I was challenged to create a system to have any or all 12 possible directions on a hex grid be used “by the wind”

as it blows across
the game board.
I] Add 6 new directions [called 1.5, 2.5, – 5.5, & 6.5] between to old directions. The wind can now blow in any of 12 directions. The
Wind Change rule is changed so that where it says 60 deg. change it is now 30 deg. and where it said 120 deg., it now says 60 deg.
II] While I'm adding 6 dir. for the wind I'll add an impulse system which you can ignore if you want.
. . A] Fleets often accepted battle while close hauled because this refused the rear of their line and other reasons. So, because
WS&IM is really a game for fleets we need a good rule for close hauled sailing. The ship adds sails to keep its place in the line.
[i] [/i]

. . . . 1] When a ship is in att. C (or CH, see below) and loses a mast it is not slowed. It is slowed with the 2 nd lost mast by 1 hex/turn.
. . B] The Impulse system replaces the pre-plot your move rule. Now I suggest you record the move of your Frig. or the lead ship of
a line. You will need rules for when a ship can leave the line. Mostly they didn't until they had to because of mast damage.
. . . . 1] This Impulse system can have 4 impulses per game-turn [or 5]. Here I'm staying with 4.
. . . . . . a] A speed 7 fast Frig. w/full sails moves 7. In 1 new attitude it can move 8, or 2 per impulse.
. . . . . . b] A speed 4 Frig. w/battle sails moves 4 In 1 new att. it can move 5. So, it can move 2 in the 2nd Impulse.
. . . . . . c] You might try letting Frig. move 2 in att. C & CH with Battle sails and 3 with Full sails.
. . . . . . d] A SOL w/battle sails has 1 MP to use when in att. C (& close hauled = CH also see below). But, SOL can't complete a
tacking maneuver at this speed, they lack the momentum to carry them through the tack. They must go to Full sails before and
through their tack. Frigates can maybe tack with Battle sails set, especially if we let them move 2.
. . . . . . e] Fore & aft rigs could sail closer to the wind. To simulate this, they can move 1 more than Frigates when in att. C & CH.
. . . . 2] You can also ignore this. I propose to change the scale to 75 yds/hex and 2 min. game-turns. This means that 1 hex/g-t = 1⅛
knot of speed. It means that 4 hexes/g-t = 4.5 knots of speed. It also means that 14 new hexes = 10 old hexes and 1 Impulse =30 sec.
This means that a spacing of 1 cable length between ships is 1 hex between ships, 220 ft ≈ 225 ft., measured main mast - main mast.
. . B] The impulse system rules are placed after the movement rules. The new FoF for the guns are mixed into the movement rules.
III] We must have 2 movement “systems” because there are 2 ways the wind can blow through the hex grid.
. . A] It can blow as it originally did. See the diagrams. The 2 dir. D* are between 2 main dir. and 30 deg. from directly upwind.
. . B] Or, it can blow between 2 of the main directions defined by the hex grid. Here dir. DD is the dir. dead upwind and the 2 dir. D
are along the hex-rows 30 deg from this.

An attempt at diagrams by a non computer geek. Please forgive the angles and distances being a little wrong. The details are below.
The wind blows as indicated, straight down the page.
The letters at the ends of the lines of Xs or between them are the names of the directions or attitudes.
The old system with the new attitudes added.
Wind Here I'm using Frigate speeds to illustrate.
C D* D↓ D* C I use 2 character pairs to indicate the new “between attitudes”.
X X↓ X Here for example – D*, CR, & BR; and below – DD, CH, RR, & RF.
X D* X ↓ D* X Dir. CR is a “Close Reach”, speed = att. B. It is not as fast as A or BR.
C X C Dir. BR is a “Broad Reach” Its speed is = to att. A+1.
CR. x x Ӂ x x CR Dir. D* is upwind between the 2 main dir. C & D.
X x X In 1 game turn ships can reach the letters in black, not the ones in red.
X X X
X BR BR X
A B A
BR BR
BR BR

