Do players need to be at war to fight a ship battle?
A35. No. They can occur at any time. Q36. Suppose two opposing ships end up in the same sea region, but neither wants a battle. They both stay in the same sea zone, acting as a buffer. Later on (possibly several turns later), when one of them decides to move out of the sea zone, does the other still have the option of starting a battle? A36. No. A sea battle may only be started when a ship enters a sea zone for the first time or when it is a player’s turn (he/she is the one moving). Q37. Suppose a ship is blockading a port and the owner of the port buys ships during their production round and places them in the same region as the blockading ship. The owner of the port goes first and wants to have a ship battle. Does the owner of the blockading ship have the option to move out and not battle or does a battle occur? A37. The blockading ships can not move away. They must fight. See the rule clarification above. The only time a sea battle can occur is when a new ship moves into a sea zone
