Wolfpack: The North Atlantic Convoy Struggles October 1941 - March 1943
Wolfpack: The North Atlantic Convoy Struggles October 1941 - March 1943 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Definition of Terms
- Card Pulls
- Patrol Map & Counters
- U-boat Board & Counters
- Tracking Campaign and Crew Data
- Campaign Patrol Set-Up
- Patrol Rules
- Turn Structure of a Patrol
- Torpedo Movement/Detonation Phase
- U-boat Movement Phase
- U-boat Facing
- U-boat Observation Phase
- TDC Calculation Phase
- Anti-Submarine Warfare Phase
- Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Approach Map
- Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Attack Map
- Convoy Movement Phase
- Reload Torpedo Phase
- U-boat Attack Phase
- Damage Control Phase
- End of Turn
- Officer or Crew Lost on Patrol
- U-boat Lost on Patrol
- End of Patrol/Return to Base
- Victory Conditions
- Setting Up the Next Campaign Patrol
- Officer Losses and Promotions
- U-boat Losses
- Sequence of Play
- Components
- Credits
Definition of Terms
ALL HANDS — The phrase "All Hands" is used to indicate when any or all of the three Crew Sections may be used for a function. It is also used to indicate a location which may be repaired by any Crew Section.
ANGLE DRM DECK — The Angle DRM card is used to determine the torpedo angle To-Hit modifiers and target ship modifier during Torpedo Movement/Detonation.
APPROACH MAP — The Approach map consists of the colored boxes surrounding the central play area. It contains movement boxes for the U-boats, ASW Patrol Boxes and ASW Search Boxes for the Escorts, and arrows indicating U-boat movement (outer arrows connect movement boxes, inner arrows indicate potential movement spaces when moving from Approach to Attack).
ASW ATTACK DECK — Each ASW Attack card lists depths (from Surface to 180m) and contact levels (from Full Contact to Lost Contact 2) to resolve surface gunnery and depth charge attacks by Escorts against U-boats within their range.
To keep things simple, the term "depth charge" includes all ASW equipment of the time period.
ATTACK MAP — The Attack map consists of the blue dots and boxes (movement spaces) in the center of the play area. U-boats and Escorts can move using both dots and boxes, convoy ships are assigned to the boxes.
BATTLE DECK — Each Battle card contains anti-submarine warfare (ASW) results, a die roll, and a random number table. The deck of these cards is used to resolve anti-submarine warfare procedures, Escort placement, sonar search, radar search, visual search, evasive maneuvers, ASW attack, d10 die roll number generation, and random number generation.
CAMPAIGN — A campaign of Wolfpack consists of three or more Patrols, beginning in Oct-Dec 1941. A Campaign can end in victory by successful patrols over 4 War Periods. It can also end in defeat by failed patrols over 3 War Periods or by the cumulative loss of U-boats. There are three different types of campaigns available.
CAPTAIN COUNTER — A Captain counter is assigned to each Escort that enters play and is placed beneath the Escort counter. The Captain will remain with its Escort for the entire Patrol. Any mention of an Escort in play assumes the presence of its Captain as well.
COMBAT DECK — Each Combat card lists ranges (short, medium, and long range) and time/weather conditions to resolve search attempts and TDC calculations. It also contains the Merchant To-Hit numbers determined by the convoy speed, time, and weather. Depending on its use, this card will be positioned either vertically or horizontally.
While this card is used to determine hits on merchant ships and convoy ships, it is used more for attacks against merchant ships and that title is used for convenience.
CONTACT — When an Escort conducts a successful search for a U-boat, it establishes contact and an Alarm marker is placed in the U-boat's Escort ID box on the Depth & Detection track. As long as that marker remains there, the Escort has some level of contact on that U-boat.
CONVOY SHIPS — There are three types of convoy ships: cargo ships, tankers, and troop transport. All rules for convoy ships apply to all types. The distinction in ship types was made for historical and aesthetic purposes only.
CREW — A U-boat's crew consists of four Officers (Captain, 1st Watch Officer, 2nd Watch Officer/Medic, and Chief Engineer) and three Crew Sections (bow, midship, and stern). Each Officer or Crew Section is assigned a number value to be used when determining random effects. Any time you see "crew" (with a lowercase c), that means all personnel aboard the U-boat.
CREW ENHANCEMENTS — Experience points gained from previous Patrols are spent to improve the skills of the crew. Enhancements give the various crew members increased abilities in targeting, healing, repairs and decision making.
CREW SECTIONS — U-boat Crew Sections in the bow, midship, and stern locations are each responsible for equipment and repairs in their area of the U-boat.
d10 — Some game effects call for the result of a 10-sided die roll. This is represented within the rules by the text "Pull a d10". Flip over the top card of the Battle deck and use the number by the image of a 10-sided die for the result. [5]
DEPTH — U-boats track their distance from the surface in meters with a marker on the Depth & Detection track. Different depths hold advantages or calamities for a U-boat. The depths range from surface and periscope depths where a U-boat can be spotted by an Escort to the perilous depth of 270m where implosion is guaranteed.
DETONATION/DAMAGE DECK — A Detonation/Damage card indicates if torpedoes successfully detonate, the amount of damage inflicted on an Escort or convoy ship, and the location and level of damage done to a U-boat.
ESCORT SHIP — Escorts are used to protect the convoy ships and hunt down U-boats. The stats on an Escort counter indicate the ship's ID number, class, attack value against surfaced U-boats, defensive modifier, ship type, and attack value against submerged U-boats. There is also an indicator to signify if the Escort has been fitted with upgraded technology.
ESCORT ASSIGNED MARKER — Escort Assigned markers are used to mark individual Escorts responding to a call to General Quarters.
ESCORT REQUEST MARKER — General Quarters is a call to action, requiring Escorts in the area to rally to the defense of a convoy ship. An Escort Request marker is placed on a convoy ship in an Attack space when it suffers any kind of damage (including superficial damage) or conducts a successful search for a U-boat or periscope, steam torpedo wake during the day, or a dud torpedo result. A Targeted Request marker is placed on a U-boat when the convoy gains visual contact on it.
ESCORTS HOLDING TRACK — The Escorts holding track holds counters for Escorts who have been on Patrol but are no longer in contact with a U-boat. The Escorts cycle off the map to the bottom of the track, adjust upwards to make room for additional Escorts to be placed, and return to the map from the top position as indicated by the arrow pointing back to the map area on the game board.
EXPERIENCE POINTS (XPs) — XPs are provided for each new U-boat entering the Campaign and additional XPs are gained by the sinking of tonnage of convoy ships and the level of success while on Patrol. The points can be spent on the purchase of Tactical Points and Crew Enhancements or converted to Flotilla Points.
FIRING ANGLE — The firing angle of a torpedo is the direction from the firing U-boat toward its intended target. The torpedo angle will be 45° unless the torpedo travels at a right angle toward its target (0°, 90°, or 180°). This angle will be relevant during the Torpedo Detonation phase as it determines a modifier applied to the attack.
FLOTILLA — Each flotilla consists of four U-boats (either Type VII or Type IX) which, if available, can be chosen by any player for the current Patrol.
FLOTILLA POINTS (FPs) — FPs are a common pool of points, shared by all players, to be spent during Patrol Set-up to: re-pull a card for Convoy Size, Convoy Speed, Weather, Time of Day, and/or Torpedo Reloads. When spending FPs, reduce the number of FPs (tracked on the Campaign Log) for every FP spent. FPs are gained and spent throughout a Campaign.
GENERAL INFO MARKER — These numbered markers are used to track information for a variety of purposes in the game. The marker is placed with the current value showing at the top (samples here indicate 1 and 5), and are rotated or flipped to indicate the next lower number as needed.
GENERAL QUARTERS — Escorts are called to General Quarters in response to U-boat activity using the Escort Request and Escort Assigned markers. The term "General Quarters" applies to both Escort Request and Targeted Request.
IMPLOSION CHECK — Before moving, each U-boat must make a check for possible implosion if at 210m or deeper or if they have sustained damage within the Crush Depth Check area on the Flooding track. If implosion occurs, the U-boat is destroyed and sunk and its crew are lost.
PATROL — A Patrol represents approximately one month of operations at sea. Three Patrols comprise a War Period, with six War Periods to a full Campaign. Each Patrol is played out separately and the win-loss record is added up for each War Period to determine possible victory or loss during a Campaign. A single Patrol can also be played by itself with its own victory and loss conditions.
PATROL DECK — The Patrol deck is used at the beginning of a Patrol to determine starting U-boat location, possible random event (Campaign game only), and starting torpedo reloads. They are used again at the end of a Patrol for a possible event during Return to Base Transit.
QUADRANTS — The Attack map area is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant may hold a maximum of one Escort Request marker. The center horizontal row and vertical column are special cases and placement in these spaces have special rules. [48]
RANDOM NUMBERS — Some game effects call for the use of a random number. This is represented within the rules by the text "Pull R#". [5]
RANGE — Range is the distance from Ship A to Ship B (e.g. from a U-boat to a convoy ship) which includes the space occupied by Ship B but excludes the space containing Ship A.
RE-PULLING A CARD — Some card pulls in the game can be re-pulled at a cost of 1TP. They are identified with the text "(may re-pull)" and this icon. Some may not be re-pulled and are identified as "(no re-pull)" with this icon.
RING NUMBERS — Convoy ships are arranged in rings with the most valuable cargo and tankers being at the center, most protected, ring. Convoy ship counters and the spaces they occupy on the Attack map have their Ring number in the lower right corner. [19 and 37]
SILENT RUNNING — In an attempt to evade sonar detection, U-boats at a depth of 30m or more use Silent Running to decrease their noise by eliminating as much sound as possible. A U-boat using Silent Running may not move, change depths, or reload torpedoes, but each crew section may perform a damage control procedure at a total cost of 1TP.
SPACES — The dots and boxes on the Attack map are collectively known as "spaces" and are used for movement and counting range for U-boats and Escorts. The boxed spaces are also used for positioning the convoy ships.
SUBMERGED — A U-boat at periscope depth or deeper is considered submerged for all game purposes.
SUNK — When the Flooding or Fire markers are placed in the last box of their track, the U-boat is immediately sunk. Implosion (including from 270m depth) will also sink a U-boat.
SUPPLY — The markers used to mark various game effects are stored in the general supply or a player's supply when not in use. Player's markers are color-coded to their U-boat and the supply is kept on the table near the player's U-boat board. All other markers are part of the general supply and can be placed near the main map for easy access when needed.
TACTICAL POINTS (TPs) — Tactical Points are used during a Patrol to re-pull a card result (one per attempt), Crash Dive, attempt Evasive Maneuvers to avoid contact, and to prevent a Return to Base Transit event. The cost is 1TP each. Reduce the number of TPs (tracked on the U-boat board) for every TP spent. TPs do not carry over to the next Patrol.
TIME ON TARGET (TOT) — A measure of the time a Captain will search for a U-boat when called to General Quarters.
U-BOAT IDENTIFICATION — The U-boats used in a Patrol, identified as W, X, Y and Z, are selected from the historic flotillas and match up with the four player U-boat boards.
VICTORY CONDITIONS — The Campaign ends in success or failure depending on the win-loss record over a number of War Periods or the cumulative loss of U-boats. The single Patrol option has its own victory and loss conditions.
WAR PERIOD — There are six War Periods in a full campaign game of Wolfpack, each made up of three Patrols. Some game effects require a check of the availability of certain equipment or features. For these purposes, Early War indicates June 1942 and earlier (also written as 1942/6) and Late War references July 1942 and later (also written as 1942/7).
NOTE: The counters in Wolfpack are top-flipped instead of side-to-side. This is an homage to Chad Jensen's style of counters from Fighting Formations. Chad studied the way his playtesters handled the game components during testing and found this top-flip style to be more intuitive for players. I admire Chad's dedication to quality with his games and made this choice for Wolfpack in his memory.
Card Pulls
Wolfpack is played with multiple decks of cards which are used for all die rolls and most procedure outcomes. Any time the rules require a player to pull a card, they select the appropriate deck and draw the top card of that deck and immediately place it on the table so all can see the outcome before reading it aloud. (Nobody sitting at the table wants to watch you read the card to yourself.) Create a discard pile for each deck and place the card face-up on top of the discard pile after its effect has been resolved.
Shuffle: Some cards have the word "Shuffle" printed on them. After resolving the effect for which the card was pulled, play will pause for a moment while the deck and discard pile for those cards are shuffled together to form a new draw deck.
Discard Pile: Players may not look at cards in the discard pile. Only the top face-up card should be visible.
Re-pulls: Flotilla Points (during Set-up) or Tactical Points (during Patrol) may be spent to re-pull some pulled outcomes. During Set-Up, see the Set-Up section for costs. During Patrol, spend 1TP to re-pull a card. There is a maximum of one re-pull per result. The second card's results must be used, even if worse than the original card.
If a re-pull is allowed, it is marked with this icon. If no re-pull is allowed, it is marked with this icon.
Die Rolls
There are two kinds of "die rolls" used in the game and both are from card pulls – a d10 roll and a random number roll.
How do I "roll a die" with a card?
All game effects are resolved using cards from the various decks. To "roll a d10" or check a random number, simply reveal the top card of the Battle deck and consult the indicated section.
d10 — The Die Roll Card Pull
The Battle cards have a d10 roll number in the middle of the card next to an image of a d10 die. Any time a d10 pull is called for in the game, draw the top card of the Battle card deck and use that d10 number to resolve the effect.
EXAMPLE: A procedure states "Pull a d10 to determine…" Take the top card of the Battle deck and place it face-up on the table and consult the die roll number. On the card shown here, the d10 result is 7.
R# — The Random Number Card Pull
A Random Number chart is located on each card in the Battle card deck, directly below the d10 number. A random number between 1 and 4 is assigned to each of the number of possibilities. Any time a situation arises when a random determination is needed, use this random number generator.
The top of the chart indicates how many possibilities are being checked and the numbers below are their results. In the rare event that more than four factors are involved, players are to use any convenient method to generate the necessary random number.
EXAMPLE: Jordan, Jerome and Allen all have U-boats in the same ASW search area and an Escort achieves a successful radar search in the area. There are three possible targets for this successful search: Jordan, Jerome and Allen. Assign a number for each of these possibilities.
In our case, we assign Jordan as 1, Jerome is 2, and Allen becomes number 3. A Battle card is drawn from the top of the deck and revealed. On the card shown, using the "3" column for the number of targets, we find that Jerome has been caught on radar as he is number 2 of the three possibilities.
Torpedo To-Hit & Straggler rolls
An unmodified roll of 10 is an automatic hit for torpedo to-hit and Straggler resolution rolls. An unmodified roll of 1 is an automatic miss. You will see a reminder at the appropriate rules that looks like this:
10 = auto hit • 1 = auto miss
Patrol Map & Counters
Getting Familiar with the Game Board
The main game board is divided into three sections: the Approach map, the Attack map, and a General Information area on the right side of the board containing a Sequence of Play and several tables.
Around the edges of the board's play area, the U-boat Approach Movement boxes consist of U-boat movement boxes (B) and ASW Search/Patrol boxes (C). U-boats and Escorts use these boxes for movement, Escort search and contact, and U-boat Escort evasion. The Approach map is used during the first ten turns of the game. Entry to the Attack map is variable beginning on Turn 8.
The U-boat Attack movement spaces consist of the dots and squares on the inner portion of the map (F). The Attack map is used once the first U-boat leaves the Approach map (as early as Turn 8). U-boats maneuver, make Torpedo Data Computer (TDC) calculations, fire their torpedoes, and evade enemy Escort ships within this area.
In addition, the Attack map is divided into four quadrants. The center row of squares, both horizontally and vertically, are the dividing lines for these quadrants. See [48] for more details.
The right side of the map contains the Sequence of Play and various tracks used to record the current status of game situations and U-boat depth.
- A Approach map (outer ring)
- B U-boat Approach movement boxes
- C ASW Search/Patrol boxes
- D Attack map (inner map)
- E Convoy ship location box
- F Attack movement spaces (dots & boxes)
- G Turn/Info Track
- H Escorts holding track
- I Intercept boxes
- J Weather box
- K Day/Night box
- L Convoy Speed box
- M Sequence of Play
- N Escort Distance & Contact Status boxes
- O Escort ID boxes
NOTE: The game board below is for a large convoy and is ready to begin the Set-up for a Patrol in the full campaign. One U-boat board (Type VII) is shown with its Set-up as well.
- P Depth Track
- Q U-boat Depth marker tracks
- R General Supply
- S Decks
- T Player's supply
- U Player's U-boat board
Note: This is a representative sample. Actual quantities of each counter shown here will likely be greater.
U-boat Board & Counters
U-boat Board
Each player will have their own U-boat board with their own ID letter (W, X, Y, or Z). Players will use these boards and counters to track everything related to the U-boat's status during a Patrol.
- A U-boat ID letter
- B U-boat Type (VII or IX)
- C Gas Damage track
- D Fire Damage track
- E Flooding track
- F Tactical Points total
- G Officers
- H Crew Sections: Bow, Midship, Stern
- I Torpedo Tubes 1-4 & TDC boxes
- J Bow Torpedo Reload boxes
- K Operational Status
- L Torpedo Tube 5 & TDC box
- M Stern Torpedo Reload box
- N Hydrophone damage box
- O Deck Gun damage box
- P Periscope damage box
- Q Diesel Engine damage box
- R Electric Engine damage box
- S Rudder/Planes damage box
All of the boxes and tracks on the U-boat board represent locations within the U-boat. Anything referring to a "location" will mean either a track or box, as appropriate.
NOTE: The Type IX board has an additional box on the Flooding track and two stern torpedo tubes. The functionality of these remains the same as the Type VII.
All Hands: This icon indicates that any of the three Crew Sections can affect repairs to damage in this area.
TDC Target ID markers show the Torpedo Tube Number, U-boat Color, and U-boat ID Letter. Torpedo counters (A = steam torpedo, E = electric torpedo) show the torpedo type, U-boat Color, Torpedo Tube Number, and U-boat ID Letter.
U-boat Counters for Player Supply
There are several markers used to indicate conditions aboard each U-boat. Unless otherwise mentioned during Set-Up, these markers can be set aside near the U-boat board to create a player supply for later use.
Damage/Wounds: There are four levels of damage and wounds. For Damage, they are Light, Medium, and Heavy Damage, and Destroyed. For Wounds, they are Light, Medium, and Heavy Wounds, and KIA.
Flooding: This marker has two sides: one represents Flooding and the other shows Flooding damage that has been contained. Flooding has eight levels (Type VII) or ten levels (Type IX) and will sink a U-boat if not repaired.
Fire: This marker has two sides: one represents Fire and the other shows Fire damage that has been contained. Fire has three levels and will sink a U-boat if not contained.
Gas: This marker represents the hazard of CO₂ gas, toxic gas from damaged batteries, and smoke in the U-boat. Crew take damage unless the gas can be vented by surfacing.
Loading 1/2: It takes 3 turns to complete the loading of a torpedo. These markers track that loading time. While being loaded, a tube cannot be fired. These are placed on the actual torpedo counter when the loading process is started.
Silent Running: This marker shows the operational status of Silent Running is being used. The default status is Operational Running.
Designer Note: The red side of the Running marker is for "flavor" to simulate the lighting used while attacking or under attack.
Torpedo Reloads: These markers show the remaining number of a specific type of torpedo. Rotate the marker as needed so the side face-up to the player is the current number.
TDC modifier: This marker indicates a modifier to a TDC calculation. Values range from -2 to +3. When in use on a U-boat, the marker is placed in the TDC box below its corresponding torpedo.
Attack marker: This marker is placed on a convoy ship to mark its location when under torpedo attack.
TDC Target ID: These are used to mark an individual U-boat's targeting of a convoy ship or Escort.
Torpedo: These are used to identify individual torpedoes fired from a specific U-boat and which tube they were fired from in order to track their direction to the target and the time and distance to contact. These counters are placed in the U-boat's tubes as soon as loading is completed.
General Info: U-boats begin every Patrol with 2 TPs for free. Additional TPs can be purchased during Set-up as well. Place a General Info marker on the TP space with a "2" at the top to indicate the starting TP total.
U-boat Depth Marker: Each U-boat has its own marker for tracking its current depth in the Depth & Detection Track on the main game board. This marker has two sides: one for surfaced and the other for submerged.
General Use Counters & Markers
Many counters and markers are used for general purposes during the game. Unless otherwise mentioned during Set-up, these can be set aside near the map as a general supply for later use. The term counters is used for the players' U-boats, Captains, and the Escort and convoy ships. The term markers is used for the information chits.
Ships
Convoy ships: These represent the cargo ships, tankers, and troop transport within the convoy. They are two-sided with the Ring number on the face and the ship's information on the reverse. The special convoy ships are a Troop Transport or have Ammo and Arms listed with the tonnage for historical flavor. The face shows Ship Size, Ring Number and VP Value; the reverse shows Ship Type and Tonnage.
Escort ships: These represent the Escorts defending the convoy. They are two-sided with the Unfitted side on the face and the Fitted side on the reverse. DDs are always Fitted. The Fitted side indicates improved equipment for U-boat detection and upgraded depth charges. (C: corvette, S: sloop, DD: destroyer, DE: destroyer escort) Each Escort ship shows Class, Ship #, Ship Type, Fitted status, Surface Attack Value, Defensive DRM, and Submerged Attack Value.
Captain
Captain: These represent the Captains of the Escort ships and list their aggression rating (use of depth charges), the duration of their Time on Target (search time), and if the Sonar and Helmsman on board is Elite. They are two-sided with the Helmsman ratings on the face (Elite Helmsman, Aggression, Time on Target, Elite Sonar) and the full information on the reverse.