The added system Wind

DD Ships can move-slip in dir. D, see below.
D ↓ D Dir. DD is dead upwind. Dir. D is 30 deg. from the wind along a hex row.
X ↓ X Dir. CH (Close Hauled) is halfway between 2 hex-rows, B & D. This is the attitude
X ↓ X you use to move upwind. Speed in att. CH = speed in att. C.
CH X DD X CH Dir. B is a “Close Reach”. It is not as fast as dir. A.
CH X XCH Dir. A is the fastest attitude. It is a “Broad Reach”
B B Dir. RF is the dir. between the 2 A directions. It is “Running Free”. Speed = att. B.
Ӂ
K
K

K
K

RR
RR
X RF X RR
RR Dir. RR is the dir. between dir. A and dir. B. It is “Reaching”. The speed = att. A.
RR
RR
X RF X RRRR
X RF X
A A In one g-turn the Frig. can reach all the black letters, but none of the red ones.
Note: That this rules set reverses the relative locations of dir. A & B.
Now the slower dir. B is next to the slowest dir. CH.
IV] The Details of the movement systems –
. . A] The movement system for II] A] above is much like the original system [except for the impulses and the new attitudes to the wind ].
. . . . 1] I suggested that Frig. move 2 in att. C & CH, 3 with Full sails. What I'm suggesting is that Frig. dueled with more stay sails
set than SOL typically did during a battle and maybe the topgallants ready to be unfurled.
. . . . 2] I'm adding a side-slip rule to allow slight changes in direction without using up MP to make turns. This could get a little
complicated. However, I will keep it as simple as possible at the expense of the simulation.
. . . . . . a] To side-slip it costs 1 MP and the ship is not turned, so it doesn't use an allowed “turn”. [Remember here we are just using
the original rules, later we will define it with the other rules.] It is moved to the hex-row next to it and then ½ hex forward to be in 2
hexes like normal. To be fair to the opponent who could see the ship angling off to 1 side or the other, you should therefore
announce at the start of the previous impulse which side you will side-slip to. This is simple, the complications would come when
we want to combine this with turns.
. . . . . . b] With Battle sails ships are limited to just 1 side-slip per game-turn. When close hauled they can't side-slip upwind, but can
move/slip, see below. When sailing at a 90 deg angle to the wind they can not side-slip upwind either.
. . . . . . c] With Full sails ships are limited to 2 side-slips per g-turn. When close hauled they can't slip upwind. When sailing at a 90
deg angle to the wind they can slip 1 hex-row upwind if they move at least 4 hexes.
. . . . . . d] After a side-slip a ship must move 1 ahead before it can make a turn.
. . . . . . e] After it makes a turn a ship must move ahead 1 hex before it can make a side-slip.
. . . . . . f] These last 2 rules are to keep it simple.

. . . . 3] Now comes the new stuff. There are 3 new attitudes to the wind defined as – att. D* is 30 deg from directly upwind between
dir. D and dir. C, att. CR (“close reach” at 90 deg from the wind) is between dir. C & dir. A, and att. BR (“broad reach”) is between
dir. A & dir. B. The speeds in these att. are:
. . . . . . a] In att. D* the speed is 0 but ships can turn. All dismasted ships can neither move nor turn. They just drift as per rules.
. . . . . . b] In att. CR the speed is the same as dir. B. For Fore & Aft rigs the speed is the same as att. A.
. . . . . . c] In att. BR the speed is the speed in att. A+1. The 1 is added because this is supposed to be the fastest att. and the zig-zag
[i]

course followed here slows ships too much and it just works better. [/i]

