My First Post Captain Game.

Post Captain

Ok so I have done my first Post Captain game, here’s a quick game report as a review.  I chose the ships names and sizes.  Like WW2 GHQ they use D12, so I fudged some D6.  The rest was from the rules and setup. 

HMS Lark a 16 gun Caronade Brig sights the 20 gun Bonne Citoyenne in the western approaches.  Both are under “Passage” orders.  The sighting is at 2000 yards/1 NM.  The challenge signals are interpreted as hostile, and both captains plan to close. The French have 144 crew plus 32 Marines.  The Brig has only 72 crew.  The French are seeking to board.  The British are seeking to close to carronade range.

Quality of both crews is Regular, as are both Captains.

Lark is bearing 8 points to larboard in a SW wind. (ie she is heading NW)  Bonne Citoyenne is crossing at 90 degrees, Lark is placed centre table.  The Frenchman goes on the edge 66cm from Lark (2000 yds in 1:2400)

Both ships start at Easy sail, in a strong Force 5 SW wind.

Bonne Citoyenne has the weather gauge and therefore initiative.  (Three times during the game she caught a gust and added 1Movement Factor each time, Lark on the other hand caught two eddies losing 2MF at different points in the game.)

Both Captains order clear for action and assign crew.  Each turn has three phases, red, white and blue, during which ships move according to initiative.  The Frenchman turns point by point, deducting MF, to head closer and close the range.

Both ships reduce to Battle sail.  The French Corvette is faster, 7MF vs 8MF.  They also load and run out, although the French Captain forgets to double shot.  (Carronades can`t, one to the British)

In the sixth Movment phase the two ships pass, with the Frenchman surrendering initiative.  The 18pdr carronades achieve one hit, but its a critical one.   Amazingly it kills the French Captain. 

The French 8pdr guns take down two rigging points.

With the Captain dead the French move on an unaltered path, taking them out of the way.  The British wear around point by point to bring them parallel.

The French 1^st Lt rolls for his quality, and he is “crack.”  Things are looking up.

A few movement phases later the two are on a parallel course, but it’s at 400 yards, better for the longer French 8pdrs.

 

The French receive hull damage, but then they unleash a devastating broadside.  They are to leeward and firing on the “uproll,” do two more rigging damage, and a critical hit.  The rigging inflicts a sprung mast test, and the Brig’s main mast comes crashing down.  The critical hit takes out the Brig`s Jib boom, inflicting four more rigging damage, losing the ships ability to point to windward but that’s irrelevant because the foremast is also sprung and falls.  Because she is a brig Lark has been dis-masted, drifting to windward.

The Frenchman now turns across Lark`s bow, and delivers a bow rake within 200 yards, killing  crew, inflicting hull damage and the second lieutenant.

I left the game, 5 hours of learning curve, with the French having the option of boarding, because the British didn’t need to strike, although the Gentlemen’s honour rule meant that they are close.  

I also want to try out the boarding side of the rules.  Maybe next time.

Overall though this is similar to KMH by the toofatlardies but more especially like the Blood and Bilge rules from Pen and Sword, and those have a more interesting damage section I may steal.  Signal Close Action have similar sailing rules.  I really like the complexity of Post Captain.  They may not feel like a natural set for a solo gamer, but then again I have the time to put into them.  

These will be the rules of choice for The Channel Island's Patrol, the next Marshal Petail Gentleman's Club game. 

Oh, and that's Greek coffee on the table by the way.  I`m slowly assimilating over here in Cyprus.

En Garde! The Old London Road

En Garde!

The Three Musketeers has always seemed too... well French to me.  Time to put that right. 

The York's, Old and Young are travelling to London.  Old York has been a member of the Kings Life Guards, and he wishes Young Micheal to follow in his footsteps.  They travel in the Company of a Merchant and his guards.
Meanwhile the Heroic Highwaman known as "The Captain" decides to hold up the Merchant.

The premise behind my games is that Richard III won at Bosworth, and that the Tudors didn`t happen, with England remaining a Catholic Country, but one riven with factionalism and religious rivalry.  The parallel with France is that Charles I is a weak king, with a Spanish catholic wife, and Buckingham and the Cardinal plotting behind the scenes.  Thus the Richard Lester three and four musketeers films give me the scenarios.  This is of course heading towards the civil war.

