War of 1812, assessing needed sculpts
As I try to work out a longterm roadmap for Ares, I've been chewing on the War of 1812 again, and given the shortage of American ships in major engagements I believe treating the Second Barbary War as an "extension" is a viable strategy to fill out the numbers even if it does mean "overtime." A good comparison might be the Korean War as a direct followup to WWII--the world left a mess to fester while America, Britain and her allies, and France and her allies fought over pecking order, and once affairs were settled between those three sides it was time to lance the boil. (Bonus, Exmouth closing the books on Algiers once and for all also brings the Dutch into play quick and cheap with three SGN105 reprints, a new-sculpt Dutch light frigate and a Duth reflag of a French corvette I need to run down.)
So, here's the key actions I've started working from, if anybody has anything to add please chip in. :)
Guerriere - SGN202 Constitution, SGN105 Guerriere
Taking of Frolic - new (Peacock group) USS Wasp, new (Cruizer) HMS Frolic, new (Middling 74?) HMS Poictiers
Macedonian - SGN202 USS United States, SGN105 (as Lively) HMS Macedonian
Java - SGN202 USS Constitution, SGN105 HMS Java
Peacock - new (Peacock group) USS Hornet, new (Cruizer) HMS Peacock
James Island - new (280t sloop) USS Georgiana, 3x new 220-270 ton brigs
Chesapeake - new (US med frigate) USS Chesapeake, SGN105 HMS Shannon
Charles Island - new (US lt frigate) USS Essex, new (280t sloop) USS Georgiana, new (338t sloop) USS Greenwich, 3x new 250-300t brigs
Argus - new 300t brig USS Argus, new (Cruizer) HMS Pelican
Boxer - USS Enterprise and HMS Boxer both <28m
Valparaiso - new (US lt frigate) USS Essex, new (355t sloop? or brig?) USS Essex Junior, new (small 18pdr) HMS Phoebe, new (Cormorant) HMS Cherub
Taking of USS Frolic - new (Peacock group) Frolic, new (small 18pdr) Orpheus, new (230t schooner) Shelburne
Epervier - new (Peacock group) Peacock, new (Cruizer) Epervier
Reindeer - new (Peacock group) Wasp, new (Cruizer) Reindeer
Avon - new (Peacock group) Wasp, new (Cruizer) Avon
1st Ft Bowyer - 14-gun Ft Bowyer, new (Cyrus/Hermes) Hermes & Carron, new (Cruizer) Sophie & Childers
Fayal - new 246t brig General Armstrong, new (Cruizer) Carnation
President - SGN202 President, new (Endymion) Endymion, new (ex-74 razee) Majestic, SGN105 Pomone & Tenedos
Cyane & Levant - SGN202 Constitution, new (Cyrus/Hermes) Levant, new (Banterer) Cyane / aftermath adds new (UK superfrigates) Leander & Newcastle, new? (one-off 18pdr 40) Acasta
Penguin - new (Peacock group) Hornet, new (Cruizer) Penguin
Nautilus - new (Peacock group) Peacock, new (200t 14-gun brig) HEIC Nautilus
Adding the campaign against Algiers extends the pool with...
Cape Gata - SGN202 Guerriere, new (US med frigate) Constellation, new (Peacock group) Ontario, new (Cruizer) USS Epervier, new (???) Meshuda
Cape Palos - new (Cruizer) USS Epervier, new (310t brig) Spark, new (260-286t schooners) Torch & Spitfire, new (brig) Estedio
Algiers -
---5x SOL - SGN108 Queen Charlotte, new 98 Impregnable, (Fame) Albion, (Ganges) Minden, SGN102 Superb
---new (superfrigate) Leander
---new (Endymion) Severn & Glasgow; new (Scamander 36; share sculpt with Apollo?) Hebrus & Granicus
Dutch frigates ex-UK Melampus, (one of a pair enlarged from dozen-strong Dutch Juno class) Dageraad 44) Dageraad 44, (ex-UK Artois) Diana, SGN105 Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina & Amstel
Dutch one-off corvette (ex-FR Nayade/Bellona) Eendragt
--brigs new (Cruizer) Heron & Mutine, (Thais fireship) Prometheus, too-small (Cherokee) Britomart & Cordelia
--bombs (2 mortar) these can probably share a sculpt (Vesuvius) Beelzebub, (Fury) Fury, Infernal, Hecla
--4 Alg frigates
--5 Alg corvettes
Still digesting the Bombardment of Algiers, hence it being less organized; also need more data on Meshuda and Estedio.
Boiling 1812 down into New-vs-Redeco terms, 1812 gives us...
