Black Cannon
Black Cannon Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
- Playing board
- Four fleets flying different coloured flags, each composed of one galleon (three masts), one frigate (two masts) and one raft
- 14 golden treasure chests
- 1 cannon with 4 cannonballs
- 4 ship stands
- 2 dice
Setting Up the Game
Assemble the game board, fitting the two islands from underneath. Notice that there are four squares with red crosses. These are Treasure squares. Another four squares have black circles. These are Black Cannon squares. At the corners of the board are four ports, each of a different colour.
(The source includes a diagram of the board with lettered edges A, B, C and D, two islands, four Treasure squares, four Black Cannon squares and four corner ports.)
Distribute the chests among the Treasure squares, placing 4 on two of them and 3 on the other two. Divide the ships into fleets of three according to the colour of their flags.
All players roll both dice to decide the order of starting. The highest scorer will start, but must first select one of the ports, which will become the player's home port. The player then takes the fleet of the same colour, together with a ship stand. The galleon (three-masted ship) is then slotted into the stand and stood on the port. The frigate and raft are kept to one side. The use of these is explained later.
The other players select a port in turn and follow the same procedure. If three are playing, one fleet and one port are not used. If two are playing, the players take two fleets and two ports each.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to collect three treasure chests and bring them to your home port. The first player to do so is the winner.
How to Move Your Ships
When you have rolled both dice, move your galleon the number of squares indicated by either one of the dice or the sum of both of them. For example, a roll of 4 and 2 would allow you a move of 4 squares, or 2 squares, or 6 squares.
All moves must be made in straight lines: forward, backwards, sideways, or diagonally. Your ship may not leave its path nor change direction during a move. Your ship may not land on or pass over an island. Movement is permitted over any squares that are wholly or partly sea.
Two ships cannot occupy the same square, but a ship can pass through a square occupied by another ship.
You cannot refuse to move. If the dice roll does not allow you a legal move, then you must move the maximum number of squares possible and may choose between alternatives. For example, if your ship is in the middle of the board, a roll of 6 and 6 cannot be moved. You must then move the maximum possible number of squares in the direction of your choice. If your galleon is sunk and replaced by a frigate or raft (see Black Cannon, below), then only ONE of the dice is rolled and the ship is moved that number of squares.
How to Find Buried Treasure
When your galleon or frigate lands on a treasure square, you may pick up a treasure chest, provided one is available and your ship is not already carrying treasure (only one piece of treasure can be carried at a time). The chest is fitted on the stand beside the ship of your friendly fleet.
Notice that your ship must land exactly on a treasure square before a chest can be picked up. A raft may never carry treasure.
Firing the Black Cannon
Black Cannon Square
When your ship lands exactly on a Black Cannon square you must fire the cannon. The procedure is:
- Your ship is removed from the board.
- Put the Black Cannon on the square where the ship was, load it, aim, and fire one cannonball at one of your opponents.
- Remove the Black Cannon and replace your ship.
When your ship lands on a Black Cannon square, all playing pieces should be left exactly as they are. Your opponents' ships cannot be moved to make better targets.
Be Careful
You should not fire the Black Cannon at point-blank range, and you must only use the cannonball provided.
Sinking Ships
A ship is sunk if it is knocked over. If the ship sinks as a galleon, its owner removes it from the board and replaces it with a frigate. If the galleon was carrying a treasure, that remains on the stand with the frigate.
If the ship is a frigate, the owner removes it from the board and replaces it with a raft. If the frigate was carrying a treasure, it is lost.
The shooter may transfer the treasure chest to his own vessel provided it is not already carrying treasure and is not a raft. Otherwise the chest is put on any Treasure square of the shooter's choice.
If the shot misses, or hits a ship without knocking it over, there is no result and the turn passes.
Battle at Sea
A sea battle takes place if two ships stand directly opposite each other across the board edge (see diagram below).
The player who last moved fires first. The second player then goes. The firing procedure, and the action to be taken if one or both ships are sunk, are the same as if the shots were fired from a Black Cannon square.
Getting Back to Your Home Port
When your ship reaches its home port, whether or not it is carrying treasure, it becomes a galleon on leaving port next turn.
Treasure brought to port is removed and stored there.
An exact dice roll is not necessary to reach home port. For example, if your roll is three squares from port, it gets home with a roll of 3, 4, 5, or 6.
Make Up Your Own Rules!
Sometimes ??? fan can be ??? from a game by introducing your own house rules. For example, players can agree that the Black Cannon cannot be fired from a raft, or that attackers can adjust target ships. In the two-player game, players can agree to operate their fleets separately or together. You may have some other rules! Why not write and tell us if you can find another way to play this game?
Editorial notes on the source text: obvious typing errors in the retyped copy were corrected without further marking (for example "rical" to "rival", "Firirng" to "Firing", "releave" to "leave", "wessel" to "vessel", "owner removes" joined from "ownerremoves"). Where the copy is garbled, the wording was made readable: "your ship may not leave its path" (source "releave its steps"), "movement is permitted over any squares that are wholly or partly sea" (source has a garbled phrase before this), "tha attackers" read as "that attackers", and "Why nor write" read as "Why not write". The "???" words in the last section are unreadable in the source copy and have been left as "???".