EasyShips (2003)

My All the Ships project is as close as it probably will ever get to its goal: to portray every major combat ship in the world, from the late 1890's to the end of WWII, as a free downloadable counter. So far, there are over 6000 ships represented, not counting aircraft. One thing that I didn't include is a set of rules, since I figured that most naval-game buffs already have a rule set in mind, and are using my counters to beat the cost of ship miniatures. But all the rules I've seen are too complex for my taste, which means I can't play a game with my own counters. So, just for the heck of it, here are some simple rules for naval engagements. Easy Ships assumes you have some of my All the Ships counters, although a set of naval miniatures could work. You'll also need hex maps of open sea, like the "Open Sea" map tile that comes with this game (which is from from my M8 map system). These rules are meant for simplicity and fast play, not for extreme realism. The rules emphasize surface combat. The intended era is the first half of the 20th century. All you provide is some 6-sided dice, and pens and paper for some simple record-keeping if you use carriers or submarines.