Captain's Edition Harpoon Errata Currently, there is no "official" errata for the game, though Larry Bond is working on one which will hopefully come out in a future SITREP. I wrote a letter to Larry Bond about the errors I knew about in the game. What follows is a compilation of responses by Larry Bond about the game and my personal opinion. -ted (Ted Kim) -------------- (TF = Task Force) Data Cards 1. The silhouette of the Bunker Hill is wrong. [The Bunker Hill is a VLS ship, but the silhouette shows Mk26 launchers.] 2. As mentioned in the rules, the Spruance should have a hull rating of 2. 3. The Ivan Rogov ships should have a speed of 2. 4. The Amphibious ships should have a speed of 2. Map 1. Change the 1712/1812 hexside into an all land hexside. [As printed, you can go from 1712 to 1812 to 1713 without transiting an all land hexside, even though there is plainly no water connection.] 2. Change the 1714/1813 hexside into an all land hexside. [same problem] Game Reference Chart 1. Add to the previous detection modifier description: "in current or previous turn". Roster Pad 1. The Nimitz should have 6 hull boxes. 2. The Knox should have 1 short range SSM box. Captain's Rules 1. Movement (p.3): Sometimes a moving TF is required to expend an additional movement point to get another attempt at some activity (eg pursuit after a gun battle, visual search). Other activites of this type not already mentioned in the rules include: ESM roll, sonar roll, torpedo attack, ASW attack. Remember, this only applies to a moving TF and not to any other type of unit. 2. Maximum Speed (p.3): TFs start a scenario at speed 0. 3. Combining Task Forces (p.3): When combining TFs, retain the highest speed. [Players would combine fast TFs with a slow one consisting solely of dummies and take the slower speed to lower the chance of sonar detection.] 4. Defensive Deployment (p.5): A TF with an odd number of ships must place an unpaired ship. [Allowing threesomes only when there are an odd number of ships created some anomalies.] 5. Missile Attack Procedure (p.6): All missiles from a single ship in a single attack on a TF are represented as a single counter. 6. SAM Defense Diagram (p.6): In the example, substitute O.H. Perry for Arleigh Burke and Spruance for Iowa. [None of the original ships have short range SAMs.] 7. Surface Search Radar (p.8): TFs may start a scenario radiating. [I recommend making up some speed 0 counters for the game.] 8. Sonar (p.8): The +1 modifier for previous detection only applies, if the target was detected in the current or previous turn. This also applies if only part of the target TF was detected previously (ie the current TF was combined with/split from a previously detected one). As noted on the Game Reference Chart, a roll of 6 always fails. [Players interpreted the previous detection modifier too loosely.] 9. Sonar Example (p.9): The designations in the diagram should be switched. TF A does not start in the sonar range of TF 1. In the last paragraph, sonar detection for TF 1 is not a certainty, because it would fail on a roll of 6. In the last paragraph, the base sonar rating of TF A should be 4, not 3. 10. Detection (p.10): Submarines may not use visual detection. [The periscope is not really an effective search sensor.] 11. Torpedoes (p.11): Regardless of how many screen ships are attacked (and survive), only one can counterattack the submarine. 12. ASW Attacks (p.11): If an enemy submarine TF is moving and is detected in the same hex as friendly forces, then one ASW capable surface ship and all ASW capable planes in the hex can attack it. This is true, unless the only ASW capable friendly forces in the hex are submarines, in which case, one friendly submarine may attack it. If a friendly TF is moving and detects an enemy submarine in the same hex, the same limits apply to the moving TF. Thus, if the friendly TF is not composed of submarines, one of the ASW capable ships and all the ASW capable planes in the TF may attack the enemy submarine. If the friendly TF is a composed of submarines, only one of the friendly submarines may attack the enemy submarine. [Note, the only way ASW capable planes could be moving with a TF is to use carrier ASW patrol planes acting as tactical aircraft via the Crossover Mission rule.] 13. Torpedo Example (p.11): The Akulas have a torpedo rating of 5, not 4. Therefore, the Akulas should get an extra roll each. The arrows in the diagram represent hits. There should only be one arrow from Nimitz to Akula-1. 14. Patrol Aircraft (p.12): Patrol aircraft can start on the board, unless based on a carrier, which has not yet entered the board. They may always start at their base. If no base is specified in the scenario setup, any friendly base of the appropriate type may be chosen. Patrol planes based on an off board carrier do not have movement counters in the movement cup. If the carrier is on the board at the start of a turn, add the movement counters for its patrol planes to the movement cup. Each patrol aircraft is based at a particular airbase. The radius for an aircraft is measured from the base it is operating from. When moving a carrier, players should be careful not to move the carrier outside the radii of patrol planes based on it. [I find moving the plane counter with the plane model unwieldy. I recommend making up some patrol plane ID counters and some base name counters. Place the aircraft counter under the ID counter rather than under the plane model. Place the base name counter under the ID counter to show where the plane is operating from.] 15. Detection (p.12): The ESM range of 3 hexes is, of course, 2 greater than that of surface ships. Patrol aircraft using sonar detection may only attempt to detect targets in the same hex. [Patrol aircraft usually use short range sonobouys.] 