A Battle for Ammoriss Supplement

A Game of Naval Combat

Set in the grim darkness of the Warhammer 40K Universe

Rules and Background Eric Farrington

Special Thanks to : The Ammobunker. Community Old Guard,and Doghouse

Chapter Introduction
Ships Squadrons Game Turn Special Orders Movement Phase

Page 4
6 11 15 17 20

Special Ship Types

Battle Phase Ordinance End Phase

28
31 46 54

Welcome to Aquanautica Imperialis! In the pages ahead you will find everything you need to wage raging sea battles in the Warhammer 40,0000 universe. As the admiral of an ocean going fleet, it is up to you to lead the brave sailors under you command to victory. The duty of command is yours to bear as you direct your escorts, cruisers and mighty battleships into action! Are you up for the challenge?

Here you will find the rules and resources you need to play games of Aquanautica Imperialis. Looking at the size of this book may seem daunting. However, take heart. The basic rules are only a handful of pages. The rest allows you to add depth and expand your playing experience. Read the basic rules and get a few games under your belt before you move on to the more challenging elements of the game. Dont be afraid to look up rules as you go. The beginners set of the game will try and provide you with just about everything you need to get started playing. It has the rules, ship counters to use while you build your own fleets, terrain templates to use while you construct your own terrain, and a campaign pack to help you learn the basic rules. The Warhammer 40,000 Universe is full of interesting aliens and unique warring factions. Just about all of them are included in Aquanautica Imperialis. This gives you the chance

to play your favorite! Like games of Warhammer 40,000, each faction has their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. As admiral of your chosen faction, it is up to you to discover and understand the strengths of your force, and exploit the weakness of your foes. Of course, there is no telling what tricks your opponent will have up his sleeve.

Getting Started
Here is a list of things you will need to play: 6 sided Dice. The more the merrier. A Scatter Dice A Small Blast Template from Warhammer 40,000 A Ruler or Tape Measure Ships (Templates or Models) A table to play on. (6x4 is ideal) A blue table cloth Terrain (Templates or Models) At this point, the rules will assume you are familiar with the basics of wargaming; such as what a D6 means or what a scatter dice is

The worlds of the Imperium of Man number in the thousands. The different environments and types of planets are incomprehensible to the average human mind. In this vast array of worlds, many are completely alien to that which human life sprang. The Lex Imperialis is a set of laws dictated by the God-Emperor himself. These laws require all those who claim to rule in his name to protect that which belongs to Him-On-Terra. The Lex Imperialis makes no difference between worlds inhabited by primitive barbarians, and those covered in factories. It makes no difference between worlds that are rock, those that are gas, or those that are water. The Imperial Governors who are given the right to rule, are also given charged to protect his realms from the heretic, the xeno, and the wyrd. In a galaxy wracked by war, the duty laid out in the Lex-Imperialis is not just an idle command. It is a divine imperative. The future of the human race lies in the balance. Amongst this vast array of worlds, are those that are made up primarily of liquids. The most common is water, but some are composed of liquid methane, molten metal, or worse. In such an environment, the only true way to provide protection is with a navy. Only a navy can allow the Imperial Governor to show the Aquilla wherever the inhabitants of his world go. Only a navy can project the Emperors will to all corners of his liquefied planet. Only a navy can interdict and stop invaders that try to thwart the will of the GodEmperor of Mankind on such worlds.

May his divine Majesty rule the waves across the galaxy.
-Attributed to the

Tactica Imperialis

The Imperium of Man uses Standard Template Construction (STC) to build the majority of its technology base. STCs are ancient relics from the Dark Age of Technology that housed the blueprints to every machine imaginable. Sadly, no complete STC system still exists. However, many of the basic blueprints remain. It is from these STC designs that the fighting ships of humanity are made.

Imperial admirals categorize naval vessels into five main categories: Escorts Cruisers Battleships Submersibles Skimmers Battleships are the largest class of naval vessel. They have the heaviest armor, the largest guns, the best power plants, and the biggest crews. They are celebrated throughout the galaxy as the pinnacle of the destructive naval arts. It is upon their heavy armor plates, and massive guns that great battles are won and lost. Cruisers, are the less glamorous younger siblings of the Battleship. They are smaller, faster, and able to loiter off station longer. The Cruiser is the workhorse of any fleet. They do the jobs that need a capital ship, but are not suitable for a battleship. This includes patrolling, commerce raiding, blockading, and showing the Aquilla around the planet. The Cruiser is a vital component of any naval strategy.

Escorts are smaller craft that often act as the eyes and ears of the fleet. They are much smaller than cruisers, carrying lighter armaments and thin armor. Only in packs are they a threat to larger capital ships. However, they make up for these short comings by being relatively cheap, fast, and versatile. Escorts have many vital naval roles. Frequently the escorts will range ahead of the main battle line to locate and pin the enemy fleet. They are also great at launching harassing attacks and dispersing enemy formations. Finally, they can protect the larger ships from opposing escorts and ordinance attacks. Submersibles are a strange breed of naval vessel. Instead of operating on the surface, they operate deep in the oceans depths. Their greatest asset is stealth. They can appear where an enemy least expects them, and deliver a fatal blow from an unexpected quarter. To more traditional officers, the Submersible is sometimes viewed as a threat to the traditional naval

Skimmers are another unique type of vessel. They are primarily used by Xeno forces. Like the name suggests, skimmers fly over the surface of the ocean using foul xeno technologies. This allows them to travel from land to ocean with little or no difficulty. In addition, such vessels are highly maneuverable. Thankfully the majority of skimmers do not exceed escort size or they could be a truly terrifying threat.

Ship Profiles
Every naval vessel has the following Profile: Ship Name: Type/Hits: Armament Class: Speed: Range/Speed Crew: Turns: Leadership: Armor: Firepower Arc

Ship Name Here is where you list the name of the ship. Cruisers and Battleships tend to be named individually. Meanwhile, escorts are normally named by squadron. For example, the Ever Victorious is a famous battleship of the North Ammoriss Navy. Conversely, in the rebel fleets of South Ammoriss the Red Raiders are an infamous escort squadron. Class This is the model of naval vessel. It

is common practice on many worlds to name the class of vessel after the name of the first ship laid down of its type. All ships that follow built on the same specifications are then from the same class. For example, the first major battleship of the North Ammoriss fleet was the AN Ascendant. Currently, the North Ammoriss Naval PDF has 46 Ascendant class battleships in operation on the surface of Ammoriss. Each of these vessels bears its own name, such as the Ascendant class AN Ever Victorious.

Crew This number represents the crewmen that are available to defend the ship in case of a boarding action. Some vessels will have a larger number of overall crewmen, but few that can be spared to help in a boarding action as they are vital to keep the ship running. The size of a ship does not necessarily mean it will have a high crew rating.

Type/Hits A ships type will tell you if it is a Battleship, Cruiser, Escort, Submersible, or Skimmer. Each ship has a certain number of hits it can take before being crippled or potentially sinking. Once this point has been met, the ship may sink into the depths. The more hits a ship has the larger the crew, sturdier the design, and the more back-up systems the ship has. Speed This is how far a ship can move in one turn. There are certain situations where a ship can move faster or slower than this. The speed listed here is considered its cruising speed. More information about cruising speeds and changing speeds will be in the pages ahead. This statistic is measured in inches. Turns This will tell you how sharp a ship can turn. Certain types of ships can only turn a set number of degrees or a certain number of times during any one movement phase. This will also be discussed in more detail in the moving section of the rules. The South Ammoriss Navy has a saying, The bigger they are, the easier it is to get to their weak side. Often times, larger vessels will not be able to turn as quickly or as sharply as smaller more nimble craft.

Leadership This represents the command ability of the captain and officers to have the crew perform in a manner befitting of an Imperial sailor. When the guns roar and the hull echoes to the beat of incoming shells, the crew will be tempted to cower. It is up to the brave officers of the ship to rally the men and make sure they perform their duties, whether it is an inspirational hymn or a crack of the bolt pistol that inspires, all that matters is that the men do their duty. There are various points in the battle when a LD check will be need. Roll a 2d6, if it is the Leadership or below the test is passed.

