Latest wave of ships.

[Union Jack]

One of the best systems I've played under was the Langton rules with large ship actions (10+ ships/side). One chart, one dice roll and with the different classes of ships different possibilities of what each ship could or couldn't do. I've seen most of my ships carry on in formation with the poorer ships in quality just blithley sailing on as turning to fast wold have dismasted them or their crew quality so poor that they could not fire.

This is handled a different way with the SPI game frigate. A random number being taken and any ship in a hex ending with that number and some unfortunate action accured.

Like David for me it needs to be simple, effective but retaining the fun aspect.

[Naharaht]

I collected my new ships from my local games shop on Saturday morning. They look good.

[Naharaht]

I did not notice at first but my model of SGN109B Protee 1772/ Eveille 1772 has its flag missing. It had been broken off. I searched the box carefully but it was not loose inside. Has anyone else had this problem? Are Ares still replacing damaged models?

[TexaS]

My first HMS Victory had the flag broken off and it wasn't present in the box.

I asked them for a replacement and got it. It's the only replacement I've ever asked for from Ares, even though I've had several broken foremasts so I don't feel bad about it even though I cut off the flag of the replacement too...

[Bligh]

You should be able to get it replaced if you get in touch with them Dave.
Rob.

[Naharaht]

I contacted Ares and they have very kindly sent me another model of SGN109B Protee 1772/ Eveille 1772. However, it was the ship model only without the cards. Still it was very good of them.

[Capn Duff]

At least you will have an undamaged ship, nice one David

[Bligh]

Glad to hear you had a good outcome.
It proves that they are still doing the right thing re after sails in that respect at least Dave.
Rob.

[Corsair]

I had been thinking about adding some ships to my modest fleet of eight, saw that the new wave was out, and added eight more ships, including a first rate for each side, a forty gun frigate for each side (intended as flagships for SotL and frigate action respectively), a couple of Spanish ships just because, and a couple of 4th rates.

Now, I figured that the 4th rates would probably lump in better with frigates, and supersede the 40 gun frigates as the flagship, which makes sense historically. Looking at the ship mats, though, and the 50 gun ships looks like a nice ship to give to a beginner to square off against a 40 gunner. They don't seem that far off. Looking up the conflict between the Sybille and HMS Romney, that seems a fair enough appraisal.

[Hjl]

The 4th will have an advantage over even the heavy frigates because of its extra boxes on its ship log. How ever if this is in the hands of the beginner against a more seasoned player in the heavy frigate then it could well be a close game.

In my experience the 4th rate ships do exactly what you would expect. They aren't nearly as powerful as the 74 gun ships but stand above the frigates.

Perhaps a Constitution vs HMS Leopard action is in order!

[TexaS]

I have compared Constitution vs a burden 4 with one more box in just taking damage, applying two sets of identical B chits randomly drawn damage to both and the burden 5 always came out on top. Higher burden is a distinct advantage that would have to be countered with at least two more boxes to make up for it.

[Bligh]

I agree Jonas.
Burden is a somewhat unseen balance of power changer at least two boxes worth of damage if not three when the chits fall badly and one box absorbs two large numbers.
Rob.

[Bligh]

Firstly I should have welcomed you officially to the Anchorage Bruce.

I had a look for this book, and the best I could do on Amazon was......

Used, very good condition £39.25.

Rob.

[Corsair]

The 4th will have an advantage over even the heavy frigates because of its extra boxes on its ship log. How ever if this is in the hands of the beginner against a more seasoned player in the heavy frigate then it could well be a close game.

In my experience the 4th rate ships do exactly what you would expect. They aren't nearly as powerful as the 74 gun ships but stand above the frigates.

Perhaps a Constitution vs HMS Leopard action is in order!

