Grappling

When two ships come into contact one or both may opt to grapple. If both ships want to grapple they may without having to dice. If only one ship wants to grapple a 4,5 or 6 must be rolled; only a 3,4,5 or 6 is necessary if ram from either ship is still attached.

Two ships or one ship that is appreciably larger may tow away a grappled vessel if no other ships are grappled to it and it isn't tied to the other ships in its line. One ship must be captured in order to be towed away if only two equal-sized ships are involved. If a captured enemy ship is still tied to a manned enemy vessel, 3,4,5 or 6 must be thrown before the lines can be cut.

A vessel grappled to a sinking ship will sink also. If two ships are grappled to a sinking ship none will sink. If two sinking ships are grappled to another, all will sink when the first goes down.

Grappled vessels drift downwind at I" per turn unless one of them is tied to the others in its line.

A 4,5 or 6 must be rolled to cut the grapnels. If one of the grappled ships is captured the lines may be cut without a die roll the turn after the capture.

Direct Personnel Combat

When two ships are in contact their crews may engage in combat. A die is rolled and the following factors are worked into the result:

+1 if the attacker is the flagship
-1 if the defender is the flagship
+1 if half the defender's crew is lost
-1 if half the attacker's crew is lost
-1 for every ship of the same side flanking defender
+2 if the attacker has a Greek Fire siphon and the attacker does not
-2 if the defender has a Greek Fire siphon and the attacker does not
+2 for every additional attacking ship
-2 if the attacker is a galley/long ship and the defender is a round ship or otherwise has appreciably higher decks and sides than the attacker.

The score is counted against the defender's crew points. Only one attacking ship at a time may count casualties against a defender.

Every turn the flagship is attacked a die is rolled. Should this roll produce a 6, the admiral is killed.

Combat may continue as long as both sides like. If one side chooses to break contact it must roll a 4, 5 or 6 at the beginning of the turn before it can do so. The ship that initiates combat (the attacker in the first case) cannot break contact until the defender has a chance to retaliate.

Captures and Rescues

When a ship has lost all 20 of its crew points, any of its attackers still in contact may transfer crew points from their own vessels onto that ship, counting a loss against the transferring ship and making 20 less the transferred points lost on the ships new tally card blank, and it is captured.

The former owner lets the new one know what condition the ship is in; he in turn marks this down on a blank column of his tally card. Should the attacker pass up the opportunity to capture the ship, other crews of the same side may reoccupy the ship by the same method. The transfer process takes one whole turn during which time no offensive action may be taken.

The crew of a sinking or burning ship may be rescued if a friendly vessel makes contact in time. The evacuation takes place according to the crew point transfer rules above. If the ship being evacuated is on fire, a dice is rolled; the rescue ship is also on fire, should the score be a 6.

Morale

A fleet's morale is tested under the following circumstances:

-when the flagship is sunk or captured
-when the enemy appears to have twice as many ships (only ships laid out on the table are counted)
-when the admiral is killed (see Direct Personnel Combat);in this case morale is not tested until two turns after the fact, giving rumor time to spread.

Morale is tested with a die roll: 1, 2 all ships flee 3,4 no movement or offensive action is permitted for the next two turns 5,6 morale unshaken.

Medieval Naval Wargame Rules

Introduction, Wind and Weather, Missile Fire
Movement, Obstacles, Rocks, Sandbars, Collisions and Running Around, Ramming and Smashing
Fire and Pyrotechnics, Holing with Rocks, etc., Damage Table and Effects of Damage
Grappling, Direct Personnel Combat, Captures and Rescues, Morale

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