Victory at Sea
Victory at Sea Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Sea Areas
- To simulate the war on a global level it will be necessary for the game to include all of the areas where large fleets were deployed—which means that the Caribbean and the supply line around the Cape of Good Hope have to be added to the combined game. These two new sea areas will be added to the War at Sea game, WAS combat, movement, etc. applying.
1.1 Caribbean: Borders North Atlantic and South Atlantic, and the ports United States and Neutral. Although the sea area is part of the WAS game, its POC count in the VITP game: 1 POC to the Allies in VITP, or 3 POC to the Japanese. The Allied air strike may be placed in the Caribbean. Only United States, British, French, and, starting turn 3, German ships (and U-Boats) are allowed in the Caribbean—no Japanese nor Italians, and no Germans on turns 1 or 2.
1.2 Cape of Good Hope: Borders South Atlantic in War at Sea and Bay of Bengal in Victory in the Pacific, and the Neutral port. It is worth 3 POC to the Germans in War at Sea, and nothing to the Allies in either game. No land-based airstrikes can be placed here; only British, Italian, French, German and Japanese ships (including the I-Boat) are allowed in this sea area.
1.3 Bay of Bengal: Remains unchanged, except it counts as 1 POC for the British in WAS, not in VITP—Allied control yields the British 1 POC in WAS, Axis control yields the Japanese 2 POC in VITP. The British start getting this POC on turn 1, even before the VITP game starts, if they control the sea area.
New Units
- Since the game is meant to simulate the clash of the great navies, all of the world's major combat ships should be included in the game, including those ships that spent the war guarding the two new sea areas.
2.1 Some new ships have been added to the combined game. Counters for these ships can be found in the insert in this magazine; the time and place of appearance of each ship is given in the Victory at Sea order of appearance chart in this article. The new French ships are treated like British ships and are controlled by the British player.
2.2 In addition, some new types of units have been added to the combined game, to reflect important aspects of the world-wide struggle.
2.21 Surface raiders were German merchant raiders disguised as peaceful merchant ships; they made life very unpleasant for British shipping in the Southern Hemisphere early in the war.
2.211 The three German surface raiders are available on turn 1; instead of moving normally that turn, they may be placed in any sea area(s) in War at Sea, or in the Bay of Bengal.
2.212 After that, the surface raiders return to port and move like other German ships.
2.213 Surface raiders cannot attack at all, and they cannot be attacked by gunnery or airstrike attacks. Instead, they are attacked by ASW attacks—in effect, they are lumped in with any U-Boats in the same area(s) and are attacked by the ASW attacks against the U-Boats. The surface raiders take the first casualties, however—the U-Boats take no hits until all the surface raiders in that area have been sunk, and the U-Boats are not disabled until all the surface raiders have been disabled.
2.214 If a surface raider remains at sea in an area after ASW attacks are finished, it cannot be attacked again that turn—and the Allies cannot control that sea area that turn (surface raiders break control just like U-Boats). In addition, if there are no Allied surface ships in that sea area at the end of the turn, the surface raider controls that sea area (surface raiders count for control like surface ships, if they are unopposed).
2.22 The Italian Frogmen counter represents the Italian frogmen who crippled the British Mediterranean fleet late in 1941.
2.221 The Frogmen counter joins the Italian forces on turn 3, but it can be used only once per game—once used, it is removed from play. If not used, the Frogmen counter rolls to change sides on turn 8 just like other Italian counters.
2.222 The Frogmen counter attacks like an additional airstrike, attacking three targets (that are not being attacked by another airstrike).
2.223 The Frogmen can be used only in the Mediterranean, against Malta, or against Italy.
2.3 For the rest of the units, use all the counters in VITP and WAS combined; if a ship appears in both games, use the counter from VITP and discard the WAS counter (so the Washington is a 5-6-5). WAS ships should have their values printed on the back of their counters, so they can be inverted as "raiders" in VITP.
2.31 The time and place of appearance of some of these ships has been changed. The new times and places of arrival are listed on the Victory at Sea order of appearance chart.
2.32 Ships and units that are not listed on this chart are assumed to appear at the normal times listed in either WAS (for British and other WAS navies) or VITP (for United States and other VITP navies). However, British ships can be placed in either England or Ceylon on the turn they appear, and United States ships can appear in either United States or Pearl Harbor on their turns of arrival. Note that British ships appear on the turns indicated in WAS, except for the changes listed on the chart.
