In the yellow corner (me), we have the Spanish.
Guarda Costa, with an Experienced Commander
7 + 10 Marineros, without pistols, but each with a Master Gunner
5 + 6 Milicianos, upgraded to Trained
6 Marineros Piqueros
All on a Light Frigate, with 2 Light and 4 Medium Cannons on each broadside, as well as 2 Light Cannon Chasers
In the foppy corner, the French
French Royal Navy, with an Experienced Commander
3 units of Marins
3 units of Infanterie
(I don't remember the exact sizes of each)
On a Light Frigate, with 6 Light Cannons on each broadside
We played the "Control the Field" scenario from the original rulebook, or "Control the Wind", as the case may be in the naval case. Roll-off decides that the Spanish are the attacker, and will thus start upwind from the french.
The spanish, eager for french blood, get of the first salvo, which do some damage to the french, but not even close to enough.
The french counter by going straight up into the wind, just managing to avoid a raking shot. They're also firing with everything that can bear which is mostly the Infanterie) onto the spanish rear deck, reducing the sailors positioned there.
The spanish counter by also turning across the wind, hoping to bring the loaded guns on the other side of the ship to bear. Careful timing manages to avoid a rake, and also some counterfire by the stern chasers. Once again, though, while some damage is caused on the ship, not nearly enough frenchmen fall.
And then disaster strikes, the spanish sailors are not quite up to scratch, and the sails suddenly have no wind (that is, I falied a Sailor roll to tack). The frigate is drifting towards the frenchmen, who waste no time in getting closer and preparing the grapples.
With the spanish drifting, the french finally manages to set up a rake, wiping out the sternmost Milicianos and causing a leak.
Things are not looking good for the spanish, as the french unload deck after deck of cannonfire into her (just barely avoiding any more rakes). Meanwhile, the cannon crew for the middle deck has to abandon their guns to rush back and do something about that leak. Which proceeds to worsen and spread to the middle deck as well. At leas there is some hope that it can be dealt with, if we get a turn. The only good part, is that the initial eagerly thrown grapples miss.
Mary be praised, we finally have wind in our sails. But Lucifer be damned, it is not enough to get away from the french.
This time, the grapples do not miss, and french soldiers storm aboard, met by the brave spanish captain.
The battle for the rear deck will waiver. Reinforcements from the Piqueros (abandoning their own guns on the foredeck) almost drive back the first french unit, but they're in turn reinforced by another one.
And as the captain and his loyal sailors have finally had enough, and fall back (trusting the Piqueros to hold the line), they're cut down by french sailors jumping over from their foredeck.
With most of the crew dead (including the Milicianos on the middle deck, which I honestly don't remember how they met their end), 2/3 decks of the ship leaking, and the captain dead, the few remaining spanish have no choice but to strike their colours. 4 Strike Points against 0...
At least the french won't get a fresh ship without some major repairs...
A fun battle, that was decided by one failed Sailor check. Had that one succeeded, the french would have eaten another fat broadside and hopefully been in much worse condition to try and close in. For next time, I will try to save a Fortune Point of inopportune siling mishaps (and perhaps get Expert Sailors, or some other way to avoid such a misfortune). And I'll make sure to have some kind of defensive fire ready, in case I am boarded.
Or I might ust go with full grapeshot, clear the deck and board.
/Fool Out.
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