Next War: Series Supplement #1
Next War: Series Supplement #1 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 Submarines
Submarines are modeled rather abstractly in the Next War Series, and the impact of the rising capabilities of the PRC forces and the U.S. submarine force especially is currently undervalued. Although some allowance is made for them in terms of the Submarine Threat and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Levels, this is a high level abstraction and represents only a portion of their capabilities and usefulness for both sides. The following rules are a variant for modeling their use a little more explicitly in the Advanced Game for NWT and/or NWK (only). These rules replace the Submarine Threat and ASW Level rules; do not use or reference those rules except as noted below when playing Advanced Game scenarios.
1.1 Submarine Markers
Players receive Submarine markers both at start and as reinforcements during a scenario. These markers affect Sea Control, Sea Movement and Transport.
Submarine markers have only one value on the counter, Survivability. This number is used in ASW Survival Checks [1.3] and in Anti-Surface Warfare [1.2.2]. Additionally, they may be marked with a Cruise Missile symbol [1.2.3].
Design Note: Markers represent a focus of submarine activity not necessarily individual submarines. The names on the markers denote general classes of submarines..
1.1.1 Receiving Markers
At the start of a scenario, the players randomly receive a number of Submarine markers as defined by the tables below. The Japanese/US (NWK/NWT) and PRC (NWK) markers are only received if that nation intervenes at Level two or higher. In addition, both sides receive all of their Dummy markers for nations with Submarine markers [1.4].
Exception: In Next War: Korea or combined games, US markers are always received.
1.1.2 Marker Placement
During scenario setup, players who begin with Submarine markers, starting with the Allied player, alternate randomly choosing and placing them face down. Markers are placed in At Sea Boxes within the normal placement restrictions [1.1.5]. A Submarine marker in an At Sea Box is considered to also be in and affect the associated In Shore Box and All-Sea hexes.
Exception: There may be only one U.S. Submarine marker per At Sea Box during scenario setup.
1.1.3 Moving Markers
In each Reinforcement and Replacement Phase, players alternate, starting with the non-Initiative Player, moving markers into any adjacent At Sea Box as desired within placement restrictions [1.1.5].
1.1.4 Mine Laying
During the Mine Laying step, a player may place or increase the density of one mine marker in any appropriate location containing a Submarine marker in the associated At Sea Box per game turn.
1.1.5 Reinforcements
Markers arriving as reinforcements are randomly drawn and placed as follows:
- U.S.: Northern Approaches, Marianas, or Indian Ocean Holding Box (if playing NWK only, any At Sea Box)
- Japan: Sea of Japan or Ryukyu Islands
- Vietnam: South China Sea or Spratly Islands
- PRC: South China Sea, East China Sea, or Taiwan Straits
- Russia: Northern Approaches or Sea of Japan
1.1.6 Placement Restrictions
Certain nationalities have restrictions on where their markers can be placed and/or moved to as follows:
- DPRK: East China Sea and Sea of Japan
- Japan: East China Sea, Sea of Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Northern Approaches
- ROC: Taiwan Straits
- ROK: East China Sea and Sea of Japan
- US/RU/PRC: No restriction.
- Vietnam: South China Sea and Spratly Islands
1.2 Marker Effects
1.2.1 Sea Control & Movement/Transport
A revealed Submarine marker in an At Sea Box provides a +/–2 DRM in the player's favor for both Sea Control (the marker affects both the At Sea and In Shore Boxes) and Sea Movement or Transport. Only one marker may be used by each side to affect a die roll. Once revealed and assuming it survives, a marker may continue to be used to affect such rolls until the end of the turn. For Sea Control, the Initiative player chooses to reveal first; otherwise the moving player does so. Any Sea Movement or Transport conducted into an At Sea Box (or associated In Shore Box or All-Sea hex) with an enemy Submarine marker (revealed or not) is automatically a Contested Sea Movement, but the DRM only applies if the marker is revealed.
1.2.2 Anti-Surface Warfare
An unrevealed Submarine marker in an At Sea Box may conduct one attack against a Detected enemy Naval Unit in the same At Sea Box (or associated Inshore Box or All-Sea hex) during the Naval Surface Combat Segment. The Strike is conducted using the marker's Survivability Value, halved (rounded down) as the Naval Strike value. Temporarily reveal the marker when conducting the attack.
