Modern Naval Battles
Modern Naval Battles Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Components
- 3. How to Win
- 4. The Ship Cards
- 5. Prepare for Play
- 6. Sequence of Play
- 7. Attacks
- 8. Defenses
- 9. Special Cards
- 10. "Carrier Modified" Action Cards
- 11. Sunk Ships and The End
- 12. Advanced Game Rules
- 13. Optional Rules
- 14. Tournament Rules
- Definitions and Abbreviations
- Credits
1. Introduction
Cold War Naval Battles was originally published as Modern Naval Battles, a series of three boxed card games for two to six players based on (then) present day sea power with an emphasis on action. It was introduced in the late 1980s by 3W, Inc. of Cambria, California.
The rights to the game's design have long since reverted back to designer Dan Verssen, and Rodger B. MacGowan has always retained the rights to the graphic design. Meanwhile, Alan Emrich, who did the development work and codesigned the series, continued to receive email from its many fans asking if copies could still be obtained (even though it was long out of print).
In their quest for good gaming karma, Dan, Rodger, and Alan agreed that they would re-release the game, renamed (more accurately) Cold War Naval Battles, as a free download for personal use only (i.e., not for resale) on the internet. It is their hope that the fans of this wonderful game series will continue to find hours of enjoyment in it well into the future.
2. Components
Cold War Naval Battles consists of the following parts:
- This rules booklet
- 114 Action cards*
- 9 Action Summary / Player Order cards
- 55 Ship cards*
* Each marked with an anchor symbol in the upper-right corner of the cards so that they can be easily sorted out from all of the expansions when you desire to play the basic game of Cold War Naval Battles.
In addition, players will need a handful of regular 6-sided dice.
2.1 Printing and Cutting the Cards
There are thirteen Action Card Front Sheets and one Action Card Back Sheet. Naturally, the Back Sheet is printed on the reverse side of each of the Front Sheets. Print these cards on white 8.5" x 11" cardstock paper sheets (65# paper that is commonly available) with a color printer and cut them along the gray cut lines shown on their front sides.
The fourteenth Action Card-size sheet has nine Action Summary cards, and these cards receive the special back design featuring the Player Order values 1 through 9.
Similarly, there are seven Ship Card Front Sheets to be printed and cut apart. The first two have their own unique back designs that show the reverse sides of the ships on the Front Sheet. Ship sheets #3 through 7 all use the standard back design with the Cold War Naval Battles game logo.
3. How to Win
The object of a game of Cold War Naval Battles is to be the first player to score 180 or more points at the conclusion of a round of play; if more than one player does so, the player with the higher total wins. A round of play ends one complete series of Player Turns after the last Action card is drawn from the Draw Pile.
3.1 General Description of Play
During each Player Turn, the acting player can reposition a ship in their Task Force, have their submarines 'go passive,' play Action cards allowing them to receive additional ships, retreat, or attack other players' ships, discard any unwanted Action cards in their hand, and then draw their hand back up to seven cards.
Players receive the point values indicated on the Ship cards at the end of a round for every enemy ship sunk and for all of their own surviving ships (less the value of any Damage cards on them).
4. The Ship Cards
Each Ship card shows, among other things: the ship's Hits to Sink Rating (shown upside down at the bottom of the card), its Military Ship Class, its Ship Name, its Nationality, its Gun platform, Missile platforms, Air Defense rating, its Air Strike rating (for carriers), and its Point Value.
- Air Strike Rating: the number of Air Strike symbols the ship carries.
- Gun Platform: the size(s) of naval gun the ship carries (3", 5", or 16").
- Missile Platforms: the type(s) of missile launcher the ship carries ('A', 'B', or 'C').
- Air Defense Rating: shown inside a black parallelogram on some ships; represents intrinsic air cover and/or surface-to-air missile defenses for the whole Task Force.
- Point Value: the victory points the ship is worth, whether sunk by an opponent (credited to the player who delivered the killing blow) or surviving with you at the end of a round.
5. Prepare for Play
Here is how to set up for a round of play:
5.1 The Deal
Shuffle the Ship cards together and deal seven to each player. Place the remainder of the Ship cards face-up in the center of the table; this constitutes the Ship deck. Important: only the top card of the Ship deck should ever be visible. No peeking beneath the top card!
Shuffle the Action cards together and deal seven to each player. Place the remainder of the Action cards face-down in the center of the table; these Action cards constitute the Draw Pile.
5.2 Task Force Organization
A player's ships are collectively known as a 'Task Force.' Ship cards must be placed face-up on the table and may be arranged in up to three rows in front of their owning player. The ships in the row closest to the center of the table constitute that player's 'first row' of ships known as Pickets. The ships in the middle or 'second row' are called Screening Vessels, while those in the 'third row' (the one closest to their owning player) are dubbed the Core Group.
Designers' Note: These three rows of ships should be envisioned as a 'circle' of protection around the Core Group. That is, the Core Group is protected by the Screening Vessels and, further out, by the Picket Ships.
