How does this sound for a solid start in Sails of Glory?

**surfimp** · 02-03-2016, 17:14

Hi All- already introduced myself in the other subforum, but am just finally getting into Sails of Glory after flirting with it for close to two years.

Friends from my game group have helped grease the skids by gifting me the Spanish Argonauta and Sirena as well as the French Hermione for my birthday recently.

I've gone ahead and ordered the starter set and am looking to flesh out my British and French/Spanish fleets as follows:

Franco-Spanish - 713pts
Hermione 1779
Courageuse 1778
Sirena 1793
Argonauta 1806
Genereux 1785
Orient 1791

British - 711pts
HMS Terpsichore 1785
HMS Sybille 1794
HMS Orpheus 1780
HMS Defence 1763
HMS Impetueux 1796
HMS Victory 1765

With each list featuring three 5th rate frigates, two 3rd rates and a single 1st rate, I feel like these lists will emphasize maneuver and, hopefully, fun. I also picked ships based on which sculpts I liked the best, because that's important too IMHO!

Am I on the right track here? Any recommendations? I've also got a few of the Sails of Glory playmats coming, as based on demo game experience, having more sea room than less seems to make for a more enjoyable experience. Nothing like getting to the downwind end of the mat while you're right in the thick of battle.

**Nightmoss** · 02-03-2016, 17:20

Sure looks good to me. My only suggestion might be to pick up the special editions of HMS Victory and USS Constitution when you get the chance? The sculpts are very good and the captains cards excellent.

**surfimp** · 02-03-2016, 17:25

Originally Posted by Nightmoss

Sure looks good to me. My only suggestion might be to pick up the special editions of HMS Victory and USS Constitution when you get the chance? The sculpts are very good and the captains cards excellent.

Indeed the British list has the HMS Victory on it (and the Orient on the French list, for mini-Trafalgar action), and I was remiss not to mention that the USS Constitution will be escorting my starter set through the mail, to ensure a safe arrival. Thank you!

**Bligh** · 02-04-2016, 01:16

I would tend to add a couple more 74s and a Sloop to each side Steve. That would give you a viable small squadron.
Rob.

**surfimp** · 02-04-2016, 07:49

Thank you, Rob, that's a good suggestion. I do like the look of the 74s, too.

**Comte de Brueys** · 02-04-2016, 08:38

Four more 3rd rates (2 each side) and you can play some nice line battles.

**Broadsword56** · 02-04-2016, 15:28

What's that schooner in your avatar image, Steve?
I like the "cut of her jib."
I happen to be working on a topsail schooner as my latest 3D print mini design, so it immediately caught my eye.
(Also: Where are you in California? I'm in Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County.)

**Capn Duff** · 02-04-2016, 15:33

Unfortunately Steve, as you get more ships, you will find , like Wings, there is no such thing as enough ships.

**surfimp** · 02-04-2016, 17:27

Originally Posted by Broadsword56

What's that schooner in your avatar image, Steve?

It's the painting "American Schooner Columbia Before Block Island" by William Yorke. I found it via a Google image search for "fishing schooner" or somesuch and liked it enough to use as my avatar, despite the fact it's not a Napoleonic era ship (nor a warship).

I love schooners, especially fishing schooners and the racing yachts based on them. They really capture my fancy in a way few other machines can. I have a visceral reaction when I see them that I just don't get from many other things in life.

I mean.. oh my. If these types of images don't move you, I regret to inform you that you're dead.

**surfimp** · 02-04-2016, 17:30

Originally Posted by Capn Duff

Unfortunately Steve, as you get more ships, you will find , like Wings, there is no such thing as enough ships.

You say that like it's a bad thing! ;)

**Capn Duff** · 02-05-2016, 01:26

Lol persuse this thread for example

http://www.sailsofglory.org/showthre...6218#post56218

Post 1,2,3,20 &35 :)

**Bligh** · 02-05-2016, 01:59

Originally Posted by surfimp

You say that like it's a bad thing! ;)

It only becomes a bad thing when you sleep on the floor because even the bed is full of Sails boxes.
Rob.

**surfimp** · 02-05-2016, 09:27

Originally Posted by Bligh

It only becomes a bad thing when you sleep on the floor because even the bed is full of Sails boxes.
Rob.

That assumes you're not sleeping in the hallway due to the room being completely given over to boxes of ships!

I can see now that 6 ships is barely a squadron by this forum's standards

**Bligh** · 02-05-2016, 10:11

It all depends which theater of operations you use Steve.
The Indian Ocean did not have huge units on hand.
Nor did the Caribbean or Med for a lot of the time.
Rob.

