Pages

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Drink up me hearties... Yo Ho!

Just when you think you have a plan and its all sorted, a chance re-union and we're off in another direction again...
I mentioned in my earlier post about getting some Cherry blossom trees from good mate Roly. Whilst there, my son, Chris, and Roly's daughter, Monique, got chatting, and Pirates of the Caribbean came up...

So guess what ... once home, Chris was wanting to play a pirate game...

So we got out the pirate board, and came up with a scenario, using Legends of the High Seas rules...

Chris wanted to play a game where a pirate crew, would land at port, have to sneak into town to the  tavern, and recruit more crew and get out again. He would play the pirates.

I got to play the Royal Navy defenders. There would also be 2 loose 'Thugs' who would attack anyone in range, and 4 prospective new crew near the Tavern who would be 'recruited' once they were in base contact with a Pirate. The pirates and crew would then have to get back to their ship...

The town awaits, as the pirate sloop moors alongside the jetty...

[please excuse the white board ends -  damage to board during storage was half way being fixed]

Unsuspecting Caribbean town... Port Royal?

Chris the Pirate!

Gotta have the right musical accompaniment!

Pirates hit the jetty
 4 pirates come ashore...

The 'thugs' are noted by green tokens. The 'recruitables' are marked by yellow tokens... We played by the sentry rules so navy could not activate until 'triggered'.


Marine musket gives fire...


Pirate 1st mate shoots at thug...



Hand to hand action starts to hot up...


It's not looking good for the pirate captain...



Melee up the side alley...


2 more pirates come onto jetty, from the sloop, looks like the lads need a hand...


Recruitment starts, in town square...


More action on the dock...


One second, recruited.. the next second, shot!...


3 vs 2 against the pirates, its not looking good...


The game ended with all the pirates killed! But the Navy midshipman and a marine also fell...

It was a fun little game, and yet I couldn't help think the game would have played better using a different skirmish set of rules... and I got thinking about Empire of the Dead.

Don't get me wrong, I like the core LOTR SBG game mechanic, used in LotHS, which works well for large skirmish battles... but having played Empire of the Dead, I think that rule set is better suited to these smaller 'gang fights'...

Empire of the Dead, although for a gothic horror, steampunk setting, can still handle the pirate setting as it has rules for medieval weapons and muskets etc, and a few custom tweaks can be added as necessary - perhaps adding the Fame and Fortune points for the heroes, and heroic actions, as I like those elements of the SBG game..

EotD also has more interesting rules for hiding and sneaking about, wounding effects in combat (not just alive or dead), and I think the single model activation in turn works better, plus there's an over-watch type shot mechanism... All of these factors I think would make for a better pirate game experience.

So we'll give that a whirl and report back...

Of course this little bit of C18th fun, had me reaching for my scratchbuilt Brig, in an effort to finish it off properly... here's where I last had it... shown from an earlier game, quite some time ago... usable but not finished yet...


Since this pic was taken I had added more cannon firing ports to the hull sides, and also a mermaid-like figurehead below the bowsprit, see below pics.

Also, I was never fully happy with the sails and fighting tops - it seemed wrong the sail was in the way of the crew man accessing the fighting top from the rigging ladder (to be added)..., attached to mast, behind him.

So I trimmed back the sails, adding a slight curve to their undersides and added the railings round the crows nest and fighting tops...



I think it looks much better now, and models wont accidentally fall from on high either if the table or boat takes a knock!


Next I need to add the rigging - that's going to be a fiddly job no doubt! Any tips from folk who have already done it to their models ships - I'm all ears!


I had also made another addition to my terrain collection - I ordered a set of cargo/stores made by Infinity, from Slave to Painting.... I can see these being widely used through many settings - LOTR, EotD and of course Pirates!


Foundry pirate for scale...


Just need to get them trimmed and painted up....


45 comments:

  1. Excellent stuff! A pirate board is one of the many things I want to do someday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely a worth while exercise - we have a lot of fun with it!

      Delete
  2. I have exactly the same barrels and storage things myself! I agree with your comments about EoTD and mixing it with the heroic actions and fate/might etc from LOTR. That is a good idea, as it would also help to undermine the significance of winning initiative, which can be a bit of a significant advantage at times. The Ship is looking good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they are very nice aren't they!? I am tempted to get another set... I also pondered getting some casting silicone stuff and making a mold from them...
      Glad you agree, I think it will make for a good set of rules and ensuing fun game :-)
      Many thanks!

