''General Quarters'' is a set of

naval wargaming Naval wargaming is a branch of the wider hobby of miniature wargaming. Generally less popular than wargames set on land, naval wargaming nevertheless enjoys a degree of support around the world. Both historical and fantasy rulesets are available. ...

rules written by Lonnie Gill that were first published in the 1970s. Quick and easy to play they have become one of the most popular series of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era naval rules (the rules topped a poll of popular wargames rules among members of the

Naval Wargames Society A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...

Gameplay

There are currently three versions available: - GQ1 covered World War II and used a d6 based system. - GQ2 expanded coverage to World War I whilst also introducing new rules for World War II games; it also introduced a revised combat system that used a d10 in addition to d6. - GQ3 was a complete revision published in 2006. A revised World War I version was published as ''Fleet Action Imminent'' in September 2007. There are a number of campaign supplements for ''GQ3''. First is ''The Solomons Campaign'' about the World War II Guadalcanal battles. Next is ''Sudden Storm'' a hypothetical campaign dealing with a war, between Japan and the US in 1937. A surprisingly possible occurrence, and one that yields a lot of big gun battles as the US fights its way back across the Pacific to the Philippines.

Reception

''General Quarters'' won the H.G. Wells award for All Time Best 20th Century Naval Rules of 1979.

Review

*Panzerfaust and Campaign Article Index: Number 72 Mar-Apr 1976 - The Blue-Light Manual: Wargame Rules for the American Civil War / General Quarters / Don't Give Up the Ship - "Miniature Warfare: Reviews of New Products" (Review),

Don Lowry Don Lowry is a wargamer, businessman, illustrator, and game designer who is best known as the publisher of ''Chainmail'' and the editor of ''Panzerfaust Magazine''. Lowry was active in the International Federation of Wargaming in the late 1960s ...

Notes

Miniature wargames Naval games Origins Award winners Wargames introduced in 1975 {{wargame-stub