2.33 Use the WAS time track to keep track of British, German, Italian, French and Russian reinforcements, and use the VITP charts to keep track of United States, Dutch, Australian and Japanese reinforcements.
Linking the Two Games
- War at Sea and Victory in the Pacific will be played as two separate games, requiring four players: one player controls the Japanese ships and units, one controls the German and Italian ships and units, one controls the United States ships and units, and one controls all the other Allied ships and units. Notice that a player controls his nation's ships regardless of which game those ships are in; of course, the players can loan ships back and forth from game to game so that one player is controlling all of his side's ships in a game, but the player who runs the nation still has final authority about how his nation's ships move.
3.1 Victory Conditions: To win Victory at Sea, the Allies must win or tie both games. The Axis wins the overall game if they win either game.
3.2 Sequence of Play: Both games will be played simultaneously. The first two turns of War at Sea will be played before the start of Victory in the Pacific; thereafter the two games will be played simultaneously, with turn 1 of VITP being played at the same time as turn 3 of WAS, turn 2 of VITP at the same time as turn 4 of WAS, and so on. So that both games will end on the same turn, two turns are added to the end of War at Sea, so War at Sea becomes a 10-turn game. For simplicity's sake the War at Sea turn numbering system will be used to identify turns in the combined game—so VITP starts on turn 3.
3.21 All Japanese, United States, Australian and Dutch ships and units are set up normally for the start of a game of Victory in the Pacific; all other United States ships listed on the Victory at Sea appearance chart for turn 3 of the combined game are placed in the Caribbean. All of these ships must remain where they are, inactive, until the VITP game starts on turn 3. All sea areas remain controlled by the side that controls at the start of VITP—except Bay of Bengal and (see 3.231) Indonesia.
3.22 The British player then sets up all British ships available on turn 1 in any available ports in WAS or VITP: England, Malta, Neutral Country, Ceylon or Singapore, and makes his first move. The German player then sets up his surface raiders in any sea area in WAS, sets up his other ships in Germany, and the players proceed to play the first two turns of War at Sea. (Both sides' ships can move into the Cape of Good Hope and to and from the VITP board as explained below, but Axis ships may not move into the Caribbean during turns 1 and 2.) British ships cannot enter Japanese-controlled areas until the game of VITP begins.
3.23 On turn 3 the Victory in the Pacific game begins. The following special rules apply:
3.231 The British must have two patrolling battleships (3-3-6 or better) in Indonesia when the Japanese ships on "raid" start to move, or the Allied control in Indonesia is immediately removed, allowing Japanese raiders to pass through Indonesia and enter Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
3.232 The British do not move for turn 3 in War at Sea until after the "Location Uncertain" groups are rolled for (after the Pearl Harbor strike) in VITP. All groups that do not appear in Central Pacific or Hawaiian Islands are placed in the Caribbean. Then:
3.233 The British player rolls once for each ship in the Caribbean. On a roll of "6" that ship is placed in the North Atlantic sea area (doing "neutrality patrols" when the war breaks out), and otherwise that ship remains at sea in the Caribbean. Then the players proceed to finish turn 3 in the two games normally.
3.24 Except as noted above, once VITP starts the two games should be played simultaneously, turn by turn, with WAS movement treated as "patrolling" and with the Japanese moving first, the Allies next and the Germans and Italians last. Specifically; the turn sequence is:
3.241 Japanese move their patrolling ships, then Allies, then Germans and Italians; this includes ships moving to, from or between War at Sea sea areas (including the two new sea areas). Repairs are done.
3.242 Air strikes are placed in the two games, according to the rules for those games.
3.243 In Victory in the Pacific, the Japanese player moves all his marine units and then the United States player moves all his marine units. These may not enter the WAS game.
3.244 The Japanese player moves his "raiding" ships, then the Allies move their "raiding" ships, and finally the Germans move any "raiding" ships they have in the VITP game. "Raiding" ships are not allowed in War at Sea—they may not enter, leave nor move between War at Sea sea areas.
3.245 The Japanese player places any submarines, then the Allies, then the Germans, subject to the placement limitations explained in section 3.4. below. This completes movement; combat is resolved in the games separately.
