Ships and Navies

[eques]

I have an article coming up (I think) on my naval rules in the next Slingshot.

[Gibor]

I have an article coming up (I think) on my naval rules in the next Slingshot.

Can you offer a rules into of some sort? I don't have any rules for Ancient/Middle Ages naval wargaming other than the very basic part of the old H&R 5mm rules.

In particular I'd live to know how you treat the Norse viking crewing numbers. IMHO the longboats had to have two crews to keep rowing. Unless the one crew rested every 30 minutes, but that would mean having little to any control  over heading? I think particlarly where there was no wind, and the sailing was against the current/tide, as for example in coastal waters.

Or do I have it wrong? Perhaps there was already an article somewhere in Slingshot, but I only just received my 45 years collection.

Cheers

[Erpingham]

I have an article coming up (I think) on my naval rules in the next Slingshot.

In particular I'd live to know how you treat the Norse viking crewing numbers. IMHO the longboats had to have two crews to keep rowing. Unless the one crew rested every 30 minutes, but that would mean having little to any control  over heading? I think particlarly where there was no wind, and the sailing was against the current/tide, as for example in coastal waters.

How about two half crews?  A late medieval/renaissance galley travelling a distance under oars split its crew in half and each crew rowed and rested over a similar period.  They could do this all day.  So, unless we consider Vikings particularly weedy, is there any reason they couldn't do the same?  Incidentally, a Renaissance crew were thought to have two hours of whole crew rowing in them before they needed to switch to shifts.

[eques]

I have an article coming up (I think) on my naval rules in the next Slingshot.

Can you offer a rules into of some sort? I don't have any rules for Ancient/Middle Ages naval wargaming other than the very basic part of the old H&R 5mm rules.

In particular I'd live to know how you treat the Norse viking crewing numbers. IMHO the longboats had to have two crews to keep rowing. Unless the one crew rested every 30 minutes, but that would mean having little to any control  over heading? I think particlarly where there was no wind, and the sailing was against the current/tide, as for example in coastal waters.

Or do I have it wrong? Perhaps there was already an article somewhere in Slingshot, but I only just received my 45 years collection.

Cheers

Hi Greg

My rules only cover the classical period but anyway do not go into the technical detail of how the ships are moved - they just assume the ships move roughly where they want to using whatever method suits them best.

The rules are based around a PIP system, meaning you can move about a third of your ships per turn.  On spending a PiP the ship can do one of: Move, Shoot, Ram or Grapple, and each turn does not last very long (2 or 3 minutes)

Ship stats are Crew, Hull, Movement and Turning Circle (90 or 45 degrees)

Movement allowance reduces by a centimetre for every Crew or Hull point lost.  If either Hull or Crew are reduced to zero the ship is knocked out of the game.

The full rules are provided in the article,  but if anything is unclear please do ask me on the forum or PM me.

Harry