Flagstone Fleets

 This page collects the posts and rules about Flagstone Fleets, our outdoors Age of Sail naval game. A full article and rules appeared in Miniature Wargames with Battlegames, issue 372.

• Text as submitted to MWBG. For the edited and published version, please find a backcopy.

See also the following blogposts for additional pictures:

• Original blogpost (game June 2013)
• Flagstone Fleets Revisited (game June 2015)

Rules

This is a short summary of the rules, without any designer notes. For a full explanation of the rules, please see the article above.

Layout

The game is played on a rectangular grid.

Force Organization

• 3 to 5 squadrons per side, 3 or 4 ships each. The number of ships indicates the number of “hit‐points” for each squadron.
• All ships of a squadron occupy the same square, oriented in one of the 8 possible heading directions. It should also be obvious from their placement whether they are sailing in line or an irregular formation. If a squadron only has one ship left, it always counts as being in an irregular formation.

Movement

• Squadrons that are furthest downwind move first.
• Movement is counted in squares. The number of squares a squadron can move depends both on its bearing relative to the wind and its formation (line or irregular) at the start of its action.
• A squadron can move a maximum number of squares as indicated below. When sailing in an irregular formation, maximum movement is increased by 1 square.

• The minimum movement distance is always 1 square. The first square moved must always be in direction of the current bearing. After each square moved forwards, the squadron can rotate 45 degrees in either direction.
• If the squadron moves its entire turn only in the forward direction (i.e. no 45 degree turns are taken), it gains an additional movement square, but ONLY when moving along an orthogonal direction to the grid.
• Sailing directly into the wind is not allowed. When a squadron turns directly against the wind, it stops immediately and assumes an irregular formation.
• Instead of moving at all, the squadron can spent its entire turn re‐orienting on the spot facing any possible direction as a result, but assumes and irregular formation when doing so.
• A formation change from line to irregular or vice‐versa is possible, but never when there is an enemy squadron present on the same square. Changing from irregular to line costs 1 movement point; line to irregular is free. The squadron keeps the same orientation.
•  If a squadron in line sails 3 or more squares, there is a 1 in 3 chance (roll a D6) for the squadron becoming irregular. This also applies when a squadron in line enters a square that contains another friendly squadron.

Combat

• When a squadron moves in a square in which one or more enemy squadrons are present, combat is resolved immediately (attacker strikes first), all squadrons in the square participate in the fight, even if they did fight before during the turn.
• Every ship rolls a D6, a 4+ results in a hit. If more than one enemy squadron is present, the attacker has to specify which squadron he is targeting. Die roll modifiers:
• +1 if the squadron the firing ship belongs to is sailing in line.
• +1 if the squadron the firing ship belongs enters the square in a direction 90 degrees relative to the defender.

•  For each hit inflicted, a saving roll can be made. A roll of 4+ nullifies the hit.
• ‐1 when sailing in irregular formation.
• ‐1 for each combat previously fought this turn.

• Any remaining hits result in sunken ships, one ship per hit.
• After combat is resolved, all squadrons in the square assume an irregular formation. The active squadron can continue its movement if it has any movement points left.