Tumbling Dice

[Ithoriel]

Interesting basing, Ithoriel. What rules are you using?

I've been puddling about with a set of my own devising that I call "La Flota."

Gunfire reduces one or more of boarding factor (soldiers), movement (rigging & sails), manoeuvrability (crew), firepower (guns & gunners). Ships are very rarely sunk, normally only small ships fired on by large ones at close range.

Spanish ships are slow and clumsy and fire infrequently and with shorter range but are harder to damage and have bigger boarding and firing factors. The English need to use speed and manoeuvrability to pick apart Spanish ships from a distance before boarding, the Spanish need to time their less frequent fire to allow them to board before being picked apart!

The hex grid makes movement simpler. Speed is standard with the wind directly behind, slightly faster with the wind on the quarters, slightly slower with the wind for'ard of the beam and not possible with the wind dead ahead, unless under oars.

Still very much an alpha version of the rules! Hopefully, having some models to play with will concentrate the mind.

[FierceKitty]

Let me see 'em when they've been play tested a bit? I have a Thai buddy who's keen on Napoleonic naval.

[Hertsblue]

I've been puddling about with a set of my own devising that I call "La Flota."

Gunfire reduces one or more of boarding factor (soldiers), movement (rigging & sails), manoeuvrability (crew), firepower (guns & gunners). Ships are very rarely sunk, normally only small ships fired on by large ones at close range.

Spanish ships are slow and clumsy and fire infrequently and with shorter range but are harder to damage and have bigger boarding and firing factors. The English need to use speed and manoeuvrability to pick apart Spanish ships from a distance before boarding, the Spanish need to time their less frequent fire to allow them to board before being picked apart!

The hex grid makes movement simpler. Speed is standard with the wind directly behind, slightly faster with the wind on the quarters, slightly slower with the wind for'ard of the beam and not possible with the wind dead ahead, unless under oars.

Still very much an alpha version of the rules! Hopefully, having some models to play with will concentrate the mind.

Sounds as if they would handle fairly large fleet actions?

Incidentally, didn't I read somewhere that the English ships that attacked the Armada weren't that much smaller than their Spanish opponents? Someone realised that Spanish tons were much smaller than English tons!

[FierceKitty]

You could fill many pages with popular gibberish about the Spanish Armada. But the tons bit is interesting. Thank you. You've heard that Napoleon's height has been persistently misrepresented for similar reasons, I suppose?

[Hertsblue]

I vote we dig him up and check. 

[FierceKitty]

Exhumation seems a growing sport, what?

[Ithoriel]

Sounds as if they would handle fairly large fleet actions?

Incidentally, didn't I read somewhere that the English ships that attacked the Armada weren't that much smaller than their Spanish opponents? Someone realised that Spanish tons were much smaller than English tons!

One of several problems with the rules at the moment is the amount of book-keeping so small actions until I sort that out.

From my reading:

English race built galleons were lower and longer than their Spanish equivalents so faster and handier.

The castles which made the Spanish ships better in boarding actions caught the wind and affected their handling.

Spanish guns were set up to be fired once just before boarding whereas the English ones were designed to be fired repeatedly at comparatively long range.

The Spanish needed to close with and cripple the English ships in order to board, where they had the edge. Conversely the English needed to keep their distance and pick the Spanish ships apart with gunfire.

Cannon fire destroyed masts and rigging and killed soldiers and sailors but seems rarely to have actually sunk ships. The Revenge, for example, was attacked by 53 ships, dismasted and with most of her crew dead or injured she surrendered but survived to be sunk in a storm on the way back to Spain.

[FierceKitty]

The long range culverins could hit at great range, but did minimal damage. It was when the English closed that they discovered a useful side-effect of the design: they could penetrate seriously. Not ship-sinkers yet, but real damagers.

[paulr]

The weather has sort of co-operated   The clouds were light grey and provided enough light for some tripod shots



A small 3 decker, three large 2 deckers and two small 2 deckers



Three large 2 deckers and three small 2 deckers



Three large 2 deckers, two small 2 deckers and a small frigate



Three small 2 deckers and two small frigates

The Ships of the Line are based on 40x20mm bases and the Frigates on 30x20mm

[paulr]

Some close ups



The 3 decker



A large 2 decker



A small 2 decker



A large frigate



A small frigate

[paulr]

The forces for tonight's game, with temporary labels.



The French, two squadrons each with a frigate 'attached'



The British, two squadrons each with two frigates 'attached'

The plan is four players with me umpiring if everyone can make it

Bonus points to the first who can name the action...

A clue, it relates to some Pendraken figures I have

[Ithoriel]

Those look really good Paul, I'll be happy if mine turn out half as well!

I presume the battle is either Chesapeake or St Kitts?

4am is either too late or too early (depending on your point of view) to go rummaging on Google to check which

[paulr]

Close, one very close, but not quite

It will be the first game with the rules for the players so I have picked a smaller action. Only 8 British and 9 French Ships of the Line.

[FierceKitty]

Mmm, yes....

[Techno]

Those are terrific !
How long did it take to get such a great 'match' for the bases and the cloth, Paul ?

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Excellent

IanS

[Matt J]

Those look really good Paul 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Brilliant.
As Phil said, how did you match to the cloth!

[toxicpixie]

They look really, really good! I'm very impressed and having trouble resisting...

Anyone know what Ospreys new napoleonic-ish naval rules are like?!

[GordonY]

Look lovely but too small for these old eyes, I'll stick with my 1:1200th ones from http://www.warrioronline.demon.co.uk/ships/ships.htm twice the size but the same price (or cheaper).