TURN SEQUENCE: French/Spanish Fire, Boarding Actions, Check Wind, Attempt to Cut Grapples/Fend Off, Move: 1. All Dismasted Ships. 2. French/Spanish Ships. 3. English Ships (Remember to check for Falling Aboard whenever ships come within 3 "), English Fire, Check off 1 turn CHANGES IN WIND: Every fifteen minutes toss 1D6: 1-4 = No change, 5 or 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 I point (clockwise), 5 or 6= toss 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 apples 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 off 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 90 degrees before beginning movement (note that ships may pivot up to 180 degrees if required to in the rules - 90 degrees 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 180 degrees [as far as necessary to come on the opposite tack] into the wind and moves), 5 an English ship succeeds but a French/Spanish ship fails, 6 Fail (ship does not turn but drifts as if Dismasted this turn). ADD2 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 180*) as necessary before moving with the wind. FIRE: TOSS 1 D6 per Gun box remaining that can bear (up to 45 degrees 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 UP to 8" HIT on 4-6; UP to 16" HIT on 5 or 6; UP to 24" HIT on 6 EFFECTS of HITS: TABLE I: 1-3 = MISS 4 = RE-ROLL ON TABLE II (remember, a "4" is a MISS at over 8") 5 = GUNS (remember, a "5" is a MISS at over 16") 6 = MASTS TABLE II (used for a 4 at 8" or less: toss 1D6 per "4" from Table I): 1 = CUT BOW ANCHOR CABLE (or MISS) 2 = CUT STERN ANCHOR CABLE (or MISS) 3 = FIRE: RE-ROLL ON TABLE III 4 = HULL 5 = GUNS 6 = MASTS TABLE III (fire: toss 1D6 per "3" from Table II): 1 = RE-ROLL: 1 or 2 = no effect 3 or 4 = English as 1 or 2, French/Spanish as 5 or 6, 5 or 6 = Ship Destroyed by Magazine Explosion 2 - 6 = Fire damage to Hull (2, 4), Guns (5), or Masts (3, 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. 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 1 D6: 1-3 = W, 4 = NW, 4-6 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, French/Spanish, English), procedures for Cutting Gnapples/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 British ship succeeds in Cutting Grapples/Fending Off, the French/Spanish 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 English ship has a chance to move (both ships move as if Dismasted); if a French/Spanish ship attempts to grapple and fails, it forfeits its opportunity to move. The situation is different if it is a French/Spanish ship that succeeds in Cutting Grapples/Fending Off; the French/Spanish ship removes the wind arrow and (after Dismasted ships move) moves freely. During the English movement phase, any English 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 Failing 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 (1st rate is 100 or more Guns, 2nd is 90-98, 3rd 64-80, 4th = 50-60, 5th = 32-44, 6th 20-30) 1ST RATE MASTS (When top line crossed out ~ DAMAGED: +2 if TACKING) 000000 (When bottom line crossed out = DISMASTIED) 000000 (When all crossed out additional hits are misses) GUNS (When all crossed out = STRIKES) P:000000 (Port guns, if all crossed out additional hits to starboard) S:000000 (Starboard guns, if all crossed out additional hits to port) (Gun boxes are Ist 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) 000000 Ships that have had half their hull boxes crossed out are assumed to have some of 000000 the crew at work manning the pumps. If they are called from the pumps to fire (optional) or repel boarders (required) immediately toss 1136: 1-3 & 6 = NO EFFECT, 4 additional HULL hit (the water is gaining), 5 = additional GUN hit (chosen by sinking ship indicates more men are needed to man the pumps). 2ND RATE 3RD RATE 4TH RATE 5TH RATE 6TH RATE BOMB KETCH MASTS MASTS MASTS MASTS MASTS MASTS 00000 0000 000 00 0 0 00000 0000 000 00 0 0 GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS P:00000 P:0000 P:000 P:00 P:O Fore: 0 S:00000 S:0000 S:000 S:00 S: O Aft: 0 HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL 00000 0000 000 00 0 00 00000 0000 000 00 0 00 GUNBOAT MAST 0 GUN (fires forward) 0 HULL 0 MERCHANTS LARGE MEDIUM SMALL MASTS MASTS MASTS 000 00 0 000 00 0 GUNS GUNS [NO GUNS] P:00 P:O - S:00 S:O - HULL HULL HULL 000 00 0 000 00 0 Finisterre 1747 Naval battle Back to MWAN #99 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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