Captain's Sea Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Key Concepts
  • 1.1 Relative Movement
  • 1.2 Wind Position
  • 1.3 Heading
  • 1.4 Impulses
  • 1.5 Ship Display Cards
  • 1.6 Control Panels
  • 1.7 Bridge Cards
    • 1.7.1 Play Now Cards
    • 1.7.2 Hold Cards
    • 1.7.3 Bonus Cards
    • 1.7.4 Use Declaration
    • 1.7.5 Rule Exception
  • 1.8 Morale Checks
  • 1.9 Rounding
• 2.0 Setup
• 3.0 The Ship Display
  • 3.1 Hull Type
  • 3.2 Hull Strength
  • 3.3 Crew Quality
  • 3.4 Crew Morale
  • 3.5 Forward (For'd) and Stern Chasers
  • 3.6 Fighting Sail/Medium Sail
  • 3.7 Crew Tasks
    • 3.7.1 Rigging Change
    • 3.7.2 Sailing
    • 3.7.3 Rigging Damage Control
    • 3.7.4 Hull Damage Control
    • 3.7.5 Gunnery
• 4.0 Sequence of Play
• 5.0 Assign Crew
  • 5.1 Crew Tasks
    • 5.1.1 Sailing
    • 5.1.2 Rigging Change
    • 5.1.3 Rigging Damage Control
    • 5.1.4 Hull Damage Control
    • 5.1.5 Gunnery
    • 5.1.6 Melee
• 6.0 Determine Initiative
• 7.0 Determining Movement Rates
• 8.0 Activation Cycle
• 9.0 Maneuvering
  • 9.1 The Control Panel
    • 9.1.1 Advance
    • 9.1.2 Wear
    • 9.1.3 Back Sail
    • 9.1.4 Tacking
    • 9.1.5 Straining
  • 9.2 Stacking
    • 9.2.1 Parallel
    • 9.2.2 Crossing
    • 9.2.3 Angled
  • 9.3 The Map Edge
• 10.0 Reloading
• 11.0 Firing
  • 11.1 Firing Arc
  • 11.2 Range
  • 11.3 Broadside Sections Attacking
  • 11.4 Firing Procedure
    • 11.4.1 Identify firing section(s)
    • 11.4.2 Determine Target for each firing section
    • 11.4.3 Determine if the attack is a Rake
    • 11.4.4 Determine number of To Hit dice (attacker)
    • 11.4.5 Roll dice to determine initial hits
    • 11.4.6 Determine number of defense dice
    • 11.4.7 Roll defense dice to determine hit cancellations
• 12.0 Grappling
• 13.0 Empty Impulses
• 14.0 Repeat for Next Impulse
• 15.0 Melee
• 16.0 Bonus Move
• 17.0 Housekeeping Phase
  • 17.1 Fire Fighting
  • 17.2 Damage Control
  • 17.3 Morale Check
  • 17.4 Check for Strike
  • 17.5 Change Sail Status or Disengage
  • 17.6 Update Smoke Status
  • 17.7 Draw Bridge Card
• 18.0 Game End
• 19.0 Victory Conditions
• 20.0 Scenario Cards
  • 20.1 Design Your Own
• 21.0 Multi-Ship Options
  • 21.1 Fractional Relativity
  • 21.2 Zero Relativity
  • 21.3 Victory Considerations
  • 21.4 President vs. Belvidera (23 August 1812)

1.0 Key Concepts

1.1 Relative Movement

Captain's Sea uses a relative movement system. Ships dueling on the open sea had virtually limitless battlefields. Relative movement allows the game to simulate that openness. During a turn, a ship's ability to move reflects how fast it is going compared to the enemy vessel. Consequently, two ships moving in the same direction at the same speed will both have a base movement of zero, because their relative position will not change. If ships aren't moving in the same direction, their direction relative to the wind will determine their movement rate.

1.2 Wind Position

Maneuvering a ship during the Age of Sail meant aligning the ship relative to the wind. An array of terminology grew around this task, but Captain's Sea simplifies the learning curve. Your ship's wind position is expressed by a letter indicating the wind's direction across the ship. For instance, the wind might blow toward direction C--in that case, your ship is running. If it's blowing toward A or B, your ship is broad reaching. Captain's Sea retains the terminology for flavor, but you can play the game using only the letter notations.

Example: In the first image, Constitution is in Wind Position C. In the second, she's in Wind Position G.

1.3 Heading

The square grid of the map allows ships to move in eight directions, or headings. A square at the center of the map contains a compass showing the number for each heading.

1.4 Impulses

Each Captain's Sea turn is divided into 12 impulses. In some, one or both ships will activate to move and/or take an action (such as loading a broadside). In others, nothing will happen and players will skip the impulse. The Impulse Track tells you in which impulses a ship can activate based on its relative speed.

1.5 Ship Display Cards

Each ship in Captain's Sea is represented by a Ship Display Card containing its statistics, along with tools for tracking crew data, sails, cannon loads, and damage.

1.6 Control Panels

Each player has a Control Panel printed on the game board. The Control Panel lists the maneuver options for a ship in each of five possible wind positions. Players use Maneuver Selection blocks to indicate which maneuver they have selected for their ships. The Maneuver Selection blocks are placed on edge so that the opposing player cannot see the selected maneuver until sufficient impulses have passed towards its completion.

1.7 Bridge Cards

Captain's Sea includes a deck of Bridge Cards. Some Bridge Cards allow a player to cause an event to occur. Others can cause events to happen automatically. The text on the cards indicates when they can (or must) be played. There are two types of Bridge Cards, "Play Now" and "Hold."

1.7.1 Play Now Cards

These cards are revealed immediately. Follow the instructions on the card to implement a random event. If the card's effects are not applicable, discard it. Whether or not the event occurs, reshuffle the Bridge Deck.

1.7.2 Hold Cards

These cards can be played immediately or held for future use. A player's hand size is limited by his Crew Morale: Unfit (4), Fair (5) or Handy (6). If a draw causes a player to exceed his maximum hand size, he must discard until it is reached. If a player's maximum hand size decreases due to falling Crew Morale, he must immediately discard down to his new hand size.

