campaign

Torpedoes & Tides: The Campaign System

Thomas Brandstetter8 Comments

Torpedoes & Tides will also include campaign rules. Alan Saunders is already busy playtesting them (you can read all about it on his blog), and I have also started my own campaign.

Mine is inspired by one of the less-known coastal forces units, namely the 23rd MTB flotilla, which was made up of Free French officers and sailors. Meet my flotilla leader Capitaine de Corvette Léon Abras:

This is a mock-up and not the final version of the campaign sheet.

As you can see, everything you need fits on two A5 sheets. To the left is your character and to the right your flotilla. The character has three stats which are used for campaign events. They bring in a bit of variation and thereby increase replayability. Characters start with a reputation of 0, which means no one really notices you. The reputation can increase, but it also can decrease, so watch out!

The flotilla is mainly made up of Vosper 72′ MTBs with two BPB 72′ MGBs. Historically astute readers will know that flotillas almost exclusively used the same type of boat and MTBs and MGBs would never be mixed. For game purposes, I justify it by saying they are loaned from a British flotilla…

I’ve already played two convoy scenarios, with the second one also including a “surprise” encounter, which is a mechanism to make sorties a bit more unpredictable. Sufficient to say, capitaine Abras barely hung on to his neutral reputation. However, at least some boats acquired experience, which is very important as I started out with mostly green crews. You can start at a higher level, which decreases the overall difficulty of the campaign, but I wanted to climb my way from ground up.

The last mission I played was a False Nose Job, which, in coastal forces slang, refers to a covert operation. The flotilla had to drop off agents on the Dutch coast. Abras took his own MTB 90 with agents embarked and drafted both MGBs to deal with surprises, which appeared in the form of two R-boats and a small armed trawler (Kriegsfischkutter). During the initial clashes, MTB 90 took some heavy damage, but managed to limp to the rendezvous point and started to land the operatives. Things looked quite dicey for a time. The first good thing to happen was when one of the R-boats was shot up by the MGBs, which made its skipper lose nerves and slink off into the night. Unfortunately, MGB 84 managed to run aground on the Dutch shore (this was a stupid manoeuvring mistake). 

In one of the cool reverses that can happen in such games and that make especially campaigns such a rich narrative experience, a new hero emerged: Lt. Fred Winkles of MGB 86. First, he covered the retreat of Abras, who had finally disembarked the operatives and whose boat was heavily damaged (it was incredible luck that it was not sunk from all the critical hits), with smoke.

Although there were still two German vessels left (the R-boat was slightly damaged), he decided not to abandon his comrade Lt. Gastrell in MGB 84. Engaging both German boats, he first sunk the R-boat and then blew up the trawler!

Having dealt with the Germans, he fixed a towline and got a sheepish Lt. Gastrell off the shoals.

What could have ended as a disaster for the flotilla was turned into a triumph! Not only had they accomplished the mission, but they also sunk two German vessels and returned with all boats. Abras’ reputation increased by one level, and his name is now recognized, at least at the base. I also rolled for a campaign event, which resulted in the officers throwing a party for Abras. The SNO (Senior Naval Officer) was also invited and appreciated the fine French wine, so he now likes our protagonist. Good times!

Porty gets the Short End – 6th Coastal Forces AAR

Thomas Brandstetter2 Comments

It was no secret that Porty and the base’s intelligence officer Lt. Reuben Atkinson couldn’t stand each other. The one a stuffy, ostentiously pious fusspot, the other, well, Porty. So the new SO of the flotilla was less than thrilled when SNOVIS told him that not only was he to go on a “false nose job”, as they called secret missions, but that Atkinson had insisted on coming along personally. Such missions, Porty knew, offered little chance for glory, and he really wanted to start his tenure as SO with a bang. In hindsight, he wished that he had been a bit more precise when making that wish…

So he took two MGBs and one MTB, just in case they ran across a German convoy on the way back (“No engaging the enemy before the mission is accomplished!”, SNOVIS had admonished him with a stern face). Two agents from SOS or SOE or whatever it was called boarded MGB661, Porty’s new ride (as his own sunk during the last mission), together with their chaperone Atkinson, who fussed about the two fellows the whole trip. The landing spot was in treacherous waters, full of rocky cliffs and shallows, and the boat had to approach slowly. The dhingy was prepared while Atkinson gave his agents a flurry of last-minute instructions.

