Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1991 13:26:00 GMT From: Subject: 7th Fleet, A Review HI Guys, I'm back (at last) with a review if VG's 7th Fleet. Hopefully I'll get it right this time (2nd Fleet's review was a little spotty in places!!).... GAME PURPOSE 7th Fleet simulates air/naval combat in a 1980s WW3 between ANZUS/Japanese/South Korean/Philipino/Taiwanese forces and Chinese/USSR/Vietnamese/N Korean forces in the Japan sea, Philipine sea, South China sea, NW Pacific Ocean, and the Bearing sea. The game counters represent single naval ships, submarines and oil tankers, convoy groups (merchantmen ono), long range recon aircraft (10-20 planes/counter), Carrier based strike elements (9-12 planes/counter) and land based strike assets (20-40 planes/counter). COMPONENTS 3 multi-coloured 21*27" maps representing the game area with a scale of 45 miles per hex. The maps show political divides and, in sea hexes, deep, normal, and shallow water. 3-400 5/8" counters in various colour schemes (see later) to represent actual units, and a similar number of indicator counters (1/2" size), all are double sided, and are to a very high standard of presentation, and, once all the values are under stood, are very easy to use. Additionally, there are a number of pads full of supply charts, and a duplicate pair of combat results charts. All in all, very impressive, but does the game have play balance???? COUNTERS/UNIT TYPES Each nation has separate colours allocated to it. Allied forces generally have a green border, with different coloured centers to represent nationality: The USA has green, Japan is white with a red "sun" in the middle, South Korea is white, Australia has pale blue, the Philipines has a medium blue. Soviet allies have red borders, with different coloured centers: USSR are all red, N Korea are mustard, Vietnam are bright pea green (I wonder why?!). China and Taiwan are ostensibly neutral and have Burgandy borders, fawn centers, while the writing on the counters is Brown for Taiwan, and black for China. There are several different types of unit coumters. 1) NAVAL WARSHIPS CV) Main component of allied firepower are the three US CVAs, Midway (based in Yokosuka), Kittyhawk, and (I think) Esienhower (at least its a Nimitz class CVN) All these ships have powerfull airwings, high ASW values, and little or no AA value. The airwing on Midway differs from that of the two larger carriers in that it only has F18s and no S3 Viking asw aircraft. The soviets have 2 Kiev class carriers, which have adequate Area AAM, good point defense SAMs, superb long range SSMs and a fantastic (like twice that of a US carrier) ASW rating. They are badly let down by the Yak 38's lousy ATA and ATG ratings. The assault carrier WASP also has a single counter of AV8Bs on board, which can be deposited in any allied owned Hex on the board. BB) The Iowa is represented here as the only BB in the game....she has a good close combat rating, and a SSM rating similar to that of the Kiev class units, although the Iowa has no ASW/ SAM capability to speak of. CG) US cruisers are there for one reason only; ie to protect major capital ships like Iowa and the CVs. All the main US classes are represented (including 2 Ticonderogas, the USS Long Beach, Truxtun, Leahy and Belknap class ships) and most are excellent Long range Defensive SAM ships. The more modern Ticonderogas suffer from a lack extended range SAMs, but have immense SAM ratings. 50% of these ships have Tomahawk CMs, all have Harpoon. ASW values vary, depending on age and Helo provision (once more the Tioconderogas are the best here), while the newer VLS and twin ended CGs also tend to have better ammo quantities on board too. Only the Riga (Kirov class) is as good/better than the US ships, with great SSM and SAM values. The older Kresta/Kynda ships variosly suffer from poor SSM/SAM or ASW values, depending on the mark of ship deployed. The Kara class is also deployed, and is a reasonable match for a Belknap class ship. CL) Two old Russian CLs are shown...they are merely cannon fodder DDG) There are two broad Grouping here for the US. A)ASW ships...basically these are the 4 spruance class units...2 of which also have CMs. Typified by highish ASW values, adequate SSMs, and only point defense SAMs. The soviet Udaloys are broadly similar in performance, although they have lousy SSMs. B)AA ships...mainly old Charles F Adams class boats (also one Austrailian CFA too) and one Arleigh Burke class DDG is also present. Additionally a coontz class DDG is also there. The older DDgs suffer from poor point defenses, while all US SAM orientated ships suffer from low ASW ratings. The Arleigh Burke class ship also has CMs. Most soviet destroyers are also SAM orientated, with 5 Kashin and 2 soveremny class DDGs being the prime units. 