From: Doug Murphy Subject: Replay: Fast Attack Boats Since I picked this game up again and it was introductory level, I convinced my sometimes-opponent to try it out last evening. With a fifty point fleet limit, he took 5 Komar boats (ea. w/ 4 Styx missiles) and I took 2 Reshef class boats (ea. w/ 7 Gabriel Mk II missiles). We lined them up on our respectives side and were off! He organized his boats in line abreast and immediately launched one salvo of missiles (1 from ea. boat) at extreme range once he finished moving in turn one. I maintained a three-hex cushion between boats and headed toward the Komars. We continued to head toward each other. He launched another salvo in turn two and I must admit to being unnerved at the sight of 10 Styx heading toward me. I launched a 2 missile salvo from each boat and turned away from the missiles and Komars. I don't know what I was thinking. I couldn't outrun them. We resolved missile combat as the first missiles entered my boat hexes: 1 at the far north boat and 4 at the far south boat. Every single one missed (the CRT which we didn't examine before play gives the Styx about a low chance of a successful strike at extreme range). Emboldened, I turned back toward the Komars and launched another 2 missiles each as he fired his third salvo. My turn-away saved me here as several missiles of his second salvo dropped into the sea just short of one vessel and others missed. Now my first salvo of Gabriels arrived on target: sinking one boat outright and totalling 80% damage on a second. We entered gunnery range on turn 4 but noone scored hits. He fired his last salvo from 3 boats at close range and I fired 2 more Gabriels each. One Styx found the range for 40% damage on Reshef. I sank 2 more Komars. Out of missiles, he reversed course with his last boat but couldn't outrun 4 Gabriels. Game over. The game played fast (half-hour from opening the box to final die roll). It certainly is fun with missiles criscrossing the area. It is abstracted to be sure: (I think a Styx hit would put more than a 40% hurt on a 450 ton boat). Next, we'll try the lesser IS and AR boats, including the torp boats and tiny P4 gunboats. I was wrong BTW about IS DDs included: I had confused the Eliat with the Elath. Doug (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu)