NWS Ironclad Rules
NWS Ironclad Rules
NWS Ironclad Rules
Contents
Page
Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Manoeuvring. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Grounding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ship Definitions . . . . . . . . . . 1
Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Amour Values . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Ordnance Types . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Armour Penetration: Smooth Bores . . 5
Armour Penetration: Rifled guns. . . 6
Procedure Of Firing. . . . . . . . . 7
Range Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Damage Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Damage Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Torpedoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Ramming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Shore Batteries & Fortresses . . . .14
-ooOoo-
-ooOoo-
-ooOoo-
Scales
The Move
All increases in speed are at the rate of one knot for the
first move, two for the second, three for the third,, etc.
Grounding
Ship Definitions
Type
V All monitors.
eg. G.B. Glatton, Magdala.
Fr. Tonners.
Russ. Novgorod, Ouragan.
U.S. Keokuk plus all turret ships.
Z Launches.
eg. U.S. and C.S. torpedo boats.
Page 3
Armour Values
To find the armour grade, take the thickness of the backing, eg.
24", 16" of wood equals 1" of iron, therefore 24" is equal to
1.5" of iron. Add this figure to the armour thickness and look
the result up in the following table.
i.e. 1.5" plus armour thickness 4" equals 5.5" which is grade 'g'.
Value Thickness
Ordnance Types
Smooth Bores
Rifles
pdr. = pounder.
mlr. = muzzle-loading rifle.
blr. = breech-loading rifle.
Page 5
Calibre 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 yds.
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 ins.
15" A B B C C D D D E E
11" D D E E E F F F F F
10" D D E E E E F F F F
9.2" C D D D D E E E E E
9" E E E E E F F F F F
8" E E E E F F F F F G
68pdr E E E E E F F F F F
42pdr E E E F F F F G G G
32pdr E F F G G G G G G G
24pdr F F G G G G G G G G
12pdr F G G G G G G G G G
Calibre 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 yds.
33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 ins.
15" E E F F F G G G G G
11" F F F G G G G G G G
10" F F G G G G G G G -
9.2" E F F F F G G G - -
9" F G G G G G G - - -
8" G G G G G G - - - -
68pdr G G G G G - - - - -
42pdr G G G G - - - - - -
32pdr G G G - - - - - - -
24pdr G G - - - - - - - -
12pdr G - - - - - - - - -
Page 6
Calibre 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 yds.
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 ins.
17" A8 A8 A8 A7 A7 A7 A7 A6 A6 A6
16" A6 A6 A6 A6 A5 A5 A5 A5 A4 A4
12.5" A4 A4 A4 A3 A3 A3 A3 A2 A2 A2
12" 35ton A2 A2 A2 A2 A A A A B B
12" 25ton A A A B B B B B C C
11" A A A A A B B B B C
10.5"(300pdr) A A A A B B B B C C
10" A A B B B B B C C C
9" B B B C C C C C D D
8" C C C C D D D E E E
7" D D D D E E E E E E
110pdr,bl,ml D D D E E E E E F F
6.3"(100pdr) D D E E E E F F F F
70pdr blr D E E E E E F F F F
60pdr E E E E E F F F F G
30pdr E E F F F G G G G G
20pdr F F F G G G G G G G
12pdr F G G G G G G G G G
Calibre 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 yds.
33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 ins.
17" A6 A6 A5 A5 A5 A5 A4 A4 A4 A4
16" A4 A4 A3 A3 A3 A3 A3 A2 A2 A2
12.5" A2 A A A A A B B B B
12" 35ton B B B C C C C D D D
12"25ton C C D D D D D E E E
11" C C C C D D D D E E
10.5"(300pdr) C C C D D D D E E E
10" C C D D D D E E E E
9" D D D E E E F F F F
8" E E E E F F F F G G
7" F F F G G G G G - -
110pdr,bl,ml F F G G G G G - - -
6.3"(100pdr) F G G G G G - - - -
70pdr F F G G G - - - - -
60pdr G G G G - - - - - -
30pdr G G G - - - - - - -
20pdr G G - - - - - - - -
12pdr G - - - - - - - - -
Page 7
Procedure Of Firing
Vessels which are raming may fire in the same move, firing must
be done before the effect of ramming is worked out.
