Free, old school, online turn-based Avalon Hill games

I had no idea this even existed.

Alright I'm in, and it's asking for movement. I'm second in the line and right on Doc's stern so it's a pretty safe bet it's implementing simultaneous movement like in the cardboard version. Have you guys pre-plotted your movement yet? Do we want to set ground rules on working with our wingman? Offline kibbitzing legal? Only at the start?

By the way, it says it fires automatically. Does that means it decides to fire, or we decide to fire and it handles the details?

S.

I cant figure if we apply our turns separately than the moves are simultaneous...or is it open to all of us to set move than when last guy finishes away we sail? I just set my move...but still need to look into firing rules as that seems auto?

Confused, but excited to have the salt spray in my face!

As to meta game...happy to have PMs replace secure radio channels for aid and planning.

I haven't played on youplay.it for awhile, but have done quite a bit of WS&IM and Blue Max on that site. As I recall, firing is auto but you can set a minimum HDT for each side of your ship. I think the default is 0 but you don't do very much damage, if any, when you are on that table. You get a bonus on your first broadside for each side of the ship so I typically put the minimum HDT at a higher # to make the most of my first volley. Otherwise it fires automatically at whatever ship would result in the highest HDT.

Movement is simultaneous, which leads to some real clusterfucks when you have a bunch of ships sailing in a line.

Basic rules don't add very much, mostly boarding and melee as I recall, you shouldn't be concerned about jumping right to those.

I'd be in if anyone sets up other games.

Thanks for the tips ratpfink!

There's a fourteen player game called "Pirate's revenge" using the basic rules that I just joined as well. It has a few open slots. I'm "Hell Shark." I bet it takes six months to finish that scenario.

How do you read the HDT chart? on latest turn I had my value set to 3 and sure enough it fired at Doc and ripped his sails for 3damage. But his shio was set to 4 it appears so he didnt fire.

Looking at the charts I cant seem to see what determines a shot. Any help?

cheers

edit: Also, does "facing" have any effect as a target? I know it matters for shooting...but can you slim your profile to avoid hits?

Alright, I had to get my real rules out to decipher this. First off, range is 6, the number of hexes from beside your ship to touching his. This is basic rules, so your entire broadside is to bear on him. Nine guns. Since you're in his broadside as well you don't have a rake. (The definition in the official rules is just that -- if you're in your opponent's broadside zone you don't get the rake bonus.)

Look on the top table, the line for 9 guns firing. We're going to run the length of that line of numbers. Range of six puts your base hit at -1. Crew quality is "crack" so you get a +2. You have no loss of crew yet. It's an initial broadside so +2 for carefully loaded guns, no rake, your ship isn't a captured vessel, you're firing round shot (into the sails no less . . . rookie) so there's no mod for that. -1 + 2 + 2 = 3 which satisfies your firing criteria. You roll on the "Number 3" table underneath and apparently you rolled a 4 which is three rigging.

That was one of the questions I had -- does selecting 3 mean 3 on the range chart, or 3 after all modifiers. This indicates it's after all modifiers, and good news because you guys figured it out before we did.

S.

Sagrilarus wrote: Alright, I had to get my real rules out to decipher this. First off, range is 6, the number of hexes from beside your ship to touching his. This is basic rules, so your entire broadside is to bear on him. Nine guns. Since you're in his broadside as well you don't have a rake. (The definition in the official rules is just that -- if you're in your opponent's broadside zone you don't get the rake bonus.)

Look on the top table, the line for 9 guns firing. We're going to run the length of that line of numbers. Range of six puts your base hit at -1. Crew quality is "crack" so you get a +2. You have no loss of crew yet. It's an initial broadside so +2 for carefully loaded guns, no rake, your ship isn't a captured vessel, you're firing round shot (into the sails no less . . . rookie) so there's no mod for that. -1 + 2 + 2 = 3 which satisfies your firing criteria.

That was one of the questions I had -- does selecting 3 mean 3 on the range chart, or 3 after all modifiers. This indicates it's after all modifiers, and good news because you guys figured it out before we did.

S.

Looks like I was aiming at Oz's Hull which is a no go at that distance. So after the mod is figured out does your die roll need to be >/= the modifier?

ozjesting wrote: Also, does "facing" have any effect as a target? I know it matters for shooting...but can you slim your profile to avoid hits?

It does, but in a bad way. Most naval shots miss long or short not left or right, so the enemy firing the length of your ship is a disadvantage. It also gives them twice as much rigging to run into on the way through. "Slimming" your profile is putting your long side in the direction of the enemy. Giving them your bow or stern gives them that +3 rake bonus, which would have given you 4 rig, 1 gun and 1 hull damage instead of 3 rig.

S.

Dr. Mabuse wrote: So after the mod is figured out does your die roll need to be >/= the modifier?

Neither. You don't roll to hit in Wooden Ships & Iron Men. You roll for damage only. I guess they figure with nine guns you must bang into something or another. Once Oz's fully modified number came up as a 3 he moved to the "Number 3" Hit Table underneath the HDT. He's gonna damage something, the roll of one d6 determines what it is. It appears he rolled a 4, which indicates "3R" or 3 rig damage.

S.

Okay, thanks for the clarification and apologies for the tactical error.

Flying downwind towards enemy vessel: bad.

Dr. Mabuse wrote: Okay, thanks for the clarification and apologies for the tactical error.

Flying downwind towards enemy vessel: bad.

Going nose up to him, even worse. For the moment he's reloading so you get a turn to play. But the rake is +3 and the damage tables climb pretty doggone quickly!

This is about as easy and about as engaging (ahem) as wargaming can get. The basic rules are plenty, and even the advanced rules are awfully simple.

S.

Can you explain "rake" again please. I am taking it to mean perpendicular...is that correct? So if I am north to south and my target is east to west...that is a rake for me?

Is rake a yes or no question, or are there degrees?

But thanks for the rest, I see it now. The mod number you want is very handy to know when clicking those check boxes

oh...do you only get Inital Broadside bonus once? Once per different target?

A rake is when your guns are shooting at the bow or the stern of your enemy's ship, down the length of their ship. It's an ideal shot for you.

Initial broadside is in play for the first volley from each side of your ship. So you have one left on the other side of your ship.

The bonus recognizes the careful measurement and loading of clean weapons prior to to the rush of battle. Once that first volley goes you're in panic mode and things don't get done as carefully.

S.