SWWAS: Sea of Iron Playbook Edition

Sea of Iron – Playbook Edition brings the naval and air operations of the Baltic Sea during the Second World War to the gaming table. Covering a particularly unusual naval theater, the game pits German, Soviet, Finnish, Swedish, Polish and Baltic forces against one another in the confined waters of the Baltic.

This new Playbook Edition is a complete game within the Second World War at Sea (SWWAS) series. It contains 30 scenarios, covering both historical operations and hypothetical situations based on the plans, projects and potential operations of the various Baltic navies.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Baltic Sea was a very different naval environment from the open oceans of the Second World War. Its relatively confined waters, numerous coastal bases and extensive land-based air coverage created a highly concentrated operational environment.

Sea of Iron covers the period from 1939 to 1945, from the opening campaigns of the war through the final fighting in the Baltic. The game features Germany, the Soviet Union, Finland and Sweden, as well as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

A particularly interesting feature is the inclusion of ships that never actually entered service. The Soviet, Swedish and Finnish orders of battle include vessels that were planned, ordered or begun but never completed. These unrealized naval programs provide the basis for several hypothetical scenarios.

THE GAME

Sea of Iron uses the Second World War at Sea system, combining two levels of play:

• Operational play, covering movement, search, detection and the deployment of naval and air forces.
• Tactical combat, where naval and air engagements are resolved.

The Baltic theater gives the system a distinctive character. Distances are relatively short, airfields are plentiful and there are fewer opportunities to disappear from enemy observation than in an oceanic theater.

BoardGameGeek player feedback highlights the unusual Baltic setting, the variety of fleets represented and the large number of interesting combat situations. The Swedish and Finnish fleets in particular provide naval forces rarely seen in historical wargames.

SCENARIOS

The game includes 30 scenarios covering historical and hypothetical naval and air operations in the Baltic between 1939 and 1945.

The scenarios range from historical operations to alternative situations based on actual naval plans and proposed shipbuilding programs.

This emphasis on hypothetical warfare is one of Sea of Iron's defining features. BoardGameGeek confirms that the earlier edition already offered a substantial number of alternative situations, many based on real plans and proposals developed by the naval powers involved.

FORCES INCLUDED

The game covers forces from:

• Germany
• Soviet Union
• Finland
• Sweden
• Poland
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Estonia

Both naval and air forces are represented, with particular attention given to the smaller Baltic navies and their proposed wartime developments.

EDITORIAL CONTENT

The Playbook provides the material required to play the Sea of Iron scenarios, but does not include the Second World War at Sea rules.

Players need the Second Edition rules from another SWWAS game. Avalanche Press specifically states that earlier editions of the rules are not compatible with this Playbook Edition.

Sea of Iron – Playbook Edition is therefore particularly well suited to players who already own another Second Edition SWWAS title or are already familiar with the system.

KEY FEATURES

• A rarely covered naval theater.
• 30 scenarios covering six years of warfare.
• A wide variety of naval and air forces.
• Historical and hypothetical situations.
• Extensive use of planned and never-completed warships.
• Compact Playbook format.
• Part of the Second World War at Sea – Second Edition ecosystem.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Sea of Iron – Playbook Edition is complete in terms of its scenarios and Baltic Sea setting, but it is not a standalone SWWAS rules package: the Second Edition rules must be obtained separately.