft carrier or battleship unit.
Getting a convoy to the opposite side of the board and it surviving the next enemy player-turn. (It then
disappears.)
Taking an island (and the Convoy then disappears) and keeping it until the end of the game.
If the victor has 2 vps more than the defender and also has twice as many or more vps, he wins a Smashing
Strategic Victory worth 2 games.

Player-turn Sequence:
- Ship unit movement and identification, if in same hex.
- Defending submarine attacks.
- Air Strikes – the moving/attacking player only – both land-based and "active carrier"-based.
- Surface/gunfire and attacking submarine combat

Duration: As long as it takes for all enemy ships to be destroyed or there is a clear winner in any case.

Starting Forces and their Deployment - See also Historical Scenarios sheet after Rules:
Each player picks a navy to use: U.S. Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, British Royal Navy, German
Kriegsmarine, Italian Regia Marina, or Red Navy - and note that most of these have different compositions.
The 7-hexagon-side chart board must be used. If there are to be 3 separate opposing players/navies,
none of the starting sides may be adjacent, unless a special arrangement if a 2-against-one game has been
agreed to (in which case the allies each get 7 ship units and their opponent all 10, and they start in opposite
corners). Each player may set up his ships in his first 2 ranks. Each player picks 7 of his ship types/units for
the game, unless both/all players agree that however many more ship units may be used. An aircraft carrier
counts as 2 ships, and a Dummy is used as the "second ship," until either is contacted. The identities of the
ships selected are secret, until contact/combat on the board occurs. A discovered Dummy is permanently
removed, unless a scenario says it is Returnable to the game, in which case it must return in the owning
player's turn on a space with a real naval unit for the movement of one or both. The owning player may put
his hand in front of it when it is returned, to conceal which piece is the Dummy.
If the scenario calls for an Island, it is placed up to the 5th rank forward of the owning player’s side and in the
direction of the center of the chart, unless the scenario specifies otherwise or players decide they don't want to
use islands and land-based air units.

Ship Movement and Command Control: All ship units are inverted - upside down - on the chartboard
(unless you are using stand-up clips) and (if chosen to move) each unit or task force of units may move 1
space in any direction per turn - including a task force breaking up and its members moving/attacking out in
different directions - until contact and/or combat is made. The owning player may examine them at any time.
In alternating player-turns, each player may move a number of individual ships or task forces he has equal to
1/3 his total number of pieces – fractions rounded. A task force can be up to any 3 mutually adjacent ship
units (ergo, if 3 in triangular formation).
Roll a die to see which player moves first. S/he moves only half the eligible number of units for a normal
turn. Again, only 1 ship unit - enemy or friendly - may remain in any space at the end of a turn, although
friendly units may pass through each other - switch spaces.
For tactical - battle withdrawal/pursuit - purposes, subs, convoys, and warships marked with an S are Slow.

Contact - made when a ship, sub, or air unit enters a space occupied by an enemy ship unit - and
Combat:
The identities of both attacker and defender are revealed when contact - air or surface - is made.
Air Strikes - naval/carrier-based attacks before before land-based air can attack: Only 1 air attack
(round) may be made per activated aircraft carrier per owning moving/attacking player's turn. A land-based
air unit may attack each turn. After movement, an active carrier or land-based air unit may strike either into its
own space or into an adjacent space. Either may attack 1 hex farther, but the chance of a hit is reduced by 2
on the die, and that may be a voluntary reduction, to mislead an opponent. A player is only required to say
if he is rolling for high or low numbers. He is not required to say what numbers will hit - what the attack's
range is, although a hit required by a 1-hex range will be obvious. A carrier which air strikes is not revealed,
unless the opponents cannot trust each other. Airstrikes against surface warships marked with an S are
increased by 1 on the die. The Japanese Chikuma/Tone cruisers may search but not strike into an adjacent
space and are similarly not revealed.
Surface/gunfire/submarine combat: occurs if one or more ship units enters the space of an enemy ship unit
or island. Note: An aircraft carrier may use its air attack against an enemy unit in the same space it has
moved into and then – if the target isn’t eliminated – must “attack” it on the surface, even if the result is an
automatic AE.
Tactical Withdrawal: Again, only one ship unit may remain in a contested space at the end of a turn. If one
side wants to voluntarily withdraw, it may do so into an empty adjacent space (back toward its home side or
sideways, if possible) if it is no slower than the opponent. If the withdrawing ship unit is Slow, the opposing
player may demand another battle round. If there are no empty spaces to withdraw to in any direction, a
player must continue to do battle unless the opposing player withdraws.
Strategic Withdrawal: If he already has at least 2 victory points, a player may permanently withdraw any of
his pieces off his side of the chart, if it/they can make it back to do so.
Landings: If islands (having land-based air unit bases) are used, Convoys may take islands with a
successful "AE1, if not then DE" result, in which case the friendly land-based air unit may be moved into it, for
the next turn. A Convoy so used is then withdrawn from the game.

