I played my first game of Victory at Sea (Mongoose Games) organised by Derek last night. Neither of us were completely conversant with the rules, though Derek had produced some superb quick reference aids which certainly facilitated play.
We played using 1/3000 Skytrex ships representing the British and Italian navies in the Mediterranean in the Second World War.
The Scenario
The British started the game with a carrier and support escorting a convoy midway along the north long side of the table. The Italians started with their battleship, cruisers and destroyers in the South East corner. The Italians had to sink the cargo ships and escorts before the British relief turned up.
British
Aircraft Carrier
2 cruisers
2 destroyers
3 cargo ships
Italians
1 battleship
3 cruisers
4 destroyers
British Relief Force
1 Battleship
2 destroyers
The game opened with the Italian fleet splitting with the destroyers sweeping north, with the principal sheets heading west. The British made full speed towards the South West corner. The carrier was so effective at this in the ensuing turns that it was off the table in 4 turns without having been engaged.
The second turn saw the first serious combat. Both the Italians and Brits released torpedos and fired their main weapons. One British cruiser was soon a floating hulk though not before it had sunk one of the Italian destroyers..
The third turn saw the Italian destoyers start to close with the cargo ships whilst the main Italian ships engaged the cruisers and destroyers (Needless to remind you that the British Carrier was by now alomost off the table). One cargo ship down.
TBC