Umpire wanted for The Solomons Campaign - Naval campagin

Started by paulr, 02 April 2016, 10:54:42 PM

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paulr

Back in 2013 we successfully ran this campaign over a weekend :o http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,10531.0.html

We are looking to run it again this year and if I can find a volunteer to umpire for us I will get to command either the Americans or Japanese

We will again be using the Old Dominion Games Works "The Solomons Campaign" www.odgw.com/index.html/_/gq3/gq3products/the-solomons-campaign-r11

This system works really well with lots of decisions for commanders to make, very little paper work and all the less interesting bits abstracted :)

The decision tree design means very little work for the umpire or players. For each of the 6 monthly turns the American and Japanese commanders email their planned missions and the umpire compares the missions against a couple of tables to generate the battles for that game month. Our group will then play the games at our regular Saturday games night.

Some naval gaming experience would be useful but you don't need to be familiar with the GQ rules.
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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kipt

We are in Turn 1 of this campaign right now.  Japanese surface ships got spanked going into the area between Guadalcanal and Tulagi (almost the reverse of the first slot battle).  We lost 4 cruisers and one or two destroyers.  the Americans lost one cruiser and a destroyer, I think (not at that battle).

I have 2 Japanese carriers (Shokaku and Zuikaku) and my orders were to go after the transports, which I did.  We sunk 4 or 5 and perhaps an already damaged warship.  We had 4 planes damaged.

Meanwhile, 3 airgroups from the 3 American carriers attacked Shokaku and Zuikaku.  I had 4 flights from each carrier as CAP.  We shot down or drove off about 75% of the Americans, losing 2 shot down and 2 damaged of ours.  Zuikaku took a hanger hit and a torpedo, while Shokaku took a torpedo.  Because of a list in the Zuikaku, some of Zuikaku's planes landed on Shokaku while the excess headed for Rabaul.  Unfortunately, Zuikaku developed a gasoline leak and blew up.  Shokaku is heading to Japan for repairs.

First time in the tactical air ops portion of the game for most of the players (we had 8 plus 2 referees) and we did many things wrong.  Next time will be better.

But great fun (actually the Japanese got more victory points in the air combat due to the sinking of many American transports/ merchant ships).

We are deciding on the last 2 Command Decisions for turn 1 now.  The Japanese get 4, of which the first two was the bombardment group from Rabaul that got spanked and the second was the carrier sortie from Truk.

paulr

Sounds like a good time being had by all ;)

The campaign just seems to work really well, with almost no book keeping.

We are using GQ I/II for the battles as we find it plays faster than GQ III and is easier to pick up again when have been doing other things for a while.

We had similar carrier action results but will hopefully be more skilled at air ops this time around, assuming we can remember the mistakes we made last time ;) ;D
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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pierre the shy

Quote from: paulr on 03 April 2016, 04:10:59 AM
We had similar carrier action results but will hopefully be more skilled at air ops this time around, assuming we can remember the mistakes we made last time ;) ;D

What mistakes? the USN sank 5 out of 5 IJN carriers in that campaign while loosing none themselves  :o

hopefully the IJN will do much better this time around - won't be hiding my Kates and Vals in the hangers if the USN comes calling  ;)

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

paulr

Quote from: pierre the shy on 03 April 2016, 09:11:21 AM
What mistakes? the USN sank 5 out of 5 IJN carriers in that campaign while loosing none themselves  :o

hopefully the IJN will do much better this time around - won't be hiding my Kates and Vals in the hangers if the USN comes calling  ;)

I was thinking mainly of the Japanese mistakes ;D
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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