Great War at Sea 2: The North & Baltic Seas
Great War at Sea 2: The North & Baltic Seas Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Game Equipment
- 3.0 Game Preparation
- 4.0 Sequence of Play
- 5.0 Movement
- 6.0 Basic Battle
- 7.0 Advanced Battle
- 8.0 Damage
- 9.0 Fleet Group Counters
- 10.0 Merchant Fleets
- 11.0 Special Rules
- Advanced Rules
- 12.0 Fuel and Cruising Range
- 13.0 Mine Warfare
- 14.0 Aircraft
- 15.0 Submarines
- 16.0 Leaders (Commanders)
- 17.0 Airships
- 18.0 Motor Torpedo Boats
- Charts and Tables
1.0 Introduction
Each section of these rules is numbered, and the important concepts within them are identified with a second number, such as 2.2. Where such a section is subdivided further, the parts are shown as, for example, 2.23.
When one rule refers to the wording of another rule, it is identified in parentheses, for example: (2.2). These numbers are useful when referring to or searching for that rule.
2.0 Game Equipment
The game equipment is described in the scenario booklet.
Prepare at least two six-sided dice (preferably eight to ten).
2.1 Maps
The operations map is divided into sea areas [a staggered (offset) grid], and each sea area is used to identify the position of a fleet in the same way as a square on a shogi board. The distance from one side of a sea area to the opposite side corresponds to 32 statute miles [about 51.5 km; 1 mil = about 1.609 m]. This map governs the movement of fleets. The tactical map is used to resolve battles, and is divided into hexagonal cells (called hexes) whose distance across opposite sides corresponds to about 8,000 yards [7,315.2 m; 1 yd = 0.9144 m].
2.2 Charts and Tables
This game uses many charts and tables. The main ones are as follows.
- Gunnery Damage Table: used to determine the effect of gunfire that hits (6.1; 7.5).
- Torpedo Damage Table: used to determine the effect of torpedo attacks that hit (7.8).
- Critical Damage Table: used when damage from gunfire or torpedoes causes "Critical Damage".
- Minefield and Mine Damage Table: used to determine the effect of striking a mine (13.0).
- Weather Track: used to record the current weather.
- Fleet Composition Cards: used to display the ships making up each fleet.
2.3 Counters
The square thick-cardboard counters included in the game represent individual ships, flotillas of small ships, or fleets made up of several ships. Some counters represent aircraft or airships. See the counter and displayed-data explanatory diagram. Large ship counters have (from left) a primary gunnery strength (primary), secondary gunnery strength (secondary) and tertiary gunnery strength (tertiary); small-ship flotilla counters have only a secondary gunnery strength, and may have torpedo strength and so on. Aircraft and airship counters have a cruising range, an air strength, a torpedo strength and a bomb strength.
2.4 Ship Data Sheets
For each nation appearing in this game there are record sheets recording the (in-game) capabilities of each ship. As they are used repeatedly, copy these record sheets before using them. Not all ships on the sheets are used in every scenario. Players may circle the ships that appear in a scenario, or cross out with an X those that do not appear. See the sample record sheet on the last page.
2.5 Fleet Composition Boxes
Each player will often organize his ships into fleets. The fleet counter is used on the operations map. The ships making up each fleet are placed in the box corresponding to each ship on the Fleet Composition Card.
2.6 Log Sheets (navigation logs)
Each player has a log sheet on which to record, throughout the game, the movement and combat actions of his own fleets. As they are used repeatedly, copy them before using them. In a very long scenario, or a scenario using many fleets, a player may have to fill in several log sheets.
3.0 Game Preparation
First choose the scenario to be played from the scenario booklet. You may choose one of the battle scenarios. One player takes the role of the Allied commander and commands all the Allied fleets shown in the scenario. The other player takes the role of the Central Powers commander and commands all the Central Powers fleets shown in the scenario.
3.1 The ship data sheets, log sheets and fleet composition sheets are kept where the opponent cannot see them; players may not examine the opponent's sheets. Ship counters are placed in the fleet composition box on the fleet composition card corresponding to the fleet they are assigned to. Only the fleet counters are placed on the operations map.
3.2 Before starting the game, both players decide whether to use the basic battle rules (6.0) or the tactically more detailed advanced battle rules (7.0) in that game. When the advanced battle rules are used, the tactical map is laid out alongside the operations map so as to match the diagram on the operations map (the diagram).
3.3 After finishing the preparations above, each player chooses a mission (5.2) for each of his fleets and writes down a movement plan (5.1). Note: since missions may be cancelled, it is useful for players to write missions in pencil and have an eraser at hand.
4.0 Sequence of Play
One game turn corresponds to four hours of real time, and each turn is made up of several phases. A turn shown shaded on the log sheet is a night turn, in which making contact with enemy fleets [Translator's note: the two fleets meeting and entering combat; it does not mean ships physically collide] and sighting enemy fleets in a naval battle become more difficult. In each phase both players are active. That is, there is no such thing as an "Allied turn" or a "Central Powers turn". The game proceeds in the following sequence.
4.1 Weather Phase
The Central Powers player rolls one die for each weather zone (11.72), and if the weather has changed, shows this on the weather track.
4.2 Orders Phase
Each player writes [in the log sheet] the orders each of his fleets is to carry out, according to the mission (5.2) of each fleet. For example, in the Orders Phase of turn 5, for a fleet on an Intercept or Raid mission, orders for turn 7 must be written. When the advanced rules are used, players must in this phase also check the remaining fuel (12.0) of their fleets. Note that for many missions (5.0) the movement route of the fleet must be planned in its entirety before the scenario starts.
4.3 Fleet Movement Phase
Each player moves the counters representing his fleets [from the sea area they are in] to the sea area corresponding to the orders for this turn. Since movement has been planned in advance, both sides can do this simultaneously.
4.4 Contact Determination
When fleets of both sides enter the same sea area, or pass through the side of the same sea area, the two fleets may make contact (5.4).
4.5 Tactical Phase
When contact has occurred, the game moves to the tactical map (7.0) or to the basic battle procedure (6.0).
4.6 End of Turn
When all battles have been resolved the turn ends, and the game proceeds to the Weather Phase of the next turn.
5.0 Movement
Movement on the operations map is done by fleet. A fleet counter represents a group of ships made up of several ships. There are cases where only one ship belongs to a fleet counter, but individual ship counters are never placed on the operations map.
5.1 Movement Plan (Plotting)
To reflect the time lag between information on the enemy's position and the response to it, and the problems of coordinating and planning the actions of several fleets over a wide ocean, orders to fleets must be written on the log sheet. Each player writes, in the empty space corresponding to each turn on the log sheet, the name of the sea area each fleet is to enter in that turn.
Some fast fleets can enter more than one sea area in a turn. Such fleets have a speed of "2" or "2+" written on the fleet counter. A fleet consisting only of ships with speed "2" or "2+" can enter one or two sea areas each turn. In such a case, first write the name of the first sea area entered, then a slash (/), and then the name of the next sea area to be entered. A fleet does not necessarily have to move, and may remain in the same sea area if the commanding player wishes. A slow ship (one whose speed 1 on the counter is circled; on the ship data sheets it is shown as "1s") normally advances one sea area every turn, but when advanced tactical procedure (7.31) is used it can move only in the "move all groups" segment, and when the basic battle rules (6.2) are used it is regarded as slower than a ship of speed 1.
Example: The Central Powers player intends to sail his own 1st Fleet at full speed from Danzig toward Windau to the north-east. The 1st Fleet is made up of Rostock and Frankfurt, both ships of speed 2. In the movement plan for turn 1 the Central Powers player wrote "Q31/R32". In the movement plan for turn 2 he wrote "O32/N32", and so on in the same way.
The Allied player sends his own 4th Fleet from Dover toward the sea off Harwich. The 4th Fleet consists of two ships of speed 1, Canada and Superb, so in the movement plan for turn 1 he wrote simply "V8". In the movement plan for turn 2 he wrote "U7", and so on in the same way.
Note that in this example the Central Powers player did not necessarily have to order the 1st Fleet to move two sea areas. That is, at the player's discretion he could order it to move only one sea area, or not to move at all.
5.2 Missions
At the start of each scenario the player's ships are divided into several fleets, and each fleet is given a specific mission. Except where a fleet is composed of four or fewer ships, each fleet may be composed only of ships of the same nationality. [For this rule, the German navy may be treated as a ship of any nationality.] The Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy are regarded as the British Navy.
The mission chosen limits the orders that can be written for that fleet and how that fleet may act toward other fleets. In addition, certain ship types have a limited choice of missions.
Each mission follows the rules below.
- Transport: The movement plan of a fleet on a Transport mission is written in full before the scenario starts. This movement plan can be changed only when the fleet's mission is changed to an Abort mission. Only ships of a fleet on a Transport mission can load and unload cargo (11.5). There is no restriction by ship type.
- Bombardment: The movement plan of a fleet on a Bombardment mission is written in full before the scenario starts. This movement plan can be changed only when the fleet's mission is changed to an Abort mission. In the first battle round in which the ships of this fleet fire on [the first naval battle fought in that scenario] an enemy battle line (the first round in which they bombard), the firepower of each ship is halved (rounded down for each gun type). This mission may be given only to battleships, colliers and oilers. Ships of this mission can carry out gunfire bombardment of coastal targets (11.1).
- Escort: A fleet whose movement plan is made in the same way as another fleet. A fleet on an Escort mission must move together with the fleet being escorted. The fleet counter of this mission is placed in the fleet box of the fleet being escorted, and is treated as the same fleet for contact determination (4.4). When the escorted fleet moves to the tactical map or proceeds to the basic battle procedure, the escort fleet goes with it. When moved to the tactical map, the escort fleet is placed in a hex adjacent to the escorted fleet. When the advanced tactical rules are used, the escort fleet can separate from the escorted fleet (in order to perform the escort mission more effectively). In this case, the escort fleet must, as soon as the battle ends, rejoin the escorted fleet promptly or change the fleet's mission to Abort. In the movement plan of an Escort fleet, write "Escort" [or "escort"] and the name of the fleet being escorted. This mission may be given only to battleships, colliers and oilers.
