Beginner advice for convoying: We've never used it, how well does it work?


  • I’ve played 2 games with my uncle and brother now and we just have not gotten around to using the ability to disrupt convoys.

    Can someone explain to me how it works (better than the rulebook)?
    Which countries benefit most from using this tactic?
    Which countries cannot afford to have it used against them?

    thank you


  • Its very important in the Pacific, as well as the z125 Murmansk convoy and z97.  At the end of some power’s turn, the opposite will say “Hey you have to roll for convoy such and such”.  For every surface warship (except carriers) in a convoy zone adjacent to a territory owned by that power, roll 1 dice.  If its a 3 or less, then that player will collect that much fewer IPCs, up to the value of the adjacent territory or territories (e.g. look at all the territories adjacent to z97).  For every sub or plane on a carrier in a convoy zone, do the same thing but roll 2 dice.  Its REALLY important that you are using convoy raids in your games.  Later on in a game that the allies are winning they can pretty much shut down Italy’s income and most of Japan’s.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    On page 23 of the rule book, during Phase 6: Collect Income, it says you calculate income, bonus income (national objective income, war bonds income if you have the technology) and lost income to convoy disruptions.  So it is then that you determine damage.  (This also means that each nation can take damage from enemy ships from the same sea zone, if applicable, as it is calculated during the collect income phase.)

    Page 24 explains how convoy disruptions are conducted.

    First, make sure that the sea zone in question has a “convoy” image. 
    Second, make sure the sea zone is next to an enemy territory (that enemy must have it’s capitol in friendly hands, this is stipulated on Page 23)
    Third you must have at least one surface warship (not an Aircraft Carrier), planes or submarines in the sea zone being disrupted.
    Lastly, throw the dice.

    Submarines, Fighters and Tactical Bombers get 2 dice each.
    Battleships, Cruisers and Destroyers get one die each.

    Take all the dice, throw them, tabulate all the numbers less than or equal to “3” on the dice. (so if you threw 1, 4, 3, 6, 6, 5 then only the 1 and 3 would count, and total 4 damage.)  Deduct this amount from the person’s collect income phase - or the maximum amount of IPC the territory(ies) adjacent to the sea zone are worth.

    Like SBR, you can never lose more to convoy raids than you can to a complex.


  • When your enemy has ships in your convoy zone, you get less money that turn.  Unless you destroy them.

    Easy peasy, lemon squeasy.

    To make this FAR more freakin’ complicated than it has to be…

    There are three spaces on the board that border two (2) convoy zones apiece.  I assume that if enemy ships are in both convoy zones the disrupter chooses which zone to disrupt the territory from.  The other ships would then be free to convoy other territories.
    Also that you must’nt have ships in both zones to disrupt.
    Also, any single ship may disrupt multiple times in one turn, if different allied (lowercase) powers control different territories bordering said sea zones.

    The old rule was that every surface warship disrupts 1IPC each and every submarine 2IPCs each with an optional rule that specifically German submarines disrupt 3IPCs each.
    They changed this to reflect an element of chance, and also made carriers more powerful for purposes of convoy disrupts.

    I hope this completely obfuscates things for you.  I also hope I’m using that word correctly.


  • Afraid not Robbie. Obfuscate is the opposite of what you meant. Clarify is the best verb.


  • LOL.  He actually kinda did use the word right as his explanation actually clouded the issue further.  ;)


  • Benefit from convoys:

    Allies in SZ6 vs Japan.
    Allies in SZ97 vs Italy.
    Germany against the UK in SZ109.

    Italy can have its head cut off with an effective convoy in SZ97.  It is VERY effective without requiring the Allies to actually take Rome.

    Japan’s convoy issues can be quasi circumvented with DEI, but even those can get convoyed!  Its rather annoying for Japan to have to deal with a stream of SS coming from India and Anzac strangling all those islands out of IPC.

    The UK convoy is not something Germany probably wants to do the entire game.  However, cutting the IPC out of UK further sets it back after an effective G1 sinking of ships in SZ110 and SZ111.  Setting the UK back, forcing it to deal with ships and not spending on units in Africa has its benefits amongst other things.  I generally shoot for G1 purchase of CV, DD, SS and then send it all to convoy on G2.  I add 2 SS on G2 out of Normandy and another SS on G3 if the convoy is still alive.  It keeps the UK buying DD to deal with the SS, which is preferable to capital ships to protect TT purchases.  Note, this doesn’t always work the way you want, but it sure keeps the UK on the defensive for 2-3 rounds and you won’t see much from the UK until round 4-5 by the time theres enough ships to protect TT purchases.  Of course they can always just mass off of Canada, but they are limited to 3 ships / turn.

    All in all Convoy is a tool both sides should keep in mind, it creates problems for both sides (part of the reason I buy a DD on Italy1 for example)

  • Customizer

    I know that the most current rules state that you roll dice for convoy raiding, but after the latest version of Alpha+3 came out with those rules, my gaming group tried it out and didn’t care for it. Too many times rolling 4 or above I guess. We went back to a set amount for convoy raids: German subs @ 3, all other subs and carrier based aircraft @ 2 and all surface warships @ 1.
    Does anybody else do convoy raiding like this, or does everyone else roll dice for them?

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I prefer the 2 dmg per submarine, 1 dmg per surface ship rules as well, but those are now house rules, not official rules.


  • I am English, so I play by the rules. Reluctantly though: old rules worked for me.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @wittmann:

    I am English, so I play by the rules. Reluctantly though: old rules worked for me.

    Because Canadians and Americans never play by the rules!

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