Man sheets and braces! – Shipborne Combat in Blood and Plunder
By Tyler Stone
It seems that 2019 has a preoccupation with naval wargaming. Heart of Leviathan by is gaining steam, and Warlord Games recently launched Cruel Seas. has put their new 1:600 scale fleet game ‘Oak & Iron’ on prerelease. But, stands head-and-shoulders above all the rest – literally. Unlike the other games which are 1:1200 scale, 1:600 scale, or even 1:300 scale; Blood & Plunder does naval combat in 1:48 scale.
“Say what robs you of your staunch heart … or forever leave it to the whiter fields of fancy”
Aren’t sea battles ‘Advanced Rules’?
To cut to the quick: yes, the mechanics for shipborne combat are the last rules presented in the rulebook. This is because fighting aboard ships combines all the previous rules, with a handful of new ones. Yet, if you’ve played ‘Blood & Plunder’ on land, you’ll find that ships are not difficult at all. The phrase that I hear many players use to describe ship combat, “ships are buildings that move,” is spot-on. Ships follow the same rules as Structures, with extra mechanics to handle movement.
The rules governing ship movement pack a lot of detail into simple mechanics. This is a hallmark of not only Blood & Plunder but all Firelock games. There’s no need to worry about the finer points of sail here. Orientation to the wind matters, but only if you are sailing toward the wind. There is even a handy template to check if you are. Sailing into the wind gives a penalty to your speed. Movement in any other direction provides a bonus. It’s an intuitive, simple solution for handling wind. The skill gap between a seasoned sailor and novice naval wargamer is nonexistent.
The good news is that building one of Firelock’s excellent resin ships is only as difficult as you want it to be. If you’ve ever painted terrain for your games, you can certainly paint a ship. The best thing about the Firelock ships is that their pronounced wood-grain texture. Even a beginner painter can get high-quality results with some brown spray paint and a few washes. You could use an airbrush, which may be faster, but the wood grain texture hides any brush strokes. Go ahead and put that big ol’ house painting brush in the cupboard to good use.
My mastless, rattle + wash sloop in progress
As for the masts and rigging, Firelock makes it as easy as possible. Strictly speaking, there’s no reason why you have to include masts, sails, or rigging at all. I fielded my sloop without masts at Historicon because I was waiting for custom components.
Firelock does include all the wooden dowels and fittings that you’ll need, with your ship. If you have some wood-glue, you’re in business. Firelock also provides stretchy black cord and handy instructions for adding rigging.
Like real life, rigging adds structural integrity, so I suggest it. Again, you can put as much or as little detail into the rigging as you want. Some people keep the rigging sparse, to make reaching into the ship and moving models easier. Others (like me) go a little bit crazy and rig their ship with accurate blocks and tackle to create a display piece. No matter how complex your rigging or paint job is, your ship will be an eye-catching centerpiece.
The eight player mega-game from Historicon ’18, featuring everything from the 2-gun Bark, to the massive Galleon
Onward, to the horizon
I hope that I’ve put some of your fears about playing this excellent facet of ‘Blood & Plunder’ to rest. I’ll be putting on a historical buccaneer sea-battle at HMGS’s ‘‘ this November. Over the next few months, I will take you along with me as I prepare the ships, crews, and even the terrain for this game. It will all culminate in a gigantic convention game. So, have I put your giddy hearts to ease about ship battles in ‘Blood & Plunder’?
About the author:
NDNG’s new resident ‘Salty Dog’, I’ve been wargames and tabletop RPGs for 20 of my 29 years. Like most gamers my age, I’m a convert from ‘the Workshop,’ and got into Historicals with ‘Blood & Plunder’. I spent the majority of my childhood living on the North Carolina coast, a stone’s throw from pirate havens frequented by the likes of Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. My interests extend across all periods though, from classical to sci-fi adventure. It has always been my goal to share my passion for games with a thriving community, and I can’t imagine a better place to do so than here at NDNG.