"Rules for WWII naval battles?" Topic

I recently picked up a bunch of 1/1800 Blitzkrieg W.W. II ships, see message from yesterday.

I've played many rules sets over the years and know that something is always being released, new and improved. Well, not every recently released rules set is new and improved, but…..

What are people playing for W.W. II naval rules currently?

If you want to add why you like the rules, that would be a bonus. I'm more of a General Quarters kinda guy as opposed to SeeKrieg.

To paraphrase a line from "Bull Durham":

This is a simple game. You move the ship, you shoot the ship, you sink the ship.

I play GQ3. I don't see any reason to change as they are detailed enough without being overwhelming. I guess if I was doing a single DD vs a sub I might give Seekrieg a shot but otherwise I prefer somewhat simpler.

My 2 favorite sets are GQ3 & the old Battlewagon (from Task Force Games, available on Wargame Vault). I just convert hexes to yards for Battlewagon. It is also useful as a hex game for really big battles when miniatures are hard to manage. Battlewagon has a lot in common with GQ3.

I haven't found a "quick play" set though David Manley's Find, Fix, Strike might end up being the one.

JPK

I play GQ3 and occasionally go back to GQ 1&2 for bigger battles. For me, the level of detail and flavor versus speed and simplicity is the right balance.

Victory at Sea is OK and was specifically done for 1/1800 although I think the ranges are a bit screwed up for the model size.

I still play GQ 1&2 for ships, Narrow Seas for boats.

For more than a decade I've been playing GQ3/FAI almost exclusively. That said, I've house-ruled the GQ3 system back into an IGO/UGO game and simplified torpedo combat, so I'm not quite playing GQ3/FAI.

I still have plans to play Jutland and some of its variations, and for such a huge, sprawling battle I'd rather use GQ2 or Si Vis Pacem. I haven't tried Si Vis Pacem yet, so I can't say for sure which I'd choose.

I think Find, Fix & Strike has some really interesting ideas, so I do need to try it. I'm especially intrigued by the fast-play approach to airstrikes.

- Ix

If you're good with GQ2, stay with it. It ain't the Citizen Cain of rules sets, but it's not Plan 9 from Outer Space either.

If it ain't broke…

Six friendly gamers here in So Cal have gone to the simple Victory at Sea (Warlord) using our 1/700 collections. Tripled the movement and gunnery ranges (max 90") and play on a Fletcher Platt small dance floor patio, vs using the 1/1800 Warlord miniatures.

We house rules the aircraft action for movement into zonal areas and dropped the actual MRB distance movement on aircraft. Off sea zone (battlefield) movement became easy along with the plane refuel/rearm cycles. Then we worked out the critical hit table with simple additional house rules. Played a dozen plus games in last three months…North Atlantic, Russian convey, the Med, and just recently into the Java sea with a British vs. Japanese scenario. One scenario had a full seventy+ ships involved on the seascape, thirty six in a convoy formation while two German task forces tried to intercept, along with the Luftwaffe overhead.

I have not played GQ3, but have had many good enjoyable battles with GQ1/2. Currently working on hammering it onto and over European Ironclads.

I'm a big fan of Naval Thunder, which is probably closer to GQ 1 and 2 in terms of complexity and has rules tailored for pre-dreads, WWI and WWII respectively.

Victory at Sea is ok as well as noted above.

GQ3 is very popular amongst people looking for a little more complexity than that but not so much as to be overwhelming. I don't know why, but they really never really cliqued with me, but they are very popular.

Battlewagon as noted above is a fun set of rules (and still available on Wargame Vault) but you will have to do some conversion for non-hex play.

Played a lot of systems, keep coming back to Naval Thunder, easily available on the Wargames Vault website.

I love GQ3.

I use my "Find, Fix and Strike" rules, or GQ1/2 depending on who I'm playing with. For more detailed games I use a variant of the old Davco WW2 rules (the one with the destroyer and the diving Ju88 on the cover). They have served me well for several decades.

For coastal games, Narrow Seas or Action Stations.

BattleStaions! kind of fits this. no orders needed and quick resolution. a few markers but no ship sheers

You can find all of the cards for War at Sea online too

Battlewagon has two version. One Small ships are tracked individually other is multiple ships per counter.

I kinda collect rules. I have also played a lot, every convention I go to I try to play something I never have.

Right now the GQ 3 family is going to be my go to rules, Naval Thunder is not that bad just not meaty enough for me. I am currently looking over Grand Fleets by MJ-12

I second Battle Stations! Battle Stations!for quick play rules. I played this twice at conventions and middle size battles took approximately 1 to 1.5 hours playing with novice players. That's fast play! All players enjoyed the game rules too.

Is Battle Stations! from Decision Games? Or is there another game with the name?

Yes, Battle Stations! Battle Stations! is from Decision Games.

OK, thanks. Now to go hunting for a copy

Does anyone know where to obtain a copy of Battle Stations! Battle Stations1?

I've tried OMM, Noble Knight, eBay, Decision Games, BGGeek…

I found my copy on ebay. I see copies for sale fairly often on ebay. Just keep looking. I think I paid $15 USD for it. It comes with some counters and movement markers too.

Will do, thanks ww2navyguy.