"Deadly waters very soon now" Topic

I've seen the completed cover. The index of ships, the printers proof etc.
DEADLY WATERS should be released by CLASH OF ARMS in time for Christmas as planned.

Thanks Mal;

I'm looking forward to it.
Joe

What size of vessels?
Thanks, Rudy
author Coastal Command

Is the first release the Russian convoys, early Atlantic or the Gibraltar runs?

Looking forward to checking these out, Mal. Best wishes with the game!

I've been checking CoA's website regularly for this. No mention there yet…

Excellent!!

I don't know for sure, but the playtest in which I've
been involved were the Gib-UK convoys.

Rudy, did you mean size of models used, or what sort of
escorts ?

From the sessions I've seen, a really neat set of rules,
which absolutely allow the escort commander to use
'real world' tactics, with the advantages and the
disadvantages relevant to those.

I'll buy 'em post-hast…

Escort size. Much has been done about capital ships and a lot about my level the PT/MTB boats but not so much about the mid-level operations.

Rudy, the games in which I've been involved had a typical
escort of DD's, Sloops, Corvettes and we actually had
in one case a CVE. The convoy itself included merchies
of various sorts, mostly < 10K tons, and were of the
'slow' variety.

One game had an 'implied' 'Heavy' escort (we could 'see'
dim largish shapes waaaaaaay out on the horizon).

link

Cover and blurb plus map.

Sounds fun, Ed.

Can the game be played as a solo game?

Yes Louie N. Much of my testing was solo. When I submitted it to my test group there were several who could only test it solo. It worked really well as a solo and was just as exciting.

I for one,have been waiting what appears a long time for these rules to come out :) Glad their smoke is on the horizon!!

oh and what size of models would really be the best??

I use 1:3000 scale myself. But any scale can be used. You could even make some real life scale replica's and play in a very large, empty car park!

Well, it's December (well, not literally, but very close) and I don't see any mention of the game on CoA's website. Checked news, new releases and pre-orders. All zip…

im wondering myself,as if ordering overseas its going to be after Christmas now

Do you think it would be available in the UK for Christmas ? (Just writing my wishlist).
Cheers

Hmmmm. I will check and ask why its not showing. I saw Ed say on another site, that he was putting it up on the CofA page.

picture

picture

Here are the blurbs for the actual rule book.

By way of explanation….

The first release DEADLY WATERS also has a book of rules called CONVOY in the same package.
Future releases will just have the relevant module, without Convoy.

When I wrote the series, I included rules specific for each one in each of the books. But it was pointed out to me that this would prove expensive for the purchasers as they would be getting some of it more than once.

Therefore it was decided that the actual combat rules would be put in one book called THE CONVOY SYSTEM, so that players only have to buy it once.

That will keep the prices of all subsequent ones down. Also putting a lot of it onto a cd meant it could retain the style of colour damage charts that I wanted, but again keep the cost down.

The damage charts I have designed each have a drawing of the ship, usually in one of the camouflage schemes it carried. In some cases if a ship appears in different versions such as the coming convoys to Russia, it may be shown in its later camouflage scheme and listing changes to armament etc.

I wanted to do this to help players to know what colours to paint their models. So it is also somewhat of a colour guide for free, as part of the damage charts.

That includes Soviet Northern Fleet ships, for which I had to embark on a hell of a lot of research. But in DEADLY WATERS it will mostly show ships used in the Atlantic 1941-42 and therefore they will be in the camouflage current for that time.

Still no sign on the Clash of Arms website so far as I can see. Hopes fading that a copy will make it to the UK and into my Christmas stocking for this year.

Steve

Ive emailed clash of arms twice about this, and still no answer.Id say if in the UK to forget it, oh well maybe next year. :(

That would be very frustrating with two weeks off work coming up

Lucky, ive Christmas day and boxing day off this year :( So even less time to play, but well maybe January.

It is advertised on the back of the latest edition of SITREP, which will be posted out soon. I just looked it over.

Thanks Mal. I know it's out of your hands at this point but the trickle of info is appreciated.

