"1/2400 modern naval rules" Topic

I like naval thunder rules for WW2 but now I'm looking for rules to cover modern naval actions. Can anyone offer up someone suggestions and why? All suggestions are welcome.

I have not had an opportunity to play this game. Several of my friends have played it at a convention and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The author does not live too far from me and attends the same conventions as I do. He runs games at several local conventions and his games are always full with a lot of the same people playing in the games.

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Mike

I just looked at where you were from. If you ever go to Drums Along the Maumee convention at Ft. Meigs in Perrysburg Ohio. Tom usually puts on a game there.

We stock these, which seem popular and well liked:

Seconding Geoff's suggestion for "Shipwreck".

The other option is
"Modern General Quarters"
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I would like to get into it, but to be honest you may as well play modern games without the miniatures, given the immense weapons ranges vs maneuver. Cool weapons and stuff, pretty boring wargame IMO. Coastal missile boat actions might be more fun to game though
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"Dangerous Waters" is a PC game that deals in that era.

For a cool new naval era, try WW1 or the predreadnought era (Russo-Japanese War etc)

Tbh my WW1 minis have sat idle as this game
link allows you to play an entire camapaign with both fleets solo…

Well, from experience there are two ends of the rules scale, with Shipwreck as mentioned above, being the easiest rules to use (which is why even though I picked them up, they will get limited playtime).

Surprisingly not mentioned as yet is the granddaddy of modern naval wargaming, Harpoon, though just looking at the Clash of Arms site the core box set does not seem to be available at the moment, which is odd:

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Harpoon is by far the most complex modern naval game out there (and perhaps the most complex wargame rules out there), but does give a very realistic feeling game. Warning though, doing anything more than a few ships per side, particularly when using subs and aircraft, takes a long time to complete without a referee familiar with the rules.

The new CoA boardgame Persian Incursion is based on a simplified Harpoon system, great for giving the system a go, though it is primarily air warfare oriented:

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SBG mentioned above looks interesting, I may have to bite the bullet and pick it up soon. Would be nice to have a set somewhere between Shipwreck and Harpoon.

Another vote for Shipwreck. It's playable and flavorful.

another for shipwreck!

Depends what sort of game you are after…

Shipwreck is a nice, fairly simple set of rules that cover the later cold war and soon after, focusing on ship vs ship engagements with air attacks and anti-submarine warfare as somewhat more abstracted elements. (Published 1999).

Harpoon is more detail focused and tries to handle everything at the same level of detail. Most of the rules are still fairly simple and work well if you keep to a specific element at a time. Sub vs Sub or a small ASW task force vs a Sub make for good games but don't work well face-to-face (better run as a PBEM). The Harpoon 4.1 dat annexes are a little dated now and a new edition is being work on. (Published 2001).

SUBS & SAMS looks interesting and takes a less tech focused view of "modern" naval warfare (haven't had a chance to play these yet. These are also intended to handle the latest developments (as of the date stamp 2006).

SBG may be the most up to date at the moment if you want to do "ultra-modern" (subject to the lack of toys in 1/2400).

Cheers
David

Trierarch wrote:
SBG may be the most up to date at the moment if you want to do "ultra-modern" (subject to the lack of toys in 1/2400).

Come now, with the sudden explosion of 3D printed models there are tons of stuff available.

You could do an Indo-Chinese war, or an actual skirmish between the Vietnamese and the Chinese navies.

Charles de Gaulle escorted by a Horizon frigate. How much more modern can you get?

The entire (?) South Korean navy, the bits needed to complete the JMSDF, you can take a knife to OH Perry models and cut their nut… er… neuter them for the US navy.

All available in 1/2400

Agreed, 1/2400 is actually growing at a good clip, not just with the 3D printing, but Viking Forge continues to put out new models (like their recent Chinese). The detail/scale combo just can't be beat from my perspective, with the GHQ models being some of the best ships ever released in metal (their Nimitz, Kiev and Invincible models alone are worth the price of admission).

We currently have 55 active codes in 1/2400, mainly centred around the Falklands, but rapidly creeping into other areas.

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Our merchant range is particularly popular: link

nice ships Geoff – when you doing the Soviets?

I have no idea – Chas snuck that heading in there, so he obviously has plans. I did hear something about missile boats…

Love QRF's merchants. Can't have too many targets, or, conversely, too many things you must protect.

Now if only Chas would do the Pacific Princess, aka the Love Boat. Sending Cap'n Stubing to the bottom of the ocean …

Competition to see who comes up with the most overwhelming strike package, Dragon6? I'll take that shot with a WW2-vintage US fleet boat and Mk37 torps. 6 fish, just to make SURE that target goes down!

IMO, the problem with modern naval is that it's really a matter of 'pray you detect the missiles in time to clear your defensive arcs, and them pray your defenses work'.

My friends and I have started playing Mal Wright's CiC variant of GQ1/GQ2. It approaches Shipwreck for simplicity, but has actual weapon ranges rather than range bands. We did a Strait of Hormuz scenario in January, and I played a solo Korean scenario recently (any subscribers to the Yahoo! GenQuarters or NavWarGames lists may have seen the AAR, from around the end of January). I'm getting ready to put together a big game circa 1973, where two or three US carriers pay a call on the Kola Peninsula or some place like that. The files are available online at:

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(warning: download times can be slow)

1:2400 is so tempting.. however given that my eye sight isn't great and the abstract-ness of naval gaming in a room rather than stadium.. I've been using the card game "modern naval battles" with 1:700 scale ship models.. has made for a number of fun games and a collection of plastic ships that I might never make all of…

see Mac's very nice JSDF fleet at:
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