Sea of Troubles

Navies aren't built for the last war, but for the next one — because no matter how unlikely it may seem, the many years needed to build huge warships make it impossible to tell what the world will look like when they are completed.

During the course of the First World War, the United States continued to build huge new battleships despite a pressing need for destroyers and merchant ships. In Britain, Royal Navy planners wondered just what their American allies were up to, because such a fleet could only have one potential adversary. Britain also made plans to construct new ships.

Sea of Troubles is a 64-page book supplement for the Great War at Sea series based on the war plans of both sides. Most of the scenarios take place in the Caribbean Sea, using the map from U.S. Navy Plan Gold, but some actions are also placed in European waters on the maps for Jutland or Mediterranean.

There are 210 die-cut and mounted playing pieces, the same pieces that originally appeared in our now out-of-print U.S. Navy Plan Red. The Americans get the huge 1919 program battleship mounting eight 18-inch guns as well as four examples of the South Dakota class with their dozen 16-inch guns apiece. There are also the Lexington class battle cruisers in their original configuration with 14-inch guns, and the 1914 design for a fast commerce-raiding armored cruiser armed with 10-inch guns.

The Royal Navy adds the remainder of its R-class battleships not seen in Jutland, plus the huge battleships of the N3 design with nine 18-inch guns each, and the ungainly but powerful battle cruisers of the G3 design. Plus the Royal Canadian Navy makes an appearance with three dreadnought battleships and a flotilla of destroyers.

There are over three dozen new scenarios featuring brawls between huge fleets of battleships, plus of course background articles on the ships, the fleets and the war plans of all potential participants.

This is not a stand-alone game; ownership of Mediterranean, Jutland and U.S. Navy Plan Gold is required to enjoy all of the scenarios.