16. Detecting Aircraft (p.12): Aircraft and Soviet long range missiles can be detected at a range equal to the non-zero ASR rating. Other missiles can only be detected in the same hex. [Seaskimming missiles cannot be detected far away.] 17. SAM Attacks (p.13): Long range SAMs have a maximum range of 1. Thus, patrol aircraft can only be attacked when in the same or adjacent hex. In an adjacent hex, the ship with the highest long range SAM strength is used. In the same hex, the ship with the highest combined short and long range SAM strength is used. The combined strength is used to attack patrol planes in the same hex. [Before, the range of long range SAMs was equivalent to ASR range, which is much too great.] 18. Air Search Radar Diagram (p.13): The shaded portion indicates ASR coverage. Given the changes above, TF 2 and 3 should be moved closer to TF 1, and we must assume Soviet TF A is using long range SSMs. The shaded portion must be adjusted appropriately. It was not correct even for the old assumptions. 19. Attacks by Aircraft (p.13): When there is a choice of anti-surface ordnance, players should record what type is being carried. Bombing attacks may be carried out using the same procedure used by tactical aircraft. In this case, the patrol plane is considered to be equivalent to a one plane flight. The ordnance load may be changed each time the plane's movement counter is drawn. [I recommend making some ordnance counters (None, Bombs, SR ASM, LR ASM, Fuel). Place the appropriate ordnance counter under the plane's ID counter. The fuel counter is used for A-6s being used as tankers.] 20. Attacking Tactical Aircraft (p.14): The Aircraft Damage Table is on page 13, not 3. 21. Movement (p.14): At the start of a turn, place all tactical aircraft at a base in the "Ready Aircraft" section of the base display. When a flight performs a mission, place it in the "Flown Aircraft" section. Tactical aircraft generally do not have to show their path on the mapboard unless they potentially pass close enough to a radiating unit to be detected (ie 4 hexes from a NATO patrol plane or radiating TF, 3 hexes from a radiating Soviet TF, or 2 hexes from a Soviet patrol plane.) Airplanes from more than one base may participate in a single attack. It costs one additional hex in radius for each additional base involved in the attack for all participating aircraft. Wherever the paths of the various aircraft groups coincide, the planes are considered to be traveling together, should they be attacked by CAP or SAMs. 22. ASM Attacks (p.14): When making an ASM attack on a TF, potentially more than one missile counter may be placed. The total number of ships in the defending TF is the number of "groups". Each plane may contribute its ASM strength to one group. All missile factors in the same group are combined into one missile counter. Zero strength groups do not produce a missile counter. When the missiles reach the target TF, only one missile counter can be placed on any single ship. [The rules were quite vague here. Some players claimed each plane could place a missile counter, which then allowed so many counters to be placed that short range SAMs are unfairly overwhelmed.] 23. Bomb Attacks (p.15): All planes attacking a single ship are considered to be a single counter for purposes of short range SAM targets. [Before, some ships could only shoot down four planes (ie one physical counter) despite having very high short range SAM strength. Also, sometimes players would purposely fly one plane flights to overwhelm the short range SAMs.] 24. CAP (p.15): CAP planes wishing to use radar are not actually considered to be using it until the carrier TF counter is radiating. Therefore, if the carrier TF is not radiating at the start of the turn, the CAP cannot use radar until the carrier TF movement counter is drawn and it is changed to radiating side. In the last paragraph, it should say that shot down AND ABORTED aircraft never get to fire their missiles. 25. CAP Example (p.16): The shaded area represents the CAP radar coverage. Three hexes on the right side of the diagram should not be shaded. 26. Commonly Asked Questions (p.16): If a patrol aircraft detects an enemy TF, ANY tactical aircraft in range can attack (not just land-based ones). Captain's Briefing 1. Aerial Tankers (p.2): For A-6s, this is considered to be a type of Crossover Mission. [If using ordnance counters for patrol planes, use the fuel counter for an A-6 acting as a tanker. This replaces all normal ordnance.] 2. Capturing Bases (p.2): If a base falls, all tactical and patrol aircraft based there are eliminated. 3. Aircraft Crossover Missions (p.3): Players change aircraft status at the start of a turn. Tactical planes used in a patrol role should have IDs and plastic models assigned and a movement counter added. Patrol planes used in a tactical role are removed from the board and placed in the appropriate base display. [For tactical planes used in a patrol role, place initial ordnance and base counters under the ID counter.] Patrol planes operating as tactical aircraft may join CAP missions, if they have non-zero ASR ratings. Such planes don't actually participate in combat should an intercept occur. [This allows the E-2C to provide airborne early warning for carrier CAP. If it performed this function as a patrol plane, it's pretty obvious where the carrier is.] Patrol planes operating as tactical aircraft may conduct ASW attacks, if they have a non-zero ASW rating. But players should keep in mind the restrictions in the ASW rules, which limit attacks to enemy submarines in the same hex. Each plane attacks a detected submarine individually using the same procedure used by patrol planes. 