      Delete
    2. I was thinking the brig might also do, at a pinch, to represent the Demeter, the ship that brings Dracula to England, for some EotD gaming too...

      Delete
    3. Nice idea. Love the idea of some vamps in the East end docks of London.

      Delete
    4. I'll have to make some victorian warehouses etc for the london docks... though I have it my mind for some reason that folklore has it the ship landed at Whitby, N.Yorkshire, UK...

      Delete
  3. Great stuff Scott. That looks like terrific fun. The table setup is superb!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Millsey. he only thing I need tio complete this set is some Foundry C18th civilians... I've always been tempted to get a couple of packs as they are wonderfully characterful...
      http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/civilians-18th-century-and-ancients/18th-century-civilians-collection-bcciv001/

      Delete
    2. Couldn't resist (ooooh shiney!) - just ordered the foundry civilian set..

      Delete
  4. One question did you dress as Jack Sparrow for this? If no why not? I envy your ability to store all these wonderful terrain boards. You proposed rules combinations sound like a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, not for this particular game, but I have in the past (see sidebar picture!) ;-)

      Must admit having storage space opens up all sorts of terrain possibilities... I am indeed fortunate.

      Delete
  5. Fantastic board Scott. I love the LOTHS rules, but struggle to find players. I also spied an old Mighty Empires set in the background of one shot. Another game I've enjoyed in the past. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do rather enjoy these skirmish type games as you can throw them together pretty quickly without having to paint a bazillion figures first... and great for a bit of father and son gaming, when mood takes us.

      Delete
  6. You need to get that board out more often Scott. It is a spectacular piece of scenery!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great looking game! Nice to be able to enjoy the hobby with your loved ones too. I've got the same issue with re-direction of focus on projects. Dean

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dean. so often pulled in so many directions....

      Delete
  8. Really nice stuff! I'd consider giving Ganesha's 'Flashing Steel' a look as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - interesting, I hadn't heard of that before...

      Delete
  9. Excellent blast from the past. Feels like watching a much-loved repeat on TV. That might inspire me to get my pirates out to play using 7TV rules.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Replies
    1. Thank you Mark. Happy to show you first hand, if you are down this way...

      Delete
  11. Looking fantastic Scott! Very very impressed!

    ReplyDelete
  12. the ( gaming) butterfly effect strikes. I'm busy aging with my gaming group about playing pirates but in 15mm as the ships become more affordable.
    Either way your games always look great. keep an eye out for the next osprey wargames book as its pirates and written by Chris Peers of Death in the Dark Continent fame. Sounds interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL yes indeed. I can see the appeal of the scale of 15mm, that way you can fit more in to the available space...
      Thank you :-) I will indeed - its seems there's quite a variety of pirate rule sets out there or coming available...

      Delete
  13. Beautiful table et pirate ship !!
    I love !
    (are the houses all "home-made" or do you have buy them ? ..)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sam. All the buildings are scratchbuilt out of foamcard, card and balsa etc...

      Delete
  14. Hey that's a great looking pirate table Scott!

    Christopher

    ReplyDelete
  15. Simply breath-taking. Clearly youve been busy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Gav. Most of this was made quite a while ago now (2yrs?). But its great to get it out and use it again...

      Delete
  16. Last man to the party, as always. Just a simple little note: Your wargaming tables are too good, you awake rude jealousy in this llama - I might start spitting ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, thanks for the 'compliment' Llama, I think... ;-)

      Delete
  17. Outstanding looking table Scott.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great game and photo report Scott. We must get together for a game of something this year! What I cannot believe is how much your son has grown since the last time I saw him. My memory of first meeting him was this little guy barely able to look over the edge of the table.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Brian :-) Yes most definitely. I know... time flies and all that... its been several years since you were last here for a game, and kids shoot up like beanstalks, he's 10 now, and as tall as his mum... keep in touch.

      Delete
  19. Maybe the kids are too young, but Black Sails is a TV show that definitely makes me want to play a pirate game!

    The last pirate game I played was called Pirates of the Spanish Main by Wizkids. I had to dig it out to remind myself of the name. :) haha It was a collectible pirate ship game, in which you got ships printed on plastic cards that you popped out and constructed. Never felt as grand as Sid Meier's Pirates tho. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Fantastic looking table and game Scott!!!

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to comment on my blog. It is always nice to get feedback.