IRONCLADS VOTING RESULTS:
Voters, By Scale - 1:1200 and 1:1250

Setting: The Upper Mississippi

The Confederates were attempting to move the recently built ram, CSS Eastport, from the main Mississippi to the safety of a tributary where it would be covered by friendly batteries. Escorted by two cottonclad steamers it attempted the run upriver. A small Union squadron rushed downriver to stop it, consisting of the USS Cairo (Armoured Gunboat), USS Tyler, USS Conestoga (Timberclads) and the USS Queen City (Tinclad).

The USS Cairo wandered off round a small island and effectively put itself out of the game. The USS Conestoga ran too far ahead of the rest of the Union force and was rammed and shot to pieces by the Confederates. The USS Queen City and USS Tyler made a bold attelpt to intercept the CSS Eastport, but couldn't penetrate its armour. One Confederate cottonclad was sunk, but the other limped to safety, and the Eastport exited as well, slightly damaged. The Union lost the USS Conestoga, and the USS Tyler and Queen City were both badly damaged. [25 Apr 99]

1870 - U.S. & Nicuragua vs. Britain & Gutamala. USS Dunderberg and USS Puritain plus some light frigates vs. HMS Warrior, 3 heavy cruisers and light frigates. The Puritain was basically the Death Star (tm) and the Dunderberg the gates to eternal damnation. The lighter vessels tried to act as ruining forces but got wiped out. The Warrior just didn't have the range and was eventually made short work of. Never trust the point values given in "The Ironclads" as they are a total crock.

I think all Ironclad rules out there right now are either over simplified or totally crocked. We need a high definition rules set! [9 Apr 99]

They are quite fun to play. The two times I have played we have only had one ship each to control. So we had time to learn moving and shooting. The next step will be to play the ship battles during the Danish-Preussian war of 1864. [29 Mar 99]

Our last game was a freelance ocean going ironclad experimental skirmish. We have been working on an improved set of house rules for the big European type ironclads because we are not happy with any of the off the shelf rules. Smoke on the Water is the set we are using as a starting point, but it might not be recognizable when we are done. The fight was 6 ships to a side, all pre-1880 masted ironclads. One ship (Gloire) was lost outright to ramming. The rammer (Temeraire) got rammed in turn (by Affondatore), then struck on a morale role triggered by the Capt. being killed. One ship was lost to a fire that started from an exploding gun, SotW allows mishap to quickly grow to catastrophe with fires. Three other ships were sunk from being hammered by gunfire. Another ship was lost from a combination of being hammered and a catastrophic misfire that immolated it. And one ship blew up from a magazine hit. The game lasted 18 turns. A lot of time was wasted firing the smaller guns, mostly at funnels since the smaller guns could not hurt other parts of the ships.

We try to play as close to history as possible, but there are all those grand ships that were never used in action, so we have to do freelance games. The Ironclad Period focuses on the ACW, which is not fully applicable to the large European type ironclads. While it is fun to tinker with rules, we would rather be able to work with rules that started out closer to what we wish to game with. [27 Mar 99]

A hypothetical battle with several Union ships attempting to run up "the river" past obstrucions and assorted Confederate ships to destroy naval bases. Two Union vessels needed to exit the far side of the table - one monitor made it while another almost did when a lucky shot exploded her magazine.

I want to get a copy of Smoke on the Water when I can find one, as they are the first rules that have made the period really worth gaming in. [27 Mar 99]

Last game was an ACW riverine solo - Union force player controlled, Confederates controlled by the game system. Last game against an opponent was the Battle of Round Island (RJW) run as a playtest for "Fire When Ready" (due out May 1999) [27 Mar 99]

We fought a battle to try to breakout a blockade runner from Charleston Harbor. I have designed a computer assisted version of Ironclads, this speeds up play a great deal and allows for completion of fairly large games. We were using Throughbred ships. [26 Mar 99]

US forced performing blockage duties of S Carolina coast, are surprised by CSS High Seas fleet IE ship built by European powers and never delivered. Using Smoke on the Water. [26 Mar 99]