A typical Task Force set up, from the center of the table outward toward the player's seat, looks like this: First Row (Picket Ships), Second Row (Screening Vessels), Third Row (Core Group), and finally the player's Submarines (which start in passive mode and sit off to the side, not in any row).
5.21 Ships in Row Requirement
There is no minimum or maximum number of ships a player must have in a row. In fact, there is no requirement for any ships to be placed in the second or third rows (i.e., they could all be placed in the first row). However, in order for there to be a second row, there must be at least one ship in the first row; and in order for there to be a third row, there must be at least one ship in each of the first and second rows. When the last remaining ship in the first or second row is sunk, all the ships in the rows behind it move forward one row.
For Example: If all the ships in the first row are sunk, the ships in row two now constitute the first row and those in row three are now in the second row. They must all move forward by one row.
5.22 Weapon Range by Row
Gun attacks may only be conducted by ships in the first row, and only against enemy ships in their first row.
Missile attacks may be made only by vessels in the first two rows, against enemy vessels in their first two rows (exception, see "Submarines in a Task Force," below).
Ships in the third row may only be attacked by enemy submarines and Air Strikes; only aircraft carriers in the third row may attack enemy vessels (by launching Air Strikes).
5.23 Submarines in a Task Force
Submarines in a player's Task Force are placed to the right of his surface ships and are not considered to be in any row.
Submarines have two sides or 'faces.' On their active (normal) side they are in an attack posture and are themselves more vulnerable. On their passive (back) side they are in a defensive posture providing them maximum protection. All submarines commence play 'in passive mode' (that is, with their passive side up).
5.24 Submarines in Combat
Submarines may make their torpedo or missile attacks on any enemy ship in any row; they may also make torpedo attacks (only) against enemy submarines.
Submarines are never vulnerable to any type of gun or missile attack, nor to Air Strikes. Only torpedoes or ASW can attack submarines.
Active mode: Whenever a submarine in passive mode makes an attack, it is flipped to its active side.
Passive mode: Each turn, during a player's Step A.4 (Dive! Dive!), that player flips all his submarines to their passive side.
6. Sequence of Play
Shuffle the Player Order cards (you must use at least as many as there are players, but you may use more to add suspense) and deal one to each player face-down (that is, with the Action card Summary side face-up). Each player examines his Player Order card, taking care to keep it hidden from the other players. The player holding the lowest value card (usually #1, but it could be higher if you used more Player Order cards than there are players) reveals this fact and commences his turn. At the completion of this turn, the player holding the next highest card (usually #2) reveals it and conducts his turn and so on until all players have completed their respective turns. When that is done, the Player Order cards are again reshuffled and dealt out, thus commencing another series of player turns.
The Action Card Summary on the back of the Player Order cards is a handy reference that indicates which attacks are countered by what defenses in Cold War Naval Battles.
6.1 The Steps of a Player's Turn
Each player's turn must rigidly follow this sequence of steps:
A. Prepare for Action
This step is where the pre-combat 'housekeeping' takes place.
-
Clear the Decks! Discard any 'Retreat,' 'Area Defense,' and/or 'Carrier Crew Efficiency' cards you played during the previous turn (see below). Note that whenever cards are discarded, they are placed face-up in a Discard Pile adjacent to the Draw Pile.
-
Fog of War. Roll a single six-sided die. The result is your Fog of War allotment number for that turn, indicating how many 'actions' you may perform during Step B.1 (Battle Stations!). This Fog of War element represents uncertainty and chance involved in any military endeavor (accidents, luck, weather, illness, Murphy's Law, and so forth).
-
Adjust Formation. You may now move one ship (and only one ship) to an adjacent row. You cannot move ships in front of your first row (i.e., you cannot create a new, single-ship 'first row') nor move the only ship in rows one or two if there are ships in the row(s) behind them. In other words, you cannot use the movement of a single ship to change the row status of any other ship in that Task Force (by forcing them to move forward according to rule 5.3).
For Example: A Task Force has two ships in its first row, one in its second row, and none in its third row. The only legal ship moves would be to either move one ship from the first row back to the second row or the ship in the second row up into the first row.
Now let's reverse that. There is only one ship in the first row, two in the second row, and none in the third row. The only legal ship moves would be to take one of the two ships in the second row and either move it forward or backward one row.
-
Dive! Dive! Any or all of your submarines that you desire may change from active to passive mode at this time. Simply flip them over from their active to their passive side.
-
Ship, Ahoy! You may now play any or all Additional Ship cards in your hand one at a time. For each Additional Ship card played, place it in the Discard Pile and take the top card in the Ship deck and add it to your Task Force right away. It can be placed in any row (except for submarines, which are set aside in their place to the right and begin in passive mode) and is immediately available for action!
Designers' Note: You don't have to play your Additional Ship cards at the first opportunity. If the top card in the Ship deck doesn't interest you, you can always wait to see if someone else takes it before your next turn comes around. But the longer you wait, the longer you will have to do without that platform (ship) from which to attack; and remember, ships in your Task Force that survive the round score points for you!
