So yesterday I tried out my new ruleset "Raked Sterns and Balls of Iron".
1586, somewhere off the coast of Hispaniola.
A desperate chase is taking place.
The english full rigged pinnace "Foxhound" is pursuing the spanish "Gloria".
The Foxhound packs 18-guns and 4 swivel guns.
And a bunch of blood thirsty sea dogs!
The crew consists of 4 officers, 8 soldiers and roughly 40 sailors (a third of them below deck)
Captain Andrew Butler. A cruel privateer, known to have eaten the hearts of captured enemies.
Realizing escape is futile, the "Gloria" turns around, ready to meet the englishmen head on.
The "Gloria" has the same armament and crew, and therefore the odds are equal.
It is captained by Don Alonzo Gaspar, a seasoned seaman.
TURN 1: Both ships turn westward, trying to position themselves.
The english manages to fire a half broadside and causes some damage to the "Gloria".
The pump is ruined and the bowsprit sustains some damage. The spanish manages to fire the only gun with the correct firing arc. The one shot smashes the Foxhounds ship´s wheel, hampering the english future steering.
TURN 2: Both ships manages to collide when the Foxhound steers port while the Gloria sails straight ahead!
Two spaiards manning the bowsprite are thrown into the waves by the force of the impact. Suprisingly the ships are not fouled by this.
The Foxhound, fires it´s three remaining loaded guns and manages with the feat of demasting the Glorias main mast! Three sailors are killed by the fall.
A brave spanish sailor tries to cut the mast riggings to allow the ship to move freely.
TURN 3: The Foxhound, having the wind in a broad reach, presses past the Gloria (with reduced speed due to friction) and finds itself in a very advantageous position...
The gunners let loose a volley straight into the spanish bow!
Raking the Gloria, destroying several starbord cannons, causing a fire and maims several sailors.
Menawhile both ships are opening up with muskets, crossbows and swivel guns, killing english and spaish sailors and soldiers.
TURN 4: Captain Butler makes a slight mistake. Instead of grappling the spanish, trying to remain locked in front of the Gloria, he sails past, opening himself up to the spanish port cannons, loaded and ready.
Don Alonzo orders a broadside that causes considerable damage on the Foxhound, ruining the capstan and the officers quarters and causing a fire in the cargo bay.
But this is not enough to change the fortunes of war, and an english crossbowman takes aim...
and ends the carreer of Don Alonzo.
The dishartened spanish survivors surrenders to the unpredictable whims of Captain Butler.
The hit chart.
All in all, the rules worked out nicely, but I will make some changes to adress different situations that were hard to predict when writing the rules. I will post the rules here on LAF when they are ready. My thought is to make them "open source" for all to develop further, perhaps making it a common project?
29 January 2014, 03:03:17 PM