- Aggression – A Captain counter with a depth charge icon will attack with Depth Charges (while on Attack map). Escorts will always attack while on the Approach map.
- Time on Target (ToT) – This is the number of turns the associated Escort will take to search a quadrant before going to the Escort holding track if the search is unsuccessful. (Attack map only)
- Sonar – A Captain counter with a sonar icon has an elite Sonar operator on his Escort who has a better chance of success in searching for a U-boat.
- Helmsman – A Captain counter with a ship's wheel icon indicates the Escort has an elite Helmsman. (Approach & Attack maps)
Homing / Alarm / Lost Contact
Escort Homing: These are used to mark when Escorts are homing on a U-boat. In use, the marker is placed in the Escort Distance Contact Level box.
Alarm: These mark an individual Escort ship that has contact on a U-boat. In use, the marker is placed in the Escort ID box.
Lost Contact 1 & 2: These mark the time since contact with a U-boat was lost by an Escort ship. They are two-sided. In use, the marker is placed in the Escort Distance Contact Level box.
Time on Target
These represent the amount of time a Captain will devote to attempting to locate a U-boat when his Escort is called to General Quarters on the Attack map.
False Contact
This is used to mark False Contact when checking for Escorts in the Approach map. This represents when a U-boat believed it had spotted an Escort but, in reality, there was none.
Spot Range
The Spot Range markers are used to indicate on the map the range for spotting and identifying ships. Players use these counters during the U-boat Observation phase to aid in the spotting and identification of convoy ships.
General Quarters
Escort/Targeted Request: These are used to mark when a convoy ship has been alerted to the presence of a U-boat by an attack or visual sighting. In use, the marker is placed on the Attack map. The reverse side (Targeted Escort Request) is used when a steam torpedo's wake has alerted the convoy to General Quarters. It is also used when a Convoy ship gets visual contact on a U-boat.
Escort Assigned: These are used to mark individual Escorts responding to a call to General Quarters. The number on this marker must match the number on the Escort.
Damaged & Sunk
These two-sided markers indicate damage inflicted on Escorts and convoy ships (Damaged) and the loss of a ship due to sinking (Sunk). There is open water on the reverse of the Damaged marker and a lifeboat on the reverse of the Sunk marker to signify a space where a convoy ship has been removed from the Attack map.
U-boat
The U-boat counters mark the location of players' U-boats on the Approach and Attack maps. They are two-sided; the front side indicates the U-boat is running on the surface, the reverse indicates it is submerged. The U-boat's front is at the top of the U-boat counter when it is placed right-side up. The letters for U-boat type and player ID are at the bottom.
-3 / -4 DRM
These are used as reminders to mark situations on the map with negative modifiers. They are two-sided.
Observation Periscope
An Observation Periscope replaces the standard periscope in the event it is destroyed.
General Information
These are used to mark any game function needing to track a number or duration of turns for an effect. The number face-up to the player (at the top of the marker) is the current number. When reducing a number from 1 to 0, remove the marker. They are two-sided with additional numbers on the reverse.
Crash Dive/Emergency Blow
A Crash Dive may be made by a surfaced U-boat when a distance marker is placed on an Escort. Place the marker on the Depth & Detection track as a reminder. [42]
These markers are used to track a U-boat performing an Emergency Blow in an attempt to reach the surface as quickly as possible. [35]
Turn Track Markers
Turn: This is used to mark the current turn on the Turn/Info Track.
VP / VP +25: These are used on the Turn/Info Track to indicate the current victory point total during a Patrol. They are two-sided.
Patrol Conditions Markers
Day/Night: This is used to record the time of day for the Patrol in the information section of the map. This is two-sided. (These correspond to the symbols below on the cards.)
Slow Convoy/Fast Convoy: This is used to record the speed of the convoy ships racing against the current Patrol in the information section of the map. This is two-sided.
Good/Bad: This is used to record the day's weather in the information section of the map. This is two-sided. (These correspond to the symbols below on the cards.)
Game Maps
There are two game maps — one on either side of the board — for large and small convoys. The top and bottom rows of convoy ships are present on the large map and not on the small map. There are seven rows of convoy ships on the large map and only five rows on the small map.
Large Map / Small Map.
Tracking Campaign and Crew Data
The Campaign Log sheet is used to track U-boats throughout the course of the Campaign, including their U-boat type, VP total per War Period, refit time, Experience Points gained, and convoy ship tonnage sunk.
There is room at the bottom of the log for tracking Flotilla Points, cumulative VPs, and U-boat losses as well as a Notes area for miscellaneous comments.
The Campaign Log and Crew Enhancements Chart will be on two sides of a single page. Players may make copies of the Campaign Log/Crew Enhancements Chart sheet.
Campaign Log Sheet
Campaign Length: A full campaign game of Wolfpack lasts a maximum of eighteen Patrols, from October 1941 until March 1943. The Campaign is divided into 6 War Periods each consisting of 3 months (Patrols). A single Patrol in a Campaign game equals one month. Each War Period on the Campaign Log also notes the cumulative U-boat losses for that period that would constitute an automatic Campaign Loss and the required VP totals for each War Period.
EXAMPLE: In the third War Period – April through June 1942 – the note "U-boat L-10" indicates that the cumulative loss of a total of ten U-boats at the end of this War Period means the Campaign has been lost.
Victory Points: Players will work together to achieve the needed victory points during each War Period [68]. The Victory Points do not carry over from one War Period to another; reset to zero for each new War Period played.
Using the Campaign Sheet: The provided Campaign sheet can be used to track the ID of U-boats in the current Patrol, experience points gained, and tonnage sunk. It also lists the victory conditions for each War Period.
During a Patrol, players can write the U-boat ID letter (W/X/Y/Z) in the space corresponding to their U-boat and the current Patrol month. The ID letter is replaced with a letter which indicates the status of the U-boat once the Patrol is completed. XP and tonnage are updated at the conclusion of each Patrol.
Designer's Note: These abbreviations are just suggestions for how to log the data. If you have a method that works better for you, by all means, use it!
C = Patrol completed; N = not available; S = sunk; Sc = scuttled; P = extra Patrol; - = did not go on patrol; Cp = Captured; R = in Refit; W/X/Y/Z = designation of U-boat currently on Patrol.
EXAMPLE: Here we see 1st Flotilla has been active Oct-Dec 1941, sending U-81 and U-201 each out once on two separate Patrols so far; U-201 in October, followed by U-81 in November. For December's patrol, U-81 and U-202 are preparing to head out while U-201 is still in Refit. U-563 is impatiently awaiting its first Patrol.
Crew Enhancements Chart
Each Flotilla will need its own Crew Enhancements Chart sheet to log enhancements gained by Officers and Crew Sections. Experience Points gained from previous Patrols are spent to improve the skills of the crew. Enhancements give the various crew members increased abilities in targeting, healing, repairs and decision making.
NOTE: As the crew enhancements can be lost if a U-boat is sunk or captured or an Officer is killed, we recommend using pencil to mark these tracks.
PLAY NOTE: If two players select U-boats from the same flotilla, they will share the Crew Enhancements Chart to log their enhancements.
Experience must be gained in sequence, meaning that the upper enhancement at Level 1 must be purchased (per U-boat) before the next enhancement below (Level 2) becomes available. To indicate increases in Crew Enhancements, circle the number of the U-boat where the increase was purchased.
EXAMPLE: Looking at the Captain enhancements, you can see that the 2 TDCs enhancement is the first upgrade in the Level 1 box. If the player spends 10XPs for U-boat #3 for this enhancement, circle the 3 on the U-boat ID row above it to indicate the purchase.
When the next enhancement branches into two options, either path may be chosen. Each path contains its own prerequisites, however.
EXAMPLE: Still looking at the Captain's options, after the next Patrol, U-boat #3 will have two options for Captain Level 2 enhancements – 3 TDCs or +1TP @ start – each at a cost of 15 XPs.
If U-boat #3 elected to purchase the +1TP @ start enhancement, they could purchase +1 DRM to TDC option as the following Level 3 enhancement. They could either get the 3 TDCs for 15 XPs (to be able to progress to the +1 DRM to TDC at a later time) or continue their current path by purchasing the +2 TP @ start enhancement for 20 XPs.
Enhancements are not cumulative; the new skill does not add to the previous one.
EXAMPLE: When the Captain gains the "3 TDCs" skill, that is a total of 3, (not added to the previous 2 to get 5).
If a Captain has purchased either of the 20XP Enhancements and his U-boat has achieved a total of 100,000 tons sunk, he automatically gains the final Enhancement along that progression.
REMINDER: Any decks used during Set-Up need to be shuffled once more before starting the game.
Chief Engineer and Crew Section both need to be upgraded to work together. If the Chief Engineer has the 1 Repair Location enhancement, then one upgraded Crew Section can use its highest repair enhancement. If the Chief Engineer has the 2 Repair Locations enhancement, then two upgraded Crew Sections can use their highest repair enhancement. If the Chief Engineer has the 3 Repair Locations enhancement, all upgraded Crew Sections can use their highest repair enhancement.
The following pages contain detailed descriptions of the abilities gained by Officers and Crew Sections for each of these enhancements.
Captain
| Level | Ability | Cost | Prerequisite | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 TDCs | 10XP | None | Make two separate TDC calculations and assign the results to as many torpedoes on the U-boat as you want. |
| 2 | 3 TDCs | 15XP | 2 TDCs | Make three separate TDC calculations and assign the results to as many torpedoes on the U-boat as you want. |
| 3 | +1 DRM to TDC | 20XP | 3 TDCs | Add +1 DRM to each TDC roll. |
| 4 | Pull 2 TDC cards | 100k tons (auto) | +1 DRM to TDC | Pull 2 TDC cards instead of 1 and use value from either. |
| 2 | +1TP at start | 15XP | 2 TDCs | Gain 1TP at Patrol start (marked on U-boat) |
| 3 | +2TP at start | 20XP | +1TP at start | Gain 2TP at Patrol start (marked on U-boat) |
| 4 | Pull 2 Evades | 100k tons (auto) | (2nd) +1TP at start | Pull 2 cards for Evasive Maneuvers instead of 1 and use a result from either. |
1st Watch Officer
| Level | Ability | Cost | Prerequisite | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 TDCs | 10XP | None | Make two separate TDC calculations and assign the results to as many torpedoes on the U-boat as you want. |
| 2 | 3 TDCs | 15XP | 2 TDCs | Make three separate TDC calculations and assign the results to as many torpedoes on the U-boat as you want. |
| 3 | +1 DRM to TDC | 20XP | 3 TDCs | Add +1 DRM to each TDC roll. |
2nd WO/Medic
| Level | Ability | Cost | Prerequisite | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heal Wound (8+) | 10XP | None | On a d10 roll with result 8 or higher, reduce one level of wounds from any one Officer or Crew Section. |
| 2 | Heal Wound (6+) | 15XP | Heal Wound (8+) | On a d10 roll with result 6 or higher, reduce one level of wounds from any one Officer or Crew Section. |
| 3 | Heal Wound (5+) | 20XP | Heal Wound (6+) | On a d10 roll with result 5 or higher, reduce one level of wounds from any one Officer or Crew Section. |
| 4 | Heal Wound (4+) | 25XP | Heal Wound (5+) | On a d10 roll with result 4 or higher, reduce one level of wounds from any one Officer or Crew Section. |
| 3 | Heal 2 locations | 20XP | Heal Wound (6+) | Make attempts to heal wounds at two locations instead of one using best current Healing ability. |
| 4 | Heal +1 DRM | 25XP | Heal 2 locations | Add +1 DRM to each Heal Wound roll. |
Chief Engineer
| Level | Ability | Cost | Prerequisite | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Repair location | 10XP | None | If located with an upgraded Crew Section during a Repair attempt, repair one location per turn. |
| 2 | 2 Repair locations | 15XP | 1 Repair loc. | If located with an upgraded Crew Section during a Repair attempt, repair up to two locations per turn. |
| 3 | -1 Month repair | 20XP | 2 Repair locs. | Reduce Repair time by one month when recording Patrol results. |
| 4 | +1 DRM Fire | 25XP | -1 Month repair | Add a +1 DRM to each Repair roll against Fire. |
| 3 | 3 Repair locations | 20XP | 2 Repair locs. | If located with an upgraded Crew Section during a Repair attempt, repair up to three locations per turn. |
| 4 | +1 DRM Flood | 25XP | 3 Repair locs. | Add a +1 DRM to each Repair roll against Flooding. |
Crew Section (each section may heal)
| Level | Ability | Cost | Prerequisite | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 Repair with Engineer (not Fire) | 15XP | None | If located with an enhanced Chief Engineer during a Repair attempt, add a +1 DRM to one Repair attempt. May not use when repairing Fire. |
| 2 | +2 Repair with Engineer (not Fire) | 15XP | +1 Repair | If located with an enhanced Chief Engineer during a Repair attempt, add a +2 DRM to one Repair attempt. May not use when repairing Fire. |
| 3 | -1 Reload time | 20XP | +2 Repair | Reduce Reload time by one turn when placing a General Info marker for Reload. |
| 4 | +1 DRM Fire | 25XP | -1 Reload time | Add a +1 DRM to each Repair roll against Fire. |
| 3 | +1 DRM Fire | 20XP | +2 Repair | Add a +1 DRM to each Repair roll against Fire. |
| 4 | Heal Wound (8+) | 25XP | +1 DRM Fire | On a d10 roll with result 8 or higher, reduce one level of wounds from any one Officer or Crew Section. |
Campaign Patrol Set-Up
Overview: Each player selects a number of available U-boats from the Flotilla Campaign Log Sheets for the current Patrol. A maximum of four and a minimum of zero U-boats (skipping a Patrol to avoid losing U-boats) may be selected for a single Patrol. XPs may then be spent on Crew Enhancements, U-boat Repairs, and the purchase of additional TPs. Then Patrol Set-up conditions are determined, starting locations are assigned, and an event may be triggered. Torpedo Loaded and Reload counters are then placed. In some situations, one special convoy ship may be purchased. Flotilla Points (FPs) are spent for various effects including re-pulling cards used during Set-up. The Escort distribution cup is set up, and the Convoy Ship piles are prepared. Step-by-step instructions with further details are listed below.
Flotilla Points (FPs) and Tactical Points (TPs) are assigned and used during Set-up. FPs, tracked on the Campaign Log, are gained and spent throughout the Campaign. Tactical Points, tracked on the U-boat board, are only used for a single Patrol; they do not carry over from one Patrol to another.
Wolfpack can be played in three different Campaign modes or as a single Patrol:
- the entire Campaign of 18 Patrols
- single War Period Campaign of 3 Patrols
- Early War (Oct '41–Jun '42) Campaign of 9 Patrols
- single Patrol
For the multi-Patrol Campaigns, the number of Patrols listed is the maximum number that can be played. It is possible to have a Campaign (except the single Patrol) end early due to U-boat losses or insufficient VPs.
The following section contains the rules and options for setting up a Patrol for the 18-turn Campaign scenario. For Set-up of a short Campaign, a single-War Period, or a single Patrol game, see the Playbook and scenario Set-up cards.
Spending Flotilla Points
Flotilla Points (FPs) are a resource shared by all players and used to help shape the conditions of the Patrol. They are used to re-pull cards that set the Patrol conditions, to add a chance at a special convoy ship, and to reduce Refit time.
The first Patrol of a full campaign starts with 24 FPs available. Subsequent Patrols will have FPs dependent on their Campaign success. FPs may be spent during Patrol Set-up from a common pool of points shared by all players. Any player may spend these points during Patrol Set-up for the following effects during the phase specified:
- 8 FPs to re-pull a card: During Patrol Set-Up, you can reject the result of a card pull and pay 8 Flotilla Points (not Tactical Points) to pull another card to attempt to improve the result. You can re-pull cards for Convoy Size, Convoy Speed, Weather, Time of Day, and/or starting torpedoes. The decision to re-pull a card is done after each card is pulled for its results. Reduce the number of FPs available by 8 then re-pull the card type just pulled. The result of the new card is used.
NOTE: These re-pulls are different than the TP re-pulls done during a Patrol. During Patrol Set-Up, Flotilla Points are spent on the possibility of setting up improved conditions for a successful Patrol. While on Patrol, Tactical Points are spent on the possibility of gaining a better outcome on a card pull.
- 8 FPs to reduce Refit time by 1 month: During the stage of U-boat Selection, reduce the number of FPs available by 8 then remove the rightmost "R" (Refit time) on the Campaign Log for the selected U-boat. This can be repeated as many times as you can pay for, if desired, to further reduce the Refit time.
Deduct the FPs spent for any of these from the group total on the Campaign Log as they are spent. There is a box at the bottom right of the Campaign Log for tracking your FPs.
NOTE: The expenditure of FPs is not performed now but is listed first as you need to be aware of this option for the upcoming procedures.
Assigning U-boats
Each player takes a U-boat board for each of their selected U-boats and places them on the table in front of them.
NOTE: The rules are written assuming one U-boat per player. If playing with multiple U-boats per player, treat each U-boat as it if were under the control of separate players for rules purposes.
Card Decks: Separate each of the six decks, shuffle each one and set them aside for now. Once convoy size is determined and the appropriate side of the game board is determined, you can place the decks near the board with room by each for discard piles.
Date of Patrol: For the first Patrol of a Campaign, begin with the leftmost column marked "Oct-Dec 1941" on the Campaign Log. For each subsequent Patrol, use the date of the next unplayed Patrol.
EXAMPLE: For the second War Period, the three Patrols correspond approximately to the months of January, February, and March of 1942.
Looking at 1st Flotilla's notes on the Campaign Log, we see the next Patrol is February 1942. U-boats 1, 3, and 4 are available for this Patrol. U-boat 2 is unavailable due to refit (R).
U-boats W, X, and Y are written in as they, plus one U-boat from another flotilla, will be on this patrol.
U-boat Selection: Each player selects any available U-boat to be used for the current Patrol. These do not all need to be from a single flotilla, but the chosen U-boats must be available for the patrol period. Note that not all U-boats can be chosen due to refit or lack of availability. Take the corresponding U-boat counters (i.e., all counters for U-boat W, etc.) from the supply and place them near the U-boat board. They will be placed on map in a later step. Mark the Campaign Log with the U-boat designations (W, X, Y, and Z) for your chosen U-boats.
U-boats labelled as having been lost (marked S or Sc) [73], those in Refit (marked R) [72], or those U-boats not yet available (marked N) during the current time period may not be chosen.
As each Patrol is started and unused U-boats are called into play for the first time, they receive XPs and Tonnage Sunk amounts as indicated.
Designer's Note: The U-boats have different starting tonnage as each Captain and his crew have different lengths of service, joining the Kriegsmarine at different times during the war. This represents convoy ships sunk during previous (even pre-game) Campaigns and provides players with starting XPs for spending.
Warning! Players may regret utilizing the same U-boat repeatedly as they will eventually need to use another U-boat which then has no experience points.
For each U-boat's first Patrol
| U-boat | XPs | Tonnage Sunk |
|---|---|---|
| U-boat #1 | 30 | 30,000 |
| U-boat #2 | 25 | 25,000 |
| U-boat #3 | 20 | 20,000 |
| U-boat #4 | 15 | 15,000 |
If this is the first Patrol of a Campaign for the selected U-boat, in the two columns at the far right of the row for each selected U-boat, write in the appropriate XPs and Tonnage Sunk amount in the 1000 Tonnage column for the U-boat's starting totals.
Now that you have your U-boats assigned, it's time to set up the Patrol.
Detailed Patrol Set-up Instructions
Perform these steps in the order written. Use the Battle deck to set up the conditions for each Patrol. Some results may be declined by any player and re-pulled at the cost of 8 FPs. Each card pulled for Set-up, whether used or declined, is then placed in the discard pile. Use the appropriate markers to indicate the conditions on the information track at the right side of the game board. Some counters will also be placed on the player's U-boat board.
Players should now take any counters specific to their selected U-boat and place them near their U-boat board to create their player supply area. These include the U-boat counter, U-boat Depth marker, the round Torpedo counters, U-boat Attack marker, and TDC Target ID markers. They should also place a marker for each of Gas, Fire, Flooding, Silent Running, and Torpedo Loading 1/Torpedo Loading 2 markers in the player supply area.
Convoy Size (may re-pull @8FP)
Pull a d10. Depending on the date of the current patrol, the result determines which side of the game board will be used. Place the board face-up for the appropriate side where all players have access to it. Do not reshuffle the deck before proceeding to the next step.
| Early War (Oct41-Jun42) | Late War (Jul42-Mar43) | |
|---|---|---|
| Large convoy | 1–4 | 1–6 |
| Small convoy | 5–10 | 7–10 |
Convoy Speed (may re-pull @8FP)
Pull a d10. Depending on the date of the current patrol, place the Convoy Speed marker in its space on the information track with the resulting side face-up. Do not reshuffle the deck before proceeding to the next step.
| Early War (Oct41-Jun42) | Late War (Jul42-Mar43) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast convoy | 1–3 | 1–5 |
| Slow convoy | 4–10 | 6–10 |
Prepare Convoy Placement Piles
Sort the convoy ships into piles by the Convoy Ring number (bottom right corner on the unobserved side). Shuffle each pile and place them into separate draw piles near the board edge. If a special convoy ship is in play, follow the instructions below to create the 4th Convoy Ring pile.