- Intercept: The movement plan of this mission is written up to two turns ahead. This mission may be given only to battleships, colliers and oilers.
- Abort: Unless the scenario specifically instructs otherwise, a fleet does not begin the game on an Abort mission. In the Orders Phase, at the discretion of the commanding player, a fleet on any mission may be changed to an Abort mission. In this case, the movement plan of the fleet changed to Abort is changed from the movement two turns ahead (all movement plans for the remaining turns of that scenario). A fleet on an Abort mission must have all its movement for the remaining turns of the scenario planned out, and that movement must take the fleet to one of its own home ports by the shortest route and as quickly as possible (within the range that does not cause it to run out of fuel). [Gunfire bombardment cannot be carried out during an Abort mission.] Note that after a battle ends there are fleets that can be changed to an Abort mission (see 7.37). In that case, change the fleet's movement quickly, as part of battle resolution.
Example: On turn 10 the Central Powers player decides to make his 3rd Fleet, which is on a Bombardment mission, abort. The Central Powers player writes "Abort" in the column for turn 12 of the 3rd Fleet [on the log sheet], and at the same time writes the movement plan for all turns from turn 12 onward until the fleet returns to its home port.
- Minelaying: The movement plan of this mission is written in full before the scenario starts. This movement plan can be changed only when the fleet's mission is changed to an Abort mission. For a fleet to lay mines and set up a minefield (13.3), the fleet must have a minelaying mission. This mission may be given only to minelayers (ML) and other fleets designated in the scenario.
- Minesweeping: The movement plan of this mission is written in full before the scenario starts, unless the scenario specifies otherwise. This movement plan can be changed only when the fleet's mission is changed to an Abort mission. For a fleet to find a minefield and clear it (13.7), the fleet must have a minesweeping mission. This mission may be given only to minesweepers (MS) and other fleets designated in the scenario.
- Raid: The movement plan of a fleet given this mission is written up to two turns ahead. A fleet on a Raid mission may carry out gunfire bombardment (11.1), and may search for enemy merchant ships (10.2). Minelayers belonging to a Raid fleet may act as minelayers (depending on the scenario) and lay a minefield. Unless the scenario specifies otherwise, the number of own fleets to which a player can give a Raid mission is limited to one, and a Raid fleet must include one commander, and cannot include more than two ships (it is not a fleet counter). This mission may be given only to battleships, colliers and oilers.
The player may remove the fleet counter of a Raid fleet from the operations map (in order to hide its movement from the enemy). However, the fleet counter of a Raid fleet must be returned to the operations map if it has carried out gunfire bombardment (11.1) and sunk an enemy merchant ship (except where it merely searched for merchant ships and failed) (11.2), if it enters a port, or if it enters the same sea area as an enemy fleet, aircraft, airship or airplane counter. After two turns have elapsed since it ceased to meet these conditions, the player may again remove the fleet counter from the operations map. The player may also keep the fleet counter of a Raid fleet on the operations map permanently (he must do so if he wishes to search for enemy fleets), and may remove the fleet counter from the map at any time unless the above conditions apply.
Note that fleet counters of both sides' Raid fleets may exist in the same sea area at the same time without either player noticing (in order to detect an enemy Raid fleet with one's own Raid fleet, one's own fleet counter must be placed on the map).
5.21 Ship Types
Warships:
Capital ships:
- BB: Battleship (battleships of Dreadnought class or above)
- B: Old-style battleship (pre-Dreadnought class)
- BC/CC: Battlecruiser
- BCV: Aircraft-carrying battlecruiser
- CV: Aircraft carrier
- CD: Coast defence ship
- CA: Armoured cruiser
- CVS: Seaplane carrier
- AMC: Armed merchant cruiser
Light ships:
- CL: Light cruiser
- DL: Destroyer leader
- DD: Destroyer
- TB: Torpedo boat
- GB: Gunboat
- ML: Minelayer
- MS: Minesweeper
Ship types other than the above (including heavily armed Russian army ships) are not warships. Colliers, oilers and special minelaying fleets are represented as transport ships, and are treated as warships with regard to mission restrictions.
5.22 Combining Fleets
If several of a player's fleets given the same mission are in the same sea area in a given Orders Phase, they may be combined into one fleet. Of the combined fleet counters, only one is left on the map, and thereafter the fleet acts according to the movement plan of the counter that remains. When combining with a fleet on an Abort mission, the type of mission of the fleet being combined does not matter (in this case the combined fleet follows the movement plan of the Abort mission). A fleet on an Escort mission is not regarded as being combined with the fleet it is escorting.
5.23 Port
A fleet that has spent six consecutive turns in a friendly port may take up a new mission.
5.24 Pursuit
Fleets on Intercept or Raid missions that took part in a battle may attempt to pursue an enemy fleet when the enemy fleet has left the tactical map, or when the distance between the fleets has widened to the point of being out of sight and the battle has therefore ended (7.27) (when the basic battle procedure is used, this is possible after any battle). Rewrite the movement plan for the two turns after that battle on the log sheet as "Pursuit" [or "Pursuit"]. In each Orders Phase during the pursuit, roll one die. In a daytime turn add 2 to the result. Further, if the speed of all the ships making up the pursuing fleet is superior to the speed of the slowest ship among those included in the fleet being pursued, add 1 to the result. If the modified die roll is 6 or more [the pursuit is successful], the fleet moves together with the enemy fleet and makes contact in the new sea area. A fleet that fails in pursuit must stay one more turn in that sea area, where it must newly write its movement plan for the following two turns.
5.25 Forming New Fleets
In the Orders Phase, either player may divide his Raid-mission or Intercept-mission fleets into several smaller fleets. Write "Divide" [or "Divide"] in the column for that turn on the log sheet; if fleet counters are available, place them in the sea area on the operations map where the fleet being divided exists, and re-place the ships on the fleet composition card into the fleet boxes belonging to the divided fleets. The new fleet has the same mission as the original fleet.
When the speed of all ships of the fleet being divided is 2 or 2+, the fleet may divide after moving one sea area. Record this in the log sheet [for example: name of the sea area entered + "Divide"].
5.26 Restrictions
Unless the scenario specifically instructs otherwise, both players may form as many fleets as they like from their own ships, within the range of the fleet counters provided in this game, and may give each fleet any mission (however, unless the scenario specifically instructs otherwise, a Raid mission can be given to only one fleet per scenario).
5.3 Fleet Movement
In the Fleet Movement Phase, both players move their own fleets on the operations map to the sea areas written in the movement plan on the log sheet. Movement is regarded as occurring simultaneously, so players may move their own fleets in any order.
5.4 Contact
When fleets of both sides enter or pass through the same sea area, contact may occur. When both fleets enter the same sea area at the same time, or when both fleets simultaneously enter the sea area where the other is [Translator's note: they pass each other on the side of a sea area], the Central Powers player rolls one die and consults the Search Table to determine whether contact occurs.
5.41 If a fleet has already passed through the sea area in which contact occurred, that fleet is returned to that sea area.
5.42 If there is a possibility of a fleet making contact in several sea areas, determine from contact in the sea area it entered first. If contact does not occur there, determine contact in the sea area entered next. When fleets of both sides simultaneously enter the sea areas where the other is, contact is determined in both sea areas (the Allied player decides the order of determination); if contact occurs in the sea area determined first, the determination in the second sea area is not made.
Example: The Central Powers 1st Fleet has written a movement plan of two sea areas, going from M69 via L69 to K70. The Allied 2nd Fleet has also written a movement plan of two sea areas, going from M70 via L69 to K69. The Central Powers player must roll one die for contact determination in sea area L69. At present neither fleet is in L69, but it is a sea area through which both fleets pass this turn.
5.43 Weather Modifiers: The die roll for contact determination is modified by the weather as follows.
- Gale: -2
- Storm: -1
- Clear: +1
5.44 Additional Modifiers: Before the Central Powers player rolls the die for contact determination, both players may declare the application of the following die roll modifiers if applicable. A player is never forced to make this declaration and may conceal the information, but to apply a die roll modifier he must declare that he is doing so.
- Presence of a commander: +1
- Fleet of 20 or more ships: +1
- Fleet consisting only of destroyers or torpedo boats: -1
- Fleet on an Intercept mission: +2
- Fleet on a Raid mission: +1 or -1 (at the choice of the commanding player)
- Own airship in the same sea area: +2
5.45 Multiple Fleets: Before moving to battle resolution, determine all possibilities of contact. As a result, several fleets of the same player may take part in the same battle.
5.46 When contact occurs, resolve the battle using the basic battle rules (6.0) or the advanced battle rules (7.0).
5.47 Roving Fleets: A fleet that has left a sea area as a result of a battle (7.33) is not subject to new contact determination during that turn.
6.0 Basic Battle
Use these basic battle rules as an introduction to this game system (The Great War At Sea), or to enjoy the game in a shorter time. Players who have mastered these rules will surely want to use the deeper advanced battle rules. [Translator's note: this game system has two kinds of battle rules: these basic battle rules (6.0: Basic Combat), which do not use the tactical map, and the advanced battle rules (7.0: Advanced Combat), which use the tactical map; in addition, there are advanced tactical rules (Advanced Tactical Rules) that, used in addition to 7.0, govern the more detailed tactical actions of ships/fleets on the tactical map.]
6.1 Gunnery Combat
Gunnery combat is fought over several rounds, in either long range or close range [the relative distance of the fleets in battle]. The first round of a battle is always fought at long range. All ships are in the same range relationship. That is, a player cannot deploy some of his own ships at long range and others at close range in the same battle round.
The effects of gunfire are applied simultaneously. First, the Central Powers player declares, for each enemy ship, which of his own ships are firing at it. It is not necessary to fire at all enemy ships. All of a player's own ships may fire at one enemy ship, but each ship may fire only once per round. Tertiary guns cannot be used at long range.