1.7.3 Bonus Cards

In addition to use as Hold Cards, those cards in a player's hand may alternately be discarded prior to any single die Rolle to add +1 (or subtract -1, if appropriate) to the result. Only one Hold card may be discarded to modify any single die. In a roll with multiple dice, one card may be discarded per die. (For example, when Firing with 3 dice, the attacker could discard three cards to get +1 each on all three dice.) Cards may never be discarded to get a negative modifier. The Non-Initiative Player decides first whether to play cards to modify dice.

1.7.4 Use Declaration

When playing a card that might impact one or more die rolls, all cards must be declared before any dice are rolled, unless noted otherwise.

1.7.5 Rule Exception

If the text on a card conflicts with rules, the card text takes precedence until the text on the card is resolved.

1.8 Morale Checks

When the game requires a morale check, roll the indicated number of dice and modify each die according to Crew Morale. If any modified die result is 2 or less, the crew fails the check, and its morale decreases by one level.

1.9 Rounding

Players round up to the nearest whole number whenever calculations result in a fraction (usually a half point).

2.0 Setup

Choose a scenario. Review the Play Book to determine the optimal scenario to play if this is your first game of Captain's Sea. Place the game board between the players. Give each player an appropriate Ship Display Card, a set of Maneuver Selection tiles, and a set of markers--red for a British player, white for a French player, and blue for the American player. Find the wind direction marker and place it in the compass square in the center of the map, pointing as indicated by the scenario. Each player then places status markers as follows:

• Crew Quality in the box stipulated by the scenario (the asterisk indicates the usual/historical value)
• Sail State in either the Fighting Sail or Medium Sail box (player's choice)
• Crew Morale in the Handy box on the Crew Morale track
• Crew in the highest numbered box on the Crew Points track
• Rigging Points in the highest numbered box on the Rigging Points track
• Port For'd, Port Aft, Starb'd For'd, and Starb'd Aft Points in the highest numbered box on each of their respective Broadside section's Gunnery track

Each player also loads his guns, selecting from Round, Chain or Double Shot. Place an appropriate Loaded marker with the shot type face down in the Shot box for each Gunnery track. Place the Loaded markers in the Bow and Stern Chaser boxes (there are only one each of these as the chasers only fire round shot).

Each player places his ship marker in the space indicated by the scenario. The bow (or front) of the ship must be pointed in the direction shown in the scenario.

Place the other markers and the deck of Bridge Cards near the game board for easy access.

Each player draws three Bridge Cards. For this initial draw only, discard any Play Now cards without implementing the event or reshuffling the deck and draw replacements for these discards.

3.0 The Ship Display

Each ship in Captain's Sea has its own display card noting its game statistics and providing several tracks for monitoring its condition. (Note: All ships use these statistics, but their values are dependent upon the ships in play; so the game may include ships that do not have some of the noted values.) Ships are divided into four Hull Sections, as well as into Topside and Below Deck. Here's what it all means.

3.1 Hull Type

Slow, Average, or Fast. Ships with fast hulls get a +1 modifier when rolling for Hull Bonus. Slow ships get a -1 modifier.

3.2 Hull Strength

Fragile, Average, or Firm. Ships with fragile hulls may take extra damage from enemy fire. Ships with firm hulls may take less.

3.3 Crew Quality

Green, Average, or Crack. Ships with crack crews get a +1 modifier on initiative and bonus movement die rolls. Green crews get a -1 modifier on both. Better crews also reload broadsides faster.

3.4 Crew Morale

This track records the mental state of the crew. When the crew fails a morale check, move the marker one box down. Handy and unfit crews modify relevant die rolls. When the marker is in the Strike Check box, the ship might strike its colors (surrender).

3.5 Forward (For'd) and Stern Chasers

A marker in this box indicates the ship's chasers are loaded and may be fired. There is one box near the bow of the ship display for Bow (For'd) Chasers and one near the stern for Stern Chasers.

3.6 Fighting Sail/Medium Sail

A marker indicates the current configuration of the ship's rigging.

3.7 Crew Tasks

The display includes tracks for crew points assigned to various tasks on the ship:

3.7.1 Rigging Change

This track indicates the number of Crew points assigned to changing the rigging configuration.

3.7.2 Sailing

This track indicates the number of Crew points assigned to sailing the ship.

3.7.3 Rigging Damage Control

This track indicates the number of Crew points assigned to Damage Control on the Rigging.

3.7.4 Hull Damage Control

Each Broadside section is noted with a small Damage Control track. These tracks indicate the number of Crew points assigned to Damage Control in each Hull section.

3.7.5 Gunnery

Crew points assigned to Gunnery are tracked in the Broadside sections (see 3.10).

3.8 Rigging Points

This track records the status of the ship's rigging and its ability to move. The boxes at the bottom of each track printed with red text and marked with the "Fighting Sail Only!" tag have suffered sufficient rigging damage that the ship may only use Fighting Sail. Move the marker down the track when the ship sustains a rigging hit. All boxes at or below the marker are undamaged. Boxes above it are damaged. When the marker is in the Strike Check box, the ship might strike its colors (surrender), and it is penalized for being dismasted (its speed is divided by 4 and it cannot make a Bonus Move unless forced to by Straining).

3.9 Crew Points

Each box on this track measures available crew strength for various tasks. The available tasks are Sailing, Rigging Change, Rigging Damage Control, Gunnery Damage Control, and Gunnery (any unassigned crew points are automatically assigned to Melee). The marker records the current maximum available Crew. Move the marker down the track when the ship suffers a Crew hit. When the marker is in the Strike Check box, the ship might strike its colors (surrender).

A few boxes on this track have a red number. The first time (only) the marker enters such a box, make a morale check, subtracting the red number from the die roll.

3.10 Broadside Sections

There are 4 broadside sections--Starboard Bow, Starboard Aft, Port Bow and Port Aft. Each Broadside Section consists of a track of Gunnery boxes, a pair of Damage Control boxes and a Loaded box. These tracks record the condition of the Broadside Section.

3.10.1 Gunnery Track

Each non-zero Gunnery box in a Broadside section is noted with a pair of numbers. The first is the number of long guns in the box, while the second is the number of carronades. Move the marker on the Gunnery Track for the appropriate section toward 0 each time your ship sustains a hull hit. All boxes at or below the marker are undamaged. All boxes above it are damaged. When the marker is in the 0 box, you must make a morale check.