Armor This stats references how thick the armor plate is on the ship. Armor is used to protect the vital structural components of a vessel from the explosive blast of enemy fire. Without armor, a ship would quickly be shredded by the destructive weaponry of the 40th millennia. The number here will be the number that the player must roll on a dice or higher to avoid taking damage from a hit by an opponent. It is typically expressed as 4+, 5+, 6+, etc. The lower the number, the tougher the armor. Armament Ships in the far future are armed with a variety of potent weapons. These range from mighty macro-cannons, plasma arrays, missile batteries, massive lasers, or other more exotic weaponry. Typically, Ammoriss PDF ships come equipped with powerful macro-cannons which fire a rocket assisted shell that can be as large as a small car. These shells plunge deep into an enemy vessel before detonating with immense concussive and explosive force. Each armament listed in the profile below is considered to be a battery of weapons. It is not assumed to be a single weapon. Often, the term weapon battery is used as a generic catch all for the variety of Imperial and Xeno direct fire weaponry. All weapon systems will lose potency as they speed through the atmosphere towards their target. As a result, there is a point where even if a weapon strikes the target, its power has been dissipated to a point where a hit will be irrelevant. For example, the mighty macrocannons of the Ammoriss Naval PDF will run out of rocket assist propellant after several thousand yards. At this point, the shell has only a few moments of momentum before the force of impact will cease to be effective at penetrating modern armor. It is common for sailors to hear the dull thud of a spent shell against the hull of their ship. These are referred to as The Emperors Grace as he has saved them from a deadly direct hit. This stat is measured in inches. It represents how far a weapon battery can fire effectively in the game. After this point, all shots automatically miss the target for game purposes. If the weapon ordinance, such as a torpedo or aircraft the specifics of

Range/Speed

this measurement is dealt with in the appropriate section. Typically, it will reference how fast or far the ordinance moves from the launching vessel. Firepower Planetary Defense Forces typically do not have access to the most advanced weaponry of the Imperial arsenal. That does not mean that the firepower these primitive weapons can hurl is sub-standard. They are powerful enough to boil away meters of ocean, send plumes of spray hundreds of feet skyward, and turn enemy ships into splinters of metal alloys. Firepower is measured by a single number. The higher the number the better. The number represents the number of dice the ship can roll to try and score a hit on an opposing vessel. Various modifiers will effect this roll such as enemy speed, special orders, range, visibility, etc. These will be discussed in more detail later in the rules.

Arc Every naval vessel is divided into four arcs. An arc is a field of fire for a weapon system. These facings are:

This section of a ships profile will let tell you which weapon system can fire from what arc of the ship. It is possible for a weapon system to be capable of firing in more than one arc thanks to technology like turrets. However, it may only fire in one arc per shooting phase. The only exception to this is Point Defense weapons, but they will be discussed in further detail later in these rules. All measurements (moving, shooting, etc.) are made from the point where all four arcs cross. This is called the mid-point.

A lone escort can not stand alone against a battleship. Enough escorts working together, can even the odds. On Ammoriss, it is common battle doctrine for fleets from all factions to group their naval assets into squadrons. A squadron is simply a group of two or more ships acting in concert, instead of as individual ships. Operating in squadrons can provide a number of advantages to the admiral of a naval fleet. It can provide enhanced command and control, better survivability, and increased firepower. Ships that work together can be a coordinated threat. Squadrons are formed before the game begins. The fleet lists found later in this rule set will talk more about what ships can squadron together. Only ships of the same Type can squadron together. For example, a pair of Cruisers can form a single squadron. However, you can not create a mixed squadron of Cruisers and Escorts. On Ammoriss, it is standing Naval practice to group escorts into groups of at least two ships up to six. Once a squadron is formed, all members of that squadron must stay within three inches of other members of the squadron. Each ship may move according to its wishes, but must begin and end the movement phase within three inches of its squadron mates. Stragglers If any member of the squadron is found to be outside of three inches, the entire squadron loses squadron benefits until the ship out of formation reforms with his fellows. The ship out of formation is referred to as a Straggler. The straggler must try to reform with his squadron in its subsequent movement phase. The confusion caused a straggler causes the squadron commander to spend his time trying to reform the broken squadron instead of issuing any Special Orders that turn. The squadron can not issue or attempt to go on any Special Orders until the squadron is reformed. Special Orders will be discussed later in these rules. There will be times in which a member of the squadron will be unable to stay with his fellows. The ship is either grounded, drifting, entangled in another ship, etc. The squadron commander may choose to

Cut Stragglers. This is a Special Order that will be discussed in the Special Orders section of this book. Squadron Leadership One of the potential benefits of forming a squadron, is that the highest ranking officer takes command of the squadron. His experience and leadership help steady the other less experienced officers. This means the Squadron uses the highest leadership available for the purposes of giving Special Orders and other Leadership Tests. If officer/ship with the highest leadership is destroyed, a straggler, or otherwise unable to act as squadron commander, the ship/officer with the next highest leadership takes command. All vessels within the same squadron will go on the same Special Order. Individual ships are following the commands of the squadron commander instead of using their own initiative. This rule INCLUDES the Brace For Impact Special Order. More information on issuing and following Special Orders is in the Commands section of the rules.

Squadrons Under Fire When a ship or squadron is being fired on by an enemy, it is referred to as being under fire. Captains and squadron commanders strive to keep their ships from being under fire. However, it will happen during the course of a battle. Being part of a squadron can help provide some safety from enemy fire. The attacker can choose which shots he wants to take at the squadron. However, he will only be able to allocate hits on ships that have the same difficulty to hit that the attacker chose to make. The rules for shooting will be found in the Battle Phase section of this book. For example, a squadron of three escorts is moving around an island. The enemy chooses to shoot at the squadron. Since the first escort is in the open, it is the easiest shot to hit. The last escort is still mostly blocked by the island, making it the most difficult shot. The attacker chooses to try to make the easier shot, and succeeds. He hits three times. However, any extra hits can not be allocated on the third escort, as the chances to hit that ships were more difficult to begin with. If the enemy had chosen to try to hit the third escort, and succeeded, any hits beyond the first could be allocated to any of the escorts, as hitting the third escort was the most difficult.

Once hits have been determined, they are allocated on the nearest ship first, until all damage points have been removed. Once the nearest ship has been reduced to zero damage points move onto the next nearest ship until it is reduced to zero damage points. Continue this process until all hits have been allocated. If the attacker has had more hits then eligible targets due to the difficulty of his initial shots; then he can reallocated additional hits on ships with no damage points remaining.

allocate the hit on the third escort. Instead, the attacker chooses to place the third hit on the first escort, and reducing it to negative one damage point. By allocating hits on ships with zero damage points remaining, the attacker may inflict Overkill. This is described in the Shooting Section of the rules. Squadron Fire One of the advantages of being in a squadron is the ability to coordinate firing solutions to increase accuracy. This means a squadron firing can put more shells on target than each vessel firing independently. All ships in the squadron must fire at the same target. Ships in squadron may chose to use the best firing solution at an opposing ship/squadron that is available. This means that the squadron always fires as if it is making the easiest shot for any of the individual ships in the squadron. They fire as a unit. However, any ships in the squadron out of range of the target still automatically miss. In addition, the squadron may stack its firepower. Therefore, the admiral controlling the squadron can roll all of his firepower dice together instead of each ship acting as an individual. Ordinance can also be stacked into one template if the squadron is in formation, i.e. within 3 inches of each other. All ordinance attacks from the

For example, of the three escorts moving around the island the attacker chose the easier shot. Two of the three escorts were eligible to be hit. The attacker rolled three hits. His first hit he places on the first escort. It is reduced to zero damage points. The second hit he places on the second escort which is also reduced to zero damage points. The attacker still has one hit to allocate. Due to his choice to take the easier shot, the attacker can not

squadron must be directed at the same target ship/squadron. The ordinance is always fired from the ship furthest from the target. Please note, that stacking ordinance is optional. It is possible that a controlling play may wish to stack a torpedo barrage one turn, and not stack a depth charge attack the next.

For example, in our previous scenario. The three escorts are appearing around the edge of an island. Escort one and two have relatively clear shots at their opponent. Escort threes shot would be much more difficult due to the island. Since Escort three is part of the same squadron as Escort one and two, it fires on the enemy Cruiser with the same to-hit modifiers. Plus, instead of rolling three separate dice for each ship to-hit, the Escort player can simply roll three dice of firepower simultaneously. This is intended to speed up game play whenever possible.

In a battle at sea, things are always happening. Ships are maneuvering to bring their guns to bear. Officers are shouting orders over the vox. Macro-cannons roar. Metal is twisted and burnt beyond recognition. Sailors steel themselves for duty while others gibber in fear and flee for their lives. Everything is madness. Of course, that is no way to play a game. In an attempt to capture all of this madness this game is broken down into a system. This game uses a turn based activation system. A turn based activation system is a system that is broken down into different elements of game play. A turn is simply the time it takes for both players to complete all the different phases of the game. During each phase, the two players trade off activating and using their forces as appropriate for the phase. When all the phases are complete, the turn is complete. A game ends after a predetermined number of turns. What does this mean to you, the player? In essence, the games is designed to keep both players as engaged in the playing of the game as possible at all times. There are no long waits while one player does a lot of cool things with his fleet, while you wait to do cool things with yours. Instead, you will be constantly interacting with your opponent in an attempt to out think, out maneuver, and out fight them.

A turn is composed of the following phases:

Initiative Phase Movement Phase Battle Phase End Phase Initiative Phase This phase is used to determine who will have the opportunity to begin the activation process for this turn. This is the shortest phase as it is a single dice roll. Movement Phase In this phase, players move their ships and squadrons across the ocean board. All maneuvering, rams, collisions, and boarding are taken care of during this phase of the game turn.

Battle Phase Unsurprisingly, this phase pertains to fighting. In this phase both players resolve their shooting and ordinance launches. This phase ends when all eligible naval units have had an opportunity to fire.

End Phase The End Phase is a catch-all phase that cleans up the board and prepares it for the next game turn. Ordinance is moved, damage is repaired, wake markers are removed, and other general maintenance items are completed.

