Black Seas Quasi-War Catch the the Prize.

This is adjusted from the catch the prize scenario from the rule book.  USS President and USS United States each with a brig tender have been sent to rescue an agent who being taken back to France for interrogation.  I played the French Rob Burr ran the Americans. 

Seeing themselves between the hammer and the anvil the French go forward blazing away with both broadsides.  I get a lucky Critical Sail hit on the USS President.  The Surveillante the (second frigate in line) suffers a quarter deck critical.  

With the Serveilleante(which carries the prize) hit and unable to maneuver the Thetis turns to challenge the President with the help of one escorting corvette. The second corvette with another Quarter Deck hit gets very up-close and personal with USS United States.  

Fire goes back and fore in a savage exchange there are no less than seven critical hits on three ships. Three critical on the President.  

In a stunning feat of seamanship, the French corvette manages to thread the needle between two burning ships and then avoids colliding with the President!  

The USS President Breaks free of the Thetis (I failed to graple her) and the French corvette to cut behind the Surveillante and devastate her with a raking broadside.  

The USS United States sails up and boards the shattered ship (after avoiding a collision with the President. The crew are still stunned from the Presidents fire and surrender. 

Black Seas the state of the fleets

The USN Currently stands at 11 ships 1 "super" Frigate and five 5th-Rates. I also have one sloop of war (treating is as a 6th rate).  I have 5 Briggs (all of which can switch out colors to serve in other fleets).  There is also the Turtle.  I have The United States in the shipyard currently and the Essex coming thanks to a friend's 3d pinter

The Royal Navy is currently at all of one Frigate currently. They will be getting a few 3D printer reienforcements soon.

Here are the the Scratch builds. Two costal vessels, Gunboats, two Xebbecs, a Small Merchant (or possibly a Sloop of war/corvette) Three Schooners and two sloops.  I nice mix to use a fleet suport, privateers, coastal defence or pirates. 

Last we have the French 2 Frigates, a Corvette (6th Rate) and three Brigs (again they can be reflagged for other service).  They will also see some reenfocement form my friends 3D printer.  I'll probably also pick ups some more stuff form Warlord when money is more available.  My friend Arofan is providing the pints to me for free and I can't express how thrilled I am to be getting them. 

Black Seas "Pirate encounter" For the Lets Roll remote convention

I was Pleased to be joined by three great players Saturday night for my pirate encounter game for the Let’s Roll remote convention.  Chris had the USS Congress, Andrew had the USS Boston, on the French side Ted took command of the Thetis while Robert was in command of the Surveillante. 

The two fleets closed quickly long-range shots on the merchant of limited and the Congress suffered only minor damage.  

The Boston hit the Thetis hard with its first broad side but the Surveillante got a lucky critical hit with its bow chaser that brought down the Boston's format (this is the 3^rd game Boston has taken such a hit).  Congress turned an fired into the Thetis's port quarter hitting her hard, a Gun Deck and a Quarter Deck Critical. 

The merchant seeing it is cut off took its own shot but missed.  The Boston fired into the Thetis again causing additional damage as the Congress wears around off screen to turn and get back into the fight. 

Both French fire on the merchant and Thetis moves to intercept. 

The Thetis misses its grapple and the merchant collides with it both ships are mauled... The Boston has tacked through the wind and fires a long range. 

The following turn the Thetis successfully grapples but the Serveillante is unable to come alongside safety and collides with the merchant... 

The Thetis secures the merchant in savage hand to hand fighting as the Surveillante moves off board.  The Congress and Boston are both steering to save the merchant ship. 

The Serveillante returns to the board only to have her bow smashed in by a devastating point-blank broadside from the Congress.   The Serveillante sinks beneath the waves.

The Congress grapples the Merchant and quickly subdues the French prize crew.  The Thetis is badly battered but with a a badly damaged merchant and the damaged Boston to look after the Congress is unable to catch her as she makes full sails and races away with the wind behind her.  The result is a clear victory for the fledgling US Navy 

Black Seas Reunion

Thursday Night I got together with my old roommate Rob Burr we used to game together regularly in the late 90s (our college years) and in the early 2000s while he lived in Boston for grad school.  Rob took the USN and opened the game with a broad side from Congress at the Thetis its a long shot that does very minor damage.

Thetis and Surveillante both hammer the Congress and the Boston strikes back at the Surveillante. The American Merchant runs.  

The Congress' next Broadside set Surveillante on fire! but the French ships next move brings it close enough to both American ships to light them on fire. Surveillante lands a few hits on the Boston

With the two American ship tied up with the Serveillante the Thetis is running down the merchant ship.

Congress crosses behind the Serveillante and sinks her with a devastating quarterdeck raking broadside.

The American Frigates have a long chase against the wind to catch Thetis and the American Merchant. Both Americans get their fires under control. 