-
Retreat! If you have a Retreat card in your hand, you may play it at this time, placing it face-up in front of your first row to indicate to everyone that your Task Force has retreated. A Task Force that retreats can neither attack nor be attacked until the beginning of its next turn (when the Retreat card is removed during Step A.1, Clear the Decks!).
B. General Quarters!
This step is where combat takes place.
-
Battle Stations! You may now perform a number of 'actions' (attacks and face-down Area Defenses, see rule 12.4) up to a total not exceeding your Fog of War allotment for that turn (from Step A.2, above).
Only one attack may be made for each gun, missile, torpedo, or Air Strike symbol on the Ship cards. Thus, you cannot use a single 'A' missile platform on a ship to launch two or more 'A' missile attacks during a single turn.
Attacking submarines automatically become active. Be sure to place them on their active side if they attack.
Important: All attacks are specified before any other player(s) play or reveal defense cards in response!
-
Incoming! All attacks are resolved. Gun, Missile, Torpedo, and ASW Attacks are resolved first. After these have all been completed, then Air Attacks take place (Air Cover, Air Defenses, and Air Strikes – in that order).
C. Ship Shape
This step is where post-combat 'housekeeping' takes place.
- Work the Hangers. Skip this step; it is only used with the Air Module from Cold War Naval Battles IV: The Air Module.
- Adjust Ordnance. You may discard all unwanted Action cards from your hand. If you did not play an Action card during your turn, you must now discard at least one.
- Resupply. Draw Action cards from the Draw Pile until your hand is replenished up to seven cards. Your turn is now over.
6.2 Drawing the Last Action Card
When the last Action card has been drawn from the Draw Pile, play continues until the end of the next complete series of player turns is completed, at which time the round is over and points are scored. So, when the last Action card is drawn, keep playing. Finish the current series of player turns, and then shuffle the Player Order cards for one last series of player turns to end the round. Note that players will be skipping Step C.3 (Resupply), of course, since there are no more Action cards to draw; instead you'll be just playing your hands down.
7. Attacks
General Rule: During Step B.1 (Battle Stations!), every Gun, Missile, Torpedo, or ASW attack card played, or Air Strike die roll thrown, counts as one against that player's Fog of War allotment that turn. This allotment may never be exceeded during a player's turn, nor saved from turn to turn. Unused Fog of War points are simply lost.
Attack cards have a red vertical bar along their left face.
Attack Sequence: First, all attacks are declared during Step B.1 (Battle Stations!), either by playing attack cards on top of their targets or designating which ships are targeted by which Air Strikes. (A good method for designating Air Strikes is to put a die on the targeted ship for each Air Strike, with the top of the die indicating the Chance to Hit number that will sink that ship with that Air Strike). After all attacks are declared, the defending player(s, selected in any order that the attacking player chooses) have an opportunity to use any appropriate Defense card(s) in response during Step B.2 (Incoming!).
After any defensive measures have been taken, attacks that 'got through' are then resolved either by placing the Attack card under the target ship so that its damage value is visible near the ship's Hits to Sink rating (see 'Damage cards,' below) or by rolling the die to determine the outcome of attacks that require die rolls. All Gun, Missile, Torpedo, and ASW attacks are resolved prior to any Air Attacks. If you sink an opponent's ship, place it face-down in a pile in front of you; these are worth points at the end of the round.
Damage cards: Attack cards that are placed under an enemy ship card to indicate they've inflicted damage upon it are known as 'Damage cards.'
7.1 Standard Attack Cards
Gun, Missile, and Torpedo Attack cards do specific amounts of damage as indicated by their 'minus' number. If they hit a ship and do not cause enough damage to sink it (that is, to bring the total damage to equal or exceed its Hits to Sink rating), they become Damage cards. That is, they are left under the ship that they hit with the damage amount protruding from the top of the ship card facing out toward the center of the table (thus leaving the ship damaged).
7.11 Gun Attacks
Gun attacks come in three different sizes: 3", 5", and 16". In order to fire a given gun, a ship must have a Gun Platform symbol (as indicated on the Ship card) of the corresponding size.
Gun attacks may only be fired to and from ships in the first row (i.e., only Picket Ships can engage in gun duels).
Gun attacks are negated by either Evasive Maneuver or Damage Control cards.
7.12 Missile Attacks
There are three different types of missiles, rated 'A,' 'B,' and 'C.' In order to fire a given missile, a ship must have a Missile Platform symbol (as indicated on the Ship card) of the corresponding type. Missile attacks may only be fired by surface ships to and from the first two rows. Submarines may fire their missiles at any row (and, naturally, they must become active when they do so).
Missile attacks are negated by either Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) or Damage Control cards.
7.13 Torpedo Attacks and Submarines
Only submarines can conduct Torpedo Attacks (and, naturally, they must become active when they do so). Torpedo Attacks are fired from submarines at any enemy ship regardless of its Task Force position. Thus, a submarine may attack a ship in any row (with torpedoes or missiles) or another submarine (with torpedoes only).
