v1.0 – 31.08.2025

Errare humanum est (to err is human)
– Seneca

When creating wargames, where an enormous number of variables are involved, ambiguities – and even errors – are unavoidable. One can only strive to keep them to a minimum. Therefore, this page gathers players’ questions regarding the rules of the game (FAQ), as well as their corrections (errata).

All feedback may be sent to biuro@gmboardgames.com or via our discussion group on Facebook: LINK.

Errata/FAQ can be downloaded in pdf version (with a white background – easy to print) here: LINK.

ERRATA

31 August 2025

5.6 Measuring distances

This amendment clarifies and modifies certain rules regarding when a player may or may not check the course of his ship, and when he may measure whether an enemy ship is within the field of fire, etc.

The relevant passage from the rulebook, section 1.5, reads as follows:
“All measurements may only be made after declaring the action to be performed.
Measurements may not be taken earlier, e.g. the distance a ship will travel or the range of artillery fire. The exception is the ability to check the zone in which a given ship is located (e.g. while making a turn, before it is completed, or before declaring fire) and the line of sight.”

Why do the rules on measuring look this way?
Gods of War: Togo attempts to simulate certain elements of sailing the seas and oceans at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, trying to reflect through game mechanics some of the dilemmas faced by commanders of the time. They could not rely on GPS or gunnery radar, so both manoeuvring and gunnery involved a large margin of error. Distance to the enemy had to be judged using simple rangefinders or even ordinary telescopes; speed was given via the engine telegraph, and turns were made using the compass – or simply the naked eye.

Therefore, experience played an enormous role. And this is why, among other things, one cannot measure the distance to the enemy before declaring fire – the player must judge whether he is in range or too far away. And often, he will make mistakes – which may not be good for him, but certainly adds to the atmosphere of the game!

The same applies to directing the ship’s movement. Recently, several ways of measuring in this part of the game have come into common use. We would like to clarify them here, so that everyone knows exactly how it should work.

The general principle of this clarification is that one may not use lasers or similar tools to check the ship’s course (e.g. whether in three turns she will pass a millimetre from the shore of an island). Players may, however, check such things “by eye” (thus allowing for error). Lasers and similar tools may only be used during firing to check the field of fire. Details below.

Not allowed:

• At any point in the game (including deployment of the ships), using any tool (laser, measure tape, etc.), other than the speed ruler and turn template, to check the course of one’s ship (e.g. whether she will collide with land, other ships, or a minefield).
  The speed ruler and turn template may only be used in the manner described in section 5.2 of the rulebook.
• Checking at any point before the end of movement or after firing (e.g. during another ship’s activation or in the repair phase), using any tool other than the field of fire template (and one’s own eyes), whether an enemy ship is within one’s field of fire (see below).

Allowed:

• Placing the field of fire template during a turn and checking “by eye” whether the enemy ship is within the field of fire. The turn may be finalized after such a check.
• As a specific exception to section 1.5, after placing the turn template, the player may move his ship along its segments (within the limits of her manoeuvrability and any damage) and check “by eye” how many degrees to turn.
• Checking “by eye” with the turn template whether to perform a turn resulting from the high manoeuvrability trait or a maneuver specialist captain, and deciding after such a check whether to perform the turn.
• After definitively completing movement and turn, and before declaring fire, placing the field of fire template – in accordance with section 6.3: “Before declaring fire, the player must check whether the enemy ship is within the ship’s line of sight and field of fire. At this point, measuring distance is not permitted.” A tool such as a laser may be used here to help check the fire arc.
• The opponent may place a field of fire template or a 3.5-inch marker to a minefield marker when a player declares movement with his ship close to it, and it is possible that the ship may enter its effective range.

5.6 Leaving the battle area and escape

A ship that has left the battle area and has not made a successful escape, and has any damage marked in the ship surrender zone (see 7.2), is treated as sunk.

This does not apply to ships that left the battle area through the edge designated for that purpose in accordance with the scenario rules.