When the selection of gunnery targets is finished, the Central Powers player resolves the gunfire. The player rolls one die for each primary gun strength point firing. Similarly he rolls one die each for each secondary gun strength point and each tertiary gun strength point. A roll of 6 is a hit (5 or 6 for a ship whose name is written in italic type [slanted] on the ship data sheet). For each hit, roll two dice and consult the Gunnery Damage Table to determine the damage. [Translator's note: next, the Allied player carries out the above gunnery procedure, and after the damage to both sides is determined, it is applied simultaneously to both fleets' ships.]
6.2 Combat from the Second Round
After the first round of battle, one or both players may choose to close the distance between ships and move to close range. In subsequent rounds, they may try to widen the distance and return to long range. If both players want close range, it automatically becomes so. If neither player wants a change of range, it stays as it is. If one player wants to change the range and the other does not, the player with the faster ships decides the range. A player has the faster ships if the speed of all his own ships is superior to the speed of all of the enemy's ships.
A player cannot divide his fleet during a battle. Even if ships of speed 2 or 2+ are grouped with ships of speed 1 or 1s, there is no advantage in deciding the range relationship.
Example: The Allied player's France and Glasgow are fighting the Central Powers player's Goeben and Schwarzenberg. The Allied player wants to close the range and the Central Powers player does not. The battle continues at long range. This is because, compared with the speed 2+ of Goeben and Schwarzenberg, the speed of France is merely 1 or so. Note that Glasgow's speed of 2 does not give the Allies the advantage.
When the speeds of both fleets are the same, each player rolls one die, and the player who rolls the higher number decides the range relationship for that round.
Either player may attempt to disengage at the end of a battle round. Disengagement may be attempted only when both fleets are at long range. The procedure for determining whether disengagement succeeds is the same as for changing the range, but instead of attempting to change the engagement, the player attempts to withdraw all of his own ships from the engagement.
A player who has a ship unable to navigate [even one ship in the fleet] cannot attempt to change the range or to disengage.
6.3 Close-Range Combat
Gunnery combat at close range is resolved by exactly the same procedure as gunnery combat at long range, except that 1 is added to the die roll for hit determination [Translator's note: if the result of the die roll modification exceeds 6, it is treated as 6. The same applies below].
6.4 Night Combat
At night turns, combat at long range is not possible. When fleets of both sides make contact at night, one or both players may attempt to close to close range. A ship firing in night combat subtracts 1 from the die roll for hit determination [Translator's note: since night combat is always close-range combat, this cancels the close-range modifier +1 (6.3), and the die roll modification ends up as 0]. There is no night combat modifier for torpedo attacks.
6.5 Torpedo Combat
In a close-range battle round, ships can make torpedo attacks as well as gunfire. Use the procedure of torpedo combat (7.8) of the advanced battle rules.
7.0 Advanced Battle
In the advanced battle rules, battles are resolved on the tactical map after contact.
7.1 Battle Phase Procedure
In the Battle Phase, follow the procedure below.
A. The Allied player rolls one die. On a result of 3 or less, the Central Powers player holds the initiative (tactical leadership). On a result of 4 or more, the Allied player holds the initiative. This die roll may be modified by commanders (16.2) and multinational fleets (11.6).
B. The player who could not take the initiative places his own fleets in the centre of the tactical map (7.21).
C. The player who took the initiative places his own fleets along one of the edges of the tactical map (7.22).
D. Both players carry out [fleet] movement and combat following the Impulse Sequence (7.31).
7.2 Fleet Deployment
On the tactical map, no more than 8 ships of one side may be placed in one hex.
7.21 The player without the initiative places his own ships in at least one of the seven shaded hexes in the centre of the tactical map. More than 8 ships may not be placed in one hex. If the player has more than 8 ships, the excess ships may be placed in hexes adjacent to hexes where his own ships have already been placed. In doing so, ships may not be placed in a hex that is within sighting distance at that time (4 hexes in the daytime, 2 hexes at night) from the edge of the map from which the fleet of the player who took the initiative enters. Ships must be placed as close as possible to the edge from which the fleet of the player who took the initiative enters.
7.22 Next, the player who took the initiative places his own ships on one of the edges of the tactical map corresponding to the sea area where contact occurred, in the row of hexes numbered along the boundary line, on the side corresponding to the direction of the original sea area from which his fleet entered (see the corresponding table [diagram] on the operations map). If the player with the initiative did not move in this turn, he may enter the sea area on the tactical map from an edge in any direction of his choice. If the player has more than 8 ships, the excess ships may be placed in hexes adjacent to hexes where his own ships have been placed. In doing so, ships may not be placed in hexes within sighting distance of the enemy ships (4 hexes in the daytime, 2 hexes at night; this may be modified by weather).
Example: The Central Powers player has the initiative. The Central Powers fleet entered sea area F33, where contact with the Allied fleet occurred. Since the Central Powers fleet entered from sea area F32, it enters the tactical map from the left edge.
Optional rule: By agreement of both players, the following rule may be chosen. The player with the initiative places his own ships in hexes at the maximum sighting distance at that time from the enemy ships. Even in this case, the ships must be placed in a direction that reflects the edge from which his own fleet entered that sea area.
7.23 All ships are initially placed face down. A fleet group counts as one counter, being counted as one ship for placement purposes.
7.24 Ships belonging to the same fleet must be placed in the same hex, or in a group of adjacent hexes forming a continuous chain, and in this case at least 4 ships must be in each hex (if the fleet consists of fewer than 4 ships this does not apply, but in that case all ships must be placed in the same hex).
7.25 Ships making up the same Raid-mission fleet must be placed in adjacent hexes, but any number of ships of up to 8 may be placed in the same hex (so a Raid-mission fleet made up of 2 ships can place one ship in each of 2 adjacent hexes).
7.26 Except where a fleet is composed of four or fewer ships, only ships of the same nationality may be placed in the same hex. German ships may be treated as ships of any nationality [of the friendly side]. Canadian and Australian ships are treated as British ships.
Example: A fleet made up of 7 Italian ships, 1 British ship and 1 French ship is placed for battle [on the tactical map]. The Allied player must place the 7 Italian ships in one hex, the British ship in the next hex, and the French ship in another hex.
7.27 Sighting Distance: The sighting distance is 4 hexes in the daytime and 2 hexes at night. When counting the distance, count the hex where the enemy ship is, but do not count the hex where one's own ship is. Ships sighted at the maximum sighting distance by any enemy ship remain face down. When enemy ships come closer than the maximum sighting distance, turn the ship counter face up.
7.28 Irregular Encounters: When the Search Table is used in a daytime turn, if the die roll before modification is a 6, the player with the initiative may, when placing his own ships, place them one hex closer to the centre of the tactical map. When the Search Table is used in a night turn, if the die roll before modification is a 6, the player with the initiative may, when placing his own ships, place them two hexes closer to the centre of the tactical map. Ships of both sides may not be placed in the same hex, but may be placed in a hex adjacent to enemy ships.
7.29 When a player brings in ships from several fleets to the same sea battle, ships of different fleets cannot be placed together. After the end of a sea battle, friendly fleets with similar missions that have not left the tactical map may exchange their ships (this is possible only at this time in the game).
7.3 Tactical Movement and Combat
A player forms all ships of the same kind (capital ships, light ships, etc.) in the same hex into one group. As on the operations map, each group moves based on the speed of the slowest ship in the group. A group must not be "split", but as long as it stays within 1 hex and the number of ships in 1 hex is within 8 ships, it may merge with another group. A player may also put ships of different types into the same group, but is never forced to do so.
7.31 Movement and combat [of ships on the tactical map] are carried out following the Impulse Sequence described below.
Impulse Sequence
- Decide the player who takes the initiative.
- The initiative player moves all of his own ship groups of speed 2+.
- Both players carry out gunnery combat.
- Both players carry out torpedo combat.
- The player without the initiative moves all of his own ship groups of speed 2+.
- The initiative player moves all of his own ship groups of speed 2 and 2+.
- Both players carry out gunnery combat.
- Both players carry out torpedo combat.
- The player without the initiative moves all of his own ship groups of speed 2 and 2+.
- The initiative player moves all of his own ship groups of speed 1, 2 and 2+ (all groups except speed 1s).
- Both players carry out gunnery combat.
- Both players carry out torpedo combat.
- The player without the initiative moves all of his own ship groups of speed 1, 2 and 2+ (all groups except speed 1s).
- The initiative player moves all of his own ship groups.
- Both players carry out gunnery combat.
- Both players carry out torpedo combat.
- The player without the initiative moves all of his own ship groups.
- The initiative player moves all of his own ship groups.
- Both players carry out gunnery combat.
- Both players carry out torpedo combat.
7.32 Movable ship groups may enter hexes adjacent to each other at the end of the movement step, as long as the limit of 8 ships per hex is observed. Movement is not compulsory [a group may remain in the same hex without moving]. A player may also move his own ships into a hex containing enemy ships. However, in this case the number of ships of one side in the same hex must not exceed 8 (a maximum of 16 ships for both sides combined).
7.33 Leaving the Tactical Map: Ships that leave the tactical map outside the sighting distance of the enemy ships may not re-enter the tactical map in the same Battle Phase. These ship counters are returned to the fleet box to which they belong on the fleet composition sheet, and the fleet counter is placed in the sea area beyond which they left the tactical map. If a player's ships leave the tactical map within the sighting distance of the enemy ships, all ships [of both sides in the battle] are moved from the edge of the map toward the playable [central] part of the map by an appropriate number of hexes, maintaining their relative positions. Note that ships may not enter land hexes (7.41).
Example: In sea area N37, the battleships Viribus Unitis and Tegetthoff of the Austrian navy, fighting the French navy, left the map [outside the sighting distance of the enemy ships] from the upper left (north-west) edge of the tactical map. These ships are placed in the fleet box, and the fleet counter in sea area M37 (the sea area to the north-west of the sea area where the naval battle took place).
7.34 Ships being towed, and ships that are towing (11.2), cannot move on the tactical map (however, a ship that is towing may release the tow).
7.35 Unable to Navigate: A ship that has been damaged in battle and become unable to navigate (not merely reduced in speed) may be removed from the group to which it belongs (and will be left behind as the group moves).
