Admiral’s Order Naval Tactics in the Age of Sail

Close Action Example

Scenario: “Hercule vs. Mars”, 1798
We are playing the setting for two Lieutenants.
Benjamin takes the British “Mars” and
Verena the French “Hercule”.
Setup the map as described in the Battle Book.
The French “Hercule” is already anchored.
The wind is from the upper edge, as always.

1. Game Turn
Draw Init-Markers:
Verena draws RED (due to her better wind position): 18
Benjamin draws YELLOW: 13

Activation:
„Hercule“ and „Mars“ both have 4 CV for ship and
rigging and will draw 2 Manoeuvre Cards
in the first Game Turn (… as you can see in the first column of the Time Sheets.)

Activation „Hercule“
Verena has drawn 2 Manoeuvre Cards.
„Hercule“ is anchored. Due to the special rules for this scenario,
she can turn Hercule at her anchor position by playing the Bear Up
Card. Now having Mars in the fire arc
of the starboard guns, Verena fires a
broadside and gains the Rake Bonus.
(SC:22, Di:3 ->FP:9 +2FP for an anchored ship,
targeting ship, 3 dice, due to Stern Rake Bonus:
4, 2, 2 -> 5S, to be marked on the Status Sheet)

Activation „Mars“
Benjamin has also drawn 2 Manoeuvre Cards.

He activates „Mars“ with 6 MP.

He keeps his cards for the moment and just moves forward,
in order to get into a Mêlée Fight with Hercule.

He moves 2 hex forward and now attempts to move

into the occupied hex, using his last 2 MPs.

The attempt to move into the occupied hex, is what

triggers the Close Manoeuvre Phase.
For this phase, “Mars” is the Active Ship, while “Hercule” is the Passive Ship.

First the corresponding Start-Position-Card must be selected.

In our case it is the Run Down-Card, showing a ship moving toward the side
of the Passive Ship.

Benjamin, the player of the Active Ship, takes this Start-Position-Card in

his hand.
Now Benjamin draws Active Close Manoeuvre Cards for his ship. “Mars” has three masts,
which allows Benjamin to draw 6 Active Close Manoeuvre Cards.

Benjamin decides to discard the two drawn Sailors armed-Cards and to draw two additional
Close Action Cards.

Verena now draws 3 Passive Close Manoeuvre Cards for “Hercule” with her 3 masts.

Verena also decides to discard one of her Sailors armed-Cards,

but she keeps the Card showing Avoid Collision.

Now Verena and Benjamin, both draw their Close Action Cards.
Benjamin draws 3 cards (17 Ship Condition)
+ 2 cards for his discarded Sailors armed-Cards.
Verena draws 4 cards (22 Ship Condition)
+ 1 card for her discarded Sailors armed.-Card.

Verena draws:

Benjamin draws:
First Close Manoeuvre Phase:
After drawing the cards, the first turn in Close Manoeuvre Phase starts:
Benjamin must commence by playing the previously selected Start-Position-Card, so he
places the card on the table:

Verena cannot play a response. Her two Close Manoeuvre Cards

show the colours white and red, not blue.

Close Action Phase within the first Close Manoeuvre Phase

As result of this first card there is one turn in Close Action Phase.
As the first action in this phase the Passive Ship could fire a broadside (as noted
on the Start Position Card), but Verena fired her starboard guns already in this
game turn. She is not allowed to fire a second time.

There will be one turn in Close Action Phase, and Benjamin, as the player of the
Active Ship, must decide whether to play Close Action Cards or to pass.
He plays one card hidden and places the “Support Action”-Marker next to it.
Verena passes her turn and doesn’t play any card.

Now the card is turned over and, because it’s the only Close Action Card,
it is executed directly.

The men of Benjamin’s Mars throw Grenades onto Hercule’s upper deck.
Benjamin rolls one die: 6 This is one S (Ship Damage) and 3 Crew Damage,
but no Crew was sent to the upper deck by Verena (she played no card)
So only the one Ship Damage is marked on the Status Sheet for Hercule.

The Close Action Phase is now at an end. As stated on the

Start Position Card Run Down, it only consists of one single turn.

