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Thursday 12 July 2012

COW2012: Fletcher Pratt Convoy Battle

After my first attempt to produce a video report about a session at COW (the Conference of Wargamers) I thought that I might see if I could improve my technique ... so here goes!

This was an extremely good session, and Ian Drury has got the balance between the various elements of the rules just about right. Unlike the original version of the rules, the effect of gunfire is quick and easy to calculate and takes into account the 'immunity zone' that featured so much in the literature about naval warfare during the 1930s and 1940s.

10 comments:

  1. Very cool! It looks like you had a lot of fun with the game. The video was pure class too! Very impressed, and very tempted to start doing some naval stuff!

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  2. Three minutes of unadulterated fun, and not a cotton wool ball in sight.

    No U-Boats for the dasterdley Hun?

    Good presentation Bob!

    Jim

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  3. Uncle Brian,

    It was a very enjoyable game ... and the video was actually a lot easier to create than I imagined that it would be.

    As to naval wargaming ... well it can become quite addictive, so be warned!

    All the best,

    Bob

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  4. Jim Duncan,

    I am glad that you enjoyed it.

    The Germans did have some submarines and aircraft, but they were not used in this particular battle.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  5. Nice video Bob. Looks like you have a career opportunity here as a producer. I liked the use of golf tees for hit markers, nice touch ... Jeff

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  6. Chasseur (Jeff),

    Thanks for the compliment, but I think that I will stick with my current day job ... being retired!

    The golf tees are an excellent way to indicate hits (red) and misses (white).

    All the best,

    Bob

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  7. Really enjoyed that- especially as I've just read the rules myself. How do radar controlled guns work then? They seemed pretty deadly....

    Regards,

    Pete.

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  8. Pete,

    Ian Drury's version seems to 'play' a lot faster than the traditional Fletcher Pratt rules because he has simplified both the points system and the armour penetration chart.

    USS Washington's guns were radar-controlled, but I am not sure how Ian worked that into the rules. (I suspect that it was an umpiring decision rather than a specific rule.)

    All the best,

    Bob

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  9. I really liked the video report. I think the music and the historical pictures added a lot. I may even try my own hand at a video AAR after my next battle.

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  10. Sean,

    My first version of the video had just the pictures of the game and no soundtrack, but I thought that it was a bit boring so I added the photos of the real ships. I then discovered that I had access to the music from the film 'Sink the Bismarck!' ... so I added that. The end result was a much better video.

    It took me about an hour to make the video using software that came with the computer. I would certainly encourage you to give it a go just to see how relatively easy it is to do.

    All the best,

    Bob

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