The Figures are Blue Moon 15mm from Old Glory

The Next scenario should be Young York with his three duels in an afternoon, only to joining the Three Life Guards in fighting off Cardinal Heston’s City Watch.
 

The game ended with the Yorks still alive but the Highwaymen victorious.  The Yorks fled.
On a side note maybe this would be better as a Sharpe Practice Campaign.

 

The Channel Islands Patrol Campaign Setup

The Marshal Petain Gentleman's Club Winter Game 2016

The Channel Islands Patrol

The Petain's once again go into action in a Naval game.  Since I am the Umpire in this one I intend to blog the course of the game.  For Channel Islands Patrol we will be using the Post Captain rules, and a 1793 chart of the English Channel and the Islands.
Not for the feint of heart!

Admiralty Orders for the attention of Commander Quincy Whitemoore. The Snug Colliery Inn Pelton. You are requested and Required by Order of the Board of Admiralty to repair onboard His Majesty's Sloop of War Lark, Naval Dockyard, Plymouth Sound, as Commander, and proceed to sea with all despatch, on 1st April this year of 1793.  You are to look into all ports from St Brieuc westward and then North to Cape La Hague.  Report any French vessels of war you sight, and sink or capture any French shipping abroad in the area of the Channel Islands. Any Captures will be sent into St Hellier, Jersey, and you will follow the orders of the Governor. You will find secret orders aboard, to be opened only when your vessel stands out into the English channel. You may appoint any Officer you see fit as your Junior, and select a sailing master from those now available.  Crewing and Supply will be your responsibility, to occur at Naval Dockyard, Plymouth Sound.  God Save the King Uriah Quilp, Naval Clerk for Vice Admiral The Hon Quincy Whitmore, RN, MP, Kb, Txs Rgr.

Admiralty Orders for the attention of Commander Christmas Quilp. The taproom Colliery Inn Pelton. You are requested and Required by Order of the Board of Admiralty to repair onboard His Majesty's Sloop of War Hornet, as Commander, at Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth, and proceed to sea with all despatch, on 1st April this year of 1793.  You are to look into ports from Cape La Hague, to St Brieuc.  Report any French vessels of war you detect, and sink or capture any French shipping abroad in the area of the Channel Islands. Any Captures will be sent into St Helier, Jersey, and you will follow the orders of the Governor. You will find secret orders aboard, to be opened only when your vessel stands out into the English channel. You may appoint any Officer you see fit as your Junior, and select a sailing master from those now available.  Crewing and Supply will be your responsibility, to occur at the Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth.   God Save the King Uriah Quilp, Naval Clerk for Vice Admiral The Hon Quincy Whitmore, RN, MP, Kb, Txs Rgr.

You begin the game with 30 guineas to spend on attracting Officers and recruiting your crew. You may also generate some influence that would help in the crewing by taking Officers with connections, or Officers others just don’t want.  Unspent guineas and unused influence may be useful in the cruise you have been ordered to take.

These will cost guineas and influence according to the table below.  If you take only a few Officers, the Admiralty will appoint as needed, but then you will have no choice but to accept whomever the Admiral appoints.

A Cormorant Class Sloop of War requires a complement of 121 Officers and men.   1 Commander, 2 Lieutenants, 1 Ships Master, ten Warranted Officers, and 108 men.  You will need some Prime seamen to work the ship, but can fill up on Landsmen, hoping to train them to be sailors during your cruise.

You can apply to the port Admiral to embark two files of ten Marines, One Sergeant, and One Officer.  If you do not appoint the Sergeant or Officer the Admiral will send you a random Officer who is bound to have some issues.

You must also actively recruit your crew, by various means.  Choose any of:

• Handbills for volunteers,
• Recruiting parties, under a Naval Officer
• Press gangs, under a Naval Officer
• Warrant to remove prisoners from hulks,
• Impressment from merchant ships,
• Admirals Authority for transfer _ other ships,
• Local Magistrates Assises.
• Admirals Authority for a Marine Detachment.

Select the recruiting methods you will use, using cost in guineas or influence.

