The BIG pirate battle in Bordeaux

[Captain Blood]

Surely the Spanish are the bad guys in all pirate games? 

Although thinking about it, I suppose the pirates are actually the bad guys... 
 

[OSHIROmodels]

Weren't most of them English anyway   

cheers

James

[Wirelizard]

What's the French for, "My God, you people are gloriously, wonderfully insane, and I am filled with pure envy!"?

Did I see working lights on one of those projects? Amidst enough stuff to fill a room that looks like a school gym? Maddness. Glorious, awesome maddness.

[elhion]

That is amazing! Thank you for showing us!!!

What rules did you use for navigation and combat btw?

and were there any natives in the game as an encounter??

[Patrice]

Thanks folks for all these comments 

I try to answer to some questions :

@Polter50
About the polacre: Bruno made it entirely, except some sculptures on the hull that comes from the Heller Chebec, more pics here
http://argad.forumculture.net/louis-xiv-pirates-f7/l-etoile-d-orient-un-nouveau-petit-bato-en-construction-t126.htm
http://argad.forumculture.net/louis-xiv-pirates-f7/le-soleil-d-orient-t147.htm

@Polter50 & elhlon
Rules for ship to ship (and ship vs coastal battery) were a local rules of the Bordeaux club, "De l'ile de la Tortue à Trafalgar" (from Tortuga to Trafalgar). It has not been translated into English yet. I think the authors are happy that people play with their ruleset if you can read french.

@elhlon
Yes there was a "hostile native" player - although not historical for the period in this area but quite fun.
To fight on land there was two different rules systems : LOTHS on the northern coasts, and Argad! (my own set of fast skirmish rules) on the southern coasts.

@...others
"Who are the bad guys"? There were no bad guys, all players say they are the good guys 
Of course as all players were actually French it was easy for the "French" side to do old French jokes about the English (but not harm intended).
And the "Spanish" had no time to be very "bad" because they had special things to do: bring a convoy of mules loaded with gold from the jungle, load this gold on galleons, sail these galleons out of the table safely (to Spain), and utter menacing threats when players of other "nations" went to explore the same area of jungle in search for more so-called "Inca treasures"...

[Poiter50]

Eh bien, je vous en prie, a copy of the rules in French and we will do our best to translate them and try them for ourselves? Merci en avance.

[Calimero]

... and were there any natives in the game as an encounter??

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V0UnvLkaQ8k/TLWqJqZRwgI/AAAAAAAAA1E/5hpJ50lGw-E/s1600/P1010253.JPG

[Patrice]

@ Wirelizard
Yes there are working lights in one of the scratch-built Megablocks ships. No use in the game but very impressive.

And it was not a school gym, but actually the Town gymnasium of the small town of Floirac (suburbs of Bordeaux).
Once a year the local Wargames club organizes there a large Games Festival which welcomes all games (and children games, etc), many local families are happy to visit this Games Festival, so the Town Council is very happy with the Wargame club and do not consider them as a bunch of weird people, so when the Wargame club needs the building to organize something... a bit weird... such as a big pirate battle, it is easier for the club to have acces to this building. This is good diplomacy !

@ Polter50
OK I give you contact with Philippe Pauzat the author of the "From Tortuga to Trafalgar" rules.

[warrenpeace]

This is astonishing and wonderful, a really glorious tribute to the golden age of pirates!  The costumes of the players are as fabulous as the ships and forts, very inspirational!

The doubloons and other coins were cast and painted specifically for this event, right?  Were they plastic, resin, or metal?

[Furt]

Eh bien, je vous en prie, a copy of the rules in French and we will do our best to translate them and try them for ourselves? Merci en avance.

Please Poiters, I too would love a look at this rule set - after translation. I have NO language skills and barely manage English.

[Conquistador]

Surely the Spanish are the bad guys in all pirate games? 

<snip>

According to Hollyweird, they were!

I'd take that as a compliment, since nobody picks bland boring Milquetoasts as bad guys!

Gracias,

Glenn

[Colonel Tubby]

According to Hollyweird, they were!

I'd take that as a compliment, since nobody picks bland boring Milquetoasts as bad guys!

Gracias,

Glenn

And of course we all know that Hollywodd is 100% correct in all their historical movies! 

[Arthur]

Well that was a nice little skirmish. How about a full man-sized game now ? 

[Patrice]

The doubloons and other coins were cast and painted specifically for this event, right?  Were they plastic, resin, or metal?

The golden and silver doublons are some sort of metal alloy. I asked where they come from, the guy who brought them is asking to an other guy who have found them and who is asking to someone else... They believe it comes from some sort of boardgame, possibly CAYLUS.
The brass coins for small change are real money no more in legal use, centimes of French francs before we switched to the Euro in 2002.

[duivelindoosje]

one more reason to move to bordeaux
or at least take the tgv to visit the town once more

realy great game, just a dream