Rules Queries

Interested in all these ppinys too, particularly
Cannons on the Beaufighter.

Here are my takes on these questions:

1) The rules refer to firing at a different enemy for each “guns” for hit allocations so I assume they can be allocated separately.

2) I would say “yes” they can shoot in different phases as the rules make a point of specifying that each can fire once “per activation” as if that’s the main restriction. However this could require some fore-planning as you have to declare all targets before firing the first weapons.

3) As mentioned tiny, small and medium craft are immune to torpedoes (unless players agree) and get bonuses for torpedoes and crossing shoals and sandbanks.

4) It looks like collisions aren’t dodged but intentional ramming can be (by the defender)… but I would probably argue that the defender (only) should also get the chance to dodge an ostensibly accidental collision.

5) Yes, I think so. Some crit efefts also self-repair e.g. Crew.

6) I think Hull points will need to be extrapolated for undocumented vessels.

7) Rules certainly seem to be deficient in this area. We have star shells, searchlights and radars rules telling us how far we can see at night when we have these items but nothing telling us how far we can see without them. Maybe just say 30cm but a ship that fired in its last activation can be seen/targeted at 60cm with everything obscured unless under a star shell or searchlight?

8) Mine damage is listed in the text but the hit chance chart is AWOL. See my own thread for further questions here.

9) The rules say “A Fleet Dice”, not one of the dice from the bag, so like a boat you keep an extra dice on hand for the plane and then introduce it to note activation when the aircraft arrives. Thereafter it goes in the bag with the others. I expect this is the same as any units arriving from off the table. The “Pulling and Issuing Fleet Dice” section on p8 specifically talks about putting dice for the vessels “in play” into the bag. Off-table aircraft and reserves are not yet “in play” at the start of the game so their dice do not start in the bag. Planes arrive and are activated at the start of the turn.

10) I think “bombs” are generally a simplification for non-torpedo aircraft attacks so for beaufighters they represent the aircraft strafing with cannons .

11) I would expect so. I cannot see what column they would use but I assume it would be the Tiny, Small and Medium ship column in the table on p93.

I don’t see why. The bomb load was probably more common that the torpedo. I don’t think the torpedo was even an option to start with.

Hi fellas..yes you can fire each gun position separately and yes you can move and fire interrupting movement if you wish with fire as the guns acquire a target. F lighters and Siebel ferries are too shallow to torpedo if they are being used as escorts, I would class them as torpedable(!)if they are stuffed with fuel for Rommel or packed with AFVs for Sealion etc…

Aircraft…. we decided to cut down on aircraft as the games is about boats really…We decided to just give each nation a plane that could bomb small ships in a cheery fashion..otherwise Italian, German Japanese players would , rightly, be moaning about devastating Mitchell bombers with 14 heavy MGs and a 57mm cannon and bombs, or a fully loaded beaufighter with rockets cannons mgs and torpedoes

as ever please feel free to add or subtract whatever you wish, its a play set to get you started, add away fellas, that’s all part of the fun!!

cheers john s

John Stallard comented above about Aircraft, i agree with his thinking especially since most of the coastal actions where night fights where aircraft played a limited role.

It would depend on how heavily the barge was loaded. And eventually the allies started using torpedoes with fuses that would detonate as they ran under the barge.