Age of Reason · American Revolutionary War

Fighting Instructions: 1700-1799

Fighting Instructions are naval wargame rules covering the 18th century era (1700-1789), including the Wars of the Spanish & Austrian Successions, the Seven Years War & the American War of Independence.

2–6 players—

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About the game

What is Fighting Instructions: 1700-1799

These rules have sections on: Starting weather conditions for various seas for wind, fog, &c., Unique sailing rules system, Signalling, Leeward drift, Veering & tacking, Boxhauling & in irons, Running sail & sail shiver, Running foul, Heaving-to, Grounding, Pooping, Wind shadow, Cannon overboard, Towing, Jury rigging & rudders, Hull shapes, Gunnery, Small arms fire, Friendly fire, Swivel guns, Fire aloft, in the hull, Flooding, Heated shot, Bomb ketch shore bombardment, Boarding attempts, Striking colours, Secured prizes, Ships boats, Cutting out operations, Raising and dropping anchor, Turnings on springs & warping, Linking cables, Girt, Fireships, plus discussions about rates of fire, damage, carelessness, the light room, thick smoke, gunnery, carronades, obusier de vaisseau, waterlogging, suction pumps including Coles-Bentinck chain pumps, danger to magazines from fire, tactics, doubling the line, falling out of line, en fluyte, crank & swift ships, and East Indiamen.

Fighting Instructions use to the same core mechanics as our England Expects rules, but tweaked for the specific period so players don't have to deal with clutter during gameplay for another period. England Expects covers the later era, Fighting Instructions covers the 18th century before the Revolutionary Wars kicked in. There were lots of subtle changes which took place, which are reflected in the rule sets. For example, signals were more in use during the England Expects era covered, and fighting instructions during the Fighting Instructions era covered (hence the title!).

So, to summarise, they are very similar sets but tweaked for their specific periods.

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