Note: You will also place markers on these tracks to indicate crew assigned to each Broadside Section.

3.10.2 Shot Boxes

A marker in this box indicates that the guns for its Broadside Section are loaded and the type of load (printed on the reverse of the marker).

4.0 Sequence of Play

Captain's Sea is played in a series of turns. Each turn consists of the following steps, which must be completed in the order stipulated:

• Assign Crew
• Determine Initiative
• Determine Movement Rates
• Activation Cycle:
  • Select Maneuvers (if not already selected)
  • Select First Marked Impulse
  • Complete Impulse Activation (if applicable):
    • Reveal Maneuver
    • Complete Maneuver
    • Select Maneuver (if not 12th Impulse)
    • Reload (if applicable)
    • Conduct Fire Combat (if applicable)
    • Grappling (only if both ships in same square)
• Melee (only if ships are grappled)
• Bonus Move
• Housekeeping
• Begin Next Turn

5.0 Assign Crew

In this phase, each captain assigns crew points to critical tasks. Crew points can be assigned to sailing, changing rigging, rigging damage control, hull damage control, and gunnery. Any unassigned Crew points are assumed to be assigned to Melee.

Assign crew to tasks by placing Points Assigned markers in the appropriate boxes. The number of points assigned to tasks cannot exceed the total Crew points available and the number of crew points assigned to a task may not exceed the number of (undamaged, if relevant) boxes available on each track.

5.1 Crew Tasks

Assuming his ship has enough Crew points, a captain may assign them to the following tasks:

5.1.1 Sailing

Each player may assign one Crew point per turn to sailing. Place a marker in the Sailing box. Assigning a Crew point to sailing gives the ship a +1 modifier to the die when rolling for bonus movement.

5.1.2 Rigging Change

If the ship is still capable of Medium Sail, each player may assign one or two Crew point per turn to changing the rigging from Medium Sail to Fighting Sail or vice versa. Place a marker in the appropriately numbered box to indicate the number of crew points assigned. The attempt to change rigging status does not occur until the Housekeeping Phase, but you must assign the crew in this phase if you want to try.

5.1.3 Rigging Damage Control

Up to two Crew points per turn may be assigned to repair the most recently damaged box on the Rigging Points track. Place a marker in the appropriately numbered box to indicate the number of crew points assigned. The attempt to repair rigging does not occur until the Housekeeping Phase, but you must assign the crew in this phase if you want to try.

Note: A ship with its rigging marker in the Strike Check box on the Ship Display is considered dismasted. Its crew can still repair its rigging, which would move the marker out of the Strike Check box.

5.1.4 Hull Damage Control

Up to two Crew points per Broadside section per turn may be assigned to repairing damaged Gunnery boxes. Each tasked Crew point may be assigned to any of the four Hull Sections. Place a marker in the appropriately numbered Damage Control box to indicate the number of crew points assigned. Attempts to repair the hull do not occur until the Housekeeping Phase, but you must assign the crew in this phase if you want to try.

5.1.5 Gunnery

A captain may assign one Crew point per turn per undamaged Gunnery box on the ship display. Place a marker in the appropriately numbered Gunnery box to indicate the number of crew points assigned.

Note: A crew point may never be assigned to a damaged box.

5.1.6 Melee

Any crew points not assigned to other tasks are assigned to Melee. Place a marker on the Crew Points Track to indicate this.

Hint: If there is ANY danger of the enemy grappling and boarding your ship, assign crew to Melee. A successful enemy boarding action instantly ends the game with a substantial bonus in Victory Points to your opponent.

6.0 Determine Initiative

Each player rolls one die and modifies the result as described below. The player with the higher modified result wins initiative for the turn. He becomes the Initiative Player while his opponent becomes the Non-Initiative Player. In case of a tie on the initiative roll, re-roll the dice.

Die roll modifiers are:

• +1 for a Crack crew
• -1 for a Green crew
• -1 for each previous, successive turn the player has held Initiative.
• Changes due to eligible Bridge Card play

Place the initiative player's Initiative marker on the Status Track on the map in the box equaling the number of successive turns he has held initiative.

Example: A player has an average crew but has held initiative on the previous two turns with no Bridge Card play. He rolls at -2. If he wins this turn, his next initiative roll will be at -3.

7.0 Determining Movement Rates

Players determine the movement points available to their ships, based on wind position and hull quality. First, determine each ship's base movement points:

Step 1: If both ships are in the same wind position and have the same heading, both have 0 base movement points. Otherwise, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: On the Base Movement Point Table, identify the column matching the Initiative Player's wind position and the row matching the Non-Initiative Player's wind position. Wind position is determined by selecting the letter on the ship marker closest to the direction from which the wind is coming (example: if the wind is blowing up the length of the ship from stern to bow--aka, "Running"--the position is identified as "C").

Step 3: Cross-reference the selected row and column positions to determine available movement points. The first number is the movement points for the Initiative Player's ship; the second is the movement points for the Non-Initiative Player's ship.

Step 4: Next, determine Hull Bonus due to each ship's hull and crew. Note: A ship that is In Irons (position "H") does not roll for a Hull Bonus--its speed remains 0. A ship with a speed of 0, but not In Irons, does roll for a Hull Bonus.

Step 5: Each player rolls a die and modifies the result. Die roll modifiers are:

• +1 for a Crack crew
• -1 for a Green crew
• Changes due to eligible Bridge Card play

Step 6: Cross-reference the result with the ship's hull type on the Hull Bonus table.

Step 7: Add the Hull Bonus of each ship to its Base Movement Points to determine its Speed for the turn. Speed equals the total Movement Points the ship must spend during the turn.

Step 8: A ship at fighting sail divides its Speed by 2, rounding up. A ship with its rigging marker in the Strike Check box is considered dismasted. Divide its Speed by 4 (rounding up).

After determining the ships' speeds, players place Activate! markers (red, white, or blue) on the Impulse Track. Place a marker in each Impulse listing your ship's speed among the numbers at the bottom of the box.

Example: a player whose ship has a speed of 6 for the turn places a marker in the boxes for impulses 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12--all the boxes listing 6 at the bottom.