9.3 Ship upgrades and fleet additions

The final cost of each ship, after taking into account all upgrades and captains, may not be lower than 50% of her base cost (understood as the cost without any upgrades and captains).

The “incompetent gunner” captain may not be purchased for ships that do not possess artillery.

9.5 Minelayer

A minelayer that has deployed all her mine markers (both real and dummy) loses this trait. From that moment, the special rules concerning critical hits on minelayers no longer apply to her.

9.9 Flagship

Unless the scenario rules state otherwise, the flagship in a player’s fleet must be the highest-class ship included in his roster, or a ship of one class lower.

Thus, if a player has ships of classes 2, 3, and 4 in his roster, the flagship may be one of the class 2 or class 3 ships. If a player has only class 1 and class 4 ships, then the flagship may only be the class 1 ship (as it is the highest-class vessel in the player’s roster, and he does not have any class 2 ships).

ERRATA FOR SHIP CARDS

USS Olympia

Some printed versions of this card may show light artillery marked with a black diamond in the fifth Hull point box. Olympia does not possess this type of artillery. Instead, the light artillery marked in green without a diamond should be destroyed.

FAQ 

31 August 2025

2.5 Line of sight (mainly ships with the “small target” trait).

In the illustration above, ships B, C, D, and E have the “small target” trait.

Ship C has line of sight to ship A, since a ship with the “small target” trait does not block visibility to a ship that does not have this trait (in this case “A”). Conversely, a ship without this trait (let us call her “large” for simplicity) has line of sight to a ship with the “small target” trait (let us call her “small”), even if another ship with this trait is positioned between them (case of A, B, and C).

However, a small ship blocks the line of sight of another small ship if she attempts to fire at a different small ship. This is the case with ships C, D, and E.

C cannot fire at E, because D blocks her line of sight (and vice versa) – all of them have the “small target” trait.

5.2 Moving and turning, and 9.2 warships’ special rules

If a ship has an order to turn and turns before moving, performing a 15-degree turn using the high manoeuvrability trait, must she continue turning after completing her movement?
NO. In this case, it is not required.

5.2 Anchoring

Which action is performed first: the declaration of ending anchoring, or changing the order that would move the ship (slow/half/astern) to “stop”? One is described as “after it is revealed (the order)”, and the other “immediately after revealing (the order)”. What should be the order?
First, change the order that would have moved the ship (slow/half/astern) to “stop”. Then – after this change – you may declare the end of anchoring. According to the rules, anchoring ends at the end of the repair and reorganisation phase of that turn. In the next activation, the ship may already move.

Does a ship at anchor with a damaged rudder still turn?
NO. According to the anchoring rules: an anchored ship cannot perform any turns and is not affected by river or sea currents.

At the same time, there is also a note that ships with a “stop” order may perform a turn of up to 15 degrees.
This should be understood in the following way: a ship with a damaged rudder, which has a “stop” order and is NOT anchored, must perform 15-degree turns (if required by the damaged rudder effect), as this is the maximum for a stationary ship. However, a ship that is anchored does not perform any turns.

5.3 Weather and wind

A storm limits the speed of ships. Can I issue orders at any speed, or must I adjust them to the limit imposed by the storm?
All new orders planned while the storm is in effect must be at most one level higher than allowed by the storm. The ship will still move according to the speed limit set by the weather. Once the storm ends, the ship may move at the speed specified by the order.
This clarification is also meant to prevent a ship (without the high manoeuvrability trait) from accelerating in a single turn from slow to full right after the storm ends.

How do we determine which guns can fire if their number is limited due to weather?
Ships may fire with only half of the guns in each battery (rounding up). That is, check how many guns are in each battery, divide them in half, round up – that many may fire.

5.6 Sailing out of the battle area and escape

If a ship has left through an edge designated by the scenario for withdrawal and has damage (fires, flooding, damaged rudder), must she repair it?
NO. In this case, she does not need to.

According to the rulebook, the ship returns at a distance equal to her maximum movement from the point where she left the table (taking into account damage, weather, and their effects on movement). What if this point could be on a different table edge – for example, when the ship left close to a corner? Should this distance be measured in a straight line across the table, or along the edge?
The re-entry point of a ship that previously left the battle area is measured along the edge of the table.

