Memoir of Battle at Sea: Play-test 2

My second play-test again pitted Greek and Turkish ships against one another. This time, however, I chose to field the Greek Armoured Cruiser Giorgios Averoff against the Turkish Light Cruisers Hamidieh and Medjidieh.

Giorgios Averoff

Hamidieh

Medjidieh

Turn 1
The two sides started in the same relative positions to one another as they had in the first play-test, with the Turkish squadron being led by the Hamidieh.

Both sides threw a D6 die to determine which side would move first. The Greeks threw a 4 and the Turks a 3, so the Turks moved first.

As neither side was in range of the other, the Turkish ships moved. Hamidieh moved forward and then turned towards Giorgios Averoff whilst the Medjidieh continued on her original course. It seemed that the Turkish tactic was to try to force the Giorgios Averoff to deal with two threats at the same time in the hope that one of the light cruisers could close enough to torpedo her before being put out of action. In reply, Giorgios Averoff continued sailing on her existing course.

Turn 2
Both sides threw a D6 die to determine which side would move first. The Greeks threw a 1 and the Turks a 6, so the Greeks moved first.

None of the ship was in range of each other, so the Giorgios Averoff continued moving forward on her existing course, as did the Hamidieh. The Medjidieh sail forward and then turned so that she too was following the same course as Hamidieh.

Turn 3
Both sides threw a D6 die to determine which side would move first. The Greeks threw a 2 and the Turks a 5, so the Greeks moved first.

In their rush to close with Giorgios Averoff, the Hamidieh had now moved into range of Giorgios Averoff’s broadside whilst she could only return fire with her forward guns. Giorgios Averoff threw three dice and the Hamidieh threw one dice because the range was four hexes.

Despite the disparity in firepower, the Turks inflicted exactly the same damage on the Greek ship as they themselves suffered (Giorgios Averoff threw one ‘white’ and two ‘red’, thus causing two points of damage and the Hamidieh threw one ‘white’, also causing two points of damage).

As the Giorgios Averoff was out of range of Medjidieh’s guns, the latter did not fire.

Giorgios Averoff moved forward and then turned to starboard. Hamidieh also followed a similar course of action – thus bringing her abeam of the Giorgios Averoff - and the Medjidieh moved forward and turned to starboard so that she was head-on to Giorgios Averoff.

Turn 4
Both sides threw a D6 die to determine which side would move first. The Greeks threw a 3 and the Turks a 1, so the Turks moved first.

Giorgios Averoff opened fire on Hamidieh and threw four dice – one ‘white’, two ‘blue’, and one ‘red’ - because the range was three hexes, and caused four more points of damage, as a result of which the Hamidieh sank … but before she did, she fired back at the Giorgios Averoff with two dice (one’ blue’ and one ‘red’). Medjidieh also engaged the Giorgios Averoff, threw one dice (a ‘white’) thus bringing the damage caused to Giorgios Averoff to three points this turn. This meant that Giorgios Averoff had suffered a total loss of five damage points, and any further damage would sink her.

Before she sank, Hamidieh fired a torpedo at Giorgios Averoff. Of the three dice thrown, one was a ‘blue’ and two were ‘red’. This caused Giorgios Averoff’s total damage to reach six ... and she sank.

Comments
As was the case with the first play-test, I was pleased with the way the rules worked. In particular, the newly added torpedo rules gave the smaller ships some real ‘clout’ at a distance where their guns were less effective than those of their larger opponent.

I am now of the opinion that I have a set of basic naval wargames rules that work. They still require some further development, and I am of the opinion that the points values allotted to each ship type may need to be adjusted upward so as to give smaller ship types a bit more survivability. I am also considering forcing ships to undertake some sort of test once they reach two thirds of their original points value or a pre-set ‘tipping point’ to see if they will continue to fight on or will break off from the battle.