| GeorgBuchner | 30 Sep 2025 6:38 a.m. PST |
Hi, so i have come to realise i very much like the use of hexes in both well board and miniature wargames and also too Naval games – what WW2 naval rules or wargames are there that could accommodate miniatures and also use hexes? I recently got a copy fo Simulation Canada's Kriegsmarine, which is kind of what i like, though it focuses really just on low level tactical combat – close range stuff, – i am after something longer range – any suggestions? There are a good many hex based rules for aerial combat, but ww1-ww2 naval seems less than i would have thought |
| d88mm1940 | 30 Sep 2025 9:17 a.m. PST |
I believe General Quarters has a hex conversion! |
| Dexter Ward | 30 Sep 2025 10:20 a.m. PST |
There's a free set here:
link |
| dmclellan | 30 Sep 2025 4:04 p.m. PST |
Amarillo Design Bureau published Battlewagon, a WWI/WWII naval game. It is played on a hex grid. It is currently available on Wargames Vault – just -search the word battlewagon. I blame any typos on my cat who just leaped on my keyboard.
20 lbs of Maine Coon goes wherever he wants to! |
| TimePortal | 30 Sep 2025 4:27 p.m. PST |
AH Wooden Ships and Iron Men which uses hexes was influenced by Juggernaught miniatures rules Ship of the Line. Memoir 44 uses hexes
The Panzer series which uses hexes can be used with mini/tanks |
| BuckeyeBob | 30 Sep 2025 8:09 p.m. PST |
Jack Greene's games Royal Navy, Iron Bottom Sound, & Destroyer Captain use hexes. The avalanche press's games use hexes (& for strategic board, offset rectangles). Axis and Allies war at sea uses squares.
Frankly, any rule set that measures distance for movement and ranges can easily be converted to hexes by setting each hex as X thousands (or hundreds) of yards. |
| GeorgBuchner | 30 Sep 2025 10:16 p.m. PST |
thanks for the suggestions – i have no idea GQ3 has a hex conversion – Iron Bottom Sound is hard to find, especially version 3 of it, its no where. I have never heard of "Royal Navy" though. I am play Wooden Ships Iron Men at the moment over Vassal and it is very good , though i am now on hte hunt for WW2 stuff I had not ever thought of converting anything to hexes, but i guess you are right, it should be feasible, and maybe doing so could make some of the space requirements more achievable. I will though take more of a look at GQ3, it seems to be brought up often all over the place. The other title i have found that is what i am after is North Cape by CinC and actually in its description it says it based on GQ rules. |
 McKinstry   | 01 Oct 2025 10:28 a.m. PST |
I used a GQ3 conversion to hexes using 1/4800 ships and 50mm hexes and our players enjoyed it. |
| BuckeyeBob | 01 Oct 2025 12:14 p.m. PST |
The Royal Navy on BGG. Note recent copy up for sale partially down the page.
link |
| TheBeast | 02 Oct 2025 1:54 p.m. PST |
Eight copies of The Royal Navy on eBay currently. Doug |
| hindsTMP | 04 Oct 2025 10:12 a.m. PST |
Any rule set can be converted to play with hexes, which give you 12 different defined directions. All you have to do is decide on a ground scale which fits your playing area and period. I mark my own hex grids using an unobtrusively-colored dot in the center of each hex. For my 1/6000, 1" hexes, with each representing 1000 yards for WW2 and 500 yards for WW1. The hard part is marking up the playing area with the dots. I use a computer graphics program to create a legal-sized template, poke a hole at each dot, and use a permanent marker. Use a guideline to move the template along a row. Every tenth dot is a different appearance, and each row and column is numbered with a 2-digit number. Combining the 2 numbers allows the equivalent of a numbered hex grid (e.g. "1593"). MH |
| Joe Legan | 05 Oct 2025 7:31 p.m. PST |
Like others on the string I convert my rules to hexes. Post captain, cruel seas, O group to name a few. I used to make my own hexes then just bought hexon terrain. The cost spread out over 15+ years has been affordable to me.
Peter pig rules use a square grid. Good luck! |
| GeorgBuchner | 07 Oct 2025 4:08 a.m. PST |
i am figuring one could use the hex maps from existing naval wargames I have gotten GQ3 and something i like is its suggestion of having two smaller surfaces with a space between to represent an expanse of ocean between ships that might be having a long range battle, so GQ3 is really quite appealling to me with all the accomodations it provides |
