Before War At Sea there was Sea Strike

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! The Sea Strike system looks really fun, is there still a link to the hidden orders you adapted to War at Sea? I'd be interested in trying them out.

Found it! As written in August 2007....
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In line with my earlier posting about the old UK naval/air game 'Seastrike' and its use of mission scenarios and budgets I have so far come up with some missions.

Rules:
Obtain some identical small envelopes and place one mission written on a folded piece of paper in each. The envelopes are shuffled and each side then choses one envelope. This is his/her sealed orders and cannot be exchanged for another.
Conceal the nature of your orders unless instructed to or unless you are claiming the mission. Conceal your vessel/aircraft choices until you lay out.
You may choose to conceal land-based aircraft in a box until these are deployed on table. This is recommended. It will serve to conceal the full size of your force and will also serve to further conceal the nature of your mission. A wise player might choose to hide several high cost land-based planes for a couple of moves or more.
You MUST reveal your orders and all vessel/aircraft choices when you claim the mission. You must also reveal your budget 'shopping list' for post-game scrutiny by the other player.
If you excede this budget you automatically forfeit the game because you stripped assets from a more important theatre of operations elsewhere.

Each mission is unique but to create some extra interest a few could be duplicated.
For example as many as three 'Sea superiority', two coastal bombardment, two night action and two claim moral victory scenarios could be included in the overall selection. If two sides both pull 'sea superiority' expect a bloodbath. If both pull coastal bombardment expect a high speed race to shell the other side's real estate.
Specialist missions like commando raid and spy drop are on-offs.
In the unlikely event that one side draws 'convoy escort' and the other side draws 'write down enemy air assets' agree that off-table intelligence has compromised both missions, return both orders to the pack, shuffle and re-draw new missions.

MISSIONS FOR WAR AT SEA:

1) Sea superiority
Budget 125 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
Mission: Destroy all enemy ships and submarines on the table. Leave nothing afloat. Mission is only achieved when the last vessel is sunk. Claim mission at that point.

2) Convoy escort
Tell the enemy this is a convoy escort game when you deploy on table.
Budget 100 points + 4 uncosted merchant ships [or counters] of any type.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
Mission. A convoy must be moved from one side to the other side of your half of the board. This convoy must survive for SIX moves and at least two of the merchant ships must still be afloat on the start of move seven to claim the mission. Lose three before then and the mission is lost and the other side wins. Claim mission at start of move seven if you still have two merchant ships afloat.

3) Subs and aircraft
Budget 80 points.
Free choice of submarines and land-based aircraft only.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. These mean nothing but will confuse him. [see 7, 11 &12]
Your submarines may start up to 5 squares from your base edge. 10 squares if the other side has drawn 'Convoy escort' or 'Night action'.
Kill two largest ships in other fleet to claim mission OR if other side are playing convoy escort prevent other side's mission success to claim your mission.

4) Holding action
Budget 90 points.
Free choice of any subs or aircraft up to this total. Free choice of any ships except NO BBs or BCs. No carrier may be designed to carry more than two aircraft. The big fleet carriers are NOT available to you. This is a minor theatre of war.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. These mean nothing but will confuse him. [see 7, 11 &12]
This is a minor theatre for you. Tie down the enemy forces here for eight moves and you will win in another theatre where your big ships are. If any of your surface vessels or submarines survive at start of move nine reveal and claim this mission.
If other side is playing 'convoy escort' or 'night action' start your submarines up to 10 squares from your base edge, other ships up to 5 squares.

5) Claim moral victory
Budget 80 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. These mean nothing but will confuse him. [see 7, 11 &12]
Sink two ships of destroyer size or larger and immediately claim mission. You need only a moral victory to convince world opinion of the plucky nature of your resistance to the enemy. If other side is playing 'convoy escort' start your submarines up to 10 squares from your base edge, other ships up to 5 squares.

6) Night action
Tell other player this is a night action after he/she has chosen their force but before their force is laid upon the table. Reveal this order at that point.
Budget 60 points.
You are limited to MTBs, PTs, DEs, Destroyers and Cruisers. Graf Spee is not a cruiser.
All enemy aircraft on land or sea are grounded and are out of the game. Enemy submarines may move two squares a move on surface until they come within visibilty range [3 squares] when they dive and revert to one square per move until out of visibilty range again.
Visibility is 0 to three squares only. No ships may fire further than that. Rolls of '4' do not hit in square three.
Your forces in this theatre lack air cover and you are too weak to fight in daylight. Your mission is to sink three enemy ships and immediately claim victory before daybreak. Dawn rises at the start of the tenth move. If your mission is not achieved by end of move nine you automatically lose.
If other side is playing 'convoy escort' start all your vessels 8 squares from your base edge.

