RFCM

Rules => Hammerin' Iron => Topic started by: Mikinton on April 29, 2023, 08:35:18 PM

Title: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Mikinton on April 29, 2023, 08:35:18 PM
What effect does a critical hit to the stack / funnel have to the ship?

In the old version of the rules, a hit would mean "(maximum) speed reduced to 1 hex", but I can't find anything in the new version that covers it.

(I imagine this question will have been posed somewhere before. Is it covered in an FAQ or Errata that I've not yet come across? If so, please point me to it.)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Forst22 on April 30, 2023, 06:51:29 AM
It's max one hex

Can find on quicksheet inside back cover of rules.

Hadn't noticed it not being in the main rules table, probably because I use QRF more frequently!

Great game.
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on April 30, 2023, 07:45:50 AM
Graham is correct, thanks.
Next printing I will put it in the main rules too. Whoops!

martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Smiley Miley 66 on April 30, 2023, 09:17:56 AM
It is in the "Critical Hit" list and also a marker in the Marker box set. "Funnel"
Page 63. When a 3 or 10 is rolled.
Miles

(https://i.postimg.cc/WtwLknr5/IMG-7034.png) (https://postimg.cc/WtwLknr5)

(https://i.postimg.cc/tn5547sz/IMG-7035.png) (https://postimg.cc/tn5547sz)

(https://i.postimg.cc/PNjnJcLL/IMG-7036.png) (https://postimg.cc/PNjnJcLL)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on April 30, 2023, 09:54:52 AM
Quite right Miles, thanks.

I will put this change in the pdf as that is easy.
If anyone wants an update of their previously purchased pdf copy, just let me know (via e mail) and I will send a replacement pdf.


martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Mikinton on April 30, 2023, 11:18:35 AM
Thanks to everyone for answering my question - a schoolboy error, not checking all the documents in the pack.  :-[ :facepalm:

Anyway, I'm just going through the rules now, extracting those that are actually needed for a game - a sort of "How To" backed up by the Playsheet.
Then it's Order Cards and Ship Record Sheets - and finally a play mat, based on Graham Evans' "plastic tablecloth" method. (I already have about 10 ships painted to various degrees, and an unpainted fort.)

Anyway, thanks again.
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on April 30, 2023, 02:26:03 PM
Good luck Mike


martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Mikinton on May 07, 2023, 09:48:53 PM
I'm just playing my first game - solo, a simple affair with each side having just an ironclad, a tinclad, and a cottonclad (?). It's going really well; a nice blend of attritional and catastrophic destruction. The game's pretty much decided, but I just need to check if there's any hope for the side that's getting the worst of it.

Anyway, a question regarding Opportunity Firing. The way the rules are written suggest it's about a ship moving within 1 hex of another - "it comes within 1 hex of". But what if the activated ship starts the move within 1 hex? Could it still be subjected to Opportunity Fire? "A ship .... can carry out firing at any enemy ship that is within short ... range for any part of that enemy ships turn." so I guess there's no requirement for the activated ship to have moved into the adjacent hex; the fact that at some point it is within 1 hex of guns that will bear is enough to attract Opp Fire.

Anyway, here's a photo of the game. Please excuse the rampant algae in the Mississippi. I really must sort out a playmat.

(https://i.imgur.com/QLfFnHh.jpg)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on May 07, 2023, 10:12:18 PM
You have it right Mike.
Think of a ship as a light switch.
The moment you touch it anything within 1 hex shoots at it until you let go of it again.


Good green


martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: John Watson on May 07, 2023, 11:56:05 PM
I like the Creedence Clearwater Revival touch. Green River.
John
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Mikinton on May 08, 2023, 12:43:20 PM
Nice one, John. I'm not a great CCR fan and haven't heard that track. But it sounded good and I might suggest it to my brother for his band to do at open mic' nights.

And thanks for getting back to us, Martin. I rather like the Opportunity Fire rule. It nicely covers crews working their guns a bit harder if an "unmissable" target hoves into view, but may deny them the chance of a shot if the gun's not ready at the moment the target presents itself.

Anyway, the game finished as a narrow Confederate win - their two remaining ships were in better condition than the two remaining Union ships, both of which had jammed rudders when I decided to call it a day. But on the whole it was a very successful game, and just a couple of "action points" I need to attend to.

