Blue Water Navy - Scenario 1a Yankee Hunting AAR - Turn 1

Compass Games Blue Water Navy. Originally posted on BGG w/Designer interaction

The US Player must sink Soviet SSBN's to win. VP points are based on SSBN Payload points damaged/sunk. The Soviet Player can reduce this by getting submarines across the SOSUS Barrier to attack incoming Convoys (not represented in the Scenario just assumed). The US player can also get a Payload VP by damaging/sinking the Kiev or pushing Soviet Yankees away from the First Strike areas. In scenario 1 the only Soviet SSBN's are in the Soviet Boomer Bastion north of the Barents. Scenario 1a adds a pair of Yankee SSBNs (and their escorts) in First Strike positions near the US East coast as added targets. Scenario lasts 3 turns.

First decision is where to setup the Yankees in the First Strike zones:
Far away from US SSN's to prevent first turn attack and all concentrated in one zone so when the attack occurs, both Yankee escort SSNs can counterattack

Next roll for weather
West - 2 Clear
Mid - 6 Clear
North - 7 roll 2 die - zones N-1 (North Sea) and N-4 (Baltic)
Maybe leverage the North Sea as a destination since weather makes it harder to detect/attack submarines?

Each side gets 7 Ops points each turn (small scenario ops rules - no card play)
Soviet's first ops - previous plays I had the November in N7-8 East of Iceland try to run the SOSUS array and force the UK SSN Swiftsure to attempt to kill. It would become spent in the process thus opening the way for the Alfa to make it's run unopposed except for the patrolling P-3 on the other side.

But the scenario is primarily about protecting the Soviet Boomers in the Bastion so the Soviets need to get as many ASW assets into the Bastion as soon as possible. Since 7 Ops on the track is a SHIP op also, instead I spend 2 Ops to form a Task Force with the Northern Fleet units in Kola Naval Base and sortie into the Barents Sea in preparation for moving into the Bastion later in the turn. One of the Victors already in the Bastion will join when it enters to increase its ASW effectiveness.

For the US Op the LA SSN in the Norwegian Sea is going to try to preemptively damage or sink the Alfa so that when it does try to run the SOSUS barrier there is less chance it will make it.
There is another LA on the other side of the SOSUS between Iceland and Scotland, the UK Swiftsure and a P-3 via the Northern SOSUS route. But if the Alfa goes to the North Sea then only a Nimrod and Bad Weather. Better do something now to prevent it from getting the VPs for crossing SOSOS.

The LA gets 3 dice and +1 Tactical DRM, but the Alfa can evade hits on a 6+.
Unbelievable - 10, 10, 10 on the VASSAL roller - never saw that before.
Now 3d10 to see how many evaded - 4, 6, 10 - the Alfa was dancing and evaded 2 - but still damaged now.
The LA is now Spent.

Back to the Soviets. The Alfa is in a use it or lose it situation. If she does not try to run the SOSUS barrier now there is a good chance the US will do a follow-on attack to try to finish her off. 3 choices per above - the 2 Iceland routes each have an SSN waiting - while the North Sea only has a Nimrod and Bad Weather or… the Danish Diesel boat in the Norwegian Sea. When crossing a SOSUS barrier a Soviet sub can be attacked by fresh US units from either side. As long as I am interpreting the scenario VP rules correctly (cross any SOSUS barrier) the obvious route is the North Sea because the Kobben has no tactical advantage DRM and the Nimrod is hampered by bad weather as well as requiring natural 10's to hit. So the Alfa runs for the North Sea and the Kobben takes her best shot…

Kobben gets 3 dice +1 Dice for SOSUS detection - 1, 2, 5, 7 - all less than the Alfa's 9 Defense so a total miss. A slow Diesel boat versus a hot rod Alfa off to the races. The Alfa makes it across the SOSUS barrier and this gives the Soviet -1 Payload point VP against the US total. Per the scenario instructions, the Alfa is removed from the board. Correct me if I am wrong with my Scenario rules interpretations.

Now back to the US. At this point, the November instead of crossing the SOSUS barrier around Iceland can instead make a run South thru the Norwegian Sea (where both allied subs are spent) and then into the North Sea with only a Nimrod in bad weather able to stop her. The US player needs to attack the November now - but which sub should do it? The Swiftsure is able to move thru the Barents and into the Bastion and perform an attack this turn BEFORE the Northern Fleet ASW task force can take station. The 2nd LA could do a high-speed (3 moves) run into the Bastion but no attack. So the LA is better used moving and attacking the November, and the Swiftsure is still Fresh to either stop the November if it survives and if not make a run into the Bastion.

The LA gets 3 dice and a +1 DRM - 3, 4, 7 - so 1 hit (7+1=8) and the November does not get evasion.
And now I just realized a big oops. Since the LA attacked no one is guarding the SOSUS barrier between Iceland and Scotland.
And that is where the November goes to get 1 more negative VP…

Contrasting LA skippers - one attacks a high-speed Alpha and nails it with 10, 10, 10 - even an Alfa can't run from that kind of shooting. The other LA skipper leaves his position thinking he can take the November but then can't close the deal and the November slips out, albeit damaged.