8.0 Activation Cycle

The Activation Cycle is divided into 12 impulses. During impulses containing Activate! markers or Load Markers, players may (or may not) take actions such as moving, firing, or reloading.

Go to the first Impulse containing an Activate! marker and/or a Load Marker. The steps below must be conducted in order, with each step completed before moving to the next step.

Step 1: A player with an Activate! marker may Maneuver. If both players have Activate! markers, the Initiative Player decides who Maneuvers first.

Step 2: A player with a Load Marker may reload.

Step 3: Either player may fire.

Step 4: Either player may attempt to grapple.

9.0 Maneuvering

Check whether the player(s) with an Activate! marker for the impulse has completed a maneuver. If not, put the Activate! marker on the Control Panel on the map to indicate Movement Points spent since the player's last completed maneuver. If a player has completed a maneuver, he reveals it and moves his spent Activate! marker(s) away off the Ship Display.

Execute any completed maneuvers. When a ship has completed enough Activations for its selected maneuver, it MUST make the maneuver. Remember, if both players reveal maneuvers, the Initiative Player decides who moves first.

After a maneuver is executed, the player immediately selects his next maneuver.

9.1 The Control Panel

The Control Panel shows all the possible maneuvers and is organized by wind position. When it's time to select a maneuver for your ship:

1. Identify the table matching the ship's wind position.
2. Select a maneuver from the available options by placing a Maneuver Selection block matching the color and number of the chosen maneuver (as indicated by the first column on the table). Place the tile either face-down or on-edge so that your opponent cannot see your selection.

Each maneuver has a cost, expressed in movement points. Your ship can maneuver for one movement point each impulse it activates, so a three-point maneuver requires three impulses to complete. During the first two impulses of the maneuver, the ship will not move. During the third, it will complete the maneuver.

There are important restrictions on selecting maneuvers:

1. A player may select any maneuver, including one that will not be completed until the next turn.
2. If a maneuver is chosen that will carry over into the next turn, a player must choose a Strain maneuver as well. The opponent will know that you are straining, but not how much.
3. If required to Strain, a player may choose either Straining block.
4. A player may not choose Back Sail twice in a row, even if the ship's wind position changes. After Back Sailing, place a No Back Sail marker on the ship card as a reminder.
5. A player may not choose Wear twice in row, nor Wear twice in the same square (A ship cannot simply sit in place and spin.) After Wearing, place a No Wear marker on the ship card as a reminder. Note: A free Wear from an Advance maneuver counts here--a player cannot use the free Wear and then select Wear as the ship's next maneuver.
6. A player may not choose any maneuver that turns a ship to In Irons (wind position "H"). To move a ship "across the wind," it must Tack.

The five available maneuvers are:

9.1.1 Advance

Move ahead from one square to the next. It costs two movement points to move across the side of a square, three to move across a corner. The ship may turn one compass point to a superior wind position (see the Control Panel) after moving into the new square. Note: The Advance maneuver is the only way to turn into a superior wind position.

9.1.2 Wear

Turning one compass point. Wearing to an inferior wind position is a separate maneuver, not a free one like the turn offered by the Advance maneuver. It costs one or two movement points, depending on the direction of the Wear.

9.1.3 Back Sail

Holding the ship steady and keeping it in the same square and direction is called Back Sailing. This maneuver may not selected twice in a row.

9.1.4 Tacking

Moving across the wind is a dangerous business when under the enemy's guns, but it allows the ship to rotate its bow through the wind. A player must attempt to Tack--the maneuver is not automatic. To attempt Tacking:

Step 1: Rotate the ship one compass point to the In Irons (H) wind position in its current square.

Step 2: Roll a die and modify the result by the ship's Crew Quality. Subtract 1 from the modified result if the enemy ship is six movement points or less away.

Step 3: If the modified result is 5 or greater, rotate the ship another compass point to Beating (F or G). The ship may not return to its original compass point. If the modified result is 4 or less, the ship remains In Irons for the rest of the turn. For a ship In Irons, ignore any remaining impulses and remove the ship's remaining Activate! markers from the Impulse Track.

9.1.5 Straining

A ship selecting a Straining maneuver must attempt a Bonus Move.

9.2 Stacking

A ship may enter a square occupied by the enemy ship. When this happens, it is assumed that the ships are closing on each other and fighting at point blank range. There are three possible relative positions for the ships:

9.2.1 Parallel

The ships are moving past each other in exactly the same direction or opposite directions. The Initiative Player determines on which side the moving ship passes by the other ship. Both ships may fire if they have guns loaded and crewed.

Example: If Belvidera advances, she will sail Parallel to Constitution. The player with initiative decides whether she sails to Constitution's port or starboard. Both ships may fire.

9.2.2 Crossing

The ships are moving on perpendicular courses, forming a "T." The Initiative Player (only) may fire if his ship has guns loaded and crewed, attempting a Rake (see rule 11.8). If the Initiative Player is moving his ship, he may fire, attempting a stern rake on his opponent. If the Non-Initiative Player is moving, the Initiative Player may attempt a Bow Rake on the approaching ship.

Example: If Belvidera advances, she will sail Crossing Constitution. If Belvidera has initiative, she will pass to Constitution's stern and may attempt a rake. If Constitution has initiative, she may attempt to attempt a bow rake on Belvidera.

9.2.3 Angled

The ships are moving neither parallel nor perpendicular to each other. One end (bow or stern) of each ship is closer to the other ship, forming a "V." The moving ship passes the enemy on the side closest to where the moving ship entered the square. Both ships may fire if they have guns loaded and crewed.

Example: If Belvidera advances, she will sail Angled to Constitution's starboard. Both ships may fire normally.

Note: If the active ship has the option to Wear (as part of an Advance maneuver), the captain decides whether to Wear before determining the ships' relative positions. Note that wearing will change a ship's relative position (Parallel and Crossing will become Angled and Angled will become Parallel or Crossing).

9.3 The Map Edge

When one of the ships is about to maneuver off the map edge, players should adjust both ships' locations toward the center of the map. Be sure to maintain the same distance and relative position between the ships and keep both ships on their current heading. Also move any smoke on the map and maintain its position relative to the ships.

If it is not possible to avoid moving a ship off the map edge, the game ends immediately.

