AAR - Apr 2015 Scenario Against the Wind by ShadowDragon
Against the Wind
My version of the 2015 Campaign scenario, Against the Wind, by Union Jack:
https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....ainst-the-Wind
Hal Sparrow sized up the crew of the Dryade. Gabriel and Anamaria had been impressed by his handling of the Orient’s rescue and had made his captaincy ‘permanent’. He was free to manage the Dryade, subject to the pirate’s code of brotherhood (and sisterhood Anamaria would no doubt add being as she’s a she) of every pirate having his voice heard. He would make no changes for the moment but see how the men handled themselves.
“Obadiah Hawkins, what kind of mother name’s her child Obadiah”, Hal asked his first mate, a tall, proud black pirate.
“Given to me by the slaver folks. Me real name is Ogechukwukama Nwanneka.”
“Right…I’ll think on that. I wouldn’t want to stumble on yer name in the heat of battle. How’s Oge?” Hal turned to the bosun, Ezekiel. It seemed the Dryade was a right biblical ship. Ezekiel was English - an older pirate with parrot – of course, a parrot, every pirate ship has a pirate with a parrot. “Does he speak?” Hal asked.
“No, sir. He’s a mute.”
“What does one do with a mute parrot?”
“Don’ know, sir. He’s never told me. He’s a mute.”
Hal turn around and as he did he heard, “this Cap’n a right idiot”. Hall turned back. “Who said that.”
“It was the parrot, sir,” replied Ezekiel.
“I thought he was mute.”
“Aye, sir. A right mute…can’t say nary a word.”
“But….,” he started to reply but just then his charges hove into sight. Two fat merchantmen configured to serve as slave ships. Gabriel had recently captured the ships. Usually he would escort the ships to Freetown where the slaves would be free – well, you know – Freetown, not an original name but it’s got the ring of truth to it. However, Gabriel had to join Anamaria in Kingstown – yeah, not so original either - for a parley with the English commodore, James Wellesley.
To get to Freetown without delay they had to pass through a couple of narrow straights with a wide body of water in between – a perfect spot for an ambush. The slave ships had been under contract to that archvillain, the French Commodore, Armand Lamontagne. Lamontagne would wanting his ‘investment’ back. Sure enough, there waiting for them was the Crimson Revenge, captained by the Crimson Pirate – a man so black he brought disrepute to a disreputable profession.
“I have a plan,” said to Oge.
“You have a plan?”
“Well parts of a plan.”
“How much of a plan?”
“12%”
“Really more of a concept than a plan then.”
Hal ignored Oge. Nothing worse than a first mate that was too bright. He signalled the merchant man to turn to starboard. He hoped to lure the Crimson Revenge in that direction so that their little fleet would skim…if fat merchant ships could skim…to port and reach the strait on the opposite side.
At first the Crimson Pirate seemed to take the bait but he was having none of Hal’s plan, the Revenge moved directly towards Hal’s intended escape route.
With that, Hal signalled the merchant ships to turn to port while the Dryade darted ahead of them to block the Revenge. Just as well it was only 12% of a plan. It would have been a shame to have to throw away a much bigger plan. But now Hal had a new plan….well, still more of a concept than a plan.
This new concept…er, plan, was working – in that the more powerful Revenge has heading for a one-on-one engagement with the Dryade.
Oge asked, “what plan is this?”
“It’s a pincer attack.”
“What is a pincer attack?”
“It’s in all the best tactical books on armoured manoeuvre warfare.” Oge looked at Hal sceptically. “It came to me in a dream. I have no idea what’s armoured manoeuvre warfare but basically we catch the Crimson Revenge between us and the merchant ships.”
“You mean the lightly armed merchant ships.”
“Uh…aye…got a better plan?” The look on Oge’s face required no answer – or at least not one Hal was ready to hear.
While Hal wasn’t top of the class for plan development, he did have a natural aptitude for pirating. As the Revenge veered to port to ‘cross the T’ as it were of their fleet, Hal ordered the Dryade to the starboard and very nicely did to the Revenge what the Crimson Pirate had intended for them. The Dryade’s broadside raked the Revenge from stem to stern – and worse, for the Revenge, had stove in the side of their foe. The Crimson what-is-name needs to take better care of his ship – fragile, easily broken.
The Revenge staggered forward as both the Revenge and Dryade reloaded their guns. Meanwhile, the Merchant ships slowly ‘skimmed’ along and were coming into range.
Ere long the Revenge was between the Dryade and the Merchant ships. The Revenge fired a full broadside at the Dryade, which could only respond with its forward battery, and a partial broadside at the nearest Merchantman, which responded with full broadside – well, all it’s cannons on the starboard side as ‘full broadside’ wasn’t many guns, but it was enough. Two fat cannonballs put two more holes in the Revenge.
He really should have taken better care of his ship – quite fragile. The Revenge listed to starboard as water poured in.
It was more than the Revenge’s crew could manage, so the Crimson Pirate surrendered. He’d be a nice catch for the English Commodore. Can’t say the Frenchie would be too happy though.
I used Dobbs AI for the Crimson Revenge but plotted both merchant ships. I tried doing this scenario in a different spot in my house – but the lighting isn’t so good so I will go back to my regular spot.
For the Crimson revenge I only blocked off the first 2 hull boxes and 1 crew box of the French 74 instead of the three suggested as it seemed to match the generic template data better. For the merchant ships I blocked off 5 hull boxes (half rounded up) for the British 74s but I used the gunnery factor one to the right of what would normally be used (i.e., the 2nd open box to the right of the last box with a damage counter). That seemed the best match for the generic data – although it gave the merchantmen fewer hull boxes overall.
Final note – the slave them was inspired by the recent post on finding skeletons from the wreck of "Black Sam" Bellamy’ ship.
Dryade
Merchantman 1
Merchantman 2
Crimson Revenge
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it's always good to have a concept or maybe even an embryonic plan. 
Originally Posted by Vagabond
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