Battle of the Nile 1798

 Today I introduced a friend to my Empire of the Seas rulebook, we played the famous battle of the Nile, I got the brits, he the french. The british objective was to take as a prize or destroy 13 french ships, while their enemies had to take down 6. The british ships got to fire twice following what every historian and witness tells us about the engagement.

The french deployed in a long line, with the men 'o war anchored, while the british coming from a corner and having the wind gauge.

 With Nelson (blue pennant) in the lead, Britannia's ships fan out

 The first balls fall on the l'Orient who is set on fire

 While most english go parallel to the enemy some try to cut the head of the line

 Nelson's HMS Vanguard suffers the concentrated fire of several french

 The british crowd upon the line while the HMS Goliath, unable to pass through, grounds in the shoals cutting the T

 Vanguard and L'Orient come yardarm to yardarm

 The head french is the first to surrender

 The frigate Serieuse sails over the shoals and engages the Goliath, just like in the book! 

 The french rear backtracks while the frigates plug the gap

Sink that brute!  The Goliath exits the shoals, moves a bit ahead and kills the Serieuse

 Another french is set on fire by long ranged bombardment

 One of the adventurous frigates is caught in a crossfire and strikes

 The blazes spread and the french look like a line of firecrakers

 L'Orient explodes! Taking admiral Brueys with her

 Another french burns out and strikes, it will explode next turn

 HMS Vanguard, aflame after l'Orient's explosion blews up too!

 Nelson dead 

 A french strikes

 The frigates keep moving through the gap

 The french ships on fire become sailing timebombs in a desperate bid to take down brits

 While all along the line republican two deckers surrender

 Or blow up

 Another burned out french will explode in two turns

 This french has surrendered, but is grappled with an enemy to take her down when she blows up

 With some british trapped the french that can sail away to escape the enemy guns and gain time

 A british surrenders however 

 More french fireworks

 There are several gaps in the french line now, left by the exploded ships, but the british won't brave the burning hulks to pass through

 A brit burns out and will explode next turn

 One french less

 A frigate strikes

 As does this two decker, caught in the crossfire

 This adventurous frigate sees her trip end before a 74'

 British down!

Finally the 13th french ship surrenders (and blews up), giving victory to the british. The french got close to their goal, 4 british surrendered but couldn't push it any further.

Moral victory however must go to the republicans that, in killing Nelson, have robbed Britannia of her foremost hero and champion.

My friend liked the game, he suggested that ships should move less backwards or take more turns, he also found the fire twice rule broken, that's history for ya!

HOSTE DEVICTO, REQUIEVIT