10.0 Reloading

Check whether there is a load marker for any broadside section from either ship (or both ships) in the impulse's reload box. If there is a load marker AND Crew points have been assigned to that hull section's Gunnery Track, place the load marker next to the appropriate Gunnery Track(s) on its ship.

If crew has not been assigned, follow the Select Load procedure (see 11.7). This opportunity to reload has been lost.

Special Loads: It takes longer to load Chain or Double Shot. When a Load Marker of either type is revealed, place it two impulses further ahead. Tip: turn the load marker 90 degrees to remind you that you've already moved it forward two impulses.

11.0 Firing

Both players have opportunities to fire when either player has an Activate! marker or Load Marker in the current Impulse. Firing occurs after any activated ship (or ships) has maneuvered. The Non-Initiative Player announces first whether his ship will fire, then the Initiative Player. Firing occurs simultaneously. If the non-Initiative player opts not to fire, the Initiative player may fire alone.

11.1 Firing Arc

For your ship to fire, the enemy ship must be within the pattern indicated by the shaded area. The pattern extends up to 24 movement points from the firing ship.

11.2 Range

Broadside Sections may fire Long Guns at the enemy ship up to 24 movement points away. Carronades may fire at the enemy ship up to 6 movement points away and get a bonus (double the number of dice firing) at 3 movement points or less away.

11.3 Broadside Sections Attacking

If both Broadside Sections aim at the same height and use the same ammunition, they combine their firepower into a single attack. If they aim at different heights or use different ammunition, conduct two separate attacks.

11.4 Firing Procedure

The firing procedure is actually fairly simple: set the target, determine the number of dice, determine the modifiers, and roll. It just looks like a lot because there's a detailed, step-by-step instructions for clarity and to cover all the possibilities. Firing is quick and easy.

11.4.1 Identify firing section(s)

The firing ship is the attacker. The targeted ship is the defender.

The attacker determines which Broadside Sections are firing at the enemy ship. A broadside can only fire when the enemy is within its firing arc, within its range, and when its guns are loaded and manned.

11.4.2 Determine Target for each firing section

The attacker also announces whether each firing Broadside Section will aim High (at the Rigging) or Low (at the Hull). If both sections fire at the same target, their attacks are combined into a single attack. Otherwise each attack is resolved separately using half of the defensive dice (see below) against each attack and adding any odd die to one attack or the other.

11.4.3 Determine if the attack is a Rake

When the firing ship is crossing and perpendicular to the defender's path, the attack is a rake and may cause additional damage. Check section 11.8 for additional details.

11.4.4 Determine number of To Hit dice (attacker)

The attacker finds the highest numbered gunnery box which is both undamaged and manned by crew. The number of attack dice is equal to the combined number of in-range long guns and carronades in that box. If the target ship is within 3 movement points of the firing ship, double the number of dice for carronades.

11.4.5 Roll dice to determine initial hits

The attacker rolls the number of dice determined in Step 4. A hit is a modified die roll equal to 5 or better. Each die roll is modified as follows:

• +1 if Crew Morale is Handy
• -1 if Crew Morale is Unfit
• +1 if firing Double Shot
• +1 if firing Chain Shot
• +/- modifiers due to play of Bridge Cards

Mark the total number of hits on the Status Track on the map with the Hits marker (found on the back of the Initiative marker).

11.4.6 Determine number of defense dice

The Defender counts the movement points between the ships and divides by 2, rounding up. Then add the dice contributed by smoke. Each smoke point is worth one additional defense die.

• Count the value of each smoke marker in the target ship's square and in the firing ship's square.
• Count the value of each smoke marker in any square touched by an imaginary straight line drawn from the center of the firing ship's square to the center of the target ship's square.
• Count an "On Fire" marker on the firing or target ship as one die, so add two dice if both ships are on fire.

11.4.7 Roll defense dice to determine hit cancellations

The defender rolls the number of dice determined in Step 5. If the defending ship's hull is Firm, re-roll every die rolling a natural "1." If the defending ship's hull is Fragile, re-roll half (round up) of the dice that rolled a natural "6." Any additional dice rolled retain their results. Each die is then modified as follows:

• +1 if the attacker is 12 or more movement points distant.
• +/- the value of played Bridge Cards

A cancellation is a modified die roll equal to 5 or better. For each successful cancellation, move the Hits marker down the Status Track.

11.4.8 Check for Damage Effects

During the Age of Sail, a broadside was a volley of lead. The more lead thrown, the more likely that some of it might go astray. This process determines the proportion of lead that hits the enemy ship where desired.

Roll three dice--two of one color and one of another color. Using the Damage Effects Table, add the dice results and cross-reference the modified total with the column corresponding to the number of Hits achieved. The die roll is modified as follows:

• -1 if firing with the wind (leeward)*
• +1 if firing into the wind (windward)*
• If firing high (at Rigging):
  • +1 if Crew Morale is Fit
  • +2 if Crew Morale is Handy
• If firing low (at Hull)
  • -1 if Crew Morale is Fit
  • -2 if Crew Morale is Handy

* Note: Ships in Positions A, B, D, E, F, and G are affected by wind when firing. Ships which are in Positions C or H relative to the wind are not affected by these modifiers.

11.4.9 Adjust final hits for Rigging, Rake and Shot

When firing at the Rigging (High):

• If the defender is at Fighting Sail, divide the number of Rigging Hits by two. And,
• If firing Chain Shot, add one to the number of Rigging Hits and reduce Hull Hits to zero.

When firing at the Hull (Low):

• If firing Chain Shot, ignore all Hull Hits. Or,
• If the attack is a Stern Rake, multiply the number of Hull hits by 1.5 (rounding up).

In either case, roll a die for each section firing Double Shot. On a resulting roll of two or less, the firing section sustains one hull hit.

11.4.10 Apply Hits

Rigging Hits are applied by moving the Rigging Status marker down the Rigging Track one box per hit sustained.

Hull hits must be divided evenly among the bow and stern sections of the targeted side of the ship.

The first hull hit must be applied to the hull section with more undamaged hull boxes, if there is one. Other hits are divided evenly between the two sections; the defending player decides which section takes the first hit.

If a section of targeted side of the hull cannot sustain all of the hits is receives, apply the remaining hits to the hull section on the opposite (non-targeted) side of the ship (the shot passes through the ship and impacts the other side).