3.246 Ships and units still at sea at the end of the turn may return to port, including returning to ports in the other game, subject to the limitations explained below, in section 3.3.
3.3 Ship Transfer: Ships may move between the games either between turns or during movement during the turns. Ships from one game are limited as to where they can go in the other game, however.
3.3 If the Japanese are ahead in POC in VITP, then Japanese ships and the I-Boat may be placed in Neutral Country and Cape of Good Hope, but not in any other WAS ports or sea areas. If the Axis is ahead in POC in WAS, then German ships are allowed in Ceylon (if friendly) or Bay of Bengal, but no more than one U-Boat may be in Bay of Bengal in a turn. No other VITP sea areas or ports may be entered, and the Italians may not enter the VITP board at all.
3.42 Russian ships must remain in the Baltic, and Dutch and Australian ships may not leave the VITP board. British, French and United States ships are allowed in both games, but are restricted as to the ports they are allowed to use.
3.421 The United States is the only port that United States ships can use in War at Sea; they can enter no other ports in that game. In VITP, United States ships may not base at Ceylon.
3.422 The British and French can use any Allied or neutral port in War at Sea; they are subject to the normal limitations in VITP, except that there may be one British or French ship based at Pearl Harbor (if friendly) each turn (this is in place of the Victorious in the regular game).
3.323 Marine units, VITP air units and the F-Boat may not be placed in any War at Sea sea area; WAS air strikes may not be placed in VITP, and only one U-Boat per turn can be in VITP, in Bay of Bengal.
3.33 Ships that are still at sea in certain areas at the end of the turn can transfer to the other game by returning to certain ports in that other game. Only ships that are at sea at the end of the turn can use this rule; however, ships that return to port earlier, either because they failed their speed rolls, were disabled in combat or retreated from combat, cannot change games.
3.331 Ships at sea in the Cape of Good Hope can return to Ceylon, if it is friendly. In addition, British or French ships at sea in Mediterranean can return to Ceylon (via the Suez Canal, of course).
3.332 Ships at sea in Bay of Bengal may return to Neutral Country. In addition, British or French ships at sea in Bay of Bengal can return to Malta (again, the Suez).
3.333 United States and British ships at sea in the North Pacific or Hawaiian Islands can return to the United States (via the Panama Canal, of course).
3.334 United States and British ships in the North Atlantic or Caribbean sea areas can return to Pearl Harbor, subject to the limit of one British or French ship basing there per turn; if Pearl Harbor is controlled by the Japanese, United States ships can return to Samoa but British and French ships cannot.
3.34 Ships can move from game to game if they move when "patrolling" ships are being moved.
3.341 Ships in Neutral Country may move through Cape of Good Hope (if not enemy-controlled) and enter Bay of Bengal as "patrolling" ships. If they fail their speed rolls, they are inverted, becoming "raiders." Similarly, British or French ships in Malta may move through Mediterranean (if not Axis-controlled) into Bay of Bengal, making speed rolls.
3.342 Japanese, German, French and British ships in Ceylon may move through Bay of Bengal (if uncontrolled by the enemy) and enter Cape of Good Hope; if they fail their speed rolls, they must return to Neutral Country immediately. Similarly, British or French ships in Ceylon may move to Mediterranean, returning to Malta if they fail their speed roll.
3.343 No other movement of ships from game to game is allowed. Notice that ships moving between games move while "patrolling" ships are being moved in VITP, and that they must make speed rolls since they are moving two sea areas; ships moving into WAS return to port if they fail their speed rolls, while ships moving onto VITP become raiders.
3.35 The I-Boat and the one U-Boat can be placed in the Bay of Bengal or Cape of Good Hope when submarines are placed.
3.36 Important: Whenever the Japanese are not ahead in POC in VITP, Japanese ships and the I-Boat are not allowed in WAS sea areas; Japanese ships already in WAS sea areas are automatically placed in Bay of Bengal as raiders at the start of the next turn, regardless of who controls what sea areas. Similarly, German ships and U-Boats are not allowed in VITP if Germany is not ahead in WAS; German ships in VITP are automatically placed in Cape of Good Hope at the start of the next turn, without making speed rolls.
