Blockade of Toulon

 Another playtest of Empire of the Seas, as said last week we played the same scenario with the amendments (3 ships out to win) and reversed papers. Fog meant shooting restricted at 15cm.

Setting: the british fleet is blockading Toulon, but then, out of the mists, come the french ships of the Marquis du Verger...

 British blockade with reefs at port, the wind came from the background during all game

 Closing in

 The first british broadside takes out one mast

 The french cut the british T

 Splintering some masts

 But the brits soon closed in and boarded, trying to pin the enemy down

 The central boardings weren't quite a sucess 

 The french flagship, le Vengeur,  taking point blank broadsides

 The boarding at port was going better, and would go for the rest of the battle till the white hulled ship surrendered

 Now it was time for my flagship, the Stirling Castle to suffer

 This ship's excellent gunnery wouldn't save her bacon today

 Two french ships dodged my fleet after repelling boarders and headed for the exit, note the race in the background between le Vengeur and one of mine.

 I managed to get ahead just in the nick of time and cut her way out, but forgot to drop anchor

 Wary of the french marines the brits just shot from a safe distance

 It'll be over soon

 First frenchy to strike!

 This one took advantage of not being grappled to run for it, but her pursuers soon closed in again

 2nd surrender

 These two ships broke the blockade, with just two out it was a draw, time to count the surrendered points for the tie break.

 Unable to get out, the french admiral boarded my ship into surrender

 But I had two french

For a total of 8-4. Victory (again) to the Royal Navy.

I was quite satisfied with how it played out, so I'm not making anymore changes to the rules. The game could have gone either way until I managed to stop the french flagship; victory was down to sailing, as it should be!