Engine noise from seaward…

Suddenly, Porty had the impression of hearing a low rumbling from seaward. “Would you please shut up for a minute!” he snapped at Atkinson and strained his ears. “Engine noise,” Lt. Lewin, his first lieutenant, agreed. “Sounds like something big, sir”, Buswell, the coxswain, added. And then, a bright searchlight stabbed into the darkness, settling on Lt. Robinson’s MTB659. “Bloody hell!” Porty shouted as he heard the unmistakable roar of a 4″ gun. “That’s a destroyer! Where did he come from?”

Plumes of water could be seen around Robinson’s boat. “Looks like they got a hit in, sir,” Buswell commented. Porty could only admire the unflappable nature of his coxswain, as he himself felt perspiration starting to trickle down his collar.

“Get going, you damned sluggards!” he shouted towards the agents, who started to row the dhingy towards the coast. At least Atkinson had shut up. “Porty, look at Robby!” Lewin shouted, “that damned fool is going for a torpedo attack!” Robinson’s MTB659 was indeed making a slow turn. This at least brought a couple of cliffs between it and the destroyer, who let his searchlights dance around, looking for another target. 

It found Lt. Grant’s MGB654, which took minor damage from exploding shells. Suddenly, firing was heard from Robinson’s position. “Those sneaky bastards!” Porty cursed as he saw that a R-boat had approached unseen while all attention was on the destroyer. A burst of fire from the German and the British MTB was on fire. “Oh no,” Lewin muttered. 

At least the agents were finally ashore. “Let them keep the dhingy, let’s get out of here,” Porty said to Buswell, who turned the boat around. Grant had realised the seriousness of the situation and started to make smoke. Porty, for once, welcomed the pungent smell of chlorosulfonic acid as a white wall interposed itself between the Germans and his boat. “Come on, Robby old chap, get behind the curtain…”

But then Porty heard an explosion from beyond the smoke screen and saw a pillar of fire rising skywards from where he knew Robinson’s boat must be.

“Oh no,” Lewin repeated. “Fuck!” Porty shouted. Buswell sucked his teeth. Atkinson said nothing and Porty realised that he had been awfully quiet and a bit pale around the nose since the shooting commenced. When the searchlight started to probe around the smoke, Porty knew that they could do nothing except run for it. And run they did.

Halfway to Vis, Porty finally realised what Atkinson seems to have perceived right away: that the Germans had obviously known they would come and had lain an ambush for them. However, not even cursing at the intelligence officer for half an hour could improve his mood. Wistfully, he thought about Archie. Being SO suddenly wasn’t as fun as it had sounded when Sullivan first told him…

With this game, I wanted to try out another scenario than convoy busting for a change. Also, I wanted to further test the blind and spotting rules. Again, I drew ship’s counters from a cup to let myself be surprised by the German attackers. I had kind of hoped to draw a big ship, because I wanted to see how they work in my rules. The “destroyer” Porty encountered was actually TA-45, a former Italian Spica class torpedo boat taken over by the Germans and armed with two 10cm guns.

Well, they are hard. Maybe if the set up had been different, a fight might have been possible, but under the circumstances, flight was the only viable option, especially once the MTB was out of the equation. But I’ll have to give it another go before I can make a judgement about potential changes to the rules for large ships.

Campaign-wise, things have started badly for Porty, so let’s see how he copes and if his luck improves.

