Opportunity Firing from forts

[lowroller]

In the Fort Firing Phase, the method of determining guns available to fire is: roll 1D6 per gun IN THE FORT, each 5,6 is a success and owner then chooses which guns to fire.
However, it is not 100% clear whether forts are supposed to use this same method during Opportunity Fire, or the same method as ships. Ships roll 1D6 per gun IN FACING SALVO (M, then H, then L).  Using this system would usually reduce the number of fort guns available and also remove the free choice of which guns.

So, which system should be used for Fort Opportunity Firing?

[martin goddard]

I will look it up if no one else knows ?  Any offers.

[martin goddard]

Been away and looked it up.

Forts have an opportunity range of 2 hexes.
When doing any fort shooting, roll D6 per total gun compliment.
This covers opportunity and own turn shooting.
Each 5,6 allows gun to shoot.
Successes cannot exceed number of guns in arc.

Hope that helps
Forts are quite useful.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Forts are quite useful.

Not to mention that the Peter Pig fort models are rather nice too

[Leman (Andy)]

Indeed; I have two sitting on my painting desk right now. The earthen one will shortly be appearing as Fort Donelson.

[lowroller]

Thanks, Martin.
It isn't explicitly stated in the rules on page 55 that Fort Firing method actually covers opportunity firing, as far as I can see. There is simply a statement at the end of the method description that "This would be in additional to any opportunity firing carried out" - which seems to differentiate the two.
Page 45 para 6 says:
"A ship or fort can carry out firing at any enemy ship that is within short (1 hex) (2 hexes for forts) range for any part of that enemy ship's turn. The opportunity firer rolls the same number of D6 as he has guns able to fire at the target. He rolls this many D6. Thus a ship with 5 guns within firing arc will roll 5D6".
(All italics are my own emphasis).  Although it specifically mentions a ship in the last sentence, the earlier parts of this paragraph seemed to suggest that a fort (for example) with 5 guns, only 3 covering that side of the fort able to bear on the target ship should just roll 3 dice, in the same way as a ship, rather than rolling 5 dice as in the Fort Firing phase.

[martin goddard]

OK no problem