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Using Black Seas Ships?


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#1 Jaedrian

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Posted 15 October 2019 - 08:31 PM

I'm going to get Post Captain as I really enjoy GQ3. However, I need ships. Would using the ships from Black Seas by Warlord Games be a good option? Or do you all have a better company to purchase from for a novice to Age of Sail? If I can use the ships from Black Seas, what scale of measurement would I use from PC? Thanks all.



#2 Cpt M

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Posted 15 October 2019 - 09:58 PM

I'm going to get Post Captain as I really enjoy GQ3. However, I need ships. Would using the ships from Black Seas by Warlord Games be a good option? Or do you all have a better company to purchase from for a novice to Age of Sail? If I can use the ships from Black Seas, what scale of measurement would I use from PC? Thanks all.

No problem, you can use the Black Seas ships with Post Captain.  (In fact, I'm seriously looking at picking up a couple frigates and brigs for that very purpose!)  Post Captain is scale neutral; the "ground scale" (odd using that term for sea games!) is the same scale as the ships.  Consequently, the rules come with gauges for 1/1200 and 1/2400 scale ships.  For the 1/700 Black Seas models, I intend to take the turn gauge and movement gauge to my local copy shop and enlarge the 1/1200 gauges to 1/700 (the amount to enlarge would be 171%) on their self-serve copiers.  Easy enough to do.     


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#3 Jaedrian

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Posted 16 October 2019 - 07:19 AM

Instead of doubleposting, just editing this. I figured it out, the charts are in yards any way, so I'm just doing math to convert the 1/1000 scale tools at 3.6" to all the ranges I need. Thanks!

 

 

Thanks so much, that's exactly what I wanted to know! Oh, and how would that affect ranges on the gunnery charts? I'm not very clever at figuring that sort of thing out, sorry to be a drag.


Edited by Jaedrian, 23 October 2019 - 07:50 PM.


#4 Cpt M

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Posted 23 October 2019 - 09:41 PM

Instead of doubleposting, just editing this. I figured it out, the charts are in yards any way, so I'm just doing math to convert the 1/1000 scale tools at 3.6" to all the ranges I need. Thanks!

 

 

Thanks so much, that's exactly what I wanted to know! Oh, and how would that affect ranges on the gunnery charts? I'm not very clever at figuring that sort of thing out, sorry to be a drag.

Sorry 'bout the late reply.  Had a bad case of 'real life' (ie, the JOB) get in the way.

 

Anyway....  Looks like you figured it out.  The charts are indeed in yards (when using different scales, it was just easier to do it that way).  

 

And....  I was thinking on the scaling up thing and had that 'Ah Ha!' moment.  If you use the given 1/700 scale, a real foot on the table works out to a scale 700 feet (or 233.333333..... yards).  Or 19.4444444... yards to the inch.  Not pretty... Or easy to convert.   SOOOO....

 

Instead of using 1/700, I'm going to use 1/720.  Why?  Well, that works out to 720 scale feet to the foot (or 240 yards).  And an inch equals 20 yards.  A whole lot easier to measure ranges on the table (20", that's 400 yards.  15"?  300 yards.  25"?  500 yards....  you get the point).  Now that does mean the ships are slightly oversized..... by a whooping 2%.  (On a 3" ship, that works out to a huge 1/16"!).  Given the various lengths of ships of the same type (and even same class) in the period, that's more than acceptable.  For the gauges, you enlarge the 1/1200 gauges by 166% (and for the 1/1000 gauges, that's 138%).  A whole lot simpler....    


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#5 SteveAF

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Posted 31 October 2019 - 07:13 AM

Thanks for the conversion info!  I picked up some of the Black Seas sets and will use them for Post Captain as well as Black Seas.  With a half dozen games of Black Seas under my belt I've found the rules acceptable for quick games and as an introduction to the period (if you use all the optional and advanced rules, the basic game is poor at best if you know anything about AWI or Napoleonic naval warfare).  I hope to nudge a few of the local fans of Black Seas who find they enjoy the period to try Post Captain for a better historical immersion into the period.  I think the 1/700 (i.e. large 1/720) scale vessels will work well with Post Captain on a 5x7 or 6x8 table.



