Schiffskrieg!

(for use with Totaler Krieg! and Dai Senso!)

Last Revised: 18 April 201012 July 2010
(changes tracked from the 27 December 200926 May 2010 ruleset)

by Darren Kilfara
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Rules Booklet Introduction

Game Components

Definitions

Counters

Order of Battle Changes

Overview

Support Unit Interaction Sequence of Play

Delay Box Guidelines

Core Game Mechanics

1. Forces

1.1 Surface Fleets

1.2 CV Fleets

1.3 Submarine Fleets

1.4 Air Support Units

1.5 Nationality Requirements

1.6LBA Range Restrictions

2. Air Groups and Task Groups

2.1 AG and TG Markers

2.2 AGs/TGs and Force Composition

2.3 AG/TG Placement and Relocation

3. Support Unit Placement Procedure

3.1 After Placement of an Air Unit or Submarine Fleet

3.2 After Placement of a Surface Fleet or CV Fleet

4. Air & Naval Combat

4.1 Day and Night Actions

4.2 Combat Procedure

4.3 Combat Results

4.4 X-boat Attacks

4.5 Retreats and Pursuit

5. Support Unit Resolution

5.1 Possible Outcomes

5.2 Placement/Repulsion Requirements

6. Delay Procedure

7. Reinforcements

7.1 Western Allied Ship Withdrawals and Recalls

7.2 Delayed American Entry

Special Rules

8. The Battle of the Atlantic

8.1 Patrols

8.2 Goods Convoys

8.3 Patrol Combat Procedure

8.4 Submarine Fleets

9. X-boats

10. BaseAttacks

10.1 Procedure

10.2 Air Raids

10.3Failed Base Attacks

10.4Japanese "Z Actions"

11. Additional "Look Up" Rules

11.1 Kamikazes

11.2 Permanent Conditional Event: Ship Defection

11.3Kriegsmarine Z-Plan

11.4 The Russian Navy

11.5 Home Defense Fleets

11.6 Allied Deployment Restrictions

11.7 Permanent Conditional Event: Shipyard Capture

Optional Rules

12. Naval Construction

12.1 Naval Construction Points (NCPs)

12.2 ConstructionProcedure

Rules Booklet Introduction

Schiffskrieg! is an add-on module to be used in conjunction with Totaler Krieg and/or Dai Senso and is not a standalone product in its own right. Inspired by two classic Avalon Hill wargames – War at Sea and Victory in the Pacific – its purpose is to add greater detail and realism to the Air & Naval Segment of the game by introducing counters for individual ships and air units which take part in combat as part of the existing support unit system. It also adds an added layer of complexity to the game, so players who are new to the Totaler Krieg and Dai Senso systems are strongly encouraged to play without this module until they are comfortable with the published support unit system in its own right.

Note that these rules are strictly optional. All players should agree to the use of this module before incorporating its rules into a game of Totaler Krieg and/or Dai Senso.

When using this module, all standard Totaler Krieg and Dai Senso rules apply unless specifically contradicted herein.

Game Components

Schiffskrieg! includes this Rules Book, XX die-cut playing pieces, XXXXXXXX.

Definitions

Support Units are the existing Air Support, Interceptor, Strategic Bomber, Surface Fleet, CV Fleet and Submarine counters in the standard Totaler Krieg/Dai Senso game.

Ships are the individual ship counters provided in this module, which can be subdivided into five Ship Classes:

  1. Battleships (BB)
  2. Battlecruisers (BC)
  3. Cruisers (CA)
  4. Aircraft Carriers (CV)
  5. Light Aircraft Carriers (CVL)

BBs, BCs and CAs will sometimes be collectively referred to as surface ships, while CVs and CVLs may be referred to as carriers.

Individual submarine counters will be referred to as X-boats (or “U-boats” for Germany, “I-boats” for Japan, and “F-boats” for the US) to distinguish them from Submarine Fleet support units.

Land-Based Air units(henceforth abbreviated as LBA units) are the individual air unit counters provided in this module.