1.    Naval Officers and Warranted Officers seeking employment, and the cost of recruitment.

Mr Kit Barrington, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas add 2 influence

a well connected socialite, and dancer of the Spanish fashion.

Mr Berjerac Nettles, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas

A Guernseyman, who knows the waters and is a qualified master too.

Mr David Milliband, Naval Lieutenant   3 Guineas, a raconteur.

M. Jean du Picard, Naval Lieutenant, an Emigre and St Malo man.  1 Guinea  1 influence.

Mr Horatio Pipesmoker, Naval Lieutenant    5 Guineas  An earnest young gentleman who has a reputation as a firebrand as well as luck. 2 influence 

Mr Josiah Pickwick, Naval Lieutenant    1 Guinea, has a reputation.

Mr Ed Milliband, Marine Lieuteant, 1 Guinea, a ditherer.  3 Influence.

Mr Richard Bean, Marine Lieutenant    3 Guineas.  A sportsman.

Sgt Patrick Finnigan, Marine Sergeant 1 Guinea, keeps discipline well.

Josiah Mudge, Trinity Qualified Ship Master  2 Guineas.  The Oldest man in King George’s Navy, he can smell weather.

Anthony Bookbinder, Qualified Ship Master  2 Guineas.  A channel coaster

Dick Talbot, Master Gunner   1 Guinea

Brags he can shoot the whiskers off a Spaniard with his 12pdrs

Mathias Wigg, Surgeon  1 Guinea  An Oxford University Doctor and cellist, fascinated by bugs.

William Hood, Midshipman Admiral’s Son add 3 influence

Jack Farthingdale, Midshipman Politician’s son add 3 influence

Judas Quilp, Midshipman  add 1 influence

Charles Furious. Midshipman. One of Admiral Quincy’s illegitimate by-blows.  Add 2 influence.

Mr Gordon Brown  Ships Purser

Mr Edwin Balls, Ships Purser

Mr Georgio Osbourne Ships Purser

Crewing.

Crewing the ship	Costs	Will recruit 6D6:	May also recruit 1:
Handbills for volunteers,	2 Guineas	Officer Material, Prime seamen	Idle Criminal
Recruiting parties, under a Naval Officer	5 Guineas	Warrant Officers Prime Seamen	Landsmen
Press gangs, under a Naval Officer	5 Guineas	Trained sailors, landsmen, idlers	A woman posing as a man
Warrant to remove prisoners from hulks,	2 Guinea bribe	Landsmen, idlers	Brawler, Criminals
Impressment from merchant ships,	2 Guinea bribe	Prime Seamen	Seditious Irishman
Admirals Authority for transfer _ other ships,	Requires 3 Influence	Trained sailors/Jacks	A mutinous dog
Local Magistrates Assises.	Requires 3 influence	Transfers only landsmen.	A troublemaker
Admirals Authority Marine Detachment.	Requires 5 Influence	Section of 10 plus Sergeant	Two or more sections add 1 Lt. of Marines

NAVY BOARD RETURN Officers Offered a Position aboard HM Sloop of War Lark/Hornet	Cost in Guineas	Influence
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Methods of crewing the ship that will be employed

Once you have a purser appointed complete the fitting out requisition for the Dockyard.  These are the supplies you will need for Sea duty. Select what you want from the list below.  This will be on the Dockyard accounts, but the more you ask for the more it annoys the Clerks.  It is seen as bad form to ask for more than half of the Maximum stowage, since you are on a local patrol not a passage.  You may however spend some of your own remaining cash on higher value items such as a quality Captain’s table wine.  

The Purser will offer you a daily report throughout the game.  These are an amalgamation of the historical reports, such as the Carpenter’s and Sailmaker’s, Gunners, and are in effect the game logistics.  There are 21 shillings in a guinea, but you are dealing with a Purser here!

	Purser Accounts in Shillings	Max Stowage space	Your Requisition.
spare cordage	@10	30
sailcloth	@15	30
yards and spars	@40	Up to 10.
Meat casks	@5	90- at 45 each tier
Ship’s biscuit	@1	90
Animals	@5	10
Rum and ardent spirits	@5	12
Captains wine,	Quality @1 Guinea, @10s, @1s	20 cases
Powder,	@20 in Powder Room	20
Shot,	10@1, in Shot locker	1000
Mixed weapons,	Pistol/Muskets, Cutlass, Boarding pike. @10	50/100 equivalent
Water casks	1 per 50 men per Day  @1	50
Slops	10@5 Shillings	50
Bow or stern chaser 12pdr	5 Guineas each	2
Gold leaf for stern Guilding	20 Guineas	1
Yellow paint for stern	3 Shillings	2 tins

How to sail a ship using a chart and bearings.

