New day, new idea : USS Lafayete (seized liner Normandie). A nice troopship for USN, in the same way we have RMS Queen Mary for RN. A specific soft spot on this one, because its home port was my birth town and it was a very elegant ship. And strange coincidence, I'll be sleeping aboard Queen mary in a couple of weeks
Sub pen, by itself, is plenty for the new deck. And I'm even waffling on that one. We aren't fighting coastline to coastline, we are fighting AT SEA.
As to Aux's, I was a bit dismayed at to how many cards from the most recent deck were Aux's. Don't use them, don't like them, when there are so many DD's and cruisers yet to be done. You know, useful units.
I'd like to see a PT Boat tender for the US (preferably sporting a Replenish ability), and it would take a bit of work to craft it into something fun, but the converted Japanese dreadnaught Settsu would be fun to make (while the IJN was raiding Pearl Harbor, Settsu cruised off Taiwan and simulated the radio traffic of the entire Kido Butai to through the allies off).
I would like to see the installation game expanded, and revised, so that we don't have to crowd up cards with text defining an installation... though that is a little outside the scope of what you're asking. An installation that acted like an objective would be cool, as well as expanded airbase options, radar, more shore batteries, coastal artillery, etc. More little ways to score victory points would also make the game more interesting, but that would also shift the focus away from big ship battles.
Improving the convoy game mode would also be a lot of fun, but that also seems like it would need a bit of change to (JOBs are not very sturdy, unfortunately).
University Student— Lover of Plato, Aristotle, War At Sea, Palestrina, and Mozart
PT Boat bases (Let's try and find some use for them)
Sub pens
Large Airbase - I talked this with Brigman and SWO_Daddy on their deck. We have FWD Strip but I wonder we can boost land based twin and 4 engine bombers in some way.
As for auxiliaries, more German blockade runners and commerce raiders. Masters of Military on Shapeways has loads of models for them. Ice breakers, Brigman made Iceberg and Icepack cards and a Finnish icebreaker.
Destroyer tenders would be interesting to look at. Repair ships, tankers, ammunition ships (I will never stop spamming this)
Lastly, What about a Captain and Admiral deck? Is there still ideas for that?
Erwin Rommel - "Give me American supply lines, British planes, German officers and Canadian troops, and I can take over the world".
I love the idea of a captain, admirals, and upgrades deck. I feel like I always have a couple of points left at the end of a build and a ship that I wish had one more SA.
I would love to see something like a wake island, Malta, or midway for scenario and historical play.
I have long wanted to write a version 3 of the rulebook with all of the errata inline with the text of the original rulebook and also among other things the rules for installations included so that it doesn't need to be printed on the card and there is room for installations to do more.
Tell me about the auxiliaries and installations you'd like to see in the next deck. Can be as many or as few suggestions as you want, from any nation you want
How about the Dover batteries for an installation? 15", 14", 6", 13.5" mortars, etc
Improving the convoy game mode would also be a lot of fun, but that also seems like it would need a bit of change to (JOBs are not very sturdy, unfortunately).
Nor should they be.
I noticed the convoy rules set a limit of 15 turns. It takes 10 turns to cross the map. I think delaying merchant ship deployment, or lurking in the deployment zone for a few turns(not to many, i losy a game that way) makes the convoy rules more functional
Somewhat sad to see it was a bot that revived this post, but I still want to add to it!
Auxiliaries:
(Netherlands) HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen (1936) - the Minesweeper that disguised itself as an island to evade Japanese coastal forces until it escaped hostile waters. - Would be highly situational but much more of a fun piece to use similar to PT boats mixed with Atlantis-style masking or camouflage.
(USA) USS Pigeon (ASR-6) was the very first ship to receive a presidential unit citation and received it twice, was an armed gunboat that fought in the Philippines - towed subs from fires from the naval base and also performed anti-air duties. Could have some form of repair SA similar to Nordmark, but only for Subs?, perhaps a "Sub Leader" flag SA or similar? Some neat options.
APD-ships (high-speed transports, converted DDs) like USS Talbot or USS Kane - Wickes and Clemson class DDs that underwent an armament change (addition of 40mm and 20mm mounts, less 4-in mounts, usually just 1). Would make for interesting high-speed units that could still hunt subs, and have a somewhat respectable AA defense, and/or a small victory point SA for landing troops.
(UK) HMS Campbeltown - a highly specific ship (DD) that was filled with explosives and used to disable the drydock for Tirpitz in St. Nazaire. Could be something unique to give it an SA to specifically target something like the Forward Naval Base installation or similar where it would deal 2x or 3x it's main gunnery value against that unit, but would be destroyed in the process.
HMS Foylebank - a merchant ship converted into an anti-aircraft ship. Had 2x dual 4in dual purpose turrets, 2 quad 40mm (2-pndr) guns, and numerous .50in machine guns. Ironically enough sank by air attack while crew was at breakfast. Would be interesting to see a pure AA ship with some DD-like main firepower.
HMS Adamant - a submarine repair/depot ship that could also work in a similar repair manner to Nordmark, but only for subs. Carried an armament of 4in main guns, but more than a DD carries, and also a heavy anti-air armament. Served into the 1960s.
MV Llangibby Castle - a troopship that survived multiple torpedo-ings and air raid damage. Used to transport troops in Mediterranean, on supply runs, and to disembark troops during DDay landings. Possible victory point SA similar to O'Brien and American Victory.
Installations:
None come to mind yet, but working on it!
Last Edit: Jan 26, 2021 16:46:36 GMT by attackercat