**Capn Duff** · 02-05-2016, 10:47

And I just added a British Frigate and Spanish SoL to the totals, that is the last, honest doctor ..........

**surfimp** · 02-05-2016, 11:26

This was our WGF collection as of about a year and a half ago, it's grown quite a bit since then

Thread from WoW.org:
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...l=1#post303812

**7eat51** · 02-05-2016, 14:14

Originally Posted by Bligh

It only becomes a bad thing when you sleep on the floor because even the bed is full of Sails boxes.
Rob.

Or your wife throws you out of bed because of all the money you have spent on SoG ships.

Steve, I recommend picking up the shore batteries collection. It will offer interesting scenario options.

**surfimp** · 02-05-2016, 14:39

Thanks Eric. I actually threw two copies of the shores & shoals pack and one of the coastal batteries as well as a package of the extra ship mats when ordering my starter set. Start small but dream big, as they say :)

**TexaS** · 02-07-2016, 03:06

Originally Posted by surfimp

I can see now that 6 ships is barely a squadron by this forum's standards

I'd say it depends. There are several with over a hundred ships and there are those with little more than the starter set. All are welcome as we try to show in the solo campaign that usually tries to make scenarios that can be played with little more than the starter set.

Myself, I fall in the just over 60 ship category and have a goal of keeping it under 100 ships, at least as far as wave 4. It's a hard goal to keep when you want to convert special ships like merchants or a bomb ketch like that done by Rob (Bligh).

**Bligh** · 02-07-2016, 12:48

Originally Posted by 7eat51

Or your wife throws you out of bed because of all the money you have spent on SoG ships.

Steve, I recommend picking up the shore batteries collection. It will offer interesting scenario options.

Ah! But will it keep you warm sleeping on the floor without a blanket. I suggest getting shore batteries, but keeping the heated shot ovens going at night Steve.

Bligh.

**Bligh** · 02-07-2016, 12:51

Originally Posted by TexaS

Myself, I fall in the just over 60 ship category and have a goal of keeping it under 100 ships, at least as far as wave 4. It's a hard goal to keep when you want to convert special ships like merchants or a bomb ketch like that done by Rob (Bligh).

I just went over my 50 max at Christmas Jonas, and dare not count any more at the moment.

Rob.

**surfimp** · 02-07-2016, 13:13

Happily my starter set and USS Constitution showed up ahead of schedule (they were to arrive Monday, or so I thought) and as a result, my 11 year old son and I have gotten our first handful of games in. What tremendous fun! We're playing with the Standard rules for now and will be upgrading to the Advanced rules after we've got a few more games under our belts.

Courageuse with the weather gage on Sirena

Courageuse rakes Sirena's bow as she struggles to get out of irons.

Good times :)

**Bligh** · 02-07-2016, 13:42

Great to see you getting a game in already Steve.
Starting with the Standard rules is a very sensible approach.
Even I don't always play using all the Advanced rules. it just depends on how I feel at the time.
That is one of the beauties of this system, You can pick and choose from the menu to suit yourselves.
Rob.

**surfimp** · 02-07-2016, 21:55

We got into the Advanced rules and quite liked them. The sail control is great, and the special damages are really interesting to manage via the actions, too. We also played the shallow water scenario with the island and the reefs. I ran my ship aground on a reef and my son promptly sailed full speed ahead into a ram (also running him aground) so that he could board (he's really into "the pirate thing" as he calls it). With both of us aground and grappled, it came down to a boarding duel which went all the way to the wire!

Wonderful great fun

P.S. - The USS Constitution is a heck of a ship. Agile as a 5th rate but nearly as powerful as a 3rd rate. I'm perhaps easily impressed, but she's great fun to sail.

**WaylandSmith** · 02-08-2016, 07:01

I'm also a newcomer to SoG, inspired by Mike's recent outline on Meeples and Miniatures. I introduced the game to my local group last week via a newly purchased starter set. It got a positive response, so I'm looking forward to more games in the future. The conversation about ship numbers made me wonder not how many ships people have in their collections, but how many typically get used during a game. At the moment, I can't imagine wanting to command more than two ships at once, so are the fleet sizes mentioned above intended for games with two or more players a side?

Cheers

Paul

**Bligh** · 02-08-2016, 07:58

Firstly welcome aboard Paul.

Glad to hear you enjoyed Mike's outline. I'm sure he will be chuffed.
The number of ships you want to or feel happy with using is really entirely up to you.
One or two a side is fine, but some of us run little Squadrons. Maybe one 100 Decker and three or four 74s.
However some of the AARs featured in our Solo Campaigns will show you players handling this many or more ships on either side. I think that the most I have sailed at one time is about 11.
A lot of players are quite happy with one to one actions, as in our other Solo games for this year. If you do get involved in these the Scenarios are so open ended that they will fit any size of sips in any numbers from any country you pick to field. So no real worries, but no real answer to your question either.
Do drop into the Wardroom for a chat with the crew and a few virtual tots of the hard stuff.
Rob.

