Sailing the Black Seas

Since the beginning of my gaming days, I have always had an interest in the Age of Sail. Back when I was playing board wargames in Junior High and High School, Wooden Ships and Iron Men was always a favourite.

 I can always remember an article in the General magazine which had special rules for various fictional captains and the rule for Nicholas Ramage (from the books by Dudley Pope) was that he suceeded on any task on a roll from 1-6 (on a D6). The term "Ramage Roll" took on a life of its own in my gaming group for many years.

Several years later after moving to Ottawa, Tod ran some War of 1812 games using (I think) 1/1200 ships using Fire as She Bears for the rules. I bought the rules, which I liked and still have somewhere, and some ships. I found the process of rigging so frustrating that I ended up literally throwing the ship across the room and decided I would never ever try and build anything like that ever again.


I had one relapse from this when I played an American Civil War naval game at an HMGS con and I bought the Smoke on the Water rules and then ordered the Monitor and Virginia (no sails and masts there!) and then got a sailing ship that was present at Hampton Roads (USS Congress) and gave it away within days of getting it in the mail.

When Warlord Games announced the upcoming release of Black Seas I was very interested but cauatious -- Mike and I decided we would split the starter box. When it arrived I had 4 brigs and 2 frigates to build (I think we got a few extra from Wargames Illustrated). I decided to build the US Navy -- Imagining battles against the Barbary Pirates and the Quasi-war with France (though the reality was likely to be fighting Mike' British).

I got the 4 brigs built and painted and one of them rigged and decided it wasn't as horrible as I remembered -- I think the larger scale and the solidity of the plastic models made rigging easier. Scheduling conflicts got in the way of actually playing a game but I went ahead and oredered some more ships -- the US Fleet box, the USS Constitution, some Merchants and Gunboats. I also got the terrain pack which had some shore batteries and a Martello tower (and a few other odds and ends)

Just as I had a good force to play with finished (2 frigates, 4 brigs and 4 gunboat squadrons) the shutdown started and Mike had to self-isolate after returning from the US so it looked like I wouldn't get to play for a while. Just before Warlord shut down their shipping I ordered the Schooners and the USS Essex though they have not yet arrived.

The current painting status is that the Merchants are nearly finished painting.

 the terrain is underway

and the USS Constitution, USS United States, USS President, USS Constellation, USS Chesapeake and USS Congress (yes, I got it again!) are assembled and primed (except the masts -- I am not putting those in until I finished painting)

When Mike Posted last week about Out of the Box games last week, I had a look at what they had and ended up buying the French Fleet box so I am not going to run out of ships to paint soon.

Well I should get to painting now. I guess my next blog will talk about the rules for Black Seas unless I get distracted by something else...