. . . . 4] The side-slipping rule for these between directions is a little different. If they move/slip to the same side 2 move/slips in a
row, this is like side-slipping, so it costs them 1 extra MP. They may not move/slip 3 move/slips in a row to the same side, if they do
it costs them another 1 MP extra and they are turned to face down the hex-row they moved along. Ships in a Close Reach or Close
Hauled att. may not side-slip [as per this rule] on their upwind side. Ships in att. CR that move an odd number of hexes can
move/slip 2 out of 3 moves, this is like a half side-slip. Here, what you did last turn [in my opinion] doesn't matter, so you can
move/slip to either side without worrying about which way you move/slipped last, last turn.
. . . . 5] The Advanced Field of Fire (FoF) rule can be used as is for fleet actions. For Frigate duels also use the Advanced FoF, but I
would widen the center all-guns zone a little. If the stern half of a ship is on is in a zone the ship is in that zone. If it is on the line
between zones it is in the lesser zone. Ship must be able to use all its guns no matter which direction the enemy ship is, if your ship
[i]

is turned the “right” way. There can be no “dead zones”. And I don't think it should be that hard to turn the “right” way. The only
exception might be when a ship is close hauled and is much more limited in how it can be steered, so a narrow FoF is correct. [/i]

. . B] We will need a mostly new movement system for the situation in II] B] above where the wind blows across the sea between 2
hex-rows, that is between 2 of the main directions . In this system (to keep it simple) all ships must always have their bow half in a
hex and their stern half over a hexside that radiates out from that hex. The ship is in its bow hex and in the hexside it sits on. It is not
in either hex the stern is next to.
. . . . 1] The range and FoF of the guns are redefined.
. . . . . . a] The range of guns is always counted to or from the bow hex, except if the fire is coming from the stern, like a stern rake
when it is counted to the hex just behind the stern plus 1 more to the ship.
. . . . . . b] The new FoF for ships using these in-between attitudes is centered on the 2 rows of hexes that run straight out from the
broadsides of the ship. It is bordered on each side by a line that splits every other hex in half. The line at the bow goes out from the
hex the bow is in and the line at the stern goes out from the end of the hexside the stern half sits on. The hexes that are split are
definitely in the half-guns' FoF. You'll want more half-guns hexes further from the ship. This will happen automatically if the center
zone widens slowly, adding hex-rows on both sides of the 2 starting rows as the range increases. Widen it 1 row on each side for
each 3 (or 4) hexes further from the ship, to a max. width of 8 or 10 hexes at the new max. range of 14 hexes.
. . If the stern hexside of a ship is in a zone the ship is in that zone. If the stern hexside is on the line then the ship is in the lesser
zone, half-guns or not in the FoF at all.
. . . . 2] Moving the ships in this new system, i.e. when the stern is on a hexside.
. . . . . . a] The ship can always be moved to either of the 2 hexes that are on either side and ahead of the bow hex. This is called a
“move/slip”. If the ship will move 2 it can just move along the hexside to its front and on into the next hex. It can move/slip to the
same side 2 times in a row, but this is like a side-slip and costs 1 MP extra. If it does this 3 times in a row it costs another 1 MP extra
and it is turned down the hex-row it moved along. If the ship is close hauled (dir. CH) it can only move/slip upwind 1 after it has
move/slipped 1 downwind.
. . . . . . b] For 1 MP the ship can be turned 60 deg by swinging its stern half across a hex to be over another hexside of that hex.
. . . . . . c] For 1 or ½ MP a ship can be turned 30 deg to aline with the old movement attitudes and vise versa. I need to experiment
[i]

with this to see which of these works best. You can choose 1 to use for now. I don't think the ½ MP can be used in pairs very often. [/i]

. . . . . . d] All normal limits on when turns can be made still apply. Side-slipping does apply as a move ahead between a ship's turns.

