Close Action: Naval Warfare in the Age of Napoleon, 1793-1815 (1987)

Close Action

Close Action is a naval board wargame designed by Mark A. Campbell and published by Clash of Arms in 1997. The game replicates naval warfare of the 18th and early 19th centuries and was inspired by and shares superficial similarities to the Avalon Hill game Wooden Ships and Iron Men. Close Action was first imagined in the 1980s by Mark Campbell and other avid Wooden Ships and Iron Men players as a “fix” to WS&IM’s unrealistic simulation of Age of Reason naval combat. Campbell changed the game mechanics significantly in order to create a more realistic simulation of period naval conflict, and the initial rule set was published by Tempest games in 1987. Over a decade was spent designing the game and play-testing in both small and large games, chiefly along the Eastern Coast of the United States.

Why is Close Action Popular?

Close Action is considered especially good with large fleet actions, replicated by numbers of players generally in the tens and twenties, but sometimes expanding into the forties or larger. The game is popular among board gamers who enjoy historical wargames and naval simulations.

Game Components of Close Action

– Rulebook
– Scenario book
– 2 player aid cards
– 2 ship data cards
– 2 ship log sheets
– 2 damage control sheets
– 2 message pads
– 2 sets of 6-sided dice
– 2 sets of 10-sided dice
– 2 sets of 20-sided dice
– 2 sets of 30-sided dice
– 2 sets of 100-sided dice
– 2 sets of 6-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 12-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 18-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 24-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 36-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 48-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 72-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 96-inch rulers
– 2 sets of 120-inch rulers

Game Setup of Close Action

Players choose a scenario from the scenario book and set up the game board and pieces according to the scenario’s instructions.

Gameplay Mechanics of Close Action

Close Action is broken up into turns, which are broken up further into phases. Phases of a turn in Close Action include:
– Write messages
– Movement
– Combat
– Damage control
– End of turn bookkeeping
– Deliver messages

Game Objective of Close Action

The objective of Close Action is to win the scenario by achieving the scenario’s victory conditions.

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