7) Coastal bombardment.
Budget 90 points.
You must choose at least two cruisers or larger. Free choice in other areas up to budget.
Place two islands at least three squares inside the other player's half. Either one of these is your target.
Your mission is to assist your land forces fighting on these islands. To win you must get your two cruisers into gun range of three squares or less [effective bombardment range]. Both must bombard one island for one move to claim victory. They may not target anything else with surface guns for that move. If one cruiser is sunk, the other must bombard for two moves under the same terms to claim victory. Claim mission at end of the applicable firing phase.

8) Destroy enemy submarines
Budget 80 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. These mean nothing but will confuse him. [see 7, 11 &12]
You have the same budget at 5) ['Claim moral victory'] but your mission is now to sink every enemy submarine on the table and claim that you have 'cleared the sea lanes for the merchant ships of the free world'.
You claim the mission the moment the last submarine is sunk. Ignore any surviving enemy surface vessels and aircraft.

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If other side has no submarines this mission reverts to 5): Claim moral victory. Sink two ships of destroyer size or larger and immediately claim mission. You only need a moral victory to convince world opinion of the plucky nature of your resistance to the enemy. If other side is playing 'convoy escort' start your submarines up to 10 squares from your base edge, other ships up to 5 squares.

9) Write down enemy air assets
Tell the enemy this is 'Convoy escort' when you deploy on table but conceal the true nature of your mission until the mission is achieved. Reveal mission orders when you claim the game.
Budget 100 points + 4 uncosted merchant ships.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
This appears to be the same as mission 2) [Convoy escort] but your mission is really to draw out and destroy all enemy bombers, torpedo bombers, dive bombers and patrol bombers. Maximise your anti-air assets to assist this end. Enemy fighters do not count towards mission failure/success. Your merchant ships are sailing in ballast and are just bait for your cunning trap. The real convoy sails tomorrow and you want that to pass through this area tomorrow unmolested from the air.
Your mission is to clear the skies of enemy anti-shipping aircraft. The moment his last applicable aircraft is shot down claim this mission. Disregard remaining enemy fighters.
Hint:
Move your merchant ships from one side of your table half to the other and appear to be taking great care about their protection from loss. Well, you would, wouldn't you?
If other side draws 'Night action' he has no aircraft. Your new mission is then to survive his night attack and frustrate him from completing his mission. When his mission fails you win.
If other side has no anti-shipping aircraft your mission is to prevent his mission. When his mission fails you win.

10) Enemy unsure of your intentions
Budget 90 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft up to this total.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half of the table. These mean nothing but will confuse him. [see 7, 11 &12]
Enemy intelligence in this area is poor. You might exploit this by fielding at least two cruisers and appear to be attempting a coastal bombardment or you might field several submarines and appear to be attempting a spy drop.
In reality you are seeking a token victory. Sink any three vessels of destroyer size or larger and immediately claim the mission when third vessel sinks.

11) Commando raid
Budget 90 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. One of these is your target.
Nominate one named ship [in writing] to be carrying a commando landing team. This ship must be destroyer sized or larger. Your mission is to get this ship in contact with an island for one clear move during which that ship is not sunk. At end of that move declare mission objective and claim the win.

12) Spy or sabotage mission.
Budget 80 points.
Free choice of any ships, subs or aircraft.
Place two islands at least three squares inside enemy half. One of these is your target.
Nominate one named submarine [in writing] to be carrying a spy or saboteur. Your mission is to get this sub in contact with an island for one clear move during which that sub is not sunk. At end of that move declare mission objective and claim the win.


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I recommend the 'official' rule tweaks on subs and fighters [see thread].
If you are playing US versus Japanese I also recommend that the Japanese player receives a 10% bonus. So a Japanese player with an 80 point budget actually receives 88pts, etc.

Note: in theory there is nothing to stop you playing 'double points' games. The balance should hold. If both players agree double the budget points values shown but all other figures remain the same - i.e. 'four merchant ships' or 'two cruisers minimum', etc.

These are just a rough draft and are thrown up for player comments.

Nothing is set in stone.





Tactics
It is possible to confuse the enemy about your true intentions and the size of your force for quite some time. This is the real 'fog of war' at work.
The use of a box or upturned box lid to conceal your land-based aircraft is highly recommended to prevent the enemy from counting your on-table points and working out what your mission is early on.
The placing of two islands in many games also focuses enemy attention in his home waters as well as providing 'cover' for small vessels to hide behind and stay out of the line of fire.