Rule Recommendation: U-boat actions?

[bishop2k7]

Hello there. I got an idea for a new wargaming project, and was hoping you guys could help me out...

I've been playing U-Boat Captain by Minden Games lately and having fun with that, but was wondering if there was a tabletop/miniature game equivalent? A WW2 naval ruleset with a focus on u-boat actions? Being able to play solo would be preferred, but not a deal breaker.

Ideally I'd like to use the U-Boat Captain's sighting generator to make a scenario and then play out the encounter on the tabletop.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Elbows]

I don't think there are many - simply because Uboat stuff really lends itself to a boardgame rather than a tabletop wargame.  Not saying you can't extrapolate a board game into a nice sexy lookin' game on the tabletop. 

[Admiral Hawke]

I agree with Elbows. I am not sure there is a great set of Second World War submarine miniature wargame rules.

I think the combination of hidden movement and trigonometry (for the torpedo angles) makes submarine warfare particularly suitable for computer games and perhaps also the least satisfying form of naval warfare for tabletop wargaming as, most of the time, there is simply a convoy plodding along on the surface.

On a related note, but at risk of unintentionally diverting your thread, I have read good things about Corvette Command, which is similar in concept to U-Boat Captain, but from the escort's perspective.

Let us know if you come across a great answer to your question.

[bishop2k7]

Thank you for your replies!

And yes, I believe I've found a suitable set of rules! I purchased General Quarters 3.3, and just from reading the rules, I believe it's exactly what I was looking for.

There is a whole chapter geared towards submarine and ASW. There are also rules for running large convoy attacks (single u-boat or wolf packs).

I particularly like that for the convoy attacks, all movement is converted to be relative to the convoy. This will save on the hassle of moving a large number of convoy ships every turn, and should make the action very playable on my 8x4 game table with minimal fuss.

Additionally I think these rules will work great solo, as the convoy and escorts must act in a prescribed manner until either the u-boat is detected or a torpedo strike. Even then, their actions would be very straight forward as they try to detect and eliminate the attacking u-boat.

Compared to a full game of GQ3.3, these actions would be fairly quick and minimal, but in the context of a campaign generated by U-Boat Captain I think these actions could be very tense and satisfying to play out. At the very least they would be an upgrade over just rolling on the charts provided by U-Boat Captain.

So my enthusiasm for this project is very high, and have been looking at various ship models. Currently thinking the 1:2400 miniatures from GHQ Models is the way I will go.

[Admiral Hawke]

Ah, I didn't think about General Quarters 3. (I didn't get on with General Quarters 1 & 2, which put me off buying General Quarters 3).

Moving the submarines and escorts relative to the convoy is sensible.

GHQ's 1/2400 miniatures are lovely, and most of the ships you might want are available, like the Flower-class corvettes and V&W-class destroyers. A large Atlantic convoy of GHQ ships will set you back a bit though. There is a growing range of 3D printed models (e.g. on Shapeways), which could be a cheaper option for your merchantmen if budget is a concern for you. They really vary in quality from superb to crude and overpriced.

I use 1/3000, mostly because that's the scale I started with (and slightly more fits on the table).

Keep us posted on your progress.

[Wirelizard]

Also following with interest, as another of the relatively few naval gamers here on LAF!

I've actually got a quartet of 1/1200 surfaced Uboats, picked up mostly for the heck of it because they were an inexpensive addition to an order of 1/1200 ships I was already making from Antics UK, so could even do some sort of Uboat vs convoy action in 1/1200. There were several Uboat vs coastal forces encounters at various times, especially in the Med, which is nominally why I added them to my fleets, but more opportunities to get the toys on the table is not a bad thing.

I pulled down Corvette Command from DriveThruRPG a while ago but haven't really looked at it properly, clearly need to fix that.

[robh]

We play submarine vs convoy games with Grey Wolves at Dusk, in 1/3000.

http://www.wargamevault.com/product/244487/Grey-Wolves-at-Dusk

Relatively simple rule set that revolves around using extra dummy submarine models and movement relative to the convoy which remains "stationary" on the table. Works very well to give a suitably tense game. Has different spotting and ASW options depending on the phase of the war.

[Etranger]

Mal Wright's Convoy series is intended for U boat vs convoy actions. https://www.clashofarms.com/Convoy.html

I'm biased, being a play tester, but they work for us.