Each turn ships assigned to Open Sea Areas and Ports will be given the chance of Battle, Escape, or Surrender.

Open Sea Areas: IF the Intercepting Fleet rolls the same number as the Target Fleet, the Target Fleet can choose Battle, or decline.

DECLINE: If your are the attacking fleet and you realize the Target Fleet more than you can handle, you may decline to complete your intercept.

Thus no battle occurs.

ESCAPE: Once in battle and you decide to disengage, your ships will need to survive for 20 turns, if you are not cornered or sunk by this time , the enemy is unlikely to do so and you are considered to have escaped.

Captured Ships, Prize Crews & Fire Ships:

Captured ships can be manned to at least one full crew section and to a maximum of their full crew status using Prize Crews.

Captured ships can be converted to Fire Ships with all of the surplus Prize crew returned to the owning nations Prize Crew Pool, with the final box returned the Prize Crew Pool IF the fleet the Fire Ship operated with had at least ONE ship survive the battle.

Fire Ships rules can be found on page 28 of WS&IM rules.

Prize Crew Pool:

BRITAIN: 100 Average Crews

FRANCE: 50 Average Crews

SPAIN: 50 Green Crews

USN: 100 Average Crews

PRUSSIA: 25 Average Crews

DENMARK:  25 Average Crews

AUSTRIA: 25 Green Crews

SWEDEN: 25 Green Crews

BATTLE: Target Fleet can decide to give Battle.

Intercepting Fleets can only make ONE interception per turn. They can make multiple attempts, BUT once an Interception occurs, no further attempts are made. Interception ENDS all movement for the fleets involved for the rest of the turn. They end their turn in the Sea/Ocean area of their Intercept.

 Ports: Ships that arrive at a Port have the following options

 Battle, Escape, or Surrender..

BATTLE: If one side already owns the Port, then they get to “Defend” they get to set up first and are aided by shore defenses, if any. The other arriving ships are the “Attackers” and set up last. IF neither fleet own the port, all the fleets are attackers and the one that rolls the highest on a d6 wins initiative and chooses to setup first or later on his decision.

ESCAPE: If your ships leave the board they are considered to be escaped.

SURRENDER: Target Fleet can decide to surrender if the Intercepting Fleet is faster than them and they have no chance of winning a Battle with the Intercepting Fleet. Surrendered ships are considered captured by the Intercepting Fleet and will be assigned crews from the capturing nation's Prize and Replacement Crew Pool.

 Two enemy fleets attacking the same Pirate Port: Ships arrive in the patrol/blockade zone off the port and set up on one half of the map at least 11 boxs from the enemy. Wind will start the battle blowing directly to port. Port will be 100 hexes in that direction. Leave the floating map in any other direction other than towards port and you are considered no longer attacking the port and are now disengaged.

Blockade / Patrol Zone:  Ships can be assigned to Patrol or Blockade a Port.  Map is then setup anywhere from 1 to 100 Hexes off shore from the Port, the Admirals choice.