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.