Always wanted to try naval wargaming but never have.
I do have a few scratch built, 1/72 boats for the Bronze Age and the Sudan.
I currently just put an old blue sheet under my wargaming mats to simulate a strip of water but I would like to improve on this and even maybe have a basis to begin proper naval war games.

What do others use and recommend for their wargaming seas?

Donald

It sounds as if you are thinking of 'dipping a toe in the water' in (naval) wargaming terms, Donald:relaxed:

You might care to have a look at the Tiny Wargames' website; they do an attractive 'sea' mat for table-top use: https://www.tinywargames.co.uk/sea which would probably give you as much 'water' as you need for your bronze-age warships, mariners in those days being reluctant to venture out of sight of land for numerous good, as well as mythical, reasons.

Having said that, there are lots of commercially-made sea/water terrain mats, some marked with hexes or square grids, the latter somewhat reminiscent of 'battleships'. There is also a Naval Wargames Society (established way back in 1965) and you might be interested in having a look at their site.

There seems to bea lot going for naval gaming.
It needs relatively few models and this must mean less cost.

It would also be useful for solo gaming - something I am increasingly turning to.

Donald

A cheap and easy solution that I use for rivers and lakes -- but that would work for seas as well -- is to take a big, clear plastic drop cloth of the sort professional painters often employ, and spray-paint the non-shiny side an appropriate blue. If you crumple the drop cloth up before spreading it out flat again for painting, you get pretty realistic wave effects.

Warlord Games do "Black Seas", "Victory at Sea" and "Cruel Seas" lines of naval wargames

Thanks, John. AFAIK, painters’ plastic drop sheets here are remarkably flimsy.
However, I’ll look into it as this sounds a good idea.

Donald

Donald
I have played cruel seas and victory at sea and enjoyed both. For an earlier period I can thoroughly recommend sails of glory. You will find gaming on anything but a flat surface will drive you nuts with ship models.waves may look good in the glossy photos but are not practical for moving,turning etc.