Quickfire Optional Rules

GENERAL RULES

101 - Extra Gunnery Phases

In some games - especially those with numerous slow-firing vessels - players may want to add one or more gunnery phases to each turn. This increases the overall rate of firing for the battle. This can even be done mid-game, after some of the faster firing vessels (in cases of mixed squadrons) have slowed down a bit due to battle damage.

MOVEMENT

201 - Higher Move Rates

Players may accomodate larger playing areas by increasing ship's speeds by 50-100%. The existing rules were written to accomodate small table areas and also to increase effects of gunnery per unit of movement.

GUNNERY & TORPEDOES

301 - Range Guessing

To incorporate range guessing into the game, players estimate ranges between firing vessels and their respective targets before the gunnery dice are rolled (as with the rest of the rules, measurements are taken between forward funnels). The results then modify the ROF die roll; for every one inch away from the target vessel the ranging zero point lands (two inches for large scale) the firing player adds one point to the ROF die roll. Depending on the die roll and the accuracy of the ranging estimation, the ship may or may not fire that turn. Ships may not conduct salvo fire gunnery if the targets are beyond the maximum allowable firing range (IE - they cannot fire anyway and use their "short" distance as an ROF modifier as if the shell fire had been incorrectly range guessed). See below for specially adapted range guessing combat chart:

· Ranging Guessing Combat Chart
· Ranging Log

Players can use the Battlefleet 1900 Range Log for recording range estimates. Make "pointers" out of card stock to help clarify which ships are being targeted for ranging (not used for aiming). Range guess may also be recorded on the bottom side of the target pointers.

Ranging Shots - As part of the range guessing system, players may make "ranging shots" out to one nautical mile beyond maximum normal (long) gunnery range. The ranging shots are recorded on the range log and measured normally, but they result in no gunnery die roll and can inflict no damage. They do not count as an opening salvo (see rule 303).

Alternate ROF die roll mod - An alternative ranging modifier gives credit for players who guess the target range within 1" (2" for large scale). Using this system, guessing the range within 1" gains the firing player a plus one (+1) on the ROF die. Guessing the range from 1" to 2" is a normal ROF roll, and then a minus one for each full inch missed beyond that.

302 - The 6-6 Exception

Any vessel which began the game with ROF ratings of 6 - 6 will suffer a light G hit in addition to every heavy G hit. This is due to unusually homogenous medium level armament such as 6" and 8" guns.

303 - Opening Salvos

The first time a vessel fires during the game, it receives a +1 on its ROF die roll.

304 - Torpedo Reloads

A vessel may reload (restore) one point of torpedo rating on a die roll result of 2 or 3 using two dice. A ship may not reload to a point value higher than they began the game with. Optional reload rolls are conducted during the Attempt Repairs step.

305 - Split Light Gunnery

At point blank range, a vessel may split its light fire gunnery points amongst multiple targets (this in addition to being able to fire both heavy and light values simultaneously). This can only be done after the normal ROF fire check to see if the ship fired its light rating at all. This rule makes it possible for a vessel with a heavy secondary armament to set-up a "curtain of fire" for purposes of torpedo-boat/destroyer defense. Smallest point packets allowed per base gunnery value are as follows: 1-6 points may split down to one-point packets, 7+ point base gunnery value may split down to two-point packets.

Splitting fire must be done as evenly as possible, so for example a ship with a 12 light gunnery value could split its fire as x2 attacks at 6 each, or x4 attacks at 3 each, but not x2 attacks with one at a 2 and one at a 10.

306 - Lozenge Gun Reserve

The theory behind the lozenge gun arrangement which positioned four single gun turrets in a diamond pattern was to assure a reserve of heavy guns. To recreate this effect as an optional rule, any ship with a lozenge main armament distribution may declare their first heavy G hit as applying to one particular side of the ship (should be the current embattled side, must be port or starboard. May not be done with fore or aft turrets). Any additional G hits apply to the entire vessel. When facing the enemy with the side of the ship opposite the first heavy hit, that first G hit (affecting ROF) is ignored.

DAMAGE

501 - Heavy G Hits Amidships

The general game mechanics pre-suppose that heavy fire will primarily affect related systems on board target vessels. With this rule, heavy G hits impact both heavy and light ROF ratings simultaneously. There are actually two possible levels of application for this rule, with Option A being rather modest and Option B being more extreme:

Option A) On all heavy G hit die results of 2 (snake eyes), reduce one point each from both the heavy and light ROF ratings for the target vessel.
Option B) On all heavy G hits, reduce one point each from both the heavy and light ROF ratings for the target vessel.