6.3 Rules on firing

Can a ship fire after ramming an enemy or after sailing into an island?
YES. A ship may always fire after completing her movement, provided she still has weapons to fire and a valid target.

Can the fire of one artillery battery be split, or can part of its guns be saved for later?
NO. This is forbidden. According to section 6.2: “All guns belonging to one battery must, during a given activation, fire at the same target.”

6.6 Critical hits

What happens if my ship has both bridge and rudder damage, and in the next turn she must perform the same order as in the current one, but then receives rudder damage?
In this case, she must act (turn or sail straight) according to the damaged rudder rules.

If my captain is a “rum lover”, does the ship have to roll for a turn attempt if she has rudder or bridge damage?
In the first case (rudder), she does not roll – she turns according to the rudder damage rules. In the second case (bridge), she also does NOT roll – the ship sails as in the previous turn (according to the damaged bridge rules).

6.7 Torpedoes

What happens if, during one torpedo salvo in the same activation, the “engine room damage” effect is rolled twice or more?
There is no additional effect. The rule only applies if engine room damage occurs as a result of torpedo fire in two different activations.

7.2 Surrender of the vessel

Can you fire at your own ship before she has surrendered?
NO. According to section 6.3: “Ships may only fire at enemy vessels that are within their line of sight and field of fire.” Therefore, firing at your own ships is not allowed.

It is, however, possible to fire at a ship that has surrendered, as permitted by section 7.3.

9.3 Ship upgrades and additional components for the fleet

What happens if I have a captain who is an excellent mechanic and I remove bridge damage in the same turn? Can I then issue any order I want for the next turn?
According to the critical hit effects table, bridge damage is not repaired. The player must immediately change the passive order after receiving bridge damage. At the beginning of the new turn, it becomes the active order, and this is no longer planned – only the new passive order is planned, which is not affected by bridge damage.
This effect simulates, for example, the shock caused by a nearby shell hit, which wounded or stunned part of the bridge crew, leaving them incapable of acting for a time.

9.5 Mines and minesweepers

If only mine markers remain on the battlefield, which are definitely real mines, must they still be identified?
YES.

Are mines deployed directly behind the stern of the ship, or is there another method?
The only correct way of placing a mine marker is shown in the diagram in section 9.5 of the rulebook (“minelayers”). They must be placed so that they touch the rear edge of the ship’s base and are centred with respect to the base – as shown in the diagram.

What statistic do mines laid by minelaying ships have?
D4.

MISSION CARDS

• Ramming Speed card. If a player successfully rams an enemy ship (regardless of the result of the ramming itself), he gains 2 victory points. If, however, as a result of the ramming that ship is sunk, then IN ADDITION to these two points – when scoring at the end of the battle – the player receives double the points he would normally gain for sinking a ship of that class.
  Example: Player A with the active “Ramming Speed” mission card rams Player B’s class 2 ship. The very success of the ramming (before determining its result) grants him 2 victory points. Player A rolls for the ramming result – an 8. Player B’s ship is sunk. At the end of the battle, Player A receives 12 points for sinking that ship instead of the usual 6 (class 2 ship). Plus, of course, the 2 points already gained for fulfilling the mission objective – the successful ram. That makes a total of 14 points. That was indeed a very successful ramming!

STRATAGEM CARDS 

• The card that allows a 15-degree turn in any direction, regardless of orders, may be used to turn in any direction – not bound by the order’s heading (after all, it’s a “wałek”). HOWEVER, it cannot be used if the ship has a damaged rudder. In this case, the ship must turn according to the damaged rudder rules in the rulebook – she cannot make any other turn.
• The card that allows you to change the opponent’s die roll may also be used to alter the roll of an opponent who himself has used that same card. The opponent plays his card, rolls, and succeeds. Then the player may use his own identical card. If he succeeds in his test for that card, he may change the opponent’s roll result on his test for the card’s success (according to the description).