On the Seven Seas: Wargames Rules for the Age of Piracy and Adventure c.1500-1730

by Chris Peers, Steve Noon (Illustrator)

Overview

On the Seven Seas is a set of wargames rules covering the high adventure and low morals of the world of the pirate. From Drake and his sea-rovers to Blackbeard, the Barbary Corsairs and the Wo-k'ou of the Far East, pirates have haunted seas across the globe, preying on port and vessel alike. Now you too can recreate the exploits of pirate captains or the naval commanders that hunted them. Whether you want skirmishes between crews on uncharted islands and in the alleyways of Caribbean ports or ship-to-ship duels that culminate in bloodthirsty boarding actions, the rules offer a quick-to-learn basic game. These small forces of buccaneers, commanded by captains and kept in line by trusted lieutenants, can also be scaled up with ease for larger engagements. Gameplay centers on two driving motivations that epitomize the pirate life – Fear and Greed. Cunning captains will have to balance these two elements, instilling fear in their opponents with bloodthirsty reputations, while keeping their own crews in line with the promise of loot and wealth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472801401
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/19/2014
Series:	Osprey Wargames , #7
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.20(d)

About the Author

Chris Peers has spent most of his life in the Birmingham area. He studied history at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and started writing for publication in 1990 with a series of Osprey Men-at-Arms titles on the armies of ancient China. In addition his writing, he has worked at various times in accountancy and in the archives of Birmingham Central Library, and is currently in the civil service. Chris has written books and magazine articles on many diverse aspects of history, ranging from China and medieval England to 19th-century Africa and World War I. His published works include: Warlords of China, 700 BC to AD 1662 (Arms and Armour Press), Soldiers of the Dragon (Osprey), Armies of Nineteenth Century East Africa and Armies of Nineteenth Century Central Africa (Foundry Books), and The African Wars - Warriors and Soldiers of the Colonial Campaigns and Offa and the Mercian Wars (Pen and Sword). If he has the opportunity, Chris' hobbies include walking, cycling, birdwatching, historical wargames, and travel, especially to Africa. The author lives in Sutton Coldfield, England.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Equipment Needed 7

Organising Your Forces 8

Units and Scales 8

Captains' Characteristics 8

Other Characteristics 9

Weapons 11

Ships and Other Vessels 15

Setting Up a Game 17

Fear and Greed 17

Land and Sea 18

Deployment 24

Sequence of Play 25

Morale and Motivation 27

Encouragement and Motivation 27

Checking Morale 28

Shooting 29

Ranges 30

Resolving Shooting 30

Shooting At and From Vessels 32

Fire and Smoke 33

Figure Movement 36

Hand-to-Hand Combat 37

Ship Movement 38

Movement Under Sail 39

Movement Under Oars 41

Anchoring 41

Grappling and Boarding 41

Embarking and Disembarking 44

Shallows and Reefs 44

'Men Overboard' and Swimmers 45

'Perils of the Sea' (Optional Rule) 46

A Basic Campaign 47

Starting the Campaign 47

The Campaign Turn 49

Ending the Campaign 52

Faction Lists 53

Pirates 53

Pirate Hunters 59

Natives 61

Recommended Reading 64

Editorial Reviews

The value of [Osprey Wargame] books is unbelievably good. Generally, $20 can get you an interesting ruleset with great artwork.” —Jacob Stauttener, Must Contain Minis

From the Publisher