Just looking at the mats and stats without actually playing them, the difference is small. Looking at the Ares points values, 96/99 for the Leopard/Isis and 85/88 for Sybille/Amelia. Smaller difference between those two ships and the Constitution (116 in the early version, a whopping 133 in the 1812 version). The Leopard has an extra box of damage, but with the same burden as the Sybille, it really is going to come down to which ship gets off the first telling broadside. I'm not sure that it is quite as close as the game has it modeled, but the 4th rate works out much closer to the larger frigates (excluding the US super-frigates) than it does to a 3rd rate. Visually, looking at the models themselves, it looks a closer match to the large frigates. The 3rd rates are an order larger than the fifty gun ships. Which is nice - the fifty gun ships were removed from the line, and tended to play with the frigates in reality. I'll probably add a 64 gun ship in a future order - they seem a bit more in the no man's land between being too much for a frigate, but not quite equal to being in the line anymore beyond necessity, so the fifty seems to have more of a definitive role to me within the game, while the 64 needs more of a middle ground built for it.

[Diamondback]

Historically, after the ends of their days as viable participants in the battle line, the two-decker "cruisers" of 40-60 guns were found to be just right for convoy escort: enough punch to threaten raiders, not enough speed or maneuverability for captains to abandon their charges and go chase prize-money as they'd be tempted to with frigates. The 64's found second lives on blockade duty and as frigate-squadron flagships, the latter a role the smaller two-deckers also filled occasionally IIRC.

Comparing a two-decker cruiser to a spar-decker frigate of similar rating depends on bores. Say a Roebuck 44 vs a Pallas 44--the Pallas's battery is 18# UD, 9# QD/FC, while Roebuck carries 24's and 12's on two full decks plus 6's upstairs. Maneuverability and speed advantage to Pallas, damage-resistance both hull and crew to Roebuck. Portland vs a superfrigate on the other hand... against Constitution Portland loses all-around: speed, maneuverability, firepower, hull, though by a hair in a few of those categories. Call it "slight handicap."
*Frigate LD's have no ports, they're the cargo/supply deck--the lowest continuous unbroken deck from stem to stern, as opposed to the orlop with its string of different-height platforms.

[stuh42asl]

So has everyone finally received the Spanish Ships, and put them to sea yet ??

[stuh42asl]

Mine are still sittin in drydock while the Trinidad needs a paint job.........................the Dons are out chasing women again :)

[Hjl]

Take a look in the 2017 campaign section. There are loads of pictures of them in action in the January reports :D

[Bligh]

Three of my new Spaniards were in action in that January scrap.
I will publish pictures of the whole Fleet at sea in the next few days.
Rob.

[Capn Duff]

I have put my Spaniards in Haitus for the moment.
I have rigged one , ahem , 3 decker and trying to repair a broken 74, rest are lounging while I sulk over the possible/probable scale issue.
One good thing is the 64's for the French dont look too much out, still checking the lengths for this but side by side with a 74 looking passable. Just the rest of the wave possibly dodgey

[Bligh]

I have put my Spaniards in Haitus for the moment.

That somewhere on the Spanish Main then Chris?

Rob.

[Capn Duff]

That somewhere on the Spanish Main then Chris?

Rob.

Must be as the crews are all running around wearing grass hats and other aparel drinking this new white version of rum, bac r di or some such, giving the RN time to look over the competition

[David Manley]

I have put my Spaniards in Haitus for the moment.

One of the more obscure ports in the Caribbean?

[Nightmoss]

I have put my Spaniards in Haitus for the moment.
I have rigged one , ahem , 3 decker and trying to repair a broken 74, rest are lounging while I sulk over the possible/probable scale issue.
One good thing is the 64's for the French dont look too much out, still checking the lengths for this but side by side with a 74 looking passable. Just the rest of the wave possibly dodgey

Same with me I'm afraid. I just can't get enthused about putting them on the table.

With everything that's coming up in the next few months I'm not even going to use them for the solo campaign.

[Diamondback]

Haven't even got Wave 3 ordered yet. May downsize to only one set for Collection Completeness.

I came into Ares's fold because of WGF, and that's where my priority of spending is going at this point.

[Hjl]

Well that certainly makes depressing reading. Let's hope they can fix things fir the next wave.

[Bligh]

That is only the fourth wave Hugh.
Only every seventh wave is bigger so they say.
Rob.