I. Intro
II. The Map
III. Turn Sequence
a. Determine Events
b. Repair Vessels
c. Plot Movement
d. Execute Movement
e. Initiate Combat
f. Reduce Forts
g. Determine Victory Points, Call for Reinforcements
IV. Ports and Forts
V. Events and Orders
VI. Movement
VII. Spotting, Evasion, and Combat
VIII. Repair and Replenishment
IX. Victory Points
X. Setup
I. Intro
Steady as She Goes! Is a set of campaign rules for the age of sail. It is set in the
Players in SASG represent the combined naval forces of one of the great powers with interests in the ripe for the picking neutral ground. Minor powers like the
Ultimately, the players’ goals are the military domination of this strategic area, while thwarting their enemies’ ambitions. There may also be minor goals for players each turn which may help them along to victory. Players must be quick to react to their enemies’ movements, or they may find themselves fighting for their survival.
Each turn, players plot moves on a map of the region. A gamemaster then resolves movement. When ships of opposing nationalities cross each others’ paths, a battle may ensue. Players may choose to resolve combat using an abstract table, or they may fight it out using Wooden Ships and Iron Men rules (if the battle is small), or Beat to Quarters (for larger battles).
II. The Map
The map is marked with black spots which represent movement on the sea lanes and colored dots which represent ports of various powers (Light Blue=American; Red=British; Dark Blue=French; Yellow=Spanish; Haitian=Black). A player may only move ships into a port of a friendly or neutral power. One must roll on the neutral powers table to enter a neutral port. In general, it costs one movement point to move between any two dots. The exception is moving against prevailing trade winds (marked by an arrow on the map. The movement cost for such moves is doubled.
A. American Ports
1.
2.
B. British Ports
1.
2. St. Kitts (1/6/2/d6-5)
3.
4.
5.
C. French Ports
1.
2.
D. Spanish/Neutral Ports (must roll on table for admission)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1-3 Port denies fleet entry
4-6 Port allows entry for resupply and repair
-2 Player has attacked that nationality before
+1 Player has fleet of three or more ships
III. Turn Sequence
a. Determine Events (each player roll on Events Table)
b. Repair Vessels (ships that receive repairs in a port may not move. They may fight if the port is attacked).
c. Plot Movement (players note as accurately as possible the course each of their fleets will take in a given turn. Due to command shortages, each player may only move thee ships or groups of ships in a given turn).
d. Execute Movement (GM determines the outcomes of moves and establishes which ships have a chance to contact each other).
e. Initiate Combat (Roll for spotting and evasion. Determine if combat will occur. Resolve combat).
f. Reduce Forts (Players may attempt to capture ports that have no ships to guard them. They must first reduce the fort guarding the harbor. This may take several turns).
g. Determine Victory Points
It is a normal move to go into a port space. It costs another move point to enter the “harbor” (not shown on the map). If attacked while in harbor, the defending player gets to position the fort on the map and gets to declare a mapboard color as “shoals” of 11-16 feet deep.
One cannot enter a port of a hostile power, though one may enter the mapboard space. Only ships in harbor may take on supplies, crew, and make repairs.
V. Orders and Events. Each turn, each player rolls on the ‘events’ table. These will determine orders for the coming turns. Players may not roll new missions until they run out of supplies (generally four months) or the mission is completed. Players who roll “idle” may reroll missions on the next turn.
Orders Table
Roll British French American
1 Idle Idle Idle
2 Convoy Convoy Convoy
3 Patrol Patrol Convoy
4 Patrol Patrol Patrol
5 Raid Raid Raid
6 Blockade Blockade Blockade
Idle: Unit must go to and remain in a friendly port for one full turn.
Convoy. Roll on the convoy table below. Player must send ships to escort the convoy to its destination. The convoy moves at a speed of 4. At the GMs discretion, convoys can be represented on the board or not should combat occur. Either way, they share the fate of their escorting vessels.
Patrol. Ships must leave port and patrol open seas until their supplies run out. They may not enter any port, friendly or not.
Raid. Player must send fleet to try to capture enemy port of their choice.
Blockade. Player must send ships to intercept any ships entering or leaving a chosen enemy port. They must remain until supplies run out.
Convoy Table
British French American
Roll
1 Kings-Barba Marti-Norfo Norfo-NewOr
2 Barba-Kings Marti-Norfo NewOr-Norfo
3 Kings-Antig Guada-Marti Norfo-Havan
4 Antig-Barba Marti-Guada Havan-Norfo
5 Antig-Kings Marti-Box 1 Norfo-SanJua
6 Barba-Kings Marti-Box 1 SanJua-Norfo
VI. Movement
Each fleet has as many movement points as its slowest ship. Fleets may not combine movement to gain additional moves in the course of a turn.