If the non-targeted side of the ship cannot sustain all of the hits it receives in this way, ignore the remaining hits.

11.4.11 Morale Check

Using the Morale Effects Table, cross reference the results of the other colored die (ONLY) and the number of Hits scored. Modify the number on the other colored die as follows:

• +1 if the defending Crew Morale is Handy
• -1 if the defending Crew Morale is Unfit

Make a Morale Check using the number of dice indicated by the Morale Effects Table.

11.5 Check for Fire

Return to the Damage Effects Table and look at the number of Hits Achieved. Use the column header if the modified three-dice roll was 11 or higher. Use the column footer if the modified three-dice roll was 10 or less. If the header or footer is red, check for fire using the number of dice indicated in parenthesis. If any dice roll a 1, the ship is on fire. Place an On Fire marker on the ship's card.

11.6 Applying Smoke

For each firing Hull Section: add two Smoke-2 markers to the firing ship's square if the attacker rolled three dice or more, or add one Smoke-2 marker for an attack of one or two dice.

11.7 Selecting Load

For the section(s) just fired, select a Load Marker and place it face down ahead of the current impulse on the Reload Track, as below, based upon the Crew Quality:

• Crack: 6 Impulses
• Average: 9 Impulses
• Green: 12 Impulses

If there are insufficient impulses remaining in the current turn, continue counting impulses into the next turn before placing the marker. Do not count the Bonus Move box as an Impulse.

Note: the numbers in the table above are for round shot. Other types of loads take longer (see 11.1). Use the numbers in the table to avoid revealing to your opponent that you've loaded a special shot.

11.8 Rakes

A rake occurs when one ship fires directly along the length of the enemy ship. To conduct a rake, the target ship must be heading directly toward or away from the firing ship. The firing ship must be:

• In the same row or column as the target ship and perpendicular to it, or
• On the same diagonal line as the target ship and perpendicular to it, or
• In a space touching the diagonal line of the target ship and perpendicular to it. The firing ship's heading must also be toward the diagonal line

A ship is perpendicular to the enemy ship if the firing ship's heading is exactly 2 or 6 compass points away, in either direction, from the target ship's heading.

Examples: the target ship is heading in direction 1. The firing ship can rake if its heading is 3 or 7. If the target ship's heading is 2, the firing ship can rake if its heading is 4 or 8. If the target ship's heading is 6, the firing ship can rake if the firing ship's heading is 4 or 8.

To conduct a rake, use the same firing procedure outlined above. Modify the damage procedure as follows:

• If the rake was fired into the target ship's rear section (aft), multiply the number of hull hits by 1.5 before applying them (the multiplication occurs AFTER defensive dice have been applied). Divide the hits between the ship's aft sections.
• If the rake was fired into the target ship's for'd section (bow), divide them between the ship's bow sections.

11.9 Chasers

Chasers are guns positioned to fire out of the bow or stern of a ship at an opponent's rigging--the idea is to damage the enemy's sails to slow him down so you can catch him or escape. Each ship begins the game with two Chasers. Chasers do not require crew, but may only fire when the enemy is outside the broadsides' firing arcs. Only chasers pointed toward the target ship (fore or aft) may fire. Fire chasers using the following procedure:

1. Chasers fire by rolling one die per firing section (so a maximum of two). A hull section must have one undamaged box to fire chasers.
2. Chasers have a maximum range of 24 MP.
3. Each chaser scores a hit on a 6. There are no modifiers.
4. Chasers fire Round Shot only.
5. Chasers do not create smoke.
6. Shots do not scatter. All hits are applied to the target ship's rigging.
7. Once fired, chasers reload in the same number of impulses as Round Shot. Place the appropriate Chasers Loading marker on the reload track. When you pick up the marker, place the marker in the appropriate Chasers Loaded box on the Ship card.

12.0 Grappling

A ship may attempt to grapple its opponent only if both ships are in the same square at the end of an impulse and either player had an Activate! marker or Load Marker in the Impulse. When these requirements are met:

First, the Initiative Player may attempt to grapple. If the Initiative Player did not attempt grappling or failed in the attempt, the Non-Initiative Player may attempt to grapple. The player attempting to grapple rolls one die and modifies the result as follows:

• • your ship's Crew Morale
• • enemy Crew Morale
• • Crew points assigned to Melee from your ship
• • enemy Crew points assigned to Melee
• -1 if the smallest difference in headings (count the compass points) is 1 or 2
• -2 if the smallest difference in heading (count the compass points) is 3 or 4
• +1 if the ship attempting to grapple is French

If the result if 5 or higher, the grappling attempt is successful.

If either player succeeds, align the two ships. If the ships' headings differed by less than two compass points, align the ships on the same heading (the Initiative Player's heading). If the ships' headings differed by two or more compass points, keep the Initiative Player's heading the same and align the Non-Initiative Player's ship to the opposite heading. Place a Grappled marker in the square. Ignore all further impulses this turn and move to the Melee Phase.

13.0 Empty Impulses

Skip any impulse box containing neither an Activate! marker nor a reload marker. Players may not maneuver, fire, grapple/melee, nor reload in such an impulse.

14.0 Repeat for Next Impulse

After completing each impulse containing Activate! markers or Load Markers, except the 12th, repeat the above process for the next impulse. After the 12th impulse, proceed to the Melee Phase of the turn.

15.0 Melee

The melee phase occurs only if the ships are grappled at the end of an impulse. Melee represents an attempt by the crew of one ship to board and seize the enemy ship. The Initiative Player may initiate melee. If the Initiative Player did not initiate melee, the Non-Initiative Player may do so. Players then divide the Crew Points assigned to Melee among assault (or defense) and support. Assault troops are crossing to the enemy ship; defense points are defending their own ship; and support points are firing from the rigging. If a player initiates Melee, use the following procedure:

Step 1: The player who initiated melee becomes the attacker. The other player becomes the defender.

Step 2: The attacker checks how many Crew points were committed to Melee. From these, he decides how many point to assign to assault and how many to support of the assault.

Step 3: The defender checks how many Crew points were committed to Melee. From these, he decides how many point to assign to defense and how many to support of the defense.

