Games

Modern Era: Harpoon 5

with Chris Carlson

The first product developed was the Harpoon gaming system. First published in 1980, Harpoon has evolved and is now in its 5th edition. Designed as a general-purpose air, surface, and submarine naval simulation, it combines playability with a wealth of information on modern naval weapons systems. Designed for the entry-level player, it has found acceptance in both the commercial market and the professional naval community. It is used at the Naval Academy, several ROTC installations, and on several surface ships as a training aid.Harpoon 5, by Larry Bond and Chris Carlson, handles all aspects of maritime combat: surface, sub-surface, and air. Harpoon 5 is a system of detailed but comprehensible rules covering the many facets of modern naval actions. Consistent rating systems and evaluations of the capabilities of modern naval vessels, aircraft, submarines, and helicopters make it possible to achieve realistic results when simulating known situations, by extension Harpoon 5 also achieves realistic results with hypothetical scenarios.

As with all of ATG's products the Harpoon 5 has a set of supporting products consisting of data annexes and scenarios that are regularly updated with new information.

World War 2: Command at Sea

Command at Sea (CaS) modified the Harpoon system to cover the 1930s-1950s, encompassing World War 2 and the immediate pre and post war periods. It can be used to simulate almost every naval operation of World War II with accurate and consistent results. Victory depends as much on the tactics and planning of the players as on the ships and equipment under their command. CaS uses the same format and terms as the other Admirality Trilogy games.

Fleet Series

The Command at Sea (CaS) system features data on almost every ship available in the World War II period. This information is contained in a series of products known as the Fleet Series. While some of these products contain scenarios, their primary emphasis is on ship, aircraft, and systems data.

CaS Scenarios

The scenario books for CaS allow you to explore both historical, what if, and completely hypothetical battles corresponding to the period covered by CaS. Enough ship, aircraft, and system data is provided in each book to play the scenarios, and they also include historical background and other information.

World War I: Fear God & Dreadnought

Fear God & Dreadnought extends the game system back in time to World War I. This was the era of massive battleship lines and large fleets. However, there was no radar and communications was much more limited than later periods. The Fear God & Dread Nought use the same format as Harpoon and Command at Sea, allowing the players to quickly learn and play battles in this period. Emphasizing playability as well as scrupulous historical accuracy, research for the game has involved many of the best naval historians in the world.

High Seas Fleet Scenarios

The High Seas Fleet Scenario Book provides 40+ scenarios which include the well-known big battles like Jutland (broken into three parts, as well as the complete engagement) Dogger Bank, and many smaller fights. The scenarios often include variants, covering historical "almosts" and "what ifs".

High Seas Fleet Data

The High Seas Fleet Data Annexes booklet provides all the ship data needed to play the scenarios in the High Seas Fleet Scenarios book.

Pre-Dread-Nought Era:Dawn of the Battleship

Dawn of the Battleship simulates naval warfare from 1890 up to 1904, just before technology began to quickly change in the years leading up to WW I. During this period, there are no all-big-gun battleships, aircraft, gun directors, or radios. In the 1890s, 1,500 yards was considered effective range, and 3,000 yards was long range. You will find that you must get much closer to hit than you might expect if you have played other naval games.

If you have played other Admiralty Trilogy games, Dawn of the Battleship uses the same terms and game system as the others (Harpoon, Command at Sea, and Fear God & Dread Nought). That makes it easy to learn and you know it will be accurate.

Pre-Dreadnought Scenarios

While none were as massive and well-known as World War I or World War II, there were many small conflicts during the time period covered by Dawn of the Battleship. Also, many people were pulishing research on Naval strategy and tactics. We have developed several products containing the historical context and information which allow you to explore these.

Dawn of the Rising Sun and its accompanying data annex explore the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, when Japan established itself as a world naval power.

In Mahan's Wake has thirty-one scenarios, a mix of historical battles, like the Sino-Japanese War, near-historical ("almost happened"), and fictional scenarios. Some of these were derived from a book called the Great Maritime War of 1899, by William Le Queux, one of the many "war scare" books of that period (the techno-thrillers of that age).

Monroe's Legacy has twenty-nine scenarios which cover not only historical battles, like Manila Bay ("There Came Upon Us Numberless Projectiles") and Santiago de Cuba, but hypothetical scenarios based on historical disputes that almost led to war, and US Navy War College studies of that time.

The Naval SITREP

The Naval SITREP is published twice a year by the Admiralty Trilogy Group. It supports the Admiralty Trilogy game system with scenarios, articles on history and technology, and rules expansions & corrections. All SITREPs are also available for purchase at the Wargame Vault