THE FOG BANK

This was my first SoG scenario that I hosted during the Prague Con 2019.


I worked out a nearly historical scenario to include the USS Constitution and the USS Bonhomme Richard for a bigger game. So this was my idea:

It's 1812 and after the Battle of Salamanca on the Iberian Peninsula the French Napoleonic troops in Spain need food and supplies.The supply lines on the roads are threatened by Spanish partisans, so Napoleon organized a supply convoy from the United States to Spain.The Royal Navy was able to get informations about the plan and command one of their famous Captains to quick organize an incerception force. The convy is intercepted 100 miles off the Spanish Coast, but some Fog banks make the battle conditions special.


Both sides had a balanced number of ships:

USS Constitution 1812 (133 pts.)
USS Bonhomme Richard (93 pts.)
Bertin or Berrier (95 pts.)
Proserpine or Dryade (87 pts.)

HMS Agamemnon or HMS Raisonable (126 pts.)
HMS Concord or HMS Unite (76 pts.)
HMS Hamdryad (85 pts.)
HMS Amelia (88 pts.)



Goals of the scenario were:

The Royal Navy needs to destroy or capture the convoy or force the enemy ships from the map to crush the convoy formation. Earn extra points by capturing the USS Bonhomme Richard and/or the Bertin/Berrier (do not sink the ships – reduce the crews to zero)

The US/French needs to stand vs. the Royal Navy to bring some ships to Spain. Earn an extra point by sinking the ship with the RN famous Captain. (RN flagship)


Some special rules were in play:

Fire damage will prevent a reload or firing action in the following turn, broken mast will replace you next maneuver with a randomly drawn broken mast card. Entanglement possible. Reduced damage if friendly ships collide – one B damage per ship.
The Fog Bank – after the first two turns the players secretly write down the numbers of the next 4 maneuvers. Next execute the 4 secretly written down maneuvers ship by ship. Continue the battle. Ships can not fire through the fog. You need to have a unblocked line between the center point of one of your firing arc to the enemy ship's base.


The following picture shows the map with fog elements and the US/Fr convoy to the left and the RM to the right.

From the left to the right:

Chris with the Bertin
Markus with the USS Constitution
Thomas with the HMS Agamenon
Leonardo with the HMS Amelia






Marco with the HMS Hamdryad
Rob with the HMS Unite
Lex with the Dryade
Honza & Honza with the USS Bonhomme Richard





Here you can see the ships right after the first two turns.

The fog bank elements were simple laminated paper cuts painted with water colors.




After the planing and executing the four secret maneuvers, Leonardo found himself in a very uncomfortable position between the USS Constitution and "all" other enemy ships. With the very first broadside exchanges his ship HMS Amelia was blown out of the water. Main reason was a close range raking shot from the US flagship...

True gentlemen, his father Marco gave him the command of HMS Hamdryad to continue the fight.






The RN fought brave & tricky, especially Rob who tried to get behind the enemy lines, but the US/Fr ships knocked the British ship by ship off the waves.

As a final result HMS Amelia, HMS Unite & HMS Agamemnon were lost and the US/Fr convoy won the day.

To balance the SoG game a little bit to the WGF & WGS games, players were able to gain "one kill" if they were able to close 9 nine enemy boxes (burden or crew) with shooting. Sinking of an enemy ship would grant the players another "kill".

So beside the shared sinking of the HMS Amelia, the sinking of HMS Unite by Lex and the HMS Agamemnon by Chris, Markus & Thomas were able to score with 15 & 11 closed enemy boxes, too.

At last the games was opened and finished in style by a glass of port, sponsored by Rob!