Author’s note: While I never had the honor of serving in the military, many in my family and circle of friends have. A thank you to all of the men and women who have served, or are serving, in the military. Those who came home–and most of all those who didn’t.
The roleplaying games most of us enjoy so much are the descendants of historical simulation wargames, usually with miniatures. Miniature wargaming was inspired by the 19th century Prussian Kriegsspiel “game” used for training military officers. As a hobby, this type of game has been around since the early 20th century. H. G. Wells, better known as a pioneer science fiction author, is also the Father of Miniature Wargaming, and wrote the rule set Little Wars.
Seekreig (German for “sea war”) simulates naval engagements from the 1860s (ironclads) to 1945 (end of World War II), although I have only played World War II scenarios. It is the first wargame I tried playing, after watching my (then-future) husband and his gaming buddies having such a good time with the complex tactical game. And this is a very complex, time consuming game, even compared to other wargames. Turns can take about 10 minutes when only movement is involved, but combat turns can take close to an hour. Careful measurements with rulers are NOT optional and the gamemaster may have to consult several charts to determine the outcome of one shot or torpedo hit. If you find it hard to believe that a lady who so prefers her RPG mechanics short and sweet loves a game as mechanics-heavy as Seekrieg, well, I have trouble believing it also–but I do love this game.
The game was first published in 1981, and is still available on the authors’ website as a free download at Seekrieg 4. The updated Seekrieg 5, which I haven’t played, is available as well in either CD-ROM or 3-hole ringbinder for $79 (US). In addition to the rules, you need a large space (room to gym size) percentile dice, tape measures, basic calculator and the ships. Blue cloth/felt for playing areas, cotton balls to represent fog or smoke, and working knowledge of trigonometry are nice to have. The 1:1200 scale (up to 1:4800 can also be used) ships are the coolest and most expensive part of the game. The metal miniature vessels are comparable in price to Fantasy Flight Games’ X-wing Miniatures but must be assembled. One of the larger 1:1200 scale ships of the line fits into my hand–and all ship classes are incredibly detailed–antennae, gun turrets, conning towers, etc. Husband has World War II-era Italian, British, American and German vessels of all classes (and probably a lot of others I can’t remember), made of lead, as was common in the 80s and early 90s.
So, what make Seekrieg fun besides the minis? A love of history for starters. Husband, who got me into the hobby, is something of an amateur historian, and I grew up hearing my dad’s tales of World War II service. And the excitement of a (pretend) battle well-fought. Maybe it takes a whole lot longer than X-wing, but it’s still exciting.
I will end with my own finest moment of Seekrieg. I was running a squadron of Light Cruisers on the Allied side. Among the German ships was a Battle Cruiser, the Prinz Eugen (Prince Eugene). One of my Light Cruisers–smaller vessels used in groups–fired upon the Eugen. A chart or two later, the gamemaster declared a Critical. While I gloated, he looked at more charts and had me roll more dice. “You hit the magazine! That blows up the ship!!” The other players–all guys with a lot more experience at wargaming tactics–were even more surprised than I was. I went from interested newb to really hooked player. This was not the only game where my little Light Cruisers would take down the Eugen. With the exact same Critical!
And did the historical Prinz Eugen fare any better? At the end of World War II, it became a US war prize. She was one of the target ships for nuclear test blasts around Bikini Atoll, surviving two. She eventually sank, although parts of the stern are still above water.
References: Seekrieg website and Seekrieg 4 PDFs
Thank you to my husband, Mark, for clarification and additional information on gameplay and historical detail.
Linda Whitson
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