April Scenario. Solo Letters of Mark mission By Bligh.

[Bligh]

"Between a rock and a hard place."

Your depredations in the seas around your base has finally stirred the Nearest Major Power to action. Orders have come down from on high to put a stop to your Marauding ways. To this end, and unbeknown to you, an enemy warship of your own size and burden has been dispatched along with a troopship 74 armed en-flute with only three gun boxes open will attempt to take your base by main force.
By a lucky chance a friendly 32 gun Frigate has spotted the expedition heading for a passage between two of their outlying Islands.
The down side is that the passage is narrow and heavily fortified. If he goes around he will be too late to warn you of the impending attack. The Captain takes the bit between his teeth and steers for the channel.
The up side is that the garrisons are not expecting such an impudent move and therefore only the guns on the rearmost Island will have time to gain the first time double shotted bonus.
No heated shot will be prepared and all guns will be firing ball.


The set up for part one.





Your Frigate will approach from outside the firing arc A and the Captain must plot the best course between the islands.
The fire arcs of the forts ABC and D are shown. Only fort D will have the double shot and first time bonus.
The distance between the headlands is one ruler and also between the two batteries on the Islands thus forming an equally armed cross.
All indicated firing arcs extend for one ruler distance from the black letter indicating their origins.
Fire power for the batteries is as follows:-
A 3, B 3, C 4, and D 3, But only D3 may be double shotted for the first round.
May God be with you.

Part two.

Make it through, and you will be in time to warn your compatriots. Your Letter of Mark ship will sally forth to do battle fully prepared and fully crewed having retrieved your men from the stews and bordellos in your seaport. With the element of surprise gone you will also get to choose the wind gauge for your attack if you so wish.
Should the Frigate fail to get through, you will be short of two crew boxes and one gunnery box. The crew were not all rounded up in time when you sailed. Note that the gunnery box loss does not fill a damage box just effects the fire power.

Two mats are set up long edges touching. The attacking force is to enter at left middle edge and traverse the whole length of the two mats. Depending upon whether your frigate got through you will set up your ship, either at the bottom right of the right hand mat if the warning failed. Or anywhere up to the top of the Right mat and up to half way in to give you wind advantage if it succeeded in warning you in time. The wind direction is as shown in the first part of the game has now veered a couple of points to due South. You may choose to use wind variation after the initial moves have been made. Any other rules from the rule book may be used as you choose.

Objective.

To prevent the Troopship exiting the right hand end of the table by any means at your disposal. You must prevent them from landing or all is lost.

Enjoy the battle shipmates.

Bligh.