Special Convoy Ship
Pull 1d10 and consult the scenario Set-up card to determine if there is a special convoy ship within the convoy. If successful, pull another 1d10 to determine if that ship is possibly a Troop Transport (TT). If a special convoy ship is present but not the Troop Transport, shuffle the three non-TT special convoy ships face down, select one, and shuffle it (unseen) into the 4th Convoy Ring pile. If the TT is possible, shuffle all four special convoy ships face down, select one, and shuffle it (unseen) into the 4th Convoy Ring pile. This is only available on the large convoy map and only one per Patrol.
Important! Do not look at any of the face-down special convoy ship markers during this process. Shuffle the selected one into the 4th Convoy Ring pile unseen. Place the remaining special convoy ship markers - still face-down and unseen - off to the side near the general supply.
Prepare Allied Convoy Escorts Set-up Cup
Place the listed Escort ships and False Contact markers from the table below into a container as the Escort Set-up cup.
| Oct-Dec 1941 | Jan-Jun 1942 | Jul-Dec 1942 | Jan-Mar 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD | none | IDs #6-7 | IDs #5-7 | IDs #4-7 |
| DE | ID #7 | ID #5 | IDs #3-4 | IDs #2-3 |
| C | IDs #1-4 | IDs #1-3 | IDs #1-2 | ID #1 |
| S | IDs #5-6 | ID #4 | none | none |
| False Contact | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
NOTE: You will need two clean, dry opaque cups for Escort Set-up and Escort distribution.
EXAMPLE: For any Patrol during the time period between October through December 1941, place the following counters into the Escort Set-up cup: zero Destroyers, Destroyer Escort ID #7, Corvettes ID #1-4, Sloops ID #5-6, and four False Contact markers. (Corvette #3 is shown here.)
Escort Distribution Cup
Draw seven counters from the Escort Set-up cup, without looking at them, and place them along with the number of additional False Contact markers indicated below into the Escort Distribution Cup. This cup will be used to draw from during the Patrol. Set the Escort Set-up cup aside without looking at the markers remaining in it.
| Oct-Dec 1941 | Jan-Jun 1942 | Jul-Dec 1942 | Jan-Mar 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| False Contact | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
EXAMPLE: Continuing the example above, draw seven markers from the Escort Set-up cup and put them into the Escort Distribution cup. Then place an additional eight False Contact markers in with them and mix up the fifteen markers to randomize them. Set the Escort Set-up cup aside unseen – it will not be used for the rest of the Patrol. Place the Escort Distribution cup near the board, ready for use.
Captain Draw Piles
Separate the Captain counters into two draw cups: Corvettes and Sloops (C/S) in one pile, Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts (DD/DE) in the other. Place them near the general supply. Any time an Escort enters play, a Captain counter will be drawn at random from the cup of the appropriate type and placed on the map beneath the Escort counter. Do not look at the reverse side of the counter at this time! The Captain counter will remain with the Escort for the entire Patrol.
Purchasing Tactical Points and Crew Enhancements
Tactical Points (TPs): Each U-boat has their own TPs for the Patrol and are free to spend all, some, or none. TPs do not carry over from one Patrol to another. Every time a U-boat starts a Patrol, it receives 2 free TPs. Place a General Info marker as a "2" on the TP space of the corresponding U-boat board.
Each additional TP purchased costs 5 XPs and there is a maximum of 8 TPs per U-boat per Patrol (2 free and up to 6 purchased or gained via Enhancements). Add any additional TPs by rotating the General Info marker to place the current number of TPs at the top. Deduct the XPs spent from the selected U-boat on the Campaign Log.
Experience Points (XPs): Each U-boat has their own XPs for the Campaign and are free to spend all, some, or none as they wish. Experience Points can be saved from one Patrol to another and are logged on the Campaign Log.
Designer's Note: For the first Patrol, players receive XPs to spend on Enhancements which were earned by the crews in the early years of the war, prior to the start of the current Campaign.
Crew Enhancements: Players take advantage of experience gained during previous Patrols by spending XP on Officer and Crew Section enhancements during Set-up of a Patrol. On the reverse of the Campaign Log sheet is the Crew Enhancements Chart. Mark any purchased Crew Enhancements here for the selected U-boat. [14] Deduct the XPs spent from the selected U-boat on the Campaign Log.
Torpedo Load-out (may re-pull @8FP)
Each U-boat will pull one Patrol card and, referencing the correct type of U-boat, get their maximum allowed torpedo load. Players may select how many of each type (G7e for electric, G7a for steam) to load and distribute them between the bow and stern torpedo tubes. Take the appropriate Torpedo markers from the player supply and place them in the torpedo tubes (see table below for restrictions) and place a Torpedo Reload marker in the appropriate reload box with the number of remaining reloads at the top of the marker. The maximum shown below includes both loaded and reloads available.
Designer's Note: Both the Type VII and Type IX U-boats carried more torpedoes than the maximum load noted below, but had limited space within the vessels for storage. The extra torpedoes were stored between the outer and inner hulls and were not available during an attack. The U-boats had to surface to gain access to the additional load.
| Type VII | Type IX | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Torpedo Tubes (including reloads) | 10 max | 8 max | The torpedo load during Early War patrols must have at least two electric (G7e) torpedoes as part of its load. |
| Stern Torpedo Tubes (including reloads) | 2 max | 4 max | The torpedo load during Late War patrols must have at least two steam (G7a) torpedoes as part of its load. |
| Maximum Load | 12 | 12 |
Once all cards have been pulled and implemented for all U-boats, shuffle the Patrol discards and deck together to form a new draw deck before proceeding to the next step.
EXAMPLE: Here you can see Jordan has the maximum load allowed of 12 torpedoes. He has chosen to place G7a steam torpedoes into tubes II and III at the bow. For tubes I, IV and V at the stern, he has taken G7e torpedoes. He has three G7a reloads and three G7e reloads in the bow and one G7e reload in the stern. (Make sure to load the torpedoes into their appropriate tubes by number.)
Designer's Note: This is the actual configuration of the torpedo tubes in a German U-boat of the period.
Weather / Time of Day (may re-pull @8FP)
Pull a d10 and, using the month of the current Patrol, determine good or bad weather. Then pull another d10 to determine if the time is day or night. Place the Weather and Day/Night markers in their spaces on the information track with the resulting sides face-up. Do not reshuffle the deck before proceeding to the next step.
| Jan-Mar | Apr-Jun | Jul-Sep | Oct-Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 1-3 | 1-5 | 1-7 | 1-4 |
| Bad | 4-10 | 6-10 | 8-10 | 5-10 |
| Day | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-7 | 1-4 |
| Night | 5-10 | 6-10 | 8-10 | 5-10 |
EXAMPLE: This is the first Patrol of a new Campaign, so the date is October 1941. Starting with convoy size, a d10 of "4" is pulled which means this will be a large convoy. One of the players places the map with the large convoy face-up.
Next is speed - the d10 pulled is a "6". Looking at the Early War column, the players see this means a Slow Convoy. Finally, the weather and time are checked. A d10 pull of "5" gives Bad Weather as the result. The last d10 pulled is an "3", indicating this will be a Day Patrol. Players put the markers for these conditions on the map display.
Patrol Event (no re-pull) – Campaign game only
Each U-boat will pull one card for its Patrol Event from the Patrol deck. The middle portion of the card, labelled as "Patrol Event" may have an event. If it does, execute the event. After all U-boats have pulled and implemented their Patrol Event (if any), shuffle the discard and deck again.
Designer's Note: The Patrol Event takes place on the way to the patrol site and the Return to Base Event happens on the U-boat's return to its flotilla base.
Starting location (no re-pull)
Pull a Patrol card for each U-boat's starting location, noted by a highlighted map section at the bottom of the card. The map on the card will show the corresponding location on the board. Shuffle the Patrol card discard and draw pile one more time before starting the game.
NOTE: The card shown here indicates a starting location in the top-left corner of the board. See map opposite for an image clarifying starting locations.
Place the U-boat counter, surfaced side up, on any empty movement box in the starting location. If there is no empty box in the indicated section, pull another card. Place the matching U-boat depth marker at surface level on the Depth & Detection track for the corresponding U-boat.
NOTE: Each location has 2–6 Approach movement boxes, one ASW Patrol box, and one ASW Search box associated with it. (See the map on the facing page.) The player can choose any empty movement box for the given location as their starting position.
Allocating Additional U-boats for a Patrol (no re-pull) — FULL CAMPAIGN ONLY
Additional U-boats can be sent on Patrol during War Periods 1 through 5 but are not participating in the attack on the convoy by the Patrol. They can gain XPs but will not contribute to the VPs for the Patrol as they are off in another sector, possibly the North Sea or off the coast of England for example. These additional U-boats can also be sent out when no player-controlled U-boats are being sent for the Patrol; in this case, resolve these additional U-boats as normal.
Designer's Note: These additional U-boats are on separate patrols, participating in other attacks or patrolling on their own even if the player(s) choose not to send their U-boats on a Patrol (for example, skipping a Patrol to avoid losses).
During Set-up before starting a new Patrol, you may allocate up to 4 (from 0 to 4) additional U-boats for patrol deployment. These U-boats are in addition to the U-boats that you are using for the current Patrol.
If choosing one U-boat, it is guaranteed to go out. If choosing to allocate additional U-boats, instead do an R# pull using the number of U-boats you wish to send out to see how many U-boats actually get allocated for patrol. These U-boats must be available and may come from any of the flotillas.
EXAMPLE: Players want to send three additional U-boats, so they pull for a random number and check the "3" column to see how many U-boats will actually be sent out.
Use the Campaign Log to record which additional U-boats that will be sent on Patrol for the current month. Mark them with a "P" for that Patrol. The results for the additional U-boat(s) will be determined after the Return to Base event [68].
Designer's Note: There are pros and cons to taking out additional U-boats on a Patrol. PRO: U-boats may gain experience points that can be used to upgrade their crew and officers. CON: U-boats will not gain victory points for the Patrol and run the risk of sinking, which will count against the U-boat losses for Campaign victory conditions.
Important! You are ready to start the patrol. Any decks used during Set-Up need to be shuffled once more before starting the game.
Patrol Rules
Turn Structure of a Patrol
A Patrol consists of two segments: Approach and Attack. Total Patrol length could last for 20 to 25 turns; however, if all U-boats disengage, the game will be shorter. Important: Follow each phase and its procedures in the order they are presented in these rules!
Approach
The Approach is used at the start of the game (from Turn 1 to possibly Turn 10) and only uses three phases in this order:
- U-boat Movement [28]
- ASW (anti-submarine warfare) [39]
- Damage Control [61]
Moving to Attack
Beginning on Turn 8 before starting the U-boat Movement phase, each U-boat without any level of Escort contact on it checks to see if it must enter the Attack map using the Moving from Approach to Attack movement. [31]
Prior to the start of Turn 11, if a U-boat has entered the Attack map during U-boat Movement, then the Approach is over for that U-boat and all phases of the Sequence of Play are used by that player for the remainder of the Patrol. This applies to each U-boat individually as they transition from the Approach map to the Attack map.
If all U-boats have entered the Attack map before Turn 11, the Approach segment is over.
Attack
Beginning Turn 11 (if this was not already triggered), the Attack starts. The full Sequence of Play is now in use for all U-boats regardless of their location and is played out in this order:
- Torpedo Move/Detonation [25]
- U-boat Movement [28]
- U-boat Observation [37]
- TDC Calculation [38]
- Anti-submarine Warfare [39]
- Convoy Movement [55]
- Reload Torpedoes [58]
- U-boat Attack [59]
- Damage Control [61]
Simultaneous Play
There is no need, in most cases, for an order of play in moving and firing U-boats. All phases except ASW Warfare can be performed by all players simultaneously unless a common target is under attack or any action needs to have a specific player order.
If needed, player order will be designated at random (via R#, use of a d10 pull, or other method agreed upon by players).
Sunk U-boat
There are four ways for a U-boat to sink, which can happen at any time during the sequence of play. When the Flooding marker reaches the rightmost box of the Flooding track [62], when the Fire damage marker reaches the top of the Fire track [62], when the U-boat is scuttled [29], or when a U-boat implodes (from any cause).
If sunk, the U-boat counter is removed from the game board. If this happens on the Approach map, the player is eligible for a replacement U-boat [67].
If damage card pulls are still pending when a U-boat is sunk, the additional card pulls are not made.
Procedures
During play, once you have completed all applicable instances of a procedure and no further steps can be taken, that procedure is completed and play continues to the next procedure. There will be cases where, once a card pull is made and you can quickly see nothing applies to this procedure, you will simply skip over the rest of the procedure and move the game along.
Torpedo Movement/Detonation Phase
During this phase, torpedo movement, hit, and detonation checks and ship damage resolution are performed. If there are no torpedoes on the map, skip this phase.
Torpedo Movement
Subtract 1 from the General Info marker on each torpedo on the map by rotating the marker to the next lowest number. For each torpedo where the number would be reduced to 0, remove the General Info marker, place the U-boat's Attack marker, and check for possible torpedo hit and detonation/dud. Important: Use a random R# to determine the order of resolution if multiple ships are being attacked at the same time. Further, if multiple torpedoes from two or more U-boats reach a single target convoy ship in the same turn, determine the sequence of execution by R# as well. Resolve all torpedoes from the first U-boat, then resolve all torpedoes from the other U-boats in order.
Torpedo Hit Check (may re-pull)
- Pull a Combat card, turn it vertically with the Merchant To-Hit side at the top and place it in an open space on the game table. Locate the appropriate To-Hit number. (The To-Hit number will be to the right of the good or bad weather icon for a slow or fast convoy.) This will be the minimum number needed to achieve a hit.
- Next, pull an Angle DRM card and rotate it upside down and place it horizontally on top of the 1st card. This will give you a size modifier for the target ship on the left column.
- Next, pull a 2nd Angle DRM card, place it horizontally (do not rotate this one!) on top of the 2nd card to give you the torpedo to-hit angle modifier. Place the torpedo counter on the card at the angle the torpedo is striking the ship and then place the TDC modifier marker from the appropriately-numbered firing torpedo tube above the Ship Size Modifier column. (The upside-down Ship Size Modifier portion will not be used for this procedure.) 1 = auto miss
- Finally, pull a d10. If the result is "1" or "10", this is an automatic result. Otherwise, apply all modifiers. 10 = auto hit
- If the modified die roll result is greater than or equal to the To-Hit number, the torpedo hits. Make a Detonation or Dud check. [26]
- If the result is less, the shot misses its target and:
- there is a convoy ship in the adjacent square in the torpedo's movement direction, instead immediately resolve a Missed Torpedo attack [27] against that adjacent convoy ship.
- there is no convoy ship in the adjacent square in the torpedo's movement direction the shot is simply a miss.
- If no other torpedoes from the same U-boat are attempting to hit this same target convoy ship this turn, then place all cards in their discard piles and return all counters to their supply areas. Otherwise, the cards remain where they are as they will be used for resolution of those additional torpedoes once the initial torpedo hit is resolved.
NOTE: This is how to lay out the three cards for a Torpedo Hit Check. One is upright, the other two are sideways and laid one over the other to show the to-hit number, the angle DRMs, and convoy ship size DRMs.
EXAMPLE: Fast convoy, good weather. To-Hit #: 7. Ship size Large: +1. TDC modifier: +2. Angle modifier: 0. d10 roll: 9 modified to 12. Result ≥ To-Hit # — HIT!
Detonation or Dud (may re-pull)
Make a torpedo detonation check by pulling a Detonation/Damage card and check the Torpedo Detonation section for either Early (up to June '42) or Late War (July '42 or later) torpedo and torpedo type (G7a or G7e) as appropriate.
Reminder: The first Detonation/Damage card pulled for a detonation check may be discarded and the result re-pulled at a cost of 1 TP.
If the card has a green result, the torpedo will detonate; complete this step and then proceed to Ship Damage Resolution.
If it has a red result, the torpedo is a dud; no further effect.
After the detonation or dud are determined, return the torpedo counter to the player's supply and place an Escort Request marker on the location space along with a General Info marker set to 4. [47]
Ship Damage Resolution (may re-pull)
Pull a Detonation/Damage card and check for Ship Damage by the size of the ship. Apply the results as follows:
- X = Superficial damage, no effect.
- S = Sunk. Remove the convoy ship, place it near your U-boat board (for post-Patrol calculations), place a Sunk marker on the space the ship had occupied, and add the ship's VP value to the Victory Point total on the Turn/Info Track.
- D = Damaged.
-
If the ship has no Damaged marker on it, place a Damaged marker on the ship. a. If one or more additional torpedoes from the same U-boat are arriving this turn then, using the same Combat cards, check for Detonation or Dud and apply damage, if any. Calculate using the angle of the additional torpedo and pull another d10 for resolution.
Clarification: You are keeping the same Combat card and Angle DRM cards, adjusting the torpedo's angle and TDC modifier if necessary, then drawing a new Detonation/Damage card and a new Battle card to complete resolution of an additional arriving torpedo.
b. If one or more additional torpedoes from different U-boats are arriving this turn, follow the procedure starting with the Torpedo Hit Check (in order if multiple U-boats are involved), then check for Detonation or Dud, and apply damage, if any.
-
If the ship already has a Damaged marker on it, the ship is Sunk instead. Remove the convoy ship and place it near the active player's U-boat board (for post-Patrol calculations), add the ship's VP value to the Victory Point total on the Turn/Info Track, and place a Sunk marker on the space the ship came from.
-
After all torpedoes arriving this turn have been resolved, if the convoy ship has a Damaged marker on it, add half (rounded up) of the ship's VP value to the Victory Point total on the Turn/Info Track. Then remove the ship from the board and place it on the current turn of the Turn/Info Track. The Damaged marker remains in place on the space the ship had occupied.
-
Overkill
If there is a torpedo targeting a convoy ship but the ship sinks before that torpedo arrives, that torpedo is removed and placed back in the player's supply with no further effect.
NOTE: In effect, that additional torpedo just struck an already-sinking ship.
Missed Torpedo Attack (may re-pull)
When a torpedo misses its initial target, there is still a chance it might hit another convoy ship along its trajectory. There were no TDC calculations made for the overshot and it is less likely to hit that next ship.
Pull a d10. An unmodified result of "10" is a hit; any other result is a miss. 10 = auto hit
EXAMPLE: It's a good weather day and a slow convoy – easy hunting for the Wolfpack. A torpedo is fired but something isn't right and it misses its targeted convoy ship. It is now headed for the next convoy ship on its current trajectory. A d10 roll of 10 is pulled so the torpedo hits! Targeted using TDC, but the shot misses. The Missed Torpedo Attack is successful.
U-boat Movement Phase
During this phase, U-boats are checked for implosion, may change their running status (Operational or Silent), and can move forward, dive, rise, and/or turn. A U-boat may disengage and Emergency Blow can also be done at this time.
Descending Due to Heavy Damage and Flooding
If Flooding or Contained Flooding are at any of the "I-N" boxes (Type VII) or "I-N-G" boxes (Type IX) and the rudder/planes have Heavy Damage or are destroyed, the U-boat must descend 30m in depth at the beginning of the U-boat Movement phase before checking for Implosion. A U-boat may not ascend, including Emergency Blow, until Flooding is reduced below these levels.
Implosion Check (no re-pull)
Implosion checks are in effect during both Approach and Attack movement.
At the beginning of U-boat Movement, any U-boat at 210m or deeper (with or without damage) must check for implosion. Any U-boat at 270m automatically suffers implosion and the U-boat counter is removed from the game board.
NOTE: The depths are marked with red text at 210m and deeper on the Depth & Detection Track as a reminder to check.
At the beginning of a U-boat's movement, it must check for implosion if the U-boat is at 90m or more and has damage at or beyond the second "O" box on the Flooding track on the player's U-boat board (the area marked as "CRUSH DEPTH CHECK").
Procedure: Confirm the depth of the U-boat on the Depth & Detection chart on the map and note the color/shape associated with that depth. Then pull an ASW Attack card and consult the first column. Using the color/shape code for the U-boat's current depth on the Depth & Detection track (orange/hex for 90-150m and red/square for 165m or deeper), check the box at the top-left of the ASW Attack card. If the color/shape matches the depth, implosion occurs and the U-boat is destroyed and sunk and its crew are lost, and the U-boat counter is removed from the game board.
EXAMPLE: It is Jerome's turn to move his U-boat X. He notes on the Depth & Detection track that his U-boat is currently at 120m, which is in the orange/hex crush depth. He sees that his U-boat board has a Contained Flooding marker on it in the D box, which is in the Crush Depth Check area so he must check for implosion. He pulls an ASW Attack card and checks the top-left corner. It is clear – no implosion.
NOTE: The top-left box of this ASW card indicates an implosion if the U-boat is at the orange/hex depth. (Both color and shape are included to assist in identification.)
Implosion
When a U-boat implodes, remove its counter from the map and place it in the player's supply. Mark the U-boat as "S" (Sunk) for the current Patrol on the Campaign Log. Remove all enhancements gained by this U-boat's Officers and Crew Sections from the Crew Enhancements Chart.
If the implosion occurred on the Approach map, the player controlling the lost U-boat may receive a replacement U-boat. [67]
If the implosion occurred during the Attack, the player controlling the U-boat is out of the Patrol but the convoy ships sunk before implosion will still contribute tonnage to the Campaign total during the Return to Base phase.
Scuttle (no re-pull)
A player must attempt to scuttle their U-boat immediately after completing an Emergency Blow [35] or may at the beginning of any Movement phase when on the surface to keep it out of enemy hands. Check to determine the fate of the U-boat under these conditions.