1.2.3 Cruise Missile Attacks
An unrevealed Submarine marker with a Cruise Missile symbol may be used to launch a Cruise Missile attack at any valid target during each Strike Phase. Such Cruise Missile attacks do not use any Cruise Missile points. Temporarily reveal the marker when conducting the attack.
Design Note: This is an abstraction which acknowledges that each marker represents several submarines operating in an area.
1.2.4 Detection Modifier
A friendly Submarine marker may provide a –1 DRM when attempting to detect enemy Naval Units in the same At Sea Box (or associated Inshore Box or All-Sea hex). It may provide this DRM any number of times, but the Submarine marker may not be used for any other purpose until the following game turn. There is no ASW Survival Check for this activity. Rotate the marker 180° to indicate this. Do not reveal the marker. Dummies may provide this effect.
1.3 ASW Survival
Any time a Submarine marker is used to provide a DRM for Sea Control or Contested Sea Movement [1.2.1], conducts Anti-Surface Warfare [1.2.2], or conducts a Cruise Missile attack [1.2.3], it must undergo an ASW Survival Check as the enemy Naval Units and other ASW assets attempt to detect, localize, and sink the submarines in the area.
1.3.1 ASW Survival Check
The Submarine marker player rolls a die and cross-references the die roll with the Survivability number on the Submarine marker. If the roll is less than the number, the submarine successfully evades. The following DRMs apply to this roll:
- +1 per enemy SAG/CV in the same At Sea Box (or associated Inshore Box or All-Sea hex) as the marker
- +1 if marker was revealed (prior to the action causing this survival check)
- +2 per enemy CVN in the same At Sea Box (or associated Inshore Box or All-Sea hex) as the marker
- +1 enemy has Air Supremacy (applies only if target is in East China Sea, Taiwan Straits, and South China Sea or associated Inshore Box or All-Sea hexes)
- +2 enemy has a Submarine marker in the same At Sea Box
- +/–x where "x" is the inverse of the enemy's Detection modifier in the At Sea Box
Play Note: This last modifier means that a PRC Submarine marker making a Survival Check in the Northern Approaches would incur a "+2" DRM.
1.3.2 ASW Results
If the modified roll is equal to the ASW Survival Value, the Submarine marker receives a Strike 1 marker. If it is more than the Value but less than double, it receives a Strike 2 marker. If it is double or more than the Value, the Submarine marker is Destroyed.
A Submarine marker which receives a Strike marker may immediately be placed in its nationality's Holding Box. ROC markers do not have a Holding Box; therefore, they may not "retreat" nor recover from Strike damage.
Exception: U.S. Submarine markers may be placed in the Japan Holding Box or the Indian Ocean Holding Box.
US/PRC/RU Submarine markers which receive a Destroyed result are placed on the Game Information Display three turns ahead and will enter as a reinforcement on that GT. All others are removed from the game. Destroying an enemy Submarine marker earns a player 3VP.
1.3.2.1 Strike Marker Recovery
Strike markers are reduced in the Holding Box during the Reorganization Phase: a Strike 2 becomes a Strike 1 and a Strike 1 is removed.
1.4 Dummy Markers
Unless otherwise specified, Dummy markers are placed exactly like Submarine markers. They have no game effects except to potentially obfuscate placement of Submarine markers to fool your opponent. Dummy markers may be moved like real Submarine markers following the rules above or simply picked up and placed in any At Sea Box during the Reinforcement Phase.
Optional: Dummy markers may be used to impact Naval Movement and/or Sea Transport. Reveal the marker, apply the DRM, then remove the marker from the map.
1.5 Submarine Marker Setup and Reinforcement Schedules
In all Scenarios, add the VN/RU Submarine markers during the Reinforcement Phase of the game turn that nation enters the war. If the scenario starts with VN/RU active, then place all their markers.
Unless otherwise specified below, a nation starts with all of its Submarine markers.