Combat results:
DE = Defending unit eliminated.
DEn = Defending unit eliminated on a die roll of 1-n. (If you prefer high numbers, you can roll for an equal
number of good die numbers, if you wish, so DE2 would be for a roll of 1-2 or 5-6.) Note, however, the
conditional if/then results for (for example): "AE2, if not DE3" If the attacker isn't destroyed, then he may roll
for a DE3 to destroy the defender.
AE, AEn = Attacker eliminated, maybe upon another necessary die roll number indicated by n. DE3 both
means both attacker and defender roll the die for a 50% chance of destroying the other.
"-" = The attacking ship withdraws back into the (empty) space it came from or another adjacent to that, if its
original space is occupied. If there are no spaces it can withdraw to, it is eliminated. A ship unit may remain
in an island space, even if it hasn't eliminated an air unit on it.

Ship class codes: Aircraft carrier = CV, Battleship = BB, Cruisers (2 ships per piece) = CL&CA, Destroyers
(3 ships) = DD. Submarines (periscope wakes on pieces) = SS, and a Convoy has 4 freighters on its piece.
"HISTORICAL" BATTLE MATRIX
Attacker: ___CV____ BB CA,CL DD SS Convoy
LndBsdAir
Defender:
CV Air: DE4 DE5 DE4 DE3 AE2 - DE3
Surf: - if not, DE

BB Air: DE3 DE3 both AE4 DE1 DE3 AE DE3

Surf: AE if not, DE1 if not, AE if not, -

CA,CL Air: DE3 DE4 DE3 both DE1 DE3 AE DE3

Surf: AE if not, AE2 if not, AE if not, -

DD Air: DE2 AE1 AE2 DE3 both AE AE DE2

Surf: AE if not, DE4 if not, DE

SS Air: DE2 AE4 AE3 DE - AE5 DE3

Surf: AE if not, DE

Convoy Air: DE5 DE DE5 DE4* AE2 - DE5

Surf: - if not, DE

LndBsdAir Air: DE3 DE DE4 - - AE1 -

(at base) Surf: - if not, DE and base
taken.

At night starting in 1941 for the Japanese and British, 1942 for the Germans, and 1943 for the
Americans - unless otherwise noted in scenarios - add 1 to firing die roll both when attacking and
defending.

To Win a player must get more victory points than the opponent and he/she gets 1 victory point each for:
- Each enemy aircraft carrier or battleship unit or two 2-ship cruiser units sunk.
- Getting a convoy to the opposite side of the board and it surviving the next enemy player-turn. (It then
disappears.)
- Taking and island (and the Convoy then disappears) and keeping it until the end of the game.
- If the victor has 2 vps more than the defender and also has twice as many or more vps, he wins a Smashing
Strategic Victory worth 2 games.
Note: Victory point values are sometimes altered in historical scenarios, as appropriate.

Player-turn Sequence: :
- Ship unit movement and identification, if in same hex.
- Defending submarine attacks.
- Air Strikes – the moving/attacking player only – both land-based and "active carrier"-based..
- Surface/gunfire and attacking submarine combat

Untested Advanced Game: Task forces are now up to 3 units on the same space - no longer adjacent units.
When a task force moves into an enemy-occupied space, the defender selects which of his units to defend with
first and it battles with the attacking unit of the defender's choice. After that battle is resolved, the attacker
chooses which of his units to attack with and which defender's unit to attack, and it goes back and forth until
only one side controls the space.

