"Away With Honour!"
Wargames Rules for Naval Warfare in the Middle Ages

by Tony Cullen (c)Copyright 2002

Dice
These rules use d10, where 0 =10.

Scale
Each ship represents one ship

Organisation.
A fleet should be divided into several Divisions, normally three (Van, Main and Rear) but this depends on the size of the fleet
Divisions should attempt to remain together, though this is left to the players own tactics.
One Ship in each Division must be selected as the flagship.

Factors
Each ship will have the following factors:
SeaworthinessThe Sailability of the vessel
GunneryLevel of Gunnery(port & starboard)
DefenceThis reflects the size of the crew and thus the effect of casualties
CrewCombatHand to Hand Effectiveness
&ncspMissiledistant shooting Effectiveness

All of a ship's factors are based on a seven level scale:
0NoneNNE
1PunyPNY
2FrailFRL
3WeakenedWKN
4StrongSTR
5MightyMTY
6ImmenseIMM

Gunnery may only be None, Puny, Frail or weakened.

Passing Crew Components
A ship may pass crew components (Combat and Missile) to another ship to which it is lashed/grappled.
Components may not be passed which would exceed the receiving ship's initial factor levels.
Ships lashed together may pass components freely, those grappled must first roll 7 or more on 1d10 to achieve the transfer.

Lashing.
Two or more ships may be lashed together, beam to beam. Such ships may freely pass crew components between themselves and support each other in Fights. However this is done at the cost of distance shooting. The touching beams cannot fire any artillery and no Shooting may be conducted which passes over the base of any friendly ship. Ships may only be lashed together at the start of a battle. Cutting free from lashing requires two successful cutting-free actions.
Lashed Vessels may only move down wind (Run) at 2".

Sequence
These rules use a card system for sequencing similar to that in "Form Line of Battle".
Each Division involved in the battle will have 3 cards placed in the game deck. Two cards will be Sail/Fight cards, one will be a Command and Control card. These cards will then be drawn in any sequence.

A Command and Control card allows the indicated Division to do any/all of the following:
  Reload
  Pass components
  Fight Fires
  Cut free

A Sail/Fight card allows the indicated Division to:
  Move
  Shoot
  Fire
  Fight

Note: a Vessel, which Fights cannot shoot or Fire in the same phase.

Movement
Movement is expressed in inches.
Ships may move either forward or by turning. Turns may be up to 30 degrees. Ships may not sail into the wind.
Each Ship may make up to its maximum number of turns each phase provided the Ship is moving. Turns should be made as follows:
 turnmove halfturn move halfturn
1 turn XXX  
2 turnsXXXX  
3 turnsXXXX X

Each Division must attempt to remain together.

As medieval naval actions did not occur in anything other than light breezes no consideration is given to any other wind condition.

Ships move dependent on their Seaworthiness and their heading to the wind.

Movement
SeaworthinessBeatingRunningTurns
0None0"0"0
1Puny2"3"1
2Frail2"4"1
3Weakened3"5"2
4Strong3"6"2
5Mighty4"7"3
6Immense5"8"3

Gunnery
Each Division may fire in its Sail/Fight phase. Each broadside will have a strength track.
When a Broadside is fired a marker on the track will be reset to NNE.
During the reload phase one broadside track on each vessel may be advanced by one position up to its maximum level.

A ship's arc of fire is directly to the flank, this is determined by extending the ship's base front and rear lines.
A ship may not fire over the base of another ship.
Roll the indicated number of d10 for the broadside firing. Requiring to score the indicated number or more to hit.

If a 10 (0) is rolled roll 1d10 for a fire.
1Fire on firing ship
8,9,0Fire on target ship

The number of dice rolled :
Range
CloseLongExtreme
0-4"4"-10"10"-20"
321

Required score
NNE-
PNY10
FRL8
WKN6

For each hit roll for effect. A Hit will reduce the indicated factor by one level.
Hits on Combat and Missile factors are subject to defence rolls.
RollEffect
9,0Seaworthiness
7,8Combat
4,5,6Missile
1,2,3Gunnery

Damage:
If seaworthiness is reduced to NNE the ship will sink.
If Combat is reduced to NNE the ship will surrender if within 2" of an enemy and will otherwise take no further part in the battle, attempting to leave the table.
Gunnery hits will be on the facing broadside first, then passing on to the other.
If a factor is rolled which is already at NNE then move up the table.

Missile shooting
This is handled in the same manner as Gunnery, however each ship only gets one roll per phase. Missile fire can be conducted in both sail/fight phases of a division.
Required score
NNE-
PNY10
FRL9
WKN8
STR7
MTY6
IMM5

RollEffect
7,8,9,0Combat
2,3,4,5,6Missile
1Gunnery

Defence Rolls
The defence factor of a ship represents the overall size of its crew and therefore its resilience to hits.
Whenever a Combat or Missile factor takes a hit roll against the defence factor. A Success means the hit is ignored.
DefenceRequired Roll
PNY10
FRL9
WKN8
STR7
MTY6
IMM5

Fires
Fires may be started by gunnery.
Fire may be fought in the Command and Control phase. A fire may burn for four turns.
At the first attempt to extinguish the fire a 7,8,9,0 will put the fire out; the second attempt requires 8,9,0 the third 9,0 etc. if after the fourth attempt (0) the fire still burns it is out of control and the vessel is deemed lost. It will continue to burn for the rest of the game drifting down wind for 1 base length. Any base contacting the burning base must roll 1d10 if it gets 1,2,3,4 it has caught fire.

Boarding
When to two or more opposing bases come into contact a boarding action will ensue. Note that boarding is calculated in the Sail/Fight phase of both Divisions involved.
Dice are rolled for the combat factor of the ships involved.
Combats are fought in all appropriate Sail/Fight phases, the phasing ship having the advantage. Phasing Ships roll 2d10 whereas non-phasing ships roll only 1. A Phasing Ship may split its rolls between two enemy ships if they are both in contact.

In mutiple melees ships may fight as follows:
i. All ships of a phasing Division may fight, rolling two dice.
ii. Non-phasing Ships of the same side as the phasing Division may not fight.
iii. Opposing Ships in Contact with ships of the phasing Division may fight against the phasing ships, rolling one dice.

Required scores are:
CombatRequired Roll
NNE-
PNY8
FRL7
WKN6
STR5
MTY4
IMM3

All hits in Combat effect the Combat factor of the receiving ship.
Ships along side a friendly ship that is involved in a boarding action, but not in contact with an enemy, may not themselves fight but may pass Combat factors to the fighting ship but only to fill gaps left by casualties.
Ships in boarding actions may not fire their broadsides. Missile shooting may not be carried out from or too a ship in a boarding action.

Grappling
Once two ships make contact they are considered grappled if either of them wishes it.

Cutting Free
A boarded ship may attempt to cut free in its command and control phase. Roll 1d10.
1-4 Successful
5-0 Failed
The roll is modified by a +2 for each other enemy ship the testing base is in contact with.

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