Speed and maneuverability will also be reduced by damage. While marine fire and boarding are occassionally useful, your guns are your ship's main weapons. This was the epitome of good seamanship. Of course, there were many other less dramatic but equally effective ways to concentrate force against the enemy, and a rake will often place your ship out of position to support or be supported by the rest of your squadron. Like real naval warfare, teamwork is the key to Close Action multi-player games.
Marines can perform all crew functions except firing the ships's guns.
In addition, they can perform marine fire, and are better at boarding than sailors. As your ship takes battle casualties, you may need to make hard decisions on how to allocate crew sections for maximum effectiveness. Later, after playing every available naval game on the subject and being disappointed with all of them, I began work on Close Action , hoping to create the ultimate tactical wargame about the age of sail. After a dozen years of continuous and gradual development, I think CA is realistic, playable and enjoyable. I hope that you agree.