5 Attachment(s)
Huzzah! 2018: Battle of the Virginia Capes
Battle of the Virginia Capes, AKA Battle of the Chesapeake, 5 September 1781
A game at the Huzzah! convention May 18th to 20th in Portland, ME.
More pictures here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskBC9f6W
Order of Battle:
The models used are listed, with the ship represented, if different, in parenthesis, followed by the point value of the model.
British:
Van:
HMS Argonaut, 64 (HMS Intrepid, 64) 111
HMS Goliath, 74 (HMS Princessa, 70) 135 Flag
HMS America, 64 118
Center:
HMS Vanguard, 74 (HMS Resolution, 74) 135
HMS Britannia, 100 (HMS London, 98) 187 Flag
HMS Agamemnon, 64 (HMS Europe, 64) 126
Rear:
HMS Africa, 64 (Belliqueux, 64) 126
HMS Royal George, 100 (HMS Barflear, 98) 181 Flag
Total points: 1119
French:
Van:
Protee, 64 (Reflechi, 64) 102
Neptune, 80 (Auguste, 80) 171 Flag
Fougueux, 74 (Cesar, 74) 143
Center:
Genereux, 74 (Destin, 74) 143
Commerce de Marseille, 118 (Ville de Paris, 110) 200 Flag
Artesien, 64 (Solitaire, 64) 102
Rear:
Bucentaure, 80 (Languedoc, 80) 171 Flag
Le Berwick, 74 (Hector, 74) 135
Total Points: 1167
The British have the weather gauge, the French have a slight edge in points.
Both fleets are sailing due east in line, just out of range, with approximately 2 stand lengths between the ships. Historically, this was around 4 PM. The wind is from due north (it was from the NNE historically) which puts all ships close hauled.
Dick, Chris and Bill were playing the British, and Jack, Mario and Dan were the French. We were playing the Basic rules as the players had not had a lot of experience with the rules.
Turns One and Two did not see many broadsides, and those that were fired did minimal damage. Some of the British players were feeling their inner Nelsons and were holding fire until they were at close range.
Turn 3 got quite a bit hotter, with the Vanguard hitting the Berwick with a bow rake and the Britannia nearly colliding with the Bucentaure.
Turns 4 and 5 saw multiple ranks, mostly by a bows, but a couple by the stern.
Turn 6 saw the first casualty, as the Artesien ran out of hull boxes and sank.
Turn 7 was quiet, with most of the ships having fired their broadsides in turn 6, or having maneuvered out of each other’s firing arc.
Turn 8 saw the French suffer another loss, this time with the Protee running out of crew boxes, mostly courtesy of the Goliath.
Turn 9 found that the Goliath had paid a steep price for the punishment it dealt out to the Protee, as she lost her last crew box to the Neptune.
Turn 10 was another quiet turn. Perhaps it was the copious quantities of rum being issued to the ship’s companies!
Turn 11 saw more intense action, with the Fougueux, for the French, and the Argonaut for the British striking.
Turn 12 saw the end of the game period, and the end for the Africa as well.
Each side lost 3 ships, with the points favoring the French. However, no French ship had more than two hull or two crew boxes left, and while most of the British ships were in similar condition, the Royal George had only lost two hull boxes and one crew box, so a narrow victory was awarded to the British.
