Atlantic Chase Solo Session Report – The Blockade Scenarios

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In the below article I would like to invite Dear Readers to the fantastic travel into the world of solitaire scenarios and campaigns for Atlantic Chase. This will an after action report saturated with many photos as I think only pictures can reflect what was going on during the session. I used some pointers and arrows so you can see the flow of the action as well as grasp the dynamics of the conflict. Hope you will enjoy it!

The Game

First, a couple of sentences about the game (above you can check its components). Atlantic Chase simulates the naval campaigns fought in the North Atlantic between the surface fleets of the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1942. It utilizes a system of trajectories to model the fog of war that bedeviled the commands during this period.

That system in a pretty straightforward and easy way allows for representation – on strategic level – of limited information so characteristic to Naval Warfare. On a Tactical level we have a pretty easy to grasp battle system, which for fans of more detailed representation of ships engagements can also use advanced rules.

The Blockade (BL1, BL2, BL3) Scenarios

It is important to note that all 15 solo scenarios are grouped nicely into four mini-campaigns, each depicting a separate period of war and also geographical location. The initial three focus on the Blockade – they explore operations from September 1939 to March 1940. It is the beginning of war, and both navies try to test the enemy. Royal Navy seeks to contain the Kriegsmarine to the Northern Sea while the latter focuses on disruption of British merchant shipping. Who shall prevail?

Special rules for this campaign are as follows:

  • Convoys – each represents just a few ships, so it takes one hit (German one) or two hits (British one) to sink it
  • Prize Rules – whenever a lonely Convoy, without escort, is brought to battle it is automatically captured
  • International Incidents – in some scenarios when one side attacks enemy Convoys on neutral waters, that could spark a reaction from the third party
  • Rendezvous Markers – these are scheduled locations where two or more ships are ordered to meet for the purpose of fueling, shifting supplies, wounded, prisoners, etc.

BL1: Raiders of the North Atlantic

Setup:

This is the first scenario, a relatively small one where you are equipped with a small German force tasked with initiating raids on the British convoys. Points are scored for damaged and sunk enemy vessels as well as some special actions, which are known as the scenario develops.

Played faction: Germans

Map Used: Main Map

Situation set-up on the map for Scenario 1; white – Germans, beige/brown – Allies (click to enlarge)
The initial task-forces in the game for Scenario 1 (click to enlarge)

Attempt 1:

I start with bold actions to intercept the two convoys; on the Northern one – Halifax / Liverpool – I use the Intel trigger to perform the Signals action and locate convoy.
As I manage to keep the initiative after Signals, Lutzow engages the convoy and (Prize Rules) automatically destroys / captures it.
Then things get nasty. First, after visiting the rendezvous point around Azores, Lutzow gets the order to head to South Africa. Then, the French activate with their Battleships and head for Graf Spee and Widder…
In the end Widder is sunk thanks two two consecutive Air strikes and the game ends abruptly due to the bot action table result.

The beginning was great, but the narrow passage between England and neutral Norway proved to be a real death-trap for German vessels.

Attempt 2:

Second time I decide to play completely differently. Widder stayed in port. Then, despite a really bad luck at the beginning: (1) first British convoy pretty rapidly completing in Portsmouth (3) British launching Blocked forces in first action (4) French being activated immediately after British, (2) I still managed to effectively Searched for Convoy.
Lutzow was a really well commanded ship. Not only did it avoid the British and French, but it also located and sunk the convoy. In the meantime, Graf Spee entered the game, heading for rendezvous point near Iceland.
Lutzow indeed had its day. It zigzagged, avoided the enemy, located another convoy, and sunk it despite the Light Cruiser escort and then headed for South America. But the British and French targeted Graf Spee as their main prize.
And they got to it… It was (historically!) sunk!
Last look at the map; 3 ships sunk, Lutzow in South America.

That was very exciting session, with much action and a completely different flow than the first one!

Result:

  • Attempt 1: -3 VP – Failure! – the worst possible result (mainly due to sunken German ship)
  • Attempt 2: 2 VP – Encouraging – pretty good result, significantly hampered by the sunken Graf Spee; that calamity being offset by fantastic performance from Lutzow

BL1 scenario fun factor:

⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 4 out of 5.

Despite this being an introductory scenario, it is very interesting to play – and pretty variable and re-playable. You need to know the game mechanics well to achieve very good result, but this is not top priority at the beginning. Learning the game flow is definitely its key purpose – and it does it pretty well.

