We played our second game of Warfare at Sea in the Age of Reason this past Friday. This time with four players and 3 ships each, we ended up with 12 ships of the line.
If you don’t have a copy of the rules, I very much recommend them and they are available from War-game vault for $8.
The Spanish fielded two 112 gunners, and 4 74 gunners. The french fielded a 120 gunner, a 110 gunner, 2 80 gunners and 2 74 gunners. The French had vet crews and the Spanish with trained crews. Across the group all our ships were put together for Wooden Ships and Iron men and we just use those gunner ratings, since it’s printed right next to the name of the ship on the base of the figure. It’s all 1:1200 GHQ lead.
We played with one rule modification where instead of rolling to strike or sink based on the total number of hull boxes, to instead do it based on just one side. So if a ship was to be unfortunate enough to accumulate significant damage on both sides, it could have two rolls to strike. This modification makes sense to us given the game as written ties hull boxes and guns together.
We went ahead and rolled for “terrain” and ended up with two islands. We also had each admiral roll to see if either side might get the advantage. The Spanish won the roll and had the wind at their backs to start the game.
I played French having the 120 gunner, an 80 gunner and a 74 gunner.
Each squadron came in from a corner of the table. Would have rather had started with one battle line but alas, admiral’s orders! Eye-eye admiral!
The Spanish easily could maneuver with the wind at their best angle while Aaron and I both struggled to get into a meaningful position. I eventually just hauled over to starboard and let the Spanish sail into me.
Chuck in the upper right corners of this picture managed to bring 3 ships to bear and Eric with one of his boats aided in for 4 on 1 from the get go. T’was quite painful for Aaron’s lead boat which was an 80 gunner and left a pretty bad mark.
Aaron started to sail in my direction, both of us hoping the wind would change in our favor . Early initial broadsides at this point where all at long range but we were able to return fire, just not all stacked on one.
Luck would be slightly with us as on Eric’s 112 gunner he rolled up a fire crit. With a trained crew I hoped this would help whittle him down quickly combined with what was for a few turns two of my ships combining fire. Alas in these early turns my 74 gunner due to my lead ship losing a sail and not keeping the line was pretty much out of position. Given the direction the Spanish were sailing, I figured I’d turn him about with the good wind, send him around the island and hopefully get in position for some bow rakes or bottle up the spanish.
By this point Eric had his fire out, only take 2 turns to get it out tho taking the extra 8 hits of so help, with a 112 gunner, you’ve got a lot of hull boxes, those things can absorb a lot of damage.
Aaron getting closer was taking on Chuck’s portion of the Spanish squadron and judging by the rolls, while Aaron was landing damage, all of Chuck’s crit rolls were to no effect.
Nearly meeting Aaron and I could start to combine fire against Chuck at this point. The wind had shifted which helped Aaron but was still generally into my face so the writing was on the wall, time to haul about. Given that my 120 Le Mestieaux had lost a couple of masts, getting that 2 inches in so that I actually a turn was going to take a bit. But with the right timing and Aaron passing between me and the Spanish I would hopefully not be exposed to a dreaded stern rake.
Around here one of Aarons boats was complete demasted and had taken enough damaged to start to test. It was his 74 gunner as I recall. Given the state of the ship and being dead in the water to add an extra die to see if you strike or sink, he failed the roll and struck his colors.
My 74 gunner was starting to get into place. The first two in the Spanish battle line having already made the turn to keep the stay in the fight. My 80 gunner is the ship to the far right in the picture and had just made the turn. The night extra benefit about making the turn was the wind was now with us and against the Spanish AND we were ready with fresh opening broadsides from the other side of our ships.
5 on 6 at this point but just about around the island and my 74 gunner was fresh. Also of course we were about to run into “end of the world” and having to adjust the map.
Aaron was getting to the point where another if his ships was about ready to test. Chuck had one of his boats just at that point but it wasn’t too far over such that it was a concern and given his place in the battle line at this point (end of the line and to the upper left in this picture) he was pretty safe from taking additional damage that would encourage the crew to reconsider striking.
Aaron had the nice battle line here and I was left to pretty much long range snipping. We did start to combine on Eric’s smaller 74 gunners. With my 74 gunner just emerging past the little island, Eric would take a pot shot as he would be making his turns but otherwise Chuck and I started to line up.
Last picture of the night and just about at the point where we called it a night. Another one of Aaron’s ships struck and none of the Spanish failed their rolls tho they equally had a number of boats past the trigger to start to check to ship or strike.
A fun night with 2 prize ships that the Spanish just needed go and pick up.