Frigate Skirmish AAR

This was a four-player game with each player controlling one frigate. Time was kind of an issue, but we also wanted to include several of the optional rules. So, here were the conditions:

Optional Rules:
-Variable Wind Direction
-Boarding
-Entanglement
-Double Shot
-Aiming High
-Let the Men Drink!
-Surrendered Ships (ships surrendering from hull damage still removed)

Victory Conditions:
The game ends when one side surrenders or sinks. Victory goes to the other side.

Playing Field:
Two SoG mats connected at the long sides. Ships of each fleet started with the back side of their bases touching the line closest to the edge of the map on their side.

England:
HMS Meleager (Aeron)
HMS Cleopatra (Kurt)

France:
Unite (Caleb)
Hermione (Me)

The fleets started on opposite sides with the wind blowing from the east. The French was sailing in from the south, the English from the north. The fleets sailed toward each other, Cleopatra immediately turning to reach while the others moved straight ahead. The French ships moved together straight forward before the crew of the Hermione reefed to Battle Sails before the starboard side-slip maneuver on the second turn. Hermione then brought her nose to port while the Unite curved starboard in an attempt to sandwich the Cleopatra between their broadsides, ending in a three-way entanglement with the British frigate. The Meleager curved around, though her captain's maneuvers kept her just out of range to shoot the entangled Unite (but managed to take some mast damage from the same).

Lots of musketry and boarding occurred on the decks of the Cleopatra and Hermione, with some aid to the Hermione from the Unite's crew. Many men lost their lives on both the Hermione and Cleopatra (with the Unite completely unscathed). Eventually, though, the Cleopatra lost too many crew to go on and they struck their colors. The Hermione had only a third of her crew remaining. Unfortunately, the crew of the mostly undamaged HMS Meleager had to surrender as it was starting to get late, and she still had one-and-a-quarter ships to deal with.

Vive la France!