Procedure: Pull a d10 and apply the following results:
| d10 roll (Early) | d10 roll (Late) | Result | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Allies capture U-boat | -15 VPs, mark Campaign Log as "Cp", all crew enhancements are lost |
| 2–6 | 2-7 | Lost at sea/Crew MIA | U-boat destroyed, mark Campaign Log as "S", all crew enhancements are lost |
| 7–10 | 8-10 | Scuttled/U-boat sunk | Crew returns safely to base, mark Campaign Log as "Sc", crew enhancements are retained [66] |
Operational Running/Silent Running
At the beginning of its movement phase, a U-boat may change its operational status. By default, a U-boat uses Operational Running (marked on the U-boat board). To switch to Silent Running, place a Silent Running marker in the Running box.
A U-boat must be at a depth of 30m or deeper to employ Silent Running. A Silent Running U-boat may not move, use a free turn, change depths, reload torpedoes, or perform any damage control procedures. One TP may be spent to perform damage control while Silent Running each turn.
Silent Running is used to give the U-boat an advantage when an Escort is attempting a sonar contact on it.
To switch back to Operational Running, at the beginning of the movement phase simply remove the Silent Running marker.
Healing crew [64] may be performed during either Operational Running or Silent Running at no TP cost.
NOTE: The blue Silent Running marker has a red Operational Running light on its reverse side. The red light was used historically when under combat conditions. There are no changes to game functions between the white and red lights. The additional marker is provided for aesthetic purposes.
U-boat Movement
U-boat movement for game purposes is affected by moving the U-boat counter relative to the convoy's position as the convoy ships don't physically move on the map. This means if the convoy is going slowly, then the U-boats can move at a faster pace than the convoy while surfaced, but slow significantly while submerged. If the convoy is moving fast, this relative effect is shown as the U-boats' struggle to pace the convoy on the surface and make no headway underwater.
There is no limit to the number of U-boats that may be in a single location on either the Approach map or the Attack map.
Depth
U-boats track their current depth in meters with a U-boat Depth marker on the Depth track on the main game board.
Any U-boat that is below periscope depth loses any TDC counters that they have on targets.
While on the Approach map, each U-boat must remain on the surface until the first time an Escort makes contact with it. Remaining U-boats who have not been contacted by an Escort may not dive. After first contact on the Approach map or any time while on the Attack map, a U-boat may change depth before movement and may change depths on every turn on both the Approach and Attack maps.
Designer's Note: Historically, U-boats were surface ships with the ability to submerge for their safety. Diesel engines were run while on the surface, allowing greater speed and preserving battery life, where the oxygen-hungry diesel engines did not affect crew survivability. Electric engines were used while submerged as they were the only choice at the time due to the restrictions of operating the diesel engines under water.
A Type VII U-boat may dive or rise up to 30m a turn. When diving or rising 30m in a turn, no forward movement is allowed.
A Type VII U-boat diving or rising up to 15m a turn is allowed forward movement as normal.
A Type IX U-boat may dive 30m or rise 15m in a turn. When diving or rising, no forward movement is allowed.
Any Escort in contact with a U-boat on the Approach map, either in the Search box or on top of the U-boat, will move with the U-boat if it moves to another Approach location.
NOTE: A Crash Dive is not performed during this phase and has different restrictions [42].
Reminder: Any time the U-boat surfaces, move the Gas marker back to the bottom of the Gas track.
EXAMPLE: On the Depth & Detection track to the right, we see all four U-boats at their current depths.
U-boat W is at the surface and may only dive. As a Type VII U-boat, it could dive up to 30m this turn. For whatever depth it chooses for its dive, it will flip to its "submerged" side.
U-boat X is already submerged, so it could rise or dive. But being Type IX, it can dive 30m or rise 15m.
U-boat Y is flirting with disaster at its current depth, but can rise or dive by 30m as a Type VII U-boat. However, diving 30m from here would mean it risks imploding at the next turn.
U-boat Z, another Type IX, can either dive 30m to the 30m depth or rise to the surface and flip to its "surfaced" side.
Moving from Approach to Attack (may re-pull)
Beginning on Turn 8 before starting the U-boat Movement phase, each U-boat without any level of Escort contact on it pulls a d10. If the result is in the range listed below, the U-boat must enter the Attack map. If the result is not within the range for the current turn, the U-boat remains on the Approach map and will be checked again at the beginning of the following turn until Turn 11.
| Turn # | d10 result |
|---|---|
| 8 | 9-10 |
| 9 | 8-10 |
| 10 | 7-10 |
A surfaced U-boat moves from the Approach movement box that it occupies to one of the five spaces connected to the paired movement boxes at any angle. See the surfaced U-boats with yellow arrows in the image below. At this time, a surfaced U-boat (both Type VII and Type IX) may elect to submerge up to 30m.
A submerged U-boat moves from the Approach movement box that it occupies to one of the three spaces connected to its single Approach movement box at any angle. See the submerged U-boats with white arrows in the image below. At this time, a submerged U-boat may elect to change its depth before moving onto the Attack map.
Important: This is the U-boat's total movement for its turn of entry (Turn 8+).
EXAMPLE: U-boat W is surfaced in an Approach movement box and must move to Attack this turn. Using the arrows that run around the inner edge of the Approach track, you can see the five spaces adjacent the U-boat's location. While on the surface, it has the choice of five spaces in front of its position. Had it been submerged, it could only choose from the three spaces closest to it.
Prior to the start of Turn 11, if a U-boat has entered the Attack map during U-boat Movement, then the Approach is over for that U-boat and all phases of the Sequence of Play are used by that player for the remainder of the Patrol. This applies to each U-boat individually as they transition from the Approach map to the Attack map.
EXAMPLE: On Turn 9 before starting U-boat Movement, Jerome's U-boat Z is on the Approach map with no Escort contact. Jerome must pull a d10 and his result is "9". U-boat Z's movement for the turn must be used to move from Approach to Attack. As soon as U-boat Z enters the Attack map, all rules for the Attack map are in effect immediately and all phases of the Sequence of Play will be used by Jerome to continue the Patrol. The other U-boats still on the Approach map will continue to use just the Approach map rules and Sequence of Play.
Beginning Turn 11 (if this was not already triggered for all U-boats), the Attack starts and uses all phases. Even if all U-boats are in Approach boxes with Escort contact on them, the full sequence of play is now used.
- No Escort Contact: All U-boats that do not have an Escort with contact on them must enter the Attack map.
- Escort Contact: A U-boat with any Escort contact level must first lose the Escort's contact before entering the Attack map.
Approach Movement
U-boats may move from a small Approach movement box to either adjacent Approach movement box following the outside arrows on the Approach map. (See image at bottom right.) Facing is not used while on the Approach map.
| U-boat Movement | Slow Convoy | Fast Convoy |
|---|---|---|
| Surfaced | 1 box per turn | 1 box, even turns only |
| Submerged | 1 box, even turns only | no movement |
If a U-boat in an Approach box has any level of Contact on it by an Escort and the U-boat moves to another location, the Escort is moved with it. If the Escort is on top of the U-boat, it remains with the U-boat. If the Escort is in the ASW Search box, it moves to the new location's ASW Search box.
U-boat Facing
A U-boat faces one of 8 directions and may only move in their forward direction when in the Attack portion of the map. Facing is not used during Approach movement.
Turning
Turning only applies to Attack movement. U-boats receive 1 free turn before starting their forward movement. This free turn may also be used without moving. Turns can be made in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
Surfaced: Type VII U-boats may turn up to 180° (rotating the U-boat hex by 4 sides in either direction) and Type IX turns up to 135° (rotating by up to 3 sides in either direction).
Submerged: Type VII U-boat may turn up to 90° (rotating the U-boat hex by 2 sides in either direction) and Type IX turns up to 45° (rotating by up to 1 side in either direction).
EXAMPLE: On the map below, U-boat Y is shown in all eight facings. The yellow dot marks the front of each boat.
Below that: U-boat W illustrates the 90° turn radius for a submerged Type VII in green. U-boat X shows the 180° turn radius for a surfaced Type VII in yellow. U-boat Y demonstrates the 45° turn radius for a submerged Type IX in red. U-boat Z indicates the 135° turn radius for a surfaced Type IX in blue.
Attack Movement
U-boats use spaces (both dots and convoy boxes) for movement in the Attack map. This movement is in addition to the free turn allowed before movement starts.
Surfaced: U-boats may move up to 2 spaces -OR- 1 forward movement then 1 turn.
Submerged: U-boats operating at Operational Running may move up to 1 Space.
EXAMPLE: Looking at submerged Type VII U-boat W below, we see that it begins its move on the Attack map at the upper left corner in the 1st column of dot spaces. It begins oriented facing downward (1) and makes a 45° turn as its free turn (2) - this could have also been a 90° turn. Then it moves one space in its forward direction (3).
Surfaced Type VII U-boat Y starts facing toward the center of the Attack map (1), makes its 1 free turn (2), moves 1 space forward (3), and then moves one more space forward (4).
NOTE: U-boats use the dots and convoy boxes on the Attack map for movement, not the spaces between them and not the Intercept box.
Emergency Blow
An Emergency Blow may be performed by blowing the water out of the U-boat ballast tanks to make a U-boat rise quickly. Once started, an Emergency Blow continues each turn until the U-boat reaches the surface.
An Emergency Blow may not be performed if a Flooding or Contained Flooding marker is in the "I-N" boxes (Type VII) or "I-N-G" boxes (Type IX) on the Flooding track and the rudder/planes are at Heavy Damage or Destroyed.
While performing an Emergency Blow, a U-boat cannot perform:
- forward movement and/or turning
- evasive maneuvers
- silent running
Once started, the Emergency Blow procedure cannot be voluntarily stopped; the U-boat must either surface or sink.
Procedure: At the beginning of the Movement Phase, when a player declares an Emergency Blow, place an Emergency Blow counter on the U-boat on the Depth & Detection track and adjust its depth upward by 45m. On each turn of an Emergency Blow, move the U-boat's Depth marker up an additional 45m on the track. U-boats are vulnerable to depth charge attack at half (rounded down) of the attack value. When the U-boat reaches the surface, flip the U-boat marker to its surface side and the player must immediately perform the Scuttle procedure [29].
NOTE: Emergency Blow is used to return to the surface quickly before abandoning the U-boat and scuttling. The U-boat will be lost but the crew's lives will be saved (for now). If deadly gas build-up or an uncontained fire threaten to wipe out the crew, this is a desperate last-ditch attempt to get out of the situation alive.
Designer's Note: The scuttle procedure simplifies the results of the U-boat reaching the surface. It avoids having to play out the subsequent surface gunnery attack, attempts to abandon ship, etc. and skips right to the end result.
EXAMPLE: On the Depth & Detection track at the right, we see U-boat X at 150m with Flooding Contained at the "N" level of the Flooding track. Jordan, concerned about sinking due to flooding damage, activates an Emergency Blow.
U-boat X ascends 45m and is marked with an "Emergency Blow" marker. This indicates that it must continue its ascent on the following turns until it reaches the surface.
Once on the surface, the crew will be forced to scuttle the U-boat and hope they can survive.
U-boat Disengagement from Patrol
During the U-boat Movement phase, a U-boat may disengage and leave the Patrol unless it is:
- on the Attack map within the search range of an Escort without contact on any U-boat;
- on the Attack map in a quadrant with an Escort Assigned marker (unless moving off the bottom of the map);
- on the Attack map under any level of Escort contact (unless moving off the bottom of the map, in which case a roll for survival [55] must be made);
- on the Approach map under any level of Escort contact.
Procedure: If no Escort has any level of contact on the U-boat, the U-boat may disengage. Place the disengaged U-boat on the current Turn box on the Turn/Info track.
Any U-boat on the Turn Track may still be able to sink stragglers after the main Patrol has concluded. [68]
NOTE: This U-boat has left the area and will no longer participate in hunting convoy ships during this Patrol. This may be due to damage it has suffered and the Captain wishes to return to base for repairs and medical attention. Or it may be that the U-boat has sunk several prize ships and wants to be sure to return to base to get its credit for that effort. They could also be angling to sink damaged ships in the Hunt for Stragglers after the Patrol has concluded.
EXAMPLE: By Turn 22, U-boat W has sunk a few convoy ships, the Patrol has sunk and damaged a few more, and U-boat W has itself sustained some damage and injuries. The end of Patrol is coming up and Allen hopes to be able to pick off a straggler on the way back to port with one of his remaining 3 torpedoes. The Patrol is very nearly a success and, not wanting to risk taking further damage and possibly being sunk himself this close to victory, Allen opts to disengage. There are no Escorts currently in contact with the U-boat, so it may disengage. Allen removes the U-boat counter from the Attack map and places it on the current turn on the Turn/Info Track.
U-boat Observation Phase
During this phase, U-boats at surface or periscope depth may spot and identify any convoy ships within their range. The U-boat observation range depends on time of day and weather.
Procedure: A U-boat at the surface or at periscope depth in the Attack Map determines its spotting range and ID range using the table below and the current day and weather status.
NOTE: You can use the Spotting Range counters to mark the ranges on the map by counting the range at 45° angles from the U-boat and placing the Spotting Range counters at the maximum range. The space between the counters (in a square around the U-boat) are the spotted or identified ships.
For each empty boxed space within each U-boat's spotting range, draw and place face-up a random convoy ship counter from the top of the pile that matches the Ring number of that boxed space. Then flip over any convoy ship counter within the U-boat's ID range to reveal that ship's information. Any convoy ship counters that are blank on the back are left in place on the map.
NOTE: Some of these blank counters represent what was thought to be a sighting but actually was not upon closer evaluation. Some also indicate spaces within the convoy where a cargo ship was sunk to remind you not to place another convoy ship there when spotting later.
| Good Weather | Bad Weather | |
|---|---|---|
| Day | Spot – up to 12 spaces / ID – up to 8 spaces | Spot – up to 8 spaces / ID – up to 6 spaces |
| Night | Spot – up to 6 spaces / ID – up to 4 spaces | Spot – up to 4 spaces / ID – up to 2 spaces |
EXAMPLE: Jordan's U-boat X is at periscope depth and he wants to get a look at the convoy ships around his location. It is Night and Good Weather so he can spot out to 6 spaces away and identify ships within 4 spaces.
Using the Spot Range counters, Jordan counts out six spaces on the diagonal in each direction and marks those spaces. (The spaces to the left of the U-boat would use this same pattern, not shown here for simplicity.) He then places a face-up convoy ship on any empty spaces, using the appropriate Ring #s, on each square space within that area.
He then moves the Spot Range counters inward to mark out four spaces away from his U-boat. He flips over any convoy ships within that area to show their information.
TDC Calculation Phase
Torpedo Data Computer (may re-pull)
During this phase, calculations are made to determine the modifiers for the chances of a torpedo hitting its target. A TDC ID counter may be placed on any spotted or identified convoy ship within the U-boat's spotting range. The TDC To-Hit modifiers range from -2 to +3.
NOTE: The torpedo is not being fired at this time. This is a targeting calculation only.
Procedure: Select a target convoy ship. Pull a Combat card (may re-pull) and cross-reference the range columns with the time of day/weather rows. This will produce a To-Hit modifier that will be applied when calculating if a torpedo hits its target.
The top of the TDC card shows the range in spaces (short, medium, and long) and the time of day/weather conditions are located on the left side of the card.
By cross-referencing the appropriate column and row, a TDC modifier is indicated which may be assigned to one or more torpedo tubes (loaded or loading, but not empty) by placing a matching TDC Modifier marker adjacent each selected torpedo tube.
A TDC calculation may be applied to any number of loaded or loading torpedo tubes at either the bow (tubes I-IV) or stern (tubes V-VI), but not both.
EXAMPLE: At a range of 3 spaces during daytime with good weather, the TDC calculation is +2 (shown on the TDC card above). A +2 TDC Modifier marker is placed on torpedo tube #3. Another one could be placed on each of torpedo tubes #1, #2, and #4 at this time if you want multiple torpedoes targeting a single ship.
Place a TDC Target ID marker matching the assigned torpedo tube(s) on the target ship. Repeat this process for each torpedo tube as needed.
If using crew enhancements, you may be able to:
- select additional target ships and calculate a TDC for each (2 TDC/3 TDC)
- pull 2 TDC cards and select which one to use (Pull 2 TDC cards)
- add a +1 DRM when calculating a TDC (+1 DRM to TDC)
Important! Each target ship may be targeted only once per turn. If you can make multiple TDC calculations, they must be made for separate target ships.
During the TDC phase of subsequent turns, you may:
- make a TDC calculation on a different target while still maintaining the modifiers on previous target, -OR-
- make a calculation on a target already having a modifier to try to improve its modifier. If the new modifier is equal to or less than the current modifier, there is no change. If the new modifier is greater (better) than the current modifier, update the tube(s) with a marker reflecting the new modifier.
If diving to 15m or deeper, remove all TDC Modifier markers from torpedo tubes and TDC Target ID markers from targeted ships.
Reminder: The Captain, 1st WO, and 2nd WO could have enhancements which affect TDC. Remember to check the Crew Enhancements Chart and use any applicable TDC modifiers. Also remember that a U-boat diving to 15m or more will automatically lose all TDC.
Anti-Submarine Warfare Phase
During this phase, Escorts will first move and then search on the Approach map and then the Attack map. If conditions are right, attacks will take place.
While any U-boats are on the Approach map, use the Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Approach procedures for those U-boats. [40] For each U-boat on the Attack map, use the Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Attack procedures instead. [43]
Designer's Note: Some players may find they are more comfortable doing all of the Approach processes first and then handling the Attack map as the procedures are similar but not identical. There is no problem doing it either way, just make sure you only run the Escort Holding Track clean-up ONCE.
Escort Captain
When an Escort is first placed on the map, draw a Captain counter at random from the appropriate pile and place it face-up underneath the Escort counter. Do not look at the reverse side of the counter as that side will not be revealed until the Escort is moved from the Interception box onto the Attack map and its distance reaches 0 to its Escort Assigned marker.
Escort Movement
At the beginning of the ASW phase, movement of Escorts is indicated by adjusting their General Information markers.
On Approach
Adjust any General Information marker on the U-boat Depth & Detection track for each U-boat, reducing the count by 1.
If the count reaches 1 or 0 and the U-boat is still on the surface, an attack will be conducted when the Escort Gunnery Attack [49] happens later in the turn.
When the count reaches 0, place the Escort and its Captain on top of the target U-boat. An Escort Depth Charge Attack [50] may happen later in the turn.
On Attack
Adjust any General Information marker for each Escort Assigned marker on the Attack map and on the U-boat Depth & Detection track for each U-boat, reducing the count by 1.
Escort in Interception Box reaches 0: If the count reaches 0 for an Escort in an Interception Box, replace the Escort Assigned marker with the Escort and place a Time on Target counter on the Escort to reflect the Captain's ToT number.
Reminder: Time on Target is the value in the upper right corner of a Captain counter and indicates the number of turns the Escort will spend searching for a U-boat when called to General Quarters.
Distance on Depth & Detection Track reaches 0: If the count reaches 0 for a General Information marker on the Depth & Detection Track, remove the General Information marker and place the Escort on top of its target U-boat.
Escorts Holding Track Clean-Up
Then on the Escorts holding track, starting with the topmost Escort counter that has one or more empty spaces above it, move each Escort counter up in order to fill the empty spaces. [52]
Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Approach Map
These rules are in effect for U-boats in the Approach spaces of the map. If U-boats are also on the Attack map, the ASW Search for them will occur next [43]. (If U-boats are on both Approach and Attack maps, the ASW Search card pull will be made separately for those locations.)
Escort Location Check (no re-pull)
This is a check to see if an Escort is in the same location as a U-boat on the Approach map. Using one Battle card, check each location.
Procedure: Pull one Battle card and, looking at the outer edges only, check every location (the boxes running around the outside of the card) to see if it has a green check mark or not.
NOTE: You will only pull one card and check all locations from that single card. You are looking at location boxes with U-boats alone and U-boats with Escorts in the ASW Patrol box.
If there is no check mark, there is no search at that location. If an Escort is in the Patrol box at that location, move it to the bottom space of the Escorts holding track. If the bottom space already holds an Escort, move that Escort up one space to make room for the incoming Escort. This could create a chain reaction of moving Escorts up the track to make room.
If there is a green check mark present for a location and a U-boat without an Alarm marker on its Depth & Detection track is in that location, perform the following checks in order. If multiple U-boats without contact are in the same location, use a R# pull (no re-pull) to determine which is affected.
- If there is an Escort in the Patrol box, move the Escort to the Search box at that location.
- If no Escort is in the Patrol box, then move the Escort in the top space of the Escorts holding track to the Search box at that location. Move up any remaining Escorts in the upper Escorts holding boxes in order to fill in empty spaces, but DO NOT move any newly-placed Escorts at the bottom of the track.
- If there is no Escort counter in the top box of the Escorts holding track, pull a counter at random from the Escort Distribution cup.
- If a False Contact marker is pulled, there is no effect. The search at this location ends and the marker is returned to the cup.
- If an Escort counter is pulled, place it and a randomly-selected Escort Captain counter [39] beneath it in the Search box at that location. Once a Captain counter is assigned to an Escort, he will remain with that Escort for the entire Patrol.
The U-boat must now choose whether to execute a Crash Dive [42]. Finally, check to see if the Escort is fitted [54].
Once all ASW boxes on the card have been checked, proceed to the Escort U-boat Search step.
EXAMPLE: It is Turn 6 and the hunt is on! There are four U-boats and two Escorts prowling around the Approach map locations.
