WWI Naval Games Recommendations

[7eat51]

My fellow Shipmates,

Can you recommend WWI naval games?

Due to your past recommendations, I now have very enjoyable and impressive ancient naval games and rule sets, and recently secured a copy of Ironclads (original).

with gratitude,
Eric

[Berthier]

BOARD GAMES on WW1 naval

JUTLAND
Classic WW1 game would have to be Avalon Hill's Jutland, available reasonably priced from ebay (less than $20), it's like miniatrures with cardboard, played on the floor..not good for your back but not a bad system.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4984/jutland

GREAT WAR AT SEA
Avalanche Press have a whole bunch of boardgames from their series The Great War at Sea that also includes Am-Spanish War and Russo-Japanese War. Games consist of strategic game to achieve contact and tactical battles that are very much bucket of dice but nonetheless the system has a strong following. Game counters are beautifully done and there is a huge range of ships in the various games. Best ones to get in terms of bang for buck is the Jutland game and probably the Mediterranean one. Avalanche Press games always seem to be on sale so dont pay full price!
http://www.avalanchepress.com/line_GWAS.php
http://www.avalanchepress.com/gameGWAS1.php
http://www.avalanchepress.com/gameJutland.php

LINE OF BATTLE
A Simulations Canada game from long ago recently republished by Omega Games. Older system that highlights penetration/firepower issues.
http://boardgamegeek.com/image/14138...second-edition

DREADNOUGHT
Venerable SPI game on big ship battles from 1906-44. Similar to their Frigate game in production values, not bad for it's day, 1975

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4236/dreadnought

VICTORY AT SEA
Miniatures rules system that David can speak more eloquently on this he designed it!

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...f-dreadnoughts

FEAR GOD AND DREAD NOUGHT
Complex miniatures or counters game from Clash of Arms the masters of naval boardgaming.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6...d-dread-nought

Others, some rare
Flight of the Goeben (SPI) Tactical/strategic game, very rare-
Minden Games do a nice series of inexpensive naval games
The Far Seas a game in Strategy & Tactics magazine 125 on the hunt for merchant raiders
Jutland Duel of the Dreadnoughts from Command magazine 8
Seekreig- minatures rules set covering 1890-1945
The Pursuit of Von Spee by Grenier Games

That should be a nice starting point!

[7eat51]

Thanks Daniel.

I was considering Jutland - one of the many I used to own - but somewhat feared playing on the floor again. It was probably 35 years ago when I had that game out.

I have looked at Fear God and Dread Nought. It looks impressive. If anyone has played it, I would like to hear your thoughts.

I will check out the other games as well.

[calm]

BOARD GAMES on WW1 naval

The Far Seas a game in Strategy & Tactics magazine 125 on the hunt for merchant raiders

I played this one, once, eons ago

[csadn]

One to avoid: _Nine Navies War_ (an alt-history where Germany takes France in 1914). Success at sea has no influence on land battles; the combat system is such that any decent-sized battle will have the players rolling *hundreds* of d6s; and the Pacific Theatre is almost-entirely ignored. Apart from having a laundry-list of major powers capital ships, it's not worth bothering.

[Coog]

The first WWI naval games in which I played used "Cordite and Steel." Here's the BGG review:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1...dite-and-steel

I don't recall the firing being anywhere near as complicated as the reviewer states.

[Old Ironsides]

The Avalanche Press "Great War at Sea" are a good recommendation. If looking for a miniature rule set I highly endorse Naval Thunder. It is great for Pre-Dreads through WWI and OK for WWII. I say OK for WWII because it does not have a great air component, but not an issue for WWI and earlier.

[David Manley]

I played this one, once, eons ago

Me too. An excellent game.

[David Manley]

VICTORY AT SEA
Miniatures rules system that David can speak more eloquently on this he designed it!

Not strictly true. Matt Sprangue of Mongoose designed it. I helped develop the WW2 version and then Matt asked me to develop the WW1 version (Age of Dreadnoughts) - currently working on the RJW version (but it will probably be a long job!)

[7eat51]

Thank you for your recommendations.

I found a very good deal on BGG for Fear God and Dread Naught, and the owner threw in Dawn of the Rising Sun: The Russo-Japanese War, and an additional supplement - both games mostly unpunched. I ordered it yesterday, so hopefully I will have it for the weekend of the 4th, you know, that day in which Americans commemorate the beginning of a new relationship with their cousins across the sea.

I will continue looking at your recommendations for an additional game or two, as well as some rule sets. This will enable me to have a game at an appropriate level of complexity and speed of play based on my gaming partner or time availability. Any further thoughts on games are appreciated.

[DJensen]

I'd be curious to know what you think of Fear God and Dread Naught. I considered getting the game a few times in the past but never took the plunge.

I've been using the Great War at Sea system to play miniatures. You can use the counters or miniatures. I've used 4kts = 1 mp and 1" = 1,000 yards with 1/6000 scale ships and it lets you play on a table top. I didn't like the many dice rolls and make a table for gunnery strength that uses a percentile roll instead. Also, you can then take modifiers from other naval miniatures (i.e., target speed, relative facing, etc.) and make percentage modifiers.

[csadn]

Here's one I actually have a copy of: http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3670/battlewagon .

[Scruff]

I want to shout out for Naval Thunder, certainly our favorite WW1 rule set.