4. Surface Encounter Scenario (p.4): There is only one Soviet TF. 5. Cruise Missile Attack Scenario (p.4): Add a movement counter for the submarine. When it is drawn, it can attack. If it foregoes its first attack, it can make a combined attack on the second draw with missile strength 5. 6. Hunter Killer Scenario (p.4): The Soviet line should be anchored on hex 0816, not 1816. 7. Sink the Nimitz Scenario (p.5): The Soviet line should be anchored on hex 0816, not 1816. NATO forces may not enter hexes 0115, 0215 or 0316. [Before, NATO forces can simply go around Iceland to the northwest and avoid the Soviet forces entirely.] 8. Support Mission (p.5): Delete the material in parenthesis. [Dummies are automatically part of any scenario past number 4 anyway.] 9. Midway 2000 (p.6): The NATO line should be anchored on 1321, not 1421. 10. Bases (p.7): If the Soviet player is informed that the NATO player has drawn 1-4, the Soviet player must use the "alternate" descriptions, if any. 11. O.H. Perry (p.10): The description should mention the ship is also equipped with SAMs. New Capatain's Edition Harpoon Rules These new rules add a few new wrinkles to game. Most of this comes from a letter I wrote to Larry Bond and his responses. I am still developing an idea Larry Bond had for a minefield rule. These rules are in no way considered "official". -ted (Ted Kim) -------------- (TF = Task Force) Interceptors 1. Make up some CAP and DLI counters. There should be six DLI counters, each labeled with the name of an airbase: Bodo, Keflavik, Leuchars, Nimitz, Sevromorsk, Tbilisi. There should eight CAP counters, each labeled with the name of an airbase and one each for the NATO and Soviet Airborne Tankers. The CAP counters should be in black on the front and red ("radiating" side) on the back. 2. When players designate DLI (or CAP), the aircraft counters should be placed beneath the appropriate DLI (or CAP) counter. CAP counters should be placed with the appropriate side face up. 3. The opponent may not examine the contents of a DLI or CAP stack, until those forces attack or are detected. [Before, players had too much knowledge about enemy DLI and CAP dispositions.] Rebasing 1. At the start of a turn, aircraft may change bases. Aircraft may change to any friendly base (of the appropriate type) within double their radius from their current base. 2. Planes changing bases cannot fly missions for one whole turn. This represents the time it takes to setup their support facilities. Tactical aircraft should be placed in the "Flown Aircraft" section of their new base. Patrol aircraft should be removed from the board and their movement counter removed from the movement cup. 3. In the following turn, these aircraft are available for missions. Place tactical aircraft in the "Ready Aircraft" section of the base display. Put patrol aircraft movement counters back in the movement cup. [If you are using base counters, place the new base counter under the patrol ID counter. Players can now evacuate a base in danger of falling.] Helicopter OTH Targeting 1. Some helicopters are equipped with surface search radars. Certain ships have this type of helicopter permanently assigned to them. These ships are Bunker Hill, Belknap, Spruance, O.H. Perry, Knox, Tbilisi, Kirov, Kara, Sovremennyy and Udaloy. If these ships have not suffered half damage, they are capable of operating helicopters. TFs which include one of more of these ships may attempt Over the Horizon (OTH) targeting once during their move. 2. After entering a new hex, a TF may announce it is attempting OTH targeting. Either the same hex or one adjacent hex may be detected by helicopter surface search radar. A task force which has a speed of zero may also attempt OTH targeting of either its hex or an adjacent hex. 3. Because these helicopters are used for other duties and becuase of their limited endurance, this detection stays in effect only until the task force moves to another hex. If not entering another hex, the detection lasts until the end of its turn. 4. The TF does not have to radiate to use OTH targeting. [The 1990 Data Annex shows US CV helicopters as having their SSR removed to put other gear in.] Electronic Warfare Aircraft 1. Add another 4 plane tactical aircraft counter to the Nimitz and add one aircraft box to the Nimitz aircraft display. The new counter represents the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The EA-6B uses the A-6 data card with the following modifications: SSR=1, no ASMs, no bombs, radius=8, def=3. 2. When one or more EA-6Bs accompany a tactical aircraft attack, the Prowlers may attempt to jam enemy radars. Total the number of EA-6Bs in the attack and add 2 to get the final EW strength. Roll one die. If the roll is equal to or less than the final EW strength, the EA-6Bs have succeeded in jamming enemy radars. 3. The effect of jamming is to make SAMs fired against the aircraft in this raid miss on a roll of 4 (normally that roll would hit). It also effects long range SAM fire against long range ASMs launched by the aircraft. 4. The Prowler aircraft may be attacked in the same manner as other strike aircraft in the attack, except in a bombing attack they are not actually placed on a ship card (and thus cannot be hit by short range SAMs during the bombing attack). Destroying the Prowlers only effects future aircraft availability and does not cancel any jamming currently in effect. 5. Each task force which fires SAMs at the aircraft should roll separately for jamming. [I am not sure what type of Soviet EW aircraft are based at Sevromorsk. Jamming reduced expected SAM hits from 2/3 per roll to 1/2. Adding 1 to SAM rolls makes it 1/3 per roll. I thought this was too powerful.] # # eof #