boggler | 25 Aug 2016 5:20 a.m. PST |
I'm thinking of a fictitious pre-dreadnought project set in the 20's in south / central America. There would be two opposing nations equipped with British built and US built warships, mainly cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats and the odd battleship. This would be cast off obsolete stuff, with the emphasis on pre 1905 technology. I'd also have limited numbers of more up to date technology such as subs, aircraft and airships. I'd use the Tumbling Dice 1/2400 range because I like Paul's models and there are lots of possibilities in the Japanese, American and merchant ranges. Anyone tried something similar? Any suggestions? Thanks Jim |
Allen57 | 25 Aug 2016 6:13 a.m. PST |
Did a miniatures campaign using the board game "Nine Navies War" and some one off scenarios from various Avalanche Press "Plan XXX" games. It worked fine though I feel the ground games using imaginations work better. Seems like more room for craziness. |
David Manley | 25 Aug 2016 6:16 a.m. PST |
Yes, something similar. The setting was a mythical nation which was rather well off in the ship department (I had Argentinean, Chilean and Brazilian ships from Navwar). Alas the country was slipping into civil war, but wasn't quite there. The players were various squadron commanders, each tasked with overtly or covertly amassing forces for their particular faction in the upcoming "festivities". And all presided over by an elderly fleet admiral whose task was to keep his beloved fleet intact and out of the fighting so that it was still there to serve toe country when everything died down. His efforts were mistaken by some for inaction. He died when his flagship was torpedoed by a destroyer division commanded by his protegee who cited "lack of confidence in his ability to command" as the reason for his treachery. The campaign then descended into a bloody but very enjoyable free for all :) |
Virtualscratchbuilder | 25 Aug 2016 7:55 a.m. PST |
Once upon a time I did Argentina and Chile circa 1902….. (1/700 scale)
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ColCampbell | 25 Aug 2016 8:34 a.m. PST |
I've thought about a campaign in the central and eastern Mediterranean between the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (using "Japanese" ships) and the Eastern Roman Empire [aka Byzantines] (using "Russian" ships). Jim |
David Manley | 25 Aug 2016 8:38 a.m. PST |
Have you ever read "Trafalgar Refought" by Sir William Laird Clowes? The classic campaign transported ahead 100 years and fought out with pre-dreadnoughts and armoured cruisers taking the place – and the names – of their 1805 counterparts (several Russian ships filling out the Spanish order of battle). It makes for an interesting game and campaign. |
Virtualscratchbuilder | 25 Aug 2016 9:12 a.m. PST |
Indeed I have. Several times I have tried to get my own copy but it has always been prohibitively expensive. I have always been intrigued by the "Great Naval War of 1898" in the forward of Paul Hague's Naval Wargames book. Starts out with a surprise torpedo attack on an anchored British squadron. |
McKinstry | 25 Aug 2016 9:46 a.m. PST |
Don't give up on finding a copy of "Trafalgar Refought". After years of searching for it and an original of Bywaters "Great Pacific War", I stumbled across a first edition for under $50 USD on Amazon. Still looking for a first edition "Great Pacific War" for under $100. USD |
wminsing | 25 Aug 2016 10:04 a.m. PST |
The idea sounds fun, should be fairly easy too if the fictional ships are just copies of the 'real' ships. -Will |
David Manley | 25 Aug 2016 10:19 a.m. PST |
"Don't give up on finding a copy of "Trafalgar Refought"." No indeed, there are several copies going on ABEBooks in the UK for less than a tenner |
fantasque | 25 Aug 2016 11:13 a.m. PST |
Yes I have run similar campaigns where the opposing sides had different styles of navies. Foe example one who had their first dreadnought or another biased towards coastal defence. Usually worked well and gave interesting games. |
boggler | 25 Aug 2016 2:23 p.m. PST |
Sounds like it might work quite well. I really like the idea of a nascent civil war as a pretext for naval engagements and the command roles that would be part of that. Thanks for your help. Those ships are superb too! |
NCC1717 | 25 Aug 2016 3:52 p.m. PST |
"…several copies going on ABEBooks in the UK for less than a tenner…" One less now, thanks. |
McKinstry | 25 Aug 2016 8:52 p.m. PST |
Avalanche Games offers several alternate WW1 &2 +/- products with various 'what ifs' including a South survived the ACW series with a plausible set of ships in three products, Confederate Navy, Plan Blue and Plan Gray. |
Captain Gideon | 25 Aug 2016 9:17 p.m. PST |
I have many of those games including the 3 Confederate games I'm still waiting for Plan Z to get released. I had to join their Gold Club but it was well worth it. Avalanche Press has some very good games and I have most of the Alternate WW1 &2 games including the War Plan games as well. |
kabrank | 26 Aug 2016 3:42 a.m. PST |
One less on UK Amazon now! |
138SquadronRAF | 29 Aug 2016 1:24 p.m. PST |
Sir William Laird Clowes also wrote "The Captain of the Mary Rose" in 1894. The French destroy the British Mediterranean fleet in a surprise attack but their combined Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets are destroyed at a Glorious First of June off Gibraltar. I did a series of wars between Norway/Sweden and Denmark/Holland fought out in the Baltic and North Sea inspired by an article in the early 70's in "Battlefleet" magazine. Donald Featherstone's "Naval Wargames" features a late Ironclad early pre-Dreadnought between The Empire of Scandinavia and The Empire of the Baltic. |
Part time gamer | 01 Sep 2016 11:06 p.m. PST |
Virtualscratchbuilder Thanks for posting those pics. They look really good. Might I politely suggest next time try to reduce the pic before posting, it might help them be more clear. It would be great to get a better view of your collection. |