Life interupted my attendance at this months game so no photos but Mel and Dave put on a Napoleonic naval game.
Mel provided the Franco-Spanish fleet and Dave the British. Trying a set of rules for the first time called Form Line of Battle by David Manley.
The Scenario
The Franco-Spanish fleet was to escort the Merchantman to safety. The British obejective was to capture it.
The Game
Dave commanded the British and Mel the Franco-Spanish.
The rules are quite detailed to give the flavour of the period. Each side has three phases and three cards in the deck and the draw of the cards determines the turn order. The first card and phase is the Command phase, where orders are given, ships load their guns, attempt repairs and all other administrative things happen. The next 2 phases are action phases invlovling movenment and firing. The rules around these mean you don't always get to complete all 3 phases.
Movement is quite controlled with a random element. Each ship has to throw a number of d6, based on wind direction and ship maneuverability, to determine how far it can move. The player has to then decide whether to use all of the dice, or just one. This causes all the fun and chaos you want in a game with your ships moving a different speeds.
Ships can fire each broadside once during a game turn. Movement and fire is defined so that ships can fire before they move, after they move but before they turn, or after they turn. Ships rarely sink in the game with broadsides mainly effecting morale and the ability to fight effectively. Once a ship can't fight it has to surrender.
Helped by the wind Dave attempted to break Mel's line. Mel opened fire at long range and inflicted numerous minor hits which are culmaltive. Once in closer Dave with his better crewed ships began to inflict more damage of Mel.
Since both players were new to the rules interesting unplanned actions occurred. Dave managed to break Mel's line by accidently ramming a Franco-Spanish ship. This resluted in boarding action. In the next turn Mel also almost collided with a British ship. Dave then rammed a second ship into the 2 locked ships. Nelson would be having a fit! The French surrendered. In all the chaos Dave managed to board the merchantman capturing it for Blighty. Thus the game ended.
Fun was had by all. The weather rules were ignored twice when they turned the strong winds in to a gale which would ended the combat. Although at the end of the game the British had achieved their objective, if the game had went on for 2 more turns Mel would have taken it back.
The rules seem a success and were easy to pick up. I look forward to giving them a go.