. . . . 3] The attitudes to the wind need to be redefined. The wind blows down the page. See diagrams above and below.
. . . . . . a] There are now 2 att. D*. Both are upwind. And dir. DD is directly upwind.
. . . . . . b] Att. B is now next to dir. CH instead of dir. A being next to dir. C.
. . . . . . c] Att. A is between att. RR & RF. Sharp eyed players will note that the order of the attitude speeds is always the same.
[i]

Starting with directly upwind with speed = 0, rotating 30 deg gets us to speed =0, 30 more deg gets us to speed =2, 30 more gets us
to speed =B, 30 deg more gets us to speed =A, 30 deg more gets us to speed =A or A+1, 30 more gets us to speed =B again, 30
more gets us to speed =A or A+1, 30 more gets us to speed =A, 30 more gets us to speed =B again, 30 more gets us to speed =2
again, 30 more gets us to speed =0 again, 30 more gets us back to directly up wind. [/i]

. . . . 4] Four (4) new dir. are defined as being between the main directions. They are DD, 2xCH, 2xRR and RF.
. . . . . . a] DD is “Dead upwind”. Dir. D is 30 deg from dir. DD. Both have a speed of 0 but ships can turn.
. . . . . . b] CH is used when “close hauled”. Its speed is 1 (or Frig. 2). When sailing in this attitude it can not move/slip upwind 2
times in a row. With full sails this becomes the normal 2 (or Frig. 3). When ships in att. CH have an odd speed they should alternate
their 1st move/slip to the right, then left, then right, etc.
. . . . . . c] RR is between dir. A & B. Its speed is the same as att. A.
. . . . . . d] RF is between the 2 A dir. and is directly downwind. Its speed is the same as the old att. B.

An attempt at a diagram by a non computer geek. Please forgive the angles and distances being a little wrong.
The wind blows as indicated, straight down the page.
The letters at the ends of the lines of Xs or are between them are the names of the directions or attitudes.
The new system –
Wind Here I'm using Frigate speeds to illustrate.
DD Ships can maybe move in dir. D while tacking??, but can side-slip in dir. D.
D ↓ D Dir. DD is dead upwind.
X ↓ X Dir. CH is halfway between 2 hex-rows, B & D. This is the attitude
X ↓ X you use to be close hauled. Speed in att. CH = 2 = speed in att. C.
CH X X CH Dir. B is a “Close Reach”. It is not as fast as dir. A = a “Broad Reach”.
CHX XCH Dir. A is the fastest attitude.
B B Dir. RF is the dir. between the 2 A directions. It is “Running Free”. Speed = B.
Ӂ
K
K

K
K

RR
RR
X RF X RRRR Dir. RR is the dir. between dir. A and dir. B. It is “Reaching”. The speed in att. A.
RR
RR
X RF X RR
RR
X RF X
A A In one g-turn the Frig. can reach all the black letters, but none of the red ones.
Note: That this rules set reverses the relative locations of dir. A & B.
Now the slower dir. B is next to the slowest dir. CH.
The old system with the new att. added –
Wind
↓ Ships can reach the letters in black in 1 game-turn.
C D* D↓ D* C Ships moving from the center can not reach the letters in red.
X X↓ X
C? X↓ C?
C X C
CR. X X Ӂ X X CR
X BRXBR X
X BR BR X Sorry about the huge space here in att. B, the X above needs to be lower and
X BR X BR X the X below higher.
A BR B BR A
BR B BR

V] Using Impulses instead of the “pre-plot in the log” rule –

. . . .. Players use the log to pre-set their speed and if the ship will use back-sails. Players must do what they wrote, speed and at
least 1 back-sails if he said he would use them. Ships with Full sails set can use at most 1 Back-sails. During a game-turn players
should write the log as they move to record what they just did.
. . . 1] Each game-turn is divided into 4 “Impulses”. The numbers you get from the Impulse Move Table are the number of Actions
the ship can make in the Impulse. A 1 can be used for a turn 1 Action (defined below). A 2 means the ship can make 2 Actions. Ships
can substitute a side-slip for a move ahead provided all other conditions are met and will be met.

