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Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:22 am
by tim.w
I'm a complete blank page when it comes to anything naval but I'm interested, particularly 20th cen. Some books around on fleabay at the minute including Don Fetherstones book. Does anyone have any recommends?

Not interested in Cruel Seas really, dont want to get into Warlord anything, can't afford it but a few navwar ships could be tempting? Really enjoyed Alex's DbNaval!

Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:45 am
by grizzlymc
What do you want to do:
WWII - Atlantic/Norway, Med, Pacific?
WWI - Big fleets, battle cruiser fleets (Dogger bank, Heligoland bight), DD and CL actions off the low countries, Cruiser warfare, Goeben in one way or another, Turks and Russkis, Italy v Austria?

The Thai v French barney is always worth a game.

Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:53 am
by Paul
If you like a bit of imagi-naval in the early C20th, W2Ds naval rules are excellent, they are grid based. Dave scratch builds all his own ships too.
I can also recommend irregulars generic range of ships that for some reason are listed at the bottom of the 20th Century part of their 2mm figure section. They're a bit cartoony but that's part of the charm and they would work well with homemade ones and are easy to convert.
I use Daves rules or, being a great exponent of fixing wot 'ain't' broke, my own simpler rules which are hex based.
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Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:17 pm
by FreddBloggs
If you like coastal patrol and lardie rules, I believe there is a set in one of the specials.

If you have a gymnasium, Fletcher pratt rules or Fred Janes rules are decent.

Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:41 pm
by Etranger
For 'mainstream' 20th century naval rules, GQ in it's various incarnations are widely used. If you fancy coastal forces but not Warlord, David Manley has (or is about to) just released his latest set of rules

Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:43 pm
by Paul
FreddBloggs wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 12:17 pm If you like coastal patrol and lardie rules, I believe there is a set in one of the specials.
2011 Summer Special, (I think)

In terms of rules, if you like DbNaval then go with those. I've never played them so i'd like to hear how they work.

Other rules i've seen for C20th naval will mostly need a higher degree in mathematics or the patience to deal with many, many tables of numbers. (But then I probably haven't looked for about twenty years)

I've always wondered about Pacific carrier battles without bothering about the open sea in between too much. Then you could have two tables, one for each fleet and maybe a third for a 'waypoint' in between.

Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 1:37 pm
by Ilkley Old School
These were my favourite rules for WW1. Not to complex so very playable.

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Re: Naval wargames books

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 2:11 pm
by BaronVonWreckedoften
Paul wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 12:43 pm
FreddBloggs wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 12:17 pm If you like coastal patrol and lardie rules, I believe there is a set in one of the specials.
2011 Summer Special, (I think)
Correct. I have these, but other than a gentle "walk through" on my own, haven't actually played a game with them yet. I've been told, by folk who've tried both, that Coastal Patrol is much better than Cruel Seas.