Double Shot and Bow Chasers Q?

[Legionary312AD]

Ahoy there!

If a ship starts the engagement with double shot and also has bow or stern chasers do the chasers get the benefits from double shot?

I believe not as bow and stern chasers are intended for hitting ships at range during a chase not up close. One is reminded of Jack Aubreys "long nines" knocking spars away etc (ok he isn't real....) Therefore double shot only applies to the first broadside... I think.

....but, does double shot apply to the first broadside of each side? Basically, before battle is joined surely cannons on both sides of the ship are loaded with double shot and therefore the first broadside with each side would be using double shot.... logically...

Rob.

[Bosun]

As I read it you fire a broadside without regard to the side its fired from. If you want to fire both broadsides then you do so at a reduced broadside rating.
You can load all guns with double shot at the start of the game.

[TikaKino]

If a ship starts the engagement with double shot and also has bow or stern chasers do the chasers get the benefits from double shot?

The rules seem unclear. The rules for chasers state that they "may not be combined with special ammunition" (p62), but of course double-shotting isn't "special ammunition" as such - nonetheless, it suggests to me that chasers aren't meant to be affected by double or triple shotting. I agree with your Jack Aubrey example; chasers in my mind are meant to harry the enemy before battle proper is joined, so double shot wouldn't make sense. That''s the way we play it at my games club, anyway.

....but, does double shot apply to the first broadside of each side? Basically, before battle is joined surely cannons on both sides of the ship are loaded with double shot and therefore the first broadside with each side would be using double shot.... logically...

Bosun is right, it doesn't matter which side you use. The rules state that double-shotting "can only be used the first time the ship fires" (p19).

I agree that it seems logical that each side should be affected independently. I suspect the rule was written with simplicity of gameplay in mind, since it's more complicated to keep track of the double-shot status of each side of the ship individually. If that's complication you can cope with, a house rule is probably in order!

[Legionary312AD]

Thanks chaps,

I think some house rules are in order with regards to the bow/stern chasers and I will stick to the Aubrey argument as it feels right imo. I will see how we get on with recording double shotted broadsides as we will only be doing small frigate v frigate actions for a while yet. When the engagements get bigger we may drop it if it becomes too much of a faf.

Rob.