Historical Scenarios – 7Jul18:

"Historical" game's victory conditions, with possible additions. Use Other Ship pieces, if necessary
or just desired. + = Each unit (also) counted for (additional?) victory point / N = Night Battle / # =
Ships NOT hidden / R = Dummies returnable to game next player-turn
Pacific
Coral Sea My42 Indian Ocean Ap42 Midway Je42 Savo Au42 - N Eastern
Solomons S42
USN IJN RN IJN USN IJN USN IJN USN IJN
CV 2(YL) 2(ShZ) 2(ILE) 4(AKHSo) 3(EHY) 4(AKHSo) 3(ESW)
3(ShZ?)
BB 3 Slow 2 2 2
CA,CL 2 2 2 1 2 1 3 2+ 3 2
DD 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2
SS 1 1 3 1 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Dmys 0-4 4 2 2
Cnvy 1+ 2 2+ 2+ 1+
L-BAir 1 1
Bases 1 1
Notes:
Coral Sea: Convoy must exit on chartboard hexagon side on Allied left for point
Indian Ocean: Convoys must exit on chartboard hexagon side to Japanese player's right for points.
Midway: Convoys are Midway invasion force
Savo: Allied ships in first rank hidden - in second rank exposed until an attack occurs. Allied ships cannot
move until an attack occurs.

Esperance O42 - N Santa Cruz N42 1st Guadalcanal - N 2nd Guad N42 - N Tassafar
N42-N
USN IJN# USN IJN USN IJN USN IJN USN# IJN
CV 2(EH) 3(ZSh?)
BB 1(SDa) 2 2 2(WSD) 1
CA,CL 2+ 2+ 2 2 2 1 2+
DD 2 1 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 2+
SS 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Dmys 2 2 1 2 2 1 2
Cnvy 1+ 1+ 1+
L-BAir
Bases
Notes:
Esperance: U.S. Navy has radar and Admiral Norman Scott knows how to use it. Japanese units always
exposed. To win, Japanese must exit opposite end of board
Tassafaronga: Japanese start along side next to and left of U.S. units. U.S. units always exposed, because
wily Japanese initially hugged Guadalcanal shore, confusing our radar. Japanese can only escape via
opposite side.

Philippine Sea Je44 SurigaoStrait O44 - N Cape Engano O44 Wake Island D41
Kommandorskis
USN IJN USN IJN USN IJN USN IJN USN IJN
CV 6 4 6 2(ShZ) 1(Sar) 2(HiryuSoryu)
BB 7 5 6S 2(YamFus) 6 2
CA,CL 4 4 2+ 1 2 1 2 2 1 2
DD 4 3 4 2 4 2 1 2 1 1
SS 2 2 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Dmys 2 2
Conv 2+ 1 1+ 1+
L-BAir 2 1 1
Bases 2 1
Notes:
Philippine Sea: Convoys are landing forces only.
Surigao Strait: Japanese ships can only exit opposite side of chartboard and get 1 victory point for each unit
able to do so. Each U.S. battleship sunk = 2 vps, each Allied cruiser unit = 1 vp..
Wake Island: U.S. enters in east. IJN carriers in NW and invasion convoy in SW. Sara = 2 vps. US convoy
gets a point if it makes it to Wake and then gets off the eastern/American side.
Kommandorskis: U.S.L-BAir (B-26) appears and attacks only on each one die roll per turn of boxcars (2 6s).