7.36 End of the Tactical Phase: When all ships of one side leave the tactical map outside the sighting distance of the enemy ships, or are sunk in battle, the Tactical Phase ends. If at the end of step 20 of the above [Impulse Sequence] the fleets of both sides are on the tactical map and within sighting distance of each other, the Impulse Sequence is repeated again from step 1 (determination of the initiative).
7.37 Orders: When the battle has ended, each player writes new orders (not a new mission) for each of the fleets that took part in the battle. A fleet may continue its own mission, or may change to an Abort mission and replan all movement for the remaining period of the scenario. Note that a fleet that left the tactical map is in a sea area different from the one originally planned.
7.38 Long Battles: In the second round (repeated by returning to Step 1: determination of the initiative), all ships that are to enter the sea area in the next turn will have one sea area less movement than the movement already written in the plan for the next turn. Correct the log sheet to take this into account. The movement route cannot be changed. Because orders are rewritten to reflect the time lost, the movement route, the destination and the mission cannot be newly changed.
Example: Sterneck, the only ship making up the Central Powers 1st Fleet, met the enemy ship Inflexible in sea area U37 on turn 2. In the end Sterneck was able to sink Inflexible, but the battle was not decided after one Impulse Sequence, and it took until the middle of the second round for the British ship to sink to the bottom. Sterneck had its movement planned in turn 3 as 2 sea areas, via V36 to W36, and in turn 4 as moving via X35 to Y35. [Because of the time lost through the sea battle] the ship can move only to V36 in turn 3. The plan for moving from turn 4 via X35 is corrected, and so on.
7.39 At the point where the sea battle has ended, each player rolls one die for each fleet that took part in that battle. The result, in addition to the fuel consumption for movement based on the movement plan, is the amount of fuel consumed [by that battle] (the unit is 1/12 fuel box; for example, if a "3" is rolled, 3/12 fuel box has been consumed).
7.4 Land
Many sea areas contain land in the form of islands or coastlines.
7.41 On the operations map, if a sea area is entirely land, the corresponding map on the tactical map is also regarded as land. If there are islands in the sea area where the sea battle takes place, the shaded part [7 hexes] in the centre of the tactical map is regarded as land (the player without the initiative places his own ships adjacent to the land hexes in the centre, on the side near the edge of the map from which the player with the initiative enters; note that for this reason the distance between the fleets of both sides at the start of the battle becomes shorter). Ships cannot enter land hexes.
7.42 Grounding: When a ship enters a hex adjacent to a land hex, it may run aground. Roll one die for each ship. On a result of 6 or more, the ship runs aground and cannot move. If the land belongs to the ship's home country (for example, German ships on the German coast), subtract 1 from this die roll; if the ship is a capital ship, add 1 to the die roll.
7.43 A grounded ship can be refloated. In the Weather Phase, the player rolls one die for each of his own ships trying to refloat. On a result of 1, the ship succeeds in refloating and can move. The player rolls one more die for each refloated ship to determine the degree of damage from grounding. Half (fractions rounded up) of the number rolled in hull boxes is destroyed. If the ship has no armour protection at all, add 1 to this die roll.
7.44 A player may run his own ships onto the shore by entering a land hex. The player declares this [no die roll check is needed] (captains of this era were very skilled at beaching ships). A ship that has beached itself cannot refloat. At the end of the scenario, a ship that has been beached on land is regarded as sunk. If a ship is beached in a sea area controlled by the enemy, it gives the enemy twice the victory points it would give if it had been sunk. If a ship is beached on land in a sea area controlled by one's own side, the enemy receives only 75% of the victory points that would be given if the ship had been sunk.
7.5 Gunnery Combat
In gunnery combat [in the Impulse Sequence], ships may attack enemy ships within range (7.6) and visible (7.27; at night, and under certain weather conditions, enemy ships within range may not be visible. For this reason, in a night turn a ship cannot be fired on with primary guns at an enemy ship 3 hexes away). Gunnery is regarded as having been carried out by both sides at the same time, and results are applied simultaneously. [At the start of gunnery combat] the initiative player declares which of his own ships will fire at which enemy ships. [It is not necessary to attack all enemy ships that can be fired on; all the ships of one player may fire at one enemy ship...] However, each ship may attack only once per round. Each ship can fire at only one target; it cannot divide its firepower among multiple targets.
When the initiative player has finished choosing gunnery targets within range (7.6), the attack by each ship is resolved. First roll as many dice as the primary firepower [of the firing ship]. Next roll as many dice as the secondary firepower, and then as many dice as the tertiary firepower.
Each die with a result of 6 or more in gunnery gives one hit. The following modifiers apply to this die roll.
- A ship whose name is written in italic type [slanted] on the ship data sheet: +1.
- Firing from the same hex as the target, or from an adjacent hex: +1.
- If the target ship is unable to navigate: +1.
- If the target ship is being towed or is towing (11.2): +1.
For each hit obtained by gunfire, roll 2 dice once and consult the Gunnery Damage Table (Gunnery Damage Table) to determine the effect of the gunfire.
Example: Viribus Unitis and Prinz Eugen fight Courbet and Jean Bart. The Central Powers player obtains the initiative, and when the fleets of both sides come to a distance of 3 hexes, he decides that Viribus Unitis will fire on Courbet and Prinz Eugen will fire on Jean Bart. The Central Powers player rolls 8 dice for the primary firepower of Viribus Unitis. The result is: two 1s, one 2, two 3s, one 4, and two 6s. Viribus Unitis has scored 2 hits [on Courbet].
When the initiative player has finished gunnery, the opposing player repeats the gunnery procedure. Since the results of gunnery are applied to both sides simultaneously, no damage (8.0) caused by the initiative player's gunnery will ever reduce the capability of the non-initiative player's ships before entering the next torpedo combat step.
Example: In the first round of the battle, Courbet suffered one box of damage to its primary firepower from Viribus Unitis. This damage is recorded on the ship data sheet, but when Courbet fires its own guns in this round it can use all 8 of its primary firepower. However, in the gunnery combat of the next round the primary firepower that Courbet can use is reduced to 7.
7.6 Range
- Primary firepower: Primary guns can fire at targets up to 3 hexes away (the hex where the target ship is counted, the hex of the firing ship is not counted). A hit by primary guns can inflict damage on the hit ship wherever it hits the target ship [damage can be inflicted even where there is armour protection].
- Secondary firepower: Secondary guns can fire at targets up to 2 hexes away (the hex where the target ship is counted, the hex of the firing ship is not counted). A hit by secondary guns, except for parts protected by heavy armour, hits the target ship wherever it hits, and can inflict damage on the ship that was hit.
- Tertiary firepower: Tertiary guns can fire only at targets in an adjacent hex or the same hex. A hit by tertiary guns can inflict damage only on parts of the target ship that have no armour protection.
7.7 Large-Calibre Main Guns
Battleships with a primary firepower of 11 or more (excluding French navy ships), and the British navy battlecruiser (BC) Furious, carry 16-inch guns (18-inch guns in the case of Furious), and can fire at a target at a distance of 4 hexes on the tactical map. When firing at a range of 4 hexes, the primary firepower is halved (fractions rounded up).
7.8 Torpedo Combat
In the torpedo combat step, a ship with torpedo tubes can fire torpedoes at an enemy ship in the same hex as itself or in an adjacent hex. The torpedo combat step and the gunnery combat step are resolved separately. For this reason a ship whose torpedo tubes were destroyed in gunnery combat cannot make a torpedo attack in the torpedo combat step that follows.
7.81 Procedure: Roll as many dice as the torpedo strength of the ship making the torpedo attack (as with gunnery, the torpedoes from one ship must all be directed at the same target). After applying the following modifiers to each die roll, each die with a result of 6 or more is regarded as having scored one hit.
- If the target ship is a capital ship, or a transport whose ship name/number begins with F: +1.
- If the target ship is unable to navigate: +1.
- If the target ship is towing or being towed (11.2): +1.
- If the target ship is in the same hex as the ship firing the torpedoes: +1.
- If the ship firing the torpedoes is a capital ship: -1.
- For torpedoes from fixed tubes (those whose torpedo strength is shown in a square frame on the ship data sheet): -1; note that for this reason torpedoes from most battleships suffer a die roll modifier of -2 [Translator's note: -1 for a capital ship, -1 for fixed tubes, total -2].
All of the above modifiers are cumulative.
7.82 Damage from Torpedoes: For each torpedo hit, roll 2 dice once and consult the Torpedo Damage Table to determine the damage caused by the torpedo. Torpedo attacks penetrate all armour protection.
Example: The Russian destroyer Bespokoiny makes a torpedo attack on Goeben from a range of 1 hex. The Allied player rolls 3 dice and gets a 6, a 4 and a 1. Goeben has no damage to its ability to navigate, but because it is a capital ship the Allied player adds 1 to each die roll. One hit is scored, and its effect is determined on the Torpedo Damage Table. Two dice are rolled and a 6 is obtained, so the result is 1 hit to the hull. The Allied player blackens one of the hull boxes [on the ship data sheet] of Goeben.
7.83 A ship that has lost all of its ability to navigate [Translator's note: its speed has become 0] cannot make a torpedo attack.
7.84 Unless reloaded (12.7), each ship can make a torpedo attack only once throughout the scenario. A ship that has made a torpedo attack must blacken the torpedo tube box on the ship data sheet. A ship with several torpedo strengths cannot "save" torpedo strength by firing only part of it and keeping some for use in a later turn.
7.85 A ship whose torpedo tubes have once been destroyed cannot make a torpedo attack, even if it has several torpedo strengths.
8.0 Damage
On the ship data sheet are boxes [about 3 mm square frames] representing the individual parts of a ship that may be damaged by enemy attacks. Each time a part of a ship is damaged, blacken [the corresponding box] from left to right. When all the boxes of a damaged part have been blackened, that part is regarded as destroyed, and damage to that part thereafter is recorded as damage to the hull. A ship all of whose hull boxes have been blackened sinks.
8.1 Armour Protection
Boxes on the ship data sheet that are printed inside the part boxes of each ship have armour protection. There are two kinds of armour protection: heavy armour (the box is shaded grey with a screen print) and light armour (the box has diagonal hatching printed). A box that has neither screen nor hatching printed has no armour protection.
