Shiver Your Mainbrace - LAW going Nautical

[Paul]

That sounds interesting almost 'piraty'.

Set it in the baltic and that might fit with a lot of peoples existing or planned imagi-nations. Of course having the Jarldom of Helsing, Osteberg and the Suomic Alliance based in a pseudo baltic setting I would have a vested interested in steering things in that direction

[World2dave]

Sounds good guys.

As well as the large sea boards, I've also got a number of smaller grided sea boards (and islands to go with) that could be used at the planning/strategy level.

I've always liked the Peter Pig approach to pre-game play, where you have things like a number of objectives, each of which both sides need to assign at least some of their overall force. Then both sides declare what's been sent to each location, and you play the biggest game (with the other locations being resolved off-table and potentially generating late arrivals/reinforcement for the main game). With our naval stuff, we could do something similar, with potentially more objectives/locations to cover, and play even the smaller encounters.

If we're likely to have a fair few Spanish ships it might be good to set things in the Med or Caribbean, but otherwise the Baltic is full of islands too! Lots of scope for blockade breakers, merchant convoy protection, you name it, as well as straight fights of course.

[Paul]

I think i've sort of sleep walked into this! I wrote a set of campaign rules for Napoleonic Naval years and years ago! I could easily produce a Peter Pig Style pre game phase if that was a route people wanted to go down. (I'm a huge fan of them too as it produces the feel of a campaign without all the 'faff'.)

[World2dave]

That would be great Paul. Now you have to come!

I think two overall sides, but possibly allies/factions on each side, would be good. Weekly strategic turns or something like that? - to give the sense of ships having to sail some distance to get where they need to be (their timely arrival might not be guaranteed), and allow time for repairs after battle and the possible re-crewing of captured ships. Just ideas!

Mandatory reading: Patrick O'Brien's The Mauritius Command!

[Paul]

I was thinking one round of Peter Pig style pre game action to get people to the table in a campaign 'lite' way. Otherwise we will inevitably end up with planning a grand campaign but running out of time and not having a satisfying campaign at all.
If I can make this I will, is the plan for one or two days?
The options would be one big table with people starting sufficiently far apart that the battle would be naturally split into different sections or to have several small games followed by a big game.
The rules used might dictate this to a degree.
The advantage of the one big table is that there's no reorganising to do and there could still be a 'reset'. Maybe something like the capture and then attempted recapture of an important island (either important because of natural resources, centre of commerce or just becuase the beaches are nice). Controlling the seas and/or bombarding the island could ultimately lead to its surrender with no need for land actions. (although we could have limited land action if people wanted!)

[goat major]

I’ve just remembered I do have some ship models for this.

[Paul]

Brilliant....you can make the order "Release the Kraken!"

I have some 2-3mm figures somewhere (probably a couple of divisions in a matchbox) if any sort of land action were needed.

[Purple]

Gross, it’s like Japanese aqua porn.
Wasn’t that game system terrible?
Didn’t Gw do a really good Naval game in the 90s?

[Paul]

Didn’t Gw do a really good Naval game in the 90s?

Man O' War
It was quite good in its basic form. The latter expansions made it a bit silly.

When it went OOP I regret not buying up all the stock that GW was shifting at £1 a box as it now goes for twenty times that(or more) on fleabay!

[World2dave]

[quote="goat major" post_id=9444 time=1521220636 user_id=50]
I’ve just remembered I do have some ship models for this.

No, clearly you don't!