Nautic Miles Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Number of Players
• Components
• Principle
• Using the Cards
• Rules of Play
• Card Layout Key

Number of Players

2 to 6 players, playing individually or in teams of two, with partners sitting opposite each other.

Components

110 cards, divided as follows:

Convoy cards:

• 3 × 2,500 tons
• 3 × 5,000 tons
• 4 × 10,000 tons
• 2 × 20,000 tons
• 1 × trawler

"Miles" cards:

• 7 × 200 miles
• 7 × 400 miles
• 7 × 600 miles
• 8 × 1,000 miles
• 3 × 2,000 miles

Warships:

• 4 × submarines
• 4 × frigates
• 4 × destroyers
• 4 × cruisers
• 4 × aircraft carriers

Aircraft:

• 4 × aircraft
• 4 × hit aircraft ("avions touchés")

Alerts:

• 10 × alerts
• 4 × end of alert ("fins d'alerte")

Mines:

• 2 × mines
• 4 × minesweepers ("dragueurs de mines")

Radars:

• 6 × radars

Sea state:

• 2 × storms ("tempêtes")
• 4 × calm seas ("mers belles")

Also:

• 1 × neutral flag ("pavillon neutre")

Principle

Each player must try to get a minimum of 4,000 nautical miles travelled by the convoys he has available during the game. At the same time, he must try to slow the convoys of the other players or, better still, destroy them. The winner of the game is the first player to reach a total of 200 points, over as many rounds as necessary.

Using the Cards

"Convoy" cards:

These cards are placed face down in front of the player. The points given by a convoy depend on its tonnage and the distance it has travelled, but they are only earned at the end of a round, and only when at least one convoy has travelled 4,000 miles.

The trawler represents a "false convoy". It is used to mislead opponents, who may waste some of their good cards against it.

"Miles travelled" cards:

Placed face up on one of your convoys, they represent the distance that convoy has travelled. Distances are added together; a total of 4,000 miles is needed for a convoy to arrive and for the player to score the corresponding points.

"Warship" cards:

These are offensive or defensive cards. Their respective strength is shown by the number of ship silhouettes along the edge of each card.

Thus the aircraft carrier (5 ships) is stronger than the cruiser (4 ships), which is stronger than the destroyer (3 ships), which is stronger than the frigate (2 ships), which is stronger than the submarine (one ship only).

But beware of the submarine: two submarines played together are stronger than an aircraft carrier. This is the only case where 2 cards may be used simultaneously by the same player, even in a team. The player completes his hand immediately after playing them.

"Aircraft" cards:

Aircraft are used to attack an enemy convoy. But two of them, placed one after the other, are needed to destroy a convoy. "Hit aircraft" cards allow you to cancel the first aircraft, so that the second cannot be placed.

Unlike submarines, "aircraft" cards must be played one at a time and by the same player, even within a team.

"Alert" cards:

A convoy can only be attacked if an "alert" card is placed beside it. The alert does not prevent the convoy from advancing, but it can now be attacked by any warship of any player.

If you are threatened by an "alert", you can clear the danger with an "end of alert" card, which cancels the "alert" placed on your convoy. Cancelled cards are placed face up on the discard pile.

"Mine" cards:

A mine can destroy a convoy without any prior alert, even in a storm, and even a neutral convoy.

To defend against it there are 4 minesweepers. Cancelled cards are placed on the discard pile.

"Radar" cards:

A convoy detected by a radar must reveal itself: the card is turned over and all players learn its value. That value is then doubled, even in the case of capture.

Radars can only unmask the convoy furthest to the right (starboard) or furthest to the left (port) of a player's line. Only convoys placed at the ends of each player's line can therefore be detected, not those in the middle.

A player cannot detect his own convoys.

"Storm" cards:

A storm slows the convoy beside which it is placed: that convoy can then only advance by 200, 400 or 600 miles. To end a storm, use the "calm sea" card. A storm may also be used for your own convoy, especially if you have no defence cards. Indeed, while a storm is in place, a convoy cannot be attacked, except by a mine.

"Neutral" card:

Finally, there is one exceptional card: the "neutral" flag. This card protects a convoy against any attack, except mines and storms, until it reaches port. This card can only be used on convoys that are not in an alert state.

Rules of Play

Article 1: the deal.

The dealer deals six cards, one at a time, starting with the player on his left.

Article 2: the game.

On his turn, each player takes one card from the draw pile ("talon"). He then places one card or discards one, so as always to have six cards in hand. The discarded card (placed face up) can no longer be used.

Article 3: end of round.

A round ends when a player totals 40 points. To score points, one or more convoys must have travelled at least 4,000 miles. A round also ends when there are no cards left in the draw pile or in the players' hands. Only players with one or more convoys that have arrived safely in port score points.

Article 4: convoys.

Note: this card is placed face down on the table, so your opponents do not know its value, unless it is detected by a radar. You may insert a new convoy between two others, or place it at one end, but without being able to change the position of the existing ones.