Checking the Battle card, there are only two check marks showing, both on the right side. So although there is both a U-boat and an Escort in the top-left location, the Escort is not in the vicinity of a search pattern (no check mark) and the Escort is moved to the bottom of the Escort holding track. At the top-middle containing both an Escort and U-boat, there is a check mark on the location box so the Escort is moved from the ASW Patrol box to the ASW Search box and is in a position to search in the following Search phase.
For the top-right corner, there is no Escort in the area. As there is no Escort in the top position of the Escort holding track, a counter is pulled from the draw cup. If an Escort is drawn, it is placed in the ASW Search box along with a Captain. If a False Contact is drawn, it is returned to the draw cup and nothing is placed on the map.
Escort U-boat Search (no re-pull)
Escorts in the ASW Search boxes or on top of a U-boat search for U-boats and move to possibly attack.
Procedure: For each Escort located in an ASW Search box or atop a U-boat, pull one or two Battle cards for each location to determine the result of the Escort search. Locate the appropriate search type on the card(s) and look for a green or red result. There are 3 types of searches – radar, visual and sonar.
If multiple U-boats share a location, a surfaced U-boat will be targeted if possible. If U-boats at the location are either all surfaced or all submerged, use a R# pull (no re-pull) to determine which U-boat is the target. If a mix of surfaced and submerged and more than one is surfaced, use a R# pull (no re-pull) to determine which of the surfaced U-boats is the target.
- Radar Search: Pull one Battle card. Use the ASW Radar results (Early or Late) for a Fitted Escort against a surfaced U-boat. Once contact has been achieved, it will be maintained on following turns. If the U-boat submerges, the Escort maintains contact and will switch to Sonar and a non-homing Sonar Search is made. See below for success or failure results.
- Visual Search: Pull one Battle card. Use the ASW Visual results (Day or Night, Good or Bad Weather) for a Non-Fitted Escort against a surfaced U-boat. Once contact has been achieved, it will be maintained on following turns. If the U-boat submerges the Escort maintains contact and will switch its search procedure to Sonar and a Sonar Search is required for each turn while the U-boat remains submerged.
- Sonar Search: Use the ASW Sonar results (Early or Late, Good or Bad Weather) against a submerged U-boat at periscope depth or deeper.
- If the U-boat is moving as Operational Running, pull one Battle card per Escort search.
- If the U-boat using Silent Running, pull two ASW cards per Escort search; both must be successful for contact to be established or maintained.
- If there is no Alarm marker or no Homing marker on the Depth & Detection track, consult the "Acquire" ASW Sonar chart for its search attempt results.
- If the Escort has a Homing marker on the Depth & Detection track, consult the "Homing" ASW Sonar chart.
Result (success): Radar/Visual/Sonar: On any search attempt, a green result means the Escort has gained or maintained contact. If no successful Evasive Maneuvers are made by the U-boat [42], then remove any Lost Contact marker present (if any); the Escort has Full Contact.
For successful contacts, place an Alarm marker matching the Escort ID number (if not already present) in the contacted U-boat's Escort ID box on the Depth & Detection track. If the contact was made by Sonar, also place a Homing marker in the Escort Distance Contact Level box for that U-boat and then proceed to the Determining Distance step. [42] Once contact is made, an Escort will continue tracking the same U-boat until contact is lost or the U-boat is sunk.
When an Alarm marker is placed, the Escort remains in contact until, in the Search process, a Lost Contact 2 marker would need to be increased. At that point, the Escort loses contact with the U-boat and this marker is removed. As long as the Alarm marker is on the Depth & Detection track, the Escort has contact with the U-boat.
Result (failure): Radar/Visual: On a radar or visual search attempt, a red result means no contact is made. Move the Escort to the ASW Patrol box in the same location.
Sonar: On a Sonar search attempt with or without a Homing marker, a red result means that the Escort is either failing to make contact or losing established contact.
- If there is no Alarm marker on the Depth & Detection track, a failure here means no initial contact is made. Move the Escort to the Patrol Box at that location.
If an Alarm marker is already present on the Depth & Detection track:
- If not already present, place a Lost Contact 1 marker in the U-boat's Escort Distance Contact Level box.
- If there is a Lost Contact 1 marker there already, flip it to its Lost Contact 2 side.
- If a Lost Contact 2 marker is already there, remove it along with the Alarm marker (return them to the supply) and place the Escort in the ASW Patrol box for that location; the Escort has completely lost its contact and must start over.
Evasive Maneuvers (may re-pull)
If Sonar contact has been made, the U-boat player has the option to attempt to Evade at the cost of 1 Tactical Point. This can only be done at 30m or deeper and not on the same turn as a Crash Dive.
NOTE: A U-boat may not be Silent Running and use Evasive Maneuvers in the same turn.
Procedure: Reduce the TPs on the U-boat by 1. Pull a Battle card and check the U-boat Evade portion of the ASW sonar box.
A successful result indicates the U-boat successfully evades the searching Escort. If this is the Escort's first contact attempt and no Alarm marker is in the Escort ID box, then no contact is made. If the Escort was Homing with an Alarm marker in the Escort ID box, add 1 level of Lost Contact. If contact is completely lost, then the Escort returns to its Patrol box.
A failed result indicates the evasion failed and the Escort has contact. Complete the successful Search procedure [41].
Determine Distance (no re-pull)
On a successful Escort search, if no General Information marker indicating distance is already in place, pull one Battle card and use the R#3 for all Escort search types of contact (Sonar, Radar, and Visual). The R#3 result is the distance, the number of turns until the Escort is in position to possibly attack.
Place a General Info marker indicating the distance number in the Escort Distance Contact Level box on the U-boat Depth & Detection track for the appropriate U-boat.
If the U-boat executed a Crash Dive during the Escort Location Check, this does not affect the contact made by the Escort. If the U-boat does not Crash Dive and the distance is currently 1, the Escort may perform an Escort Gunnery Attack [49].
Crash Dive
During the ASW phase, a surfaced U-boat may Crash Dive:
- on the Approach Map, when an Escort+Captain is placed in a Search box.
- on the Attack Map, when an Escort+Captain is placed in an Interception box.
These are the only times a U-boat may Crash Dive. This decision cannot be made later in the turn. As a reminder, place a Crash Dive marker on the U-boat's marker on the Depth & Detection track. Remove it at the beginning of the next Phase.
Important! When the distance marker is placed on an Escort — on either the Approach map or in an Interception box on the Attack map — the surfaced U-boat must make the decision to Crash Dive right then. This is the ONLY time a U-boat may Crash Dive!
NOTE: A Crash Dive is used to allow the U-boat to dive during an ASW phase in an attempt to get to a deeper safer depth faster.
All U-boats (Type VII and Type IX) may Crash Dive to 30m at the cost of 1 TP. No forward movement, turns, or Evasive Maneuvers are allowed on the turn of a Crash Dive. On subsequent turns, normal movement rules apply.
Procedure: Pay 1TP and move the U-boat's Depth marker to the 30m space on the Depth & Detection track.
EXAMPLE: On the Depth & Detection track to the right, we see two U-boats for this example.
U-boat W is surfaced and makes a Crash Dive. He drops immediately to 30m.
U-boat Z, at periscope depth, may not Crash Dive as it is not at the surface.
Anti-Submarine Warfare Search on Attack Map
These rules are in effect when one or more U-boats are on the Attack map. If U-boats are also on the Approach map, the ASW Search for them will have occurred earlier. [40] (If U-boats are on both Approach and Attack maps, the ASW Search card pull will be made separately for those locations.)
NOTE: This is different than the procedure for the Approach search.
Escort Location Check (no re-pull)
If there are no Escort Request markers on the map, then skip this procedure.
Procedure: If one or more Escort Request markers (regular or targeted) are on the Attack map, pull one Battle card. Check each ASW Search box on the card that matches an Escort Request marker's quadrant location on the map. (You are checking the two top corner boxes for Quadrants 1 and 2 and the two side boxes for Quadrants 3 and 4.) See the Quadrants & Escort Request marker information. [48]
If there is no check mark, then adjust any General Information marker for each Escort Request marker (both types) in the quadrant, reducing the count by 1. If the count reaches 0, remove the General Information marker and the Escort Request marker and return them to the general supply.
If there is a green check mark present for a location, perform the following steps in order:
- If there is an Escort with Captain in the top space of the Escorts holding track, place them in the Intercept box at the General Quarters quadrant location. Move up any remaining Escorts in the upper Escorts holding boxes in order to fill in empty spaces, but DO NOT move any Escorts at the bottom of the track.
- If there is no Escort counter in the top box of the Escorts holding track, pull a counter at random from the Escort Distribution cup.
- If a False Contact marker is pulled, there is no effect. The search at this location ends and the False Contact marker is returned to the cup. Reduce the General Information marker count by 1.
- If an Escort counter is pulled, place it and a randomly-selected Escort Captain counter [39] in the Intercept box at the General Quarters quadrant location on the map. Once a Captain counter is assigned to an Escort, it will remain with that Escort for the entire Patrol.
- If there is no Escort counter in the top box of the Escorts holding track, pull a counter at random from the Escort Distribution cup.
- Replace the Escort Request marker on the map with the Escort Assigned marker with the Escort's matching ID number.
The U-boat must now choose whether to execute a Crash Dive [42]. Finally, check to see if the Escort is fitted (if not already fitted). [54]
Once all four gray-bordered ASW boxes on the card have been checked, proceed to the next step.
EXAMPLE: There is one Escort Request marker on the Attack map in the top-left quadrant, placed in response to spotting the wake of a steam torpedo fired from nearby submerged U-boat Y. It is Night and the weather is Good.
Pulling a Battle Card, the players compare the results on the card to the situation on the map. The top-left quadrant is the only one with an Escort Request and the card has a check mark there.
There are no Escorts on the holding track, so they pull one from the Escort Distribution cup and pull a Captain to go with it. Then they check and find the Escort is Fitted, so they place it with the Fit side up. Both counters are placed on the Intercept box.
Determine Escort's Distance to Escort Assigned Marker (no re-pull)
Escort called to General Quarters: For each newly-placed Escort in an Intercept box, check how many turns (1 or 2) it will take the Escort to get on location at its Escort Assigned marker and start its search. The U-boat player must decide at this time whether or not to Crash Dive [42].
Procedure: Pull a Battle card and use the R#2 result. Place a General Info marker on top of the Escort Assigned marker indicating the resulting number. This is the number of turns it will take for the Escort to reach its Escort Assigned marker on the map.
Escort U-boat Search (no re-pull)
For each Escort located on an Attack space, a check will be made within that Escort's search range to see if the Escort makes contact with a U-boat. There are 3 types of Escort ASW searches: Radar, Visual, and Sonar.
NOTE: This is different from the Approach search procedure.
Range: An Escort's search range on the turn of its placement is 4 spaces extending from the Escort in all directions, forming a ring. This search range extends by one space each turn the Escort continues its search. The Escort will continue to search as long as it has Time on Target remaining.
EXAMPLE: On the third turn that an Escort is on a General Quarters search, its range would be 6 spaces in all directions.
Procedure: For each Escort on the Attack map (if multiple, determine order by R#) with at least one U-boat within its current search range, they will either search or attempt to maintain contact, depending on their current level of contact.
Time on Target, no contact: If the Escort has remaining Time on Target and no contact on any U-boat, it will target a U-boat at surface or periscope depth first, if any. If none, then submerged U-boats within search range will be targeted. The Escort may only target one U-boat at a time. If multiple U-boats are present under either of these conditions, use R# (no re-pull) to determine the target.
Radar/Visual: If the target U-boat is at surface/periscope, the Escort uses Radar if Fitted (Step 1 below) or Visual if not Fitted (Step 2).
Sonar: A Sonar search will be conducted once the U-boat submerges (Step 3). If the target U-boat is submerged and within search range, the Escort will use Sonar (Step 4) consulting the "Acquire" or "Homing" ASW Sonar chart as appropriate.
Escort with contact on a U-boat: Radar or Visual contact, once achieved, will automatically maintain contact until the target U-boat submerges to 15m or deeper and will then switch to Sonar for future turns. Escorts using Sonar maintain contact by searching each turn (Step 4 with Homing).
- Fitted Escort with Radar searching for U-boat at Surface or Periscope Depth: Pull a d10 and check the result. Contact is made on 2+ (good weather) or 4+ (bad weather) if the U-boat is on the surface, or at 4+ (good weather) or 6+ (bad weather) if at periscope depth. No further checks are made to maintain contact until the U-boat submerges.
- Non-Fitted Escort using Visual Search for U-boat at Surface: Pull a d10 and check the result. Contact is made at the listed number or greater. (See table below.) No further checks are made to maintain contact until the U-boat submerges.
Designer's Note: Any time an Escort attempts to make Sonar contact the first time, it uses non-Homing. Once contact is made and there is any level of contact, (Full to Lost 2), the Escort uses Homing. Contact has been made and they are refining their contact.
| U-boat at surface | U-boat at periscope | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Good | 3+ | 6+ |
| Day | Bad | 5+ | 7+ |
| Night | Good | 5+ | 8+ |
| Night | Bad | 7+ | 10 |
- Searching at periscope depth: If Radar or Visual search failed on a U-boat at periscope depth, a Sonar search may be attempted. (This is the only situation where two types of searching may be conducted in a single phase.)
- Sonar searching for submerged U-boat: Using the Battle deck, you will pull cards as indicated below and look for a green checkmark for the appropriate conditions - Early/Late, Good/Bad Weather. For these card pulls below, no re-pulls are allowed.
| Sonar search | Pull (no re-pull) | Check | Needed for Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... with standard Sonar Operator, no Homing | 2 cards | ASW Sonar / Acquire | Two successes |
| ... with elite Sonar Operator, no Homing | 2 cards | ASW Sonar / Acquire | One success |
| ... with standard Sonar Operator, with Homing | 2 cards | ASW Sonar / Homing | Two successes |
| ... with elite Sonar Operator, with Homing | 2 cards | ASW Sonar / Homing | One success |
| ... while U-boat is Silent Running | +1 card | Same as above | + one success |
In all cases above, see the next page for instructions on successful or failed searches.
Result: Success
On a successful search, the Escort has gained or maintained contact. If no successful Evasive Maneuvers are made by the U-boat [47], then remove any Lost Contact marker present (if any); the Escort has established Full Contact.
Radar/Visual: Place an Alarm marker matching the Escort ID number on the contacted U-boat's column on the U-boat Depth & Detection track.
- If the target U-boat is at the surface and the Escort is within 6 spaces, the Escort stays in place and conducts a surface gunnery attack [49].
- If the target U-boat is at the surface and the Escort is at more than 6 spaces away, the Escort moves to 6 spaces away and conducts a surface gunnery attack [49].
- If the target U-boat is at periscope depth and within 6 spaces, the Escort immediately moves to be on top of the U-boat in attack position and conducts a depth charge attack following the Escort Depth Charge Attack (on Approach or Attack) procedure [50].
- If the target U-boat is at periscope depth at more than 6 spaces distance, the Escort moves to 6 spaces away. Then place a General Information marker set to '1' in the Escort Distance Contact Level box and the Escort will reach the target U-boat on the following turn.
Sonar: Place an Alarm marker for Sonar contact matching the Escort ID number on the contacted U-boat's column on the U-boat Depth & Detection track. As the contact was made by Sonar, also place a Homing marker in the Escort Distance Contact Level box for that U-boat if not already present.
- If the Escort is within 6 spaces of its target, place the Escort on top of the target U-boat.
- If more than 6 spaces distant, instead place a Time on Target counter set to '1' on the Depth & Detection Track; the Escort will reach the target U-boat on the following turn during Escort Movement [39].
When an Alarm marker is placed, the Escort remains in contact until, in the Search process, a Lost Contact 2 marker would need to be increased. At that point, the Escort loses contact with the U-boat and this marker is removed. As long as the Alarm marker is on the D&D track, the Escort has contact on the U-boat.
Result: Failure
Radar/Visual/Sonar (Initial Search): When searching for a U-boat that has no Alarm marker in its Escort ID box, a failed result means no contact is made. Reduce the Time on Target counter by 1. If the ToT counter reaches 0, then:
- If another Escort Request marker is on the map, place the Escort on that contact. If more than one Escort Request marker is present, determine the target using R#.
- If no other Escort Request marker is on the map, then place the Escort in the bottom box of the Escorts holding track.
Sonar: On a Sonar search attempt with or without a Homing marker on a U-boat with an Alarm marker in its Escort ID box, a failed result means that the Escort is either failing to make contact or losing established contact.
- Place a Lost Contact 1 marker in the Escort Distance Contact Level box (on the U-boat Depth & Detection chart), if not already present.
- If there is a Lost Contact 1 marker there already, flip it to its Lost Contact 2 side.
- If a Lost Contact 2 marker is already there, remove it (and the Homing marker, if present) and the Alarm marker and place them back in supply; the Escort has completely lost this contact.
- If another Escort Request marker is on the map, place the Escort on that contact. If more than one Escort Request marker is present, determine the target using R#.
- If no other Escort Request marker is on the map, then place the Escort in the bottom box of the Escort holding track.
EXAMPLE: Allen finds that an Escort using Sonar is searching for his U-boat. It is Early War, the weather is Good, and Allen's U-boat is in Operational Running. He pulls a Battle card and first checks the Depth & Detection track on the map. There is no Homing marker in the Escort Distance Contact Level box for the targeted U-boat. Then Allen checks the Captain counter to determine the ability of the Sonar Operator; there is an S indicating elite. Allen looks at the ASW Sonar table at the top left. Using the "Early" and "G" parameters, he sees he has a success. Oh no — the Escort is successful!
Evasive Maneuvers (may re-pull)
(Same as on Approach map.) If Sonar contact has been made, the U-boat player has the option to attempt to Evade at the cost of 1 Tactical Point. This can only be done at 30m or deeper.
NOTE: A U-boat may not be Silent Running or Crash Dive and use Evasive Maneuvers in the same turn.
Procedure: Reduce the TPs on the U-boat by 1. Pull a Battle card and check the U-boat Evade portion of the ASW sonar box.
A successful result indicates the U-boat successfully evades the searching Escort. If this is the Escort's first contact attempt and no Alarm marker is in the Escort ID box on the Depth & Detection track, then no contact is made. If the U-boat's Escort ID box on the Depth & Detection track has an Alarm marker (with or without Homing), increase Lost Contact by 1 (place or flip the marker) or remove if at Lost Contact 2. If contact is completely lost, then the Escort is placed in the bottom space of the Escort holding track.
A failed result indicates the evasion failed and the Escort has contact. Complete the Success Result procedure [46].
Escort Request Marker Placement
General Quarters is a call to action, requiring Escorts to rally to the defense of a convoy ship. The Attack area of the map is divided into four quadrants; each quadrant may hold a maximum of one Escort Request marker of either type.
Procedure: When a convoy ship in an Attack space suffers any kind of damage (including superficial damage) or a dud torpedo result, place an Escort Request marker on that convoy ship. When placing an Escort Request marker, also place a General Info marker with the number 4 facing up on or near the Escort Request marker. This number indicates the number of turns that the Escort Request marker will remain on the map.
The center horizontal row and vertical column are special cases. Placement in these spaces have special rules [48].
If there is already an Escort Request marker in a quadrant and a new Escort Request marker needs to be placed in the same quadrant, remove the existing marker and place a new Escort Request marker on the map, following the procedure above.
Important! A new Targeted Escort Request replaces any existing Escort Request there. A new standard Escort Request replaces only existing standard Escort Request there.
Targeted Escort Request Marker Placement
Some conditions allow convoy ships to identify U-boat locations with greater accuracy - visual identification of a surfaced U-boat, periscope [57], and steam torpedo wakes during daylight [60].
Procedure: When a confirmed contact is made (visual U-boat or periscope spotting or steam torpedo wake spotting), place a Targeted Escort Request marker on the U-boat along with a General Information counter set to "4".
A U-boat with a Targeted Escort Request marker on it may move as normal and the Targeted Escort Request marker remains in the space (i.e., does not move with the U-boat). The marker will follow Convoy Movement rules [55] and will only be replaced by another Targeted Escort Request marker or be removed if its General Information marker would reach 0.
Escort Request marker placement on center lines: Escort Request markers (standard or Targeted) placed in spaces on the center vertical or horizontal lines are subject to the following rules:
An Escort Request marker placed on the horizontal center line (white line in examples below), including where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect, is considered to be in an upper quadrant - either Quadrant 1 or Quadrant 2 - depending on its location.
When an Escort Request marker would be placed on the vertical center line (red line in examples below), including where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect, the player must instead choose a space to the left or right of the line as available. If both quadrants contain no other Escort Request markers, then the player may choose which direction to move the marker. If an Escort Request marker is present in one quadrant, then the new marker must be placed in the other. If both quadrants already contain Escort Request markers, the new one will replace the one with least amount of time remaining on it (keeping in mind that standard cannot replace Targeted). If tied, determine at random.
Escort Request marker movement to center lines: Escort Request markers (standard or Targeted) may move into boxes on the horizontal center line during the Convoy Movement Phase but are still considered to be in the upper quadrant.
If an Escort Request marker moves into a quadrant already containing an Escort Request marker during the Convoy Movement Phase, remove the marker with the lower General Information marker number (least time remaining). If tied, determine at random. (This happens during Convoy Movement [55].)
EXAMPLE: On the map below, we see four Escort Requests being placed due to U-boat activity in the area. (Convoy ships and U-boats were left off to keep the map from being too cluttered for this example.)
A was placed a few turns earlier in Quadrant 4 and its General Info marker has been counting down.
B is on the vertical divider and chooses to go left into Quadrant 1. (It could also have gone to Quadrant 2.)
