System: Black Powder (Warlord Games) / Black Seas | Scale: 6mm Baccus
⚓ The Coastal Warfare Toolkit: Black Powder Rules
Quick Reference Sheet for 6mm Seven Years War Amphibious Games
This set of rules treats Black Seas ships as direct tactical units within the standard Black Powder land system, eliminating the need to track complex wind gauges or use secondary rule books.
1. COMMAND & MOVEMENT (SAILING)
Ships are treated as independent units commanded by a Ship Captain (typically Command Rating 7 or 8). Movement is ordered using standard Black Powder command rolls:
- 1 Success: Move up to 6″
- 2 Successes: Move up to 12″
- 3 Successes: Move up to 18″
💨 The Wind Modifiers (Apply to the Command Roll)
Before rolling for command, determine the ship's direction relative to the wind:
- Sailing with the Wind (Running): +1 to Command Roll.
- Sailing Across the Wind (Reaching): No modifier (0).
- Sailing into the Wind (Tacking): -2 to Command Roll. (A failed roll means the ship is "In Irons" and cannot move this turn).
2. SHIP STAT PROFILES
Ships use standard Black Powder stat blocks. To simulate the devastating power of naval cannons, ships have distinct shooting values based on range:
| Ship Class | Shooting Dice (Short / Med / Long) |
Hand-to-Hand | Morale | Stamina | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brig / Sloop (Small) |
3 / 2 / 1 | 2 | 4+ | 4 | Nimble: +1 to Command Rolls when making turns. |
| Frigate (Medium) |
4 / 3 / 2 | 4 | 4+ | 6 | Sturdy: Ignores the first point of Stamina damage taken in a turn. |
| Ship of the Line (Large) |
6 / 5 / 4 | 6 | 3+ | 9 | Massive Broadside: May split its shooting dice between two targets. |
Note: Short Range = 0–6″ | Medium Range = 6–12″ | Long Range = 12–24″
3. COMBAT & FIRE ARCS
Broadsides Only: A ship can only fire out of its left (Port) or right (Starboard) flanks. Draw a line straight out from the bow (front) and stern (back)—the ship cannot shoot into those front/rear blind spots.
Land Bombardment: When shooting at 6mm infantry or cavalry on land, ship guns follow the standard Smoothbore Artillery rules. They cause -1 Morale Save penalties at Short and Medium ranges.
Damaging a Ship: Land artillery firing at ships rolls to hit normally. Infantry musket fire cannot damage a Frigate or Ship of the Line, but can damage a small Brig at Short range (requires a 6 to hit).
Sinking vs. Surrender: When a ship's Stamina is reduced to 0, it does not instantly sink. Roll a D6:
- 1–5: The crew Strikes the Colours (surrenders). The ship is captured or becomes an impassable terrain feature.
- 6: The ship suffers a catastrophic magazine explosion and is removed from the table.
4. AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS & MARINES
A ship sitting static along the shoreline can use one movement action to deploy its onboard troops.
Deployment: Place a small 6mm stand of infantry or a rowboat token on the beach next to the ship.
The Landing Party: This unit represents a "Tiny" or "Small" block of Royal Marines or Sailors.
Stats: Give them standard Seamen/Marines stats (Shooting: 2, Hand-to-Hand: 3, Morale: 5+, Stamina: 3). They act under the immediate command of the Ship's Captain until they move out of his command radius.
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeletewell I like the look of these rules, as I've always fancied do something linking the Navy with onshore action, seaborne landings etc. God only knows when I might get to test them, but I will have fun for sure:).
Steve J.
Hi Steve! Ah, fantastic, I'm glad they look the part! That is exactly why I put them together—I really wanted a clean way to handle seaborne landings and shore bombardment without having to flip between two completely different rulebooks.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean about finding the time to get them to the table, but tinkering with the charts and planning the scenario is half the fun anyway! If you ever do give them a spin for an amphibious raid, let me know how they play. Cheers for stopping by!