Using Low Luck with Submarines Surprise Strike.

  • Customizer

    I usually prefer totally dice games but we decided to try out a game of Low Luck this weekend. I understand how Low Luck works but realized the Submarine surprise strike has to work differently. I have a few ideas on how I think Surprise Strike would work with Low Luck:
    1 > In a large sea battle that involves defending destroyers, then the Surprise Strike is nullified so the Submarine attack values are simply added in with all other attacking units.
    For example: 3 battleships and 3 subs attack an enemy fleet that includes destroyers. Attack values are added up 4 x 3 + 2 x 3 = 18 total attack points for 3 hits with no remainder.

    2 > In a large sea battle that DOES NOT involve defending destroyers, attacking subs have to roll separately hoping for hits. Then all other attacking units attack values are added up for low luck hits and to see if there is a remainder to roll for.
    For example: 3 battleships and 3 subs attack an enemy fleet with NO destroyers. So the 3 subs roll dice hoping for rolls of 2 for their surprise strike. Then the 3 battleships attack values are added up 4 x 3 = 12 total attack points for 2 hits with no remainder.
    OR since there are 3 subs involved in the surprise strike, and 3 subs have a total attack value of 6, would you simply remove one defender for the surprise strike hit (or take a first hit on a capital ship)?

    3 > If 3 subs attacked 1 destroyer, there is no surprise strike but the 3 subs get an automatic hit on the destroyer which has to roll for a 2 to defend.

    4 > If 3 subs attacked 1 cruiser, the cruiser would be automatically hit by the surprise strike and not get to return fire.

    So does this sound right? I would appreciate anyone more familiar with Low Luck to let me know if I have it right for submarines.

    Also, for Anti-Aircraft, if you have 6 defending a territory, in Low Luck does that mean 1 automatic hit on attacking aircraft? Or since AA guns roll up to 3 per gun, if you had 2 in a territory being attacked by 6 planes, would AA simply take 1 automatic plane casualty? Or do you still roll for AA?

  • TripleA

    Too much math.

    Subs roll first, 1 hit there, defender choose casualties, then you roll the rest of your stuff.


  • I’ve played a lot of LL games, done exactly like you described, knp.
    Regarding 2> the latter. Since we also apply LL to submarine and AAA first strikes, those fire rounds are treated exactly as any other fire/combat round, but indeed separately.

    When destroyers are present, we add subvalues to the total instead of applying them separately.

    Applying LL separately to normal combat, AAA-fire and submarines surprise strikes sounds more complicated if described. It is however very simple when played.

  • Customizer

    Thank you ItIsILeClerc,
    I kind of thought it worked like that. We got through 3 rounds and are going to pick it back up next weekend. We started out rolling separately for subs’ surprise strike and AA guns and using LL for everything else. It does speed up combat some.
    I think we will try out LL for the subs from here on. Not sure yet about the AA guns, I kind of like making them roll for a 1.
    We haven’t had very many attacks involving AA guns yet. One really burned me though. UK moved the AA gun from Malta to Egypt. Then Italy attacked Egypt with a number of land units plus their bomber. Wouldn’t you know UK rolled that lucky 1.
    Anyway, we might try out LL for AA guns too.
    Let me ask you this: If an attack that involves 3 planes goes after a territory with a single AA gun, in normal rules that AA gun would get 3 rolls @ 1 to try and hit those planes. With Low Luck, would you simply roll 1 die @ 3?


  • @knp7765:

    If an attack that involves 3 planes goes after a territory with a single AA gun, in normal rules that AA gun would get 3 rolls @ 1 to try and hit those planes. With Low Luck, would you simply roll 1 die @ 3?

    Yes, that’s the way to do it: roll 1 die @3. Ruling out abominations as combat results (with rolling dice), that’s the goal of using LL. Win/loose due to strategy, not blessed/jinxed dice.
    The downside of LL is that you can exactly calculate what you need. In big battles I don’t see this as a problem. Smaller ones however are stuff for debate. A Yughoslavia strafe can never go ‘wrong’ because Germany rolls too much hits. Russia can safely strafe every area with 6INF that has 2 axis units in it (or 12 if there are 3 axis units, etc.), moving large INFstacks around without risk of actually taking the area.

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