8.2 Armour Penetration
Hits by primary guns penetrate all kinds of armour and cause damage. Hits by secondary guns penetrate light armour but cannot penetrate heavy armour. Hits by tertiary guns cause damage only to parts without armour protection. A hit by secondary or tertiary guns is ignored if it occurs on a part protected by armour that those guns cannot penetrate.
Example: Hamidieh fired at Tri Svititelia with secondary guns, and scored 1 hit by rolling a 6 [on the hit determination die]. The Central Powers player rolled 2 dice [for the damage determination] and got a 5, and consulting the Gunnery Damage Table found damage of 1 hull box. Heavy armour is applied to the hull of Tri Svititelia, and the secondary shell bounced off the thick armour of this old ship, so there was no damage from this hit.
8.3 Additional Damage
When primary gunfire hits a part with light armour or no armour, additional damage may occur. After the damage determination of such a hit, roll one die. If the die roll is 4 to 6, one more box of damage occurs to the same part as the part hit this time.
8.4 Torpedo Tubes
Fixed tubes (those on the ship data sheet where the torpedo strength is displayed in a square frame) have the same kind of armour protection as the hull of the ship carrying them. Rotating tubes (those without a frame around the torpedo strength) have no armour protection. Note that fixed tubes are not accurate in combat (7.81).
8.5 Unable to Navigate
A ship that has lost all of its speed cannot move, except by being towed (11.2). A player can scuttle any of his own ships at any time. On the tactical map, a ship that is being towed (including a ship that is towing) can move only in the segment in which the commanding player can move all of his own ships.
8.51 When more than half of a ship's hull boxes are blackened, its speed drops by one step (speed 2+ becomes 2, speed 2 becomes 1, speed 1 becomes 1S). In this case a ship with speed 1S becomes unable to navigate, and cannot move unless towed (11.2).
8.52 Flooding: A ship with 75% or more of its hull boxes damaged is in danger of flooding. For each such ship, roll one die at the end of each Fleet Movement Phase. On a roll of 6, the ship suffers one additional box of hull damage from flooding. A ship that moved 2 sea areas in that Fleet Movement Phase receives +1 to the flooding determination die roll. In addition, the following modifiers apply according to the weather of that turn: Rain +1, Storm +2, Gale +3.
8.6 Substitution of Damaged Parts
When a ship that originally has no primary firepower suffers damage to its primary guns, the hit becomes damage to its secondary guns. If the ship also has no secondary firepower, it becomes damage to tertiary guns (that is, for a ship that has only tertiary guns, a hit that would have been a hit on primary guns ends as a simple tertiary-gun damage result). However, when all of a ship's primary gun boxes have been blackened, damage to primary guns that occurs thereafter becomes damage to the hull, not to the secondary guns. When all secondary boxes have been blackened, damage to secondary guns becomes damage to the hull (if it is of a type that can penetrate the ship's armour protection), but damage to tertiary guns after all tertiary boxes have been blackened is ignored [and is not substituted to other parts].
8.61 A ship that originally has no primary or secondary firepower ignores damage to its secondary guns. Damage to tertiary guns received by a ship that has no gunfire at all from the start becomes damage to the hull. Hits other than tertiary-gun hits on gun mounts of these ships without gunfire are all ignored.
8.62 When a ship with no torpedo strength is hit on the torpedo tubes, that damage is ignored. When a ship that has torpedo strength is hit on its torpedo tubes, all of its torpedo strength is destroyed, even if the ship has several torpedo strengths.
8.7 Critical Damage
When a hit by gunfire or torpedo becomes a critical hit [in the damage determination], roll 2 dice and consult the Critical Damage Table. Since gunfire by tertiary guns cannot cause critical damage, ignore this result if it occurs. Unless the determination result specifically instructs otherwise, the effect of armour protection applies to critical hits as well.
8.8 Plunging Fire
When primary gunfire is carried out at a distance of 3 to 4 hexes [on the tactical map] and the result on the Gunnery Damage Table is a 1-hull-box damage result ("Hull") marked with a dagger ("†"), one more hull box of damage is added. This additional damage does not occur to ships that have no armoured box groups on the ship data sheet.
Note: Warships of this era were protected by thick armour plates on their sides, but their deck armour was thin. This was because, with long-range guns firing at high elevation, shells drew a parabolic arc and could rain down on the enemy's decks the longer the range was. Just before the First World War, as long-range guns became common, the Russian navy's construction authorities (from the experience of the Russo-Japanese War) were the first to notice this weakness and strengthen horizontal protection, followed by Britain and the United States. At the time most ships were more vulnerable in long-range gunnery combat.
9.0 Fleet Group Counters
There are fleet group counters representing several ships of the same type. Among the fleet group counters, the counters of warships show several ship silhouettes, and the fleet group counters of transports show one ship silhouette.
9.1 Each scenario specifies the type and number of fleet groups that appear. As long as it is within the types and number of fleet group counters provided with the game, any number of fleet group counters may be used to represent the fleet groups of that scenario.
9.2 Assignment of Ships
When fleet groups represented by fleet group counters appear in a scenario, the player commanding them decides, before the scenario starts, how many ships each fleet group counter represents. One fleet group counter can represent 3 warships or up to 4 merchant ships. What is displayed for each fleet group counter on the ship data sheet is the data for 3 warships or 4 merchant ships. [Translator's note: if a fleet group takes part in the game with fewer ships than this upper limit,] strike out the data of the part not used, and record the number of ships contained in that fleet group from the start of the scenario. Ships assigned to each fleet group counter cannot change their assignment [after the game starts].
9.3 Independent Ships
When a fleet group counter comes to represent only 1 ship, treat it in the same way as an ordinary ship counter.
9.4 Fleet Groups in Battle
In battle, a fleet group counter is treated as one counter for placement and as one ship for movement. Each ship in a fleet group counter may, at the discretion of the commanding player, attack a different target. When being attacked, each fleet group is treated as one target. When enemy gunfire or torpedoes hit a fleet group counter, the damage is allocated to the ships making it up at the discretion of the commanding player.
Example: The Allied player attacks the Austrian cruiser Saida with a fleet group counter made up of 3 Beagle-class destroyers. The Allied attack strength is 3 small-calibre firepower (1 firepower for each destroyer) and 3 torpedo strength (1 torpedo strength for each destroyer).
9.5 All ships in a fleet group counter move at the speed of the slowest ship among the ships making up the same counter. For this reason, if even one ship becomes unable to navigate, all the ships making up that fleet group cannot move unless that ship sinks or is towed. The player commanding such ships can scuttle (sink) them at any time. A ship unable to navigate can be towed (11.2) by another ship of his own, whether a ship in the same fleet group counter or otherwise.
10.0 Merchant Fleets
In some scenarios, one or both players are to attack the enemy's merchant shipping. There are two types of merchant ships: one appears in the game as ordinary transport ship counters (mostly large troop transports), and the other is found through the Merchant Location Table (mostly sailing ships or small tramp freighters).
10.1 Transport Counters
Transport ships (all of them are fleet group counters; in some games of this series "merchant" is written on the face) are treated like other ships appearing in the game, and may be sighted and attacked. Sinking transports, and the success of their voyages, usually lead to the gain of many victory points. Each transport has one or two hull boxes, and never has armour protection or armament.
10.2 Merchant Location Table
Only fleets on a Raid mission can use this table (hereafter abbreviated MLT). When writing orders, write "Search 1" or "Search 2" [or "Search1" or "Search2"] on the log sheet. The number 1 or 2 corresponds to the number of movements spent searching in that sea area.
10.21 When a fleet of speed 1 searches for merchant ships, it must be in the sea area to be searched from the start of the turn, and cannot leave that sea area. A fleet of speed 2 can move 1 sea area and search in the MLT using the "1" column in either the sea area it moved from or the one it moved to (not both), or can stay in one sea area and search using the "2" column.
10.22 Major sea routes and minor sea routes represent important sea traffic lines, and are printed on the operations map. In the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea only merchant ships on the Allied side can be found. In the Baltic Sea there are only routes of the Central Powers side. In the Black Sea, however, there are routes of both the Allies and the Central Powers. A sea area through which a major sea route passes is merchant destination number 4 [in choosing the column to be used on the MLT], and a sea area adjacent to a sea area with a major sea route is merchant destination number 2. A sea area through which a minor sea route passes is merchant destination number 3, and a sea area adjacent to a sea area with a minor sea route is merchant destination number 1.
10.23 In a sea area with an enemy merchant destination number, the player rolls one die, once for each warship (a ship with gunnery or torpedo strength) belonging to the searching Raid-mission fleet, and consults the MLT. In night turns, add 1 to the die roll.
10.24 Consult the MLT with the modified die roll and the corresponding merchant destination number to determine the search result. The number in the result is the number of merchant ships sunk, each worth 1/2 victory point. If even one merchant ship is sunk, the player must place the Raid-mission fleet counter on the operations map and tell the opponent the number of merchant ships sunk and the name of the sea area. However, it is not necessary to tell the name of the warship that carried out the raid.
11.0 Special Rules
11.1 Gunfire Bombardment
Depending on the scenario, one or both players may be required to bombard specific enemy coastal sea areas or enemy coastal defence installations. To bombard a coastal sea area, the bombarding fleet must stay in that sea area for a full turn, without battle or movement (write "Bombardment" or "shell" in the log sheet). The player carrying out the bombardment must announce the name of the sea area and the number of ships taking part in the bombardment (ship types and names are not needed).
11.2 Towing and Repair
11.21 Towing: Ships that cannot navigate because of battle damage (when all speed has been lost) or because of running out of fuel can be towed by own ships of equal or larger size. Battleships (including pre-dreadnoughts) and battlecruisers can tow all ships; [armoured] cruisers can tow cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers, but destroyers can tow only destroyers. Destroyer leaders, gunboats, landing ships, minelayers, minesweepers and torpedo boats are the same as destroyers. Seaplane carriers, merchant ships and coast defence ships are the same as [armoured] cruisers. Aircraft carriers are the same as battleships.