The Initiative Phase is the shortest phase of the game turn. It consists of a single dice roll. However, it will dictate the flow of later phases.
The winner of the Initiative Phase will choose whether they wish to begin activating their ships and squadrons first or second. The choice made during this phase will carry effect the order of activation in all subsequent phases during this game turn. Both players determine the leadership rating of their admiral. If neither side has paid for a Flagship (or similar fleet upgrade) use the highest Leadership in the fleet.

single D6 and add their admirals leadership. The player that has the highest number chooses whether the want to activate first or second. In the case of a tie, roll again until a winner is determined.
The player who is activating first, can then begin the Movement Phase.

The two opposing players roll a

What is the measure of a skilled captain? One who can maintain his composure in the midst of mind numbing terror, and with a level head do what needs doing. Special Orders are a way of representing this calm, level headed ability of your ships captains to do what needs doing during the battle. Special Orders are given by a ships captain (or the fleets admiral) to focus the ships crew on performing a specific task that needs to be done, done right, and done immediately. As a result of the crews attention to carrying out the Special Orders given, other normal operations of the ship may suffer. A Special Order will improve a ships chances to do a specific function depending on the exact order given. Special Orders can be declared whenever a ship or squadron is activated. Note, ships are activated during the movement and battle phase. However, a ship can only ever have one Special Order for the duration of a game turn. Ships that are part of a squadron must all go on the same Special Order. Once a Special Order is declared, the ship immediately takes a Leadership test to determine if the officers and crew have successfully executed on the captain's orders. Roll 2d6. if the result is the Leadership rating of the ship or under, the test is passed and the Special Order is carried out. Squadron does NOT receive the benefits from the Special Orders. In addition, no other Special Orders can be attempted at future activations. Note, some Special Orders are reactive. These Special Orders, when given will immediately replace the existing Special Orders after a successful Leadership Test. Once the reactive Special Orders are accepted, the ship must maintain those orders until the end of the game turn.

If the test is failed, then the ship or

The list below is all of the Special Orders available. This list will include the name of the Special Order, the phase it can be used in, and any other special restrictions. For example, only certain types of ships can use some Special Orders.. In addition, it will list eh advantage and the drawback of each order. All Ahead Full Movement Phase Advantage- This Special Order allows the ship to move UP TO double its cruising speed for this game turn. Drawback- While moving so rapidly it is impossible to launch ordinance, and fire weaponry. All firepower is halved on the ship (Rounding Down). In addition, the ship can not execute any turns while on this Special Order. Reverse Engines Movement Phase Advantage- The ship can do one of two things. It can either stop moving forward for the remainder of the turn, or it can move BELOW its normal cruising speed. This Special Order is required to become disentangled. Drawback- Again, the unexpected movements of the ship making shooting difficult. The ships firepower is halved (Rounding Down). In addition, ordinance can not be launched. Come to New Heading Movement Phase Advantage- The ship can make up to two turns during the movement

phase. However, the normal rules for turning still apply to the extra turns. Drawback- The rapid direction change can make it difficult to target the enemy. The ships firepower is halved (Rounding Down). In addition, ordinance can not be launched. Cut Stragglers Movement Phase Advantage- This Special Order allows a squadron to leave behind a damaged or inoperable ship without losing squadron formation. Drawback- The straggler loses all squadron benefits immediately. Evasive Maneuvers Movement Phase Advantage- The ship can make very small adjustments in its course to avoid an unintentional collision with another ship. At the point of contact, the ship on Evasive Maneuvers Special Orders rolls a d6. On a 4+, the collision is avoided. Drawback- The crew is transfixed by the drama of avoiding the collision. The ships firepower is halved (Rounding Down). In addition, ordinance can not be launched. Run Silent, Run Deep Movement Phase Submersibles Only Advantage- if the Leadership test is passed, this Special Order allows a submersible to attempt to crash dive and avoid their enemies. When this Special Order is successfully used, the ship is simply removed from play and placed back into reserves. It will

The normal rules for Submersibles entering play from reserves going forward. Drawbacks- If the Leadership to execute the Special Order fails, the submersible must move its full cruising speed straight ahead. It can not fire any weapons or ordinance. In addition, since this Special Order is executed in the movement phase, the sub will not be able to shoot this turn. Load Ordinance Battle Phase Advantage- This Special Order allows a ship to launch fresh ordinance attacks in the Battle Phase. Drawbacks- If the test is failed, then no new ordinance can be used in the battle phase.

on, it may not have made any turns in the movement phase. Brace For Impact Any Phase- Special Advantages- A ship can go on Brace For Impact at any point, even during an opponents activation. This Special Order will also stay in effect until the end of the game turn. This Order allows the ship to take a 4+ brace save against any hit that penetrates the ships armor, even hits that normally are not allowed a save. Drawbacks- Once the Brace For Impact Special Order is declared it replaces any existing Special Order, and no other Special Orders can be performed by the ship. This means, if a ship is forced to Brace For Impact before it activates, it will not be able to try to go on any other Special Orders. A ship can only attempt to go on Brace For Impact once a turn. If the Leadership Test is failed, it can not try to go on this Special Order again from other hits.

Lock-On Battle Phase Advantage- The to-hit rolls for shooting attacks can be re-rolled. Drawback- This has no effect on ordinance attacks. If a ship has lock-

Naval combat is not static. It is dynamic and ever changing. This is when your fleet moves to action against your foes. Now is when you move your ships into position to unleash your battle plan. It is a critical phase. The admiral who masters the art of movement is all ready on the path to victory. Water flows, it is constantly in motion. Naval warfare is no different. Ships race forward towards the enemies battle line. Escorts flee before they are crushed. Merchantmen scatter at the mere sight of an enemy vox antennae. Aquanautica Imperialis is about movement. In this phase, you move your fleet across the oceans. The player who is going first chooses a ship or squadron to activate. Once a ship is activated, another ship or squadron may not be activated until the initial choice has completed its movement phase. A ship or squadron can only be activated once per phase. When the first ship or squadron has completed its movement phase, the opponent may then activate one of his units. Players will continue to tradeoff activations until all units on the board have been activated and moved. If one player still has squadrons to activate and the other does not, simply play through until all squadrons have been activated and moved. Cruising Speed A ship moves up to its cruising speed when activated. Cruising speed is the number of inches indicated in the ships profile. A ship may only increase its cruising speed by using a Special Order such as All Ahead Full. However, every ship has a MINIMUM movement equal to half of the ships cruising speed (rounding down). A ship must move AT LEAST this minimum distance every movement phase. It is impossible for a ship to be activated and do nothing. The only way to avoid moving a ships minimum speed is by using the Reverse Engines Special Order. A ship or squadron may move any distance between minimum speed and cruising speed that a player wishes. No Special Orders are required. For example, a Cruiser has a speed in its profile of 8. The Cruiser has a cruising speed of eight inches. The minimum speed is 4 inches. Therefore, a Cruiser can move between four and eight inches every turn. However, the Cruiser must move at least four inches every time that the ship is activated in the movement phase. The Cruiser may go further or shorter by using Special Orders, if the player wishes.

Turning The bigger a warship is, the harder it is to get it to change course. It is a simple matter of physics. Objects in motion tend to follow the same trajectory until an outside force acts upon them. The greater the change in trajectory, the greater the force required to make the change.

In the game, ships move the in the direction they are facing. If a player needs a ship to change course, the vessel will need to execute a turn.
The angle a ship can turn is listed on its profile. This is in degrees, so if you see a 45, then the ship can make a single turn up to forty-five degrees from the initial direction. If it is 90, then the ship can make a turn up to ninety degrees. A ninety degree turn would leave the final direction of the ship perpendicular to the original path. Ships can only make a single turn per movement phase. The Come to New Heading Special Order is the only exception to this rule.

When a ship is turning, it does not simply pivot in place. The vessel all ready has momentum, so such a maneuver would be impossible. To represent this, any ship that is executing a turn must have first made a forward movement of two inches. If for some reason (damage, wake, etc.) the ship can not move forward two inches, no turn can be initiated. At this point, pivot the ship to the new heading. After the pivot is completed, the ship must be able to move an additional two inches forward. If it can not, the turn can not be executed. After the second two inch move is completed, the turn is considered complete. The vessel may now continue its movement phase normally. However, the four inches used to conduct the turn are still subtracted from the total movement rate.

For example, a cruiser with a movement of 8 inches and capable of making a 45 degree turn is heading north. It is activated by the player for his movement phase, and the player decides that the cruiser will turn. The cruiser would first have to move two inches forward. Then pivot forty-five degrees the direction it was turning. Then it would move forward another two inches. At this point, the cruiser would still have 4 inches of movement remaining. It would not be able to execute a further turn. A ship can initiate a turn at any point in its movement provided it has at least four inches of movement remaining to execute a turn. In addition, the ship can use any remaining move normally after completing a turn. Collisions As you can see from the turning rules, ocean going warships are not that maneuverable. When they are operating tight formations accidents can happen. Many naval careers have been ruined by a poorly timed turn that resulted in a collision. The results of all collisions are worked out when they occur in the movement phase. A collision is different than a ram, as a collision is an unintentional act. It occurs

whenever two naval vessels come in contact with each other it is considered a collision. In the event of a collision, both ships involved may be damaged. Each ship will take 1d3 points of damage. These can be saved normally with armor and Brace For

craft in a dangerous embrace. When ships become entangled, neither of them can move. Instead they become subject to Drift. The crews of entangled ships can chose to attempt a boarding action immediately when the Entangling occurs. Typically, this occurs after the results of any Collision or Ramming are calculated. Any vessel reduced to zero damage points can not initiate a boarding attempt. For more information on Boarding, please see the appropriate section below.

