Ship Shape Saturday

Well Shipwreck didn't turn out but the ship-themed game day was a good time anyway. I got to Morningstar around 12:45 and was able to play in a four-player game of Sails of Glory. I'd never played it before but it is similar enough to Wings of Glory (WWI flying game) that I didn't have much trouble picking it up. I captained a French frigate, Le Petit Fromage, while Mike took the helm of the ship of the line, Le Grand Fromage. Opposing us were a British frigate and ship of the line, both named HMS Filthy Whore.

An action shot part-way through the battle. That's my ship in the foreground. I think I took a shot at the Brit frigate whilst eating a broadside from the larger ship in the distance.

Ian (left) and Bill (center) our opponents. That's Mike to the right, mon capitan.

Things wrap up. Mine and Ian's frigate took a beating and sank at roughly the same time. Before I went out though, musketeers from my ship unleashed a fusillade at the large British finishing off the rest of its crew! Classic "with my last breath, I spit at thee!" Mike's big ship was still seaworthy so the French were the victors of the day!

Next up was Star Fleet Battles. Mike pulled out a three-sided battle and we quickly put things together. The set up was that both the Klingons and Orion pirates both were raiding a Federation convoy at the same time. The Klingons and Orions are not really in cahoots - it is more of a "enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation. I ended up with the Orions, Bill got the Klingons and Mike and Alan shared the convoy.

My two ships looking suspiciously like Star Wars vessels.

Our starting positions. Bill set up a bit closer to the convoy than I did. The convoy had two Fed CAs, two heavy freighters, three lights and a Q-Ship.

Numbskullery. Mike and Alan.

Bill is just learning how to fly Klingons. He headed straight towards two Fed CAs and quickly got one of his D7s ruined pretty severely. He responded my downing Mike's #1 shield but causing no damage. I was not feeling very good about my chances.

Bill pulled off (crossing the fucking Fed "T" and eating another salvo, this time from Alan). You can see that I've put four drones out - two at Alan's CA and two at a freighter. Now I was really depressed about my chances.

Turn two and things aren't so bad now. The Klingon still has two ships, one of which is still pristine and my drones, photons and phasers are going to be close enough to raise hell this turn. I've now dumped eight drones out and the Feds are barely acknowledging them.

At range 4, I unloaded four photons into Alan's #1 smashing it and causing eight internals. I held onto my phasers, saving them for the transports beyond. You can see that I've driven my ships into the convoy by this point. I unloaded four Ph-1s into the revealed Q-Ship and blasted away at shuttles with my Ph-3s. My shuttles got a couple of shots at Alan's cruiser, thanks to conveniently placed downed shields. The front shield of the Tantive IV was downed but the ship suffered not damage. My other ship was not hit at all.

I'd come through to the far side of the convoy, behind Mike's cruiser and ready to make another phaser and drone run through the freighters. It was decided the call the game there, since the Q-Ship and one of the Fed cruisers were both combat ineffective. Even the beat up Klingon still had its two disruptors. Mike's ship could have caused some headache to one of the raiders but it would have been hard-pressed to deal with the rest.

My ship sheets. Not a bad day of hunting at all. Avast ye scurvy space-dogs, prepare to be boarded!

As usual, SFB was jolly good fun - a damn fine day of gaming all around!