Step 4: Both players roll a number of dice equal to the number of Crew dedicated to assault/defense. Do not count the crew points supporting the assault or defense. Apply die roll modifiers to the results:

• Crew Quality
• Current Crew Morale
• +1 for the attacker if his ship is French

Step 5: The attacker distributes support among his dice. For each point of support, one die result may be increased by one point. A die may receive more than one point of support. For example: two points can add +1 to two rolls or +2 to one roll.

Step 6: The defender distributes support among his dice. For each point of support, one die result may be increased by one point. A die may receive more than one point of support. For example: two points can add +1 to two rolls or +2 to one roll.

Step 7: Modified rolls of 5 or higher are considered "hits." Attacker and defender hits cancel each other out on a one-for-one basis. Any hits not cancelled are applied against the opposing crew assigned to the melee. The owning player decides which crew points suffer the hits. Crew assigned to support may not be eliminated unless they are the only crew points remaining in the Melee.

Step 8: Determine whether to continue the melee.

• If the defender has no Crew Points remaining in the melee, his ship has been captured and the game ends.
• If the attacker has no Crew Points remaining in the melee, the attack is cancelled.
• If both players have Crew Points remaining in the melee, the attacker decides whether to continue the melee.
• If yes, return to Step 2 and repeat the process with the attacker re-determining points assigned to support. If no, the Melee phase is complete and play advances to the Housekeeping Phase (skipping the Bonus Move).

16.0 Bonus Move

A ship that selected a Straining maneuver during the Maneuver Cycle must make a Bonus Move. A ship that did not may make a Bonus Move by selecting a Straining option at this point, unless it has been dismasted (its Rigging Points marker is in the Strike Check box). If the Bonus Move is optional for both, the Non-Initiative Player decides first. Both must declare their intention before either player rolls for success. Note: a ship In Irons cannot make a Bonus Move.

The player making a Bonus Move advances his ship into the next square along his current heading. However, a ship making a Bonus Move does not Wear under any circumstances. It always moves one square straight ahead.

A Bonus Move risks damage to the ship's rigging. Following the Bonus Move, check for rigging damage. Roll a die and modify it by:

• Crew Quality
• +1 if one point of Crew was assigned to Sailing
• • the value of any Straining maneuver executed

A modified result of 6 or higher is a success, and the ship suffers no damage. If the roll fails, the ship takes damage to its rigging. If a ship used the Straining 1 maneuver, it takes one hit to its rigging on a failed roll. If a ship used the Straining 2 maneuver, it takes two hits to its rigging.

17.0 Housekeeping Phase

The Housekeeping Phase consists of a number of updates to the game status. Steps in the phase must be completed strictly in the order below.

17.1 Fire Fighting

Any player whose ship is on fire rolls a die and modifies the result by Crew Quality. If the modified result is 5 or more, the fire is extinguished. If it is 3 or 4, nothing changes. If it is 2 or less, the ship takes one hit of rigging damage.

17.2 Damage Control

For each Crew Point assigned to Damage Control, roll one die and modify it by the Crew Quality. A result of 5 or higher on any die repairs one Rigging or Hull Box. Move the appropriate status marker to the up the track to indicate the repair. Repairs must be made to the Hull Sections (or Rigging) to which the Crew Point was assigned.

Note: It is not one box per die rolling 5 or higher--you can only repair one box per track per turn. More dice improve your chances; not how many boxes you can repair.

17.3 Morale Check

For each Hull Section that is completely destroyed, roll one die and modify it by Crew Morale. If any die result is 2 or less, reduce Crew Morale by one step (not one step per die).

17.4 Check for Strike

For each status marker in a "Strike Check" box, roll a die and modify the result by Crew Morale. If any modified result is 1 or less, the ship strikes its colors and surrenders. The game ends unless the result is changed by play of a Bridge Card.

If both ships strike their colors during this step, ignore the results.

17.5 Change Sail Status or Disengage

If your ship has one or two Crew Points assigned to Rigging, roll a die for each point and modify the results by the Crew Quality. If either result is a 3 or higher, you may change the state of your ship's sails from Fighting to Medium Sail or Medium to Fighting Sail. Note that a ship with its rigging status marker in a box marked "F" may not change to Medium Sail and must, if already at Medium Sail, change to Fighting Sail (even if you did not assign crew to Rigging).

If the ships are grappled, each player may opt to attempt disengaging. The Initiative play has the first option. The player opting to disengage rolls a die and modifies the result by:

• • Crew Quality
• • Enemy Crew Quality
• • Current Crew Morale

If the modified roll is a 3 or higher, flip the Grappled marker to its Disengaged side. On the turn following a Disengagement, both ship's available movement points are halved (in addition to other modification). Assuming is ships do not grapple during this subsequent turn, remove the Disengaged marker during this step.

17.6 Update Smoke Status

First, remove all Smoke 1 markers, then flip all Smoke 2 markers to Smoke 1 markers. If any smoke markers remain, move them one square with the wind.

17.7 Draw Bridge Card

The Initiative Player draws a Bridge Card.

18.0 Game End

A game of Captain's Sea ends when:

• A ship is captured.
• A single ship strikes its colors.
• A ship cannot maneuver in a manner that keeps it on the map.

Either Captain may strike his colors voluntarily to end a game. He does not need to wait until rolling a strike result. Doing so results in an immediate loss for the striking ship.

Note: When a ship is about to exit the map, both ships can usually be moved toward the center of the map (see 10.3).

19.0 Victory Conditions

In many sea battles during the Age of Sail, one ship had significant advantages in size, guns or crew. Earning victory in Captain's Sea requires more than defeating an inferior ship.

To determine a player's victory points, add up the number of hits (Hull, Rigging, and Crew) a player's ship scored on the enemy at the end of the battle. (Note: yes, this means that repairing a ship takes VP away from the opponent.) Multiply the hits scored by the VP Multiplier for the player's ship, as found in the scenario description. Add 5 points if the enemy ship struck its colors. Add 10 points if the enemy ship was captured. Finally, the weaker ship adds a number of bonus points noted in the scenario description to its player's total.

The player with the highest total wins unless the difference in points is less than or equal to five points (+/- 5). In this latter case, the game is a draw.