Impact saves. The Evasive Maneuvers special order can be used to avoid potential collisions. Please see the rules for Special Orders for more information. Any ships involved in a collision will become Entangled and be subject to Drift. It is important to note, that any ships that are part of a collision will be subject to Drift before they are given a chance to break free from being entangled. More information on Entangling and Drift can be found ahead. Entangling Naval ships will become entangled if they collide or ram each other. The great metal plates buckle and twist around each other, and lock the two Once entangled, ships can not attempt to become disentangled until activated in the following movement phase. It is possible for a ship that is rammed or involved in a collision to miss its movement phase, as a vessel that is entangled can not move. Entangled ships can be targeted by ranged weapons as normal. An entangled ship may also fire normally. To become disentangled, one of the entangled ships must be activated and then go on the Reverse Engines Special Orders. Once the order has been successfully given, a disentangle attempt can be made. Roll a d6. if the result is 4+ the

ships have successfully disentangled. The activated ship is placed up to two inches straight back from the other craft. The activated ships movement phase ends. Drift Land is static. If you stop moving, you stop. The ocean is very different. It is always moving. If a vessel stops moving, it is simply carried along by the force of currents, winds, and tides. The Drift rules help to simulate this effect. If a ship is unable to move or is immobilized for any reason, it will become subject to Drift. This typically occurs if a ship becomes Entangled or is a reduced to zero damage points. Drift occurs in the End Phase. In the End Phase, any immobilize/entangled ships are rolled for. Use the Scatter Dice and a d3. The arrow rolled on the scatter dice is the direction of the scatter, and the number is the distance in inches. Move the immobilized ship the direction of the arrow the number of inches rolled.

For example, an Ork cruiser mistimed his turn and collided with a Chaos cruiser off the coast of South Ammoriss. The Ork ship immediately stops moving. The two ships become entangled. Since the Chaos cruiser had not been activated yet, it loses its chance to move in this movement phase. The two ships can not attempt disentangle until their following movement phase. The rest of the two fleets continue playing as normal. Once the End Phase occurs, the two entangled ships drift.

The Scatter Dice and a D6 are rolled. The D6 comes up three, and the arrow points Southwest. The two ships drift 2 in the direction the arrow indicates. Since the End Phase occurs before the next Movement Phase, any entangled ships will drift before they can attempt to disentangle from each other.

During the next Movement Phase, the Chaos cruiser activates first. The player decides to attempt to disentangle from the Ork cruiser. First he makes the command check to go on the Reverse Engines Special Order. He succeeds. Next, he rolls a D6. The Chaos player needs a 4+ to disentangle successfully. He rolls a 6, so the attempt is successful. The Chaos player decides to move his cruiser the full 2 away from the collision. The Chaos cruisers Movement Phase comes to an end. The Ork Cruiser can now activate and move normally.

measures. A ram occurs in the Movement Phase. Rams must be declared when the ship is activated, but before the activated ship as actually moved. In addition, the activated ship must pass a command check and go on the All Ahead Full Special Order in order to carry out a successful ram. When a successful ram occurs, calculate all results from the ram before moving on in the Movement Phase. A successful ram inflicts 1d3 points of damage on each ship involved in the ram. Normal armor and Brace for Impact saves are allowed. If the ramming ship is equipped with a ram, it will inflict 1d6 damage points instead of the normal 1d3. A successful ram results in both ships becoming Entangled. Once two ships are Entangled, Boarding operations may be initiated before moving on in the Movement Phase.

Ramming Unlike a collision, a ram is an intentional attempt to crash into an enemy craft. Most sane captains will never attempt a ram, as the potential to irreparably damage their own ship is too great. However, sometimes desperate times call for desperate

Boarding When two ships are locked together, there is no better time to attempt to board. In a boarding action, the crew from both ships try to fight their way over to the opponents ship and cause havoc. The fighting is up close and deadly.

A boarding action can only occur after a collision or ram. The decision to initiate a boarding action occurs after the results of the ram or collision are calculated. Vessels that have been reduce to zero damage points can not initiate or participate in a boarding action. The crew is too busy abandoning ship to both defending it, and no one wants to scramble onto a sinking craft. Either of the entangled ships can choose to initiate a boarding action. Both ships MUST participate even if one ship chooses to board and not the other. There is no additional benefits for being the player that has chosen to initiating a boarding action. The following procedure will allow players to determine the results of a boarding action. Each ship rolls a d6, and adds their Crew ratings. The ship that has the highest result is the winner. The winner has managed to inflict a critical hit on the opposing ship. The winner rolls on the Critical Damage table to determine what damage was inflicted on the loser. In addition, the losing ship has its Crew rating reduced by one. A ships crew rating can never go below zero. If a losing ship would have had their Crew rating reduced below zero, then the loser takes one damage point instead of the Crew reduction.

This rule applies to all potential crew reductions, not just those from boarding actions. Grounding Sea warfare is fraught with peril. If the enemies guns are not perilous enough, Mother Nature is also against you. Many a warship has met an untimely demise on jagged rocks or a shallow shoal. Any movement of turn that brings a ship in to contact with land will cause 1d6 damage points. These can not be saved. In addition, the ship is immediately immobilized. In the following Movement Phase, when activated the ship may attempt to return to sea. The ship must successfully go on Reverse Engines Special Orders. Then the controlling player must roll a d6. On a 5+. The ship can be moved directly back from the land up to half of its Cruising Speed. This ends the ships move.

In addition, when sea going vessels move close to land they are in danger of running aground on rocky outcroppings, reefs, and other shallow water hazards. These dangers lurk unseen below the surface, but are suitably shallow enough to damage an unwary boats hull. In normal peace time operations, these pose little threat as they are well mapped. However, in the frantic action of battle, navigation can become less precise. To represent this danger, when a ship moves within one inch of a land mass make a Command Check. If

successful, the proper navigation was done and the ship is safe. If failed, the ship has struck and underwater obstacle. The vessel takes 1d6 damage points. However, Brace for Impact saves maybe used to avoid damage. In addition, the ship is immobilized as it becomes hung up on the rocks. In the following Movement Phase, when activated the ship may attempt to return to sea. The ship must successfully go on Reverse Engines Special Orders. Then the controlling player must roll a d6. On a 5+. The ship can be moved directly back from the land up to half of its Cruising Speed. This ends the ships move.

In the distance future of the forty-first millennium more than just ships prowl the oceans. The Imperium of Man and her many enemies have developed a number of unique and deadly technologies. This section will discuss how to represent the exotic and advanced killing machines of naval warfare. The majority of vessels encountered in a game of Aquanautica Imperialis are surface ships. However, in the grim darkness of the far-future, other more sinister ship types are lurking. These rules will deal with submerged vessels and skimmers. A submerged vessel is a craft capable of navigating beneath the surface. They are commonly referred to as submarines or submersibles. They are capable of navigating on the surface, but typically spend the majority of their time cruising deep inside the oceans depths. Skimmers on the other hand navigate above the oceans surface. The hull of a skimmer never need touch a the top of a wave. The are typically operated by advanced antigravity engines or other technological wonders. Skimmers do not have the capability for true flight. Instead, they operate several feet above the oceans surface. This allows skimmers to perform feats of maneuver that normal ocean going vessels can not match. They can spin and turn on a dime. In addition, they travel over land just as easily as they do the sea. This makes skimmers a very unique vehicle within the world of Aquanautica Imperialis.

Submerged Craft If a ship can submerge, it swill have the submerge special rule listed in the ship profile. The purpose of a submerging ship is to be able to through the ocean without being detected. In games, this means that submerged vessels are not placed on the board. Instead, they are set aside in a special status called Reserves. During the Movement Phase, the player controlling the submerged craft may choose to bring the ship out of Reserves and into play. To do this, the controlling player activates the submerged craft. They then make a Command Check for the ship. If successful, the submerged craft can enter play. If failed, it stays in Reserves until the following Movement Phase. To enter play, the controlling player places the submerged craft anywhere on the board. This is not the final entry point. To determine that roll a d3 and the Scatter dice. The Scatter dice is the direction you will move the submerged craft, and the d3 is the number of inches. If a HIT is rolled on the Scatter Dice, the submerged craft enters where the controlling player placed it. Otherwise, move the craft where the dice indicated from the proposed entry point. Once deployed, the vessel may make no further moves.