Ship-of-the-Line 4 mp
Frigate 5 mp
American Frigate 6 mp
Cost to move one space 1 mp
Cost to move one space 1 mp
against prevailing trade wind
Cost to enter harbor 1 mp
Players write orders for each fleet under their command, in keeping with the orders they receive. Due to command limitations, no player may move more than three fleets in a given turn. A fleet may contain as few as one ship. Players only know the location of opposing ships when they are encountered at sea or in port.
A ship carries supplies for four months on board. On the fifth month, the ship loses one square from each crew section due to disease and starvation. Supplies immediately return to full on docking in any friendly or neutral harbor.
Once all movement is plotted, the GM executes the movement one space at a time. First, all ships with 6 mp move one space. Then all ships with 5 and 6 mp move one space. Then all ships move one space, and so on until the move allotment is reached. Anytime ships from opposing powers share a space, the GM must determine whether or not contact is made.
If ships share the same space, roll to determine if the fleets spot each other. Each player rolls on the following table. Roll each phase ships share the same space (ships on parallel courses may get several rolls).
1-5 No contact
6+ Enemy fleet sighted
Each ship in enemy fleet +1
Ship is on Blockade duty +3
Ship is on Patrol +1
Enemy is escorting convoy +2
If both players spot each other and desire contact, combat occurs.
If all players who spot decline contact, moves continue as normal.
If neither player spots, moves continue as normal.
If one player spots and desires contact, or if both spot and only one desires contact, roll Pursuit (below)
Pursuit
Each player rolls a die and adds their total move points for the turn. If one player beats the other, they may choose whether or not combat occurs. Ties should be rerolled. Players may voluntarily allow slower ships to drop out of the chase. Such ships may not take place in ensuing combat.
Combat
Combat between ships is played out using miniatures rules. Our club uses Wooden Ships and Iron Men for small battles, and Beat to Quarters for larger ones. (GM’s discretion).
Reducing and Attacking Forts
Attacking a port with a defender’s fleet present allows the defender to place a fort on the board for a miniatures battle (GM may veto any silly placement). The fort has 20 hull points, three sections of six crew, and ten guns which can fire in all arcs. Rigging and steerage hits are ignored. The fort surrenders when all crew or hull hits have been eliminated. Since attacking a stationary fort is dull, players who occupy an enemy port with no ships may elect to reduce a fort without a miniatures battle. Roll on the following table.
1 One attacking ship is lost! Attacker may roll again immediately.
2-5 Fort holds out. Player may reroll next turn.
6+ Fort surrenders to attackers. Port changes hands to friendly. Resupply rates are reduced by (-1/-6/-2/no new crew may come from this port)
+1 for each attacking ship beyond first (Roll of 1 still sinks attacking ship)
VIII. Repair and Replenishment
After every battle, each damaged ship repairs 1d6-2 hit boxes on damaged hull, rigging, and guns. (This is total, not per mast/section, etc)
Each turn a ship is in a friendly harbor, it may roll crew replenishment as per the port description. Crew do not accumulate from turn to turn if no ship is in harbor. Players may not crew their ships beyond the capacity listed in the charts. Each port gets one roll per turn total. Any crew rolled must be divided among ships in harbor. Keep your sailors safe!
A ship in a friendly or neutral harbor may also repair damaged hull, rigging, and gun boxes. Each port has a rating, ie
IX. Victory Points
Players receive victory points each turn. The GM establishes a goal before the game. 25 points is a quick game. 40 would take considerably longer.
Port Captured 5 points
Convoy reaches goal 1 point
Enemy
Enemy Frigate sunk 2 pts
Enemy ship captured x2 pts
Convoy captured 2 pts
X. Starting Locations
Note that the forces in this game reflect the models at my disposal, not the historic forces in the region!
All American Crews are Elite, all British crews are crack, and all French crews are average. This includes replacements!
US
(40 frigate)
(28 frigate)
(80 sol)
(44 razee)
(40 frigate)
(28 frigate)
British
(100 sol)
(80 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 small sol)
St. Kitts
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 small sol)
(74 sol)
(74 small sol)
(80 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(28 frigate)
French Ports
(120 sol)
(100 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 small sol)
(80 sol)
(80 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(74 sol)
(40 frigate)