Porty in the Drink! 5th Coastal Forces AAR

Thomas Brandstetter3 Comments

“Have you heard, sir? Porty ended up in the drink last night.” Lt. Sullivan said when he entered Lt.-Cdr. Reginald Meredith’s office with the customary tray of coffee and an assortement of sweet pastries from the local bakery. SNOVIS grabbed a sugary bun and shook his head. “Yes. I talked to him, he’s fine. Good for the character. Puts things into perspective for a young fellow.” “We lost three men, though. And we’re short one MGB,” Sullivan answered. SNOVIS took a sip of coffee and sighed. “Dastardly thing, I know. Shame.” He wolfed down the first bun, took another and looked at Sullivan. “That’s not what’s bothering me, though,” he said.

Sullivan carefully avoided Meredith’s gaze and asked cautiously: “Is there gossip among the officers, sir?” SNOVIS shook his head again: “It’s in the report. He didn’t even fire his torpedos. He knows.” He sighed again. “Archie’s been at it since, what, ’41?” Sullivan nodded. “Out night after night,” Meredith continued, “The ruckus of the dastardly engines alone is enough to drive a man bonkers. Not that I say Archie’s bonkers!” he hastened to add. “Of course not, sir. Maybe he just needs some time off,” Sullivan suggested. “Exactly my thoughts.” Meredith said.

“We need a new MGB, maybe you could send Archie to Ancona to get it, sir” Sullivan continued. “While he’s there, he can take a week or two off, visit Rome or whatever.”

“Splendid idea, old chap!” SNOVIS shouted, blowing sugary crumbs all over the desk, “Prepare the papers and tell Porty he’s in command while Archie is gone.” “Porty?” Sullivan looked up from cleaning the desk.

“Yes, after his bath, he’ll be eager to get back at the hun.” Meredith brandished his bun for emphasis. “We both know that the flotilla is very good, but they need someone to inspire them, and at the moment, that’s not Archie.” “No sir,” Sullivan answered, “but I’m sure Archie will be back and his old self again.” “Indeed, indeed,” Meredith answered while rummaging through his papers. Sullivan knew SNOVIS was already occupied with something else and that the topic was closed for now. Taking the tray, he left the office, thinking about how Archie would take the news.

So what happened that Archie is – at least temporarily – shoved out of the flotilla for some no doubt well-deserved R&R?

This was another convoy scenario and I wanted to try out my new rules for blinds and spotting. Archie split his force into two, two MGBs attacking the front of the convoy as a diversion while the two MTBs (Archie again in the American Elco) would sneak up from behind. The first part of the plan worked well, Porty’s and Read’s MGBs rushed in and in short time shot up an escorting S-boat.

However, Archie and Tilbury were spotted by the diligent and, as it turned out, extremely competent skipper of an R-boat. Illuminated by a starshell, they came under fire from the enemy. 

To top it all, the convoy turned out to be made up of two F-lighters, difficult targets for torpedos due to their shallow draft but well armed. Tilbury fired his torpedos but missed. Archie barreled through the convoy without firing his torpedos, identifying a puny I-lighter but unable to hit it with his guns.

The MGBs had sunk both S-boats and worked their way back to Archie’s position to deal with the pesky R-boat. However, a couple of well-aimed salvos hit Porty’s MGB, which rapidly began to sink.

To add insult to injury, it took the combined fire of both MTBs to sink the tiny I-lighter. Archie was now at the end of his tether and signaled to break off the action and rescue Porty and his crew (this was a blunder on the All at Sea table – the second loss of nerves for Archie during this campaign!). At least the combined fire of the remaining MGB as well as Tilbury’s MTB finally neutralized the S-boat. 

While Archie’s flotilla was occupyied fishing Porty and his men out of the water, the convoy vanished into the night. While the Germans had lost their escorts, the F-lighters were pretty much unharmed.

