TURN SEQUENCE: Side 1 Fire; Boarding Actions; Check Wind; Attempt to Cut Grapples/Fend Off; Move: 1-All Dismasted Ships, 2-Side 1 Ships, 3-Side 2 (remember to check for Falling Aboard whenever ships come within 3"); Side 2 Fire; Check Off One Turn. (note: simply toss a d6 to determine who is side 1 at the beginning of the game, unless the scenario specifically states who is side 1). Each turn represents approximately 1 1/2 minutes of real time. CHANGES IN WIND: Every 15 minutes, roll 1d6: 1-4=no change, 5-6=toss again: 1 or 2=move 1 point in direction of prevailing wind (no change if wind from prevailing direction or from opposite), 3=wind backs 1 point (counter-clockwise), 4=wind veers 1 point (clockwise), 5 or 6=roll for a change in wind speed. Note: if prevailing wind direction is unknown, use initial wind. WIND SPEED: All distances are determined by the ship's heading after completing any turns prior to beginning movement. If there is a change in wind speed, toss 2d6 for overall wind speed: (note that the toss applies to all ships of both sides). TOTAL is maximum # inches ships may sail with or across the Wind. HIGHER DIE is Maximum # inches ships may beat into the Wind (up to 22.5 degrees) AND the distance Damaged Ships may sail with or across the wind. LOWER DIE is # inches Damaged Ships may beat into the Wind AND the distance Dismasted Ships must drift with the Wind. UNDAMAGED SHIPS (that is, that have not had their top line of Mast boxes crossed off) that are moving independently (scouting frigates, ships in flight, ships in General Chase) may also each toss an additional 1d6 OR pivot after completing movement (decide before tossing). ALL SHIPS not tacking (I.e., turning into the wind so that no movement is possible) must move at least the #inches on the lower die. FALLING ABOARD: Ships that have Fallen Aboard may attempt to Cut Grapples/Fend Off—each ship tosses 1d6, high score succeeds in breaking away or staying together (whichever it wants) - note that ties always result in collision. Place a wind arrow next to ships that remain together—treat as Dismasted until they break contact. If the winner breaks contact remove the arrow (indicating that the ships are no longer locked together). Whenever a ship closes to within 3" of another ship, it must check to see if they Fall Aboard. Each ship tosses 1d6 (halve score of anchored ship): high score succeeds in Fending Off or Falling Aboard (remember that ties always result in collision). TURNING SHIPS: SHIPS may pivot up to 900 before beginning movement (note that ships may pivot up to 1800 if required by action—900 is the maximum voluntary pivot). TACKING SHIPS (i.e. ships that attempt to turn into the wind) may "miss stays", failing in the attempt: toss 1d6: 1-4 succeed (ship pivots up to 1800 [as far as necessary to come on the opposite tack] into the wind and moves), 5 (succeeds if English Ship, fails if all others), 6 fails (ship does not turn but drifts as if dismasted this turn). ADD 2 to toss if DAMAGED. UNDAMAGED SHIPS moving independently (scouting frigates, ships in flight or General Chase) may after normal movement, pivot or (if running or reaching, not beating) move an extra 1d6. DISMASTED SHIPS automatically pivot (up to 1800) as necessary before moving with the wind. FIRE: Toss 1d6 per gun box remaining that can bear (up to 450 from center). TOSS DOUBLE DICE FOR: INITIAL BROADSIDE (cross out P or S the 1st time that side fires) OR RAKE (that is within 12" of enemy whose guns cannot bear). TOSS TRIPLE DICE FOR RAKING INITIAL BROADSIDE. RANGES & COMBAT CHARTS: UP to 8" HIT on 4-6, UP to 16" HIT on 5 or 6, UP to 24" HIT on 6. Note: Fires are extinguished after doing damage. GUN hits occur on the side facing the enemy, but carry through if all guns on one side are already destroyed. Raking shots hits are scored equally on both