C, also on the vertical divider, would normally have its choice of Quadrants 3 or 4 but is constrained by the presence of A in Quadrant 4, so C must be placed in Quadrant 3.
D (a Targeted Escort Request) is on the horizontal divider and is considered to be in Quadrant 2.
E is at the space where the two center lines cross so it will be in one of the upper quadrants. The two markers already there have the same time remaining, but D is Targeted so B will be replaced.
Reminder: The space where the vertical and horizontal center lines cross is part of the upper quadrants.
Reminder: The Targeted Escort Request placed as step D can only be replaced by another Targeted Escort Request.
Designer's Note: A standard Escort Request is based on an unconfirmed condition (explosion, sighted torpedo, etc.) and a Targeted Escort Request is based on a verified sighting of a U-boat. These represent the most current information.
ASW Surface & Depth Charge Attacks (on Approach and Attack)
On the Approach map:
- When the General Info marker indicating distance reaches 1, the Escort has closed on the U-boat close enough for a surface attack. The Escort may possibly initiate an attack. An Escort will first make a surface attack at range 1. A surfaced U-boat may be attacked (on Approach) at ranges 1 and 0.
- At range 0, the Escort and Captain counters have moved on top of the U-boat counter at its location on the map. If the U-boat is at the surface, the Escort will continue its surface attack. If the U-boat has submerged to periscope depth or lower, the Escort will attempt a Depth Charge attack.
On the Attack map:
- An Escort will conduct surface gunnery attacks if the target U-boat is at the surface. They will continue these attacks until the U-boat submerges at which time the Escort will be moved to the U-boat's location to attempt depth charge attacks.
- An Escort will attempt depth charge attacks if the target U-boat is submerged at periscope depth or deeper.
Escort Gunnery Surface Attack (on Approach)
An Escort will attack a U-boat on the surface at distance 1 or 0 from its location. Contact level is always Full Contact. Use the same procedure as Depth Charge attacks [50] with the following changes to the Attack Hit procedure:
- At distance 1 if the U-boat is at the surface, the Escort fires with its full surface fire power. Pull a number of ASW Attack cards equal to the Surface Attack value (upper right) on the Escort counter.
- At distance 0 (same location) if the U-boat is at the surface, the Escort fires with double its surface fire power. Pull a number of ASW Attack cards double the Surface Attack value on the Escort counter.
- For each ASW Attack card pulled, consult the box in the Surface row and Contact column for the result and implement each result individually.
- For each Light/Medium/Heavy Damage result, pull a Detonation/Damage card and implement the result by placing the appropriate Damage markers at the indicated U-boat locations. (See [51] for adding damage to a damaged location.)
Escort Gunnery Surface Attack (on Attack)
An Escort will attack the surfaced U-boat it has in contact within six spaces of its location.
Procedure: Pull a number of ASW Attack cards matching the Surface Attack value on the Escort counter (full or double - see below). Flip each card over one at a time and cross-reference the Surface row with the Contact column to find the result; apply the result, if any, before flipping the next card.
- On the first turn in which the Escort is placed at the Escort Request location on the Attack map, the Escort will attack its targeted surfaced U-boat within six spaces of it at its full surface fire power. On subsequent turns, the Escort will attack the same targeted U-boat within 6 spaces of it at double its surface fire power.
- Miss: no effect
- Light, Medium, and Heavy damage: check Damage Results [51].
Escort Depth Charge Attack (on Approach or Attack)
An Escort is in a depth charge attack position when on top of a U-boat (distance 0) on Approach or in the same space on Attack. The attack can be made while in Full Contact, Lost Contact 1, and Lost Contact 2 status.
Designer's Note: Lost Contact (1 & 2) indicates the Escort is having difficulty maintaining contact, not that contact has been completely lost. The Escort is able to attack at any level of contact.
Captain Aggression: If the Escort is in the Approach map, it will always attempt to attack; continue to the attack procedure.
If the Escort is in the Attack map, check the Captain counter for its aggression rating:
- At periscope depth or 15m, the Captain will attack automatically regardless of his aggression rating; continue to the attack procedure.
- If the Captain has an Aggression rating and the U-boat is at periscope depth or deeper, continue to the attack procedure.
- If the Captain does not have an Aggression rating, he will not initiate a depth charge attack at 30m or deeper but will attempt to maintain contact on that U-boat to keep him below periscope depth.
Depth Charge Attack Procedure: If an Escort is in an attack position on either the Approach or Attack map, pull one or two Battle cards (see Helmsman below) and check the ASW Attack results. (no re-pull)
A standard Helmsman pulls one Battle card when checking if the Escort will attack. If the card has a success, the Escort will attack. If the card has a failure, then there is no attack this turn by that Escort.
An elite Helmsman pulls two Battle cards when checking if the Escort will attack. If at least one of the cards has a success, the Escort will attack. If both cards have a failure, then there is no attack this turn by that Escort.
If no attack is made by this Escort, check the next eligible Escort (if any).
Designer's Note: If the Escort doesn't attack, that just indicates that the Escort is still maneuvering for an optimal attack run.
If an attack is made, continue to the next step to determine the damage.
Attack Hit Procedure (may re-pull)
Pull a number of ASW Attack cards matching the Submerged Attack value on the Escort counter, plus three cards if the U-boat is at periscope depth. Flip each card over one at a time and cross-reference the U-boat's depth (rows) with the Escort's Contact level (columns) to find the result; apply the result, if any, before flipping the next card. If the U-boat is currently at a depth not listed on the card, use the results for the next shallower depth above.
- Blank: no effect
- Light, Medium, and Heavy damage: check Damage Results (next page)
EXAMPLE: The U-boat under attack is at 135m depth with Lost Contact 1. The first three cards of six are shown here for the ASW Attack. Using the 120m depth results, we see two of the three cards indicate damage is sustained by the U-boat. The other three cards will be drawn and all damage would be resolved individually.
Designer's Note: Pulling one card at a time is deliberate design mechanic to induce tension, representing one depth charge after another going off in the U-boat's vicinity, causing anticipation and dread.
Damage Results (may re-pull)
For each successful hit result, pull a Detonation/Damage card and locate the type of damage at the bottom U-boat Damage section. Check for each type of damage on the appropriate damage columns. Apply damage counters (light, medium, heavy) to the indicated U-boat location(s).
Each type of damage/wound has a level:
- Light = 1 level
- Medium = 2 levels
- Heavy = 3 levels
- Destroyed location / KIA crew = 4 levels
Place the appropriate damage counters on each damaged/wounded location on the U-boat player board. Newly-placed damage levels must be added to any existing damage levels.
EXAMPLE: U-boat Z sustains another Medium hit to the RD (Rudder/Planes) location. There is already Light Damage there, so this new Medium Damage hit will make the cumulative damage Heavy (Light 1 + Medium 2 = Heavy 3).
Damage to a destroyed location: If damage is noted to a location that has already been destroyed, then apply that damage to the Flooding track instead, moving the Flooding marker one space to the right (total) for that damage.
Note: When transferring excess damage from another location to the Flooding track, the level of the damage is not significant. The Flooding marker will only advance one space.
Flooding damage: A number here indicates how much damage to apply to the Flooding track. Flip the marker to its Flooding side (if needed) and move it the indicated number of spaces to the right. If it reaches end of track, the U-boat sinks [24].
Catastrophic Damage: If there is an explosion icon, the U-boat sustains catastrophic damage and sinks [24]. This also applies to a surfaced U-boat under Escort surface gunnery attack [49].
Fire damage: A number here indicates the levels of damage to apply to the Fire track. Flip the marker to its Fire side (if needed) and move it the indicated number of spaces upward. If it reaches top of track, the U-boat sinks [24].
Gas damage: A number here indicates the levels of damage to apply to the Gas track. Move the Gas marker the indicated number of spaces upward. If it reaches top of track, the crew suffers from gas build-up [62].
Torpedo Tube damage: A number here indicates which torpedo tube sustains the damage.
Wounded Crew: A result here indicates wounded crew. Pull a d10 and reference the number to the Officer or Crew Section on the U-boat player board. Place the Appropriate Wound/KIA marker on the indicated crew location.
Repeat the ASW Attack procedure for all eligible Escorts.
Damage effects; see table on page [63].
EXAMPLE (pg 50) continued: The Escort has a subsurface attack value of 6, so six ASW Attack cards will be pulled and consulted, one at a time.
For the first card pulled, at the U-boat's current depth of 120m and the Escort's contact level at Lost Contact 1, we see the damage indicated is LT. Pull one Detonation/Damage card to determine the location of the damage. Looking at the L column, there is a 1 result at the Flooding location and a result at the hydrophones. Move the U-boat's Flooding marker 1 space to the right on its track, and add a Light Damage marker to the Hydrophones box. The icons on the card can be found on the player boards.
Continue pulling ASW Attack cards and resolving damage until a total of six cards have been completed in this manner.
Designer's Note: Lost Contact is not an indicator of distance between Escort and U-boat, but of the failing certainty of the Escort crew about the U-boat's actual location. Therefore, the possibility of damage is lessened but the level of damage inflicted can still be severe.
Wounds Effects
Wounded Crew Sections: Wounded Crew Sections are hampered in their attempts to repair ship damage. When attempting to repair damaged ship locations, apply the following DRMs per crew location: -1 for Light Wounds, -3 for Medium Wounds, -4 for Heavy Wounds. If a Crew Section is KIA, it may not attempt repairs. If all Crew Sections are KIA, then the U-boat must disengage at the earliest opportunity [36].
Designer's Note: KIA does not mean every crew member has been killed. It indicates that enough of the crew section has been incapacitated that it can no longer perform its duties. There are just not enough crew members left to be combat effective.
Incapacitated Officers: If an Officer sustains Heavy Wounds or is KIA, he becomes incapacitated. An incapacitated Officer cannot use any of his enhanced abilities. See Officer Promotion [64] for further details.
Ram Attack (no re-pull)
If an Escort is in the same location as a U-boat at surface or periscope depth, after any Depth Charge attack is concluded, the Escort will attempt to ram the U-boat (provided the U-boat hasn't been destroyed).
Before initiating ramming, as it was highly discouraged due to the damage caused to the Escort itself, pull a d10. If the die result is "1", then the Escort will make a ramming attack.
Ramming (may re-pull)
Procedure: A ram attack consists of pulling 8 cards from the ASW Attack deck and implementing all results in the Surface row and Contact column. After concluding all card results, remove this Escort from the game.
If an Escort does not perform a ram attack, it will use its surface gunnery instead [49].
Escort Holding Track clean-up
Once Escort Movement is complete on both Approach and Attack maps, clean up the Escort Holding track.
Move any Escorts at the bottom of the Escorts holding track upward, in the same order, to fill any empty spaces thereby making these Escorts once again available for placement on the board. Escorts re-entering play come from the top space of the track, as indicated by the arrow pointing back to the map area. When an Escort is removed from the map, it is placed in the bottom space of this track, as indicated by the arrow pointing to the bottom space. If the bottom space already holds an Escort, move that Escort up one space to make room for the incoming Escort. This could create a chain reaction of moving Escorts up the track to make room.
NOTE: The order of the Escorts is unchanged. They all shift upwards on the track and all spaces below them are now empty.
In this example, the Escorts Town 5 and Swan 4 both move upward and there will be three empty spaces below them.
U-boat vs. Escort — Combat on Approach (no re-pull)
This attack happens at the end of the ASW (Search, Move, and Attack) phase after all ASW attacks have been resolved.
NOTE: This procedure is different than an attack on the Attack map [60].
When in an Approach movement space, a U-boat may use a loaded torpedo to attack an Escort which is targeting it at a range of 1 or 0. There are no TDC calculations, firing angle, or size modifiers used in the attack. The player first determines the number of available loaded torpedoes to be fired (player's choice), removes the torpedo counters from the tubes on their U-boat board and returns them to their player supply, then performs the procedure below once for each torpedo expended this way.
NOTE: As always, the torpedoes may be used from the bow or stern locations, but not both for the same attack.
Procedure: Pull a Combat card, turn it vertically with the Merchant To-Hit side at the top and place it in an open space on the game table. Locate the appropriate To-Hit number. (The To-Hit number will be to the right of the good or bad weather icon using the Fast Convoy side ONLY.) Then pull a d10. If the result is "10", this is an automatic hit. Otherwise, subtract the Escort's defensive DRM value. If the result is equal to or higher than the To-Hit number, a hit is achieved; check for detonation. If the result is lower, no effect. Remove each fired torpedo from the U-boat board and place it back in the player supply. 10 = auto hit
Detonation: Pull a Detonation/Damage card and check the Torpedo Detonation section for the appropriate type of torpedo. If the card has a green result, the torpedo will detonate; proceed to Ship Damage. If it has a red result, it is a dud; no effect.
Ship Damage: Pull a Detonation/Damage card and check for Ship Damage. All Escorts are medium in size. Apply the following results:
- X = Superficial damage, no effect.
- D/S = Damaged or Sunk; remove the Escort counter and place it on the player's U-boat board. There are no victory points for sinking Escorts but, if the U-boat survives the Patrol, it will receive 20XPs.
Reload: A U-boat on the Approach Map (only) immediately reloads all fired torpedo tubes. (Once the U-boat is on the Attack Map, it will follow the standard sequence of play and will reload during the Reload Torpedo Phase [58].)
Repeat this procedure for each fired torpedo.
EXAMPLE: The only U-boat eligible to attack is the Escort's target, U-boat W. Although U-boats W and X are in the same Approach area, only W can fire at the Escort. The Escort is not targeting U-boat X, so U-boat X cannot fire at it in this step.
Escort Refit Table (no re-pull)
Every time a newly-drawn Escort is placed on the game map, you must check to see if that Escort is fitted with the latest ASW equipment. For most Escorts, that is an improvement of their Radar and ASW weaponry system.
Procedure: Cross-reference the type of Escort (DE, C, or S) with the current date. If the Escort has the possibility to gain the newest Anti-Submarine warfare technology, pull a d10 and consult the table below. The die result will determine whether or not the Escort has been Fitted with the latest ASW equipment. If the result is within the indicated range, then flip the Escort counter to its Fitted side before placing it on the map.
A DD ship will always have the most improved equipment for the time period in which it is drawn.
All other Escorts start with unimproved Early War Sonar (ASDIC) and 300lb. Depth Charges with a 105m maximum detonation depth. The improved equipment includes Improved Radar, Improved Sonar (ASDIC) and 600lb. Depth Charges with a 195m maximum detonation depth. There are depth charge icons on the Depth & Detection Track as a reminder.
If Late War equipment is being used, flip the Alarm marker to its reverse side as a reminder.
| Oct-Dec 1941 | Jan-Jun 1942 | Jul-Dec 1942 | Jan-Mar 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD | — | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC, EW Radar | Improved LW Sonar, LW 600lb. DC, LW Radar | Improved LW Sonar, LW 600lb. DC, LW Radar |
| DE | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC — 1–9: gain EW Radar | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC, EW Radar | All EW equipment — 1–8: gain all LW equipment | All EW equipment — 1–9: gain all LW equipment |
| C | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC — 1–4: gain EW Radar | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC — 1–6: gain EW Radar | All EW equipment — 1–3: gain all LW equipment | All EW equipment — 1–4: gain all LW equipment |
| S | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC — 1–3: gain EW Radar | EW Sonar, EW 300lb. DC — 1–5: gain EW Radar | — | — |
Equipment listed is automatically assigned to the Escort when it is drawn. If a range of die roll results is listed, on a successful d10 roll the Escort can gain the improved equipment noted (indicated in bold in the table above).
EXAMPLE: In Jan-Jun 1942, a Destroyer Escort (DE) entering play automatically comes equipped with Early War sonar, depth charges, and radar. A Corvette (C) from the same time period lacks the radar altogether but can gain Early War Radar technology on a d10 roll of 1 to 6.
Convoy Movement Phase
Every turn, as the convoy continues steaming toward safe harbor, the other ships are adjusted to reflect the change in their relative locations. The convoy is "moving" toward the top of the map but the ship counters are not physically moved.
Procedure:
- For each damaged convoy ship, flip the Damaged marker to the blank ocean side; it remains in its space on the map. Place the convoy ship counter on the current turn on the Turn Track.
- Flip all Sunk counters over to their back side.
- Move U-boats (maintain facing), Escorts, Escort Request (standard and targeted) and Escort Assigned markers, and their General Info number counters on the Attack map and U-boats in Approach movement boxes running vertically along the map edge a number of spaces toward the bottom edge of the map depending on the convoy's speed:
- Slow convoy: move 1 space/box on odd-numbered turns, 1 space/box on even-numbered turns.
- Fast convoy: move 1 space/box on odd-numbered turns, 2 spaces/boxes on even-numbered turns.
- U-boats in any of the top (horizontal) Approach boxes must move either left or right first, taking the shortest distance to the corner movement boxes. If the U-boat reaches the corner, any remaining movement will move the U-boat down on the track. Any Escort on top of a U-boat or in a Search box with contact will move with the U-boat.
- A U-boat with no Escort contact that would move off the bottom of the map disengages from the Patrol. Remove the U-boat from the map and place it on the current Turn of the Turn Track. Any VPs gained by the U-boat before its departure will count toward the Patrol. The crew will gain XPs for its tonnage sunk, if any. It may participate in the Hunt for Stragglers once the Patrol has concluded. No replacement U-boat is assigned.
- A U-boat with Escort contact which would move off the bottom of the map must check for survival on the table below. Pull a d10. (May re-pull.) At Lost Contact 1 add +1 or at Lost Contact 2 add +2. During Early War, if at or below 90m and Flooding damage is not at Crush Depth, add an additional +2 to the attempt. During Late War, if at or below 165m and Flooding damage is not at Crush Depth, add an additional +2 to the attempt. Regardless of whether or not the U-boat survives, the Escort is removed from the game. Any VPs gained by the U-boat will count toward the Patrol.
- An Escort not in contact with any U-boat when it would move off the bottom of the map is placed in the bottom space of the Escort holding track.
- If an Escort Request marker drifts into a quadrant already containing an Escort Request marker, remove the marker with the lower General Information marker number (least time remaining). If tied, determine at random.
- If a Targeted Escort Request marker drifts into a quadrant containing an Escort Request marker, remove the Escort Request marker. If it drifts into a quadrant already containing a Targeted Escort Request marker, remove the marker with the lower General Information marker number (least time remaining).
- If an Escort Request/Targeted Escort Request marker would drift off the map, they are removed.
U-boat Survival Table
d10 roll. Effect Modifiers: Lost Contact 1 = +1 or Lost Contact 2 = +2; below Crush Depth on Flooding track at 90m (Early) or 165m (Late) = additional +2
| d10 roll | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Early War | 1–3 | Deadly battle behind the convoy: remove both U-boat and Escort from the game. U-boat and its crew are lost. |
| Early War | 4–10 | U-boat chased off Patrol: place U-boat on its owner's U-boat board. Immediately conduct a Return to Base Transit Event for that U-boat [68]. Crew gains XPs for sunk tonnage. Escort is removed from the game. |
| Late War | 1–6 | Deadly battle behind the convoy: remove both U-boat and Escort from the game. U-boat and its crew are lost. |
| Late War | 7–10 | U-boat chased off Patrol: place U-boat on its owner's U-boat board. Immediately conduct a Return to Base Transit Event for that U-boat [68]. Crew gains XPs for sunk tonnage. Escort is removed from the game. |
Collision (no re-pull)
After all convoy movement, check for any collisions.
Procedure:
- For each U-boat at surface or periscope depth sharing a space with a convoy ship, pull a d10. A result of 1 indicates a collision.
- If a collision occurs, immediately pull nine ASW Attack cards and resolve each using the Surface row and Contact column of the card.
EXAMPLE: The convoy is moving slowly, so all pieces will only move one space no matter what turn it is.
1. The damaged convoy ship is moved to the current turn on the Turn/Info Track and the Damaged marker flips to its blank side and remains on that space of the map.
2. The Sunk counter is flipped to its back side and remains where it is.
3. Escorts on the Attack map (and any on the vertical columns of the Approach map, if there are any) move one space. Notice, the Escort Request and General Info markers will move one space, but the convoy ship beneath them stays in the box.
4. U-boats on the Attack map and any on the vertical columns or corner spaces of the Approach map move down one space.
5. The U-boat on the horizontal row of the Approach map moves toward its nearest vertical side by one space. If the U-boat is at the outermost horizontal space, it will move down to the first vertical space.
6. U-boat Z slips off the bottom map edge. Checking the Depth & Detection track, we see there is no Escort in contact with it, so it doesn't have to check for Survival. U-boat Z gets placed on the current turn space of the Turn Track and will gain its XPs for the Patrol.
7. The Escort at the bottom of the map has nowhere to go and is removed to the Escort holding track.
Convoy Search (no re-pull)
If a U-boat on the surface or at periscope depth is within the search range of at least one convoy ship, conduct one search for it during this phase. Use the closest convoy ship to conduct the search.
Procedure: Pull a Combat card and identify the appropriate Time of Day/Weather row to use. If the U-boat is within 2 spaces of an Escort Request marker (standard or targeted) at Night, treat that search as Day-Good. Fire and flares from whatever prompted the Escort Request are lighting up the night sky and making the U-boat more visible.
Locate the box for the current time/weather and Convoy Spot range. Check that box for periscope and/or binocular icons.
- If there is a periscope icon and the U-boat is at periscope depth, then contact is made.
- If there is a binocular icon and the U-boat is on the surface, then contact is made.
- If contact is made, place a Targeted Escort Request marker on the U-boat. [47]
Repeat this process for every U-boat within search range of a convoy ship.