Torpedo attacks against active submarines use the card's Damage value, while those against passive submarines use the Torpedo Attack card's ASW Chance to Hit die roll instead.
The Los Angeles class submarine is an excellent submarine hunter and therefore receives a plus one (+1) Chance to Hit modifier for its torpedo attacks against a passive submarine (as indicated under the word "HUNTER" on their Ship cards).
Torpedo attacks are always negated by Evasive Maneuver or Damage Control cards.
Submarines: A Reminder. If a submarine launches any type of attack (missile or torpedo), it immediately becomes active until the owning player's next turn's Step A.4 (Dive! Dive!). This is indicated by turning the submarine over to its active side.
Submarines may only be attacked by Torpedo and ASW cards. Submarines are never vulnerable to any type of Air Strike, Gun, or Missile Attack.
7.14 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Anti-Submarine Warfare cards can be played as either an Attack or Defense card (which is why the bar on their left-face is both red and black).
It is played as an Attack card if it is used to attack an opponent's submarine during a player's Step B.1 (Battle Stations!). This counts as one against his Fog of War allotment for that turn. Note that the chances are better for sinking an active submarine, and that the Los Angeles and Alfa class submarines inflict a minus one (–1) Chance to Hit die roll modifier on any ASW roll targeted at them (due to their superior stealth and speed, respectively).
ASW is Carrier Modified (see 10).
A successful ASW attack can only be negated by a Damage Control card.
A Note on Air Attacks: If a player does not have enough Fog of War allotment remaining to utilize every possible Air Strike afforded him by a given Attack card or Carrier, any excess Air Strike capability is simply ignored. If there are multiple Air Strikes assigned to a single ship and it is sunk by the first attack, the extra Air Strikes have no additional effect and cannot be repositioned; they are simply 'wasted.'
Important: Air Attacks are conducted last, after all Gun, Missile, Torpedo, and ASW Attacks have been resolved.
7.15 Land Based Air Strike
A Task Force does not need an Aircraft Carrier in it to use a Land Based Air Strike card.
Up to two target ships can be attacked (or the same ship can be targeted for two attacks) for each Land Based Air Strike card. Each such attack counts as one against a player's Fog of War allotment. The Chance to Hit each ship is determined by the row that ship is in.
Land Based Air Strikes are stopped by successful Air Cover (see 8.33) or Air Defense (see 12.1). One successful Land Based Air Strike attack is negated for each Damage Control card played in response.
7.16 Bomber Strike
A Task Force does not need an Aircraft Carrier in it to use a Bomber Strike card.
All surface ships in an opposing Task Force are attacked as a single group rather than targeting any specific ships in it. The attacking player throws one die for each Fog of War allocated to the Bomber Strike (any or all of the attacking player's Fog of War allotment may be employed by this single Attack card – you should see what happens when six Bomber Strike rolls come in!).
Once the number of enemy surface ships hit is determined, the defending player chooses exactly which of his surface ships will suffer the damage. Ships sunk by other concurrent attacks may not be chosen to take hits; the damage must be spread out so that every hit is applied, if possible. Excess hits are ignored.
A Bomber Strike will have its number of attack die rolls reduced by two for each successful Air Cover (see 8.33) and one for each successful Air Defense (see 12.1). One successful Bomber Strike attack is negated for each Damage Control card played in response.
7.2 Carrier Air Strikes
Aircraft Carriers may launch Carrier Air Strikes during Step B.1 (Battle Stations!). Each Carrier Air Strike Attack counts as one against the attacker's Fog of War allotment.
A Carrier's Air Strike Rating is equal to the number of Air Strike symbols on the Aircraft Carrier Ship card. Each Aircraft Carrier may launch up to a number of Air Strikes every turn equal to its Air Strike Rating by simply announcing the target ship(s). No Action card is used or necessary to conduct a Carrier Air Strike.
If the attacker rolls less than or equal to the Air Strike Rating of the attacking Aircraft Carrier, the target is hit and the ship is sunk (regardless of its row position in the defending Task Force; exceptions, see Advanced Rules 12.2, 12.3, and 12.7).
Carrier Air Strikes are stopped by successful Air Cover (see 8.33) or Air Defense (see 12.1). One successful Carrier Based Air Strike attack is negated for each Damage Control card played in response.
8. Defenses
Attacks may be stopped, negated, or reduced by using the appropriate defenses. There are two ways to play a Defense card: either during your turn's Step B.1 (Battle Stations!) as Area Defenses, or during your opponent's turn Step B.2 (Incoming!) as Point Defenses.
Important: During an opponent's Step B.2 (Incoming!), all of a player's Area Defenses are resolved before any of his Point Defenses are conducted (see below).
Defense cards have a black vertical bar along their left face.
8.1 Area Defenses
All Defense cards played on your turn during Step B.1 (Battle Stations!) are known as 'Area Defenses.' Area Defenses protect all the vessels in that Task Force against all applicable attacks. They continue to do so until removed during that player's next Step A.1 (Clear the Decks!).