Rules Changes
- Rules Changes:
4.1 The method of combat resolution depends on which game the ships and units are in, but ships—and airstrikes—that have the attack bonus in one game also have it in the other game.
4.11 In WAS air strikes attack once per turn, after ASW combat but before normal combat. A target can be attacked by no more than one airstrike factor per turn (a frogman attack counts as an airstrike for this purpose). United States carriers have full ASW (3 rolls). The I-Boat cannot be attacked by ASW; the F-Boat is not allowed in WAS.
4.12 In VITP air strikes attack repeatedly, once per "day action," and can be attacked. All of an airstrike's factors must attack en masse against the same target each time the airstrike attacks; gunnery factors attack only during "night actions." U-Boats in VITP are attacked by ASW in the same way they are attacked in WAS, before the U-Boats attack (and the U-Boats do not get the attack bonus); surviving U-Boats do break control in that sea area.
4.2 The Italian cruisers are allowed only in North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Cape of Good Hope, Mediterranean, Italy, France or Neutral Country.
4.3 United States ships in the United States roll for placement on turn 3 only (roll a 6, place the ship in North Atlantic, any other roll place in Caribbean); from turn 4 on all ships in the United States are always free to move. United States ships in WAS must ALWAYS return to the United States, however—they may not base in any other WAS ports. Within this restriction they may move freely—they can enter North Atlantic or Caribbean, and, with a speed roll, Barents Sea, North Sea, and South Atlantic.
4.4 Important: If the German player gets U-Boat reinforcements when his U-Boat fleet is already at full strength, he may defer taking the reinforcements until he needs them—in other words, he may "save up" U-Boat reinforcements he gets when he is at full strength.
And As an Added Bonus (Optional)
5.1 Sections 1-4 above define Victory at Sea, based on the assumption that Japan will attack on December 7, 1941. This is a good assumption, but it is also interesting to examine the possibilities inherent in an earlier—or later—Japanese attack. This section allows the players to recreate this possibility, if they wish . . .
5.2 The Situation on Turn 1 . . . The Japanese and United States players set up their starting forces (except the British ships, which are under the control of the British player in WAS) normally, and then remove the ships and units that are listed as arriving on turns 2 and 3 on the Victory at Sea chart; these units are not available on turn 1.
5.3 The reinforcements listed on the Victory at Sea chart are placed at the start of each turn, and are available to be used that turn. They must be placed in the areas indicated, until the Japanese player attacks.
5.4 Port, base and sea area control counters are set up normally for a game of VITP, except that Saigon is Allied-controlled at the start of the game.
5.5 From the start of turn 1, all Japanese, United States, Australian and Dutch ships and units can move normally, except:
5.51 If the Japanese have not yet attacked at the end of the turn, then each nation's ships must return to certain ports:
5.511 Australian ships must return to Australia.
5.512 The Dutch ship must return to Singapore.
5.513 United States ships at sea must return to Samoa or Pearl Harbor.
5.514 Japanese ships and units must return to Yokosuka Navy Yard, Truk or (if friendly) Saigon.
5.52 If the Japanese have not yet attacked, no Japanese units may enter sea areas controlled by the Allies and no Allied (including British) units can enter sea areas controlled by the Japanese.
5.53 If the Japanese have not yet attacked, certain units cannot be moved at all.
5.531 The United States ships and units listed as starting in Pearl Harbor cannot move.
5.532 The Houston, in the Philippines, cannot move.
5.533 The Japanese I-Boat cannot move.
5.534 The "Location Uncertain" groups remain off the board, unusable, until the fighting begins.
5.535 The United States air units must remain in the areas listed for them.
5.54 United States ships that transfer to the Pacific from the Caribbean must join the Pearl Harbor group, and thus cannot move (and are subject to the surprise attack).
5.6 The game proceeds normally, turn to turn, before the fighting starts.
5.61 Sea areas are controlled normally, and POC is awarded normally. To make up for the POC that the Allies should gain (and to reflect the deteriorating Japanese position once the Allies froze all Japanese assets), the Japanese start the game 8 POC ahead on turn 1.
5.62 No combat takes place. "Raiding" ships have no effect on a sea area—they do not hinder enemy "patrolling" ships from controlling sea areas.
5.63 Ports and bases are not affected by being surrounded by enemy sea areas; the two-turn capture rule does not begin until the turn fighting starts.