Second Close Manoeuvre Phase

The second Close Manoeuvre Phase is initiated by Benjamin. He must play one Close
Manoeuvre Card which shows a blue wheel at the left site.

He must decide between

Pass and Rake

Turn by or
Ram Side
Benjamin decides to attempt to ram “Hercule” and plays the Ram Side-Card. He places the
blue wheel next to the one of the previous card.

However, before the card takes

any effect, Verena can respond
with a Passive Close Manoeuvre
Card and she does. Her card must
show a white wheel and she plays
Avoid Collision. This negates
Benjamin’s card.

Following the description of the card, Verena turns her

ship by 60° into the same orientation as Benjamin’s ship.

Benjamin must move “Mars” into the occupied hex, but can
decide to move left or right.
He decides to move to “Hercule’s” starboard side, well knowing
that Verena has already fired her starboard guns.

The next Close Manoeuvre Phase will start with the colour red.

Third Close Manoeuvre Phase

Benjamin must play one of his Close Manoeuvre Cards with a red wheel on the left side.

There is only one matching card

left, but with two options:
Mêlée Action
Stay in Musket
Range

Benjamin provokes the mêlée by choosing Mêlée Action. This option on the card doesn’t show
a wheel on the right side. Due to this, Verena cannot respond with any of her Close
Manoeuvre Cards. We also know that the next Close Manoeuvre Phase, will be the last one
within Benjamin’s activation of his ship.
Close Action Phase within the third Close Manoeuvre Phase
First both players can fire their broadsides. Verena has already fired
hers and Benjamin now fires the broadside of “Mars” for the first
time in this Game Turn.
Following the common rules, as Active Player, he must discard one of his
Manoeuvre Cards, to fire the broadside. He also decides to enhance the Fire
Power by loading his guns with two cannon balls. He discards his Double-
Shot Close Action Card.

(SC:17, Di:0 ->FP:10 +2FP for the Double-Shot = 12FP,

Benjamin must target the ship, because the ships are at distance 0,
3 dice, 5, 2, 6 -> 8S, to be marked on the Status Sheet)

While in Close Action, if a line on the Status Sheet is filled the player of the damaged ship must
immediately discard one Close Action Card. With this shot Benjamin caused 8 Ship Damage
and the upper line of “Hercule’s” Ship Condition was filled.
Verena discards one of her cards (Grappling Hooks! + Grapeshot) to simulate the weakening of
her ship and crew.

Now the mêlée starts and continues until both players pass their turn. Grappling is
allowed. Benjamin as the Active Player must always start and plays 1 or 2 cards or
passes.

First Close Action Turn

Benjamin plays 2 cards hidden and places the “Crew Action”-Marker and the “Support
Action”-Marker next to the corresponding cards.
After Benjamin has finished placing his cards, Verena now can decide how to respond. She
also can play 1 or 2 cards or pass.
She decides to play just one card, marked with the “Support Action”-Marker.
Both now turn over their cards.

Benjamin has played:

Verena
has played:

The different actions written on the cards

will now be handled in order of the
red sequence numbers (lowest number
first).
For the cards marked as “Support Action” only one of the Support Actions can be executed.
For the cards marked as “Crew Actions” only the Crew Action can be executed.
Benjamin has the option to execute his Support Action with Number 2 if he wishes.
He decides to do this and orders All hands on deck. This increases his Crew by one.
By executing this “Support Action” the card is used and can not be utilized to perform any
other action.

The next sequence number is Number 5 on Verena’s “Support-Action”-Card, but she

decides not order her crew to Stay covered.
The next number is then Number 15 on the same card. But again Verena decides not to use
this action.

Number 21. on Benjamin’s card cannot be performed, because the card was already used.

Next is Number 26 on Verena’s Card and Verena finally chooses this action to be
performed.
She loads her upper deck guns with Grapeshot and fires at Benjamin’s attacking crew.
Verena rolls one die: 4. This result causes 3 Crew members to be disabled.

Benjamin has 4 Crew members: 3 belong to his to be activated Crew Action Grappling Hooks!

Another Crew Member is on deck, because of Benjamin’s previously executed

Support-Action All hands on deck

Benjamin as the Active Player, must now decide which three of the four Crew members
become victims of Verena’s Grapeshot.
Benjamin decides to disable two Sailors and one Marine-Soldier. This is 2R and 1S damage,
to be noted at Mars’ status sheet.

