Declarations and Activation

Struggle on the South Seas uses the same declaration and activation method as you'll find in Battlestorm and Battlestorm Basic. If your not at all familiar with the system here's a quick explanation of how it works.

If you learn better by examples, you can also check-out the animated explanation of how activation works in Battlestorm Basic at this location.

Rules
Activation is ship by ship. All actions are considered simultaneous, but for the purposes of tabletop play we focus on ships by separating them between activated and inactive ships. To determine who is activated, both sides roll a d20. The player with the highest roll must activate one ship.

An activated ship may move. It may move or the ship may may move and fire cannons or arrows. The ship may melee a ship that has already activated.  However, if the ship wants to attack an enemy that has not activated, intriguing tactical complications arise.

If the player wishes to board or ram a ship that has not activated, the player must declare this attack, before he moves his troops.

A ship that is declared upon may choose to ignore the threat and save it’s action for later. If this occurs, resolve combat only if the attacking ship’s movement puts it within weapon reach.

On the other hand, the defending player may opt to activate the ship that was declared upon. Now the declared upon the ship is activated: and it has all the same options as if it was the first / only ship to activate. That ship may sail away, attempt to ram the ship that declared the attack, etc. 

Most interestingly, this ship could also declare a ram or boarding action on a different enemy ship. If this happens stop all actions for the declaring ship, and now the ship that was declarded upon is activated. In this way, one ship can begin a chain reaction (or "battlestorm") that activates every ship on the board. The last ship activated must complete all movements first. Finish actions with the ship that began the activation in the first place.

Bluffs
A player who declares an attack is NOT required to make that attack. (In fact, sometimes the enemy will flee making attack impossible.) However, the attacker may not offensively attack any other ships.

Declaring limits
A player can declare on any ship in the game---even if his total legal movement would not put him close enough to attack.  However, the attacker may still declare the attack, because the defender may opt to counter-charge into the attacker's range.

Of course, a ship that is declared upon is NOT required to activate and only activated ships may declare attacks.

No matter who declares what, a ship is only permitted one activation per turn. If a ship has already used its activation there is no need to declare---simply take actions against this sitting duck.

Tips
Players who are accustomed to winning Initiative and then pounding a hapless, lifeless foe will find their opponents are reacting, charging, fleeing, taking unexpected actions.  There is no point in this game in which you sit back in your chair and watch enemy ships board and ram your ships.

1. A man with a hammer cannot melee a squirrel no matter how much he wins Initiative.  If you declare on a squirrel, the squirrel can usually opt to run away.
2. You cannot prevent your enemy from taking actions by winning Activation.  If the enemy is about to attack your weakened wonder-hero, and you win Initiative DON'T declare on that enemy.  He will move to attack the wonder-hero.  Instead, use Activation to block the enemy's path and strike a defensive position.
3. Keep in mind that all actions are "simultaneous". If a ship has already activated, this means that it was taking other actions while the current actions are happening.