How many ships?

[Kustenjaeger]

Greetings

While I wait for the reprint of the starter set, I am reading the pdf of the rules and picking up various SoG expansions from eBay and cheaper UK retailers.

Presently I have 2 ships arrived (Neptune and Impetueux) plus quite a few on order. I can’t see myself using more than about 8 at a time - even assuming I get some friends to play. I’m basically aiming for 4 ships of the line plus 4 cruisers per side (and a sloop each for sundry scenarios).

How many ships do people typically deploy for larger games and how many per player (I am assuming 1-2)?

Regards

Edward

[Comte de Brueys]

4 vs. 4 is the most common in my games at Prague.

Or 6 - 8 vs. an AI controlled enemy like my "Abukir" scenario or Rob's "Battle of the Basque Road" scenario.

[TexaS]

If you get a player for each ship or at the most two ships per player there's no upper limit to the size of a game.

[Bligh]

If you look at our solo campaign AARs it may suprise you just how many one person can handle with a few aids Edward.

https://sailsofglory.org/showthread.php?4829-November-scenario-Gun-for-Gun-Shot-for-Shot-AAR

Rob.

[Kustenjaeger]

Thanks.

When I was talking to my wife just now she asked who I was going to play the game with. While I could answer it I also pointed out that one could play solo - which mollified her a bit as she is concerned about me buying stuff and it not getting used.

Regards

Edward

[Bligh]

Anything I can do to help you with solo play just ask Edward.
i will even re-open the Solo campaign after Christmas if I can get a couple of players interested.
Rob.

[Kustenjaeger]

Rob

Thanks.

I’ll have a read of the solo material and will plan to do some solo games early next year once I have the starter set.

Regards

Edward

[Vagabond]

Anything I can do to help you with solo play just ask Edward.
i will even re-open the Solo campaign after Christmas if I can get a couple of players interested.
Rob.

Rob - If you do decide to resurrect the solo campaign would you mind PM'ing me, I would certainly be interested and would confirm one way or the other, I have 4 frigates and 4 SotL per side but no small ships or 4th rate 50 gun ones so would be limited in what I could do.
Cheers

[Bligh]

That should not be a problem John, because the way we write the scenarios you can field as few ships as you need to carry out the mission, and can always designate a ship with another rate if you wish to. ie a Frigate can be used instead of a sloop as long as you balance up the other side to match. Nor do you have to play in every game of the season. What we usually do is have a Squadron action every other month, with a solo Pirate, Privateer game with your solo ship of choice pitted against something similar on the alternate month. You can play in either set of scenarios or both as you wish. For instance my solo ship is HEIC Nottingham sailing in the Indian Ocean, whilst my Squadron was Commanded by Admiral Sir Joshua Pound based at Capetown. We did have a system for awarding prize money and recruiting crews as well as penalties for damaged ships etc but this fell out of usage when Neil dropped out of the Campaign.

Rob.

[Ferrante]

This looks very interesting Rob . I am going to read more about this because I am very interested .
Main problem is have enough time to be an active member of the solo campaign

[Bligh]

If you choose carefully it may only be one game every two months Ferrante.
Rob.

[Vagabond]

That should not be a problem John, because the way we write the scenarios you can field as few ships as you need to carry out the mission, and can always designate a ship with another rate if you wish to. ie a Frigate can be used instead of a sloop as long as you balance up the other side to match. Nor do you have to play in every game of the season. What we usually do is have a Squadron action every other month, with a solo Pirate, Privateer game with your solo ship of choice pitted against something similar on the alternate month. You can play in either set of scenarios or both as you wish. For instance my solo ship is HEIC Nottingham sailing in the Indian Ocean, whilst my Squadron was Commanded by Admiral Sir Joshua Pound based at Capetown. We did have a system for awarding prize money and recruiting crews as well as penalties for damaged ships etc but this fell out of usage when Neil dropped out of the Campaign.

Rob.

Thanks Rob, that makes sense. I've read a few of the old game reports and some of the scenarios were very interesting as well as different to the usual balanced sides. I particularly liked a treasure hunting one that was very imaginative.
I did notice that shore based batteries were used, I like this idea for cutting out expeditions but I dont have the coastal battery pack and would prefer to have a modeled battery rather than a flat printed one. Is there anywhere that describes shorebased mats so I could make my own?
Cheers

[Bligh]

I will send you a PM later today with the details of mine John.

Rob.

[Kustenjaeger]

Greetings

I think I am aiming to have a reasonable mix of frigates and SOLs in hand (with a couple of sloops) - mainly British and French with a few Spanish. Some of the French Ares models look like they are flying Royal flags from the 1780s as they did not last till the Revolutionary Wars.

Regards

Edward

[Bligh]

There are actually three period ensigns for France. They also have the white with a Tricolor in the corner.
The British of course should be flying the old Jack before 1801 but they all have the Union. I guess it only really matters if you are a purist, and then you can always switch ensigns.

Rob.

[Vagabond]

I will send you a PM later today with the details of mine John.

Rob.

Thanks Rob that would be great.

[Bligh]

I know this is not later today, but having seen your post about Entoyment John, do I still need to make copies for you or will you pick them up from there?
Rob.

[Vagabond]

I know this is not later today, but having seen your post about Entoyment John, do I still need to make copies for you or will you pick them up from there?
Rob.

Hi Rob I've spent most of my Christmas money already so I won't be taking up the Entoyment offer. I've bought 2 lots of spare ships mats and a second set of counters recently and with the recent purchase of ships I have 1 first rate, 3 74's 2 64's 2 50's and 5 frigates per side French and British and that's my lot - I think :question: ,although I would like a nice mat, I've been eying the Deepcut Studio one.

I'm pretty sure I don't want to get the coastal packs, I'd much sooner use my own terrain so I'm just missing the fortification data so if it's no trouble to you I would very much appreciate that information. I have picked up 3 cards that represent Infantry, Marines and Matelots, I think from one of your old posts, not sure if they are in the pack or were home brewed mats, but so far I've not seen anything on the forts.
Don't worry if it means you going to any trouble, I'm sure I could knock something up myself and as I see most of my games being solo no one is going to complain to me about them. :happy:
Cheers

[Bligh]

I have looked at my mats and the fortifications I have spare are the strength 7 and strength 3 so if you send me both your snail mail and your E-mail by PM I can send you the info for three mats and the physical mats for the other three by post as your Christmas present from me. That way you can see the full works and produce the others to match.
Rob.

[Vagabond]

That is very kind of you Rob, thanks

[Corsair]

Four ships per side is the most I have played with at conventions. But these are designed to be beginner friendly and not go on for hours upon hours, so one ship per player. At home, again, four per side, but that is usually with two ships per player. And really, that’s been what I’ve purchased around, with enough middle-sized ships to have a sliding scale so that I can smoothly transition from frigates into fourth rates and on up into smaller ships of the line through standard 74s and into tip of the spear 1st rates. One extra set of ship mats, two play mats plus the coastline WoG if I want some extra space - all pretty much built around maxing out at four per side.

I’ll be able to go six a side soon (Ares reports they will have the starter set in their warehouse this week, and I won a set in their recent contest), but I don’t really anticipate using that many ships at a single go, even though I have enough British, but might have to team up France and Spain for certain mixes.

[Bligh]

Sounds like a very balanced approach Bruce. I sometimes wonder why I have a cupboard full of ships which have never seen the sea in anger, even including some of the ones I customize to represent different navies. Half my Peruvian navy has never set sail for instance and now Admiral Cochrane has set sail for the Brazil encounters.

Rob.