Modifying Post Captain

Post Captain by GQ is probably the most complicated rule system I use.  Not easy to learn, not easy to play, they have twisted my noodle on many occasions.  Part of the issue is the need to use a simultaneous paper record, although for Age of Sail game this is pretty much standard if you want any level of detail at all.  For these rules however the paper record is a ream too far.

I suppose the Holy grail would be to use a large scale ship model with 28mm figures, damage markers etc. .. but large models don't reflect the movement in an Age of Sail game without a sports hall floor being handy.  Small models and index cards have become the norm.


Many Age of Sail Games use similar if less complicated tally cards, it's inelegant but a necessary evil.

Red, white and blue phases (but not always) load, fire and reload, with different rates for different crews, nationalities and types of gun...

Tasks and extended tasks that may cover different time periods, depending on the training and skill of the crew.  

Changing sail sets, losses and damage.
Repair assignments, Gun crew assignments,  Boarding party assignments.   

And these are just the straightforward things, the basic rules...

I'm not selling it well, and that is a shame because for me there is one area that makes Post Captain my Age of Sail game of choice, and that is single ship actions.  In particular actions involving smaller rate vessels.  In those circumstances this game comes into its own,  exceeding even "Signal Close Action" a brilliant game with a huge flaw- its incomprehensible gunnery rules.   Unlike Signal Close Action however Post Captain actually works.

There is another reason I prefer Post Captain to just about any other set I've tried and it's because, despite the vast complexity, it feels right.  Captaining an age of Sail ship should feel complex, and it does.
All of that still doesn't make me feel any better about the large scale pen and paper use and tiny writing needed.  My solution was to take a look at my 10mm scale model ships.

The ship card in Post Captain is actually one of the things I think is straight forward.  Contrary to its appearance I find it intuitive and easy to use.  With a plastic cover and a non permanent marker it works well, still complicated but in the spirit of the game. 


But take a look at that Deck Log, compiled phase by phase, tiny writing required.  Dozens of factors, an arm load of task codes to take into account, a game that can feel like accountancy, especially if you line up a pair of 74s and go to.

HM Topsail Cutter Pickle,with her Commander, Lt Norman Pitkin RN standing proudly in the bows, having just avoided a roll on the collision table.  Long suffering Masters Mate Wilfred Grimsdale has taken over at the tiller to do the actual sailing. "Mr Grimsdale Mr Grimsdale!"

I'm getting somewhere near the mark with 10mm figures on a 1/144 ship.  HM Topsail Cutter Pickle (above) is of course a little limited for the detail of Post Captain but using my crew figures as "Crew Factors" is a real possibility, and the Officers too would come in  useful. I have  something like 20 British sailor bases 16 Marines, and the same if not even more French. 

The Boarding Phase would also be possible using this level of vessel, but I have storage issues, and for now I'm sold on the 1:700 for my small ship actions, keeping these 10mm  model ships for cutting out actions.

These crew figures however can be recruited for an alternative way of doing all this, as well as representing Boarding parties in that (rarely seen to be honest) stage of the game. game.

Below is my design for an A5 record sheet for HMS Ariel, used to replace all of the detail of the Ship Log and the ship card.  Each ship needs a model on table as well as an A5 control card.

My 10mm figures are used as the Crew Factors on the record sheet, moved in their assigned roles boxes/circles each phase.  A clear plastic covering allows damage to rigging and hull to be recorded with a simple non permanent marker.  

If you want to load the guns, cannon balls (ball bearings, on washers to avoid rolling) go into the shot boxes.  You want to double shot, add an extra ball!  Fire marker flames go on the parts of the ship  so affected.  Boarding Parties are mustered on the Foc'sle, Waist or Aft, using an Officer figure and the crew and Marines assigned.

HMS Ariel has six crew factors, and two Marine Factors.  She has three gun boxes per side representing 9x12pdr guns each side.   Her remaining two guns have been moved forward as chasers, one on each bow.  At full sail she can make an impressive 13 Movement Factors, and even under Battle sail can use 8MF.

