"Dusty Project; Part X, Another Galleon" Topic

I had a couple of hours free today so I knocked out another galleon. This is just the Zvezda San Martin with a fancy coat of paint. Just three left to go before I move on to another long-dormant project. link

You can't stop with the galleons until they have crews. You're building ghost ships!

- Ix

I'm only half kidding about that. It really does look cool to have crews on the decks:

Yellow Admiral, the San Martin is the worst for that, all that open deck space it does look lamentably empty. Where did you get the crews in your pictures? I had a few 5mm figs lying around so I tried them, they looked like NBA players on these models. I still have to rig all these too!

What was I thinking?

Another great looking job!

But you know you can't stop at having eleven ships. That way you can't divide into balanced fleets or squadrons. Gotta have at least twelve.

What rules are you planning on using for sea fights with these beauties?

Jim

That picture was from War Artisan's FlickR collection: link

In 2017 he crafted a new 1/300 Maratha Coast scenario that included crewed boats, then last year he did another project (seen above) to play a cutting out expedition on the French coast. I just love the look, and if I were doing 1/300 scale I would totally do it myself, but it isn't practicable in 1/2400.

- Ix

PS: That's my elbow in the background of the above picture.

ColCampbell, I'm sure that this project will end up with about 15-20 models in the end. I do need a cheaper course of small ships (perhaps a scratchbuild and a mold are in order). As far as rules go I am a fan of Close Action and Wooden Ships and Iron Men but both are for a much later period when cannon were far more effective. I have used Wooden Ships and Iron Men with some tweaks in the past and it seemed to work if in an inelegant manner.

Yellow Admiral, I have been looking, there are 1/350 modern sailors from a couple of different sources but they are all very modern looking…..but that is all still a long way off.

I'm sure that this project will end up with about 15-20 models in the end.

Yessssss!!!

I do need a cheaper course of small ships (perhaps a scratchbuild and a mold are in order).

How about 100 caravels?

I have used Wooden Ships and Iron Men with some tweaks in the past and it seemed to work if in an inelegant manner.

There was an Armada period supplement to WS&IM back in the day. I have an extra copy I can mail if you want it. I'll email you privately to ask for the address.

For a few years I've been meaning to adapt War Artisan's rules Away Boarders! to the galleon period, but I haven't even gotten the ships out of the box since 2014. The rules work best with one ship or 2-4 boats per player, perfect for unique galleons. They also represent each gun individually, so you could even embed some chrome to represent the incredible variety of artillery pieces. Unfortunately, the rules are geared for sloops and smaller with only up to about 2 dozen guns, so galleons with 30-50 guns might need some streamlining.

Yellow Admiral, I have been looking, there are 1/350 modern sailors from a couple of different sources but they are all very modern looking…..but that is all still a long way off.

War Artisan used architectural figures and just adapted them with paint (and maybe a little trimming – briefcases and fedoras and walked dogs aren't quite "in period"). I planned to just carve up some 6mm 30YW figures, because they come with BIG HATS and swords already, and the rest can be painted on.

- Ix

Yellow Admiral,

I wouldn't mind ten caravels, but even given my rash approach one hundred may be a bit much…….

I would love to take a look at those adaptations of WS&IM contact me at daftrica89@yahoo.com

As far as figures go there are 1/350 scale ones for "serious" ship models……but I still have to survive rigging before I travel that path.

I said:

There was an Armada period supplement to WS&IM back in the day.

I misspoke. I have the Armada supplement to Ship O' The Line, the original miniatures rules by S. Craig Taylor that became WS&IM under Avalon Hill. I think of them as the same rules, but technically they're not. There are only a few differences, the biggest being a square grid instead of a hex grid, and none of the nice Avalon Hill production value (counters, hex board, pre-printed rosters & turn records, scenarios, etc.). That said, they play the same and it's easy enough to substitute the WS&IM hex grid rules for movement and shooting.

- Ix

Yellow Admiral, I have both Ship of the Line (by Juggernaut) and AH's WS&IM. As you say they are nearly identical. We adapted Ship of the Line to open format (no squares or hexes) and have been using it that way for some time. I would be interested in the adaptation regardless of which set they apply to because I'm always looking for good ideas to steal

I've only ever played SotL without a grid. In fact, the square-based move charts work better that way, because when playing gridless I just declared an 8-point compass and conformed all ships to that. Humans can judge 45° angles by eye without a turn template, but not really 30° or 60° angles.

- Ix

Yellow Admiral, That is pretty much what we did as well