GUPPy

There are many miniatures that gamers will buy, but have little chance to see on the table regularly. I think of the German Panzer VIII Maus. Not really suited in any game unless it is an objective.

We also have over buying. What is the acceptable limit of American Pershings, and German King Tigers and all of the limited production runs on hunting animals like Jagdpanthers and Jagdtigers. Yet most World War II gamers will have these at the ready. Maybe needed for Flames of War but what about more respectable platoon level games like Chain of Command that has been released in recent years? For me I even have the guilty secret of having Brummbär that I have not used. Ok, not that bad of a secret.

So as I am trying to go over things that I need to finish up I found a campaign system that I was working on for early Cold War naval battles based on the period of post war conversions for submarines and the early nuclear boats. What can I say I have a think for the Skipjacks. So please follow along as I work on playtests, rules and more importantly, where do you find these models.

Give the Sturgeon a Chance

The Sturgeon Class (SSN 663) was conceived as a quiet under-ice boat that could take ASW operations to the Soviet bastions within the pack ice. For the sailors they were so much more.

While designed in the 1960s they were found as a complement to the more modern 688 class. The 688 class boats were often assigned to the carrier and Surface Action Battlegroups as escorts. The best ASW weapon was found to be another submarine and not the more commonly thought destroyers. This allowed the 637 class to be given other tasks. Much more interesting for their crews (and todays gamers).

For naval games set in the 1980s the Sturgeon Class will be operating under ice, on spook ops, or waiting at choke points for passing Soviet shipping. With a sonar suite or par with their more modern kin and a weapons suite better than most these boats have a place on any gamers collection.They have at their disposal in the 1980s Mk48 torpedoes, Harpoon cruise missiles and Subroc. A very powerful mix.

While this blog deals mostly with the land and air war during the Lebanese Civil War and the 1982 operations, this boat was part of the American response to the conflict.

The miniature is 1/6000 scale from Figurehead.