Blutarski TMP Scenario Offerings

This morning Blutarski over on The Miniatures Page offered up a bunch of free scenarios for anyone who might be interested. Rather than asking for all of them (although I'm sure he'd be willing to give them out) I thought I'd post the list here and see if SoG folks would have one or two preferred? See below for message posted and free scenario list:

To – Nightmoss/Carojon/Frederick/other Age of Sail gamers -

I have some other "interesting" Age of Sail scenarios which I would be happy to share. All scenarios portray either historical battles -OR- historically plausible engagements that easily could have occurred if historical circumstances had been slightly altered.

Grenada – 1799
D'Estaing vs Byron fleet action

Cape Ann – 1814
Constitution vs two British 18lbr frigates.

Cadiz – 1801
Saumarez vs Franco-Spanish squadron in the Strait.

St Kitts – 1805
Nelson catches Villeneuve in the Caribbean.

Nelson and the Inshore Squadron – 1804
Nelson vs LaTouche Treville off Toulon.

Corsican Encounter – 1799
British vs Neapolitan frigate action off the coast of Corsica.

Battle of Sadras – 1782
Suffren and Hughes introduce themselves.


B

Jim, funny thing is I've actually been working on an Indian Ocean campaign for several years. Most of what I have is just the OrBats, though I've also been trying to look into various captains for special cards and work the math for between-battles resource management, say cannibalizing a damaged ship's crew and guns to bring another back up to full strength.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Diamondback

Jim, funny thing is I've actually been working on an Indian Ocean campaign for several years. Most of what I have is just the OrBats, though I've also been trying to look into various captains for special cards and work the math for between-battles resource management, say cannibalizing a damaged ship's crew and guns to bring another back up to full strength.

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I definitely recall your mentioning this project idea some time ago. If memory serves were you also trying to incorporate some of the ideas that Broadsword56 and/or Fred Miracle were kicking around for progressing from large scale sea movement to tactical battles (War of 1812)? It's been awhile so I could be totally misremembering.

Blutarski posted some additional comments on his scenarios listed above. I'll include them here in case it helps folks to pick and choose?

Nightmoss wrote – "Any of these would be of interest to folks on the SoG Anchorage forums. I'll share the list and see if any are more favored than others."


Some comments on the scenarios to assist in the decision process:

- – – – -
Grenada – 1799
D'Estaing vs Byron fleet action
Big game (20+ ships per side) involving a bit of preliminary decision-making and map movement plus some wind shadowing effect in the lee of the island.

- – – – -
Cape Ann – 1814
Constitution vs two British 18lbr frigates.
Small three ship scenario derived from an actual sighting of USS Constitution by His Majesty's frigates Tenedos and Pomone off Cape Ann Massachusetts in 1814. Constitution wins by fighting and/or slipping through the British ships barring her way to safety. British win by capturing or sinking Constitution. One British frigate is faster than Constitution; the other is of equal speed. Special conditions re dismantling shot; played under my StG rules with variable wind shifts. It gives a very tight "maneuver heavy" game best played by having separate players for each ship and restricted British communications between their two ships. We have played this at least a dozen times and it is not easy for either side; the win typically goes to the best sailors and ship-handlers. One of my favorites, but not certain how it would play under different rules.

- – – – -
Cadiz – 1801
Saumarez vs Franco-Spanish squadron in the Strait.
This is a variation on the aftermath of the Algeciras Bay action between Linois and Saumarez. It assumes that Linois, with the aid of Moreno's relief squadron safely got to Cadiz and Saumarez (on the basis of some intelligence) is now trying to bar passage through the Strait into the Med. Game start is in pitch darkness just before the break of dawn, with none of the commands – British, Spanish, French – having any idea where any one else is situated on the play area. About 15 ships in toto. Special mystery guest included ….. ;-)

- – – – -
St Kitts – 1805
Nelson catches Villeneuve in the Caribbean.
Basically a mini-Trafalgar fought in Caribbean waters during hurricane season ….. ;-)

- – – – -
Nelson and the Inshore Squadron – 1804
Nelson vs LaTouche Treville off Toulon.
LaTouche Treville has sortied out of Toulon in an attempt to cut off two British frigates lurking in the outer roads. Nelson calls in Bickerton and his squadron with an action fought early the next day under breezes shifting from off-shore to on-shore as the morning passes. Lots of three-deckers and big French 80's – about a dozen ships in all. Nelson must keep "an eye" out to avoid getting into range of the powerful French forts and batteries covering Toulon harbor.

- – – – -
Corsican Encounter – 1799
British vs Neapolitan frigate action off the coast of Corsica.
Two British frigates patrolling off the western coast of Corsica encounter a pair of Neapolitan frigates and seek to take them. More here than meets the eye, however.

- – – – -
Battle of Sadras – 1782
Suffren and Hughes introduce themselves.
First battle between Suffren and Hughes. French have a numerical advantage of 12 ships versus 9 British. Both sides, however, have "issues".


B

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nightmoss

I definitely recall your mentioning this project idea some time ago. If memory serves were you also trying to incorporate some of the ideas that Broadsword56 and/or Fred Miracle were kicking around for progressing from large scale sea movement to tactical battles (War of 1812)? It's been awhile so I could be totally misremembering.