Quite a dramatic game! The blinds and spotting rules worked very well. Also, deploying the enemy from blinds is more exciting for a solo game than predetermining the enemy force composition. I drew chits with ships’ designations from two cups, one for escorts and one for transports, which resulted in a plausible convoy. I rolled extremely well for the R-boat, which really ruined Archie’s day – after the MGBs had rolled up the S-boats, they had a though time of it with the R-boat, and when they finally finished it off, Archie had lost his nerve and Porty was in the drink…

Archie pulls it off! 4th coastal forces AAR

Thomas Brandstetter6 Comments

On Wednesday, I had my mates Sigur and Virago over for my traditional birthday game (belated, as I was ill on my birthday). They agreed to try out my coastal forces modifications for Galleys & Galleons, so Archie went off on another adventure…

“Call your men, Lt.-Cdr. Wood, you are going out now!” Lt. Sullivan, SNOVIS’ chief of staff, came running down the pier to where the flotilla’s boats were moored. “Partisans have informed us that a German convoy is out, and it contains a big one.” he panted. “But you’ll need to hurry to catch it!”

So Archie went out in the American PT, as it had superior radar and could better serve as a command boat, together with two MTBs and one MGB to distract escorts. Thanks to the radar, they detected the convoy long before they were seen and placed themselves in an ambush position behind some small rocky islands. Archie decided to split his force into two divisions: the first, containing the two MTBs, would go after the tanker making up the tail of the convoy, while he himself and the MGB would go for the big freighter.

Carefully, the PT negotiated the rocks. Before him, Archie saw the silhouette of a large freighter. “That must be 8.000 tons,” he shouted, “let’s go!” Engines roared and the PT lurched forward, heading directly towards the target. The MGB followed closely, taking an escorting R-boat under fire. While every German was staring at Archie’s division, the MTBs slipped around behind to line up for a shot at the tanker.

When he was close enough, Archie fired two torpedos. A couple of seconds later a huge explosion could be seen. “We got him!” Archie realised how surprised he sounded. After the disappointment of two weeks ago, it felt good to be back in the game. But now the Germans woke up and muzzle flashes could be seen on all sides. 

Another explosion to Archie’s port showed him that the MTBs had been successful and hit the tanker. And the combined fire of the PT and the MGB had taken out an escorting R-boat. 

Archie was now in the zone and decided to go after the last freighter, which was slowly moving away into the night. Hoping that the MGB would follow, he turned hard to starport. Suddenly, a Vorpostenboot loomed out of the darkness and took him under fire. Despite taking considerable damage, he was unwilling to let go. Hoping that the MGB would deal with the pesky German, he continued to tail the freighter. However, because he had to manoeuvre around the escort, he couldn’t get into a good position for a torpedo shot. “Hard to port, cross his bows,” he shouted to his Coxswain, “we’ll throw a depth charge!” Fortunately, Porty in MGB655 seems to have realised what Archie was trying to do and started to make smoke to cover him from the Vorpostenboot. The Coxswain managed to pull off the dangerous manoeuvre, but the depth charge exploded a bit too far away from the freighter to hurt it. Realising that his boat had taken considerable damage, Archie decided to call it a night and slinked off into the darkness, followed by the MGB. The MTBs, not realising what had happened at the front of the convoy, had already disengaged after their successful torpedo run.

Back at base, SNOVIS himself welcomed them at the pier. “Well done, old chap!”, he beamed. The flotilla had now acquired the well-earned reputation of being the best unit at Vis.

Another great game. I’m especially happy that my mods work not only solo, but also with other players. Virago and Sigur pulled off a textbook ambush and attack (and were rewarded with great dice results when rolling for torpedo hits). Sigur almost bit off more than he could chew when he went after that last freighter, as Archie’s boat got hit badly by the escorts. But his clever manoeuvre of using the MGB to cover the PT by making smoke prevented the disaster that was already in the making (and you can imagine me, playing the Germans, getting increasingly nervous that Sigur would kill off the main character of the campaign). Thanks for the great, dramatic and fun game guys!