After the US expends 2 more ops points another move TF/SHIP event occurs, and the Soviet ASW TF will enter the Bastion. The defense of the SOSUS barrier phase is over, so it's time to get all available SSNs into the Bastion. First to go is the Swiftsure via the Barents Sea. And the Victor III reacts upon its entry with an attack.

She gets 3 dice +1 dice for the Soviet CAESAR Barrier (Soviet version of SOSUS) and a +1 DRM.
But the Swiftsure can evade…
The Victor rolls 2, 3, 5, 10 - 1 hit. The Swiftsure rolls evasion - 5!
The Swiftsure is damaged but can still carry out her attack.
She gets 2 dice and a +1 DRM - 6, 9 which translates to 7, 10 with +1 DRM.
The weakest subs in the Bastion are the Delta I/II with defense of 8, but the 7 die roll is not enough so no effect for that roll.
The 10 die roll can damage any sub in the Bastion, even the mighty Typhoon (but it can evade unlike the Deltas).
But the DEFENDER gets to pick the target for the FIRST hit - which means one of the SSN's has to eat the hit to protect the Boomers. Even though the Victor III is better than the Victor II - it is spent and more subs are coming so the Victor II needs to stay ready.

The Soviet now decides to start beefing up the Bastion with Maritime Patrol acft to add to the ASW TF when it arrives. The IL38 May with a range of 2 moves into the Bastion and goes on patrol. The Bears with a range of 3 are being saved for possible attacks on US subs outside of the Bastion.

After the US expends its next op the Soviet ASW TF can move into the Bastion. Therefore the Sturgeon lurking under the ice in the Arctic starts its run into the Bastion now before that happens. Since the Sturgeon's defense is 10 (but it can not evade) and the Victor II does not have a +1 DRM, the MP limitation of Natural 10's to hit a nuclear submarine is not a negative in this situation. And the newly patrolling IL38 will get 3 +1 dice while the Victor II will get 2 +1 dice for CAESAR. So the IL38 prosecutes the Sturgeon.
3 ASW Dice +1 dice for the CAESAR barrier and needs a natural 10 to hit. She rolls 1, 3, 9, 9 - whiff!

The Sturgeon now gets an unopposed attack - unless she rolls a 1 and Bastion intrinsic defense damages her.
She rolls 3 dice with a +1 DRM - 5, 9, 10 - effectively x2 10's and the Attacker gets to pick the 2nd hit.
The Soviet wants to keep the Victor I intact to combine with the ASW TF when it arrives, so the Victor II eats another hit and is gone. The US could apply the 2nd hit to the Typhoon but it gets an opportunity to evade on 6+. Not wanting to take that chance, the US picks a Delta III to damage which gives 3 payload VPs. And at the end of the US op it is time to move TF's - so the Northern Fleet TF Borodino enters the Bastion ready to work with the remaining Victor II for coordinated ASW ops…

The Soviet has 2 ops left and there are no more US subs that can get into the Bastion this turn. So it is time to set up to try to slow down the remaining 2 US LA SSN's that can try to attack the Bastion next turn. The first op is spent sortieing the Foxtrot in Kola Naval Base into the Barents sea and going on patrol. This is the only path the US SSNs can use next turn to enter the Bastion and be able to attack also. The Arctic/Under Ice route will take 2 turns, and time is of the essence…

Now that the major events in the North are almost done, the US shifts focus to the Western Atlantic and Caribbean where a number of Yankees are lurking. They could be critical to the US achieving its Payload VP condition since each SSBN has 4 payload points. If things don't go well in the Bastion this is where the US could pick up the missing points for victory. The Yankees are currently off the coast of Central America and out of range of the US SSNs off the coast of Nova Scotia for an attack this turn. So they need to get in position for attacks next turn.

First, the LA moves to the First Strike area near Haiti/Puerto Rico. From this position even if the Yankees make a 3 space speed run next turn they are still within 2 space range of the LA and an attack. Not putting the LA On Patrol since that would freeze it in place and then it is easily avoided. The Sturgeon will also join the LA and the Roosevelt Roads P-3 will go on Patrol with the last ops.

But first the Soviet expends its last op by sending a Bear from Kola to take a shot at the damaged Swiftsure and prevent it from attacking next turn. The Bear gets 3 ASW dice and needs a natural 10 for a hit… and the Swiftsure can evade. Long shot but worth the shot… 2, 6, and 10! Swiftsure rolls for evasion… 9! And she lives another day. The Bear returns to base.
Maybe I should have put the Bear on patrol instead of rolling the dice?

And in the Western Atlantic, the US expends its remaining Ops points and sets up for next turn's Yankee hunt.

Turn 2 soon - the Bastion will heat up and the hunt will be on in the Eastern Atlantic/Caribbean.

Designer Comments:

Two small items:
Scenario rules:
"NATO wins the game by sinking an SSBN payload value of 8.
The Soviet player may reduce the current Payload value sunk by
one for each Soviet submarine step that makes it over the SOSUS
line"
Since at the start of the scenario, the payload sunk is 0, you cannot do this right away - the intent is no negative numbers. However, I would just play on and know for the future.
Rules:
"the MP limitation of Natural 10's to hit a nuclear submarine.."
I think you are confusing this with the (N) symbology - which means not magnetic, it doesn't mean nuclear.