Attack Depth Once a submerged craft enters play, it is not assumed to be on the surface. It has simply come to attack depth. At this depth, it is easier to detect with scanners, and vulnerable to antisubmarine ordinance. However, it is still beneath the surface of the sea. At Attack Depth, a submerged craft has limited protection. They can not be targeted by direct fire weapons. They can not be collided with, rammed or boarded. When at Attack Depth, they are only vulnerable to torpedoes, depth charges, bombers, and other template weapons. Conversely, they can not attack with any direct fire weapons, initiate a ram, or participate in a boarding action. Surfacing A submerged craft may choose to come to the surface in any Movement Phase after the one it enters play. It can not return to Attack Depth until the following Movement Phase. Once on the surface, the submerged craft can use direct fire weapons, ram, and board as normal. However, it also is vulnerable to these types of attacks like any other surface vessel. Forced to Surface If a submerged craft is at Attack Depth, a Critical Hit is caused, the submerged craft will automatically surface. It is then treated like any other surface going craft.

Units that are skimmers are activated and used just like any other ship/squadron. They can move at any speed up to full. In addition, they can turn freely and make as many turns as they wish. Skimmers cannot be grounded or be part of a collision, instead they simply move over the terrain or ships they come in contact with. In battle skimmers are fired at like Ordinance and require a 6+ to hit from direct fire weapons and torpedoes. Las-Batteries, Mines, and Aircraft; strike on a 4+ as normal. If a Skimmer is reduced to zero damage points then they are removed from play and replaced with a wake marker as the skimmer crashes. Skimmers Skimmers are governed by a unique set of rules compared to other surface going naval vessels. As such, they are not recommended for use by those who are new to the game. Skimmers add an extra level of maneuverability to any fleet. On the downside, they are typically fragile and expensive compared to typical surface craft. Skimmers cannot go on any special orders as they are generally too small and fragile of craft compared to other naval squadrons. They operate more like aircraft than traditional ocean going warships. Skimmers cannot be boarded or rammed. They can initiate a boarding action, but cannot be boarded in return. If a Skimmer loses a boarding action, they suffer no ill effects as the crews of non-skimmers cannot attack back effectively.

In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, the fight for survival is all consuming. On land, space, and air; warriors struggle for mastery. The oceans of the war torn universe offer no reprieve or respite. Even on the high seas, there is only war.

The Battle Phase is where all the cunning maneuvers of the Movement Phase come to a head. It is filled with the roar of macro-cannons, the hiss of las-batteries, and the devastating blasts of detonating ordinance. During this phase, opposing fleets will fire their guns, launch ordinance, and cause damage to their enemies. Once all squadrons in the opposing fleets have completed their Movement Phase, the player who won the Initiative may begin the Battle Phase. Once this phase begins, no other movement can be executed this turn. Be sure all movement has been completed before beginning this phase of the game. The player who won initiative may

activate any unit he wishes to begin the Battle Phase. Once activated the squadron will complete all parts of the Battle Phase. Once a squadron has been activated the player may not go back and reactivate that unit. Once the unit has completed its Battle Phase, your opponent can then activate a unit of his force and move through the Battle Phase with the activated unit. This sequence of alternating activation continues until all units have completed the Battle Phase. At this point you move onto the End Phase. Players will continue to alternate until all squadrons have moved. If one player has squadrons remaining to be activated and the other does not, simply continue playing through squadron by squadron until all squadrons have been activated.

A ship or squadron that is activated in the Battle Phase may choose to fire its weapons in any order. Alternately, a player may activate a unit and choose for them to do nothing. All weapons of the same type and in the same arc are considered to be fired together. A unit can fire ordinance, then direct fire weapons, launch aircraft, and then fire direct fire weapons from a different arc. The order of firing and launching ordinance makes no difference. However, any weapon system can only be launched or fired once a turn. The only exception to this is Point Defense systems. For example, a Reliable cruiser is armed with turreted bow macrocannons, turreted stern macrocannons, bow torpedo tubes, and point defenses in all arcs. Once the cruiser is activated in the Battle Phase, the player may choose to fire: Bow macro-cannons to port Stern macro-cannons to starboard Bow torpedoes forward

Direct Fire Direct fire is the most common type of shooting found between warships. Essentially, each ship aims its huge guns at a target it can see, and opens fire. The gunners will try and correct misses based on where the previous shells splash into the water. Direct fire weapons move too fast or are too small to counter with anti-ordinance point defense weapons. The Macro-cannon is a common type of direct fire weapon used by Imperial and rebel forces. However, it not the only type used by humans. In addition, various xeno races have their own versions such as the Tyranid Venom Cannon and the Ork Big Dakka Kannon.

Range Various weapon systems will have different ranges in which they can effectively target an enemy. The weapons maybe able to reach farther, but after the range listed they are no longer capable of delivery the amount of force needed to damage modern ships.

Or the controlling player could choose to fire in any other combination of weapons, as long as the same weapon system did not fire more than once. If the turreted bow and stern macrocannons were firing in the same arc their firepower could be rolled together.

To determine the range of a shot, simply draw a straight line between the mid-point of the firing ship, and the mid-point of the target ship. The length of this line is the range. If the line is longer than the range of the weapon, the shots automatically miss. The guns are still considered to have fired, but they simply fail to either hit or damage the target by default. Fire Arcs As discussed earlier, all ships are divided into four arcs. Typically the description of the weapon system will let you know which arc the weapon can fire in.

Some weapons can fire into more than one arc. However, any weapon can only be fired in one arc during the Battle Phase. The only exception to this is Point Defense weapons, who will be discussed in further detail later. For example, the forward macrocannons of a Reliable cruiser are mounted in a turret. That means the forward guns can fire to the port, bow, or starboard. In any one Battle Phase, the forward macro-cannons must choose which of those three arcs it will fire into; either the port, bow, or starboard; but not all three. If no targets are within a weapons fire arc, then the weapon can not be fired. It is also possible that an enemy can be in more than one fire arc at a time. This means weapons that can fire in either arc, may fire at the ship. The usual rules for firing in one arc per Battle Phase applies.

However, in the far flung future of the 41st millennium most ships have sophisticated communications, detection, and targeting technologies. A enemy ship can be targeted without True LOS if at least one other ship in the same fleet can draw True LOS to the target unit. This is Third Party LOS. The effect of this rule makes it relatively hard to hide in the open ocean. However, if you are firing on a target without True LOS, the attack is considered Fully Obscured. Target Priority A squadron should fire at the closest enemy squadron. A squadron can choose to fire at any target they want, however, if they wish to fire at an enemy unit other than the closest, then they must pass a LD test. If failed, no firing may occur. In addition, many ships have more than one weapon system. That means, it is possible for the closest target to be different for weapon systems in different arcs. Obscured Most captains do not want to expose their ships to the direct fire of the enemy. When possible, they try to hide behind terrain or other smaller craft. This is called obscuring. If a ship has an intervening piece of terrain, model, etc it is considered obscured. The ship has a -1 modifier to be hit from shooting. If the firing ship can not draw LOS to the mid-point of the Target, the target ship is considered Obscured. Some examples of an obscured target are the following: A smaller ship in between the firing ship and the target. The target ship is moving around an island. Target is entangled, and another ship is between the firing ship and target. Ordinance templates and wake markers do not count for purposes of obscuring.

Line of Sight (LOS) Line of Sight (LOS) is required to effectively fire direct fire weapons. To determine line of sight, a straight line must be able to be drawn from the firing ship to the target ship without crossing intervening terrain or models. This is called True LOS. Typically, when you measure for range, you will also be able to determine line of sight.

For Example, two ANS Assured escorts are engaging an Ork cruiser. The Ork cruiser is moving around a small island. The Ork kaptin has cunningly placed the island between himself and the escorts. Escort A and Escort B are in separate squadrons.

a smaller target for calculating the to hit roll. Escort B will fire without this modifier. If Escort A and B were in a Squadron, Escort A could fire on the Ork cruiser with the same modifiers as Escort B due to the Squadron firing rules found in the Squadrons section of the rulebook.

Out of Sight While on the open seas, it is very difficult for a ship to be Out of Sight. There are simply few places where a large ship can hide. However, there are situations where it can happen.
If Escort A fires on the Ork cruiser it is considered an Obscured shot. The mid-point of Escort A can not draw a LOS to the mid-point of the Ork Cruiser. If Escort B were to fire, it would not be an obscured shot as the mid-point of Escort B has a clear LOS to the mid-point of the Ork cruiser. If LOS is being drawn to a target, and intervening terrain/models are larger than the target unit, then the target units are considered out of sight. Units that are Out of Sight can not be fired upon as the gunners can not get accurate co-ordinates to fire at.

When Escort A fires on the Ork Cruiser the Ork Cruiser is treated as

For example, Escort A is out of sight of Rebel A since the intervening rock formation is larger than Escort A. Rebel B can not target Escort A.

Fully Obscured As discussed in the Line of Sight section of the rules, it is possible to fire upon a ship without True LOS. As long as a single ship in the same fleet can draw True LOS, then any ship can be considered to have LOS to a ship for firing purposes. However, it is much harder for gunners to hit a target that is being communicated to them via a third party then by firing using their own targeting systems. As a result, all shots at a target using a third party LOS are considered to be Fully Obscured. In order to hit a fully obscured target, a Natural 6 must be rolled on the to hit roll. Note: Aircraft markers CAN be used to determine Third Party LOS.