A Force is the collection of Ships or LBA units which is used to constitute a support unit. Forces can be classified into one of two categories:

  • A Task Force is a collection of Ships used to represent a Naval support unit (Surface Fleets, CV Fleets and Submarines).
  • An Air Force is a collection of LBA units used to represent an Air support unit (Air Support units, Interceptors and Strategic Bombers).

Counters:

Surface ship example:

Carrier example (Gunnery and Defensefactors and Speed are the same; note that this ship is also on its reverse side, with the yellow box around the counter and the yellow “D” both denoting that it is damaged):

LBA units and X-boats are similar to the above in most respects:

Gunnery and Airstrike Factors with squares around them indicate a ship or F-boat with the attack bonus. For an explanation of how the attack bonus works, see SK rule 4.2.2.

  • Note that two types of attack bonuses – the Gunnery factors of German surface ships and the Airstrike factors of Japanese aircraft carriers – are printed on a blue background instead of a white background to indicate that they are conditional. Squared German Gunnery factors only receive the attack bonus if the “Z-Plan Upgrades” marker is in the ETO Strategic Warfare Box (see SK rule 11.3), while squared Japanese Airstrike factors only receive the attack bonus if the Japanese Materiel Shortages marker is not in the PTO Strategic Warfare Box.

Order of Battle Changes

When using the Schiffskrieg!module, several minor adjustments are made to the various Option Cards and orders of battle:

  • The German player receives a new “Kriegsmarine” Surface Fleet support unit which is not associated with Axis Option Card #47(Production Directive: Kriegsmarine Z-Plan) – it is instead placed in the Delay Box when Axis Option Card #3 (Continuing Rearmament) is revealed.
  • The existing German “Surface Raiders” counter which is currently attached to Axis Option Card #47 (in TK)isremoved from the game entirely, and TK rule 15.32 is disregarded
  • LBA units and X-boats of all nationalities are associated with a number of different Option Cards (see rule 7 for details).

Overview

The following modifications to the published Totaler Krieg/Dai Senso Sequence of Play are used (letters and numbers in parentheses refer to the standard, published Turn Sequence.

Replacements Segment (1.3)

Newly-arrived ships and LBA units enter the game and are placed in the appropriate Delay Box. Withdrawing ships are sent to the European or Pacific Holding Box (as appropriate).Naval Construction takes place (if usingoptional rule 12., below).

Support Segment (2.2)

The Support Segment follows the following sequence:

1)Units are placed on or withdrawn from patrolling duty (see 8.1, below).

2)During the Axis player turn in the ETO, the Patrol Combat Procedure may take place (see 8.3, below).

3)Support units and convoy markers are placed as desired by the phasing player as per the published Totaler Krieg/Dai Senso rules. Support unit placement triggers the Support Unit Interaction Sequence of Play (see below).

4)X-boats may search for and possibly attack ships in the Naval Warfare Delay Box or an opponent’s Naval AvailableForce Display Box (see 9., below).

Reserve Movement Phase (6.)

Ships, LBA units, Air Groups and Task Groups may be relocated to new bases (see 2.3, below).

Conditional Event Segment (7.2)

Ships belonging to a newly-liberated or newly-conquered power immediately check for Ship Defection (see 11.2, below).

Delay Segment (8.1)

Delay rolls for ships and LBA units are made as per the published Totaler Krieg/Dai Senso rules.

Turn Marker Segment (8.2)

Ships and LBA units in the box entered by the Turn Marker are removed and placed in a friendly home country port or city as appropriate by each player in turn – first the Axis player, then the Western and Soviet players. Ships and LBA units coming off of the Turn Record Track in this fashion may be assigned to friendly AG/TG markers (see 2.1, below). (If no home country ports or cities are available, such ships and LBA units may be placed in any friendly port or city.)