Some of my house rules.

Well if I'm going to go to the trouble of using miniatures to record the progress of my games I may as well clear up some of my niggles at the same time.

Post Captain recognises different sized gin crews for different sizes of gun.  Crew factors represent 24 men but break down into fractions to crew each three guns represented by a cannon box. The big 18pdr chasers on Fearless are however about the heaviest guns I intend to use, except for the carronades, which by their very nature don't need huge crews, so I assign 1 Crew factor to 1 gun box, type irrelevant.  
I
do have some single figure crewmen marked 1/2, because some damage will kill half a crew factor, or half a Marine but fractions? Really? Forget it.

To keep a small ship sailing one crew factor is needed on sail trim, but to turn the crew must climb about in the rigging.  I modified this to include a mast box.  Assign a crew factor to each of the masts to change sail or trim during a turn.

Similarly I introduced repair boxes for crew allocation.  If you are hulled past the Bold marked boxes the ship will begin to sink without repair, so crew must be allocated to repair and to the pumps.

Given that in Post Captain there is barely enough crew to man the guns it makes the Captain's life one of difficult choices.  

The sail boxes also get a dry wipe pen mark through as that sail is furled.  Speed is determined by the sail press and can be seen at a glance this way.

For campaigns I don`t "reconstitute" crew factors.  They go to the "Orlop," or more accurately into a box to be diced for after the game.  Huge casualties from gunfire were exceptional, but the morale effect must have been terrifying, and keeping crew factors fighting is often impossible.  

There are ways to breathe additional life into the game by using this system that do not add much in the way of complication.  Post Captain for instance, takes little notice of Midshipmen, Warrant Officers or Petty Officers. 
I have single figures on 10mm washers representing all of my key Non Commissioned Officers.  

The Carpenter goes to supervise the hull repairs, the Gunner gets on the chaser with its gun crew, etc... My Midshipmen are allocated to lead Crew Factors, as are my Lieutenants.  Lose a crew factor and the Officer with them risks himself too.  The Marines are lead by their Officer or failing that the stout Sergeant.  

A Ships Doctor, one of the Pendraken 18th Century Civilians, sits in an open topped little black box at the side of the table marked "The Orlop."   Casualty figures are sent to join him, and may not survive the experience.  French British or Yankee they all visit the same Orlop and Dr Bogenbroom eventually.

And a game!

HMS Ariel on passage to the Bahamas sights the French Brig Brie.  She comes about to investigate and hoists the challenge.  At 2000 yards both Captains prepare for battle.

Ariel may be a 20 gun 6th rate, but the Brig at 18 guns is a pretty even match, especially given that Ariel has two of her 12pdrs moved forward as chasers.

HMS Ariel 20 guns and scratch built

Brie 18, with Warlord sails and proper ratlines.

The ship card for Ariel.  The gunner is on the chaser already.

The ship card for Brie.  Crew on the yards.

Dr Bogenbroom in the Orlop awaiting his first customer.

Brie loads double shot and runs out.  The French take an extra phase to load, thus the extra balls...

But its Ariel that opens up with a chaser.  Miss!

The Gunner's crew reload and fire again

A hit, a palpable hit!  Strike one hull box for that damage roll of 1.

And a hull box is marked off on Brie. 

They cross, but Ariel gets first shot in.  On the uproll the 9 is a critical hit.  Brie is on fire.

A fire marker.  Damage parties are mustered

Brie also loses her rudder.  Gunner McTurk on Ariel is a real professional.

Brie returns fire, killing a marine group and inflicting two hull damage boxes.

A delighted Dr Bogenbroom gets his first Customers.

Brie sails on, trying to get the fire out and repair the rudder.

Ariel comes about and has another shot

...and another!

Brie gets the fire out, but not the rudder damage.  She has hull and rigging damage.

The distance opens, but that is still three hits.  Double eleven, four rigging boxes!  Brie is dismasted

...and the pumps are destroyed.  Brie is taking on water too.  

With that Brie is forced to strike.  

And lastly a look forward to next year's Bahamas game.