TANG has been around for one year now (Oct02), and it has been a very quick year! The first session was a one-on-one IRONCLADS match between Dan K. and myself on October 12, 2001 (historians among us will be happy to know Kearsarge sank Alabama in back-to-back playings of scenario 4 in this first TANG event). I am pleased with the successes we have enjoyed as a group. We have kept it very informal, low key, and no serious rules issues or disputes have arisen to my knowledge. Here are some statistics:
Highlights of the year:
Selected AARs from 2002:
Just finished playing an awesome game of WS&IM, advanced rules, scenario 7A. Truly a great game with seven, count 'em seven, players in attendance! This is a new record for Tidewater Area Naval Gamers. In attendance:
British
1. Ryan S.
2. Joe C. (Brit MVP, kept all three ships fighting throughout the game, captured one enemy, struck one enemy)
3. Chris D. (fleet commander)
French
1. Dan K. (fleet commander) (Frog MVP, put together and executed a winning French strategy)
2. Marc B.
3. Mike L.
4. Tracy J.
Scenario 7A has 12 average French SOLs (4 players commanding 3 ships each) attacking 9 crack British SOLs (remaining 3 players commanding 3 ships each). For once the French have the wind gauge. The exit scenario victory conditions force a defensive rigging hit objective on the British fleet - a true role reversal from the usual. If only the Brits could use chainshot! We modified the scenario to have normal wind strength, rather than the light breeze as specified by the scenario. A light breeze, though historical, would have slowed down the game way too much for our tastes. The French entered the map in 4 columns and attacked the British center and rear. The battle soon was heated with several melees starting on turn 6 or so. Several ships were captured by each side through melee victories. Only one ship was struck by elimination of her hull boxes. Severe crew casualties on both sides would have meant seriously depleted ships for the remaining campaign game scenarios, if played. Awesome fun.
Highlights:
1. Tracy brought copies of some of his interesting naval wargame collection including unpunched Pacific War (VG), unpunched Royal Navy (a must play in my book), Task Force (SPI), several XTR naval games, Chicken of the Sea (GameFix). Thanks Tracy!
2. Chris "Dr. Six" wins the die roll from a bow-to-bow collision to get a killer one hex rake position only to have the next turn's wind die roll put his ship in irons (wind attitude A for zero movement allowance).
3. Several boarding actions using the highest possible 81+ column for casualties results. A die roll of 1 is how many crew boxes lost? Ouch! I think we all learned something new about boarding party actions.
Just completed three play throughs of Avalon Hill's BISMARCK today against Marc "Broadsides" B., using the basic game rules. The Brits won all three games. The Bismarck went down early in the first two games, flag still flying and her guns still shooting. In the third game the Bismarck was a little harder to pin down and a stern chase developed chasing the Germans back to a safe harbor in Norway. Bismarck was finally sent to the bottom four hexes away from safety, thus losing the game 55 to 45 victory points to the British. A three games - I'd still play either side with some neat strategies still being toyed with in my head for any future matches. This, to me, is always the hallmark of a great game.
Just completed a truly phenomenal six player game of IRONCLAD. A well earned Union victory. Six players showed (Ryan S, Eric S, Dan K. Chris D, Tracy J, Marcellus B.) Two players each had one Confederate ironclad trying to escort a blockade runner out of Charleston harbor. Four players had six wooden Union ships trying to stop them in this Jan, 1863 night action - four hex visibility range. A vicious short-range battle ensued, with the Confederates clumsily moving the blockade runner into an ironclad and using the wrong type of ammo (loaded shot--shell would have been ideal against the thin skinned Union wooden ships). These mistakes slowed the power of the Confederate escape plan and the Union side got the chance to concentrate forces and pounce. The blockade runner was soon ablaze and crewless, and one ironclad was slowed to a one knot crawl damaged by no less than three separate rammings, including two in one turn. The remaining Confederate ironclad, more skillfully employed, had a perfect ram, but the spar torpedo was a dud, though the follow up ram put a serious hole in the side of a Yankee warship. All in all, a grand game and wonderful play of an old, but great, game.
Just finished a one-on-one game of IRONCLADS with Dan K. Serious fun playing an 1862 western river scenario. A furious battle developed between defending Confederate Fort Henry and assisting hypothetical ironclad, CSS Eastport, against an attacking Union squadron with 4 ironclads and 3 wooden gunboats. Excellent play by both sides, one Union ironclad, already on fire, was sunk by ram. A Union gunboat was wrecked with rudder casualty, engine casualty and nearly all its armor shot away! Fort Henry was hit hard but all guns managed to stay in action. Three Union ships managed to pass the fort and the defensive torpedoes (a.k.a. Civil War era mines) when game end was declared due to time. A nasty, tough, close in fight for both sides - I'd play this scenario again as either side. Dan K had some very clever ideas for another Union attack.
Just completed a double blind game of Midway and it was a blast! Japanese side won 54 to 22 points. The score did not reflect the tightness of the game as it was a close call which side would get the first strike in and, as luck would have it, the Japanese fleet got its licks in first (Luck? It was pure skill!--Ed.).
The game featured double blind play where referees handled all search results and battle damage. Searches were modified to produce possible false contact reports. In addition, TANG member Tracy J. created some cool pre-game secret strategic choices by allowing each side to gain / lose forces and / or alter the scoring system. This allowed for variety and unexpected play - for example the Japanese took an extra light CV for a little extra punch. The US opted for early arrival allowing a lightening thrust across the board. Both sides grappled with numerous false reports, sending strikes out to phantom targets.