11.22 Speed: A ship unable to navigate and the ship towing it move at the rate of 1 sea area per 3 turns. When contact is made with an enemy fleet and a naval battle starts, in the first battle round of the naval battle in which either of the own ships could normally fire, neither of the own ships can fire.
11.23 Combat: A ship being towed moves [on the tactical map] in the segment in which own ships are moved. The ship that is towing must be in the same hex.
11.24 Fleet Groups: When a ship belonging to a fleet group counter becomes unable to navigate, other ships in the same fleet group can tow it and move at the rate of 1 sea area per 3 turns. A ship unable to navigate in a fleet group can also be towed by a ship of another counter, but ships in a towed fleet group counter that are not unable to navigate are also subject to the restrictions on combat and movement imposed by being towed.
11.25 A ship unable to navigate and the ship towing it may form a new fleet if fleet counters remain available. The mission of this fleet is Abort.
11.26 Release of Tow: A ship that is towing may stop towing in any movement segment of the advanced tactical procedure, if it could move had it not been towing. A ship unable to navigate whose tow has been released can no longer move, but the ship that stopped towing (released from the towline of the ship unable to navigate) can move without restriction.
11.27 Emergency Repair: The player may attempt to restore the speed of his own ships made unable to navigate by battle damage (not by running out of fuel). At the end of each battle Impulse Sequence, and, for fleets belonging to an Abort mission, once [at the end] of a turn in which they were not involved in battle, the player rolls one die for each of his own ships unable to navigate. On a result of 1 [emergency repair succeeds], that ship becomes able to move at speed 1s. When the result is 5 or 6, the damage is judged to be so serious that emergency repair is impossible, and no further emergency repair of that ship can be attempted. A damaged ship that can move cannot attempt emergency repair (speed cannot exceed 1s by emergency repair).
11.3 Ports
A ship that enters a sea area in which a friendly port exists can enter port.
11.31 A ship that has entered port may be attacked by enemy ships. If the player attacking the port wants a naval battle, contact determination is not necessary. The player on the side whose ships are in port does not take the tactical initiative (7.21), and may not move ships when the battle is resolved (for this reason ships in port are subject to the target die roll modifier for speed 0). Enemy ships can enter the hex of the ships in port and the hexes adjacent to them. Torpedo attacks (7.8) cannot be made against ships in port.
11.32 A ship that has entered port may return to the operations map again in a later turn.
11.33 Major Base (Major Base; Major Port): Major naval bases have various defensive capabilities that do not appear directly in this game, namely coastal guns, minefields and small flotillas. Submarines (15.0) and fast torpedo boats (17.0 [sic; the table of contents lists fast torpedo boats as 18.0]) may not be placed in the sea area containing an enemy major base. Fleets may not enter a sea area containing a major base that is not available to them (an enemy or neutral one).
11.4 Night
A turn whose movement-plan box on the log sheet is printed with a screen is a night turn. At night the sighting distance (7.37 [sic; sighting distance is 7.27]) becomes short, the possibility of both fleets making contact falls, and the landing of aircraft (14.52) becomes even more difficult. There are also twilight turns (turns 4, 10, 16, 22, and so on). If the scenario date is set to November, December, January or February (or simply to winter [Winter]), these turns are treated as night turns, and in all other scenarios they are treated as daytime turns.
11.5 Loading and Unloading
Depending on the scenario, merchant ships and warships may be used as transports and be required to load or unload cargo. Unless the scenario instructs otherwise, all merchant ships and warships used as transports start the scenario already loaded with cargo. Unloading or loading of cargo requires 3 consecutive turns (write "load" or "unload" in the log sheet). A fleet cannot move (including gunfire bombardment of coastal targets) or take part in battle of any form during the turns it is unloading. If during unloading it is forced to leave that sea area or is drawn into battle, unloading fails and cannot be resumed. In this case the victory points from unloading are lost.
11.6 Multinational Fleets
When rolling the die to determine the tactical initiative, if the nationalities of the ships making up the Allied fleets [taking part in that naval battle] exceed 1, subtract 1 from the die roll for each nation. If the nationalities of the ships making up the Central Powers fleets [taking part in that naval battle] exceed 1, add 1 to the die roll for each nation. German ships may be treated as ships of any nationality [for this rule]. Canadian and Australian ships are treated as British navy ships.
Example: The Allied player enters a naval battle with a fleet made up of French, British, Italian and Russian ships, and [on the die for tactical initiative] rolls a 6. Because 3 is subtracted [by the multinational fleet modifier], unless other modifiers (from commanders, or from a multinational fleet on the Central Powers side) apply, the Central Powers side will take the tactical initiative. [Translator's note: the example subtracts 3 for four nationalities, i.e. one per nation beyond the first.]
11.7 Weather
Each scenario has an instruction for the weather state at the start of the scenario.
11.71 In the Weather Phase, the Central Powers player rolls one die to determine a change in the weather state. On a 6, the weather state rises 1 level. On a 1, the weather state falls 1 level. In scenarios whose date is set from November to March, on a 5 or 6 the weather state rises 1 level.
11.72 In some games of this series, the operations map is divided [into several zones], and a weather determination die must be rolled for each.
11.73 Weather States and Their Effects:
Level 6: Gale
- All aircraft and airships on the map are destroyed.
- Each player rolls one die for each of his own destroyers and torpedo boats. A ship on which a 6 is rolled sinks.
- Destroyers and torpedo boats that did not sink [in the above sinking check] have their speed reduced to speed 1.
- [Destroyers and torpedo boats] cannot fire any gunnery.
- Other ships cannot fire with secondary and tertiary guns.
- No torpedo attacks of any kind, including by submarines, can be made.
- Aircraft (14.0) cannot take off [launch], land [recover], or find enemy fleets.
- Sighting distance on the tactical map is limited to 1 hex.
- In all contact determinations (5.4) in daytime turns, add 2 to the die roll. [Translator's note: as printed in the Japanese text; 5.43 gives a Gale modifier of -2.]
- Add 3 to the die roll for flooding determination (8.52).
Level 5: Storm
- Aircraft and airships cannot attack.
- Airships cannot find enemy fleets (17.3), nor assist contact (5.44).
- Subtract 3 from the die roll for aircraft takeoff and landing [launch and recovery] determination (14.0).
- The speed of airships, destroyers and torpedo boats is reduced to speed 1.
- Ships cannot fire with secondary and tertiary guns.
- No torpedo attacks of any kind, including by submarines, can be made.
- Sighting distance on the tactical map in daytime turns is limited to 2 hexes.
- Add 2 to the die roll for flooding determination (8.52).
- In all contact determinations (5.4) in daytime turns, add 1 to the die roll. [Translator's note: as printed; 5.43 gives a Storm modifier of -1.]
Level 4: Squall
- Aircraft and airships cannot attack.
- Airships cannot find enemy fleets (17.3), nor assist contact (5.44).
- Subtract 2 from the die roll for aircraft takeoff and landing [launch and recovery] determination (14.0).
- The speed of airships, destroyers and torpedo boats is reduced to speed 1.
- Ships cannot fire with secondary and tertiary guns.
- No torpedo attacks of any kind, including by submarines, can be made.
- Sighting distance on the tactical map is limited to 2 hexes.
- Add 1 to the die roll for flooding determination (8.52).
- In all contact determinations (5.4) in daytime turns, add 1 to the die roll.
Level 3: Fog
- Airships cannot attack, and can find only enemy fleets in the same sea area.
- Subtract 1 from the die roll for aircraft takeoff and landing [launch and recovery] determination (14.0).
- Sighting distance on the tactical map in daytime turns is limited to 2 hexes.
Level 2: Mist
- Sighting distance on the tactical map in daytime turns is limited to 3 hexes.
Level 1: Clear
- There are no restrictions from weather.
11.74 Differences by Ocean: In scenarios using the Mediterranean operations map, the weather state falls 1 level on a die roll of 1, 2 or 3. When a 6 is rolled, roll one die again. Only when a 4 to 6 is rolled on the second die does the weather state rise 1 level.
In scenarios using the Pacific operations map, the weather state falls 1 level on a die roll of 1 or 2. When a 6 is rolled, roll one die again. If a 3 to 5 is rolled on the second die, the weather state rises 1 level, and if a 6 is rolled, the weather state rises 2 levels.
On these operations maps, scenarios set between November and March have no additional modifiers [other than the above].
Advanced Rules
12.0 Fuel and Cruising Range
Each ship has a fuel capacity shown on the ship data sheet. In the Orders Phase of each turn, each player must check and record the fuel consumption of his own fleets.
12.1 Fuel Consumption
Record the fuel consumption state for each individual ship on the ship data sheet. Each time a ship moves 12 sea areas, blacken 1 fuel box. When a ship moves 2 sea areas in 1 turn, [for fuel purposes] treat each sea area as 3 sea areas (so for that turn the total counts as having advanced 6 sea areas). [In the turn in which the cumulative movement reaches 12 sea areas and a fuel box is blackened,] if there was movement beyond 12 sea areas, record the number of surplus sea areas in the margin of the corresponding turn box of that fleet on the log sheet; this is counted towards the consumption of the next fuel box to be blackened.
Example: The Central Powers player assigned a Raid mission to the Austrian navy cruiser Novara, the only ship making up the 1st Fleet, and sent it into the Mediterranean. For the first 5 turns the cruiser moved 1 sea area each turn, but from turn 6 to turn 9 it moved 2 sea areas each turn. In turn 7, the Central Powers player blackens 1 fuel box of Novara [on the ship data sheet] and writes "5" in the margin of the turn 7 box of the 1st Fleet [on the log sheet] (the number of surplus sea areas: 1+1+1+1+1+6+6 = 17; 17-12 = 5). In turn 9, he again blackens 1 fuel box of Novara and writes the surplus number of sea areas "5" in the margin of the turn 9 box of the 1st Fleet [5+6+6 = 17].
12.11 A ship that stays in the same sea area at sea also consumes fuel as though it had moved 1 sea area.
12.12 Ships that are refuelling or coaling, and ships in port, do not consume fuel.
12.2 Out of Fuel
A ship all of whose fuel boxes have been blackened becomes unable to navigate. It cannot move, but it can be towed (11.2). A ship that moves based on a movement plan written before the start of the game must have enough fuel to move as planned.
