The Sea of Blades

**Blackronin** · #1 02-17-2010, 03:28 PM

This is the Fantasy Naval game I created some years ago.
The game is a fantasy naval wargame for minis. I've been working on it and playing it for 3 years so I can tell you that the rules work very well and are very fast. The ships would vary from 2'' to 4'' (5cm to 10cm) or maybe a little bigger.

Strong points:
It's D6 based.
Very fast.
Players, by initiative, choose a ship or flotilla that will move and fire, ram or board.
Movement is made by special rulers and there is no need of other rulers.
Magic is very amusing but not fundamental (easily converted to Historic).
All races have different approaches to technology and ships.
The books will have everything needed to play except dice.
The ships are all 3D paper models.
Each book is created for each race.

A summary of the rules of the game.

Movement:
The game works with five ship sizes. The sizes will dictate the movement and turn ability. Each size has a movement ruler and turn counter. So a ship size 5 (the biggest) and a ship size 1 (the smallest) will have 3 movement points with the wind in the back, but as the rulers are different, the smallest ships will move more.

Shooting:
A ruler will give the range and if the target is under the firer firing aspect. Each cannon will roll 1 D6 die. 3+ to hit short, 4+ to hit medium, 5+ to hit long. Modifiers will change this. All dice that hit will roll in the damage table. The firer will decide if he fires high or low. Higher destroys more sails, lower more hull points. Damage is made to hull (ship sinks), cannons (less fire), crew (no crew no melee, repair or use the ship), or sails/engines/beasts/ (no movement - ships without movement can be boarded).

Order of play:
Phase 1 - Initiative and Wind Change
Phase 2 - Actions
Phase 3 - Melee
Phase 4 - End Phase.

If both players roll the same initiative the wind changes.
The winner will choose a ship or flotilla (his own or from the enemy) and that unit it will be played, then the other player does the same until all ships and flotillas are moved. Ships can fire, ram or board at any point during movement. Movement can be done before, during or after all the other actions. Or in a combination of the three. A ship must complete his movement before another ship takes its action.

In the Melee Phase, melee is resolved.

End Phase. Effects and magic effects ends or are rolled to see what happens.

Captains and Admirals are very important. Admirals have a rank of 3 to 10. This number represents the number of ships and flotillas the admiral can control. Admirals 3 are cheap (they aren't really admirals). Admirals 10 are very expensive.

The book division.
The books will be small, hence cheap, with 6 to 10 paper ships per supplement. The ships will be full 3D, with some 2,5D monsters and props.

The books will be:

Book 1: Core Rules: Pirates and Merchants
Book 2: Expansion. The Dwarven People’s Free Republic
Book 3: Expansion. The First Elves
Book 4: Expansion. Empire of Man
Book: 5 Expansion. The Green Menace
Book 6: Expansion. Lizzardmen Conquest Fleet
Book 7: Expansion. The Dwarven Kingdoms
Book 8: Expansion. Undead Powers
Book 9: Expansion. The Dukes of the Marshes
Book 10: Expansion. The Wood Elves
Book 11: Expansion. Minions of Darkness
Book 12: Expansion. The Sky Ships of the Gnomes
Book 13: Expansion. The Druusi: Elves of the Frozen Sea
Book 14: Expansion. Amazon Corsairs
Book 15: Rules Supplement. Sea Monsters of the Mith

I am very happy to be working with some very good model creators. The images you'll see below are from Anna, Rolland and Roman. They are very good and I'm humbled to be working with them.

**Blackronin** · #2 02-17-2010, 03:32 PM

This is the first ship Anna created for the game.
These are the lines I always imagined.

The First Elves think themselves to be the first intelligent creatures the Gods created in Senniastrill. Arrogance is a trait they cannot hide.

**Blackronin** · #3 02-17-2010, 03:38 PM

This is a ship for the Core Rulebook. As a core rule book it will have more generic ships. Pirates and Merchants. But I wanted the ships to be very appealing. Rolland delivered fully my vision and made it bigger.

When I first build his frigate I almost wished to do what I did when I was six years old: take it to sleep with me.

**Blackronin** · #4 02-17-2010, 03:45 PM

This was the first one. By the crafty hands of Roman. After this I was sure that I would be able to make a good job. I am amazed still that people such as Roman, Anna and Rolland are working with me and trust my vision.

The Dwarven Free People's Republic is a recent nation. Born with high ideals and very fast falling prey to despots...

But their ships are powerful and beautiful. This is the smallest. The gunboat.