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garchilajr
06-16-2015, 01:03
I started collecting SOG ships for the last couple of weeks, and thus far have a few ships, mostly French. I will be buying more ships, including the core set, but wanted an opinion from more experienced players in regards to what should be my next purchases.

Thus far I have,

British:

HMS Unite
HMS Swan

French:

Commerce de Marseille
Alligator
Hermione
Imperial
Three copies of Camagnole. (Found them on sale.)

I would appreciate your input, as I would like to have balanced options for either nation. I will definitely add the HMS Victory and the USS Constitution.

Bos'n
06-16-2015, 03:04
I started collecting SOG ships for the last couple of weeks, and thus far have a few ships, mostly French. I will be buying more ships, including the core set, but wanted an opinion from more experienced players in regards to what should be my next purchases.

Thus far I have,

British:

HMS Unite
HMS Swan

French:

Commerce de Marseille
Alligator
Hermione
Imperial
Three copies of Camagnole. (Found them on sale.)

I would appreciate your input, as I would like to have balanced options for either nation. I will definitely add the HMS Victory and the USS Constitution.

Gustavo,

Welcome aboard. I am so new at this game that you are the first new member I've welcomed to this hobby/game of ours. So welcome again.

Like many things in my life, when I started this thing, I went whole hog into it. I bought at least two of every rating, making sure that I got one British and one French each time I bought something. Then I found out about the Spanish and American ships, only to wonder about the rest of those fleets, and on it goes. :question::minis::hmmm:

The point is, that when I looked back, I found out that I used the ships in the middle most often. :embarass: I rarely, if ever, use the 1st rated or the non rated ships. The 1st rated have become show pieces and the sloops are destined to be remodeled into brigs and fore and aft schooners.

Spend wisely and see what your group uses before you dump a lot of resources into this pastime. Then buy a little from your game store, but use the Internet for most of your purchases. You'll get more and probably spend too much anyway, just as I did. :girlieangry::moneygone:

Get involved with this community, they have brought me the greatest joy. I love this game, or as my wife says "obsession." :girlieangry::pray:

I'll see you on the seas,

Bob. :girlie: :salute:

TexaS
06-16-2015, 04:43
I'd say try using them and see what size of ship you like to play; the more maneuverable frigates or the mightier ships of the line.

In any case the first rates should be exceptions and third rated would be the common ship of the line.
I think it's fun to play ships like the Camagnole but I love the third rates and lines of battle.

Kentop
06-16-2015, 06:18
As in all things, your taste in what ships you like to sail will change. So, having a good spread of different rates is definitely the way to go. I started out liking the frigates best, but now I enjoy the 1st rate ships the most (they last longer and give me more time to come up with a winning strategy. They also make maneuvers much more critical. If you read through most of the solo missions, you will see a good mix of ship types involved. My approach has been to pick up at least one of each class of ship. There are about 20 classes more or less. The differences are very small among each rate, but it allows me to experiment with different combinations and keeps the game interesting. As far as having ships flagged for each country. I find it easier to just add a flag to the main mast of a british ship to make it French if I need to. There isn't enough difference between the models to be noticeable. Thanks to this forum, I have even been able to play the kickstarter ships using substitutes and the stat charts and ship logs posted. I have played games where, using a french third rate and a british third rate, my opponent and I actually unintentionally swapped ships in the heat of battle when they were at point blank range. We were so busy keeping track of damage and plotting our manouvers, we didn't actually look that closely at our ships! My buying strategy, after getting one of each class is to wait for a screaming deal to appear on eBay or the Anchorage store (right now, you can get wave one ships pretty cheap with free shipping a lot of places online). I keep a handy list of ships I still don't have (by my count, I'm still 22 ships short of the entire range - minus the kick starters). I will pick them up over time, I'm sure. But I can play just about any scenario the Anchorage can dream up, substituting ships if I have to, which isn't often. If a scenario calls for HMS Defiance, you can pretty much substitute Le Berwick with a british flag up top. It's just for one game. Why spend 20 bucks (or in the case of Defiance, $100.00) just to have a couple of pieces of cardboard with the name Defiance on it? But, you will find collectors with deep pockets insisting on having every release, most of which probably sit in their boxes untouched. Unless you are going to run a game at a convention and try to duplicate the battle of Trafalgar (and even for the heavy collectors, how often does that happen?), you just don't need them. I collect guns the same way. Rather than buying brands, I buy "classes" of guns. Shotguns, revolvers, automatic pistols, flintlocks, assault rifles, sniper rifles, one of each type so I know the differences between them. What's the difference between a Smith and Wesson Model 10 and a Taurus Model 82? None. Save yourself a couple hundred bucks and buy an old Taurus. It shoots exactly the same.