12.3 Refuelling
A player can restore consumed fuel boxes of his own ships in a friendly port (one that can be entered) to a usable state, at the rate of 1 box for a coal-burning ship and 3 boxes for an oil-burning ship for each turn spent in port. Write "Fuel" [or "Fuel"] in the log sheet. Note that in some scenarios the ports where refuelling can be done are limited. There is no limit on the number of ships that can refuel at one port in the same turn.
Example: Novara, which had only 1 fuel box remaining, entered the port of Cattro in turn 10. In turn 11 the Central Powers player erases one check mark of a blackened fuel box of Novara with an eraser, and returns it to blank. In turn 12 he restored one more fuel box. In turn 13, Novara can consume 3 fuel boxes.
12.4 Refuelling and Rearming Turns
In a turn in which a ship is refuelling (including by a collier) or rearming, it cannot move or take part in any form of battle (including gunfire bombardment). If it is attacked by the enemy, it cannot recover fuel or torpedoes.
12.5 Colliers
Coal-burning ships can be refuelled by colliers. When a collier is available, for each turn spent in the same sea area as one of the player's own ships, the player may blacken 1 fuel box of the collier and at the same time restore 1 blackened fuel box of the ship. Write "Coal" [or "Coal"] in the log sheet. A collier cannot enter a sea area in which an enemy port exists.
12.51 One collier can refuel only one ship at a time. If there are several colliers, they can refuel one ship each at the same time in the same sea area. Each ship cannot be refuelled by several colliers in the same turn.
12.52 Colliers, like other ships, can refuel at a friendly port, and [in this case] they replenish fuel at double the normal rate (2 fuel boxes each turn).
12.53 Use transport counters to represent colliers. Whether a collier is fast (speed 1) or slow (speed 1s) is instructed by the scenario. Each transport counter represents one collier and is not a fleet group counter.
12.54 In scenarios set in 1920 or later, from US colliers ships can be refuelled at three times the normal rate (3 fuel boxes each turn). And US colliers can refuel at six times the normal rate (6 boxes each turn) in a friendly port.
12.6 Oilers
Heavy-oil-burning ships can be refuelled by oilers. When an oiler is available, for each turn spent in the same sea area as one of the player's own ships, the player may blacken 3 fuel boxes of the oiler and at the same time restore 3 blackened fuel boxes of the ship. Write "oil" [or "oil"] in the log sheet. An oiler cannot enter a sea area in which an enemy port exists.
12.61 One oiler can refuel only one ship at a time. If there are several oilers, they can refuel one ship each at the same time in the same sea area. Each ship cannot be refuelled by several oilers in the same turn.
12.62 Oilers can refuel at a friendly port, and [in this case] they replenish fuel at double the normal rate (6 fuel boxes each turn).
12.63 Use fast transport counters to represent oilers.
12.64 Oilers in Battle: When an oiler is hit by gunfire or torpedo in battle, the player commanding the oiler rolls one die. If a 6 is rolled, the oiler is regarded as having exploded and sinks.
12.7 Re-Arming
A ship that expended its torpedoes in battle (7.84) can restore its torpedo strength by spending 3 turns in a [friendly] port.
13.0 Mine Warfare
Minefields can be laid on the boundary lines between sea areas. In some scenarios the minefields are already laid at the start of the game (see the scenario instructions), and in others they are laid during the game.
13.1 Record a minefield by writing the names of the sea areas on both sides of the boundary line where it exists in the log sheet. The player does not have to tell his opponent its position.
Example: The Central Powers player lays a minefield to the north-east of Constantinople. The Central Powers player wrote O56/O57 in the box of the Minefields column on his own log sheet.
13.2 Entering a Minefield
When an enemy fleet passes through a boundary line of a sea area that has a minefield, the player who laid the minefield tells the opponent of its existence. The player who is moving the fleet stops moving, rolls 2 dice for each ship making up that fleet, and determines whether a mine is struck by means of the Minefield Table.
13.21 For each mine hit, roll one die and determine the damage to the ship by means of the Minefield Damage Table.
13.22 A minefield has no effect on the fleets of the player who laid it.
13.23 Ships that, as a result of leaving the tactical map (7.33), passed through the boundary line of the sea area [in which the minefield was laid] must also determine damage from the minefield.
13.24 After finishing the mine-strike determination for 1/4 (fractions rounded up) of the ships making up the fleet, the player moving the fleet may stop the fleet in that sea area and rewrite its movement plan (except where the fleet passed through the boundary line of the sea area as a result of leaving the tactical map).
13.3 Minelaying
Ships capable of minelaying are designated by the scenario. Note that the minelaying capability of each ship may differ according to the scenario.
13.31 To lay a minefield, a fleet must belong to a minelaying mission and must stay in a sea area for 4 turns. Write "Mine" [or "Mine"] in the log sheet for these turns. If during this time the fleet did not move and did not take part in any kind of battle (including gunfire bombardment of coastal targets), one minefield is laid on one of the six boundary lines around that sea area [record this in the log sheet]. A minefield does not become active (does not affect passing enemy ships) until the turn after it is laid.
13.32 Minefields can be laid on all boundary lines of a sea area.
13.33 More minefields can be added to a boundary line where minefields have already been laid.
13.34 A minefield cannot be laid in a sea area three or more sea areas away from the nearest coast (not an island) (including sea areas [with land]). An island means land that exists only within 1 sea area; all other land is coast.
13.35 The player can delay the activation of a laid minefield. [Write in the log sheet] the game turn in which it is to be activated (any turn from the turn it was laid onward). A minefield not yet activated has no effect on enemy ships.
13.4 Minefields can also be laid on the boundary lines forming a sea area in which a major naval base exists.
13.5 Minelayers in Battle
When a minelayer (or another ship carrying out minelaying) is hit by gunfire or a torpedo in battle, the minelaying player rolls one die. If a 6 is rolled, the minelayer suffers a sympathetic explosion and sinks.
13.51 The player can jettison the mines of his own minelayers (or other ships carrying out minelaying). The mission of the fleet to which they belong is immediately changed to Abort, and they can no longer lay mines in that scenario, but there is no longer any danger of sinking from a sympathetic explosion in battle (they still take the normal damage from battle). A ship cannot jettison mines during a battle.
13.52 A warship counts as a minelayer under this rule only if the scenario directs that it can lay mines. Minelayers (ship type ML) are always subject to this rule.
13.6 Auxiliary Minelayers
In some scenarios, transport counters may be directed to be used to represent auxiliary minelayers. These are fleet group counters representing several minelayers. The auxiliary minelayers have the same ship data as the transport ship containing them (and there is a danger of sympathetic explosion in battle).
13.7 Minesweeping
Minesweepers (Minesweepers) can be used to remove minefields. Only minesweepers, and ships directed by the scenario to have minesweeping capability, can remove minefields.
13.71 To find or try to remove a minefield, the minesweepers must belong to a fleet on a minesweeping mission.
13.72 A minefield must first be found before it can be removed (a minefield laid by friendly ships can always be found. It is not necessary to find one's own minefield in order to sweep it). To find an enemy minefield in a sea area, the minesweepers must stay in that sea area for one whole turn. Write "detect" [or "detect"] in the log sheet for that turn. If the minesweepers did not move during that turn and did not take part in any form of battle, the opposing player must notify on which boundary lines of that sea area, and how many, minefields exist.
13.73 After a minefield has been found, the minesweepers can attempt to sweep it. The minesweepers must stay for two whole turns in the sea area that includes the boundary line where the minefield was laid. Write "sweep" [or "sweep"] in the log sheet for those turns. If the minesweepers did not move through those turns and did not take part in any form of battle, the minesweeping player rolls one die for each minesweeper at the end of the second turn. On a 1, the minesweeper strikes a mine and sinks. On a 2 or 3, there is no effect from sweeping [the removal of the minefield failed]. On a 4, 5 or 6, one minefield (chosen by the sweeping player) is removed.
14.0 Aircraft
Seaplane carriers (CVS) and aircraft carriers (CV) can launch aircraft to scout for the enemy's position.
14.1 Launching
14.11 The launch of seaplanes must be planned in the log sheet (write "Launch" [or "Launch"] in the box of the turn in which the seaplanes are launched).
14.12 Roll one die for each aircraft counter launched. If a 1 is rolled, an accident occurs at launch and that counter is removed. If trying to launch in a night turn, subtract 2 from this die roll. When launching from an aircraft carrier (CV), add 1 to the die roll.
14.13 If the launch succeeds, place the aircraft counter in the same [operations map] sea area as the mother ship.
14.14 A seaplane carrier cannot move in a turn in which it launches aircraft. An aircraft carrier can move in the same turn in which it launches aircraft.
14.2 Flight
Aircraft movement is carried out after the movement of all ships has ended; it does not need to be plotted, and is carried out at the player's discretion. In the turn after launch, the aircraft moves from the sea area where it was launched to a sea area within 4 sea areas. In turns after that, it may move 1 sea area, or not move at all. Aircraft movement is not plotted.
14.3 Reconnaissance
When an aircraft enters a sea area where an enemy fleet is, the enemy player must announce the total number of ships included in that fleet, and the number of capital ships and the number of light ships. If the enemy player wishes, he may reveal information about the ships of that fleet other than the distinction between capital ships and light ships.
Example: A Russian seaplane entered the same sea area as a Central Powers fleet consisting of Goeben, Berk and Peyk. The Central Powers player tells the Allied player that the fleet consists of 1 capital ship and 2 light ships.
14.4 Aircraft can also enter "sea areas" that are entirely land (but cannot go off the operations map).
14.5 Recovery
Three turns after launch, an aircraft must return to its mother ship. The mother ship must be within 4 sea areas of the aircraft (otherwise the aircraft is lost). A mother ship (whatever its type) cannot move in a turn in which it recovers aircraft.
14.51 The recovery of aircraft must be plotted (write "Recover" [or "Recover"] in the log sheet of the mother ship for the turn in which the aircraft lands).
