Busy, Busy, Busy

By S. Craig Taylor, Jr.
March 1, 2005

I am sorry that it has been so long since the last Publisher’s Corner, which was way back in the lost days of my youth in 2004. One of the things that I babbled on about then (see Publisher’s Corner “Gettysburg Address”) was that our new BATTLEGROUP card game would be out by the end of December. As you can tell, the gift of prophesy is not one of my gifts; it’s not even in my inventory. The game was originally designed for two players or four players and we decided to delay publication to develop an asymmetrical version for three players. About the time that was ready, our printing establishment had to be moved, so there we were. Since publishing was on an enforced standstill, we have been working our stubby little fingers to the bone to have plenty of stuff ready when the presses, coating machines, die cutters and shrink wrappers are ready to once again start rolling. BATTLEGROUP should be available for sale by the end of this month, so it is time for me to tell you some more about this game.

The game has an Axis Ship Deck and an Allied Ship Deck, each of which has 23 battleships (or battlecruisers) and 9 aircraft carriers that served in the appropriate United States, British Royal, French, German, Italian and Imperial Japanese navies during World War II. There is also an Action Deck with 64 dual-use cards, two sets of dice (each with a six, eight and ten sided die), some red plastic markers for damage and some gold plastic markers to show what ships are in the dockyards. The easiest way to give a sense of the game is to demonstrate it being played for a few rounds.

In a two-player game, an Allied Player faces an Axis Player. Both are dealt six cards from their side’s Ship Deck and the ships are placed face-up in front of the players, with the battleships in a ”battleline” in front of any aircraft carriers. Each player is also dealt six action cards, which are kept in their hands and only the players see them, so they will be revealed as played, in these sample rounds. The cards dealt are as follows:

The Allied Player goes first, as he owns the game. Yeah, that’s my favorite rule. He plays a reinforcement card (the carrier air strike part of the dual use card is ignored) face down and then turns it up as he wants some more ships and reinforcement cards may not be played when a sortie card is in play. With this card, he rolls the point pass dice (white = 6-sided and blue = 10-sided) and his opponent rolls the point fail die (green = 8-sided). The Allied Player rolls a “4” on the 6-sided die and a “7” on the 10-sided die and the Axis Player rolls a “6” on his 8-sided die. Only the highest numbers rolled by each side are compared. Since the “7” rolled by the Allied Player exceeds the “6” rolled by the Axis Player, the Allied Player draws one reinforcement ship card from his Allied Ship Deck. The battleship Washington is drawn and added to the Allied battleline and the reinforcement card is discarded. If the highest point pass number had been double or more the highest point fail number, two reinforcement ships could have been drawn. All Turns end by drawing an action card, so Allied Player ends his Turn by drawing one action card from the draw deck. There are no limits on the number of cards that a player may have in play and/or in his or her hand except those imposed by the decks.

The Axis Player opts to go right into action. He lays down the night convoy sortie card worth 5 Victory Points (the carrier air strike part of the dual use card is ignored). You must have a sortie card in play to conduct most combats. Day sortie cards have a distant round (mostly used for air strikes) followed by a close round (used for surface combats and most types of torpedo attacks), although, during day sorties, air strikes are also possible during close rounds. Night sorties have only a close round and no air strikes are possible at night. After playing the sortie card, the Axis player plays five cards face down (the maximum number that can be played depends on what is available and the number of cards in a player’s hand—here, the Axis player uses all six cards in his hand) in front of him. One card is set off to the side and one card is played on the Yamato, Kongo, Scharnhorst and Littorio , as shown below:

