ImagiNations Dreadnought - Road to War (2021 Solo Game part 2)

After coming up with the focus for the Admiralty Boards for my two ImagiNations (Nordland and Tierra del Sur), it was time to design some battleships and start the march toward war. As a reminder from my first post, Nordland's Admirals want fast lightly armored ships, while Tierra del Sur chose heavily-armored slower ships. 

HMS Dreadnought, which does not appear in this game but looks good as the cover photo

Each side started the game by designing a couple batttleship hulls and guns, then placing orders to build battleships and light forces. Nordland ordered seven fast battlecruisers, while Tierra del Sur ordered six heavily armored battleships. I'll provide more details on the ships later in this post. The light forces and half the ordered battleships would be available in the first year of the game, just in case the war started early. The other battleships would be commissioned the following year.

The game started in 1915, with the Great War raging in Europe and the ImagiNations at peace. During the first two years of the game, peace factions (horrified by the war in Europe) worked to keep tensions between Nordland and Tieera del Sur low. In 1917, during a peace and friendship visit by by Tierra del Sur's navy, Nordland's Admrials got a close up look at the heavily protected battleships. This spurred them to order the design of heavier guns and a better protected, but still fast, ship. Two of the new battlecruisers, with better guns and armament, were ordered for delivery in 1919.

In Tierra del Sur, a group of young naval officers began complaining that their battleships were too slow to catch the Nordlanders and that the navy needed a fast battleship or battlecruiser. Nordland's new battlecruiser order and the vocal officers forced the Admiralty Board to design and order two of their own battlecruisers. The new ships were slated to join the fleet in 1920. 

Hardliners in both nations used the new "naval arms race' as a pretense to get into power, while also raising tensions. 

In 1920 the five-year term for the Admiralty Boards was up and new Admirals were installed. For Nordland, the board's ideas only changed slightly. With new technologies becoming available after the end of the European War, they would look build better guns, but the capital ships would still be fast and lightly armored. Meanwhile in Tierra del Sur the was a major shift in the board. The new Admirals on the board supported the faster, lightly armored ships that the young officers had pushed for. As they came out of their first meeting, they announced plans for a major naval rearmament and order the design of a new battlecruiser, along with new light forces. Events quickly spun out of control of the politicians in both nations and in March 1920 war was declared. 

Opposing force descriptions (note all the ship images below are from the Shipbucket site)

Nordland Navy Capital Ships. Nordland has nine battlecrusiers; four Rask class, three Hurtig class, and two Kraftig class. 

 

The Rask class was the first Nordland battlecrusier class and designed withe heavy enough guns to engage the enemy at long range, but fast enough to escape if needed. The class ratings are:
Gun Attack = 17, Gun Range = 12, Ship Defense = 6, Ship Speed = 7

Rask class

The Hurtig class had the same guns as the Rask class, but was more heavily armored, and would form the main battleline. The class ratings are:

Gun Attack = 17, Gun Range = 12, Ship Defense = 9, Ship Speed =6

Hurtig class

The Kraftig class, the class that started the naval arms race, was designed with larger guns to take on the better protected del Sur battleships. The class ratings are:

Gun Attack = 20, Gun Range = 14, Ship Defense = 8, Ship Speed = 7

Kraftig class

Nordland's capital ships are backed up by four cruiser divisions, four scout cruiser divisions, and six destroyer flotillas.

Tierra del Sur Navy Capital Ships. Tierra del Sur has 6 active battleships, four Fuerte class and two Difícil class, and two Veloz class under construction. 

 

The Fuerte class was meant to form the vanguard for the battleline. The class ratings are:

Gun Attack = 23, Gun Range = 12, Ship Defense = 10, Ship Speed = 5

Fuerte class

The Dificil class was planned as the main part of the battleline. But the ships were very expensive to build, so only two were completed. The class ratings are:

Gun Attack = 23, Gun Range = 12, Ship Defense = 12, Ship Speed = 5

Dificil class

The Veloz class was designed to counter Nordland's battlecruisers. The first ship is expected to join the fleet in April 1920 and the second in June. The class ratings are: 

Gun Attack = 23, Gun Range = 12, Ship Defense = 7, Ship Speed = 7

Veloz class

Tierra del Sur's capital ships are backed up by one cruiser division, four light cruiser divisions, and six destroyer flotillas. There are two cruiser divisions and two destroyer flotillas under construction that are expected to join the fleet later in 1920.

Heavy naval activity is expected during the first month of the war. I'm planning to play out the initial encounters as part of International Naval Wargaming Day.