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"Alternative rules for “Cruel Seas”" Topic


14 Posts

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Comments or corrections?

Basha Felika01 Mar 2019 10:45 a.m. PST

Is there a ‘better' (however you define it) set of rules, useable with 1/300 or 1/600 models, and why would you recommend them over Cruel Seas?

Prof Pate01 Mar 2019 2:25 p.m. PST

There were two sets produced years back (when God's dog was a puppy), WW2 Coastal Warfare from Navwar, which needed some simple tweeks this was simple, fun and fast. Tabletop games had a A5 booklet size game with rules and counters called MTB.

Not much help. But…

Contact me if you want more details

JimDuncanUK01 Mar 2019 4:52 p.m. PST

David Manley is the man you want to talk to.

link

TMP link

daveshoe01 Mar 2019 6:09 p.m. PST

I like David Manley's Action Stations rules (available on Wargame Vault) and his Schnellboote fast play rules.

I like that the rules have visibility (although you can always play without them), the gunnery and damage rules, and the ship stats.

Thresher0101 Mar 2019 6:27 p.m. PST

David has produced a number of rules for this.

Personal logo Yellow Admiral Supporting Member of TMP02 Mar 2019 12:20 a.m. PST

I get the feeling he likes this topic. grin

I've enjoyed Action Stations, but some of the sighting and hitting adjustments in version 4 seem off to me. Probably not hard to fix, but I'm never the one running the game, so I never get to try. (I'm already overcommitted to naval periods and scales, so I let my friends do the coastal actions.)

I hope to be one of the first customers to buy Narrow Seas, his next set of rules.

- Ix

4DJones02 Mar 2019 2:06 a.m. PST

"Attack with Torpedoes" by Dillon Browne, available from Caliver Books. Recommended by Angus Konstam and myself, neither of whom are interested parties.

Bezmozgu702 Mar 2019 3:43 a.m. PST

Another option is Flaklighter from PT Dockyard.

Fitzovich Supporting Member of TMP02 Mar 2019 3:50 a.m. PST

David Manley's rules and/or his modifications to Cruel Seas are very much worth a look. CS does lend itself to modifications and I would suggest going back through the posts here looking at both Davids suggestions and those of Joe Legan.

Schogun02 Mar 2019 6:27 a.m. PST

I haven't played any of these rules (yet) but here's a list of what I've found, either free online or purchased:

Action Stations – David Manley
Attack with Torpedoes – Dillon Browne
Coastal Command – Xeno Games
Coastal Warfare – Herkybird
Flaklighter II – Dave Gregory (PT Dockyard)
Schnell Rules for Schnellboote – David Manley
Coastal Patrol -- James Schmidt (TFL Summer Special)
Fast Attack – Dominic Skelton
Hunters on the Shoreline – Dave Gregory (PT Dockyard)
Pz8 Coastal Rules
The Quick and the Dead – Buck Surdu

Also:
MTB – Tabletop Games (copies sometimes available on ebay)

I, too, am looking forward to David's Narrow Seas.

Joe Legan02 Mar 2019 12:16 p.m. PST

Basha
I think rules are in the eyes of the beholder. I like the schnell rules a lot but as fitz said there is a good game in cruel seas waiting to come out. Dave has suggestions that improve the game and I have suggested reducing the effectiveness of guns and increasing criticals. Depends what you want

Lion in the Stars02 Mar 2019 3:52 p.m. PST

My gaming group's big issue with Cruel Seas is the initiative mechanic. Lots of us hate drawing dice out of a bag.

The rest of the game looks really good, and the wake-markers are brilliant.

Joe Legan02 Mar 2019 6:55 p.m. PST

Lion

I have used several mechanics for initiative but have come back to dice. ( not theirs but my battlefront ones.) Of course I have rules for formations and the side with better C+C gets 1 or 2 extra dice.


Joe

Fitzovich Supporting Member of TMP03 Mar 2019 3:46 a.m. PST

Lion
I have replaced the dice with a card draw by the GM. The cards also are used for my modified critical hit charts. Each side receives their own CH chart which is different from their opponents. The cards are drawn when a CH occurs and will indicate what results are for the damage. I don't allow hull repairs during the game as I have stolen Joe's redudced damage idea so basically each gun type rolls one fewer D6.

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