14.52 The player who recovered an aircraft rolls one die. On a 1 or 2, the aircraft is regarded as damaged on landing and is removed from that scenario. For a landing at night, subtract 3 from the die roll.
14.53 An aircraft can be launched again after 4 turns have elapsed [after landing].
14.6 Missions and Air Operations
A mother ship can conduct air operations (launching and recovering the aircraft it carries) only when the mission of the fleet it belongs to is "Raid", "Intercept" or "Bombardment".
15.0 Submarines
There are scenarios in which submarines are added to the order of battle of one or both players.
15.1 Before starting the game, the player records the position of each of his own submarines on his own log sheet. Write the name of the sea area where the submarine is positioned in the "patrol zone" column. The patrol zone may be any sea area on the operations map other than a coastal sea area within 2 sea areas of an enemy-side port. Once a submarine has been assigned a patrol zone, it cannot move [during the scenario].
15.2 When an enemy fleet enters its own patrol zone, the player commanding the submarines may attempt contact, in daytime turns only. Roll one die for each of his own submarines in the patrol zone; contact succeeds on a 5 or 6. The enemy player must tell the submarine player the number of ships making up the fleet and the distinction between capital ships and light ships, but need not tell the names of the ships. The submarine player may let an enemy fleet pass without trying to make contact with it (and may keep the existence of his own submarines secret).
15.3 Each submarine has a fixed torpedo tube with a torpedo strength of 1.
15.4 Submarine Attacks
A submarine that has succeeded in contact can make a torpedo attack. In a sea area where there are several submarines, the attack of each submarine is resolved individually. If there are destroyers (DD), torpedo boats (TB) or minesweepers (MS) [in the fleet being attacked], these ships attack the submarine first; roll one die for each 3 DD, TB or MS ships. On a 5, the submarine is regarded as having been sunk before it attacked the fleet. On a 6, the submarine is regarded as having been sunk after it attacked the fleet. On any other result there is no effect.
If the submarine was not sunk before it attacked the fleet, the submarine player selects at random one ship counter from among the ship counters of the [torpedoed] enemy fleet [Translator's note: it is good to draw one counter from the face-down counters, or to divide the possibilities equally and decide with a die]. In this case he can choose the distinction between capital ships and light ships, but cannot select a specific ship or individual ship. For example, if a German submarine makes contact with a fleet made up of 2 dreadnoughts, 2 pre-dreadnoughts and 2 gunboats, the Central Powers player can attack a capital ship, but must select at random one of the 4 capital ships (2 dreadnoughts and 2 pre-dreadnoughts).
Roll one die for each [torpedo-firing] submarine. A result of 6 or more scores 1 hit. In the following cases add 1 to the die roll [for hit determination]: if the target ship is a capital ship, a large merchant ship (a merchant ship whose name begins with F), or a ship unable to navigate. Damage is determined by the Torpedo Damage Table.
15.5 A submarine cannot attack an enemy submarine.
15.6 Ace Captains (Submarine Aces)
Depending on the scenario, it may be indicated that a particular submarine is commanded by an excellent, energetic captain. A submarine led by such an ace captain succeeds in contact on a 4, 5 or 6, and may also add 1 to the die roll for hit determination of its torpedo attacks.
15.7 Sinking of Submarines
Each sunken enemy submarine is worth 4 victory points (see the scenario book).
16.0 Leaders (Commanders)
There are scenarios in which fleet commanders with energetic and capable special abilities appear.
16.1 When a commander appears, write the commander's name after the name of one of the player's own ships on the ship data sheet, according to the scenario instructions. That ship becomes the flagship of that commander. The commander cannot change flagship during that game, and if the flagship is sunk, the commander is removed from the game for the rest of that game (even if the commander himself survives, he becomes powerless amid the death and injury of his staff, the loss of communications equipment and the general confusion of the battlefield).
16.2 When determining the tactical initiative, if the Central Powers side has a commander, subtract 1 from the die roll; if the Allied side has a commander, add 1 to the die roll. Otherwise a commander has no direct effect on battle.
17.0 Airships
There are scenarios in which airships appear on both sides, or on one side. At the start of a scenario, the player on whose side airships appear puts all of his own airship counters into an opaque container, takes out as many airship counters as appear at random from the container, and places them according to the scenario instructions.
17.1 Airships can move every turn the number of sea areas written on the counter. The movement of airships is plotted in the same way as for fleets on an Intercept mission.
17.2 Airship counters can enter any sea area, even a region that contains only land.
17.3 Reconnaissance: When an airship enters a sea area where an enemy fleet is, or a sea area adjacent to such a sea area, the enemy player must announce the total number of ships making up that fleet and the number of capital ships and the number of light ships. If the enemy player wishes, he may disclose information such as ship class in addition to the distinction between capital and light ships.
17.4 Cruising Range: An airship must return to a base (indicated by the scenario) within 60 turns, or it will crash and be lost. An airship cannot be resupplied within the period handled in the game [Translator's note: that is, once an airship has returned to base and landed, it cannot operate at all for the rest of that scenario].
18.0 Motor Torpedo Boats
There are scenarios in which motor torpedo boats (MTBs) appear.
18.1 Patrol Zone
Before starting the game, the player records the position of each of his own MTBs on the log sheet. It is acceptable simply to write the name of the boat in the "submarine" column and the name of the sea area where it is positioned in the "Patrol Zone" column. The patrol zone can be selected from coastal sea areas within 5 sea areas of one's own port. Once an MTB has been assigned a patrol zone, it cannot move [to another sea area throughout the scenario].
18.2 Contact
When an enemy fleet enters the patrol zone of an MTB, the player commanding the MTB rolls one die for each MTB in that sea area, and contact is regarded as successful when the result is 3 to 6. When contact occurs, the enemy player must announce the ship names of all the ships making up that fleet.
18.3 MTB Torpedoes
Each MTB has a rotating torpedo tube with a torpedo strength of 2.
18.4 MTB Attacks
When contact has occurred, the MTB player selects the ship each MTB is to attack, and rolls one die for each MTB making an attack to determine whether it succeeded in a surprise attack. On a 4, 5 or 6 the MTB is regarded as having succeeded in the surprise attack, and the MTB can fire torpedoes at the target. On a 2 or 3, the target ship, with all of its gun strength, can attack the MTB, and if even one hit is scored, regardless of the type of gun, the MTB is sunk. If a 1 is rolled, all the ships making up the enemy fleet can attack the MTB with their full gun strength. In this case a 6 is a hit (ships whose name is written in italic type on the ship data sheet add 1 to the die roll). If the MTB survives the enemy gunfire, the MTB can fire torpedoes at the target ship.
Example: Two Italian MTBs made contact with the Austrian battleships Tegetthoff and Szent Istvan. Each MTB attacks one battleship. The Allied player rolled a 3 on the surprise attack determination of the first MTB, allowing Tegetthoff to fire first. The Central Powers player rolled 12 dice (because Tegetthoff's gun strength is 8-3-1 [a total of 12 gun strength]) and got six 6s, two 5s, three 4s and one 1. The MTB took 6 hits and was reduced to splinters. On the surprise attack determination of the second MTB the Allied player rolled a 6 and succeeded in the surprise attack on Szent Istvan. For torpedo hit determination the Allied player rolled 2 dice and got a 5 and a 6. Because Szent Istvan is a capital ship, there were 2 hits. As a result of damage determination both hits were critical hits, a total of 11 hull boxes of damage was recorded, and this dreadnought vanished like dust into the sea.
18.5 Italian MTBs may add 1 to the die roll for torpedo hit determination.
18.6 MTBs neither attack nor are attacked by enemy submarines, and cannot use the Merchant Location Table. MTBs can attack transport ships.
Charts and Tables
(Charts at the end of the volume; see the back cover of the English basic rules.)
Minefield Damage Table (Minefield Damage) [one six-sided die]
| Die roll | Damage |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 1 Hull |
| 3 | 2 Hull |
| 4 | 3 Hull, speed reduced by 1 |
| 5 | 5 Hull, unable to navigate |
| 6 | Blown up and sunk |
Minefield Table (Minefield Table) [two six-sided dice]
If the total of the 2 dice is 11 or more, the ship suffers mine damage.
Die roll modifiers:
- [If there are several minefields] from the 2nd onward, +1 for each minefield (maximum +5).
- If the speed of the moving fleet is 2 or more, +2.
Torpedo Damage Table (Torpedo Damage) [two six-sided dice]
| Die roll | Damaged part |
|---|---|
| 2 | Critical Damage |
| 3 | 2 Hull |
| 4 | No damage |
| 5-6 | 1 Hull |
| 7 | 2 Hull |
| 8 | 1 Hull |
| 9 | 1 Primary |
| 10 | 2 Hull, speed reduced by 1 |
| 11 | 3 Hull, unable to navigate |
| 12 | Critical Damage |
Gunnery Damage Table (Gunnery Damage) [two six-sided dice]
| Die roll | Damaged part |
|---|---|
| 2 | Critical Damage |
| 3 | 1 Torpedo Mount |
| 4 | 1 Secondary |
| 5 | 1 Hull |
| 6 | 1 Secondary |
| 7 | 1 Primary |
| 8 | 1 Tertiary |
| 9 | 1 Primary |
| 10 | 1 Hull †; in the case of plunging fire (8.8), 1 additional hull box of damage is added |
| 11 | 2 Hull, speed reduced by 1 |
| 12 | Critical Damage |
Critical Damage Table (Critical Damage) [two six-sided dice]
(A hit by secondary guns penetrates heavy armour only when an 8 is rolled on this table.)
| Die roll | Critical damage |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6 Hull, 3 Primary, speed reduced by 1 * |
| 3 | 3 Primary |
| 4 | Leader killed |
| 5 | 2 Primary |
| 6 | 2 Hull |
| 7 | 2 Secondary |
| 8 | 2 Hull; a hit by secondary guns destroys 1 box of heavy-armoured hull |
| 9 | 1 Primary |
| 10 | 1 Hull, speed reduced by 1 |
| 11 | 3 Hull |
| 12 | 5 Hull, 5 Primary, unable to navigate |
* In scenarios set in 1917 or earlier (1917年以前), British battlecruisers (BC) blow up and sink.