#6 pyruse

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Posted 14 November 2019 - 12:40 PM

I'm planning on using these ships with the 1:1000 scale gauges. A bit underscale, but it gives more table room



#7 Cpt M

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Posted 14 November 2019 - 10:06 PM

I'm planning on using these ships with the 1:1000 scale gauges. A bit underscale, but it gives more table room

 

Actually, the ships will be 42% oversized when using the 1/1000 scale.  That might lead to some problems (especially close in).  But its still doable.



#8 RazorMind

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Posted 16 November 2019 - 08:18 PM

basing or not basing these ships?  I like just enlarging the 1/1000 gauges up 138% and love your 1/720 scale,I can just use inches now since 1" is 20 yards.  Well done sirs, thnx!


"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way.

Capt. John Paul Jones

#9 Cpt M

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Posted 16 November 2019 - 09:57 PM

basing or not basing these ships?  I like just enlarging the 1/1000 gauges up 138% and love your 1/720 scale,I can just use inches now since 1" is 20 yards.  Well done sirs, thnx!

For me, its basing.  At this scale, you're going to have to do some rigging; at the minimum, the standing rigging (back stays, main stays, ratlines, etc).  And if you add sails to that (and, again, you just about have to), that'll make for a very fragile model.  So for all my AoS ships (1/2400, 1/1200 and now 1/700), I use a base.  The advantages are it gives you something to "grab on to" when moving the model around (on the table or otherwise) without wrecking the rigging/sails.  It also makes determining the wind direction simpler when you have a straight edge that's parallel to the model's centerline (removes any chance for rules lawyering).  And, finally, you can make a nice water effect for that diorama look.   



#10 Joseph Legan

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Posted 19 November 2019 - 10:19 PM

Actually so far I haven't based my ships and they are pretty sturdy.  Agree with you about the Black Seas rules.  With all the optional/ advanced rules they are passable.  I do like the combat routine with one damage number to keep track of.  I have tweaked the critical hit charts to give more flavor and I must say I enjoy it.  The sailing rules are still bad; more like MTBs under sail.  I have started using their combat routine with Post Captain's sailing rules.  I am using 4/5 cannons earns you 1 die.  Will see if it is a flash in the pan or if I will flesh it out some more.  The ships are great.  I need some schooners though.

 

Joe Legan



#11 Jaedrian

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Posted 21 November 2019 - 11:44 PM

I tried to print per the 1/1000 at 138%, but the guages at that size don't fit on the paper. I'm not clever enough to make that work. For now, until some clever soul puts out a page I can print with the 1/720 scale, I'll also be using the 1/1000 scale or even the 1/1200 scale for the table size I have.

 

I can only imagine how big the guages will physically be at 1/720.



#12 RazorMind

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 09:24 PM

Maybe the kind souls at Old Dominion can make a 1/720 scale template we can download


"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way.

Capt. John Paul Jones

#13 Cpt M

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 11:05 PM

Maybe the kind souls at Old Dominion can make a 1/720 scale template we can download

Let me see what I can do.   Stay tuned......



#14 Cpt M

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Posted 29 November 2019 - 06:38 PM

Well, now we have a 1/720 set of gauges in the Download section for Post Captain (Under the Bonus Files, Play Aids).  I just up scaled the 1/1200 versions.  The Turning Gauge comes out to 5+" in diameter (a bit of a beast, that).  And the Movement Gauge had to be done in 2 parts since its too long (you can tack the halves together to get the full gauge).  The gauges are available at:

 

https://www.odgw.com...20-r2-20191128/

 

Enjoy!  (I just finished up 2 of the Black Seas brigs and converted another into a large topsail schooner.  Will be getting these on the table this weekend.)


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#15 Jaedrian

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Posted 13 December 2019 - 11:52 AM

Thanks for the gauges! I'm going to try them out this weekend and see how it works on my 6x4 table. It will make for some very close battles very quickly I can see :)



#16 Joseph Legan

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Posted 11 February 2020 - 05:26 PM

Yes thanks for the gauges.   How did you convert the brig to a topsail schooner?  Inquiring minds want to know?

 

Joe






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