However, in this scenario Rebel B has a True LOS to Escort A. That means Rebel A can draw Third party LOS for targeting purposes on Escort A. Rebel A can now fire on Escort A, but must treat Escort A as if it were fully obscured. All Firepower rolls require a natural 6 to hit.

Point Blank The closer you are to a target, the easier it is to hit them. At a certain distance, it becomes nearly impossible to miss. This is called Point Blank range. If a target is less than three inches away from the firing vessel, it is considered Point Blank. Essentially, this is so close that ships of the same fleet could squadron. Seamen can see each other on deck, read each others signal flags, and easily make out bow identification markers. That is very close. All firing at Point Blank range hits on a 2+. No other modifiers apply. At

For example, Rebel A can not see Escort A as the intervening terrain is larger than Escort A and hence blocking all LOS. Therefore, Escort A can not be targeted normally.

this range no amount of fancy maneuvering, moving abeam, size of target, etc. has any bearing. Las Batteries Instead of macro-cannons, some ships mount huge energy weapons. These weapon systems are conventionally called Las-batteries. A Las-battery has a number of advantages over traditional naval guns. They are easier to aim, do not require ammunition, and do not kick out any smoke. However, they are much less robust, harder to maintain, and require huge sources of energy to be effective. As such, they have not replaced the more traditional Macrocannons in Imperial fleets.

other direct fire weapons such as rockets, missiles, or rapid firing cannon. Either way, a weapon battery is cruder than the more glamorous Lasbattery but usually make up for it with reliability, low-cost, and easy maintenance. When you are firing with a weapon battery all weapons in the battery add up their firepower. This is the number of dice that you will roll to hit. The base roll to hit a target is 4+ on a d6. Unlike Las-batteries, weapon batteries are subject to a number of modifiers to can influence the likelihood of hitting the target. The modifiers are combined to the die roll to determine the end result of the roll. Each successful 4+ causes 1 point of damage that can be saved using Armor or Brace For Impact saves.

A Las-battery fires a stream of weaponized energy at the target, making them significantly easier to hit with. As a result, all shots with a Las-Battery hit on a 4+ regardless of enemy speed, size, approach, etc. However, Las-batteries are affected by Obscuring and Point Blank normally. You roll one dice per point of Firepower.
In addition, Las-batteries are so powerful, that no Armor saves are allowed. Only Brace For Impact saves can negate the damage of a Las-Battery. Weapon Batteries As mentioned, the most common weapon system on Imperial craft is the Macro-cannon. Some vessels use

Moving Abeam A ship is considered moving abeam if it is moving across the firing arc of the shooting ship. It can be very difficult to train direct fire weapons on ships that are moving the opposite direction or across the weapons field

of fire. To hit targets in this situation takes a higher level of training, skill, and luck.

Return shots from the Atrocities would have no moving abeam modifiers from bow shots, but would for any the starboard arc shots.

For Example, in this scenario the trio of Tyranid Atrocities are moving abeam of the the Reliable cruisers starboard side. Shots from the Bow arc would NOT suffer the Moving Abeam Modifier, but shots from the Starboard arc WOULD have the modifier.

In this example, the trio of Atrocities are moving abeam of the Reliable cruisers bow. This means that shots from the bow weapons would receive the -1 modifier. However, return shots from the Atrocities port weapons would NOT suffer from moving abeam modifiers.

Defense Lasers Only the largest ships in the fleet are capable of mounting a defense Laser system. The weapon is intended for use against spaceships in low orbit, not other sea going vessels. However, in a pinch they can be used in a naval battle. The very nature of the weapon system makes them difficult to use with any precision.

Once the template is set, roll the scatter dice and a d6.

Nominate a target ship as normal. Instead of rolling to hit, place the small blast template over the center point of the ship. Roll a 1d6 and the scatter dice. If the scatter dice comes up as a hit the shot does not deviate. Otherwise, move the template the number of inches rolled in the direction of the arrow. Any ship touched by the blast take 1d6 hits that can not be saved by armor. Only Brace For Impact saves are allowed.

In this case, the distance deviated is three inches, and the direction is directly in front of the Bullhead. Will it still be enough to hit the target ship?

For Example, a defense laser attack is being used on this Tau Auxilliary Fleet Bullhead. The first step is to place the blast marker down on the top of the target ship. The center of the template should cover the midpoint of the target vessel.

It was close, but it looks like this time the defense laser hit the enemy vessel. The template only needs to be touching the target for it to be considered a hit. The Tau ship will now take 1d6 hits, with no Armor saves allowed. The Tau player will want to seriously consider going on Brace For Impact. That is the only way to save a defense laser hit.

Damage Once a ship has been hit by a salvo from their opponent, they may take damage from the blast. Every hit inflicted removes one point of damage from the ship. Ships have an opportunity to avoid these damage points in one of two ways. First, they can attempt to save using their armor. Remember some hits (Like Las-Batteries) negate armor. For every hit, roll a d6. If you score your armor rating or more, the damage has been absorbed by the ships armor. In addition, a ship can go on the Brace for Impact special order. In this case, the ship gets a 4+ save against every damaging hit. Any Armor or Brace saves that are failed result in a point of damage to the ship.

For Example, a Reliable cruiser has a total of eight damage points (DP) and has an armor rating of 4+. If the Reliable has been hit by four successful hits, it could potentially take four points of damage, which would reduce it to four DP. However, it decides to go on the Brace for Impact Special Order, and succeeds the command test. First the Reliable rolls its Armor rolls. It rolls One dice per hit, and scores a 6,5, 3, and 2. Two dice were the needed 4+ so only two hits remain. The Reliable then rolls for Brace, and gets a 5 and 1. One hit is negated, but one remains. The Reliable takes one DP and is reduced to 7 DP overall.

Crippled Ships that lose half of their damage points are crippled. A crippled ship reduces its speed by 2 inches. In addition, their Firepower is reduced by half (rounding down). They are unable to fire a Defense Laser if they are so equipped. Escorts cannot be crippled. Therefore any escort with 2 DP (or more) that loses DP, will still function as normal. Critical Hits Naval weapons in the 41st Millennium are brutal and inhuman devices. They can unleash horrific amounts of damage on metal and flesh.

Any hit that causes a damage point may also lead to additional critical damage to the struck vessel. To determine if a damaging hit caused critical damage, roll and additional d6. If the result is a 6, the ship has sustained a critical hit and additional horrific damage has been done. Any escort that receives a critical hit will automatically be reduced to 0DP no matter how many DP the escort had remaining. Determine sinking as normal. For all other vessels, roll another 2d6 and consult the critical damage table below. If a critical hit is rolled that can not be applied, use the next highest result instead.

2-4 - One weapon system is destroyed! Determine the weapon system randomly.
5- Massive casualties! The hit has caused massive crew casualties. The ships crew rating is reduced by 1. 6- Rudder Jammed! The ship is unable to change course or make turns. 7-8- Fire! Roll to put out the fire every End Phase. If it is not put out, the fire causes one extra point of damage to the ship.

9- Screw Fouled! The ships propulsion system has been damaged. The ships cruising speed is reduced by 2 inches.
10- Bridge Destroyed! The captain and officers have been killed. Reduce the LD of the ship by 3. This can not be repaired. 11- Hull Breach! The ships hull has been breached and revealed its weaker superstructure to enemy fire. Reduce the ships armor by 1. 12- Bulkhead Collapse! The internal supports have begun to collapse and water is surging into the hull. The ship takes an additional 1d3 points of damage.

Sinking Sinking is a part of naval combat. It is something every Captain tries to avoid, and every sailor dreads. When a vessel has zero damage points left, it may sink. The ship can no longer function and is reduced to a floating hulk. It can no longer move or fight normally and is instead governed by the rules found here. In the End Phase for any ship reduced to zero DP, roll a d6. On a 1, the ship explodes. Place a small blast template over the ship, with the center hole of the template over the mid-point of the ship. Any other ship touched by the template take 1d3 damage points. They can take Armor and Brace For Impact saves as normal. The ship is replaced with Wake Markers equal to the size of the ship. On a 2-5, the hulk stays afloat. Instead, it is subject to the rules for drifting and will immediately determine where it drifts to. On a 6, the ship is removed from play as it sinks beneath the waves. Replace the ship with an equal amount Wake Markers as the size of the sunken ship. Overkill A ship floating in the water is in a delicate balance of opposing forces. The laws of buoyancy allow it to stay above the surface, but if that delicate equilibrium is broken, a ship can sink shockingly quick. It is possible for a ship to take so much damage that it will immediately sink. Essentially any time a ship takes half of their starting damage point past zero, it will sink. The sinking takes place immediately upon receiving the overkill hit, and no additional drifting or sinking rolls are made. The ship is replaced with Wake Markers as appropriate. For Example, an AN Faithful has 1 DP starting. If it receives 2 DP of damage in a single turn, it will immediately sink. A rebel Just cruiser has six DP starting. It would not be overkilled unless it received 9 DP of damage total.

