1/1200 Naval – Page 3

Ship of the Line Game Photos

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a Napoleonic naval game at the Dogs of War shop using Ship of the Line rules and 1/1200 scale miniatures.

A French squadron of one 120, one 80 and five 74s with average crews met a British squadron of six 74s with two elite and four crack crews.

The fleets converge on a broad reach. The wind is from the left in this photo.

Long range fire damages the French 120 leading the near line on the left. This reduces her movement to the extent that she will not get into the battle.

The French maneuver while the British keep to line ahead, shooting as they pass each target.

Two French 74s break the British line. The windward French 74s (right) put on full sail to catch up.

A French 80 strikes and her 74 consort is pounded in the upper right. A British 74 in the center takes heavy damage from two 74s. The windward French 74s get into the fight.

Time brought and end to the game at this point.

Battle of Cos Using Hail, Agrippa! Rules

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Hail, Agrippa! at the Dogs of War shop. The Hail, Agrippa! rules are a modification of Hail Caesar published in Issue 66 of ‘Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy’ magazine. [Hail Agrippa! rules link]

The scenario was loosely based on the Battle of Cos, 258 BCE (or 261, or whenever; nobody knows) fought between an Antigonid fleet and a Ptolemaic fleet. The order of battle was determined by the miniatures available, and included ships as large as deceres (or dekeres) which are probably heavier than any at the real battle. Fleets of this period might be 100-200 ships, so the units (4 models on a base) might represent 9-18 ships.

Miniatures are primarily Langton 1:1200 and Navwar 1:1200, with a few Valiant 1:900 and scratch-built ships.

The six players each had a division of 3 or 4 units. The southern shore of Cos Island is in the background.

The seaward division of the Antigonid (blue) fleet consisted of trieres only. One unit engages Ptolemaic penteres while the division tries for an outflanking move.

One unit of trieres is destroyed, but the others use their speed (and very good command rolls) to escape.

The center Antigonid division has lost two units to lighter opponents. We did not use the ‘broken division’ Hail Caesar rules, so the remaining unit fights on. The victorious Ptolemaic units blunder and continue to the right. Bad command rolls make it difficult for the Ptolemaic division in the foreground to reform and give chase. In the distance, the Antigonid division backs water to avoid heavier opponents.

The seaward Ptolemaic division has left 2 units behind in order to get back in the battle. Antigonid trieres race to the opposite end of the line to threaten the rear of the heavy Ptolemaic units.

The landward divisions engage. The Ptolemaic ships are heavier, but the Gods favor the Antigonid ships.

With the Antigonid fleet having lost 4 of 10 units and the Ptolemaic fleet 2 of 11, we called the game at this point.

Napoleonic Naval AAR

On Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a Napoleonic naval game using Ship ‘o the Line rules (by Battleline) and 1/1200 scale miniatures.

Nine French and Spanish ships defended the grounded French 1st rate Orient from an approaching British squadron of six ships.

The grounded Orient, with French and Spanish in the background.

The allied ships split up to double the head of the British line.

The Temeraire, leading the British line, comes about.

As the Temeraire engages several allied ships, the two following British 74s weave through the Spanish ships. Red dots have been added to indicate British ships.

The Temeraire is surrounded by six allied ships.

HMS Conqueror is captured by the crew from the badly damaged French 74 Pluton, but is recaptured. TheTemeraire is lost.

Napoleonic Naval, Napoleonic Land and WWII Skirmish Games

Today the local HMGS-South group played three games at our regular monthly meet.

Game 1: Napoleonic (or should that be Nelsonian?) naval using Ship of the Line rules and 1/1200 scale miniatures. An Allied 3-decker is aground and must be protected from a British force of ships-of-the-line and frigates.

Game 2: Napoleon at War rules with 15mm figures. A battle of the little known Anglo-Austrian Unpleasantness of 1805.

Game 3: World War II skirmish using ‘Disposable Heroes & Coffin for Seven Brothers’ rules by Iron Ivan and 25mm figures. Three US paratroop squads (each of a rifle section and a BAR section) must eject two German squads (each of a rifle section and a LMG section) from the stone buildings. The action is near Turqueville, June 7, 1944.