SGN105 reprints: HMS Guerriere, HMS Macedonian, HMS Java, HMS Shannon, HMS Pomone, HMS Tenedos (enough for a full wave!)
new-sculpt Peacock Group (incl Wasp/Hornet and Ontario group) shipsloop: USS Wasp (2nd), USS Hornet, USS Frolic, USS Peacock (2 packs; there were enough ships, including two RN reflags, to almost make two waves if 1805 Hornet and 1807 Wasp are done in both ship and original brig rigs)
new-sculpt Cruizer brig - HMS Frolic, HMS Peacock, HMS Pelican, HMS Epervier, HMS Reindeer, HMS Avon, HMS Sophie, HMS Childers, HMS Carnation, HMS Penguin (almost two full waves right here!)
new down-graded SGN202 mainline: USS President, USS United States (and here you see a need for filler, even adding USS Guerriere and USS Java leaves us two sculpts short, and we need both HMS's Leander and Newcastle so they can't readily partner with HMS President)
new-sculpt US medium frigate: USS Chesapeake (some stretching, but I think we can get a cluster of six)
new-sculpt US 12pdr 32: USS Essex (ditto; see my thread on US frigates)
new-sculpt Cormorant-family QD ship-sloop: HMS Cherub (lots of fill-out needed, but this was a big family both British and French)
new-sculpt Cyrus/Hermes flushdecker 6th Rate: HMS Hermes, HMS Carron, HMS Levant (ditto)
new-sculpt Banterer QD 6th Rate: HMS Cyane (plenty of similar ships)
new-sculpt Endymion 24pdr: HMS Endymion (enough sisters for one wave, but no more)
new-sculpt ex-74 razee frigate, suggest SP: HMS Majestic (pack with Goliath and Saturn logs; just like Indefatigable, Special Pack is the only way to do these since there were only three)
new-sculpt UK 18pdr 32-36 (either Phoebe or Apollo class): HMS Orpheus, HMS Phoebe
Second Barbary adds to the pool...
new down-graded SGN202 mainline: USS Guerriere
new-sculpt US medium frigate: USS Constellation
new-sculpt Peacock Group shipsloop: USS Ontario
new-sculpt Cruizer brig - USS Epervier, HMS Heron, HMS Mutine
SGN108: 1804 HMS Queen Charlotte
SGN102: HMS Superb
new-sculpt Endymion 24pdr: HMS Severn, HMS Glasgow
new-sculpt UK 18pdr 32-36 (either Phoebe or Apollo class): HMS Hebrus, HMS Granicus
SGN105: HDMS Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina, HDMS Amstel
Left to figure out for 1812:
Taking of Frolic - new (Middling 74?) HMS Poictiers
James Island - new (280t sloop) Georgiana, 3x new 220-270 ton brigs
Charles Island - new (280t sloop) Georgiana, new (338t sloop) Greenwich, 3x new 250-300t brigs
Argus - new 300t brig Argus
Boxer - USS Enterprise and HMS Boxer both <28m
Valparaiso - new (355t sloop? or brig?) Essex Junior, new (small 18pdr) Phoebe
Taking of USS Frolic - new (230t schooner) Shelburne
1st Ft Bowyer - 14-gun Ft Bowyer
Fayal - new 246t brig General Armstrong
Cyane & Levant - aftermath adds new (UK superfrigates) Leander & Newcastle, new? (one-off 18pdr 40) Acasta
Nautilus - new (200t 14-gun brig) HEIC Nautilus
Left to figure out for Second Barbary:
Cape Gata - new (???) Meshuda
Cape Palos - new (310t brig) Spark, new (260-286t schooners; I think these two can share a sculpt) Torch & Spitfire, new (brig) Estedio
Algiers -
---SOL's - new 98 Impregnable, (Fame) Albion, (Ganges) Minden
---new (superfrigate) Leander
Dutch frigates ex-UK Melampus, (one of a pair enlarged from dozen-strong Dutch Juno class) Dageraad 44, (ex-UK Artois) Diana
Dutch one-off corvette (ex-FR Nayade/Bellona) Eendragt
--brigs new (Thais fireship) Prometheus, too-small (Cherokee) Britomart & Cordelia
--bombs (2 mortar) these can probably share a sculpt (Vesuvius) Beelzebub, (Fury) Fury, Infernal, Hecla
--4 Alg frigates
--5 Alg corvettes
Would welcome any additional data, questions or suggestions as far as sorting this mess out. The fir-built Scamanders I think can be slipstreamed with their designer Rule's similarly-size oak-built Apollos, but all those brigs... well, there is a reason I generally don't like working on Unrated ships.