Wake Markers As shells, missiles, and torpedoes explode amongst an oncoming fleet, the water is churned up into a boiling mass. These choppy seas can make it difficult to maneuver, and slows the progress of vessel moving through it. This situation can cause problems for squadrons as they attempt to execute their battle plans.

In some situations, the Wake Markers will be placed along side of a ship. Some examples are when Firepower of 10 strikes, from a Defense Laser, etc. Place the markers on the side of the ship where the attacks came from. Once placed, Wake Markers do not move. In the case of multiple attacks, do not stack the markers, but spread them around as much as possible.

The churning water is referred to as wake. It is represented on the board with the use of Wake Markers. Vessels touching a Wake Marker can be effected adversely.
Place a wake marker on the table where one of the following occurs:

Wake Markers have effects to the squadrons and ships near them. If a ship comes in contact with a wake marker the following effects may occur:

If a ship comes in contact with multiple Wake Markers the effects are not cumulative. The number of Wake Markers placed vary depending on the situation. Sinking/Exploding Ship- One Wake Marker per Damage Point of the ship. Defense Laser/Depth ChargesEnough Wake Markers to fill the blast template. Ordinance Destroyed- One Wake Marker per Ordinance marker destroyed Firepower 10- One Wake Marker per Point of Firepower 10 and over.

For example, A squadron of three Reliable cruisers fires on an Ork Big Dakka Boat. The combined firepower from the squadron is 12. Therefore, it will create up to three wake markers. Firepower 10 = 1 Wake Marker Firepower 11 = +1 Wake Marker Firepower 12 = +1 Wake Marker For a total of 3 wake markers

The attacks strike the bow of the Big Dakka Boat. The attack is resolved as normal. However, the three Wake Markers are placed touching the bow of the Ork ship as closely as possible. In this case, two are touching the extreme front of the craft, while the last one is placed slightly to the port bow. The Wake Markers must be touching each other when placed.

For example, the Ork Big Dakka Boat is now activated for the Battle Phase. The Big Dakka Boat is still in contact with the Wake Markers. Therefore, it suffers the effects of coming in contact with Wake Markers. If the Ork ship chooses to fire, it will do so with a -1 to hit. In addition, it will not be able to launch Ordinance during this Battle Phase. The three Wake Markers DO NOT cause multiple to hit penalties.

For example, three squadrons of rebel bombers come in contact with an Ammoriss Navy Protector class escort. Since they are Ordinance, the Bombers immediately swoop in to attack. The Protectors array of Point Defense weapons fire before the bombers can attack. Two of the three are blown from the sky. The Wake Markers are placed next to the ship. The Wake Markers should be touching each other where possible. Continue the Bomber attack as normal .

For example, a Tau Sailfin Escort has two Damage Points. In a battle with Ork pirates, it takes four points of damage from a squadron of Gun Tubz. The Sailfin is the victim of overkill. Per the rules for Overkill, the ship is immediately sunk. The Sailfin is removed from the board and replaced by two Wake Markers since a Sailfin has two starting Damage Points. The Wake Markers must be touching

The 41st Millenia is home to a vast array of devilish killing machines. High explosives, bio-toxins, energy beams, super heated plasma are but only a handful of ways man can kill or be killed. Naval warfare has its own unique twists to the diabolic weapons of war. Ordinance is a catch all phrase for Torpedoes, Aircraft, and Depth Charges. These operate differently than direct fire weapons such as Las Batteries and Cannons. As a result, they have unique special rules. All Ordinance attacks are represented by markers that come into play on the table. Some like torpedoes and aircraft will move about when deployed in the Battle Phase, and during the End Phase. Others will only impact the Battle Phase. There is one thing all Ordinance markers have in common. When Ordinance comes into contact with a ship or another Ordinance marker it will immediately attack. Otherwise, each types of Ordinance operates differently depending on the type of Ordinance involved. Launch Ordinance Any ship that is equipped with torpedo tubes, depth charges, or is a carrier can launch Ordinance. There are certain circumstances such as Special Orders or Wake Markers that will prohibit you from launching Ordinance. If these restrictions are present, the ordinance can not be launched and is not considered to have fired. Ordinance is launched in the Battle Phase. It can be launched at anytime by an activated squadron.

The Ordinance moves its full speed away from the launching ship in the fire arc of the weapon that launched Ordinance. Carrier based aircraft can move off in any fire arc. Keep in mind, the Ordinance is not allowed any additional movement until the End phase. Once Ordinance has been launched, it can not be launched again unless a successful Special Order Reload Ordinance has been executed.

Moving Ordinance During the End Phase the player who won Initiative moves all their active ordinance of a particular type. For example, they can choose to move all their aircraft or all of their torpedoes. The player selects a piece of active ordinance and moves it. Ordinance can not Ram or engage in a Collisions. If one type of Ordinance moves over Ordinance of the same type, both markers are removed on a roll of 6 on a d6. If Torpedoes go aground, then they are destroyed and removed from play. If the Ordinance comes in contact with any ships, then immediately work out the results. Once the first player has moved all active ordinance of their chosen type, then the second player activates one type of ordinance and moves it. It does not have to be the same type as the first player. Each player takes turns until all Ordinance types have been moved and the results determined.

Keep in mind, once a ship comes in contact with ordinance, immediately work out the results. Therefore, it is possible for a ship to move through active ordinance during its own movement phase. The ordinance attack will interrupt the normal flow of the Phase, and the results must be worked out. You should NOT wait until the End Phase to complete the ordinance attack. Shooting at Ordinance The only types of weapons that can effectively hit ordinance are Point Defense weapons. If a ship is equipped with Point Defense (PD) weapons it will be listed in the ships profile. Point Defense weapons get to fire at any Ordinance that comes into contact with the ship, before the Ordinance attacks. Point Defense weapons are allowed one shot per point of Firepower in their profile. You can also fire at an Ordinance marker with Direct Fire weapon batteries. They will only hit an Ordinance marker on a d6 roll of 6. If successful, the ordinance marker is removed and replaced with a wake marker.

Torpedoes Torpedoes are self-propelled warheads that travel underwater to the target. Torpedoes are a popular weapon due to the size of warheads such a device can carry. Torpedoes are the only weapon that can be fired while submerged. Torpedoes can only be fired by ships equipped with torpedo tubes. Torpedoes have a Firepower rating and a speed that will be listed in the ships profile. When torpedoes are launched they move in a straight line from the target ship there maximum speed. Keep in mind, that torpedoes can be fired at various angles within the fire arc the tubes are in, just like a direct fire weapon. Torpedoes will also move their full speed distance in

the End Phase. Torpedoes can never turn once they have launched. In addition, torpedoes can be used against submerged targets even when the firer is a surface vessel. Once a Torpedo marker is detonated, it is removed from play.

Depth Charges Depth Charges are a special weapon used to attack submerged targets. Unlike other Ordinance weapons Depth Charges use the blast marker template. If a ship has depth charges it will be recorded on the ships profile. They have a Speed and Firepower, however, unlike most ordinance once launched they will not make any further moves. The speed is how far the depth charges will launch from the ship. Place the center hole of the blast marker at this point. Any submerged targets under the blast marker will be hit with the firepower of the Depth Charge. Point Defense has no effect on Depth Charges, and they can not be used against surface vessels. However, place wake markers over the area the blast marker covers as Depth Charges kick up a lot of wake.

For example, the AN Protector class escort is equipped with Depth Charges for anti-submarine warfare. The Speed is 4 and the Firepower is 1. The Protector is being stalked by a Silent class rebel sub. The Protector moves into position in the Movement Phase. During the Battle Phase, they launch their Depth Charge attack. First, the Protector measures four inches from their stern arc. They angle their launch within the arc to try to hit the Silent. The center of the small blast template is placed at 4 inches from the Protector.

In this case, the Silent is beneath the Blast Template so it is hit by a Firepower 1 hit. It can avoid damage per the normal rules. No matter the outcome of the attack, the Blast Marker will be replaced by enough Wake Markers to fill the same area as the Blast template.

Mines Mines are a particularly nasty weapon system designed to be a passive deterrent to the movement of enemy ships. They have a speed and firepower just like other ordinance. However, these ratings mean different things for Mines. The mines can deploy up to their speed rating from the arc of the launching ship. Once deployed, they do not make any further moves using this rating. The firepower is how many mine templates will be deployed from the launcher. These templates must be in contact with the other markers from the launching ship. Mines do not attack, they are a passive weapon. If an enemy craft moves through a mine template during their move, they will immediately be attacked by the mines. Surface craft, skimmers and submerged craft are all affected, but aircraft are not. Torpedoes that move through mines remove both templates on a 4+. Each template of mines a ship moves through counts as 1 attack. Mines hit on a 4+ with no modifiers. Normal armor and Brace For Impact saves can be made. After a successful mine attack, roll a d6. On a 4+ the mines stay in play. Otherwise, the template is removed. Complete all mine and PD attacks before the ship completes the full move.

For example, a rebel Brave Minelayer has mines with a Speed of three and Firepower of four. The controlling player elects to deploy mines. Measure 3 inches from the rear arc, and place four mine templates touching each other to the rear of the ship. No mine template can be deployed further away from the ship then the first Mine template deployed.

