AAR: The Hunters First Play

 

I just finished my first game of Consimworld's The Hunters and had a great time. The game has a couple of unusual features-- the most notable of which it is designed to be played solitaire. Players take the role of U-boat commanders attempting to sink allied shipping. I chose to start at the earliest possible time--Sep, 1939 with a Type 7-A U-boat.

There is no map for this game. You play on a mat representing your boat, its crew, and your weapons. Below is a picture of the player mat for my sub,  the U-29.

 

 

You decide how to stow your torpedoes and then roll dice to determine what area you will patrol. My first 5 patrols were all rather short missions to the British Isles. Later in July 1940 my boat was sent to help fight the Battle of the Atlantic. In Sept, 1941 on my seventh Atlantic patrol I was sunk by convoy escorts. My final tally was 15 ships sunk including the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous and the 46,000 ton large freighter the Empress of Britannia. In all I destroyed 153,300 tons of shipping and winning the Knights Cross.

 

The Knight's Cross

 

 





 When your boat enters a transit box, you roll dice for that area. If a potential target is spotted it is placed on the battle mat. This was my first victim, the small freighter Torney (2400 tons)

 

 

 

 

As you can see I allotted 4 torpedoes to this target, a little overkill but it was my first game and wasn't sure what was needed. In the end it worked out because I did not see any other targets the rest of the patrol.

 

You track your patrols on a log sheet. This is my sheet after this first mission:

 

 

The first column is the location followed by the name of the ship. The game charts include the names and tonnage of actual ships sunk by U-boats

 

If you survive your patrol and make it back home there is a refit period to repair damage. As the game goes on and the longer you manage to survive, your crew gets better, you can be promoted, or you can be awarded the Knight's Cross all of which have in game benefits. This gives the game a role-playing feel.

 

The game ends in June 43 but that is assuming you are still alive. Every mission involves making risk and reward decisions and it becomes harder as the allies began getting better escorts, aircraft, and anti-sub technology. In my final mission I sunk two ships out of a convoy and then spotted another convoy. I took a chance on a night time surface attack on the second convoy sinking another large freighter and a tanker but was caught near the surface and depth charged.

 

I can't recommend the game highly enough if you are looking for a solitaire game and are interested in the U boat war.