Convoy Spotting Ranges:
- 0: U-boat in same space as a convoy ship
- 1: U-boat in space adjacent to a convoy ship
- 2: U-boat is two spaces away from a convoy ship
EXAMPLE: Using the Combat card and map segment at right, we see Jerome's submerged U-boat Y driving into the convoy, hunting for targets.
It is daytime and good weather and the range from convoy ship to U-boat is 1. Consulting the card, we see for those conditions (boxed in red) that the U-boat is within spotting range and there is a binocular icon, meaning contact has been made.
An Escort Targeted Request marker gets placed on the U-boat.
Jerome is now on a clock as Escorts will be headed his direction!
Reload Torpedo Phase
Once any U-boat has moved to the Attack map, each turn every U-boat may perform torpedo reloading if able. No torpedo reload activities of any kind can be performed when Silent Running. If the torpedo tube has any level of damage, it cannot be reloaded until after it has been repaired. When a U-boat runs out of torpedoes of either type, it cannot place any new Reloading 2 markers for that type.
If the bow and/or stern Crew Section has a Heavy Wounds or KIA marker, torpedo tubes in their area of the U-boat may not be reloaded.
Procedure: Every U-boat adjusts its counters in the following order:
- Remove each Loading 1 counter to reveal the torpedo counter below it.
- Flip each Loading 2 counters to their Loading 1 side.
- Torpedoes may only be loaded into tubes in their same section (e.g., bow reloads go to bow tubes).
- If there are numbers remaining on a Torpedo Reload marker in a Reload box (bow or stern), place the torpedo marker of that type for that tube and put a Loading 2 marker on top of it. One Loading 2 marker may be added at both the bow and stern per U-boat each turn; any empty torpedo tube may be reloaded this way.
- If a new Loading 2 marker was placed this turn, reduce the remaining number of the appropriate Torpedo Reload marker.
EXAMPLE: U-boat X has been busy and needs to reload torpedoes.
1. Tube 1 removes its Loading 1 marker leaving the G7a torpedo in place and ready to fire.
2. Tubes 4 and 5 flip their Loading 2 markers to the Loading 1 side.
3. The G7e torpedoes in the bow reload box are available to fill the empty Tube 3 but cannot be sent to the stern.
4. A Loading 2 marker and a G7e torpedo are placed at the empty Tube 3.
5. The G7e Reload marker is rotated down by one value to count off the torpedo now being loaded in Tube 3.
Designer's Note: There is more going on here than the physical loading of the torpedo into its tube. The crew is running calculations for angle and speed, setting the gyroscope, the tube is being flooded, etc. So, although in reality the quarters were cramped, in game terms these operations can be handled simultaneously.
U-boat Attack Phase
During this phase, U-boats may launch attacks against convoy ships and Escorts, seeking to prevent supplies from reaching their destinations. Sinking convoy ships earns players Victory Points and earns U-boats Experience Points, while sinking Escorts reduces the pressure on the wolfpack during their hunt and gains the U-boat XPs.
- While on the Approach map, U-boats can only attack Escorts during the Anti-Submarine Warfare Phase. [53]
- U-boats must be at surface or periscope depth to fire torpedoes.
- Once on the Attack map, U-boats may fire on both convoy ships and Escorts.
- A surfaced U-boat may fire up to all loaded torpedo tubes from both ends of the U-boat every turn.
- A submerged U-boat may fire up to all loaded torpedo tubes from one end (bow or stern) in a turn.
- Firing steam (G7a) torpedoes during daylight increases the chances of a U-boat's presence being detected as the bubbles of the steam torpedo wake can be spotted.
U-boat vs. Convoy Ship
Procedure: For each torpedo fired, take the torpedo counter from the torpedo tube and place it on top of its target, maintaining the proper firing angle from the U-boat. Then return the TDC Target ID marker from the target ship to the player's supply. Repeat this process for every torpedo being fired this turn.
Torpedo Firing Angle: The torpedo firing angle is the angle at which the torpedo will (hopefully) strike its target. The angle of attack is established at the moment the torpedo is fired and must correspond to one of the eight possible orientations on an Angle DRM card. Position the torpedo counter to match the correct angle. During the Torpedo Hit Check process, this angle will be relevant.
Firing Angle Modifier: Firing the forward or stern torpedo tubes between 0°–45° has no modifier (the uppermost three torpedoes in the diagram); firing outside that arc carries a -1DRM to the TDC calculation (the bottom four torpedoes). At the time of firing, adjust the TDC marker on the torpedo tube's TDC space by this modifier.
Torpedo Range and Speed: Count the range in spaces from the firing U-boat to its target. Using that range and the type of torpedo fired, determine the torpedo's speed using the table below. Place a General Info marker on top of the Torpedo counter with the speed number at the top. That is the number of turns the torpedo will take to arrive at its target.
| Torpedo Type | War Period | Range | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| G7a (steam) | Early/Late | 1-4 | 1 |
| G7a (steam) | Early/Late | 5-8 | 2 |
| G7a (steam) | Early/Late | 9-12 | 3 |
| G7e (electric) | Early | 1-3 | 1 |
| G7e (electric) | Early | 4-6 | 2 |
| G7e (electric) | Early | 7-9 | 3 |
| G7e (electric) | Late | 1-4 | 1 |
| G7e (electric) | Late | 5-8 | 2 |
| G7e (electric) | Late | 9-12 | 3 |
EXAMPLE: U-boat X can fire at targets A, B, and C but not D (to its stern). The torpedoes are placed in their proper firing angles; the inset card shows how those angles translate to the ship locations during the Torpedo Hit check phase.
The TDC marker doesn't get placed on the counter, but is shown here as a reminder that firing outside the forward arc carries a -1 DRM.
In reality, you will adjust the TDC marker on your player board to account for this DRM.
Important! A U-boat may not fire at an enemy vessel when located in the same space on the Attack map with the target Escort or convoy ship.
Reminder: The torpedoes fired during this phase will not be checked for hit, damage, or dud until the Torpedo Movement/Detonation phase of the following turn.
Unaimed Torpedo Attack
For an attack against a convoy ship without a TDC calculation, follow the procedure above with the following addition: place a -3 DRM marker on top of the fired unaimed torpedo and can only be fired by bow or stern torpedo tubes at a 0-45 degree angle (left or right).
Designer's Note: The Unaimed Torpedo Attack represents the tactic of firing a spread of torpedoes hoping one or two might hit a target. The torpedoes were not aimed but, being fired en masse, there was a chance that something might hit as the U-boat scrambled to avoid a hunting Escort. The shot can be made in the front-facing or rear-facing 90 degree arc.
Steam Torpedoes Fired During Day (no re-pull)
When firing a steam (G7a) torpedo during day, immediately make an Escort Search by pulling a Combat card and check the first column using Day-Good or Day-Bad only. If the appropriate time/weather result shows binoculars, the steam torpedo was spotted by its wake. Place a Targeted Escort Request marker and a General Information marker set to "4" on the firing U-boat. [47] If no binoculars, there is no effect.
U-boat vs. Escort — Combat on Attack (may re-pull)
A U-boat with loaded torpedoes may attack an Escort 1-6 spaces away. It may not fire on an Escort in its own location. If multiple U-boats are attacking the same Escort, determine the first attacker at random. That attacker resolves his attack; if no damage or superficial damage is achieved, determine the next attacker at random. Continued in this manner until all U-boats have fired on the Escort. If the Escort is removed due to damage or sinking before all U-boats have made their attack, the remaining U-boats will still expend their torpedoes.
Procedure: Pull a Combat card, turn it vertically with the Merchant To-Hit side at the top and place it in an open space on the game table. Locate the appropriate To-Hit number. The To-Hit number will be to the right of the good or bad weather icon using the Fast Convoy side ONLY. Then pull a d10 and subtract the Escort's defensive DRM value. If the result is equal to or higher than the To-Hit number, a hit is achieved; check for detonation. If the result is lower, the torpedo misses. Remove the torpedo from the U-boat board and place it back in the player supply.
Reminder: An unmodified roll of 10 is an automatic hit for torpedo to-hit rolls. 10 = auto hit
Detonation: Pull a Detonation/Damage card and check the Torpedo Detonation section for the appropriate type of torpedo. If the card has a green result, the torpedo will detonate; proceed to Ship Damage. If it has a red result, it is a dud; remove the torpedo and return it to supply.
Ship Damage: Pull a Detonation/Damage card and check for Ship Damage. All Escorts are medium in size. Apply the following results:
- X = Superficial damage, no effect.
If the U-boat was on the surface during this attack and the Escort survives the attack, the Escort gains Full Contact on the U-boat but does not move. Place an Escort Alarm ID marker on the Depth & Detection track on that U-boat's column.
If the U-boat was submerged during this attack and the Escort survives the attack, place the Escort on top of one of the attacking U-boats (determine at random) with Full Contact. Place an Escort Alarm ID marker on the Depth & Detection track on that U-boat's column.
- D/S = Damaged or Sunk; remove the Escort counter and place it on the player's U-boat board. There are no victory points for sinking Escorts, but if the U-boat survives the Patrol it will receive 10XPs.
Repeat this procedure for each fired torpedo.
Damage Control Phase
During this phase, a Crew Section and possibly the Chief Engineer may attempt to repair damage to the U-boat and the 2nd Watch Officer/Medic and Crew Section may attempt to heal wounds sustained by Officers and Crew Sections.
Damage Repair
There are four damage levels for U-boat locations (light, medium, heavy, and destroyed). Flooding, Fire, and Gas have sliding damage tracks.
- Locations with light or medium damage function as normal and may be repaired.
- Locations with heavy damage have a -3DRM to repair and further lasting effects are listed below. [63] This is cumulative with any other modifiers.
- Destroyed locations may not be used or repaired and may force the U-boat to surface and scuttle. [63]
- Each Crew Section (bow, midship, and stern) may attempt to repair a single location each turn.
- Bow section: may repair forward torpedo tubes and the hydrophone.
- Midship section: may repair the deck gun (only when surfaced) and the periscope. If the periscope is destroyed, the U-boat's observation periscope must be used with a -1 TDC modifier. Replace the damage counter with the Observation Periscope marker. If the observation periscope receives heavy damage, flip it over to show the -2 TDC modifier. If the observation periscope is destroyed, the U-boat may not attack while submerged.
- Stern section: may repair diesel engines, electric engines, rudder/planes, and stern torpedo tubes.
- All Hands: All 3 Crew Sections (bow, midship, and stern) may attempt to repair All Hands locations: Flooding and Fire.
- Repairs may be made while Operational Running for no cost and while Silent Running at a cost of 1TP (total).
Repairs (may re-pull)
Each of the Crew Section locations (bow, midship, and stern) may attempt one repair per turn. If the Chief Engineer is not incapacitated or acting as Captain, he may assist the Crew Section to repair locations with damage depending on the crew experience level. Wounded Crew Sections are less effective at conducting repairs; apply the following DRM modifiers:
- Each Crew Section Light wounds: -1
- Each Crew Section Medium wounds: -3
- Each Crew Section Heavy wounds: -4
- U-boat location with Heavy damage: -3
Important! The Chief Engineer and Crew Section must both be enhanced to appropriate levels in order to modify damage repairs.
Procedure: Declare the Crew Section making the attempt and the location they are trying to repair. Then declare if the Chief Engineer will be assisting with that repair, allowing the crew to use their modifiers. Complete one location before declaring the next location. You may attempt to repair All Hands locations multiple times and levels per turn.
Apply all DRM modifiers before determining the result — damage, wounds, and Crew/Engineer repair modifiers.
The Crew Section may attempt to repair damage as follows:
- If the Crew Section has no enhancements, they may attempt to repair one damaged location. Pull a d10 and apply all modifiers. If the result is 4 or greater, remove the light damage marker or reduce the medium or heavy damage by one level.
- If the Crew Section has Level 1 +1 Repair with Engineer, they may attempt to repair one damaged location with a +1 DRM if assisted by the enhanced Chief Engineer. This may not be used to repair Fire damage. Pull a d10 and apply all modifiers. If the result is 4 or greater, remove the light damage marker or reduce the medium or heavy damage by one level.
- If the Crew Section has Level 2 +2 Repair with Engineer, they may attempt to repair one damaged location with a +2 DRM if assisted by the enhanced Chief Engineer. This may not be used to repair Fire damage. Pull a d10 and apply all modifiers. If the result is 4 or greater, remove the light damage marker or reduce the medium or heavy damage by one level.
- If the Crew Section has Level 3 or Level 4 +1 DRM Fire, they may attempt to contain or reduce the Fire damage with a +1 DRM. Pull a d10. If the result is 4 or greater, either flip the Fire marker to its Contained Fire side or reduce a Contained Fire by one level.
The Chief Engineer may assist with repairs, provided the Crew Section has the appropriate level of enhancement, as follows:
- If he has Level 1 Repair 1 Location, he may assist a Crew Section's attempt to repair one damaged location per turn.
- If he has Level 2 Repair 2 Locations, he may assist Crew Sections attempting to repair two damaged locations per turn. This may be two different locations or the same location twice.
- If he has Level 3 Repair 3 Locations, he may assist Crew Sections attempting to repair three damaged locations per turn. This may be up to three different locations or the same location up to three times.
- If he has Level 4 +1 DRM Fire, he may assist a Crew Section's attempt to repair Fire damage; apply +1 DRM.
- If he has Level 4 +1 DRM Flood, he may assist a Crew Section's attempt to repair Flooding damage; apply +1 DRM.
Containing Flooding/Fire (may re-pull)
If attempting to repair a Flooding or Fire location, you must first contain the Flooding or Fire. If Fire is uncontained at Level 2, a -1DRM applies to the repair attempt.
The first successful repair attempt on an uncontained Flooding or Fire track flips the marker to the Contained side. Once contained, slide the Flooding or Fire marker down one damage level on the appropriate sliding tracks for each further successful attempt. The Flooding damage track has spaces at L and the 2nd O where the Flooding marker may not be reduced below.
Procedure: Pull a d10; a result of 4 or greater is a success. Flip or slide the marker as appropriate.
If, after all attempts to repair Flooding or Fire, the condition is not contained, move the marker one space higher (right or up) on the track. If the marker has now reached the final box of the track, the U-boat is sunk [24].
Gas Build-up (no re-pull)
The Gas track cannot be repaired and the U-boat cannot vent the gas without surfacing. Any time the U-boat surfaces, remove the marker from the Gas track. Each turn not on the surface while the Gas marker is in the top box, perform a Gas Damage check.
Designer's Note: When venting, the damage leading to the gas leak are considered to have been repaired for game purposes.
Procedure: Pull a d10; the die result will indicate which crew location is affected. If no wound marker is present, place a Light Wound marker at that location. If a wound marker is already at that location, increase it by one level.
EXAMPLE: The Gas marker is in the top space of the Gas track and the U-boat has not managed to surface. Pulling a die, the d10 result is a "4" so the Crew Section at the bow, which did not have any wounds before this, now receives a Light Wounds marker.
Damage Effects Table
This table lists the effects of damage on the various equipment and crew.
Any Damage level:
| Location | Damage Effect |
|---|---|
| Torpedo tubes | May not fire from damaged tube(s). If the bow and/or stern Crew Section has a Heavy Wounds or KIA marker, torpedo tubes in their area of the U-boat may not be reloaded. |
| Crew Section | Adverse repair DRMs based on level of wounds sustained by Crew Section location |
Heavy damage / Destroyed:
| Location | Damage Effect |
|---|---|
| Flooding * | 2nd O space = Implosion check / rightmost box = Sunk |
| Diesel engines | ½ move, move only on even-numbered turns when surfaced / destroyed = no movement |
| Electric engines | ½ move, move only on even-numbered turns when submerged, must disengage at earliest opportunity / destroyed = no evasive maneuvers, no movement, only Emergency Blow allowed |
| Rudder/planes * | 45° turn only and only on even-numbered turns / destroyed = no movement, no evasive maneuvers, only Emergency Blow allowed |
| Hydrophone | No evasive maneuvers; beginning of U-boat Movement Phase d10 = 1–2, disengage if 15m or deeper and no level of contact |
| Periscope | -1 TDC to all calculations; must switch to observation periscope -1/-2 DRM [61] |
| Deck gun | May not be used in the Hunt for Stragglers |
| Fire | Top of Fire track = Sunk [24]; Level 2 is -1 DRM |
| Gas | Top of Gas track = pull d10 for crew location Light Wound per turn until surfaced |
* If Flooding or Contained Flooding are at any of the "I-N-G" levels and the rudder/planes have Heavy Damage, the U-boat must descend 30m at the beginning of the U-boat Movement phase before checking for Implosion. No Emergency Blow allowed if damage to rudders/planes or while flooding.
Reminder: There are four ways for a U-boat to sink, which can happen at any time during the sequence of play [24]. When the Flooding marker reaches the rightmost box of the Flooding track [62], when the Fire damage marker reaches the top of the Fire track [62], when the U-boat is scuttled [29], or when a U-boat implodes (from any cause) [28].
If sunk, the U-boat counter is removed from the game board. If this happens on the Approach map, the player is eligible for a replacement U-boat [67].
If damage card pulls are still pending when a U-boat is sunk, the additional card pulls are not made.
Lost U-boat or Crew
See sections detailing losses of U-boats [67] and Officers and Crew Sections [66].
Healing Crew
Wounds consist of four levels: light, medium, heavy and KIA (Killed In Action). It takes a 2nd Watch Officer/Medic or a Crew Section with appropriate enhancements to heal wounds. Healing may be done during Operational or Silent Running. All wounds have further effects on ship repair attempts.
- Light or Medium Wounds may be healed.
- Crew Sections with Heavy Wounds or KIA may be healed.
- Officers with Heavy Wounds or KIA are incapacitated and may not be healed.
Designer's Note: For a Crew Section, wound levels or KIA do not indicate that everyone in that section was injured or wiped out. It abstractly represents that there are not enough healthy men left in the location to effectively carry out their duties. Moving men from one location to another refills those empty stations to get that section up and running again. You are not "bringing the dead back to life" per se. For Officers, on the other hand, wounds and KIA are exactly what they sound like as the Officer positions represent individuals.
Healing (no re-pull)
If the 2nd Watch Officer/Medic is not incapacitated or acting as Captain, he may attempt to heal Officers and Crew Sections if he has the Level 1 enhancement or higher. If the Crew Section has gained experience with healing wounds, they may also attempt to heal an Officer or Crew Section.
Procedure: The 2nd WO/Medic's experience improves at each level and he may attempt to heal wounds as follows:
- He may attempt to heal one Officer (including himself) or Crew Section. Pull a d10. If the result is successful, reduce the wound level by one or remove the Light Wounds marker.
- At Level 1, success is at 8+.
- At Level 2, success is at 6+.
- At Level 3, success is at 5+.
- At Level 4, success is at 4+.
- If he has Level 3 Heal 2 Locations, he may attempt to heal two Officers (including himself) or Crew Sections — including attempting the same Officer or Crew Section twice. For each attempt, use the highest level of Heal Wounds achieved at this time.
- If he has Level 4 Heal +1 DRM, any time he is attempting to heal wounds add 1 to the d10 roll before checking the result for success.
Each Crew Section may attempt to heal wounds:
- If the Crew Section has Level 4 Heal Wound, each section may attempt to heal one Officer or Crew Section. Pull a d10. If the result is 8 or greater, reduce the wound level by one or remove the Light Wounds marker.
Officer Promotion
If an Officer sustains Heavy Wounds or is KIA, he becomes incapacitated. If the Captain (or acting Captain) becomes incapacitated, he must be relieved of duty and replaced by the highest ranking non-incapacitated Officer.
Officers at any other rank who become incapacitated are not replaced in their duties. If the 2nd Watch Officer/Medic or Chief Engineer become acting Captain, they lose their healing and repair abilities.
Rank Order: Captain, 1st WO, 2nd WO, Chief Engineer.
Procedure: If the Captain becomes incapacitated, check the "Promoted to Acting Captain" box on the Crew Enhancements Chart for the next highest ranking non-incapacitated Officer. That Officer is now the Acting Captain but has limited abilities compared to the original Captain.
Do not erase any purchased enhancements for incapacitated Officers if they suffer Heavy Wounds. There is a chance they will recover and will be available for future Patrols with their U-boat.
Crew Relocation
After all wound healing actions have been performed, you may move Crew Sections to different non-Officer crew locations to further reduce wounds at a specific location.
NOTE: There are no Crew Section counters to move about the U-boat. The effect is abstracted by reducing the wound level at one location and increasing it at another.
Procedure: Declare the Crew Section (bow, midship, or stern) at which you want to reduce the wound level. Reduce that location's wound level by one and increase the wound level at another location by one. You may do this to multiple locations each turn and for any levels of wounds.
EXAMPLE: If the bow section is at Medium Wounds and you want to bring manpower there to reduce the wound level, you may take crew from the midship and/or stern locations. For every wound level added to either the midship or stern, reduce the bow section's wounds by one level. To repair two wound levels, you could apply one level to each location or two to a single location.
There are four possible combinations to relocate crew in this condition. There are three levels of wounds to distribute (medium = 2, light = 1).
End of Turn
If the turn just ended was Turn 1–20, advance the Turn marker one space and return to the top of the Sequence of Play.
If the turn just ended was Turn 21–25, perform an End of Patrol check (see below).
If the Patrol doesn't end and a player has lost a U-boat while on the Approach map during the turn, they receive a replacement U-boat. [67]
End of Patrol check (no re-pull)
The Patrol automatically ends if there are no U-boats remaining on the map at the end of a turn or if Turn 25 was just completed. During Turns 21–24, there is the possibility the Patrol will end without warning.
