"single ship rule sets?" Topic

ok i'm sure there have been dozens of threads on here in the past asking people to suggest different rule sets for them, but i haven't been around that long so i figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

i see a lot of players are interested in fleet action games and now i see this new post captain rule set which really has me interested but its not till next month.

so in the meantime i'm curious what is everyones favorite small scale rule set? as in one or two ships per side.

i've always been a bit more interested in that because i like the idea of the strategy involved for each captain and being able to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outdueling one other ship. not to mention it's less to concentrate one at once :)

but also i feel like you can get a bit more detailed rule-wise because with only a couple ships you don't have to worry about slowing down the game too much with a lot of rules.

so long question short, who can recommend some rules that are best for small engagements.

for the record i've been using admiralty rules which are not bad. just curious what's out there

Sails of Glory have been recommended by some for frigate actions. My favourite is 'Beat to Quarters' by Barry Fox, [not the same as the rules with the same title found on the Web for free] which is good for one-on-one engagements from 74s down to cutters.

sails of glory looks like fun but its expensive to me. one day ill try and pick it up second hand i guess.

ill have to look up the barry fox rules thanks!

You can download the SoG rules for free here:

aresgames.eu/9927

I have not played but I did watch a GM showing players how to use the cards to move ships. It seemed incredibly awkward. And with what I know of how the chits work, it's a game that just looks to be very, very fiddly.

Personally, I'm still looking and don't have a favorite.

For really small games with really small ships, go try War Artisan's free rules Away Boarders!. Fast, fun and emphasizes the captain's POV.

- Ix

My favourite is 'Beat to Quarters' by Barry Fox, [not the same as the rules with the same title found on the Web for free] which is good for one-on-one engagements from 74s down to cutters.

I wish I could find a copy of this. I'd like to see how it works.

- Ix

How bout these?
link
I might have a copy, if interested.

ODGW's POST CAPTAIN is geared towards the small end of the scale (1-on-1 up to small squadrons).

As for Barry Fox's 'Beat to Quarters'; great game (I've got it) and perfect for this size action. A bit dated (duh! it came out in 1979), but still good. Was published by a small company called Command Perspectives, and has been OOP since the middle 80's. I haven't seen it in any of the secondary markets in years (at least 15). Pity, because it is a good set of rules.

The Sails of Glory game system should make for very good frigate actions.

Unfortunately the designers have pitched the stat range so that there is some ability to differentiate effectively between similar ships at 3rd rate and above, but for frigates and smaller ships the stat range is so compressed as to make it very difficult to get much, if any variation.

I have had some success with KMH for single ship actions up to small squadrons.

'Privateers', by Mark Cosgrove, published in an issue of The Courier magazine (can't remember its number), but it is available as a PDF through Wargames Vault. It has stats for a 28 gun frigate, brig, snow, ketch, schooner and others; and puts emphasis on officers and crew tasks.

Even though I've got a well-thumbed copy of 'Beat to Quarters', I'd like to see it re-issued. The framework of its rules mechanisms bear some resemblance to those of 'Don't Give up the Ship'.

Oh! … and 'Limeys & Slimeys' if you want a Beers & Pretzel game. It used to found for free on the Web.

A question for those who've seen 'Post Captain' demo'd: Is damage expressed in points reduction or damage-boxes marked off?

Single ship AoS actions? Navwar's old (mid-70s) Napoleonic Naval Rules 1793-1815 would qualify. A cumbersome and complicated game to play in certain respects. I recall having to consult three or four charts in succession to determine gunfire effects. And crew management was tracked down to the individual sailor and marine. But it nevertheless offered some very interesting game mechanisms – particularly so in the case of weather. Worth a looksee, even if you never actually choose to play it. The authors were a step or two ahead of their time.

B

Close Action is at its heart a single ship set. Even though you can fight fleet actions it really works best as one player/one ship. For single ship sailing its tough to beat "Heart of Oak" but I always felt that the combat system was something of an afterthought.

wow you've given me a lot to think on haha! let me ask this:

which ones are hex-based and which are open? i'm not really looking for hex based although i wont rule it out

"Don't Give Up The Ship" is hex-less, that's all I can comment on.

Close Action is hex, Heart of Oak isn't.

None of those I mentioned are hex based.

The NavWar rules I mentioned do not rely upon hexes either.

B

The Post Captain damage charts look very much like the charts for General Quarters III. So the various bits of the ship each have their own damage section. Some are single boxes some are multi.

WARNING: I was given a preview a few days ago and have not read them. But I have played GQIII and the ship records look very similar…

GQ3 does a very good job of hiding a lot of the complexity in the damage charts. It means you get detail but the game stays playable.
If Post Captain manages the same feat that sounds like it is going to be a good set of rules.

by the time i get the time to try any of these i can just wait for post captain haha

I played in a couple of games of "Bloody Broadsides" at Bayou Wars this weekend. They feature simple simultaneous movement plotting, fast combat resolution, very playable…really liked them a lot. I bought a copy of them as soon as the first game was over. You can buy them at Wargame Vault or portsmouthminiatures.com. Each player should probably run no more than two ships.

The Galleon rules at runtus.org are suitable for single ship vs single ship actions.

"Privateers" by Mark Cosgrove is available from Wargames Vault in MWAN #108. Data cards are provided for ships from 8-gun cutters to 28-gun frigates but nothing larger.

LT

More Post Captain info here: odgw.com/index.html the game still might make it for H-con release.

Post Captain is now available.

by the time i get the time to try any of these i can just wait for post captain haha

That was my decision too. And… I was right.

- Ix