Mike
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Leman (Andy) on May 08, 2023, 03:05:22 PM
Reminds me of my trip to Amersfoort last year - duckweed central.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52880587811_2379c5227a.jpg)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Sean Clark on May 09, 2023, 08:11:45 AM
I can just see the Monitor floating in that Andy.

Hammerin Iron is a great quick game that usually has lots of explosions and fun moments. The double six on a critical always draws rounds of applause. Miles and I recall running the game at Salute many years ago where a lad rolled 3 consecutive double 6's on critical hits, effectively destroying all of his dads ships!
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Leman (Andy) on May 09, 2023, 09:01:49 AM
There's a warm place waiting for him one day with having that amount of luck.
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Commander Klank on May 21, 2023, 03:04:30 PM
Shooting a ships stack off or riddling it with so many holes it doesn't draw a draft over the coal burning in the boiler was a common tactic to make ships lose most of it's mobility.  The critical hit "Funnel/Stack destroyed" reflects this. Some Union monitor class ships had a portion of their stacks armored to where it would make stacking the ship very difficult. The armor extended up the stack enough to keep a draft should the rest of the stack be destroyed.
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on May 22, 2023, 09:40:55 AM
There will probably be an update/reprint at some point next year.
No major changes planned but the topic is not due for another 6 months here


martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Colonel Kilgore on May 22, 2023, 10:59:14 AM
You tease, Martin...  ;)

Simon
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on May 22, 2023, 12:57:59 PM
Well Simon. There are always big plans. Some of them even get done.
Mexican Revolution was a huge project. Not quite finished yet.
In the next year or two I think it will be more modest projects on the slate.
Some of these are due to  time passing and the necessity for renewal.  i.e printed stock of HI and SB are getting low.
The problem with a reprint is that demand would be very low indeed. i.e why would I buy a second set?
Maybe change a little bit and announce it as a new edition?

martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Colonel Kilgore on May 22, 2023, 01:59:54 PM
Well Martin, you wrote the fateful words "no major changes planned"...

So I'm expecting a complete re-write, with a possible extension to Steam Punk on the cards  :)

Simon
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on May 22, 2023, 04:14:15 PM
You are proaoably right Simo.
Just cannot leave it alone........... :-[



martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Colonel Kilgore on May 22, 2023, 07:36:28 PM
At least you don't have to sculpt a new range of figures too, Martin  ;)

Simon
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Sean Clark on May 22, 2023, 11:05:11 PM
Are limited print runs and PDFs viable options?

How about good old photocopies of the original?

I think there is a core customer base that would never moan about buying a new set of rules  no matter how much they changed.

I think I have room for one more brand new game on my shelves, so revisiting older periods is fine by me. But, I live in hope that the space will be filled with whatever comes next from RFCM.

Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: martin goddard on May 23, 2023, 08:11:09 AM
I will probably continue to do very small print runs (150) of new rule sets.
Print on demand is not a good financial option for us. i.e Tiny profit so not worth the  bother (I am constantly told what a great idea it is...for them). People can  take their pdf to  a print place and get it printed if they want though.
PDF is quite popular especially with non UK customers.
Colour is too expensive for  PP customers.   This is because PP rule sets are usually much longer than most. Average PP rule set is about 100 pages plus.
PP rules always include a  spare/separate playsheet, most other rules do not. Leaving that out might reduce costs?

martin :)
Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Commander Klank on May 30, 2023, 04:41:35 AM
I'm doing some stuff above with the rules, if it works out you guys can add them to a new reprint version some day.


Title: Re: Critical Hit to a ship's Stack / Funnel
Post by: Mikinton on January 25, 2024, 11:44:59 AM
Quote from: martin goddard on May 07, 2023, 10:12:18 PMYou have it right Mike.
Think of a ship as a light switch.
The moment you touch it anything within 1 hex shoots at it until you let go of it again.


Good green


martin :)
We played a game last night where I forgot that I'd raised that query and you'd replied :facepalm: .... which is why I was back on the forum to check if the situation had been covered.

Anyway, here's a photo from what was a very successful and enjoyable club game - a 3-ships-each "pick-up" game completed in about 2½ hours between 2 inexperienced players. Maybe next time I'll introduce "objectives".

(https://i.imgur.com/PHE5c83.jpg)