Article 5: convoy progress.

To make a convoy advance, simply place a "miles" card (face up) in front of the chosen convoy. As long as a convoy is not attacked, it may progress freely, even if it is under an alert or has an aircraft beside it.

There are exceptions:

• The first is the storm: the convoy can then advance by no more than 600 miles at a time.
• The second: the convoy is stopped by a battle.

Article 6: naval battle.

A convoy (other than a neutral one) may be attacked by the warships of any player, on condition that it is in an alert state, and anyone may join the battle. But the attacked player must be given time to respond (one full turn). He does so by placing a warship of equal or greater strength. The attacker may raise the stakes with a warship of equal or greater strength.

If there is a tie (for example cruiser against cruiser), the convoy is stopped until the attacked player saves his convoy with an "end of alert", or until the attacked player or the attacker resumes the fight with any warship, even a smaller one.

The player whose warship has held for one full turn without a counter-attack wins the battle. If the owner of the convoy is the winner, the convoy may continue on its way. If it is the opponent, the convoy is considered destroyed. All the cards of the battle, including the alert, are placed on the discard pile.

Remember: two submarines are stronger than an aircraft carrier, but submarines may tie with each other.

Article 7: air attack.

An aircraft may be placed beside a convoy without an alert; only the player who placed the first aircraft may place the second. The attacked player may respond to the first aircraft by playing "hit aircraft", and the "aircraft" and "hit aircraft" cards are then placed on the discard pile. The convoy may continue on its way if a second aircraft is not placed; but beware, if one arrives later it will be too late: the convoy will be destroyed.

Article 8: mines.

A mine placed beside a convoy (even a neutral one) explodes after one turn, unless it is defused by a minesweeper.

Article 9: summary of the above.

There are therefore three ways to destroy a convoy during its journey: by naval battle, by air attack, or by mine, or all three in the same turn.

Choose the right weapon to sink a convoy. Calculate your response carefully: a warship used too early may be missing later, when you need it to defend your own convoys. When the same convoy is attacked simultaneously in several ways and is destroyed by one of them, the other attack cards, now useless, are cancelled.

Article 10: and the other cards?

Remember: the radar will let you learn about the convoy that has been so carefully hidden. But curiosity has its price, especially once satisfied: a detected convoy doubles its points. The storm lets you slow down a convoy that is too fast, or serves to protect you against possible attacks (except mines). But there is the calm sea to get you out of a storm, whether you want it (place it on the storm) or not (your opponent will do it for you).

And finally, do not forget the neutral flag, which protects one of your convoys from an air or naval attack.

Note: this card may only be placed on a convoy that is not under attack. Otherwise, you must first clear all alerts from your convoy before protecting it.

Article 11: counting your points.

The following table is essential: it is used to calculate your points, and 200 points are needed to win the game.

There are three kinds of points:

1. Convoy points.

At the end of the round, use this table to calculate the value of your convoys.

Miles travelled	2,500 tons	5,000 tons	10,000 tons	20,000 tons
0	0	0	1	2
200 / 1,000	+0.5	+1	+2	+4
1,200 / 2,000	+1	+2	+4	+8
2,200 / 3,000	+1.5	+3	+6	+12
3,200 / 3,800	+2	+4	+8	+16

Note: a detected convoy has its value multiplied by two (for example, a 5,000-ton convoy counts as 10,000 tons).

2. Capture points.

At the end of each round, count the convoys you have destroyed. They are worth:

Tonnage	2,500	5,000	10,000	20,000
Points	+2.5	+5	+10	+20

Detected convoys: double the number of points shown.

The round ends:

• either when the draw pile is exhausted and every player has used all of his cards;
• or when a player totals 40 points.

Only the player or team that has brought at least one convoy safely to port may win the round. If the draw pile is exhausted and none of the players has brought a convoy safely to port, the game is cancelled.

3. Bonus points.

A round bonus is awarded to the player who won the round: +10 points.

A slowness bonus is awarded to the player who has never placed "miles" cards above 600 on a convoy that has arrived safely in port: +7 points.

Article 12: team play.

When playing in teams, the rules remain absolutely the same. Simply, only one set of convoys is placed per team. Each member of the team may take part in a naval or air battle; he only needs to wait for his turn to respond. But only one player of the same team may place two aircraft in succession. Each player in the team secretly looks at the value of the convoys placed by his partner.

Card Layout Key

The following key shows the layout of the cards during a round between two players:

1. Convoy to starboard detected by a radar
2. Convoy under alert, able to sail
3. Convoy slowed by a storm
4. Tie during a naval battle
5. Neutral convoy attacked by a mine
6. Convoy threatened by an aircraft
7. Naval battle in progress
8. Points scored
9. A convoy arrived safely in port
10. Points scored, counting double
11. Draw pile ("talon")
12. Discard pile: cards face up