Later, a Tau Marlin submarine tries to move through the Minefield. It would come in contact with three mine templates. It does not matter that the Marlin is submerged at the time. If the ship had PD weapons, they would fire before the mines could attack. If destroyed, replace the mines with a Wake Marker. The Mines roll three attack dice, since the Marlin touched three mine templates. They are 5, 4, and 1. The Marlin would need to make two saves as normal. The player controlling the Mines rolls his three dice again. This time he gets a 5,2, and 2. Two of the Mine templates are removed from play and replaced with Wake Markers.

Mines will drift in the End Phase. They must stay in base to base, and the same pattern they were deployed. However, they drift per the normal rules for a drifting hulk. Aircraft Many PDF navies use aircraft to supplement their naval arms. This gives the fleets an over-the-horizon capability that regular ships do not possess. There are two main types of aircraft; Interceptors and Bombers. Aircraft can only be carried by a ship that has a launch bay which will be listed in the ships profile. A launch bay is rated by the number of squadrons it possesses. So a launch bay with a rating of 4 can launch 4 squadrons of aircraft at a time. Each squadron is represented by one aircraft marker, and has its own speed and fire power stats. When launching the aircraft the player may decide what type of aircraft he wants to launch. So a ship with a launch bay (4) can choose to launch 3 interceptors and one

bomber, 4 bombers, or any other combination the player wishes. They can launch from the ship in any fire arc. Each type should be represented by a different marker. No launch bay can have more aircraft squadrons in play then the launch bays rating. If a squadron is removed from play the ship may launch a replacement. Keep in mind, in order to launch additional squadrons a special order Reload Ordinance test must be passed. For example, a ship with a launch bay rating of four launches four squadrons of bombers. In the next phase two squadrons are destroyed by point defense weapons. If a successful Reload Ordinance roll is made, then the ship may launch 2 new squadrons to replace the lost bombers markers. Unlike torpedoes, aircraft can turn freely and move at any speed from half their move to full speed. They have a much greater range of capabilities. They can move freely over other ships and obstructions.

InterceptorsInterceptors are used to remove enemy aircraft from play. If they engage another Interceptor unit, both squadrons are removed from play. If they attack bombers the bombers are removed. Roll a d6 for the interceptors. If the roll is a 4+ the interceptors stay in play.

Bombers Bombers can make attacks against ships. Bombers hit their targets on a 4+ regardless of modifiers. After a Bomber attack, roll a d6. On a 4+ the bomber has enough bombs to stay in play. If the Bomb roll is failed, the bomber template is removed from play as the various bombers return to their carrier to reload.

For example, an Ammoriss Navy Stalwart is engaging a Tau Whitetip. Both ships are carrier vessels that are equipped with launch bays. The Stalwart has an edge with six launch bays, while the Whitetip has four launch bays. The AN wins initiative. In the Battle Phase the Stalwart decides to launch 2 Interceptors and 4 Bombers. The Whitetip launches 4 Interceptors. The planes race away form their carriers at full speed in the Battle Phase. However, neither group comes in contact with the other. During the End Phase, the aircraft move again. The Stalwarts aircraft move first and the two AN Interceptor Squadrons attack two of the Tau Interceptors. Both Squadrons are simply removed from play as they cancel each other out. The remaining AN Bombers sweep closer to the Whitetip carrier, but the 2 remaining Tau interceptor squadrons move in and attack two of the bomber templates. Two of the AN Bomber templates are removed. The Tau Interceptors roll a d6 each. They get a 4 and a 3. One squadron stays formed up and continues the pursuit while the other is broken and removed from play. The turn ends. The AN wins initiative for the Turn Two. The following Battle Phase, the

the Stalwart has two out of six squadrons remaining on the board. They make a Special Order: Reload Ordinance roll, which is successful, and launch another set of four Bombers. The Whitetip has only one of four squadrons on the board. They also attempt a Special Order: Reload Ordinance but fail. No more aircraft can be deployed. In the End Phase, the newly launched AN bombers race across the waves towards their target. Meanwhile, the remnants from the first wave of AN bombers make it to the Whitetip carrier. The Whitetips PD fires on the bomber squadrons while they dive in. The PD takes out one of the bombers which is replaced with a Wake Marker. The remaining bomber makes its attack roll and gets a 5. They hit the Tau Whitetip, which can roll to avoid damage as normal. The last AN Bomber rolls again for a Bomb check. They receive a 5, so they can stay on the board to try another pass. However, the last remaining Tau interceptor squadron streaks in after them and removes them from the board. The Interceptors roll a d6, and get a 3. They are also removed from the board as they circle back to their carrier to refuel and rearm.

All things must end. That is as true in battle as it is in life. For those war wracked warriors of the 41st Millenium the end is not a place of comfort. On the oceans of a thousand worlds, it is fraught with peril and moments of unflinching heroism. The end is only the beginning. The End Phase is the final phase of the game turn. The End Phase can not begin until all ships and squadrons have first completed the Battle Phase. At this point the End Phase can begin. The End Phase is not without action. It is during this phase that torpedoes streak just beneath the waves, ships sink into the darkest depths, vessels explode with thwarted fury, engineers and ratings brave certain death to repair ruptured hulls, and the seas themselves are becalmed by the forces of nature. During the End Phase, action that occurred during previous phases are wrapped up in preparation for the new turn. The following things must occur in during this phase and in the following order: steps are found in previous sections of this rule book. Where possible, you will be referred to the correct section for further information. However, some of these activities are new. You will find the rules for completing these steps in the section below.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Move Ordinance Determine Drifting Determine Sinking Remove Wake Markers Damage Control

Move Ordinance The steps for moving Ordinance can be found in the Ordinance section. Keep in mind that moving ordinance first begins with the player that has won the initiative. They choose which type of ordinance they will be moving first. Once completed, the opponent chooses a type of

The specific rules for many of these

ordinance to move. It does not have to be the same type as the first player. Continue taking turns until all Ordinance has been moved. Remember, Ordinance attacks as soon as it comes in contact with a potential target. Resolve all Ordinance and Point Defense engagements as they occur on the board.

Determine Sinking The rules for sinking can be found in the Battle Phase. Sinking may occur to any ship reduced to 0 Damage Points. Be sure to replace any ships that sink the appropriate number of Wake Markers. Each ship generates one Wake Marker per Damage Point it began with. Remove Wake Markers The rules for Wake Markers can be found in the Battle Phase section of the rules. However, during this section of the End Phase, the sea naturally begins to calm itself from the turmoil of battle.

Determine Drifting The rules for Drifting can be found in the Movement Phase.
The following items are subject to drift: Ships reduced to 0 Damage Points Mines Ships that are Entangled If any collisions or grounding occur due to drifting, determine the results immediately before continuing the End Phase. If mines drift into any vessels, determine the results of the Point Defense and Mine attack before continuing.

Each players rolls a d6. The number rolled is the number of Wake markers that can be removed from the board by each player. The player that won the initiative for the turn may remove Wake Markers first. Once they have removed all of the Wake Markers allowed, the second player may then remove a number of Wake Markers they rolled on the d6. Wake Markers can be moved from any part of the board, even if they are in contact with a ship. If there are fewer Wake Markers then the combined numbers rolled on the dice, simply remove all Wake Markers.

For example, there are 12 Wake Markers on the board when the End Phase begins. During this section of the End Phase both players roll a d6. The player who won the Imitative rolls a 3. They reach down and pull away a Wake marker that was on the bow of one of his battleships so it will not suffer from reduced shooting ability or speed next turn. Then, he removes two others from a different part of the board. The second player rolled a 5. They reaches down and pull up three wake markers in between the Ork Big Dakka Boat Squadron and his opponents battleship. He then takes the last two wake markers away from the side of his Uvva Big Boat so he can try to launch Ordinance next turn. The last four Wake Markers are left where they are. They may come into play as the ships maneuver and battle next turn.

Damage Control During the Battle Phase it is possible for a ship to receive Critical Damage. Some critical damage can be repaired by dedicated engineering crews ready to go into the bowels of the ship to repair vital components and weld together critical plating. In the dockyard the task is dangerous enough, but during a battle it is even more difficult to perform the necessary work of unfouling a screw, or repairing a jammed turret. Each player may attempt to repair critical damage on their ships. The player who won the initiative can delegate repairs on his ships first.

The player simply designates the ship he is trying to repair. The player rolls a d6 for each Damage Point remaining on the ship. On a score of 6 one piece of critical damage is repaired. It is possible for more than one element of critical damage to be repaired in a single Damage Control roll.

Remember, if a ship is in contact with a Wake Marked, the Damage Control dice are cut in half, rounding down. In addition, some Critical Damage can not be repaired, such as Bridge Destroyed.
Once the first player has completed all his rolls, the second player may commence his Damage Control.

For example, a Reliable Class cruiser is suffering an internal fire. It still has six of its original eight Damage Points remaining. If the fire is not put out, the ship will lose an additional Damage Point. The player picks up six d6 and rolls them. He gets 1,2,2, 3,5, and 6. The single 6 is enough to put out the fire. If he had not rolled a 6. The fire would have continued to rage and reduced the Reliable to 5 Damage Points.