Micronauts - Queries on the rules

[TAMMY]

I have started playing naval games this year with my group.

We have just started (two battles only) but we have a few queries on the rules:

1) Ship stand size. The big ship should have a base length between 5" and 7". How this match with the "out of formation rule" for which ships of a squadron have to keep within 5 kyds (5" in standard scale)? Two or more BB's in line are automatically out of formation?

2) Turning template. It is necessaary to cut the template and separate the four arcs? Or are they just for segment reference and you always move along the ouside arc?

3) Arcs of fire. The template has to be put alongside the model ship or along its stand?

4) Line of Sight. The line of sight is blocked by the ship base or by the model ship only?

5) Fleet flagshi not in lead. Has thiis modifier be applied both to squadron flagship and fleet flagship? I mean, if the fleet flagship is sunk, all the squadrons have a +2 modifier and the squadron of the fleet flagship applies it twice (for squadron and for rleet) ore once only.

6) Multiple damages. If you have more than one damage of the same type (fire, flooding, engine) the dice roll has to be made once for each damage (three fires = three rolls) or one for type of damage (three fires = one rolla))

Thanks in adavance for any clarifications

[ACWBill]

I have started playing naval games this year with my group.

We have just started (two battles only) but we have a few queries on the rules:

I shall attempt to answer this to the best of my ability.


1) Ship stand size. The big ship should have a base length between 5" and 7". How this match with the "out of formation rule" for which ships of a squadron have to keep within 5 kyds (5" in standard scale)? Two or more BB's in line are automatically out of formation?

2) Turning template. It is necessaary to cut the template and separate the four arcs? Or are they just for segment reference and you always move along the ouside arc?

3) Arcs of fire. The template has to be put alongside the model ship or along its stand?

4) Line of Sight. The line of sight is blocked by the ship base or by the model ship only?

5) Fleet flagshi not in lead. Has thiis modifier be applied both to squadron flagship and fleet flagship? I mean, if the fleet flagship is sunk, all the squadrons have a +2 modifier and the squadron of the fleet flagship applies it twice (for squadron and for rleet) ore once only.

6) Multiple damages. If you have more than one damage of the same type (fire, flooding, engine) the dice roll has to be made once for each damage (three fires = three rolls) or one for type of damage (three fires = one rolla))

Thanks in adavance for any clarifications

1.) The distance is measured from one ship (or base) to the next. Therefore, the ships must remain with 5" of the ship in front of them. Otherwise, this would be physically impossible.

2.) Place the ship (or base) over the appropriate template band and then move . If a CA for instance, use that band to measure the distance by placing the model or base over top and then moving. That way, you need not separate the bands.

3.) They are meant to be put next to the model as not all gamers use bases.

4.) Model only.

5.) I need to look this one up. I cannot recall.

6.) Each result yields a separate damage, which must be rolled off individually. In other words if you have two fires, you roll for each.

[TAMMY]

Thanks for the details ACWBill

The query 1) was raised because we measured the distance between one ship and the next bridge to bridge and not model to model. It comes from the first scenario played: "Denmark Strait"

Quesry 5) is relevant to modifier to cohesion "Flagship not in lead" and is a undirect consequence of Exeter sinking in our second battle: "The River Plate"

[ed*b]

I'm not familiar with the GHQ rules, but presumably the "fleet flagship" would be the ship with the senior officer. Harwood was on Ajax, not Exeter, for the Graf Spee action.

[TAMMY]

We played the scenario as per book and there "Exeter" is indicated as fleet flagship.

In the scenario there are other differences with the historical situation, that is:

1) Royal Navy initial bearibg: 135 degrees instead of the actual 40 delgree.
2) Initial range: 10 kyd while Graf Spee opened fire at around 20 kyd (10 miiles)

[ed*b]

I am at a bit of a loss to see what point in the battle the GHQ scenario covers. The range didn't get down to 11 Kyds until about an hour into the action, and that well after the Exeter had broken off. As you mention, the initial British course was 040, and once the Graf Spee was spotted the Exeter turned west and the Ajax and Achilles north.

The Graf Spee demo scenario PDF on the Supremacy at Sea website includes a track of the action with timing and ranges. You could use the initial set up instructions in that scenario to position the ships historically at the start of the action. As the Exeter was detached to operate separately according to the Commodore's instructions, I would make the Ajax the fleet flagship.

[TAMMY]

My orignal query was not relevant to the historicals aspects of the Mar del Plata scenario but to the effects of a flagship in the game.

Our organization was HMS Exeter: individual ship and fleet flagship
HMS Ajax & HMNZS Achilles as a squadron with Ajax as flagship

The rules have a modifier "Flagship not in lead" which we applied to the squadron when the Exeter was sunk. We decided in this way because otherwise the fleet flagship seems to have no other function that the initiative roll.
At this point someone rised this question: "In case that the sunken ship was both flagship of the fleet and flagship of a squadron this penalty has to be applied twice to his squadron and once to the other sqaudrons of the fleet (if any)?