garchilajr
06-16-2015, 06:26
Thank you so much, Bob!

garchilajr
06-16-2015, 06:29
Thank you, Kenneth! I was thinking that I could do that, change flags, with the extra two copies of the Carmagnole that I found. ($5.50 each? Why yes, please and thank you!) If I do that, are there any templates that could be printed for them? How would one go about it?

Kentop
06-16-2015, 07:27
You can find images the ship logs for Wave 1 and 2 (including the Hebe class ships you are missing in this posting from last year. Ship Logs - Starter Set, Wave 1, Wave 2 (All 48)
just paste it into the search box. Wave 3 and the other ships are around here someplace, too. I have high res images of everything you can print out for yourself, including blank ship mats, ship cards, whatever you want. Just let me know what you need.

7eat51
06-16-2015, 07:30
You'll find that once the game starts, no one pays attention to the ships in terms of paint schemes, etc.; everyone is focused on maneuvering. To Kenneth's point, use two color pennants that you can slip onto the main masts to represent the different sides. This enables you to substitute quite easily while being able to identify the ships during a larger battle. It is nice having at least one first rate because it gives you scenario options, and several third rates and frigates for the same reason. The most important part is probably having the different maneuver decks, as it is quite easy to make your own ship logs with your own stats. It is not too difficult to make your own ship cards with customized shooting angles as well; folks here might be able to make any you so desire.

Kentop
06-16-2015, 07:38
Here are the Hebe class ship logs you are missing:
14987
14988
14989
14990

Gotham Resident
06-16-2015, 08:39
I would appreciate your input, as I would like to have balanced options for either nation. I will definitely add the HMS Victory and the USS Constitution. Great question, I was wondering the same question, "if I were to get just 1 or 2 ships", and this answers my question. My fleet is the starter set plus Alligator & Swan. I had already decided to get USS Constitution & the Thorn, but was curious about just filling in 1 more of each. It seems "Ship logs" are the way to go for the rest. I bought Cardstock at Staples for WGS custom cards and we have a nice copier/printer at work I can use to print them.


Welcome Gustavo, I'm new myself. Where in KY out of curiousity? I was born in KY and left to go college, but still visit 2x every year. (started in Lexington, but we visit Pikeville, Richmond, Carlisle, Covington as the parents & aunts/uncles keep spreading apart).

Coog
06-16-2015, 08:57
Here's a link to all the wave 1 and 2 ship logs:

http://www.sailsofglory.org/showthread.php?2446-Ship-Logs-Starter-Set-Wave-1-Wave-2-(All-48)

Gotham Resident
06-16-2015, 09:40
Wow, thanks!

Loki 13
06-16-2015, 10:52
:beer: Welcome aboard, just start buying ships and stuff. Also there are a lot of knowledgeable people here. Enjoy the game. :beer: :drinks:

Herkybird
06-16-2015, 12:29
Welcome! I agree, 74s, 64s and such are the way to go!

If you fight frigates v frigates, or 1st rates against 1st rates, the game takes as long, the bigger ships just drive more ponderously! :minis:

Frigates and sloops are cheaper though....:happy:

Naharaht
06-16-2015, 20:24
Welcome to the Anchorage, Gustavo.

Coog
06-16-2015, 20:33
Welcome aboard Gustavo!

Nightmoss
06-16-2015, 23:09
Greetings Gustavo! Welcome aboard the Anchorage. :salute:

Bligh
07-11-2015, 03:12
:hatsoff:After all that good advice it only remains for me to add my welcome to you Gustavo.
if we meet on the High Seas do pull up alongside and repair on board for a bottle of the finest Jamaica and a chat.:drinks:
Bligh.

Union Jack
07-17-2015, 17:39
Welcome Gustavo.

As for ships, whatever takes your fancy. Frigate v Frigate, a battle line of 74's or the bigger 100+ guns, whichever way you can't go wrong.

Neil