Area Defenses are placed face-up (exception, see 12.4) in front of your Task Force's first row (i.e., closer to the center of the table than your first row). Playing Area Defense cards in this manner does not count against that player's Fog of War allotment that turn. In effect, this is a 'free action.'
Also, see Optional Rule 13.1 for some Area Defense bonuses.
Designers' Note: So, if you put an Area Defense ECM card out, your Task Force is completely invulnerable to all Missile Attacks against it until your next Step A.1 (Clear the Decks!) removes it.
8.2 Point Defenses
A Defense card held in a player's hand may be used during an opponent's Step B.2 (Incoming!) to respond to a single specific attack he makes against that player. Unlike an Area Defense, once used to defend against that specific attack, the Point Defense card is immediately discarded. (The good news is that it costs you no Fog of War points to play Point Defenses during another player's turn.)
For Example: Two Gun Attacks and a Missile Attack are targeted at a surface ship. The owner has no appropriate Area Defenses and responds by playing one Evasive Maneuver from his hand, stopping his choice of one of the Gun Attacks – presumably the one that causes the most damage. The other Gun Attack and the Missile Attack then do their damage to the targeted surface ship.
Point Defenses may be played in addition to Area Defenses. All Point Defense cards must be played before any die rolls to resolve their outcomes are thrown. All Point Defense cards must be played before any Point Defense die rolls are thrown.
For Example: If an Area Defense Air Cover doesn't stop an incoming Air Strike, additional Air Cover cards can be played as Point Defenses to try and stop it, but those additional Point Defense Air Cover cards must all be played before any are rolled for.
8.3 Defense Cards
The following are the standard Defense cards in Cold War Naval Battles.
8.31 Evasive Maneuvers
This card protects your ships from Gun and Torpedo Attacks. No die roll is needed when using this card; success is automatic.
8.32 Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM)
This card protects your ships from Missile Attacks. No die roll is needed when using this card; success is automatic.
8.33 Air Cover
This card has a chance to completely stop a single Carrier or Land Based Air Strike attack die roll or Cruise Missile attack (see 12.9). It also has a chance to reduce by two the number of attacks originating from a Bomber Strike.
This card is Carrier Modified (see 10).
Also see Optional Rule 13.1 for an Area Defense bonus.
8.34 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Anti-Submarine Warfare cards can be played as either an Attack or Defense card (which is why the bar on their left-face is both red and black).
If it is played as a Defense card, it allows the player to engage attacking enemy submarines during their B.2. There is a 'Timing Element' involved (see below).
Note that the chances are better for sinking an active submarine, and that the Los Angeles and Alfa class submarines inflict a minus one (–1) Chance to Hit die roll modifier on any ASW roll targeted at them (due to their superior stealth and speed, respectively).
ASW is Carrier Modified (see 10).
A successful ASW attack can only be negated by a Damage Control card.
The Timing Element for ASW Defense
Point Defense ASW is considered a counterattack conducted after the submarines have launched their attacks.
Area Defense ASW, however, is proactive and sinks submarines before they execute their attacks. Attacks launched by submarines sunk by Area Defense ASW still count against the attacker's Fog of War allotment. When a submarine's attacks are thus preempted, simply discard that submarine's played Attack cards.
9. Special Cards
Important: The play of Special cards does not count against a player's Fog of War allotment!
Special cards have a blue vertical bar along their left face.
9.1 Additional Ship
This card may only be played on your turn during Step A.5 (Ship, Ahoy!). Take the top Ship card from the Ship deck. You may play multiple Additional Ship cards in a single turn one at a time, each time examining the top card in the Ship deck before deciding whether to play an Additional Ship card to take it or not.
A newly received surface ship is added to a row in your Task Force that conforms to Rule 5.3 (Ships in Row Requirement). Newly placed submarines arrive in passive mode.
You may use these new ships to attack with this turn.
9.2 Retreat
This card may only be played on your turn during Step A.6 (Retreat!). It is played like an Area Defense card; that is, face-up in front of your first row of ships.
A Task Force that retreats can neither attack (i.e., its Step B is skipped that turn) nor be attacked in any way until the beginning of its next turn when the Retreat card is removed during that player's next Step A.1 (Clear the Decks!).
When played, a retreating player may conduct repairs by removing up to three Damage cards of his choice from the ships in his Task Force and placing them in the Discard Pile.
9.3 Damage Control
This card can only be played as a Point Defense. When played, it will negate the effect on one vessel from any single Attack card or successful Air Strike. You may see the effects of all attacks upon your Task Force for that enemy player's turn before deciding which one(s) to allocate your Damage Control card(s) to.
9.4 Carrier Crew Efficiency
This card may only be played on your turn during Step B.1 (Battle Stations!). It is used to increase by one (+1) a Carrier's Air Strike Rating until your next Step A.1 (Clear the Decks!), at which time it is discarded. Thus, the Carrier may now launch an additional Carrier Air Strike and all Air Strikes it launches and 'Carrier Modifications' it makes (see 10) have their Chance to Hit increased by one (+1).
