Black Seas - Battle report - Journey to the new world.

Black Seas - Battle report - Journey to the new world.

Black Seas is the Age Of Sail era fleet ship-of-the-line combat game set between 1770 and 1830.

The war rages over the Atlantic. The British have gained the advantage over the French. Desperate for a solution a French ambassador heads to America to appeal for more direct help against the British, who they have no love for. British spies aware of this plan, alert the navy and a task force is quickly sent out to intercept.

The scenario for today's battle is Catch The Prize. It was randomly determined that the French would be the defenders and are given an unarmed 5th rate ship that has a +1" movement that would act as the prize ship for the game. 

The defender will have to protect this ship and get it to leave off the opposite edge of the board. The attackers have to stop it leaving the board by capturing the prize, compel it to strike the colours or prevent it from leaving the table.

French Defenders

La Gloire de la mer -3rd Rate - Streamlined Hull and Boarding Nets

Le Paris -5th Rate - Sturdy

Le Aquitaine -Brig - Streamlined Hull 

Le Normandie -Brig - Streamlined Hull

Le Vengeance -Brig - Streamlined Hull

L'espoir -Unarmed 5th Rate (Prize ship) 

From Left to right- Le Paris, Le Normandie, Le Aquitaine, Le Vengeance, La Gloire de la mer and the L'espoir.

British Attackers 

HMS Harbinger -3rd Rate - Sharpshooters 

HMS Gauntlet -5th Rate - Sturdy

HMS Spirit -Brig

HMS Albion -Brig - Grappling Hooks

HMS Hammer -Brig - Trained Marines

From Left to right- HMS Gauntlet, HMS Albion, HMS Hammer, HMS Spirit and the HMS Harbinger.

Deployment

The French fleet start their journey to the new world at full sails.

As the Atlantic seas get rough, British ships are spotted closing in.

Weather is an optional rule which is included within the Rulebook and most results have no effect on game play however this occasion the seas turned rough causing havoc on the smaller ships and limiting movement.

Turn 1

Activation order of each ship is determined by the direction of the wind "Activated in Weather Gage order". In this case the wind was blowing from behind the French hurrying them along.

The rough seas weather condition causes a single damage each turn to small ships. (In this case all of the Brigs)

With the British closing in the French force fanned out. Le Vengeance struck out first firing upon the HMS Spirit with its initial broadside but only doing a little damage. 

Initial broadside - The first time a ship fires a broadside the cannons are ready and prepared and as long as you don't want to fire from any of the other firing positions you're given extra dice for the cannons for that attack. 

The rough sea causes disruption among the French. La Gloire de la mer, Le Paris, Le Normandie and the Le Aquitaine have to drop down to light sails abruptly, causing minor damage to all of their ships damaging their sails.

The L'espoir managed to keep the wind and move at battle sails and keep a straight heading.

HMS Spirit sets the Le Normandie ablaze.

HMS Spirit keeps at battle sails to get a raking shot against the Le Normandie and setting a fire onboard the French vessel.

Most of the British fleet drops to light sails to converge on the unarmed L'espoir.

Turn 2

The wind remains coming from the same direction as before and the small ships take damage from the rough waters.

Le Vengeance moved into position for a raking shot down the stern of the HMS Spirit with its initial Volley damaging the vessel so much that it was forced to raise the colours and surrenders.

Le Vengeance gets in to firing position and devastates the HMS Spirit. 

HMS Gauntlet passes its orders to fire upon a smaller ship but fails to do much damage on the Le Vengeance.

The Le Normandie crew failed to put the raging fire causing more ship damage, panic onboard with the crew failing to control the blaze the Captain ordered to raise the colours. The crew of the HMS Spirit could only look on in horror as the flaming French brig plunged into the side of the ship, both brigs breaking up and sinking beneath the raging waters.

Le Normandie and the HMS Spirit collide, sealing their fates.

HMS Hammer speeds up to battle sails to come alongside the L'espoir  peppering it with cannon fire, but the crew were unable to grapple with the ship.

The L'espoir failed to keep the wind this time and dropped to light sails and kept on going straight, fighting to ditch its pursuers.

HMS Albion and HMS Hammer, close in on the L'espoir whilst the Le Aquitaine tries to disrupt the formation.

HMS Albion opens fire against the Ambassadors ship the L'espoir damaging its rudder.

The trained crew of the HMS Albion with their grappling hooks successful grapples with the prize ship, but the Ambassadors bodyguards heroically fought off the attackers causing damage to the HMS Albion.

HMS Albion grapples with the L'espoir 

Turn 3

The captain of the large 3rd rate La Gloire de la mer was unable to attack the smaller ships around it due to the rules of engagement and the strict code of honour.

HMS Hammer fails to tack and move out of the way and collides with the grappled L'espoir. The damage caused to itself caused the HMS Hammer to raise the colours.

HMS Hammer crashes in to the larger L'espoir.

Le Aquitaine bravely grappled with the HMS Albion an epic assault to free the ambassadors ship. The HMS Albion reeling from the French attack raises the colours and ungrapples with the L'espoir.

In a desperate gamble to stop the ambassadors ship from escaping the HMS Gauntlet sped on with battle sails, turned and blocked its path. The stoic Captain gave the strict order not to open fire and to hold their position.

The L'espoir  broke away from the surrendered British brig but due to a damaged rudder the unarmed ship fails to evade and smashed directly into the HMS Gauntlet.

The ambassadors ship shook violently from the impact and the Captain gave the order to raise the colours and surrender to the British.

The L'espoir raises the colours after suffering damage from the collision with the HMS Gauntlet.

The French ambassador now in the hands of the British at the high cost of all three of the brigs. The French fleet gave the order, broke off and headed back to safer waters. 

British Victory - Prize ship captured

This game from Warlord games store can be found here