BL2: Contain & Destroy

Setup:

This time we will command the British forces, trying to defend the convoys being raided by Kriegsmarine. If in the process there will be a possibility to damage or even sink enemy assets – even better!

Played faction: British

Map Used: Main Map

Situation set-up on the map for Scenario 2 (click to enlarge)
The initial task-forces in the game for Scenario 2; Germans unidentified forces will appear during the play; we had the possibility for some nice reinforcements too (click to enlarge)

Attempt 1:

Some unidentified German force starts from Murmansk; in the meantime I am setting-up a trap for the British Convoy from Narvik…
…and easily catch it. There is no battle, it is immediately captured after successful Engage action.
Do you remember that Task Force from Murmansk? It proved to be a Heavy Cruiser, caught by my battleships and destroyed.
But the Germans managed to pay-back for destruction of Convoy and Cruiser. They planned and executed a precise Air-Strike, damaging one of my ships.
In the end my both convoys arrived in England (game end condition) and one more German Task Force headed for South America.

Attempt 2:

This time the Germans were much more active and immediately started a convoy to Kiel and Task Force to intercept one of my convoys.
I immediately took care of an Iron Ore shipment from Norway for Nazi factories; unfortunately, that raised outcry in Norway which resulted in establishment of German Air Base in Trondheim!
The German force could not decide on its main strategy, changing its orders from action to action. In the meantime both of my Convoys completed and I finished the game.

Result:

  • Attempt 1: 4 VP – Success – a marginal success. Despite two British Convoys successfully completing and one German sunk, the Norwegian backlash and damage on Kriegsmarine asset almost offset that great performance.
  • Attempt 2: 7 VP – Success – much better results, nearly a Triumph. No backlash with Norwegian, no damage on ships, all own convoys secured and enemy sunk. Great!

BL2 scenario fun factor:

⭐⭐⭐Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Try as it might, the AI is much better as all-powerful British than Germans, who require a very subtle and intelligent play, having usually much weaker force than Royal Navy. Thus it does not too much long to identify best strategy for convoys. Also, lack of persistent strategy of the main German Unidentified Task Force allowed my convoys to slip and complete in British ports. Maybe the Germans had not developed good coordination between their naval assets yet?

BL3: Raiders of the North Sea

We will again lead the forces of Grossadmiral Raeder. This time in a much smaller theater of only North Sea, trying to interfere with the British shipments from Norway. An additional, a complicating factor will be a pack of Royal Navy submarines looming around Horns Reef.

Setup:

Played faction: Germans

Map Used: North Sea

Situation set-up on the map for Scenario 3 (click to enlarge)
The initial task-forces in the game for Scenario 3, British are unidentified (click to enlarge)

Attempt 1:

I start with a risky but successful attempt to bring the reinforcements into play.
Before the British can react my two task forces close on unidentified Royal Navy group…
…just to discover this was not a Convoy but a two Cruisers! In ensuing battle Gneisenau was hit and one British Cruiser sunk. And then suddenly, the nervous Fuhrer recalled the ships and scenario ended! Wow, a very abrupt end to the game!

Attempt 2:

In my second play I decided not to risk the reinforcements; the British launched one more task force though.
This time hunt was much better – the Convoy without the escort! Of course, I immediately seized it!
Having such a prize I decided to head for safety of Kiel port and finish the game. To my surprise each of my moves was shadowed by British submarine who put an Intel three times on my force! That was nervous but successful escape home!

Result:

  • Attempt 1: 0 VP – What went wrong? – pretty poor result – as I did not manage to locate any convoy, got hit on one of the ships and only sunk one Cruiser.
  • Attempt 2: 4 VP – Victorious raiders – significantly better performance; a convoy sunk and engaged, zero losses on German side and pretty encouraging performance.

BL3 scenario fun factor:

⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This is indeed a small scenario but a great puzzle to massage your brain and decide on the best action – to risk reinforcements or not? To use a special Intel marker or not? To intersect with Convoy within the range of British air-force or not? That really makes for interesting although short, neat game.

Summary

The solo games when played multiple times in a row develop each attempt in the different way. Action tables guide us well through bot actions – it is definitely better implemented for all-powerful British then Germans – and you will be not once nastily surprised what enemy can do.

The more I discover Atlantic Chase, the more I appreciate it. The tutorials were great, the first Solo scenarios – pretty interesting. Can’t wait to finally play a competitive game with one of my friends! Soon!

The Boardgames Chronicle
Author: The Boardgames Chronicle

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Categories: After Action Report, Solitaire Systems

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