No more than one Carrier Crew Efficiency card may be played on a single Aircraft Carrier per turn.
10. "Carrier Modified" Action Cards
Air Cover and Anti-Submarine Warfare cards are "Carrier Modified." This means that, when played, their Chance to Hit ratings are increased by the Carrier Air Strike rating of one Carrier in their Task Force. Note that this one carrier may be used an unlimited number of times to modify these cards each turn.
For Example: The defender's Task Force includes both the Nimitz and the Baku. One attack from a Land Based Air Strike is made against the Nimitz and the defender responds with an Air Cover in Point Defense. The basic, unmodified Air Cover will stop the Land Based Air Strike on a roll of '1' or '2.' Since it is Carrier Modified, however, the Carrier Air Strike rating of the Nimitz (with the larger Carrier Air Strike Rating) is added to the Chance to Hit of the Air Cover, therefore allowing it to stop that Land Based Air Strike on a roll of '1' through '4.'
11. Sunk Ships and The End
These are the acts of finality:
11.1 Sunk Ships
When you sink an opponent's ship (it doesn't matter how badly damaged other players might have left it for you), collect it and place it near you, face-down, in a pile. At the end of the round, you will score the Point Value for those ships that you delivered the killing blow to. Other players are not entitled to know your score of sunken ships until that round of play is over.
11.2 Sinking a Player's Last Ship
If a player's last ship is sunk, that player is out for the remainder of that round (even if he is holding one or more Additional Ship cards!). That player immediately discards his hand of Action cards and will score points normally for ships he sank at the end of the round.
11.3 The End of a Round
Once the draw deck becomes depleted, play continues until the end of the next complete series of player turns (at which time the round is over and points are scored).
So, when the last Action card is drawn, keep playing. Finish the current series of player turns, and then shuffle the Player Order cards for one last series of player turns to end the round. Note that players will be skipping Step C.3 (Resupply), of course, since there are no more Action cards to draw; instead you'll be just playing your hands down.
At the end of a round, every player scores points equal to the Point Values of all the enemy ships that they've sunk, plus all of their own ships that survived to the end of the round, less one point for each point of damage they have.
For Example: If you sank 50 points' worth of enemy ships that round, and had 15 points' worth of your own ships survive, your score would be 50 + 15 = 65 points. If your ships had Damage cards on them at the end of the round, those points would be deducted from your score. So, if your ships had 3 total points of damage on them, then your score that round would be 50 + 15 – 3 = 62.
11.4 The End of the Game
The game ends at the end of a round that finds one or more players with 180 points. If more than one player has 180 points, the one with the most points is the winner.
12. Advanced Game Rules
After players are familiar with the Standard Game, they will want to play the Advanced Game for added realism. All of the Advanced Game rules may be used separately or together. We hope, after you've gained some experience with the Standard Rules, that you will eventually play with all of the Advanced Game Rules to get the full Cold War Naval Battles experience.
12.1 Air Defense Systems
Highly Recommended: Some ships have an Air Defense Rating shown inside a black parallelogram. This Air Defense system represents intrinsic Carrier Based Air Cover and/or that ship's Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) defense systems. In addition to their regular abilities, ships with an Air Defense system may provide air defense that protects their entire Task Force.
After all Air Cover cards have been conducted in response to each specific Air Strike and their results are known, each Air Defense system in that Task Force may be assigned to make a defensive roll to stop one incoming Air Strike. (This represents that Task Force's 'last line' of air defense). Note that all Air Defense-targeted Air Strikes are designated by the owning player before any Air Defense die rolls are made.
A Chance to Hit roll less than or equal to a ship's Air Defense Rating will stop the single Carrier or Land Based Air Strike it was targeted at, or reduce by one the number of Bomber Strike attacks (if it was targeted at incoming Bomber Strikes).
Ships with an Air Defense Rating of '3 + 3' are equipped with the sophisticated radar tracking and air defense system known as 'Aegis' [E' gis]. They may conduct two defense rolls against one Air Strike or one defense roll against each of two different Air Strikes.
12.2 Carrier Strike Chance to Hit
When launching a Carrier Air Strike, add one (+1) to the Chance to Hit against a target in the first row and subtract one (–1) from the Chance to Hit against a target in the third row. The Chance to Hit a target in the second row is a Carrier's current Carrier Strike Rating.
Designers' Note: Again, this simulates the 'ring of protection' provided to the Core Group in the third row by the Pickets and Escort Ships in the first two rows.
12.3 Carrier Strike Reduction
When an Aircraft Carrier takes damage equal to one-half (1/2) of its Hits to Sink Rating (rounded up), its Carrier Air Strike rating is reduced by one (–1).
Thus, a large Carrier would be reduced to a Carrier Air Strike Rating of one. A small Carrier would be reduced to a zero, although it would still be able to attack with some hope for success with a Carrier Crew Efficiency card or if Optional Rule 12.2 were in effect and the target was a ship in the first row.
