While writing our comments about anvil attacks et.al., the issue of the Torpedo Evasion roll came up. At the heart of the matter is what exactly is that roll modeling?
Evading torpedoes requires a ship to either turn towards or away from the torpedoes (combing the wakes) or turning such so not to enter an area where torpedoes are suspected to be present. This isn’t a maneuver that is simply a few small, quick turns while maintaining a base course like salvo chasing. Those types of movements are already accounted for in the numbers to hit on the Torpedo CRT (just like chasing salvos). It is significant turn onto a course that is held for a length of time. Such maneuvering is a major disruption to movement and formations.
Currently movement is plotted first, followed by torpedo attacks, then movement is executed. Torpedo attacks are then adjudicated. Torpedo firing arcs and ranges are checked to see if there are any eligible target for resolution. Under 1.4.6 Resolving Attacks - Target Evasion (p.1-6) eligible targets are then allowed to roll to see if they spot the torpedoes and evade. If a successful roll, the attacker must add add 1 or 2 to the die roll for resolving the attack (remember those numbers, 1 and 2). It is assumed that a successful roll meant the target ship turned to evade the torpedoes. Yet at the end of the turn, the ship ends its move at the same location as if it it never turned at all (assuming no hits). There are no turns or disruption from evading the torpedos.
Unless a wargame group is lucky to have umpires that allow hidden anything, everyone knows when torpedoes hit the water. There is nothing one can do about that and is one of the reasons for the evade roll. Yet nothing prevents a player in the second and subsequence turns of any torpedo movement from either turning towards the torpedoes (a down 1 row for a bow shot) or away (a down 2 rows for a stern shot).
Our House rule: In the turn when the torpedoes first hit the water, the opposing player can opt to make evade rolls for any of their ships. They can chose to make a single die roll for a formation, or individual rolls by ship (but not both for the same ship(s)). This is declared prior to any rolls being made. If a ship or formation successfully rolls a 1 or 2 (this is for resolving whether the torpedoes are spotted, not used as modifiers), it will ignore its written orders and move a minimum of 5kts ahead, and then must move such to be clearly attempting to evade the torpedoes. They can’t continue to move in accordance to their orders (it is assumed that if they believe their current orders will avoid the torpedoes, they won’t make the evade roll. If they panic and make the roll, and then realize it wasn't needed, they still need to make the evade maneuver). Ships that don’t roll or fail the evade roll all execute their orders as written. Torpedo attacks are then adjudicated against any ships per the rules. If the evade move places the torpedo attack as a bow or stern shot, the applicable row shift is applied (that 1 or 2 you have seen before). If not, no adjustment is used.
No evade rolls can be made against torpedoes moving in their second or subsequent movement runs. Players can clearly plot orders to evade torpedoes if they so wish. No get out of jail card if they planned poorly.
Comments?
v/r Jeff