Support Unit Interaction Sequence of Play

1a. Support Unit Placement and Force Composition

The phasing player assigns ships and/or land-based air (LBA) units to the Force represented by the support unit being placed(see rule 1.). The phasing player then reveals the composition of his Force – either automatically, if placing an Air or Submarine support unit, or subject to a roll on the Intelligence Table (see rule 3.2), if placing a Surface Fleet or CV Fleet support unit.

1b. Support Unit Contestation and Force Composition

If the non-phasing player wishes to contest the phasing support unit placement, he assigns ships and LBA units to the Force represented by the contesting support unit (see rule 3 for further details).

  • If the phasing support unit is uncontested, the support unit is placed normally (as per the Totaler Krieg/Dai Sensorules) and the ships and LBA units comprising its Force are placed in the standard Delay Box.
  • If the phasing support unit is contested, continue to step 2.
2. Air & Naval Combat Sequence

A. Both players reveal the composition of their respective Forces to one another.

B. First Combat Round

2.1Players determine whether they are fighting a Day Action or a Night Action for the current combat round.

2.2The Axis player allocates all of his attacking forces for this “action” to their targets, then resolves the attacks and places the appropriate “damaged”, “disabled” and “sunk” markers on targets that were affected. These markers do not go into effect until the end of the current combat round, so Allied forces get to return fire before the Axis attacks take effect.

2.3The Allied player allocates his attacks forces and resolves their attacks.

2.4All “Damaged”, “Disabled” and “Sunk” results take effect.

2.5If the players are fighting a “Day/Night Action” in the current combat round, repeat steps 2.2 through 2.4 for the Night Action half of the combat round.

2.6Any X-boats in either Task Force may attack (Axis first, then Allied). X-boats which attack are then immediately placed in the Naval Warfare Delay Box.

2.7Either player can elect to retreat from the current Air & Naval Combat Sequence, and the other player can declare his intention to pursue or, if already pursing, to break off pursuit.

C. Second Combat Round (repeat 2.1 to 2.7), if necessary

3. Support Unit Resolution

3.1Determination of Contestation, Placement or Repulsion is made.

3.2All ships and LBA units in both players’ Forces are placed in the appropriate Delay Box.

Delay Box Guidelines

The following rules define when Schiffskrieg ships, X-boats and LBA units are sent to the standard Delay Box or the Naval Warfare Delay Box:

  • Ships always go to the Naval Warfare Delay Box after participating in a battle (via the Air & Naval Combat Sequence), after being withdrawn from patrolling duty (see SK8.1),or after being disabled or damaged in an X-boat attack (see SK rule 9), and to the standard Delay Box in all other circumstances.
  • X-boats always go to the Naval Warfare Delay Box after attacking an enemy ship or being withdrawn from patrolling duty (see SK8.1), and to the standard Delay Box in all other circumstances.
  • LBA units always go to the standard Delay Box.

Core Game Mechanics

1. Forces

Every time a support unit is placed or used to contest placement (or sent to the Delay Box via a Pacific Commitment political event, etc.), a Force – Task Forces for naval support units, Air Forces for air support units (see the “Definitions” section, above)– must be constitued to represent it with ships or LBA units. A Force must meet the following requirements, or the support unit it constitutes cannot be used.

1.1 Surface Fleets

A Task Force representing a Surface Fleet must contain:

  • At least 5 ships; and
  • At least 10 Gunnery and/or carrier-based Airstrike factors (factors possessing the attack bonus count double).

One X-boat and one or two LBA units (but see 1.6) may also be attached to a Surface Fleet Task Force.

For example, an American Task Force could consist of two 4-4-3 BBs and three 1-1-7 CAs (5 ships and 11 Gunnery factors in total), or ten 1-1-7 CAs (10 ships, 10 Gunnery factors in total), but it could not consist of five 1-1-7 CAs (only 5 Gunnery factors in total). However, five Japanese 1-2-7 CAs, each of which possesses the attack bonus, could form a Task Force, as each Gunnery factor would be doubled for Task Force composition purposes.