OPTION: Prior to determining sides, players may bid a number of victory points that their opponent adds to their total at game end. This can be done secretly (in which case each player indicates the ship he or she wants to play and the number of points granted to his or her opponent) or sequentially following a die roll to indicate who makes the first bid. When playing in a tournament setting, this option is recommended.

20.0 Scenario Cards

Captain's Sea is played through the selection of a scenario. The scenarios depict a historic battle between two ships and provide some details on how they happened to come together at sea. Each scenario card includes details on how the ships are initially placed on the map. To aid in this process, four squares are identified (A, B, C, and D). The scenario card indicates the square in which a ship starts and its initial direction (per the compass rose in the middle of the map. Additionally, the scenarios define the initial wind direction, the victory point multiplier (along with the values involved in its calculation) applied to the hits scored by each ship, and a victory point bonus earned by a ship (if any).

Note: Players should not feel limited to playing these scenarios. Any ships can be played against any other ship to devise what-if scenarios. For balancing purposes, simply swap sides to see how the ships fare while under the command of each player.

20.1 Design Your Own

Players should not assume that options end with the historical battles included. It is quite easy to put together fictional "what if" pairings using the guidelines provided here.

First, determine which ships are involved in the battle. Ideally, these should be closely matched in capabilities, but don't let that stop you. Next, determine what type of battle will be fought, a meeting engagement or a chase. If the former, one ship starts in the 'A' square while the other starts in the 'B' square. In a chase, the hunter begins in the 'C' square while the prey begins in the 'D' square. Set up the rest of the components according to the standard setup process.

The battle is ready to begin! The trickier part, however, is determining who the victor is when the battle is over. To do that, the relative strengths of each ship need to be determined. This should be taken into consideration when initially selecting the ships who'll be fighting it out.

Each ship is noted with a Firepower (FP) rating. If the two are different, the ship with the lower value gains a bonus equal to the difference. Each ship is also noted with a Crew Quality. If the two are different, the ship with the lower value gains a bonus equal to the difference. The ship starting without the weather gauge (WG; in a meeting engagement) is awarded a bonus of half a point (+0.5) in addition to any other bonus. The side that lost historically (HO or Historical Outcome) may also earn a half-point bonus. Each ship totals its individual bonuses. The lower total bonus is deducted from each bonus (so one side is left with a bonus of zero). Each ship's bonus is then increased by +1 (so one ship with have a bonus of 1 (0+1) while another has one higher than 1). This bonus becomes the VP Multiplier applied to all the victory points gained during the course of the battle.

What this all boils down to is that the "better" ship (with a VP Multiplier of x1) only earns VP based upon the damage it does, where the "weaker" ship gains the benefit of a VP handicap.

Example: The Constitution is fighting the Java. The Constitution has a FR of 4, while the Java has a FR of 2. Both share the same CR, so this cancels out. Additionally, the Java has the weather gauge in this meeting engagement, but the Constitution won historically, so the WG and HO bonuses cancel out. The Java gains an initial modifier of x2 for the FR difference, x2, while the Constitution gets a x0. The lower total modifier (x0) is subtracted from each modifier and x1 is added to the result. This leaves the Java with a x3 modifier and the Constitution with a x1 modifier.

Finally, each ship status card is noted with a Damage Capacity (DC) that notes the maximum number of hits it can sustain. The ship with the lower Damage Capacity also earns a VP bonus equal to the difference of each ship's value as an additional equalizer.

21.0 Multi-Ship Options

Unlike most other games on ship to ship combat during the age of sail, Captain's Sea was designed to only handle two opposing ships at a time. The reason for this should be clear having read through these rules and hopefully given a scenario or two a try. The most important part of the game design that separates it from other games is the feature of relative movement between ships and the wind. This feature shines a much brighter light on the advantages of controlling the "weather gauge" during battle. Given this fact, at the outset of each turn, there are 64 ways in which two ships might be aligned relative to the wind. This can be modelled relatively easily (and is) by the Base Movement Point Chart. However, if we start adding additional ships into the fray these options explode exponentially (8x where x is the number of ships in play). So a relatively small engagement of three on three ships would lead to 262,144 possible positions. Obviously, this is not possible to model in a table and would present an unplayable simulation unless something were to give. The options provided here allow for the use of multiple ships per side at the expense of "throwing the baby out with the bilge water."

Note that the game as published only includes sufficient markers for three ships. Adding additional ships for multi-ship engagements requires the purchase of additional copies or the manufacture of additional sets of markers.

21.1 Fractional Relativity

This option retains some of the effect of relative movement but at the cost of greater complexity in determining movement rates. It also messes with the physics of movement to a degree that might bother some purists.

When determining movement rates, determine the rates between the two ships with the greatest disparity in headings (i.e., the ships that provide one ship with the highest base movement points to the one that provides the fewest movement points) and set the speed for the faster ship only. Next select the next best and worse positioned ships, noting that the slower ship from the previous pairing may easily be selected again, and set the speed for the faster ship. Repeat this process until only two ships remain and set their relative speeds normally. Next, reduce all of the ships' base speeds by the speed of the slowest ship with a speed greater than zero (not in Irons). Finally, each ship rolls for Hull Type Bonus movement normally.

Reducing the ship speeds by the speed of the slowest ship (thus setting its movement to zero points) helps to reduce speed differences exacerbated by this process. Some ships will likely be moving faster or slower than normal physics would allow, but given the movement costs to cross into other squares, this rate of error should not be too bad.

21.2 Zero Relativity

This option gives relative movement the heave-ho completely. It's quick and simple, but players will lose any sense of weather gauge benefit, while the wind related physics of movement are mostly retained.

When determining movement rates, ships receive base movement points according to their position relative to the wind per the following schedule: A or B: 9; C: 7; D or E: 5; F or G: 3; H: 0. Each ship then rolls for Hull Type Bonus movement normally.

21.3 Victory Considerations

When playing with more than one ship on a side, victory point multipliers and bonuses are calculated by adding friendly ships' statistics (Fire Power and Crew Ratings) together. The final multipliers and bonuses are calculated in the normal fashion (see 20.11) using the combined statistics.

21.4 President vs. Belvidera (23 August 1812)

There is a three-ship modification to the historical two-ship battle scenario card, found on its reverse side.