Get that Swan

HMS Swan (Baxter) has been having a ball in the Caribbean. She has taken many yankee and French prizes and is becoming a bit of a problem for them. In an alliance of intent Alligator (Wayne) and Atalanta (Windy Jack) have combined to rid themselves of this pest. Sailing through passages on either side of an island they manage to flush out the Swan from his lair and he is trying to run for home (in the South West corner of the Caribbean map). The wind is constant and blowing to the SSW. As we are all very rusty with SoG (and a lot of other things) we are using a modified entangled rule if we run aground. A B damage chit is taken immediately and for the next turns an E chit is taken every time. When the E has a crewman on it then the ship is deemed to have been pulled off and will resume normal movement. Due to the fragility of the sloops, 1 damage is counted as zero to prolong the game play.

Swan quickly realises that he cannot head directly for home and get there before being engaged by both enemy ships so he comes up with a cunning plan to head towards the northern side and towards the oncoming Alligator. If Captain Baxter times it properly he can hit the Alligator and be past him before he gets return fire he thinks. Things did not turn out too well for the British, partly due to a drunken helmsman who failed to understand the basics of navigation and tried to escape over the island!

Swan hits Alligator. Take that you Frogs!

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Aligator hits Swan (wait that was not in the plan!)

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Swan hits Alligator (let them have it lads)

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Alligator runs aground (what can you expect from the French) and gets another hit as well!

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Alligator is free and hits the Swan.

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I say Swain! You incompetent ninny, didn't you see that island!!

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Alligator hits the Swan as she gets free.

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Swan hits the oncoming Atalanta. (Blasted Colonials!)

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Swan gets hit by Atalanta.

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And another hit from Atalanta!!

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The result was a victory of sorts for the British with the HMS Swan escaping by the skin of her teeth with only one damage box left and three crew hits taken. The Atalanta suffered one crew hit and one damage box full. The Alligator had two damage boxes filled and one crew hit.

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Very neat little action Gary.
Remember, any battle you can sail away from is a sucess!

Rob.

Wonderful to see the sloops in action!:happy:

Who put that island in the middle of the sea, just where anyone could sail into it.

Thanks for the post Gary.

Fun to see a battle with smaller ships. Very nice!