1.2 CV Fleets

A Task Force representing a CV Fleet must meet all of the requirements of a Surface Fleet Task Force and must also contain:

  • One or more carriers (CVs and/or CVLs) with a total of at least 2 Airstrike factors (factors possessing the attack bonus count double).

One X-boat and one or two LBA units (but see 1.6) may also be attached to a CV Fleet Task Force.

CV Fleet Task Forces therefore must meet the same minimum requirements as those for Surface Fleets and must contain one or two carriers. A minimum-sized Japanese CV Fleet could, for example, consist of the CVL Hosho (1 Airstrike factor with the attack bonus, so doubled to 2) and four 1-1-7 CAs; a similar CV Fleet could not be constructed with only the CVL Hermes, as its 1 Airstrike factor does not possess the attack bonus.

1.3 Sub Fleets

A Task Force representing a Sub Fleet may only contain X-boats; it must contain at least one X-boat.

1.4 Air Support Units(Including Interceptors and Heavy Bombers)

An Air Force representing one of these support units may only contain LBA units; it must contain at least one LBA unit, and cannot contain more than two LBA units.

LBA units are generic air units used to represent all types of combat planes in actions: everything from fighters to torpedo planes to B-17s as the need arises in the game.

1.5 Nationality Requirements

Forces representing support units of a given nationality must be constituted by Ships/LBA units of that nationality only, with the following exceptions:

  • Britain and America: British ships may be allocated to American Task Forces (and vice versa) if the Glasgow Shipyard Capture marker(see SK 11.7) is in the Strategic Warfare Box.
  • Australia, Western Allied Belgium-Holland: Australian and Western Allied Dutch ships may be allocated to any American or British Task Force.
  • Western Allied France: Western Allied French ships and LBA units may be allocated to any American or British Task Force in Europe, but only if France has collapsed or been conquered at any point during the game.
  • Western Allied Italy: Western Allied Italian ships may be allocated to any American or British Task Force in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Germany and Axis Minor TFs: German ships may be allocated to an Axis Allied French Task Force, to an Axis Allied Italian Task Force if Gibraltar is Axis-controlled, or to an Axis Allied Turkish Task Force if Gibraltar and Istanbul are Axis-controlled (RCG only). German LBA units may be allocated to any Axis Allied Task Force.
  • Axis Italy: Axis Allied Italian ships may be allocated to a German Task Force if Gibraltar is Axis-controlled.
  • Russia and Soviet Allied TFs: Soviet ships may be allocated to a Soviet-allied Turkish Task Force if Istanbul is Soviet-controlled. Soviet LBA units may be allocated to any Soviet-allied Task Force.
  • Chinese AFs: US LBA units must be used to constitute a Nationalist Chinese Air Force, while Soviet LBA units must be used to constitute a Communist Chinese Air Force. (There are no Chinese LBA units.)
  • Major Power LBA units and Minor Air Forces: One major power LBA unit may be used to help constitute a minor country Air Force, provided that at least one minor country LBA unit is also being used. (Exception: Chinese Air Forces – see above.)

Ships and/or LBA units from different minor countries may never be allocated to the same Force.

For example, even after the Axis capture of Gibraltar, Italian and Vichy French ships may not combine within the same German Task Force.

1.6 LBARange Restrictions

LBA units may only be attached to a Task Force constituting a Fleet or CV Fleet (as per 1.1 and 1.2) which is placed or contesting placement in a specific hex if that hex is within range – i.e., within three hexes (two intervening) – of a supplied, friendly air base.

This restriction does not apply when the Fleet or CV Fleet is placed or contesting placement in a Naval Zone Box.

Example: the IJN player wishes to invade Dutch Harbor, which is occupied by the American 0-1-0 garrison unit which begins the game there, and places a Surface Fleet unit in e5722, intending to form a Beachhead. No Japanese air base is within three hexes of e5722, so the IJN player may not attach LBA units to the TF being formed – but should the US player wish to contest placement with a Fleet or CV Fleet, Dutch Harbor (presuming it is in supply) would function as a US air base, so LBA units could be attached to the US TF.