RANGE CHART
Target Rate 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Range/Dice: 1.2.3.4.5.6. | 2.3.4.5.6. | 2.3.4.5.6. | 2.3.4.5.6. | 5.6.
| | | |
DAMAGE CHART
Dies throw
Area of Damage 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
Funnel* - - - - All - - - - -
Paddle wheel Amid* - - - All - - - - - -
Paddle wheel Aft* - - - - All - - - - -
Misfire - - - - - All - - - -
-DICE THROW
2.6 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 4.4 4.5 4.6 5.5 5.6 6.6
Hull A/W For - - TUY - - TUY - - TUY - -
Hull A/W Amid TUY - - TUY - - TUY - - TUY -
Hull A/W Amid X.Y - - XYZ - - X.Y - - - -
Hull A/W Aft - TUY - - TUY - - TUY - - -
Hull A/W Aft - X - X - - - X.Z - - -
Turret - - V V V - - - - - -
[Casemate - - W W W - - - - - -]
Fire (Wooden - - - - - - - - - - All
Vessels only)
Damage Effect
All projectiles must penetrate armour (if any) before damage can occur.
1 5 1 l/3 1/4
2 4 2 1/2 1/3
3 3 3 2/3 1/2
4 2 4 All speed 2/3
5 1 5 One hit will sink
Steering Jammed:
1 & 2 Turn to starboard for five moves. If steering is jammed 3 times in
3 & 4 Turn to port for five moves. the same action, it is considered as
5 & 6 Continue ahead for five moves. wrecked and ship becomes disabled.
HITS ON FUNNELS:
Loss of all funnels will result in loss of one third of ORIGINAL speed.
Hits required
Rate 1 Any projectile of 10" cal. and above, or any two below 10".
Rate 2 As for Rate 1.
Rate 3, 4 & 5 Any projectile.
HITS ON TURRETS:
Any projectile which penetrates will put the turret out of action.
All hits on turrets are taken in sequence i.e. 1st hit on for. turret, 2nd on
aft. turret. If they are on echelon the engaged turret will take the damage.
Page 9
FIRE:
On wooden ships only. Throw one die for each move that fire(s) burn:
1, 2, 3 fire burns on.
4, 5, 6 fire is out.
For every five moves that ship burns 1 point [1 knot in speed]
is lost from her total needed to sink.
[For every move on fire, ship loses 50 pts A/W.]
TORPEDOES
Mobile Torpedoes:
These are launched from fixed mountings at 90 degrees to the bow. They have
a range of 600 yds (18") and a speed of 9 knots. They will travel on the
surface and their course must be marked. If a hit is scored throw one die.
1 failure to explode.
2 explodes but only does 1/2 point damage to targets sinkage value.
3, 4, 5, or 6 explodes.
Spar Torpedoes:
These must be brought into contact by ship (launches may only be used at
night). They may be reloaded if the vessel carrying them is not fired
at for three moves. They may not be rerigged under fire. If a hit is
scored throw one die effect as above.
If vessel is a side wheeler and is hit in the wheel the wheel is destroyed
and the vessel will turn in that direction until stopped or run aground, in
addition to damage suffered.
NB: If spar torpedoes are intended to be used an order must be written two
moves in advance for the spar to be lowered or rigged or at the beginning
of the game.
NOTE: Mobile torpedoes require 15 moves to be reloaded and only 2 per tube
may be used.
Ramming
Only ships designed for the purpose may carry out this operation.
Eg. Ironclad rams and the wooden Ellet rams.
However any ship may run down and sink any opponent which is 3
rates or more smaller.
For any damage to result the attacker must ram its target within
the angles as shown below:
If one ship has ram or armoured bow and the other has not, damage is to ship
without. If both, or neither, have ram or armoured bows, then damage is
inflicted on ship of lesser rating. If of equal rating then damage is
inflicted to both.
Ramming Conditions:
If target is a side wheeler and ram touches the wheel it is destroyed, the
ship will turn to which ever side has been destroyed.
Any stern wheeled vessel which is rammed in the stern is completely disabled.
Any ship rammed within the angle shown at the stern will lose its steering and
if it is single screwed will be completely disabled. However if it has 2 or
more screws it can steer on engines, turning angles must be DOUBLED.
If vessel is rammed on either quarter and within 1/2" of the stern, all screws
on that side are put out of action. Ship will then lose half its original
speed and can only turn half its original angle per move.
Ramming Amidships:
If a vessel is rammed within the angle shown directly amidships it will lose
the engine(s) on that side or if single screw/wheel will become completely
disabled.
There may be exceptions to the usual position for the engines in certain ships
in which case the same rule will apply to whichever section of the hull they
are in.
Page 11
Spacing of Guns:
Guns must have at least 15 feet between them and there
cannot be more than 6 guns per 100 feet. The type of gun is
not taken into account.
Defensive Value:
Protection value will vary depending upon the material of which
the fort is built.
Defensive value per face = (Def. points per gun) x (No. of guns in battery/face)
+ + +
Notes:
1. The rules presented here are the original 1971 set with subsequent additions
marked in [square brackets] made to the rules. (These were marked
up on the copy provided by Ken Rice.)
2. John Wallis later noted a major omission in the rules - there are no provisions for
damaging casemated ironclads. Such damage should be inserted wherever there is damage to
turreted ironclads.