---> God of Plague

The strategy of ramming is in your favor when played by the current rules so why use a house rule ? Trying to ram a 5-Mast requires a 6 to eliminate a mast. But if your cannons take down three first, then you only need a three or better to take down a fourth.

A good example...

Recreant - Helmsman - Jack Hawkins ( 15 Points )

1. Move ( Ship action )
-- Pin enemy ship ( effects take place after the move action has been resolved )
2. Shoot ( Jack Hawkins - move action )
3. Eliminate a crew ( once ) with a hit ( Recreant )
4. Roll for Ramming damage ( after the move action )
5. Boarding roll ( after the move action ) ( potential to eliminate a crew )
6. Eliminate a crew ( Jack Hawkins )

That makes the potential casualty count up to three...

1. Recreant hits
2. Boarding roll
3. Hawkins pinned

Trouble still remains with which rules are valid. The Comprehensive Tournament Rules refer to the latest FAQ. The only FAQ that is on the site is the one from some time in 2004. Sure there may be a FAQ on the forum but that is not referred to by the Comprehensive Rules.

Basically the forum arb at the Wizkids site is too lazy to update or doesn't have the pull to get the job done. He had whined so much about work to do he was starting to sound like a pom. I think the best thing that happened about CC is that they rewrote the rules and seem to have got them correct.

However, as much fun as it may be to deflate arbs, a bit of common sense would have sorted out the question. The captain's ability redefines the move action as move and shoot rather than just move - it remains a move action. Ram happens after the move action (which is now scoot and shoot). So Move, Bang, Ram, Board.

And I must let you all know just how jealous I am of all of you. I still have to wait until the end of next week before the new ships arrive in the country, let alone start playing with them.

Albereth: you said "move bang ram board" but when does the PIN happen?

I say (and have always said) that pin is a state of piece on the table. You move, pin, shoot, ram, board.

I like the whole rolling for ram after shooting. Makes it easier to ram.

The pin happens once you contact the enemy ship, but effects ( ie eliminate a crew when pinned, etc ) do not happen until the move action has been resolved. Another example of that circumstance would be...

L' Aguila - When touching a Pirate ship, this ship may load as much of that ship's treasure as she can carry.

With a Captain she would...

1. Move action ( pin enemy ship - pirate )
2. Shoot ( Captain )
3. Roll for ramming damage
4. Roll for boarding
5. Load treasure as per the "touch" ability

I don't know man... the rules say under pin:

A ship is pinned when its bow comes into contact with any part of an enemy ship.

Not "at the end of the movement" or anything like that... So as soon as we touch, we're pinned. Why wait?

Yeah... And Pinning and Boarding fall under Ram... Which falls under Moving... They are all results of a move action, which as I've already stated needs to be resolved first.