"Rules a go go" Topic

Okay, I know this always goes OT and a large degree is personality/personal preference based:

I am looking for rules for a specific setting.

The WW2 Java naval campaign.

1) Battle of Makassar Straits – approximately 18-20 IJN ships, too many planes versus 9 ships. I plan to remove the CV and some planes by some game effect to reduce the airpower to a manageable degree.

2) Battle of Badung Strait about 4 DDs escorting 2 marus at night versus two groups of 5 ships each.

3) Battle of Java Sea 18 ships versus 14 ships. Day to Night setting and I may pull the IJN CAs and make a straight up daylight battle allowing ABDA quicker response times…

I think I'll run 4) the Battle of Sunda Strait as a solo "can you do better" scenario…

The rules have to allow multiple players for this range of ships and be complete in 3 hours. Decisions should be those appicable to a small task force/squadron leader's levels. No selecting which individual gun shoots at which ship or other micro-managing. Currently my "naval rules of choice" are GQ 1 & 2.

Any suggestions for considering other rules? Concrete reasons for why those rules would be better are required.

Gracias,

Glenn

Battle Stations, Battle Stations! would certainly meet your time constraints with turns representing 30 minutes but the level of detail is low and that might not meet your preferences since this is a cruiser/DD type campaign for the most part. GQ3 is going to be challenged to finish in 3 hours on some of the bigger scenarios without extremely experienced players given that there will be alot of torpedos to resolve which can really slow the game. I'm not a Victory at Sea fan but I'm certain it would resolve within 3 hours. Seekreig V and Command at Sea would both be very challeged to reach a finish in 3 hours.

Unless you've really dialed in GQ3, I'd probably recommend VAS or sticking with GQ1&2.

I second the Victory at Sea motion with a Caveat: Restrict the Japanese from using tactical Torpedo reloading. It wholly unbalances them. Otherwise it's an easily playable and understandable and Fun system.

18 ships vs 14 ships in 3 hours, I can only recomend Battlestations! Battlestations!

…………….Doug

I second the Victory at Sea motion with a Caveat: Restrict the Japanese from using tactical Torpedo reloading. It wholly unbalances them. Otherwise it's an easily playable and understandable and Fun system.

Java Sea is one of the battles where the japanese absolutely did reload their torpedoes during the battle.

If you're worried about the machine-torpedo-launcher effect I've heard of in VaS games, limit them to one reload.
-Kle.

The Fletcher Pratt rules give a fast game that can involve a lot of fun

Fletcher Pratt is anything but fast. Its an enjoyable system, but not what he is looking for.

I'd say Victory at Sea.

If you use VaS and are worried about the torps, make sure you are running under the Order of Battle expansion where torpedo reloads for all vessels are limited.
Also inherently limits the air power to an extent allowing you to use the CV or aircraft to represent its planes flying in (although in OOB airpower is reasonably potent and not the neutered version in VaS core rules).

I've played similar size scenarios under GQ1&2 without aircraft and that played in 2 and 1/2 hours