**WaylandSmith** · 02-08-2016, 08:34

Many thanks for responding Rob. At the moment the rules are new and seem fairly complex, but I'm sure they become more straightforward with use and commanding more ships will become possible. All the same eleven does sound a lot!

Will certainly pop across to the Wardroom to introduce myself.

Paul

**Bligh** · 02-08-2016, 09:02

You are right Paul.
I would not like to do any more than 11. I ended up with a headache at the end of the day as it was.

Rob.

**Nightmoss** · 02-08-2016, 09:19

Greetings Paul. Welcome aboard the Anchorage!

**surfimp** · 02-08-2016, 09:28

Originally Posted by WaylandSmith

At the moment the rules are new and seem fairly complex, but I'm sure they become more straightforward with use and commanding more ships will become possible. All the same eleven does sound a lot!

A few years ago, when I was getting back into tabletop miniature gaming, I remember feeling like the Sails of Glory rules were a bit complex. I preferred the comparative simplicity of Wings of Glory WWI at the time and sort of backburnered Sails, even though I did really like the overall Age of Sail concept and the miniatures.

Having subsequently played a bunch of games across a variety of systems over the past two years, coming back to Sails makes me realize that I just needed a bit more time and exposure. The designers of all of the "___ of Glory" games have done an excellent job of mixing straightforward gameplay mechanics with a really nice scaling option (between the Basic, Standard and Advanced rules) that lets you add complexity and simulation elements to taste. It's all quite well done IMHO, and really adds value to the systems.

So hang in there - and play what's fun for you. Right now our sweet spot with Sails is 1v1 duels using Advanced Rules. With time, I'm sure we'll be comfortable commanding more ships, but for right now we're having a blast and that's all that matters.

**TexaS** · 02-08-2016, 09:39

Originally Posted by WaylandSmith

I'm also a newcomer to SoG, inspired by Mike's recent outline on Meeples and Miniatures. I introduced the game to my local group last week via a newly purchased starter set. It got a positive response, so I'm looking forward to more games in the future. The conversation about ship numbers made me wonder not how many ships people have in their collections, but how many typically get used during a game. At the moment, I can't imagine wanting to command more than two ships at once, so are the fleet sizes mentioned above intended for games with two or more players a side?

Welcome aboard, Paul!

It all depends but I prefer a battle with one player to a ship but several ships like this battle I ran at a convention:

http://sailsofglory.org/showthread.p...of-San-Domingo

I provided all ships and I want to have a choice of ships for such battles.

While playing one on one or two on two, a small frigate battle may be just as fun.

**WaylandSmith** · 02-09-2016, 02:21

Thanks Jonas.

That kind of reinforces the impression I got from our first game, but it will be interesting to see how our games develop.

Cheers

Paul

**Union Jack** · 02-09-2016, 12:46

Ah the perils of collecting. He said after adding another two ships to his collection at York!

**Bligh** · 02-09-2016, 13:15

What did you get Neil?
Rob.

**Herkybird** · 02-09-2016, 13:34

I almost always use 1 ship per player with the others run by the Powder Monkey! - it can be interesting trying to keep station on a solo run ship while getting into a scrap with an opposing solo run fleet.

I always get confused trying to use 2 models myself.

**TexaS** · 02-09-2016, 22:35

I can handle it pretty well, but I'm an immersive player. I want to feel like I was on the quarterdeck. That is lost if I have to play several ships.

**Bligh** · 02-10-2016, 01:52

Originally Posted by Herkybird

I almost always use 1 ship per player with the others run by the Powder Monkey! - it can be interesting trying to keep station on a solo run ship while getting into a scrap with an opposing solo run fleet.

I always get confused trying to use 2 models myself.

I have all my ships, boxes, cards, and movement decks marked with small mark it dots. This colour codes each ship and helps to speed up getting the correct cards back during games.
Also helps to identify your own cards at shows.
Rob.

**Bligh** · 02-10-2016, 01:54

Originally Posted by TexaS

I can handle it pretty well, but I'm an immersive player. I want to feel like I was on the quarterdeck. That is lost if I have to play several ships.

I play my main ship with my Captain and named crew, but put the other ships on AI. This helps to keep focused on your main character.
Rob.

**Hjl** · 02-11-2016, 10:47

I'm trying to convince my wife to start playing. Apparently the thrills of a napoleonic era naval captaincy simulator isn't her sort of thing. Women eh?