. . . 2] Impulse Move Table Ships with both sail settings use the same 4 impulses.
Impulse . . . . 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
speed-0* = 0 0 0* 0 The ship can only make its turn downwind in the 3rd Impulse.
speed-1 = 0 1 0 0, where a 1 means it moves in that impulse and 0 means it doesn't.
speed-2 = 0 1 0 1 “Move” on this table means to expend MPs to perform Actions.
speed-3 = 1 1 0 1 An Action is move 1 ahead, move/slip, side-slip, backsails, turn 60 deg., or turn 30 deg.
speed-4 = 1 1 1 1
speed-5 = 1 2 1 1, where 2 means move 2 in that impulse & the 1 means move just 1 in that impulse.
Impulse. . .. . 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
speed-6 = 2 2 1 1 Mostly this is only for ships with Full sails set.
speed-7 = 2 2 1 2
speed-8 = 2 2 2 2
. . . 3] Ships move in the Impulses with a 1 or a 2 and don't move in an Impulse with a 0. With Battle sails normally only 1 action
can be performed in an Impulse. When a turn is performed the stern may move into a new hex [like they did in the original rules
where this never caused a collision] or across a hex (occupied or not).
. . . 4] With Full Sails ships still use the same 4 impulses, but now ships (except in dir. C) often perform 2 Actions per impulse.
There is no damage to confuse things. Ships with Full sails set always move before ships with Battle sails set.
. . . 5] The ships that have Full sails set move 1st. Then the ship that is moving slowest. Then alternate players moving his 1 slowest
ship that can move in the impulse. Or, when 2 ships are to move in the same Impulse, the player with the higher speed ship decides
which is moved 1st unless 1 has Full Sails set. We will need some way to mark ships that moved already when there are more than a
few per side. I suggest very small cheap plastic pawns from a chess set placed near a ship to mark it. You need to move your own
ships out of the way of ships behind them. You can collide with your own ships.
. . . 6] Ships can fire after any impulse. If the ship turned and its guns swept over a ship, the ship can fire the largest fraction of his
guns that aimed at the ship during the turn. Actions, like loading the guns, now take “impulses”. Round or Ball shot takes 6
impulses, double shot is 8, etc. Poor and Green crews can/should take 1 impulse longer to load the guns, if you use my CRTs.
. . . 7] Different wind speeds can be handled [to some extent] by changing the time to do actions, like load guns. Lower wind speed
becomes slower ships, slower ships means a game-turn and an impulse represents a longer time but the ships still move the same.
So, guns can be loaded in 4 impulses, double shot in 6 impulses. Higher wind speeds do the opposite, now it takes 2 more impulses
to load the guns than normal.
IV] I really suggest that you consider my other rules ideas.
. . A] New scale of 75 yds per hex and time adjusted to 2 min. g-turns.
. . B] The new CRT = HDT and Hit NUMBER tables.
. . C] Spacing the ships 1 hex apart, normally. The Impulse rule may make you do this anyway to avoid collisions when the wrong
ship moves 1st.
. . D] Crew quality effects maneuvering.
. . E]
VII] Designers Notes –
. . . With the pre-plotted moves the speeds needed to be kept low because otherwise the ships might move too far apart or crash into
each other. With an impulse system this will not happen because functionally their move is at most 2 and even then both player's
ships are not moving at the same time. A speed of 2.25 knots is 2 hexes per game-turn. This is slower than a man can walk. It is
barely enough speed to maintain steerage way. I think it is not fast enough for a SOL to complete a tack. It may not even be enough
for a Frigate
. . . I have suggested that a Frig. would keep more sails set in a duel than a SOL would in a battle. If this is so then Frig. could be
faster than a SOL in att. C & CH with both Battle and Full sails. That is, SOL with Battle sails in att. C & CH = 1 & Frig. =2; and
with Full sails SOL =2 & Frig. =3. Some might even think Frig. should be 1 more faster in all attitudes, maybe 2 with Full sails.
. . . The speed in att. BR is faster than A because 1] att. A was faster than att. RR, and 2] because it made att. B (going directly
downwind) slower then 1 hex-row to the right or left. In other words it just worked better. I suppose you could ignore it.
...