Movement

Round ships may move only within 60' of windward.

All ships, except galleys/long ships with their sails furled, may add an extra 1" to their move distance if they are sailing within 45' of the wind.

Any ship that is turning 90' cannot simply pivot and take its full move , but must alter course 45' and move forward twice, in a sweep, and then, in the case of the galley, resume whatever is left of its move in the new direction.

Attack speed can only be used when closing on a target and contact is eminent. It cannot be used two turns in a row or more than four times in a game.

A galley or longship must furl its sail whenever it is within 6" of an enemy ship, during which time it gains no move advantage from the wind. It takes one whole turn to unfurl the sail again.

Two bounds are required to go from full speed to a stop, the speed being reduced by a half each move. If a ship should for any reason need to embark or disembark crew or equipment, this takes one whole turn.

Obstacles

Obstacles, such as scuttled ships or lead-sheathed stakes implanted in the sea-bed, may serve two purposes: to damage ships and impede passage. Of course, these can only be used in water that is sufficiently shallow to allow them to have any effect. They are hidden and unmarked on the table until a vessel moves across them. When a ship does pass over them:

Roll a die to see what sector has been damaged:

1: bow
2: stern
3,4: port
5,6: starboard

Roll another die for effect utilizing the damage table and count the score against the proper structure points.

Yet another die is rolled to see whether or not the ship is able to affect a passage:

1,2,3 ship unable to pass
4,5,6 ship able to pass.

Both the damage and the passage rolls apply to only one ship at a time. Any vessels that come after it must hazard the dangers for themselves.

Once obstacles have been contacted a marker of some sort (a piece of blue paper with black dots on it should suffice) must be set out on the table, but only in the place of the contacted obstacle.

Rocks, Sandbars, Collisions and Running Aground

1: bow
2: stern
3,4: port
5,6: starboard

Dice for effect using the damage table.

A ship, usually unmanned or rudderless, might collide with another. Dice against the structure points of the proper sector of both ships individually, employing the damage table and these factors:

+2 if other ship collides with its bow
+1 if other ship collides with its stern
+2 if collision takes place during a storm
-2 if either side of other ship collides
+1 if the other ship is unusually large
+l to whichever ship is downwind
+2 if the other ship is struck in the prow and it has a skegg
-2 if your own ship is struck in the bow or the stern and is protected by iron plates (bardi).

Whenever a collision takes place also roll a die to see if the mast is affected. If the roll is a 1, 2 or 3 the mast is not affected; if the roll is 4,5 or 6 it is. Roll for damage against the mast using the damage table and none of the factors above, except those of storm and downwind position.

Once a collision takes place the two ships remain in contact and firing, grappling, boarding, etc. contact and firing, grappling, boarding, etc. may take place. If one of the vessels involved in a collision is on fire, dicing must take place to see if the other ignites. (see Fire and Pyrotechnics).

When a vessel has run aground on a smooth beach its fate depends on both its type and condition.

-A galley/long ship rolls one die every turn and must roll a 4,5 or 6 before it can be refloated.
-A round ship or a galley that has lost 3/4 of its crew must remain aground until the end of the game.
-A burning ship is lost.

Ramming and Smashing

Only ships fitted with a ram, that is dromons and Mediterranean-style galleys, are able to ram (other oared fighting ships such as dragon ships or even English clinker-built galleys cannot). Contact with the target must be made by the fore-most part of the bow and the target cannot evade.

When contact is made, roll a die and use the factors from the damage table and below to arrive at a score against the relevant structure points.

+1 if ramming ship moving at attack speed
+1 if the ram is delivered from an unusually large ship
-2 if target is a round ship
-1 if the target moved in the previous turn.

Ramming damage is only counted once and then the ram must be removed before ramming again. Removing the ram takes two turns. The ram cannot be removed if the ship is involved in grappling.

A ship without a ram may purposefully collide with or smash an enemy vessel, as the English on occasion did with near-disastrous results during the Hundred Years War. All rules for collisions apply in such situations. especially that damage is calculated against both ships.

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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