Atlantic and Mediterranean / RM = Regia Marina = Italian Navy

Norway Ap40 Punta Stilo Jy40 Matapan Ma41 Denmark Str My41 Cornering Bismarck
My41
RN DKm RN RM RN RM RN DKm RN DKm
CV 1 (Eagle) 1 (Ark)
BB 1 2(SG) 3S 2S 3S 1(VV) (PoW,Hd) (Bis)+ (KGV,Rod,Ren) (Bis)+
CA,CL 1 2 5 1 3 1+ 1+ (Norfolk &
Sheffield)
DD 1 3 3 3 2 1
SS 1 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Dmys 2R 2R 3
Conv 1+ 1+ 2
L-BAir 1 1
Bases - 1
Notes:
Norway 1940: 50% chance of no carrier operations each turn, because of poor - vile - weather/visibility, which
is also why all dummies are returnable to the game..
Punta Stilo: Italian high-altitude bomber attacks anywhere, but British unit not revealed. 1/36 chance to sink.
The 2-dice roll with a sum up to 6 means mis-identification. British can then have Italian bomber attack Italian
unit.
Matapan: Convoys must exit on chartboard's hexagon side on the Italians' left - NW, actually - to get the
victory point.
Denmark Strait: See Ship Bonuses and Penalties below. German player must exit Bismarck off far side of
chartboard or loses 1 vp. Exiting German cruiser unit gets additional vp. British cruiser unit starts on
German side.
Cornering Bismarck: Bismarck/Tirpitz starts in the center hexagon of the chartboard. 2 British BBs start 2
spaces from it toward British player's side. U-boot starts 2 spaces toward the British side behind them.
British cruiser unit starts on hexagonal chartboard side to German player's right. British CV and other BB
(preferably Renown) starts on board's side to German player's left, and an airstrike hit only prevents Bismarck
from moving the following German turn - it doesn't sink it. British DD starts anywhere on German player's half
of the board. German player gets 1 victory point for exiting Bismarck on his own side.
Mers el Kebir Jy40 2nd Sirte Mr42 Convoy PQ17 Jy42 Nord Kapp D43- N Escape from
Riga
RN French RN RM RNUSN DKm RN DKm Red DKm
CV 1(Ark)
BB 1+2S 2 1(L) 2(DYWa) 1(Tirpitz) 1(DY) 1(Schrnhrst) 2 S
CA,CL 2 1 2 1+(ShH) 1 1 1+
DD 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1
SS 1 1 3 1 1 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Dmys 1R 1R 2 2 2 2 2
Conv 1+ 1+ 1+ 2+
L-BAir 1++
Bases -
Note:
Mers el Kebir: French can only exit opposite side of chartboard and may "withdraw" from a battle toward it.
Convoy PQ17: Allied convoy starts in center hexagon with 1 destroyer adjacent. Allied cruisers start 2 hexes
behind it. Allied player secretly rolls 50% chance of battleships and 1 destroyer being 2 hexes behind the
cruisers or all the way back on the Allied side. All Germans start on German side and move first. Convoy
may move sideways but never back, and it must exit through German side for point. Dummies anywhere.
Nord Kapp: Same basic dispositions as for Convoy PQ17, including secret die roll.
Escape from Riga: Russians can only exit from opposite side of board.
++ German air unit attacks anywhere but it hits/sinks a ship unit only on 17% and then 33% die rolls - a 1/18
chance.

Ship Bonuses and Penalties:

Yamato, Musashi, and (the modern, non-Slow) U.S. battleships attack with a +1 on the die roll.
British battle cruisers Hood, Renown, and Repulse and any Italian battleship had weak armor, so all gunfire
attacks on them get +1 on the die roll.
KGV, PoW, and DoY had chronically malfunctioning turrets, so after any first battle round they attack/fire with
-1 against their attacking/firing die rolls. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and old (S) Italian battleships always -1
against BBs, unless G is upgunned with 15" guns.
Pacific Campaign Game: Decide how many total U.S. Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy ships each player
will initially have - at least enough to cover each scenario, if they last that long - and how many battles are to
be fought. (The British ships in the Indian Ocean game are just extra to the Allied side but don't continue in
later battles.) Battleships and aircraft carriers are then permanently lost from the series of games - the player
winning the most individual battle games wins the agreed-upon campaign game.
Sources:
The classic family game Battleship.
The brilliant, elegantly simple mechanically but deep strategic little 3M game Evade, designed by Alex
Randolph.
The classic hidden-unit game Stratego – originally l’Attaque - and the very similar Dover Patrol.
The original edition of the naval boardgame Bismarck, by The Avalon Hill Game Company.
The various naval games I have now designed.

Chief Playtester: Johanna Grace Coatney, age 7 at the time

Players: Sebastian Marchesi, Tor Mæhlum, Jan Einar Tamber, Siverb S. Wilhelmsen, Witold Zakrzewski