The Axis player may turn these cards up and play them in any desired order. He chooses to turn up the card played on the Littorio first. This proves to be a surface combat card (the carrier air strike part of the dual use card is ignored), which simulates firing the battleship’s big guns, and the surface combat die of the Littorio (blue = 10-sided) is announced to be used to attack the Warspite’s protection die (which is also blue = 10-sided). A “7’ is rolled for Littorio and a “5” for Warspite. Since the attacking die was higher but not twice the defending die, the Warspite is damaged and a red damage marker placed on it. Note that Littorio has been used once and is through for the Turn - no ship may be used to attack more than once per Turn. The Axis Player next reveals the card that was set off to the side. This proves to be a destroyer attack card (the CAP part of the dual use card is ignored), which simulates destroyers making torpedo attacks, and the offensive dice (green = 8-sided and blue = 10-sided) is announced to again (the same target may be attacked as many times as desired) attack the damaged Warspite (the blue = 10-sided protection die is used again but, because Warspite is damaged, a “-2” modifier applies). The Warspite’s roll is “6” but the “-2” damage modifier reduces that to a “4.” The green offensive die for the destroyer attack had the highest roll, an “8” and this doubles the modified Warspite roll, so Warspite is sunk and placed face down under the sortie card. The Axis Player follows up this success by turning up the card played on the Kongo next. This proves to be a surface combat card (the land-based air strike part of the dual use card is ignored) and the surface combat die of the Kongo (green = 8-sided) is announced to be used to attack the Washington’s protection dice (which are a blue = 10-sided and a white = 6-sided). Kongo gets a roll of “6,” which is increased to an “8,” as all Japanese battleships get a “+2” modifier when firing at night. However, the Washington rolls a “9” on its blue die and, since this equals or exceeds the Kongo’s best number, no damage occurs. Next, the card played on Scharnhorst is turned up and played. This proves to be a surface combat card (the day base raid sortie part of the dual use card is ignored), and the surface combat die of the Scharnhorst (green = 8-sided) is announced to be used to attack the Dunkerque’s protection die (which is blue = 10-sided). Scharnhost gets a roll of “6.” However, the Dunkerque rolls only a disastrous “1” on its blue die and, since this is doubled (and then some) by Scharnhorst’s “6,” the Dunkerque sinks and is placed face down under the sortie card A sortie is immediately won when one side loses two ships, so both the sunk ships (Warspite = 5 victory points and Dunkerque = 5 victory points) and the sortie card (= 5 victory points) are placed in the Axis victory point pile to be counted at the end of the game. Since the sortie has ended, the card that had been placed face-down on the awesome Yamato gets discarded without being used (ahh!), along with all the other cards placed and played by the Axis player. The Axis player draws one action card (now the only card in his hand) to end his Turn. A good start for the Axis!

The Allied Player is not a happy camper. He lost that sortie, lost two ships and didn’t get to fire a shot in return. However, the Axis Player is reduced to just one card in his hand, so now it’s clobbering time! He lays down the day base raid sortie card worth 6 victory points (the carrier air strike part of the dual use card is ignored). Day sortie cards have both rounds. After playing the sortie card, the Allied player plays two cards face down in front of him. One card is set on the day base raid sortie card and one card is played on the Lexington , as shown below:

The Allied player may turn these cards up and play them in any desired order. He chooses to turn up the card played on the Lexington first. This proves to be a carrier air strike card (the night invasion sortie part of the dual use card is ignored), which simulates launching the carrier’s strike aircraft to attack with bombs and torpedoes. The carrier air strike is announced to be used to attack the Hiryu. Unlike surface combats and most torpedo attacks, air strikes are not required to attack the battleline; they may attack the aircraft carriers behind the battleline and ignore the battleships, if desired. Before the air strike goes in, the Hiryu’s AA die (green = 8-sided) may be used to attack the carrier air strike (Lexington’s defense die are white = 6-sided and blue = 10-sided). A “6’ is rolled for Hiryu’s AA and a “4” was the best roll for the defense of Lexington’s carrier air strike. Since the attacking AA die was higher but not twice the defending die, the carrier air strike is damaged and a red damage marker placed on it. Now, the Lexington’s carrier air strike dice (all three colors—the Yankee flattops are mighty) are used against the Hiryu’s protection die (green = 8-sided). The best Lexington roll is a “7” and it is modified by “-2” because the air strike was damaged by the antiaircraft fire, making it read as a “5 and Hiryu rolls a “3”—Hiryu is damaged and a red damage marker is placed on the Hiryu card. Next, the card played on the day base raid sortie is turned up and is revealed to be a land-based air strike (the surface combat part of the dual use card is ignored). One of these per Turn can be played on a day base raid sortie or day invasion sortie card. The land-based air strike is announced to be used to attack the Hiryu again. The Axis player chooses to place his only card face- up on the Hiryu—it is a CAP (combat air patrol) card (the night invasion sortie part of the dual use card is ignored) that simulates fighter attacks on air strikes. Before the AA is used and before the air strike goes in, the Hiryu’s CAP dice (green = 8-sided, blue = 10-sided) may be used to attack the land-based air strike (Land-Based Air Strike’s defense die is blue = 10-sided). A “6’ is the best roll for Hiryu’s CAP and the “-2” damage modifier for Hiryu reduces this to a “4” versus a “4” for the best defense of the land-based air strike. Since the dice were equal, the land-based air strike takes no damage. Next, Hiryu’s green AA die (with the -2” damage modifier) is similarly ineffectual. Now, after fending off both the CAP and AA from Hiryu, the land-based air strike dice (all three colors) are used against the Hiryu’s protection dice (green = 8 sided, but with a “-2” damage modifier). The best land-based air strike roll is a disappointing “3” but Hiryu rolled a “1”. Any number modified to less than “1” is still read as a “1.” Hiryu’s roll is doubled or more and Hiryu is sunk and its card is placed face down under the sortie card. The sortie is not ended and the sortie card and the inverted Hiryu card remain on the table. All of the other Allied cards that were played (both the air strikes) are discarded followed by the discarding of the Axis CAP card. The Allied player draws one action card to end his Turn.