Thetis grapples the merchant on its second attempt and melee breaks out the merchants surrenders after two rounds of hand to hand combat.  We declare the scenario a draw (typical of our games as Rob points out).  The Congress is in bad shape, but the Boston is in fighting shape though it faces a long stern chase to recapture the Merchant (if it can) 

Remote Black Seas: Lets Roll Playtest 1

Two French Frigates are in hot pursuite of an American merchant. Mark and Chris joined us as the French Captains.  John joind me as the American Comador running both Frigates.  I ran the Merchant as game master.  Mark and Chris hit the Merchant on tunt one with thier bow chasers slowing it down. 

Turn two Mark hit the mizzen mast of the merchant.  Chris' ship was hit by both American ships but John's attempt to board failed to come off. 

The USS Congress hits the French frigate and a fire start.  French sailors act quicly to put out the fire.

The American ships have hurt the French ships Mark's command is particuarly hard hit.  Unforunatly the have shot pas the French and are now further fomr the mercahn that the French are. 

Long range shots ring out... the French hit the boston causing a crew critical... this results in the two US ships coliding the next turn... 

The Boston is hit agian and is now past its break point... Congress is still a fighting ship...

The Merchant ship which made its moral check every turn for the last five turns finaly stikes it colors.  It was a close fought action and lot of fun and hope folks will like it at the Lets Roll covnention 

Black Seas: Catch the Prize x2

Friday John and I met at the Hobby Bunker.  Despite his eagerness to get on with our ACW campaign John agreed to play Black Seas so I could be sure I had a handle on the rules before running the game I have planned for the 28th of March.  We used the "Catch the Prize" with the US navy acting as defender and the French navy acting as attacker.  I was very focused on the rules, so I didn't remember to take pictures every turn. 

The Merchant is in the lower corner it has turned away from John's French ships long range shots do minor damage to the French brig. 

As the ships close the US frigate hits the French Brig hard causing a crew hit and a fire (a bad combination) 

 John's Brig crashes into mine both ships take collision damage and are now on fire, I forgot the fire markers so we used the hot shot marker. 

The French brig did manage to put out its fire but then struck its colors rather and face fire form both my ships.  The American's closed on the French Frigate and both side took some hits but the merchant schooner made good its escape.  

 For our second game we switched sides.  I put a ship on each side of the Americans.  John did a good job using his frigate to hold off my brig as both ships traded blows.  My brig held its own until it was able to get out of John's arc of fire (trading boardsideds with a ship twice your size isn't a good idea). 

 My Frigate had a chance to cut inside John's brig but in the interest of learning the game I decided to grapple the American Brig.  The Boarding rules were quite clear and easy to understand the larger ship eventually forced the smaller one to break. 

 Meanwhile my Brig managed to get its gun on the Merchant Schooner.  I hit it fairly hard over two or three turns but never got a critical that would slow it and it slipped away. I could have tried boarding, but the American Frigate would probably have joined, and two ships overwhelmed my one.  The rules played well, much smoother than Trafalgar and more Realistic than the Osprey rules where ships "blew up" in a single broadside. There were lots of additional and advanced rules we could have used but we both enjoyed the game at this level of complexity.  Also, this is probably the first time John and I have played a rule set without having any disagreements about how a rule should be interpreted.  This is a tribute to the clarity of language and the good illustration of the rules (and a decent index) used by the Author and publisher.  I'm not generally a fan of Warlord Game's rules but this one is a new favorite; I hope they will continue to support it. 

Challenge X: Entry #18: French Frigate, Brig and US Brig (40 Points)

Continuing construction of my Black Seas ships which are now slated to make an appearance at Huzzah!Con in May.

First up is a French Frigate. I haven't christened it with any particular name yet but it could be L'Insurgent a French frigate captured by USS Constellation making it a nice option doing double duty.

Detail work on the windows came out well. The yellow of the French ships is easier to paint then black and white of the USN paint scheme

There was a French Frigate with the name Carrere very nearly my own family name which gives me another possible name for her.

My second French Brig Not much new to say here other than to note that her sails are printed on paper from a file supplied by Wargames Illustrated.

The Sails came out looking good and this will probably be my go to option when I need sails in the future.

Here is the full French Squadron Two Brigs, Two Frigates and a Corvette. 

Here we have another American Brig. I used the AWI US flag because I always liked it and why not.

I now have three Brigs in the USN paint Scheme.

I've got one more Frigate to finish up that will be in Royal Navy colors. Points 10 each for the Brings and 18 for the Frigates so 38 Points all together plus any extras for the various flags ect 

I also wanted to provide a picture of Tom's excellent Naga that I got for my prize at the Snow Lords peak. It arrived a few weeks ago but I haven't had a chance to post a photo of it and thank him yet.

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By Paul:

Lovely ships and those massed Frenchies look wonderful (and ripe for a good cutting out action!)

The USN ships look great too - little scorpions but with sharp stings!

Take 40 points with a few extras for the bunting

PS Great to see that lovely Naga safe and sound in her new lair!