I love the components but do not care for the movement system and that is almost useless for miniatures, anyway.
However, the gunnery system really works. Here is what I've come up with for miniatures.
Ironclads: A Miniature Variant for Iron & Oak
This variant for GMT's Iron & Oak is intended to be used with miniatures.
Movement
1. Each ship's speed is listed on the upper left side of the card with appropriate maneuver number/dice. Each ship has three speed levels. Each knot of a ship's speed equals 1 inch of movement.
2. Turning: a ship must move its own length (not counting bow sprits or spar torpedos or such), or the length of its base, whichever is greater, before turning. It may then turn up to 30 degrees freely. A ship may attempt to turn 45 degrees by conducting an unopposed Challenge roll, with failing resulting in no penalty other than the 30 degree max turn. It must, however, make a 30 degree turn if it does fail.
3. Most moves are executed automatically. However, the following situations – only – require the moving ship to make a maneuver check rolling their maneuver dice usually against an unmodified 1D10 – called the Challenge die. Some opposed maneuvers require the attacking player to roll a maneuver challenge against the opponent's maneuver die. All modifiers apply
4. Whenever a player is required to make an unopposed maneuver check, the moving player rolls a die (defined by the ship's maneuver rating) and adds or subtracts appropriate modifiers. The non-moving player always rolls a d10 with an unopposed maneuver for a Challenge roll.
5. In an opposed toll, the non-moving player also rolls a die (defined by non-moving player's ship's maneuver rating) and adds or subtracts appropriate modifiers.
6. Ships apply the following modifiers: +1 for Elite crew, -1 for Green crew, -1 for a ram attempt or spar torpedo attack, -1 if the unit has equaled or exceeded its Crew Loss #, -1 for each fire, +1 for each speed level difference.
UNOPPOSED ROLLS
• Moving upstream against a medium or strong current. Failing causes the ship to move at the next slowest speed level, but it does not decrease the current speed level. For example: The Carondelet is moving at 8 knots (Speed level 3) against a strong current. Her maneuver die is D8. She rolls a 4 while the Challenge die rolls up a 6. She fails and would move with Speed level 2 (3 – 5 knots) this turn, though her ordered speed would continue to be Speed level 3.
• Attempting to clear an obstruction
• Increasing speed across a level. Failing means continuing at the current level (but may freely increase speed with in that level.
• Attempting to unfoul from an enemy ship
• Attempting to leave the playing area.
• If a ship failed to move this turn (and is not anchored), roll for drift
OPPOSED ROLLS
• Attempting to Cross the T. If it succeeds, the attacking ship moves across the bow or stern of the opponent (this presumes the attacking vessel has sufficient speed). If it fails, the attacking ship ends it's movement short of the other vessel unless it has sufficient speed to carry it beyond the vessel. Successfully crossing the enemy T (bow) does not prevent the other ship from attempting to ram if it has not yet moved (and, in this case, that ship – the one that crossed the T – being attacked would have a speed level of 1 for purposes of resolution).
• Attempting to ram an enemy ship and attempting to avoid a ram.
1. Attacker successful: ram goes through as intended.
2. Attacker fails: Attacker moves "through" intended target to the extent of its speed. The Target ship them makes a free up to 45 degree turn (but greater than 15 degrees) in whatever direction the owning player chooses – it has evaded the ram.
3. Attacker and Opponent tie: Resolve the ram in the normal way; both ships receive a number of hits equal to ½ the attacker's result with a minimum of 1 each. The Target ship must then make a 30 degree turn in the direction the attacker was moving (if the rear half is hit, the stern would turn in that direction).
• Attempting a Spar Torpedo attack on an enemy ship and attempting to avoid such an attack.
1. Attacker successful: Spar Torpedo goes through as intended.
2. Attacker fails: Attacker moves "through" intended target to the extent of its speed. The Target ship them makes a free up to 45 degree turn (but greater than 15 degrees) in whatever direction the owning player chooses – it has evaded the ram.
3. Attacker and Opponent tie: Resolve as a ram in the normal way; both ships receive a number of hits equal to ½ the attacker's result with a minimum of 1 each. The Target ship must then make a 30 degree turn in the direction the attacker was moving (if the rear half is hit, the stern would turn in that direction).
4. The attacker conducts a Challenge roll using its Ram dice; failinure means the spar torpedo has been broken off and is no longer usable.
Gunnery Combat
1. Gunnery combat is resolved by a gunnery check, comparing the attacker's die roll, adding and subtracting appropriate modifiers, and the defender's roll of any die or dice.
2. Use the yellow die to determine the section receiving the fire as per the published rules. Also apply the following:
• Fire occurring at long range fire from a shore battery targets the Deck.
• Fire occurring at point blank range targets the bow or stern of the target ship. A ship which successfully crosses the T fires at point blank range, as does the ship whose T has been crossed.
• Any successful hit results in a minimum of 1 Shield
3. RANGES ARE:
Point Blank: Fouled ships. Any successful or failed spar or ram attack, even if one ship has moved by the other – this presumes the ships were firing at their closest distances.
Short: 1 – 12 inches
Medium: 12.1 – 24 inches
Long: 24.1 – 36 inches