Ships have variable speed depending on the sail set, the wind strength and the bearing to the wind.

Ships also have a “Top speed” based on the length of the keel, displacement of water and beam of the vessel.  HMS Victory was reckoned to achieve 9 kn in strong winds.  Smaller vessels could achieve this in lighter airs.

As Commander you can order various sail settings.

Full Sail with Studding sails set.   Basically the lot.

Full Sail     Every sail on the yards in use.

Plain Sail   The heavier sails for stronger winds

Storm sail  The minimum sail, courses reefed up.

Battle sail   Usually only topsails and jib.

The ships speed is calculated in knots – 1NM per hour is a knot.  Taking a reef into the sails reduces speed by 1 kt.  I will generally give you a logged estimated latitude and longitude, but please note that this will not be accurate.  The Royal Navy deliberately calculated a nautical mile short, the idea being that this made running ashore more unlikely. 

I will give you headland sightings, and sea bed composition in the ship’s log where these are available.  A picture of my game on the map will have only the detail that your ship could see, and may therefore be useless for navigation, especially in a squall, fog or at night.

On the subject of night time I would refrain from full sail around these waters in poor visibility.

A lookout can theoretically see about 10NM, but note that around the Channel Islands there are many places ships may suddenly appear from, as well as sea mist and squalls.

I will be on hand to give you advice from the Ships Master on Navigation, the 1^st Lieutenant on shipboard matters, the Gunner on firing and the Carpenter on your leaky bottom. (all via the ships log) 

For example the Sailing Master should inform you if your course is likely to run the ship aground.  The First Lieutenant will report disciplinary matters...

The game is played in “watches,” with movement every 4 game hours, but

Orders are daily, as the Commanders orders for the day.

Ships Log

Captains orders for the day of ........................  Wind (Direction wind coming from)  .......................

Course, sail setting, Actions to be taken.

Watch Officers will then report back with Any Item of Interest occurring during their watch.

Further orders may be required if other vessels are sighted, or if the captain intends something like a cutting out expedition. 

Some advice:

Based on the advice Drinkwater was given for the Channel Islands as well as Moore’s observations.

Beware the sudden Squall.  Have at least one good deck Officer. 

An anchor has a 100 fathom cable, measurement is in terms of cables (1/10 NM) and Nautical miles.  The channel islands are shallow water, so don`t be afraid to get the anchor down.

The French have shore batteries that will lob a shot out at least a mile.  The typical Frenchie trick is to anchor off these.

If you sail off the map (ahem...) I have other charts that will allow you to complete a chase, but your patrol area is that of the channel islands and you risk censure for being off it.

If you take a prize you must send an Officer, Warrant Officer or Midshipman with a number of crew, to sail the prize into Jersey.  Don`t forget to pick them up later, or you will have an empty ship.

The Rewards

Pellew was given his Knighthood and later his Peerage for Frigate actions around this area.  As Treasurer of the MPGC I will nominate a Knighthood for your fictional character for a worthy victory over the French. Naval slang in the age of sail was to call any Captains with a knighthood the “Chevalier,” (Pellew, Warren and Sydney Smith were all called this) so I will seek to promote you to a Chevalier of the MPGC.

If there is no great victory against the French I will judge the winner in terms of Prize money.

Class overview Name: Cormorant-class ship-sloop Operators:  Royal Navy Built: 1793 – 1817 In service: 1794 – 1833 Completed: 30 Cancelled: 1 General characteristics Type: Ship sloop Tons burthen: 422.7 bm Length: 108 ft 4 in (33 m) (gundeck) 90 ft 9.625 in (28 m) (keel) Beam: 29 ft 7 in (9 m) Depth of hold: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) 14ft draught Sail plan: Full-rigged ship Complement: 125 (121 from 1794) Armament: Sixteen 6-pounder long guns