12.4 Prepared Defenses
Highly Recommended: An Area Defense card may be placed face-down in front of your Task Force during your Step B.1 (Battle Stations!) if you expend a Fog of War to do so. Face-down Area Defense cards must be revealed (and used) at their first opportunity for use (during an opponent's Step B.2: Incoming!) or when finally discarded (during your next Step A.1: Clear the Decks!).
Designers' Note: This adds a whole new dimension of cat-and-mouse to the game!
12.5 Critical Damage
When a ship is one point away from sinking, it may no longer attack or conduct Air Defense (see 12.1) until it is repaired (by playing a Retreat card and removing some of the Damage cards assigned to it). Consequently, critically damaged Aircraft Carriers may no longer use their Carrier Air Strike Ratings to launch Carrier Air Strikes or modify ASW and Air Cover cards (see 10).
12.6 Battleship Armor
Unlike all the other ships of this era, the refitted WWII Battleships have extensive armor plating. To represent this, reduce the value of all Damage cards on a Battleship by one each. Thus, a '1' value Damage card on a Battleship would have no effect.
12.7 Air Strikes Versus Larger Ships
Due to their larger size, ships with a current Hits to Sink Rating of seven or greater (after any Damage card values are subtracted from its printed Hits to Sink Rating) can absorb an Air Strike without being sunk. Instead, such ships are considered 'Crippled' after receiving that successful Air Strike and are so indicated by flipping them over to their Crippled (reverse) side.
When a ship is Crippled, retain all the other Damage cards it might have underneath it but ignore them. A crippled ship is always considered one point away from being sunk (so any subsequent damage always sinks a Crippled ship). Thus, a second successful Air Strike on these larger ships during a single turn will sink them.
Designer's Note: Players may want to assign more than one Air Strike against these larger ships in hopes of finishing them off, rather than leaving them as helpless Cripples.
Note that Damage cards take effect before the effect of Air Attacks conducted on the same turn.
Important: The other effects of being Crippled are identical to the effects of Critical Damage (see 12.5, above).
During a Bomber Strike, a player may absorb one hit against his Task Force by Crippling a qualifying ship and a second hit by actually sinking it.
Crippling effects are reversed (i.e., that Ship card is flipped back face-up to its non-Crippled side) as a single 'Damage card' when a Task Force is repaired during a Retreat (see 9.2). Any Damage cards it might also have must be repaired separately.
Crippled ships that survive to the end of the round are worth zero (0) points to their owner.
12.8 Attack Opportunities
Assume that lesser 'size' gun and missile Attack cards represent broader attack opportunities (albeit at less damage).
Thus, allow ships with 'C' Missile Platforms to also use 'A' and 'B' Missile Attack cards (although not for Cruise Missile Attacks, see 12.9 below). Ships with a 'B' Missile Platform may also use 'A' Missile Attack cards.
Similarly, 16" Gun Platforms may also use 5" and 3" Gun Attack cards, and 5" Gun Platforms may also use 3" Gun Attack cards.
12.9 Cruise Missile Attacks
A Cruise Missile Attack is more flexible for the attacker, but it is also more easily stopped by the defender than a regular Missile Attack. A Cruise Missile Attack can be thought of as both a Missile Attack and an Air Strike rolled into one.
A Cruise Missile Attack is one in which a 'C' Missile Attack card is either: A) fired from a ship in the third row, or B) fired from a surface ship (not a submarine) at a ship in the enemy's third row, or C) both (thus, third row to third row combat is allowed via Cruise Missile Attacks).
A Cruise Missile Attack is stopped cold like a regular Missile Attack by Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM).
In addition, a Cruise Missile Attack is lumped in with any Air Strikes targeted at that Task Force and, like them, can be stopped by a successful Air Cover or Air Defense targeted at it. (See the example of Air Defense 'Layers,' below.)
Important: Cruise Missile Attack damage is applied before Air Strikes are conducted.
Naturally, Damage Control may be used to negate the effects of a successful Cruise Missile Attack.
Example of Air Defense 'Layers'
An opposing player targets your Task Force with two Land Based Air Strikes, two Carrier Air Strikes and a Cruise Missile Attack (see 12.9). After he has declared the specific targets for each of these attacks, you commence your defense as follows:
- Area Defense Air Cover and ECM are conducted first. The Air Cover would get one roll against each of the four Air Strikes and the Cruise Missile Attack (if the latter was not stopped by an Area Defense ECM).
- Point Defense Air Cover and ECM cards may then be played to stop specific, individual surviving Air Strikes or Cruise Missile Attacks.
- Air Defense die rolls (12.1) are then allocated against specific, individual surviving Air Strikes or Cruise Missile Attacks. After all Air Defense rolls are allocated, they are then resolved and their results applied.
- If any incoming Air Strikes or Cruise Missile Attacks survived all of the above, they now do their damage. Cruise Missile Attacks are applied first, followed by Air Strike die rolls. The damage they inflict (if any) can be negated by Damage Control cards.
13. Optional Rules
These rules are just that, optional. They are provided to add variation to the game but are certainly not required to get the full playing experience from Cold War Naval Battles. These Optional Rules may be used separately or together.
