The Black Book of Corsairs

 VII. On Battles at Sea

1. Warriors fight better downhill than uphill. Warriors move better downhill than uphill. Ships manoeuvre better downwind than upwind. Ships sail better downwind than upwind. Always secure the advantage of wind.

2. When attacking, approach with the Sun in your back. If at night, do not approach directly from the direction of the Moon.

3. Always remember that Gondorian ships are heavier than Umbarean, and that they are square rigged. Use this knowledge to manoeuvre beyond their reach.

4. When turning the ship around, do not turn the ship windward unless you wish to take course that way.

5. When encountering a warship, flee. If forced to battle, head straight on and use the ram to sink the enemy. Do not challenge her with ballistae and archers.

6. When raiding a merchantman, approach from the rear and side, for ballistae are rarely aimed that way. Be aggressive; merchants can often be frightened to strike their colours.

7. When boarding, act swiftly. Use grappling hooks and a volley of arrows. When the first men fall, do not hesitate to continue the attack; only with absolute force and dedication may a ship be boarded.

8. Use heavy, sturdy blades such as the Scimitar, for terrible wounds frighten inexperienced sailors and warriors alike. When fighting the Navy, be sure to challenge the Captain and the First Mate; their value for morale and organisation is crucial.

9. Upon surrender, cease violence immediately - otherwise, the defeated enemy might take arms again. Once the enemy is stripped of arms, feel free to enslave them or throw them overboard. It is advisable to let some survivors return home by boat. Otherwise, the ship may be assumed to have been lost at sea.

10. The Quartermaster oversees the loading of booty. If returning home, spare no more supplies than needed if they may be replaced with loot. Check the captured ship for fresh water. Load the most valuable treasure in the aft hold and give the key to the Quartermaster.

11. If possible, keep the prize ship. The First Mate will become Captain of the ship. Upon returning to port, allow the Quartermaster to sell the prize ship and add the money to the plunder.

12. When in battle at Sea, always remember that the Gondorians use fire arrows to burn sails. Try not to expose sails unnecessarily, use wet sails, or board the enemy before the sails catch fire.

13. When engaging a squadron of ships, start with the one most upwind.

14. Give quarter to those who offer to surrender without a fight. To those who, upon hearing your ultimatum, choose to fight, no quarter is to be given.

May these guidelines be subject to memorisation and meditation.

VIII. On Coastal Raids

1. When raiding at sea, quick fortunes are available from lonely merchantmen to single light raiders. When raiding towns, always bring a squadron of ships.

2. Surprise the enemy if possible. If there is a Fleet in port, sail in the silence of night and ram the ships while they are still in port. If possible, send a group of men on land to breach the town gates. Try to avoid enemy ships in nearby waters. If possible, plan your attack on a day of feast and celebration; this will distract the enemy and weaken the garrison. Excellent mornings of attack are those which follow celebrations and feasts of the garrison and military troops themselves. Few men fight well in the morning following a hard feast.

3. When first attacking the town, set it aflame; public panic bothers the defenders more than it does you.

4. If the townsfolk retreat to a stone tower, do not besiege it, but concentrate on plundering. If the commoners resist, do not hesitate to kill them. Untrained warriors are easy to scare off.

5. Make sure the garrison is defeated before you begin plundering. An exception are raids on ports; Often, a battle is fought on the City Gates while some of the Corsairs get to plunder merchantmen docked in the harbour.

6. Be selective with plunder. Do not grab everything of worth you find. Start with the noblemen's manors and royal estates.

7. When encountering Knights of Dol Amroth, plunder whatever you can, but retreat to fight another day unless you possess incredibly superior manpower.

8. When plundering a town, do it swiftly. Do not let the enemy reinforcements surprise you.

Continue Reading The Black Book

Return to the Table of Contents of the Black Book