The Axis player has no cards, so all he can do during his Turn is draw one, again the only card in his hand. The distant round of the day base raid sortie is completed.

The close round of the day base raid sortie begins. If he can sink one more Axis ship, the sortie will be won. The Allied player plays four cards face down in front of him. Two cards are set off to the side, one card is played on the Lexington and one card is played on the Missouri , as shown below:

As always, the Allied player may turn these cards up and play them in any desired order. He chooses to turn up one of the cards placed off to the side first. This proves to be a flying boat scouting card (the carrier air strike part of the card is ignored). This allows the player to randomly remove two cards from an opponents hand—the Axis player has only one card but this is gleefully taken and placed in the Allied player’s hand (it cannot be used this Turn as it was not placed face-down before any cards were played). No cards mean no chance for surprises from the Axis Player! Next, the other card placed off to the side is revealed. It is a radar advantage in surface combat card (the CAP part of the card is ignored) and adds a “+2” modifier for all surface combats during the player’s Turn. Next, the card placed with the Missouri is turned face up. This proves, not surprisingly, to be a surface combat card (the day convoy sortie part of the dual use card is ignored) and the surface combat die of the Missouri (green = 8-sided, blue = 10-sided) is announced to be used to attack the Kongo protection die (blue = 10-sided). A “7’ is rolled the high roll for Missouri, which, with the “+2” radar advantage modifier, makes the roll read as “9.” A “6” for Kongo avoids disaster but the ship is damaged and a red damage marker is placed on its card. The final card turned up is the one placed on the Lexington. This proves to be a carrier air strike card (the surface combat part of the dual use card is ignored). The carrier air strike is announced to be used to attack the Kongo. Before the air strike goes in, the damaged Kongo’s AA die (green = 8-sided) is used to attack the carrier air strike (Lexington’s defense die are white = 6-sided and blue = 10-sided). A “5’ is rolled for Kongo’s AA (“-2” for damage = “3”) and a “3” was the best roll for the defense of Lexington’s carrier air strike. Since the high rolls were equal, there is no effect on the carrier air strike. Now, the Lexington’s carrier air strike dice (all three colors) are used against the Kongo’s protection dice (green = 8-sided). The best Lexington roll is a disappointing “4” and Kongo rolls a “5”—with the “-2” damage modifier this reads as a “3”. This normally causes damage but additional damages are ignored. The four cards played by the Allied Player are discarded and the Allied Player draws one action card from the draw deck to end his Turn.

Once again, the Axis player has no cards, so all he can do during his Turn is draw one. The close round of the day base raid sortie is completed and neither side sank two ships to win it. Since there was no winner, the day base raid card is discarded and only the Hiryu card is placed face down in the Allied victory point pile. At this stage of the game, the Axis side leads in victory points by 15 to 12. After all action cards have been drawn (this is called an “operation”), all victory points are counted and the side with the most victory point is declared to be that operation’s winner. Between operations, players discard ship card in excess of six or draw cards to bring their squadrons back to six. Victory points are not carried over from operation to operation. The first side to win two operations wins the game.

But, you ask yourself, “Gee, Unca Craig, is that all you got finished during the printing hiatus, you slovenly lay about?” Well, no but the other material is more familiar and requires less explanation. Following close on the heels of BATTLEGROUP, during the merry month of March, we will be publishing SERGEANTS! In the Sand, which adds the British and Italians to our continuing saga of crazed NCOs at war. By the end of that month, we should have the SERGEANTS! Scenario Booklet with 23 new scenarios using the British versus the Italians but also many that allow the British to face the Germans, the Italians to (ulp!) face the Soviets. Look for more information on these other games in the next Publisher’s Corner.