I have been told this morning that it will appear on the Publisher website in a few days. Firstly and briefly in the work in progress, then new releases, and proceed pretty quickly to available. I was also informed of the other advertising that has been undertaken and that will come out very shortly too.

Hopes fading that a copy will make it to the UK and into my Christmas stocking for this year.

I had hoped to see a copy under my OWN tree! But I have a feeling it will be early January before even I see one!

I received the following reply from CoA yesterday. As Mal says, January looks more likely than December.

"I don't think it will make Christmas as the printers are jammed full of work for the next two weeks, then the holiday season kicks in. So I don't expect we will start shipping it out until the second week of January. The preoder buttons should be up on the website any day,
though it will probably appear first in the In Progress section first,and very briefly. Thanks for hanging in there!"

Can't wait!
Steve

aaarggh so i was right,oh well, if i have to wait i will :)

Sorry! Santa will obviously not have any on his sleigh this year!

But it is now in the "In progress" section of the CofA site and offering a discount for pre-publication orders.

Found…… and ordered! Not much of a royalty for the author I'm sure, but at least it's a start!

Not much of a royalty for the author I'm sure

Oh I expect I'll be able to purchase the occasional hamburger with fries! Quarterly of course!

Royalties from other things I have written rarely get me more than a cup of coffee and a couple of plain biscuits, every few months!

The returns to a wargames author are certainly not going to make one rich!

Best not give up the day job just yet then

Hey! I'm already retired Lagoon 59. I wouldn't have time to go to work!

Ordered,looking forward to next year now :)

Mal,

I am looking forward to the rules being available in the UK but can I ask does the 'Convoy System' rules cover all surface actions or just those appertaining to convoys, I know it seems a silly question due to the name of the rules but I just wanted clarification as I would like to be able to fight battles involving opposing battleships, cruisers and destroyers as well as attacking convoys with surface vessels and U boats.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Gus

Yes Gus. Surface actions can occur with convoys and of course in the forthcoming Arctic version particularly.
Clash of Arms wanted my action rules to be suited as a quick play version of Command at Sea, hence that was all worked in.

Hey Mal, as long as you're here, could you tell me what colors the merchies tended to be? I'm wanting my "matches and toothpicks" to look as correct as possible.

Thanks!

Mal,
Thanks for the quick response and I will keep an eye open for the rules over here.

Gus

Disregard the painting question. I found some other threads…

The cd contains damage charts in colour. That will help with merchant ships as well as warships Daniel.

There were some darn fine AARs for a like-themed game on TMP, a while back… 1 year, 2 years? I can't remember if you'd writen them and the rules are the same.
I'd inquired, and been answered they'sd be released in the future? Is that it?

This will be my last wargaming purchase for the year. I had a short list of wants, but this one took the top slot and the last of my funds.

I'm especially pleased it is possible to game solo.

Mal … I'm sure you get pestered all the time for dates, but I first noticed this upcoming game from a thread about the arctic convoys (with outstanding AARs I must say). Is there any (even very, very tentative) target date for when the arctic expansion might be released?

Steve

Yes foxbat. Same rules and battle reports.

SeattleGamer. All I know is that it is at the whim of the printers! And printers…well…..they tend to tell really, really big fibs! Its kind of an international printer tradition.

But I shall let you all know then the publishers receive them for release.

I guess this game will finally suck me into gaming WW2 era naval warfare. quick play, solo capable, convoy action,… what not to like! :)

But this means I'll have to aquire all minis needed before I can try to squeaze my first convoy through the lurking U-boats. I have neither WW2 era merchants, german u-Boats/ planes, nor Brit escorts & destroyers (just tons of WW1 and modern stuff…). That leads me to my question:

Mal, could you give a brief rundown on the content of the ship-CD, or give me some indications about the ship/sub/plane classes and quantities I'd need to play an average DEADLY WATERS session?

That info would enable me to grab me some minis and have them ready to play when DW hits my mailbox.
I might get some 1:6000 Figurehead stuff. Sloops and trawlers in 1:6000 – sounds good. :)