SALVO!
Minden Games publishes a line of simple, solitaire WW2 tactical naval combat games that uses the SALVO! (published 2007) game system. In it, the gamer controls the warship(s) of his choice, and the game system controls the opposing side; each game turn equals several minutes of real time. The system -- which features counters containing scale "top down" views of individual ships and all their ratings -- has both a miniatures and boardgame feel, and should appeal to both kinds of players. SALVO!may be played on any convenient table top. (It sets up in just a minute or two, and a typical scenario may be completed in 5 to 10 minutes.) Games that have been published to date are:
SALVO! (postcard game)
ADVANCED SALVO! 1939-1941 (module)
PACIFIC SALVO! (module)
MEDITERRANEAN SALVO! (module)
SALVO! (2007) contains the core rules and game tables for the system, and ten individually rated WW2 warships: King George V, Hood, Nelson, Kent, Ajax (British), and Bismarck, Graf Spee, Prinz Eugen, Scharnhorst, Nurnburg (German), all on a 4" x 6" double-sided postcard. (In the picture below, you can identify SALVO! as the yellow and blue postcard on the far right.) All rules, charts, ships needed for play are included. All you need to supply are three six-sided dice.
ADVANCED SALVO! 1939-1941 (2010) adds advanced rules and options to the core system, and includes a total of 36 WW2 ships from Germany, Italy, France, and Britain. (Note that this module originally appeared in Panzer Digest #1, which is now out of print.)
PACIFIC SALVO! (2007) adds more optional rules, and 48 ships, mainly from American and Japanese WW2 pacific fleets.
MEDITERRANEAN SALVO! (2008) adds 42 ships from the WW2 Mediterranean theater, from Britain, Italy, and France, as well as the optional rules published in Pacific Salvo!
Each of the above are complete games in their own right... though you may combine the ships and modules as you wish when crafting scenarios. In all the modules, warships are rated for Bow / Broadside / Stern firepower, Speed, Armor, Gun Size, Flotation, Turrets, and Ship Type. (See below for list of ships in each game... additional modules are planned.)
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components of Pacific Salvo! pictured above
SALVO! is a solitaire, tactical naval combat game, covering ship vs ship action. The concept of the game is simple. Each turn, each warship will either move toward the enemy (thus closing the relative range and presenting its bow), move away from the enemy (extending the relative range and presenting its stern), or offer its broadside (and keep the range the same). Thus, the relative range, and the available guns bearing on the enemy, depends on the "Action" taken by each ship each turn. There are eight Game Tables provided (Weather, Initial Range, Fire Table, Straddle Table, Special Damage, Critical Hit, Torpedo, and End of Turn Table), which cover all the eventualities of play; each table is resolved by the roll of one to three dice, with results depending on the real life characteristics of each ship. Besides the usual ratings for firepower and armor, speed can be a crucial factor as well, as the faster ship can usually dictate the "terms of the engagement". Each game described below is a complete, stand-alone design, though you may combine them if desired. (You will note that some ships appear in more than one module; ratings of such ships are always the same... they appear thus since, as mentioned, each module is a self-contained whole, and so it was not desireable for, for instance, Prince of Wales to appear in only one game.)
SALVO! has been well-received, and is providing gamers with a fun way to play very quick yet historically plausible naval engagements. The system provides a surprising (considering its size!) degree of realism and strategy. Add to this the fact that it is a solitaire game, where the system "plays" the opposing side, and you've got a combination that should interest many wargamers. (Please note that the SALVO! system and ship ratings are not compatible with our other tactical naval games. While very much historically based, the SALVO! series of games are (1) solitaire, (2) smaller, (3) simpler, and (4) quicker to play.)
Here is a list of SALVO! games published to date, along with details about contents and ship listing of each module.
PACIFIC SALVO! (Contents: Salvo! postcard game, Additional Optional Rules, scenarios, 48 color ship
counters, set of game markers):
--USA (21): BB: Tennessee, California, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, Iowa, Missouri; BC: Alaska, Guam; CA: Pittsurge, Baltimore, New Orleans, Portland, Indianapolis; CL: Juneau, Biloxi, Pasadena, Cleveland.
--JAPAN: (22): BB: Yamato, Mushashi, Nagato, Mutsu, Kongo, Haruna, Kirishima, Fuso, Yamashiro; CA: Kako, Nachi, Kinugasa, Tone, Mogami, Myoko, Nati, Takao, Atago, Haguro; CL: Agano, Sendai, Kuma.
--BRITAIN (2): BB: Prince of Wales; BC: Repulse.
--AUSTRALIA (2): CA: Australia; CL: Perth.
--NETHERLANDS (1): CL: De Ruyter.
MEDITERRANEAN SALVO! (Contents: Salvo! postcard game, Additional Optional Rules (same as those
in PacSalvo!), 42 color ship counters, set of game markers):
--BRITAIN (18): BB: Barham, Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, Warspite, Malaya, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, Ramilles, King George V, Howe, Rodney, Nelson; BC: Hood; CA: Berwick, York; CL: Penelope, Euryalis, Dido.
--ITALY (13): BB: Cesare, Cavour, Duilio, Andrea Doria, Littorio, V.Veneto, Roma; CA: Garibaldi, Gorizia, Trento; CL: Bande Nere, Barbiano, Montecuccoli.
--FRANCE (11): BB: Richelieu, Bretagne, Provence; BC: Dunkerque, Strassbourg; CA: Colbert, Dupleix, Foch; CL: Pluton, Jeanne d'Arc, Duguay.
ADVANCED SALVO! 1939-1941 (Contents: Salvo! postcard game, Basic & Advanced Rules, scenarios,
36 black & white ship counters):
--BRITAIN (14): BB: King George V, Prince of Wales, Nelson, Rodney, Queen Elizabeth, Resolution; BC: Hood,
Renown; CA: Cumberland, Dorsetshire, Exeter; CL: Ajax, Achilles, Belfast.
--GERMANY (10): BB: Bismarck, Tirpitz; BC: Scharnhorst, Gneisenau; PB: Graf Spee, Admiral Scheer; CA: Prinz Eugen, Blucher; CL: Leipzig, Emden.
--ITALY (6): BB: Littorio, V.Veneto, Roma, Duilio; CA: Garibaldi; CL: Barbiano.
--FRANCE (6): BB: Richelieu; Lorraine; BC: Dunkerque, Strassbourg; CA: Colbert; CL: Betin.
SALVO! (Contents: Basic game system rules, game tables, 10 color ships, on double-sided 4" x 6" postcard):
--BRITAIN (5): BB: King George V, Nelson; BC: Hood; CA: Kent; CL: Ajax.
--GERMANY (5): BB: Bismarck; BC: Scharnhorst; PB: Graf Spee; CA: Prinz Eugen; CL: Nurnburg.
For ordering information, please visit the Minden Games ORDERING PAGE.
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A game system emphasizing historicity, simplicity, and fun for solitaire naval gamers.
Mediterranean Salvo! Advanced Salvo! 1939-1941
