Captain Red beard

Sixteen men on dead mans chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

So yesterday we played another naval battle using our modified DBA rules system (that is to say the modifications Oleg made and I play about with) The back ground and ships are listed below. I played Cap'n Red beard, Tracey was One Eyed Jack and Oleg was the Spaniards.

Our planned game -Rocketman III part 1- had to be jumped over since a player couldn't make and it sort of requires all four players be present, so at the last moment I had to work up a naval battle. One of the beauty's of this rule system is its versatility, and also how easy it is to whip up a full evenings battle with very little preperation needed.

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Having just seen the trailer for POTC3, as well recently having read 'Treasure Island' I was inspired to have something with pirates in it, but I got a little carried away since I had a 16 vessel strong pirate fleet in 1799 which never happened. The golden age of piracy ended in 1722 and no pirate ever commanded a fleet with four frigates!

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But never mind. Disbelief can be suspended with a little good will and the game went accordingly. The Pirates won by taking two treasure ship and disabling a third but they never managed to defeat the Spanish flagship (which I had assumed would be the key to winning).

August 27th :The news that Napoleon Bonaparte has defeated Mustafa Pasha’s Mamluk troops in Egypt has crept around the globe and the persistent move to war in Europe is gathering momentum with British forces capturing the entire Dutch fleet. The African coast, once a haunt of various mediterraean cut throats and slavers has become dangerous waters for free booters now and the notorious Dutch privateer ‘Red Beard’ has abandoned his former Muslim masters to seek his fortune in the Carribean. With him sails a motley band of outlaws and outcasts, all the dregs of the old world but Matieu ‘Red Beard’ Van Noosten, a huge bull necked man, stands alone amongst them. A great towering figure, a champion of the devil; he is said to be the most ruthless man afloat!

Red Beard and his ally Captain ‘One Eyed Jack’ Murdoch, formerly of the Royal Navy, have learned of a secret Spaniard fleet, sailing from Mantagne Isle with an escort of several frigates and at least one ‘two decker’. Ranged against these the Pirates have 16 ships (14 elements) of various sizes.

The Spanish are under the command of Commodore Ruiz Hernadez Alvarez. They have a disadvantage as their treasure ships are easy to spot due to their ostentatious decoration. There are 10 Spanish ships/elements, of which 4 are treasure ships.

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Red Beard’s ships
Queen Bess. 28. Sixth rate Frigate. (O-Off)
Scarlet Harlot. 24. Sixth rate Frigate. (O)
Terrier. 16. Sloop of War. (I)
Flanders. 16. Sloop of War. (I)
L’Epervier. 16. Sloop of War. (I)
Ratter. 16. Sloop of War. (I)
Sally Forth. 12. Gun Brig. (I)

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One Eye Jack’s ships
Revenge. 24. Sixth rate Frigate. (O-Off)
Half a chance. 20. Sixth rate Frigate. (O)
Hispaniola. 18. Sloop of War. (I)
La Vermillion. 12. Gun Brig. (I)
Calamity. 12. Gun Brig. (I)
Belina & Roxanna. 4. Gun Boat. (I)
Star & St. Etienne. 4. Gun Boat. (I)

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The Spanish

Esperanza. 64. Third rate Ship of the Line. (S-Adm)
Infanta Maria. 36. Fifth rate Frigate. (O)
Reina Christia. 24. Sixth rate Frigate. (O)
Navarra. 14. Gun Brig. (I)
San Mateo. 16. Gun Brig. (I)
Augusta. 14. Gun Brig. (I)

Florencia. 20. Treasure ship. (I)
Santa Ana. 22. Treasure ship. (I)
La Concepcion. 18. Treasure ship. (I)
San Juan. 18. Treasure ship. (I)

The Spaniards start at the head of the table which is the west. There is no criteria for victory beyond retaining one third of one’s forces, though the Spanish lose the game if they lose three treasure ships or two are captured (as opposed to destroyed).

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