11 replies to this topic

[Iorwerth]

I am thinking of getting into WW2 naval war gaming and was wondering what the best scale of ships to use if playing on a table 6'x4'?

 

Also, as I am based in the UK, does anyone have any advice as to the best place to buy ships, and also is there anywhere in the UK you can pick up a printed copy of the rules?

 

 

All advice would be greatly received!

[RazorMind]

Cannot tell you where in the UK as i live in the US but we seem to get away with using 1/2400 scale ships on a 4x8 board for both GQIII and Post Captain.  We have a mix of old glory, GHQ, and Panzerschiffe ships

[Iorwerth]

Thank you for the information. Not sure if I can manage an 8x4, so might play safe and go for a slightly smaller scale. How many ships would I need to have enough for a good game with four players? I was thinking of doing USA v Japan rather than Atlantic engagements.

[paul stone]

Hi

 

Navwar is a great place for ships in uk www.navwar.co.uk  tel 0208 590 6731,   address  11 Electric Parade, Seven Kings Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, IG3 8BY  hope this helps 

[healey36]

Might want to try 1/6000 Figurehead. Things look a bit less cluttered and more realistic given the ranges, but the models are decidedly less detailed.

 

 

 

 

[W. Clark]

It really gets down to whether you mind having to displace the ships because you are running out of table. I have 1:1250, 1:2400 and 1:6000. The 1:1250 are at the top for ascetics, but require a great deal of displacing the ships when (as they always do) players go for the edges. The 1:2400 require less space and still look good, but they are a compromise. If you want to get on with the game and not be shifting the table or the ships all the time then it is 1:6000.

 

The only way that I can see to have it both ways is to use interlocking foam mats (you can get them at your nearest big box hardware store) that allow you to push the mats with the ships on them and then add the mats from the side you headed away from to where you are going. If you go for this method; make sure you get your mats from the same lot number to make sure they all interlock with each other.

[Iorwerth]

Thank you all for the replies. Interesting idea to use interlocking foam mats that you can slide around! Presume you get them in blue?

 

I looked at the Navwar site, and they deal in 1/3000 scale ships and seem reasonably priced, so may go for that scale. It depends a bit on how many ships I need to get for a good battle for 4 players. I haven't bought the rules yet, as doing my research before biting the bullet. How many ships and of what types would I need to have in my supply to be able to run a good number of different scenarios playable by 2-4 players? I am thinking about 3-4 ships a player, but not sure what breakdown of types i might need.

As an example, Navwar sells fleet packs which consist of 6 capital ships, 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers. If I bought one of these packs for each side would that give me enough ships of the right kinds?

Also, what other bits and pieces do I need to get to play the game e.g. blast markers, airplanes and so on?

 

Basically, just trying to sort out what I would need to purchase to get what I need to see if I want to go for it and order the rules and the other things I need, so advice very much appreciated.

[Phil Callcott]

Navwar 1:3000 are fine, their 6 + 4 + 8 are packs are a bit heavy on BB, 2 + 4 + 8 each side will make for a good game.

 

Aircraft and fall of shot markers, just make some simple card markers to start with (Navwar do a limited number of WW II aircraft), pipe cleaners make good "smoke".

 

BUT, be warned, once bitten with the naval bug you will need more.

 

The pic shows how Navwar paint up..

 

Regards, Phil

Attached Files

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[W. Clark]

Nope, you paint them using a roller. You can then go back over them with a sponge to high light with a lighter shade of blue. If you are really into it you can then touch up the texture edges with a bit of white paint to get white caps. It's easy and quick until you go for the white caps.

[Iorwerth]

Thanks for all the info. I will definitely check out the interlocking foam mats. Might be useful for other boards as well.

[LandscapeGuy01]

I second the prior suggestions. Navwar at 1/3000 would be my go to if I lived in the UK. The price is just right. The only issue with them is it seems a bit on the complicated side for international orders, due to the old school ordering system. I have the Figurehead at 1:6000 for some moderns, they make for more "realistic" looking ranges, and for more maneuver room on the tabletop, but while the miniatures look impressive for the size thy are a bit uninspiring on account of their small size. (IMHO. I only have modern ships so the larger size of WW1/2 Capital ships may change that)

~Joe.

[Captain Corcoran]

After looking at all the options I went for GHQ's 1/2400 scale as the ships look so good. I also built a force primarily around the WW2 fights at Guadalcanal and started off with about 2, battleships, 4 cruisers and 6 destroyers on each side, usually playing engagements with about 6 ships a side. As most of the action about Guadalcanal happens at night a table size of 6x4 is okay or have played with reduced visibility during the day. It depends really if you want to play with models that look really good and are recognisable or want to use a smaller scale that looks more realistic and requires a smaller table space.