I worked out that to waterline the model a simple incision above the keel was needed, really easy to do, with the added bonus that this would leave me with several useable deck sections to scratch build a few more ships with. Since I would have two large galleons I think I will be able to add a sloop and a schooner to my fleet.
Frostgrave Ghost Archipelago sailors, some with bows replaced by muskets, will be my jack tars. Nice figures if a little expensive.
My 15mm games established my English Pirate Captain, Fat Errol, and his Nemesis the French Capitaine Rathboné de Mayonnaise of the French Bouccanier. The Frostgrave crewmen will divide between these two factions.
"Fat boy Island" also enjoys the small and lawless port of Rumtown. Inland is a French Monastery, set up by the French King himself to bring the light of Catholicism to the new world. By all accounts it is rich in silver plate. The Governor is reputed to be a Catholic who supports the disgraced and disgraceful Father Louis de Pénis.
Whilst Governor Appleton is nominally in charge, with a company of local militia, a contingent of regulars and the fearsome Colonel Daiquiri are always present in the old colonial fort.
French Buccaneers under Rathboné de Mayonnaise already use the Island, where the Abbot is one of their secret supporters and purchasers of Spanish silver.
A new untested Spanish Commander and a contingent of Regulars are said to be already on Hispaniola at Puerto Rosas across the strait of blood.
The Rules will be Blood and Plunder, a shore action using 200 points
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| My hand drawn Caribbean (well more or less) map. |
I'm also going to run a resource and trading game similar to the RFCM Pieces of Eight game. The Merchant house of Pugwash will attempt to make a Caribbean fortune using the old Saucy Nancy, the crew of which are the fearsome Nancy Boys. Entering a port the Merchant Captain rolls d6 for the price of commodities at that location and attempts to trade his cargo up, all prices being in dubloons.
Some of the other characters on my encounter cards will be: The Bouccanier Captain Pont-l'Évêque, "the pungent pirate," Spanish Captain General Antonio El Gato Negro and his sidekick the Spanish Coronel Pequeña.
My idea is that four bands of Pirates each begin with a 100 point crew and two jollyboats, whilst Merchants begin with a single ship. Still, it's a big project.
Wargames Terrain
Palm trees from the plastic Zoo set, explain that one at airport security...
The Governors mansion
A facade for the Church to add onto one of my simple village houses.
Area terrain fields with walls
A beach with wooden jetty, and the stone pier for Port Royale..
Longboats, a raft, canoes and shark fins.
Additional figures and conversionsI will need:
Pirate Captain. Pad out fat Errol's tummy.
Priest
Matron
Spanish Militia of Antonio Zorro
Campaign reference maps
Local map of Fat boy Island
The Pirate Cruise map... Northern Caribbean with encounter points
Grid 6 by 6 20 scenarios. Terrain roll.
1. Shoal
2. Islet
3. Land
4. Sea
5. Channel
6. Trade Port
Trade Commodities prices
1. Rum
2. Molasses
3. Slaves
4. Silver
5. Foodstuffs
6. Luxury items
Each port has a trade rating. Dice d6 on entering port to see the rate for your current cargo. Barrels, chests, sacks, ingots, but the value is reckoned in Pieces of Eight.
The Campaign Map Mechanisms D6 each square. The result is:
1. Merchantman
2. Terrain on land Weather at sea.
3. Events aboard
4. Enemy Militia
5. Pirate hunters
6. Merchantman
Encounters
1. Carib canoes
2. Pirate Longboats
3. A fat Merchantman
4. A Squall
5. A Pirate Sloop
6. A Galleon
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| The almost completed campaign map |
