The Naval Way of War Pack
Three ziplock back issues for a great price!
Each game in the Naval Way of War package provides insight into key moments that changed history and alternative approaches. There Must Be a Victory lets you play just the decisive battle or the entire campaign. Arctic Disaster lets you explore the many alternative viewpoints on what went wrong. And Paukenschlag includes variants for a more significant German effort and the long-ranged bomber campaign that never happened. Plus magazine articles that make the games come alive and provide good starting points for further study.
What a great way to introduce yourself (or a friend) to ATO games, or catch up on back issues you've been meaning to get. A price like this is almost "buy 2, get one free." Don't miss it!
Arctic Disaster
In the hardest fought Arctic convoy battle of the war, Convoy PQ-17 was largely destroyed by German air and naval forces in July 1942. Arctic Disaster, by designer Mark Stille, examines this pivotal battle and what went wrong (for both sides)!
Arctic Disaster features individual counters for every ship and submarine, while the Luftwaffe is represented by 9-12 aircraft groups. Surface to air combat, surface combat, and anti-submarine combat is modeled with a clean system steering the players clear of an elaborate combat resolution process - permitting quick play and multiple game iterations. Detection is also handled in a manner so as not to overwhelm other game functions.
Arctic Disaster and issue #47 of ATO:
Map - One full color 22" x 34" mapsheet.
Counters - 280 full color die-cut pieces
Rules length - 16 pages
Charts and tables - 2 pages
Complexity - Medium
Playing time - 12 to 15 hours
How challenging is it solitaire? - Poor
Design - Mark E. Stille
Development - Lembit Tohver
Graphics - Mark Mahaffey
There Must Be a Victory
Sailing ships with broadsides - the last vestige of "wooden ships and iron men."
They mingle in a fleet action with iron-plated steamships, speedy armored rams, and a few ships with armored turrets.
Mobile Bay? Charleston?
No, it's the Adriatic, in a short and violent naval war between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Yes, you heard right. Finally, you'll have a chance to see the Austro-Hungarian navy in action. Historically, they did very well. How will you do?
The "Seven Weeks War" of 1866 is also known as the Third Italian Independence War. The Italians want Venice. The Austrians have it. But the Italians are allied with up-and-coming Prussia, and the Austrians have a hard time on land. On the Adriatic, the Austo-Hungarian fleet is outnumbered and outgunned, more to 2-1 in both categories. But they have aggressive commanders and a willingness to "Ram anything painted grey!" That was the signal from the Austro-Hungarian flagship (the Italians would be the folks with gray ships). The same signal included the sentence, "There must be a victory at Lissa."
There Must Be a Victory and issue #26 of ATO
Maps - One 22"x34" tactical map and one 11" x 17" full color fleet operations map
Counters - Over 200 full color 1/2", 5/8" and 1" x 1/2" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 12 pages
Charts and tables - 2 pages
Complexity - Medium
Solitaire suitability - Average
Playing time - Up to 6 hours
Design - Paul Rohrbaugh
Development - Lembit Tohver
Graphic Design - Craig Grando
Paukenschlag
In early 1942 off the US seacoasts, it was sort of like "Pearl Harbor" all over again, but worse. Twice as many allied deaths, 400 ships lost, while the authorities resisted both the proven convoy system and the common-sense approach of simply turning the lights out on coastal cities. It could have been much worse. The Kriegsmarine started Operation Drumroll with just FIVE submarines and were navigating with US tourist guide books. But, with cities alight, US destroyers sitting in port, and merchant ships sailing with navigation lights burning, the Germans called it, "The Second Happy Time."
Paukenschlag ("Operation Drumroll") covers Germany's attack on America, from January to June 1942, using the historical U-boat capabilities and optionally, adding the German long-range bombers which could have taken part. The game board is based on the sea maps the U-Boat commanders actually used themselves, covering the East Coast, Gulf, and Caribbean. Key elements like radar, "Huffduff," German "Milkcows," and a US carrier task force are included.
Paukenschlag and issue #22 of ATO
Map - One full color 22"x34" mapsheet
Counters - 280 full color 1/2" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 12 pages
Charts and tables - 4 pages
Complexity - Medium
Solitaire suitability - Low
Playing time - Up to 6 hours
Designer - Perry Moore
Development - Paul Rohrbaugh
Graphic Design - Craig Grando
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