Cruel Seas House Rules

Someone might have noticed that I have really got into Warlord Games' Cruel seas in a big way. It is a fun set to play, not especially historically accurate, but not complicated either.

There have been a few things that have generated conversations after a game. For example, my bugbear is measuring shooting ranges from the gun position means that you can have two ships with identical weapons, in arc of each other, but only one ship is in range because of where the weapon is placed. Fine if the rules were using 1:300 ground scale, but they are not (a 4" gun had a max range of just under 20,000 yards which would be 60m on the table at 1:300 scale).

As a result I have come up with various house rules, which suit the regular group of people I play with. Some are my own ideas, others are based on suggestions I've found on the internet.

Shooting

Measure the shortest distance between the two ships, that is the range for all guns.

Check arc of fire from the gun position, as per the rules.

Torpedoes

Only a Dud on a roll of 6.

Do not re-roll 6s but use Critical Hits Table below.

1	ENGINE HIT
2	RUDDER/ STEERING HIT
3	FUEL HIT
4	EXTRA DAMAGE TO VESSEL
5	2x ENGINE HIT
6	ENGINE HIT & RUDDER HIT
7	TAKING ON WATER
8	TAKING ON WATER
9	CRIPPLED
10	BROKEN BACK

TAKING ON WATER - take an additional 3d6 damage at the start of each activation.

CRIPPLED – Apply #1 ENGINE HIT, #2 RUDDER HIT AND #8 TAKING ON WATER.

BROKEN BACK – Vessel breaks in 2 and slips beneath the waves

Sinking Ships

Unless suffering Broken Back from a torpedo hit, Large and Huge sized ships do not sink immediately when they are destroyed. They remain as wreckage for 1-3 turns before sinking.

Wreckage counts as obscured visibility if it is between the target and the shooter.

If a torpedo strikes wreckage, roll to hit as normal. If it misses the torpedo will carry on and may hit another target beyond the wreckage.

(I picked up some 3d printed models for wreckage)

Aircraft

Flak shooting at bombing aircraft, as per rules except 1 is always a hit.

Bomb Attack

Roll for each bomb if multiples are dropped.

+2 to hit if dive bomber.

-2 to hit if plane was hit by flak (even if not damaged).

Bombs

Light (250lb) 3d6 Damage

Medium (500lb) 5d6 Damage

Heavy (1000lb) 7d6 Damage

Aircraft	Speed	Armament
Ju 87	140	1 x Med Bomb
Ju 88	140	6 x Lt Bomb
Me 110	140	2 x Lt Bomb
Beaufighter	140	1 x Torpedo