warship game?

Question

I've listed six warships for my board game and some traits.
Any input for improvement?

1. Carrier - attack long distances with planes. Large and powerful

2. Battleship - attack shorter distances than carrier, less powerful

3. Submarine - travel undetected. vulnerable to detection and destruction from destroyers

4. less powerful, but specialize in killing submarines.

5. cruisers ( not true to reality) but I made them weaker than destroyers but much faster.

6. minesweepers - very weak. specialize in the removal of mines

7. minelayers - very rare, but i added them to the game to make it interesting. they are small submarines that are very weak and specialize in laying mines. (Mines destroy ships if they pass over the top of them.

Answer 1

I'm assuming you're looking at a sea-based battle game, and not supplementing land/air-based combat with sea warfare?

Some other ideas. Stealing blatantly from Axis & Allies, perhaps a rule for submarine sneak attacks. One shot and disappear type of thing. Or, a free attack, and a chance to attempt re-submerge/escape additional combat.

I'm assuming point 4 was supposed to be destroyers?

If this is sea based combat, more involved than single turn combat resolution, you could consider adding readiness states to ships, i.e. actively hunting subs reduces movement but improves detection. Carriers can actively sub hunt via plane, but their combat power is reduced (due to sorties being flown to hunt instead of fight). Some ideas for ship readiness:

Stand down/All Ahead - Fastest speed, reduced detection, reduced combat strength.
Watch/Patrol - Average speed, detection, combat
Hunting - Slow speed, increased detection, increased combat via submarines, average combat against other ships.
Hunting(carriers) - Average speed, improved detection, average combat vs subs, reduced combat vs other ships.

You may need some mechanic(on board AA?) to specifically to counteract planes/carrier attacks if you find they're too strong, at least for battleships/destroyers and possibly cruisers.

Answer 2

PT boats - very small and very manueverable. they could have two torpedoes on the sides.

How about a Merchant Marine ship? maybe a Victory ship.
Sort of a supply ship of some kind?

How about a Civilian Cruise ship that's actually full of ammo???

Answer 3

Why don't you just buy the game "Battleships"