3 older ships are supplied, but they are cannon fodder. The Kashins are very fast, but ill armed (lousy ASW,SAM,SSM values), while the Soveremny class ships are a match for a Leahy class cruiser, with excellent SSMs and SAMs, but poor ASW capability. Japanese DDGs are mainly orientated for ASW combat (CF spruance class) although 4 weak SAM defense ships are provided. The Japs desperately need SAM ships... FFG)The main US FFG is the OHP class FFG. These are typified by good ASW values adequate SSMs and a small SAM value. They make excellent convoy escorts. 4 Knox class ships are also available, but their lack of area SAMs make them very vulnerable. 1 Schofield class FFG is also available (it has no SSMs). The soviets have a few Krivak I/III class ships, all of which are weak in SSMs, SAMs, and ASW. Corvette counters include 4 small friogates, and, tho weak in SAM, are adequate ASW platforms. The S Koreans have old US DDs in similarly powerfull units, although they are also powerfully armed with Harpoon SSMs. China/Taiwan also have similarly equipped units. PCS)Fast attack ships with little or no endurance, low AA values, and excellent SSM values are operated by the USSR, China, Taiwan, N Korea and S Korea. AA) The US has a large force of amphib/marine prepositioning ships in the game. All are only usefull due to the fact that they can unload VP (troops) in certain key areas of the board (like S Korea). TK/AM/CS) All are repleniishment ships..vital if supply rules used. Soviets are very weak here.... SS) Deisel submarines....mainly the reserve of Japan (good ASW, TORPedo, defense ratings), China + N Korea (masses of antiquated whisky/romeo class boats, with little or no ASW, TORP capability, but sheer weight of number can be made to tell, especially arroun the Tsushima straights), USSR (a number of units on a par with the JN ships....although 3 japanese SSs have SSMs, as soes the single Aussie Oberon class SS), Taiwan (2 Dutch made boats, cf Japan), while the USN also has 2 small deisel boats (cf Japan). SSN)The real Mc Coy... US boats have high speeds (3 times that of most SS) good hulls, SSMs, and very good to excellent ASW/TORP ratings. 3 of 5 Los Angelese class boats also have CMs. The soviet fleet ranges from the sublime (Oscar/Mike/Sierra class ... are a match more or less for the LAs... tho omly the Oscars have CM/SSMs) to the mediocre (Victor I,II,III, Arkangelsk...which have adequate to good ASW and good torpedoes, but no SSMs) to the noisy and laughable (Charlie class CM/SSM boats are VERY loud...slow and weakly built) Aircraft come in a variety of types: BMB) Major bombers, such as the 14 B52Gs on Guam, the T30 BLACKJACKS, and T26/ T16C/Gs of the VVS/PVS have good bombing capability, and, particularly the B52s and T26/T30 have excellent airlaunched SSM values. All are vulnerable to enemy fighters. ATTK)Attack aircraft like A6Es, IL28, F1 have good bombing values, and in the case of the F1/A6, good SSM ratings. Once more, they have poor ATA values. INT)Broad based term for Fighters, but this also includes fighter-bombers like the F111/SU24. Allied Int units are usually better than opposing Soviet air- craft. F15/F16 are way ahead of Mig25/29/31s which are a match for F4/F14 (remember that F14/18 counters have 50% the planes of a land based counter) and F18s. Mean while Philipino, Taiwanese and Korean F5E/F104 are better than Soviet/Chinese/Korean Mig19/21 aircraft, and are a match for the Mig 23 series used in numbers by Russia and Korea. The F111/Su24 are more or less similar.. ie Long range, low ATA, high bomb load aircraft. EW) Give a +_ 2 DRM depending on whether or not you are attacking/defending. AEW) Carrier based AWACs...increases to hit chances of INT units on CAP over the fleet. RECON) 2 types here...normal units have ASW ratings, long range etc to hunt/ track or attack subs and surface units. P3C Orions have SSMs too. Some soviet and Chinese units have NO ASW rating and can only detect surface units. In the Strat box, they all may try to lay mines (2:1 chance of hitting a target once laid) or tactically coordinate (ie gain DRM for your side in