How to Use the Surface Combat Map

 

  1. Both players visibly place their ships anywhere on their nationality’s side of the Surface Combat map to permit the other player to examine them as required by the rules.
  2. Once the ships have been scrutinized each player should group select his own ships and the white BHT counter on his side of the map and select “invisible” from the ships’ context menu.
  3. While invisible, each player should deploy his ships in the combat zones of his choice (torpedo, bombardment or screen).
  4. Once the ships are deployed, each player sets his invisible white BHT counter to the desired BHT number using the counter’s context menu for assistance.
  5. After both players have acknowledged that they are ready to commence the combat step, each player again group selects his ships and his BHT counter and selects “invisible” from the drop down menu to make them visible once again.
  6. If there is an unreasonable delay in the appearance of one player’s BHT counter or any of his ships, he suffers and immediate penalty. The opposing player selects any on-map ship belonging to the tardy player. That ship is immediately reduced to “crippled” status and placed in the owning players “screen” position. Place the requisite number of “hit” and “cripple” markers on it.

 

APPEAL – Rule #6 would not be necessary if someone can create a button to make all invisible ships and BHT counters appear at one click of the button. VASSAL has a “global command” option that appears to make this possible but I have been unable to figure out how to make it work.