However, there is one last Crew member standing, and it is now Benjamin’s turn to execute
his “Crew Action” with Number 39: Grappling Hooks!

As result Benjamin’s men are successful in throwing Grappling Hooks to “Hercule” and to
bind the two ships together, after suffering heavy losses.

A Grappled Marker must be placed next to the two ships.

The three played cards are removed and the second turn in Close Action will start.

Current Status:
Verena holds:
Benjamin holds:

And the Manoeuvre Card:

Second Close Action Turn

Once grappled, both opponents can try to board the other ship. With only two Close Action
Cards left, Benjamin decides to push as hard as he can to overrun the enemies upper deck.
He plays both cards hidden and places his “Crew Action”-Marker and “Support Action”-
Marker. So he played Boarding Crew, supported by Carronade or All hands on deck!
Without knowing which two cards Benjamin played, Verena must make up her mind. She
could try to defeat a potential Boarding Crew using her Axes’n’Pikes, or she could try to Cut Free
from the lines that bind the two ships. Both tactics would well defeat any attempt to board,
but require having her crew still alive, when it is their turn. If her defence line breaks, she
would be lost.
That’s why Verena tries a different tactic and follows the motto “Attack is the best defence”
She tries to board Benjamin’s “Mars” herself. She plays Boarding Crew, supported by
Sharpshooters and marks the cards with the according marker.
Now all four cards are turned over and we find:
Benjamin: Verena:

In order of the Red Sequence Nnumber:

2: Benjamin doesn’t want to use All hands on deck!

17: Verena fires with Sharpshooters from the maintop at Benjamin’s attacking Boarding Crew.
She rolls one die: 3 This is: 1 Crew and one Rare Event (#). The Crew casualty reduces
Benjamin’s Boarding Crew. As the Active Player he can decide to disable a Sailor or a Marine-
Soldiers. He takes away one Marine-Soldier and marks one S as damage on “Mars’s” Status
Sheet. Verena now rolls another two dice for the Rare Event: 2,3: “Son of a gun”. But this Rare
Event is ignored if it was caused by Sharpshooter, as written in the table.
21: Benjamin fires Carronades and must now decide to target at the enemy’s ship or Crew. He
decides to load the carronades with shrapnel and fires. He rolls one die: 2 This is 2 Crew
and one Rare Event (#). He, as the Active Player, decides to take away two of Verena’s
Marine Soldiers. This is marked as two S-Damage in the Ship Sheet.

Again a line of marks is filled. However

Verena does not have to discard a second
Close Action Card. Within one Close
Manoeuvre Phase a maximum of one
Close Action Card must be discarded due
to loss of Ship or Rigging Condition.

Benjamin now rolls two dice for the Rare Event: 1,2 “Bad luck” A gun explodes, probably
one of the fired carronades, and causes damage to the firing ship. These are 2S to be marked
at “Mars’s” Status Sheet.

44: Benjamin’s and Verena’s Boarding Crews now board the other ship simultaneously and
fight on the upper decks of both ships. This is a very bloody man-to-man fight.
Both crews have sustained losses already and Verena has two Sailors,
while Benjamin still has two Sailors and one Marine-Soldier,
out of the four members of each Boarding Crew.

Fighting man-to-man means to count down crews until one or both crews are disabled.
This again is Benjamin’s task, as the Active Player. He disables 2 of Verena’s Sailors and 2 of
his Sailors and marks the losses on the Status Sheet. (2R and 2R)

The last man standing is Benjamin’s Marine-Soldier and this means he wins the fight.
He successfully takes over “Hercule” and takes her as a Prize. From now on Benjamin is the
new owner of this ship.
The final status of the two ships looks like this:

With this the Close Action Phase and the Close Manoeuvre Phase end immediately. All
remaining cards are returned. The grappled marker is also removed, indicating that both
ships can be moved independently, within their next activation.

The scenario “Hercule vs. Mars” is now over, and Benjamin has won with 4 Victory Points,
in the second game turn.

Alles Gute
Mario Jugel