13.1 Quick Response Area Defense
To better simulate the advantages of having an Area Defense in place in terms of response time to an attack, add one (+1) to the Chance to Hit for all Area Defense Air Cover and Anti-Submarine Warfare cards.
13.2 Team Game
Before the game begins, form teams with equal numbers of players (two or three).
During the game, you cannot attack a teammate's Task Force.
You may play Point Defense cards to protect a teammate's Task Force.
You may spend your Fog of War allotment on an additional activity now: transferring Ship or Action cards to or from a teammate (with that teammate's consent). The cost is one (1) Fog of War per card transferred.
- Action cards may be used immediately.
- Ship cards may not be used until the recipient's next turn. Rotate these ships 180 degrees to indicate that they cannot be used, and rotate them back during the new owner's next Step A.1 (Clear the Decks!).
The first team to reach the Victory Level of 360 in a two-player team game or 540 in a three-player team game is the winner.
Some 'House Rules' might be required to cover various contingencies.
13.3 Realistic Area Defense / Offense Limitations
If a Task Force conducts any of the types of attacks listed below, the corresponding Defense card may not be played as an Area Defense on the same player's turn. Such cards may still be used for Point Defense, however.
| Attack Type Conducted By That Task Force | Area Defense Type Prohibited |
|---|---|
| Gun Attack | Evasive Maneuvers |
| Missile Attack | Electronic Counter-Measures |
| Carrier Based Air Strike | Air Cover |
14. Tournament Rules
Cold War Naval Battles is highly suited for tournament play.
14.1 Setting up a Tournament Game
Divide the Ship cards into three piles. In the first pile, put in all of the submarines and deal out one to each player. In the second pile, put in all of the ships with a Point Value of nine (9) or higher and deal out two to each player. All of the remaining ships are placed in the third pile and each player is dealt four of them for a total starting Task Force size of seven Ship cards for each player. After the Ship cards have been thus distributed, reshuffle the remaining Ship cards to form, once again, the Ship deck to be used during play.
Designers' Note: This will give players a relatively equal start. We recommend that 4-player games be used in tournaments whenever possible as this will greatly speed up play. The last game, however, can have a full table of up to six finalists at it.
14.2 The Tournament Official
The person organizing the tournament will determine which Advanced and Optional Rules will be used (all of the Advanced Rules are recommended). The Tournament Official will also determine what point totals will be required to advance into later segments of the tournament, as well as any new 'House Rules' that might be in effect during tournament play.
Definitions and Abbreviations
- 3" Gun: Small caliber naval gun systems such as the 57mm, 76mm, 3", and 85mm.
- 5" Gun: Medium caliber naval gun system such as the 100mm, 114mm, 5", and 130mm.
- 16" Gun: Large caliber naval gun systems found only on the refitted WWII Iowa class Battleships.
- 'A' Missile: A single US standard missile launcher, or several non-reloadable Harpoon or Exocet missiles, or some of the smaller Soviet anti-shipping missiles.
- Aegis [E' gis]: A sophisticated radar tracking and air defense system.
- 'B' Missile: Several US standard missile launchers or a large number of non-reloadable deck launchers.
- BB: Battleship refitted from WWII with the latest technology.
- CG: Guided Missile Cruiser. These are the backbone of a Task Force during this period, fit for missile defense, surface action, and anti-submarine warfare.
- CGN: Nuclear Powered Guided Missiles Cruiser. These are primarily designed for air defense and escorting nuclear powered Aircraft Carriers.
- 'C' Missile: Either Tomahawk missile launchers or some of the larger Soviet deck-launched missiles including the SS-N-12.
- Chance to Hit: The spread of die roll results that will result in that attack hitting the target.
- CV: Aircraft Carrier; primarily used by the United States to project air power around the world. Each usually carries a complement of 80 to 90 aircraft and helicopters.
- CVH: Helicopter Carrier; these usually carry a small number of bombers or vertical take-off fighters and anti-submarine helicopters.
- CVHG: A Helicopter Carrier (described above) supplemented with guided missiles.
- CVN: Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier. Similar to a CV. Sometimes referred to as '60,000 tons of American diplomacy.'
- DD: Destroyer; an escort to larger ships usually specializing in one area of combat such as air defense, surface combat, or anti-submarine warfare.
- DDG: A Destroyer (described above) augmented with guided missiles.
- Fast: Generic term for submarines with extremely fast speed.
- FF: Frigate; the smallest ship in the 'blue water navy.' Frigates are usually found on the fringes of a Task Force or Task Group, serving as pickets and carrying light, multi-role weaponry.
- FFG: A Frigate (described above) augmented with guided missiles.
The ships in Cold War Naval Battles I represent the navies of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the United States, the United Kingdom (England, Great Britain), and France.
Credits
- Game Design: Dan Verssen
- Game Development: Alan Emrich
- Component Art: RBM Graphics and Design Studio
- CWNB Layout and Additional Development: Alan Emrich