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What I'd LIKE to see, but know I don't have the resources or intellect to do entirely myself, is see a complete "World War" system where players at the top level (Admiralty/CinC level) allocate resources, direct strategy to theater commanders and manage their war economies/ship construction/army raising; the results of that are handed down to theater commanders and their fleets, who in turn set operational goals and allocate ships/etc to local squadron commanders. Each of those levels has its own "zoomed out" regional or global map for ship redeployments, then the local squadrons have their own tactical maps before ships meet, one player per, on the final battle map. A lot of this would need to be done with technological assistance, some kind of app, it's just too many maps alone for tabletop--my personal belief is that if tabletop is to survive in the digital age, such a "hybrid model" is the best chance.

These scenarios certainly lok like something I would like to look at in detail.


Cape Ann – 1814
Constitution vs two British 18lbr frigates.



Cadiz – 1801
Saumarez vs Franco-Spanish squadron in the Strait.


Nelson and the Inshore Squadron – 1804
Nelson vs LaTouche Treville off Toulon.

Corsican Encounter – 1799
British vs Neapolitan frigate action off the coast of Corsica.


Battle of Sadras – 1782
Suffren and Hughes introduce themselves.

Rob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bligh

These scenarios certainly lok like something I would like to look at in detail.


Cape Ann – 1814
Constitution vs two British 18lbr frigates.



Cadiz – 1801
Saumarez vs Franco-Spanish squadron in the Strait.


Nelson and the Inshore Squadron – 1804
Nelson vs LaTouche Treville off Toulon.

Corsican Encounter – 1799
British vs Neapolitan frigate action off the coast of Corsica.


Battle of Sadras – 1782
Suffren and Hughes introduce themselves.

Rob.

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Hey Rob,
I've gone ahead and contacted Blutarski via email to request the scenarios you listed above.

He also posted another one, which I've already asked to see along with your requests. Here's the description:

Forgot one very good scenario -

Tortola 1806 -
Cochrane versus Willaumez off Tortola.
In July of 1806 a powerful French raiding squadron of an 80 plus five 74-gun two-deckers under Admiral Willaumez actually did sight a much smaller British force of three 74's and a 64 under Admiral Cochrane near the port of Tortola in the Caribbean. Cochrane has to fight his way along a lee shore to reach the safety of the well-fortified British port, while Willaumez must balance his desire to take advantage of a fine tactical opportunity against an unusually weighty command problem.

Another favorite scenario, played on several occasions.

B

In addition see this question.

Blutarski also asked if we were aware of David Manley's campaign:

Nightmoss,
Has your friend reviewed David Manley's Coromandel Campaign?

B

I was not aware of it, but perhaps you or others on the Anchorage are familiar with it?

When I hear from Blutarski I'll send the scenarios along.

I've received the first scenario from Blutarski (Cape Ann, 1814). It includes three .doc attachments and a weather track attachment "(pre-calculated prior to the scenario to ease umpire workload) to give an idea of how the weather influenced events".

Further information he wanted to make clear includes the following:

"These scenarios were all written and structured to be played under my "Steer to Glory" AoS rules which feature -

> Ground scale = model scale; i.e., 3-inches = 100 yards in 1200 scale; 1.5-inches = 100 yards in 2400 scale.
> Time scale = approximately one minute per game turn.
> Movement is entirely simultaneous; no dicing for priority of movement; no alternating movement.
> Movement distance = 1 inch per knot in 1200 scale and 1/2-inch per knot in 2400 scale.
> Actions (start to turn, make or take in sail, commence a tack, heave to, etc) require passing an initiative test; if failed, ship basically continues what it did last turn.
> Average movement distance for a two-decker under battle sail on the quarter reach in a gentle breeze = 3 knots.
> Gunnery range bands and [relative effect] - Pistol Shot = 100yds [10]; Musket Shot = 300yds [7]; Point Blank = 600yds [5]; Cannon Shot = 900yds [3]; Random Shot = 1200yds [1.5]
> Maximum long gun ranges = 1200 yds (36" in 1200 scale; 18" in 2400 scale); maximum carronade/obusier range = 300 yards (9" in 1200 scale; 4.5" in 2400 scale).
> Hulling fire is limited to Musket Shot range, and means that <<<on average>>> 2/3rds of hits will strike the hull and1/3rd masts & sails; beyond Musket Shot vice versa.
> Morale checks are made after each 20pct increment of hull boxes is lost.
> Weather (changes in wind strength, direction shifts, visibility) IMO can be important in a scenario (Cape Ann and Toulon, for example); StG features a weather check (by no means necessarily a weather change) every 12-13 game turns.

I'm not by any means trying to convert anyone. I'm just alerting that these scenarios have been written with my own rules in mind and should be examined, proof-tested and adjusted for viability under SoG game mechanics before inviting a half-dozen people over for a big game. I've attached the original scenario plus documents relating to the first game of Cape Ann played (via PBEM). I have also included the weather track chart (pre-calculated prior to the scenario to ease umpire workload) to give an idea of how the weather influenced events."

Rob, how do you want me to approach sharing the scenarios? Should I start separate threads in the Mission sub forum? Just let me know and I'll proceed. Thanks!

Rob, I have two scenarios from Blutarski ready to post. Where do you want me to put them on the forums to best effect?

Just posted Tortola, 1806 in the Missions sub forum. Rob, if you want these elsewhere please feel free to move them. B has already sent me "Cape Ann" and I just now received "Corsican Encounter 1799". Thanks!

Fine where it is Jim.
Thanks.
Rob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bligh

Fine where it is Jim.
Thanks.
Rob.

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Corsican Encounter just got posted. I'll try to get Cape Ann up this afternoon, but I just finished shoveling 6+ inches of fresh snow so I have other chores to get taken care of first.