5.64 Special: Saigon becomes a Japanese port at the end of turn 2.
5.7 Starting the Game:
5.71 At the time he is moving air units, (i.e., after all patrolling ships have moved) the Japanese player announces whether he is attacking that turn. After he announces that he is attacking, he may move his units (that have not yet moved) into Allied-controlled sea areas.
5.72 The units making a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor must be "raiders" in Yokosuka Navy Yard; these units are placed in the Hawaiian Islands at the same time that Japanese air units are moving.
5.73 The surprise attacks are executed immediately (i.e., before normal "raiders" get to move).
5.731 The Japanese do NOT get a "surprise" air raid against Pearl Harbor if they had any ships or units based in Truk at the beginning of that turn.
5.732 The Japanese do NOT get a surprise attack against Indonesia if they had any ships or units based at Saigon at the beginning of that turn.
5.7333 Only the surprise attacks themselves, with no enemy return fire, are executed at this time. Subsequent rounds of combat are left for the normal resolution of combat at the end of the turn.
5.734 If the Japanese player loses a surprise attack, then he just loses that surprise attack—the units can remain in position to make normal attacks during normal combat.
5.735 As soon as the surprise attacks have been executed, the Japanese player announces whether his Pearl Harbor special raiding force is staying for normal combat. Then the Allied survivors in Pearl Harbor may put to sea, and the United States player rolls for his "Location Uncertain" groups, placing them down as "patrollers."
5.736 Important: The Allies immediately lose control of any sea area in which they do not have a ship or unit when the Japanese have finished their surprise attacks. Japanese "raiders" can then move through these sea areas. (This replaces rule 3.231, above.)
5.74 After the surprise attacks have been resolved, the players finish moving their marine units and "raiding" ships still in port, and the I-Boat.
5.75 Any remaining combat in the Hawaiian Islands must be resolved first.
5.751 The United States player announces whether his forces in Hawaiian Islands are running or fighting and the I-Boat attacks, as normal.
5.752 After two rounds of normal combat, the Japanese special striking force must retreat, which means that if the special force is present, the Japanese must retreat all their units, including any ships that were normal "raiders."
5.76 Then the combats in the rest of the board are resolved normally, and the game proceeds from there.
Victory at Sea Order of Appearance Chart
British, German, Italian and Russian ships not listed below appear on the turns listed on the WAS time track.
United States, Dutch, Australian and Japanese ships and units not listed below appear on the turns listed on the VITP charts. The "starting forces" listed in VITP are assumed to be available and placed at the start of turn 1 in WAS, turn 1 of the combined game—two turns before the normal start of VITP.
Ship names in italics indicate new units/ships.
| Turn (WAS) | No. (VITP) | Britain/France | United States | Axis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | (-1) | Berwick, York, Argus, Furious, Cornwall, Shropshire, Hermes (in England, Malta, Neutral, Ceylon and Singapore) | New York, Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Mississippi, Arkansas, Ranger, Wichita, Tuscaloosa, Augusta (all in Caribbean) | Orion, Pinguin, Atlantis |
| 2 | (0) | — | Wasp (in Caribbean)*; 7 A.F. (in Pearl H.)** | Shokaku (at Yokosuka Navy Yard); 24 AirFlot |
| 3 | (1) | London (in England or Ceylon) | Hornet (in Group Z)*; Washington (in Caribbean)*; 5 A.F. (in Indonesia)** | Zuikaku (at Yokosuka Navy Yard); Zuiho (at Yokosuka Navy Yard); 25, 26 AirFlot; Italian Frogmen |
| 4 | (2) | Indomitable in Ceylon or England | — | — |
British starting forces not listed above can start in England, Malta, Neutral, Ceylon or Singapore. British reinforcements not listed above appear in England or Ceylon. United States starting forces (and other VITP Allied units) not listed above start turn 1 in the locations specified on the ALLIED STARTING FORCES chart on the back of the VITP rulebook. United States reinforcements not listed above appear in the United States or Pearl Harbor.
Japanese starting forces not listed above start on turn 1 in the locations specified on the JAPANESE ORDER OF APPEARANCE card in VITP.
* If VITP war has already begun, may appear in Pearl Harbor or United States.
** If VITP war has already begun, place like normal air unit.