Procedure: If there are U-boats on the map and it is Turns 21 through 24, pull a d10.
| Turn # | Die Roll |
|---|---|
| 21 | 1-2 |
| 22 | 1-4 |
| 23 | 1-6 |
| 24 | 1-8 |
| 25 | auto |
- If the result is within the listed range, the Patrol ends.
- For any U-boat on the Attack or Approach Map under any level of Contact unable to disengage [36], use the U-boat Survival Table [55] to determine the U-boat's fate (these U-boats cannot Hunt for Stragglers, no matter their survival result).
- Any U-boats able to disengage are placed on the current turn of the Turn Track to participate in the Hunt for Stragglers. Resolve any torpedo attacks still pending on the Attack map.
- Then Implement the End of Patrol/Return to Base sequence. [68]
- If the Patrol doesn't end, advance the Turn marker one space and return to the top of the Sequence of Play.
Officer or Crew Lost on Patrol
The resolution of crew losses depends on how they were lost.
Captured, Lost at Sea, or KIA
If an Officer becomes captured, lost at sea, or KIA while on Patrol, all enhancements for that Officer are lost. Remove the circles from the Crew Enhancements Chart for the fallen Officer. Officer losses are replaced before the U-boat goes back to sea. [72]
If all Crew Sections are captured, lost at sea, or KIA while on Patrol, all enhancements for the Crew Sections are lost. Remove the circles from the Crew Enhancements Chart for the fallen Crew Sections.
EXAMPLE: The 2nd WO from U-106 is KIA while on Patrol. He had gained experience from previous Patrols and had three enhanced abilities. When his KIA marker is placed on his board, his existing experience is removed from the 2nd Flotilla's Crew Enhancements Chart.
Post-Patrol: Wounds
Crew Sections: Add wound values from all Crew Sections, might lose crew experience (Lt=1, Med=2, Hvy=3, KIA=4).
Result: 0–4 = no effect; 5–8 = lose highest enhancement; 9+ = lose 2 highest enhancements.
Officers: Light & Medium Wounds are healed. For KIA, remove Officer's experience. For each Heavy Wounds, pull d10:
Result: 1–7: remove Officer's experience; 8–10: no effect.
For KIA and Heavy Wounds (1–7), the Officer is not returning and his experience is lost.
Survived Scuttling
If any Officer or Crew Sections survive having to scuttle their U-boat and successfully return to base, they retain any enhancements they have gained. These Officers and Crew Sections are available to be re-assigned to other U-boats as needed. During the Setting Up a New Patrol process [71], these survivors will go through steps 2-4 as wound and enhancement details may need to be adjusted although they no longer have a U-boat.
Retain the purchased enhancements of the Officers and Crew Sections on the Campaign Log as they can be used to replace Officers and Crew Sections when a new Patrol is being set up. Officers and Crew Sections can be sent together or split up when used as replacements. The Captain retains all XPs and tonnage from his last U-boat when assigned as a replacement. Any Officer or Crew Section being replaced is removed from the game.
EXAMPLE: The highly-experienced Captain from U-332 was forced to scuttle his U-boat on a previous Patrol. A few Patrols later, Allen is setting up another U-boat and would like to keep that Captain and his Chief Engineer in play. He transfers the enhancements gained by that Captain and Chief Engineer to his current U-boat, along with the Captain's XP total and tonnage sunk. The enhancements, XP, and tonnage sunk for the Captain and Chief Engineer being replaced are removed from the game.
U-boat Refit Times
- 1 month: damage at "L" on Flooding track
- 2 months: damage at 2nd "O" on Flooding track
- +1 month: heavy damage to diesel or electric engine
Refit time may be reduced by 1 month for every 15 FPs spent, but may not be reduced below 1 month.
U-boat Lost on Patrol
A U-boat lost on the Approach map may be replaced with another U-boat to continue the Patrol. This is optional because there is a chance, if the replacement is also lost, it could have a negative effect on the final score of the Patrol.
Replacement U-boats do not gain any XPs and only half the VP value (rounded up) of any convoy ship sunk or damaged. All replacement U-boats are Type VII.
NOTE: If a U-boat is lost on the Attack map, the player controlling the U-boat is out of the Patrol but the convoy ships they sunk before the loss of their U-boat will still contribute VPs to the Patrol.
Replacement on Approach
If a player's U-boat is lost while on the Approach map (only), that player may gain a replacement U-boat to continue the current Patrol. If the replacement U-boat is lost, there is no further replacement.
NOTE: The player is assuming the role of another U-boat from a different flotilla attacking this convoy. This replacement U-boat is not used for further Patrols in the Campaign; the lost U-boat is out of play for the remainder of the Campaign.
Procedure (no re-pull):
-
Mark the lost U-boat as sunk (S) or scuttled (Sc) on the Campaign log sheet.
-
Remove all markers and counters from the U-boat board. Make sure the board is on its Type VII side.
-
Pull a Patrol card and place the U-boat counter on the indicated starting location (use the lost U-boat's counter to represent its replacement, e.g. "U-boat W"). There are no Transit event or Return to Base Transit Event for a replacement U-boat.
-
Place a General Info marker set to "4" in the TP box.
-
The replacement Officers and Crew Sections have no enhancements.
-
Place torpedo counters as follows:
Early War: Load bow torpedo tubes with 2 steam and 2 electric torpedoes and the stern tube with 1 steam torpedo (fully loaded and ready), place 4 reloads at the bow (2 steam, 2 electric), no reloads in the stern.
Late War: Load bow torpedo tubes with 2 steam and 2 electric torpedoes and the stern tube with 1 electric torpedo (fully loaded and ready), place 4 reloads at the bow (2 steam, 2 electric), no reloads in the stern.
Torpedoes Fired before U-boat Loss: Any torpedo attacks from the lost U-boat will still be resolved as normal and their resulting VPs will count toward the Patrol total.
Escort Placement Following U-boat Loss: If there was an Escort in contact with the lost U-boat on the Approach map, place it in the Patrol box in that quadrant.
End of Patrol/Return to Base
At the end of a Patrol, the U-boats conduct a final hunt for convoy ships damaged during the attack and left behind the main convoy (convoy ships on the Turn Track). They may also face an event on their return to base. Then the effectiveness of the Patrol is assessed and repairs, healing, and promotions are handled.
U-boat Under Contact
If a U-boat has any level of contact on it when the Patrol ends, it must make a roll on the U-boat Survival Table [55].
The Hunt for Stragglers (no re-pull)
Damaged convoy ships are still afloat in the area, still vulnerable to attack as the wolfpack disengages from the Patrol.
Procedure: Beginning with the U-boat closest to a convoy ship on the Turn Track (use R#, if needed), if the U-boat has a working deck gun (not heavily damaged or destroyed) or at least one remaining torpedo, that player may choose any convoy ship also on the Turn Track and attempt to sink it.
- Count the range from the U-boat to the convoy ship and pull a d10. If the result is greater than that number, the convoy ship has been sunk. The result of "1" is always a miss.
- If sunk, remove the convoy ship and place it near the player's U-boat board (for post-Patrol calculations) and add half (rounded down) the ship's VP value to the Victory Point total on the Turn/Info Track.
Repeat this process once for each U-boat on the Turn Track.
Return to Base Transit Event (no re-pull)
When the Patrol and the Hunt for Stragglers are finished, for each surviving U-boat on the map or Turn Track, check to see if there are any Return to Base Transit Events. U-boats chased off patrol [55] will also check for an event.
Procedure: Each player with a surviving U-boat will pull a Patrol card and look for a Return to Base Transit event at the bottom of the card. If an event is present, read and follow all instructions for that player's U-boat only. Do not reshuffle the deck between card pulls.
Very Important: Some of the events on the Return to Base card may be avoided by the expenditure of a Tactical Point. Keeping at least 1TP for the possible use during this procedure could be very important. Don't be like Luca and "sleep with the fishes"!
EXAMPLE: U-boat W survived the patrol and is attempting to return to base. Pulling a Patrol card, we find that this U-boat was attacked and scuttled as it ran for port. The card advises "Wounds to 5 Crew."
If the owning player cannot or will not pay 1TP to avoid this fate, then die rolls will have to be made to check which crew location is affected (checking the die result against the crew locations found on the U-boat board) and then the severity of the wounds (found on the Patrol card itself) for each of the five wounded crew.
The first card pull result is 3, which means the midship crew is affected. The second card pull of 1 indicates Light Wounds at that location.
Eight more die rolls will have to be made in pairs to determine the fates of the remaining wounded crew.
Additional U-boats on Patrol (no re-pull)
After completing the Return to Base Transit Event, then pull a d10 for each additional U-boat on Patrol to determine their fate. (These are the extra U-boats sent out on Patrol during a Full or Early Campaign game.) Cross-reference the die roll with the correct War Period; these tables are on a Player Aid card. Record these outcomes on the Campaign Log sheet and process the results during the "Setting Up a New Campaign Patrol" step [71].
Victory Conditions
The results of each Patrol are logged on the Campaign Log sheet to indicate the Patrol's VP totals, the tonnage of convoy ships sunk, the experience gained by the crew, and the necessary Refit time for a damaged U-boat.
Patrol Results: During the Patrol, the Victory Point value of sunk and damaged convoy ships is calculated for each player's U-boat. These are then added together and logged at the bottom of the War Period column and added to the Campaign's running total.
Victory Points are counted as:
- Full value for all convoy ships sunk by the Patrol
- Half value (rounded up) for convoy ships sunk or damaged by a replacement U-boat
- Half value (rounded up) for Damaged convoy ships sent to the Turn/Info Track
- Half value (rounded down) for Damaged convoy ships sunk in the Hunt for Stragglers (does not apply to replacement U-boats)
- -15VP per U-boat captured by the Allies when scuttling was attempted
- If a replacement U-boat is sunk, -X VP where X is 2d10 pulls using the highest value of the two cards drawn.
Reminder: Additional U-boats allocated to a Patrol do not contribute their VPs to the War Period total.
The total number of U-boats lost on this Patrol are added to any previous losses and the cumulative total logged at the bottom of the War Period column. This number is compared to the cumulative U-boat losses listed at the top of the column. If the players' number equals or exceeds the current War Period's U-boat loss number, the campaign is lost.
Reminder: Additional U-boats allocated to a Patrol do contribute to the U-boat loss total.
Experience Points from Patrol
Each returning U-boat and/or crew totals their individual Experience Points (XP) gained during the Patrol as follows:
- If the crew returns to base: gain 1 XP per 1,000 tons of convoy ships they sunk
- Then gain the following XP:
- +20 XPs if the U-boat returned to base
- +15 XPs if the U-boat was scuttled but the crew returned to base
- +20 XP per damaged or sunk Escort on the player's U-boat board
Adding any XPs already logged, write the new total number of XPs in the XP column. Do the same for the total tonnage in the 1000 Tonnage column.
NOTE: These XP points are calculated per U-boat and marked on the Campaign Log for the specific U-boat and crew on that Patrol.
War Period Success or Failure (Campaign games only)
At the end of every three Patrols during a Campaign, calculate the success or failure of that War Period.
Procedure: Compare the War Period's total VPs from all players to the requirement listed at the top of the column. If the players' total is equal to or greater than the requirement, the War Period was a success. If not, it was a failure.
Victory Checks (Campaign games only)
- If this is the end of the first or second War Period, set up a new Patrol. The Campaign continues. [71]
- If this is the end of the 3rd War Period or later, check for Campaign Success or Failure (see below):
- If an Auto-Win occurs, the Campaign ends in success.
- If an Auto-Loss or U-boat loss occurs, the Campaign ends in defeat.
- If the Campaign does not end, complete the steps below to set up for a new Patrol.
Campaign Success or Failure
The Campaign can end in either success or failure depending on achieving the required VPs per War Period or the cumulative loss of U-boats.
- If this is the end of the third War Period or later, check the number of War Period wins and losses:
- Auto-Win: If there are 4 War Period wins, the Campaign ends in success.
- Auto-Loss: If there are 3 War Period losses, the Campaign ends in defeat.
- Automatic loss of the Campaign can also occur due to U-boat losses. U-boats lost to sinking (implosion), capture, or scuttling are counted for this purpose.
| War Period | Cumulative U-boat Losses |
|---|---|
| Oct-Dec 1941 | 10 |
| Jan-Mar 1942 | 10 |
| Apr-Jun 1942 | 10 |
| Jul-Sep 1942 | 12 |
| Oct-Dec 1942 | 13 |
| Jan-Mar 1943 | 14 |
NOTE: In the event of an auto-win or auto-loss before the last War Period, players can decide among themselves if they want to play out the remainder of the Campaign or not.
The Early Campaign, single War Period game, and Patrol Missions have their own victory conditions listed under the scenarios.
Designer's Note: German torpedoes used during the timeframe of this game were the G7a steam torpedo and the G7e electric torpedo. During the time period depicted in the first half of the game, the G7a torpedo were faster and had a longer range then the G7e, but the downside was that the G7a torpedo left a visual trail of bubbles on the surface of the ocean, due to being steam propelled. These visual bubbles were easily spotted by the escorts and convoy ships during daylight hours, so attacking at night was preferred.
You might think that the G7e would be a better choice but, in reality, the electric G7e had a greater dud rate than the steam torpedoes. U-boats would carry roughly an equal amount of both types. During the time period depicted in the second half of this game, with improvements to the G7e torpedoes, both types were comparable in speed and range but eventually the Germans would phase out the steam torpedoes. These were not the only torpedoes that the Germans used as the war progressed. They continually made improvements and had multiple types of torpedoes.
Setting Up the Next Campaign Patrol
If the Campaign Continues (no re-pulls)
Before continuing to the next Patrol or putting the game away, you will first prepare the Campaign for the next Patrol. When you're done with the following steps, the next group of players will be able to continue playing the Campaign. When they are finished with their Patrol, they will prepare for the next Patrol. This pattern will repeat until the Campaign is completed.
- Each player may elect to spend any amount of their Experience Points to convert to Flotilla Points on a 1-to-1 basis; deduct the XPs from the U-boats just returned from Patrol and add the new points to the Flotilla Point total. Any remaining Experience Points are saved to be spent for Crew Enhancements and Tactical Points in an upcoming Patrol. (U-boats allocated for additional patrols may not exchange XPs gained for Flotilla Points as they did not participate in the Patrol.)
- U-boats returning from a Patrol with wounded Crew Sections can be subject to the loss of crew enhancements. Add all Crew Section wounds together to get a total level and use that level to determine the possible effect on enhancements (see table below). If enhancement losses occur, erase the highest enhancement purchased from the Crew Enhancements Chart. If two enhancements are tied for highest, the player chooses which one to erase. Then remove all Wound/KIA counters from Crew Sections (not from Officers) and return them to the general supply.
- Light wounds = 1 level
- Medium wounds = 2 levels
- Heavy wounds = 3 levels
- KIA = 4 levels
| Wound Level | Result |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Wounds healed, no effect |
| 5–8 | Lose highest Crew Section enhancement |
| 9+ | Lose 2 highest Crew Section enhancements |
EXAMPLE: The crew in the bow section of Jordan's U-404 sustained Heavy wounds, the midship section had Light wounds, and the stern section was KIA. This totals as 3 (Hvy) + 1 (Lt) + 4 (KIA) = 8. Level 8 wounds requires the loss of one Crew Section enhancement. Jordan erases the highest level of crew enhancement for the "2" U-boat (U-404 is the second ship in the 6th Flotilla's roster) from the 6th Flotilla Crew Enhancements Chart.
Experienced Crew: If the U-boat's Crew Section did not lose an enhancement due to wounds, they get a new FREE enhancement which is immediately applied.
- If there are Officers with Light and Medium Wounds, remove the Light Wounds and Medium Wounds counters and return them to the general supply. Surviving Officers are available for the next Patrol.
- If there are Officers with Heavy Wounds, pull a d10 for each of them and consult the following chart for results:
| d10 roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–7 | Wounds too severe, Officer must be replaced |
| 8–10 | Wounds healed, may continue on next Patrol |
- If the Officer must be replaced, erase all enhancements for the Officer. His replacement will be starting over.
- If the Officer is healed, remove the Heavy Wounds marker and return it to the general supply.
EXAMPLE: Both the 1st WO and Chief Engineer from 6th Flotilla's U-404 sustained Heavy Wounds on the current Patrol. Jordan pulls a d10 for the 1st WO and gets a "6" - this officer is out of the war and Jordan erases the "2" enhancements (U-404 is the second U-boat from the 6th Flotilla) from the Crew Enhancements Chart. Jordan then pulls a d10 for the Chief Engineer who is luckier with a "9" and is patched up and returned to duty. The Chief Engineer retains his enhancements and will be with the crew on its next Patrol.
- Mark the Refit time as "R" for U-boat damage for the required number of Patrols for the appropriate U-boat on the Campaign Log sheet. U-boats in Refit may not be taken out on Patrol.
| U-boat Damage | 0 Months | 1 Month | 2 Months | +1 Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No damage | Flooding at L-O | Flooding at 2nd O+ | Heavy Damage to Diesel/Electric Engines (either or both engines) |
Flooding here or less is a 1-month repair. Flooding here or less is a 2-month repair.
- The Chief Engineer may assist with repairs if he has Level 3 -1 Month Repair. If so, reduce the Refit time by one month.
Officer Losses and Promotions
Officers killed in action on a Patrol are replaced before the U-boat heads back out to sea. See below and [66].
Captain
If the Captain was KIA, the 1st WO received a field promotion to finish the Patrol as acting Captain. Post-Patrol, the 1st WO will retain his field promotion, becoming the new Captain.
Procedure: First, erase the Captain skills on the track for that U-boat. Then copy the 1st WO's skills from his track to the Captain track. Finally, erase the old 1st WO skills. That U-boat now has the promoted 1st WO as Captain and a new 1st WO (with no experience).
If any lower-ranked officer became acting Captain on the Patrol, he is returned to his former rank at the end of the Patrol and the Captain's enhancements are erased. Also erase the check mark from the "Promoted to Acting Captain" box. This U-boat now has a new Captain with no experience. While acting as replacement Captain, they do not perform any of their normal duties during that patrol and, while acting as Captain, have no Captain enhancements.
Other Officers
If any Officer below the rank of Captain is KIA on Patrol, he is replaced. Erase his current enhancements.
NOTE: Erasing an Officer's current enhancements indicates losing the experience that Officer had gained on any prior Patrols. It also signifies that a new Officer has been transferred to the U-boat as a replacement and has not yet gained any enhanced experience.
U-boat Losses
Captured U-boat: If a U-boat is captured by Allies while on Patrol, it is no longer available for future Patrols. Write "CIA" (Captured In Action) on the space for the current Patrol for that U-boat on the Campaign Log.
- Any convoy ships sunk prior to the U-boat's capture are still counted toward the Patrol VP total.
- All XPs which would have been gained by that U-boat from the Patrol are lost.
- All Crew Enhancements for Officer and Crew Sections from that U-boat are lost; remove them from the Crew Enhancements Chart.
U-boats Scuttled, Sunk, or Imploded: If a U-boat is scuttled, sunk, or imploded while on Patrol, it is no longer available for future Patrols. Write "S" or "Sc" on the space for the current Patrol for that U-boat on the Campaign Log.
- Any convoy ships sunk prior to the U-boat's loss are still counted toward the Patrol VP total.
- For a scuttled U-boat, XPs and Crew Enhancements are retained as the crew survived and returned to base. See page [66] for re-assigning crew.
- For a sunk or imploded U-boat, all XPs which would have been gained by that U-boat and all Crew Enhancements for Officer and Crew Sections from the Patrol are lost; remove them from the Crew Enhancements Chart.
The U-boats are now ready for the next Patrol and the continuing Campaign. [24]
Sequence of Play
- Torpedo Move/Detonation [25]
- U-boat Movement [28]
- U-boat Observation [37]
- TDC Calculation [38]
- Anti-submarine Warfare [39]
- Move
- Search
- Attack
- Convoy Movement [55]
- Reload Torpedoes [58]
- U-boat Attack [59]
- Damage Control [61]
End of Patrol/Return to Base [68]
NOTE: Items with blue titles above comprise the Sequence of Play for the first several turns. Once U-boats have moved to the Attack map, the entire SOP is used.
Components
- 240 cards in six decks
- 34" x 22" mounted map board (double-sided, small & large convoys)
- Four 8.5" x 5.5" U-boat player boards (2-sided)
- Four 17" x 11" play aids (double-sided)
- Five 8.5" x 11" play aids (double-sided)
- 4½ counter sheets
- Campaign Information pad
- Rulebook - 76 pages
- Playbook - 24 pages
- 3" box
Credits
Designer: Mike Bertucelli
Developer: Joel Toppen
Art Director & Package Design: Justin Martinez
Cover Art: Tomasz Niedziak
Rules Editing & Layout: Kai Jensen
Player Aid Development & Layout: Bruce Mansfield
Component Design & Art: Tomasz Niedziak, Dariusz Buraczewski & Kai Jensen
Special thanks for contributions "above and beyond": Tomasz Niedziak, Jeremy White, Kai Jensen, Tony Kinner & Jerome Weisen
Playtesters: Jerome Weisen, Allen Martin, Jordan Kehrer, Jerry White, Bruce Mansfield, Scott Mansfield, John Reid, Tomasz Niedziak, Tony Kinner, Charles Lewis, Greg Amos, and Erich Chaves
Production Coordinator: Kai Jensen
Publishers: Gene Billingsley, Tony Curtis, Andy Lewis, Mark Simonitch and Rodger B. Magowan