1.5.1 Strategic Surprise
| Turn | PRC* | U.S. (Level 2+) | Japan (Level 2+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| At Start | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| GT2 | 1 | ||
| GT3 | 1 | ||
| GT5 | 1 | 1 | |
| GT9 | 1 | ||
| GT11 | 2 | ||
| GT14 |
* This is for NWT. For NWK, this only applies if the PRC intervenes at Level 2+
1.5.2 Tactical Surprise
| Turn | PRC* | U.S. (Level 2+) | Japan (Level 2+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| At Start | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| GT3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| GT6 | 1 | ||
| GT9 | 1 | ||
| GT12 | 1 |
* This is for NWT. For NWK, this only applies if the PRC intervenes at Level 2+
1.5.3 Extended Buildup
| Turn | PRC* | U.S. (Level 2+) | Japan (Level 2+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| At Start | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| GT4 | 1 | 2 | |
| GT8 | 1 |
* This is for NWT. For NWK, this only applies if the PRC intervenes at Level 2+
1.6 Next War: Vietnam Specific Rules
Several countries are depicted on the Strategic Display. Most are divided into two or more Land Areas. There are also two Island Land Areas, the Spratleys and the Paracels, that are depicted as single large hexes.
All rules that apply to Land Areas also apply to Island Land Areas, unless otherwise specified.
1.6.1 Ports
The UK and FR may each use one Submarine marker if they intervene at Level 2 or higher.
2.0 Combined "Sub"-Systems
These optional rules allow players to combine the Submarine marker Rules from the Next War Series Supplement #1 with the ASW/Submarine Threat Level Series Rules.
In effect, simply use all the Submarine marker rules as well as the ASW/Submarine Threat Level rules with the following changes and additions:
2.1 Changing the Submarine Threat/ASW Level
Ignore Series Rule 7.4.3.1 and allow the Submarine Threat Level to recover after it reaches "0". Increase it whenever that player:
- receives a new Submarine marker
- receives a Naval unit as a reinforcement
- fully repairs a Destroyed Port
Whenever a side has a submarine marker eliminated, the appropriate Submarine Threat/ASW Level (depending on which side has lost a sub marker) is reduced by 1. Conversely, when a submarine is brought in as a reinforcement, the appropriate Submarine Threat/ASW Level is increased by 1.
2.2 ASW Results
Change Supplement Submarine marker rule 1.3.2 to allow non-US/-PRC/-RU Submarine markers that are Destroyed to be placed on the Game Information Display five turns ahead. They will enter as a reinforcement on that turn.
2.3 Contested Sea Movement
Apply the difference between the current ASW Level and the current Submarine Threat Level as a DRM to both sides. If the ASW Level is higher, then it benefits the Allied side; if the Submarine Threat Level is higher, then it benefits the non-Allied side.
2.4 Active Detection
Conduct an ASW Survival Check for each Submarine marker on the map during the Reorganization Phase of each turn.
Design Note: This represents the active hunting of submarines whether they've performed an action requiring an ASW Survival Check, so, yes, it's possible a Submarine marker may undergo two such checks in a turn.
3.0 Submarine Marker Setup and Reinforcement Schedules for Next War: Poland
3.1 United States
Place one randomly drawn marker in the North Sea. The US receives a randomly drawn marker for each CVN or SAG which sets up or arrives as a reinforcement. If there are no markers to place, none are drawn. This requires Supplement #1.
3.2 United Kingdom
Place the UK markers when the CW AMPH arrives as a reinforcement (including during setup). UK markers are placed in the North Sea.
3.3 France
Place the French marker when the FR CV arrives as a reinforcement (including during setup). French markers are placed in the North Sea.
3.3 Poland
Place the Polish marker in the Southern Baltic At Sea Box at setup or if it arrives as a reinforcement.
3.4 NATO
Add the German and Norwegian markers to the opaque cup as the last step in NWP GSR 17.2.3.1 Non-US, -Poland, & -Baltic Ground Units and SOF markers. When arriving as a reinforcement, place them in either the North Sea or Bornholm Basin At Sea Box.
3.5 Russia
During setup, place one randomly drawn nuclear powered marker in the North Sea; place the three diesel-powered markers in any Baltic Sea At Sea Box. When arriving as a reinforcement, Russian nuclear powered markers arrive in the North Sea; diesel-powered markers arrive in any Baltic Sea At Sea Box.
3.6 Sweden
In all Scenarios, add the Swedish Submarine marker during the Reinforcement Phase of the game turn that nation enters the war. If the scenario starts with Sweden active, then place its marker during setup. In either case, it may be placed in either the Northern or Southern Baltic At Sea Box.
3.7 Baltic Sea ASW Survival
An additional +2 DRM is applied to the ASW Survival Check for any nuclear submarines in the Baltic Sea.
Design Note: This represents the better survivability for diesel submarines in the Baltic Sea, or, more accurately, the decreased survivability for nuclear submarines.