combat) attack/ defenses. RULES/PLAY ORDER Each day is split into 3 turns. On the first turn of the day, units may be allocated to STRAT air, to try and detect enemy units/lay mine fields in enemy ports/Tac COORD or intercept enemy units in that area. If a unit is detected (subs detected via a die role against a table which favours SS, SS in shallow water, SSN in deep water, and discriminates against Soviet SS, SSNs, noisy subs, and SSNs in shallow water) it remains detected all day, and may be attacked at any time in each player Phase. Only units that are detected may be attacked. Each turn is split into 6 phases, selected ramdomly. Each player has 3 phases, one for sea, sub, and Aircraft. AT the beginning of each turn, INT/EW/AEW units may be allocated to a cap to protect a given target. Units may be Lcally detected by entering RADAR range of enemy units, or by being detected by units rollinhg against the Sub Detection table.combat and movement are interspersed, with each sea unit only able to fire each offensive weapon once per turn. Aicraft may use ATA at ANY time and ATG ONCE per turn. Units (surface ships) may be stacked into Task Forces of 4-12 combat ships which gives a +2 DRM in defense. 2-3 ships are in GROUPs, and have no modifiers, while solitary ship have a -4 DRM against them. If SSMs are fired a number of hexes away from their target, they suffer a -ve DRM unless a friendly unit is present ADJACENT TO THE TARGET. Non surface skimming SSM attacks double Area SAM values, while ships with a long range SAM value have their ratings sextupled if the SSMs were launch by aircraft from hexes adjacent to their hex. SSM/BOMB/TORP combat is dependeant on a comparitive DR system....eg...the attacker allocates and SSM strike against enemy units. He roles, say, 7 The defender roles a 6. The attacker has a damage factor of, say 10, the defender a value of, say 5, therefore, 5 hits are made on the target. if the target has a defense dtrenght of 5 or less it is sunk, of 6-10, it is damaged, and if 11 or more, they bounced off..... ASW combat depends on a single role by the attacker...damage is taken the same way. ATA combat is resolved on a DR against a fixed odds table which gives losses in number of steps lost. 3 steps = 1 air unit killed, one damaged. CM attacks on bases have NO SAM die role. Attacks on bases are also against a fixed damage table. Each time combat occurs, Ammo boxes are marked of against the type of weapon used if the Ammo rules are used. These also allow the player to make intensive and close in attacks which use prodogeous quantities of ammo and (close attacks) expose the attacker to immediate counter attack. Fuel is ticket of at the rate of one box per day, but a unit may move faster if it wishes to expend morte fuel ANY sub that moves at this increased rate is automatically STRAT DETECTED. I would recommend that the supply rules should be made COMPULSORY to avoid a boring slug fest that no-one can win. PLAY BALANCE/GAME FEEL PB is better that 2nd Fleet, but still Biased towards ALLIED units, especially if the WW3 scenario that places China on the Allies side is used. The scenarios used as tasters/tutorials are better balanced tho, and carefull doctoring of the OB can make the main campaign games work better too. NB COUNTER STRENGTHS HAVE BEEN CHANGED FROM 2ND FLEET. If you are just entering the VG fleet series, buy 7th fleet, 5th fleet and 3rd fleet, or buy 6th/2nd fleet....not a mixture of the newer/ older games unless you are willing to alter rules/combat strengths to match the newert games. As I have already said, the supply rules are a must, as are some of the other advanced/optional rules for in flight refueling etc which give more scope to this game. The game feels like a high quality product, and the CRT/DRM and combat/movement system are all echoed/comparable with those of ny copy of the Captain's ED of Harpoon by GDW, so they are probably pretty good. Once more a strong recommendation is with held due to the PB problem... OK the Soviets aren't as good as us, but the game designer might at least have tried not to let his biases take over the game too..... VERDICT Go buy Harpoon...I reckon it'd be better, or try something a little less biased, like Europa, ASL, or even Flat Top or Panzer leader!!! If anyone out there has any of the later Fleet games, I'd be intersted in their views on the game system and, more particularly in play balance in them. 7th Fleet comes so near yet so far. ENJOY