After the day one Japanese strike on the US fleet downed two fleet CVs, a cat and mouse game played out with the remaining US CV. Midway fell to two large air strikes on the second day and Atago made its appearance to capture Midway before nightfall. Hornet, sole owner of Americium air power, managed to sink a Japanese BB and a CV before she too sunk beneath the waves. The Japanese fleet had little left to fill her flight decks (26F, 12D and no T) by games end. Clever, quality play by both sides. I would definitely like to play this one again. Been a long time since I have had my games spiced up like this!
Just finished a four player game of Destroyer Captain - a Quarterdeck Games / Jack Greene design, a close sister to The Royal Navy. If you can find this one on Ebay I recommend you grab a copy as it is quality and fun to play.
Played scenario 2, Vichy Waters, twice, switching sides. Scenario features three Vichy French Destroyers patrolling off the coast of Lebanon, intercepted by four British destroyers. VC are awarded for sinking ships and, for the French, exiting the map safely. Both games had wild swings as hits were scored and torpedoes struck home. Four ships were sunk of seven in play the first game as a wild close action melee developed. In the second game, a stern chase developed. Two British destroyers went under after crippling one French destroyer, though the damaged French ship managed to limp off map to safety behind her two faster, less damaged companions. Lesson learned: torpedoes are deadly, to both sides, when handled properly!
A real blast to play and I would definitely like to play this game system again (Ironbottom Sound, The Royal Navy and Destroyer Captain are all closely related game systems though not quite interchangeable)
Two players showed (Ryan "Ram at any Speed" S., Chris "Dr. Six" D.) for today's play of IRONCLADS - a historically modified scenario 9A, CSS Albermarle vs. USS Miami and Southfield in 1864.
This limited-visibility night action on a narrow river proved intense. The two wooden Union side-wheelers had to close with the Albermarle to damage her with their guns, yet the limited visibility meant that if they were close enough to shoot, they were within striking range of a deadly Confederate ram. The Southfield was comparatively slow and started off by facing into the current. This meant the ship would be unable to evade a ram; consequently, the Union commander decided to use her as bait, with Miami slated to provide the hook. Southfield was indeed rammed on turn four, and limped off downriver while firing a few Parthian shots. Miami danced back and forth across the river, firing into Albemarle from "can't miss" range and watching most of her shots bounce off Confederate iron. CSS Albemarle finally caught and crushed Miami, but had sustained too much damage to hold the field and was forced to cede victory to the Union. A great game, with action at close quarters and the issue very much in doubt until the last turn!
Played a wonderful four player IRONCADS scenario today with Dan K., Kevin T., Al B., Ryan S., Kevin T. has recently returned to Hampton Roads after a tour in Okinawa while Al B. makes his first appearance at a TANG event. Both are great gamers and are welcome back to any and all of our future events.
This May 1862 scenario has the ironclad Virginia, Confederate tug with the uncompleted ironclad Richmond in tow, try to escape up the James River from Norfolk, with the partially armored side wheeler Patrick Henry coming the James to help. Standing in the way was the Union Monitor, a second, but weaker, ironclad Galena, and wooden screw steamer Seminole. Patrick Henry (after ramming and fouling Monitor) and Seminole (on fire, no hull, and with almost no crew left) both went to an early grave while Monitor and Virginia traded powerful blows, both protected by their heavy armor. Skillful maneuvering initially kept the fragile Confederate tug undamaged but a late game turn to starboard to enter the James River exposed her to a crippling broadside from Galena. In the end it appeared to be a probable Confederate tactical victory as Virginia could exit up the James River and Galena was severely damaged. A very close run affair and a fabulous afternoon of trading cannon shots at 100 yards! This scenario is, in my humble opinion a winner - it is here in RTF format.
Three wild games of MIDWAY today (Ryan S., Marcellus B.) - two US wins and one Japanese victory. Two games were early wins, one for each side. The third game was a knock down, hard fought fight all over the map with all 3 US CVs visiting the fishes joined by 2 Japanese CVs and the Atago invasion fleet. In the end it was a US win by only a few victory points. Great, quality fun. This game, despite its age (1964!) has clever mechanics, clear, easy rules, and yet captures the flavor and thought process of carrier warfare. This game is, in many ways, still the standard to compare all others for carrier warfare games.
Completed three wild playings of The Royal Navy (QD games), all WWI British vs. German actions. Mike L. showed for some excellent one-on-one gaming.
The first two playings of scenario 6 featured a 1916 light cruiser action during Jutland. Six weaker German cruisers face four larger British ships in a close range, hard hitting night action. Both games had British wins (12 to 4 and 19 to 3 in VP calculations). The games were actually much closer than the scores suggest as several British ships were severely damaged at game end but just managed to stay afloat. Several things stand out. The Brit WWI 6 inch gun is an excellent light cruiser weapon, much superior to the German 4.1 inch gun, and the British built some excellent light cruisers--certainly no match for the battle wagons, but an excellent platform to fend off German light cruisers and torpedo boats.
The third playing was scenario 5, the Battle of Coronel, featuring Spee's Asiatic squadron meeting Craddock's British squadron off the coast of Chile in 1914. Per scenario special rule, we added the old British battleship Canopus to stiffen the British line. Special rules: Scharnhorst and Geisenau have gunnery bonuses for their ace gunnery teams and most of the British ships had bad gunnery mods to reflect the untrained reservists manning several of those ships. Even with the Canopus, the British squadron was roughly handled, with three ships going down, including the well armored Canopus. The Scharnhorst had, meanwhile suffered a turret breakdown which caused a fire and the resulting self-inflicted damage slowed her enough for a British tactical win--by scenario rules, that is, although from a player's perspective it was probably a German victory due to the massive damage inflicted on the Brits.