sides with any odd hit striking the HULL. TABLE I 1—3 MISS 4 RE-ROLL on TABLE II (if under 8" - otherwise MISS) 5 GUNS (if under 16" - otherwise MISS) 6 MASTS BOARDING: Ships must be Fallen Aboard with one side announcing a boarding attempt. Ships that board may not fire. Ships defending against boarding may not fire once boarding has begun. Both ships may be fired on by other ships. Note that boarding is optional, thus ships that have Fallen Aboard may decide to fire rather than attempt to board. Toss 1d6 per hit box (MASTS, GUNS & HULL). Both ships toss simultaneously: 1—3=NO EFFECT, 4—6=HIT BOARDING HITS cancel each other—– surplus 4's, 5's, & 6's score hits on the enemy's GUN Boxes. REMEMBER that a ship automatically strikes after losing all GUN boxes. INITIAL WIND: If unknown, Toss 1d6: 1-3=W, 4=NW, 5—6=Re-Roll (1=N, 2=NE, 3=E, 4=SE, 5=S, 6=SW. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON FALLING ABOARD: Because there are three different phases of ship movement (Dismasted, Side 1, and Side 2), procedures for Cutting Grapples/Fending Off vary depending on which side wants to do what. As long as ships remain Fallen Aboard, the ships are moved as if they were Dismasted). If a Side 2 ship succeeds in Cutting Grapples/Fending Off, the Side 1 ship that was grappled with it may either move freely or immediately attempt to close again. If it succeeds in grappling, the ships are again Fallen Aboard and an arrow is placed before the Side 2 ship has a chance to move (both ships move as if Dismasted); if a Side 1 ship attempts to grapple and fails, it forfeits its opportunity to move. This situation is different if it is a Side 1 ship that succeeds in Cutting Grapples/Fending Off; the Side 1 ship removes the wind arrow and (after Dismasted ships move) moves freely. During the Side 2 movement phase, any Side 2 ship may move within 3" and attempt to grapple. Note that ships only check to see if they Fall Aboard if they are closing within 3"; if the range is opening, they do not check. Ships at anchor halve their score. CLARIFICATION ON SHIPS THAT HAVE STRUCK AND MEASUREMENT: Struck ships must be moved (by the side they have struck to) away from their former owners and out of the combat area as expeditiously as possible & cannot be fired on. If the previous owner Falls Aboard one of his ships that has struck, it is recaptured and he moves it, but again, it must be moved out of the combat area as expeditiously as possible. Distances both for fire and Falling Aboard are normally measured mainmast to mainmast. SHORE BATTERIES: Each Gun box represents 8—14 guns. If the shore battery fires red hot shot score hits normally & toss again for each hit on Table III. SHIP TYPES AND TRACKING CHARTS: 1st Rate is 100 or more guns, 2nd is 90-98, 3rd is 64-80, 4th is 50-60, 5th is 32-44, and 6th is 20-30. 1st Rate MASTS (When top line crossed out = DAMAGED: +2 if TACKING) OOOOOO (When bottom line crossed out = DISMASTED) OOOOOO (When all crossed out, additional MAST hits are misses) GUNS (When all crossed out, STRIKES) P:OOOOOO (Port Guns, if all crossed out, additional hits to starboard) S:OOOOOO (Starboard guns, if all crossed out, additional hits to port) (Gun boxes are 1st checked off the side receiving fire, but when a ship is raked, boxes are checked off both sides evenly with any odd hit striking the HULL) HULL (Half crossed out=MAN PUMPS, all crossed out, SINKS) OOOOOO (MAN PUMPS means that the crew cannot man the guns. If OOOOOO they are called from the pumps to fire (optional) or repel boarders (required) immediately toss 1d6: 1-4=NO EFFECT, 5=Additional GUN hit (chosen by sinking ship which indicates more men are needed at the pumps), 6=additional HULL hit (the water is gaining). Scenario: Seizure of the Junon Back to The Gauntlet No. 17 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com