Flying Colors AAR: Rebalanced El Ferrol

Lately my table's been busy with Flying Colors, a great game that recreates fleet sized battles in the age of sail. It's playable, fast, and so fun that I've been inspired to re-re-read my all time favorite historical series, the unmatched Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin novels. An all around blast.

The "El Ferrol" scenario imagines what might have happened if the Spanish squadron had come to sea to engage rather than waiting around and letting the Brits take the port. I'd played it twice before, once solo and once with friends, but both times the Spanish totally owned the Royal Navy tars. Before playing a third time, I ran the VP balance as if it were a design your own scenario - and wasn't surprised to find that the Spaniards start with about 25% more power than the Brits. 

So in this run, I modified to Order of Battle to give both sides the same VPs, a truly points balanced scenario. In order to keep some of the tactical flavor, the Spanish kept their higher ship count (6 vs the British 5) and command limitations (1 admiral vs 2). Consequently, while the stock scenario found the Spanish with an intimidating 3 first rates, a second rate, and 2 third rates (!!), in my setup they now have a single first rate with everything else being 3rd rate 74 gun ships of the line.

Starting Lineup
Spaniards: San Agustin (3rd rate); San Antonio (3rd rate); Glorioso (3rd rate), San Fernando (1st rate, with Admiral Moreno); San Genero (3rd rate), and San Isidro (3rd rate)

British: Renown (3rd rate, with Adm Warren); Captain (3rd rate); Courageux (3rd rate); Impeteux (3rd rate, with Adm Pellew) and London (2nd rate)

Starting position:



General strategy for the Spanish was to slip with the wind while moving forward to lengthen the time the RN line was approaching and thereby devastate the lead ships. Meanwhile, the RN hoped to
decrease range and take advantage of what developed: maybe parallel line at close range, maybe cut the line, and ideally isolate a section of Spanish ships to destroy in detail.

TURN 2

The lead British ship, HMS Renown,  is really paying for it as the San Antonio and San Agustin have taken turns heavily targeted rigging. As the geometry declares itself, the RN is deciding to break the line, probably between the second and third ships. 

TURN 3

Despite the damage suffered by Renown and then Captain, the Brits have had everything go their way. Once again they win the initiative roll, using that first movement to drive the lead ships into the gap. Renown and then Captain have great positional opportunities as they pass their targets...Spanish opportunity defensive fire does its best but doesn't do enough: Renown gets an utterly  devastating stern rake against San Antonio,  a good roll, Brit DRMs, and doubled damage and leaving Spanish guns dismounted and Spanish blood running in the scuppers. HMS Captain follows up with an equally vicious rake of San Agustin. 

When initiative passes to the Spaniards, they elect to turn in echelon to reduce raking opportunities while threatening to catch the British line between two rows of battleships.(Because I'm positively allergic to having ships go out of command, each Spanish ship maintained the same facing.) Every gun that would bear was shot off, but the Spaniards were clearly getting the worst of the exchanges. And so far neither side had engaged their heaviest ships...things looked to get even uglier shortly. 

By this time both San Agustin and San Antonio had hurt enough that they had flipped to the damaged side, and San Antonio had almost run out of hit points - she was vulnerable to striking her colors, but rolled well enough that didn't happen. The most injured British ship, Renown, had only lost one Rate but remained on her full strength side. 

 TURN 4

And as these fights often do, things descended into a furball. Again the RN went first, and as each of the three ships in Warren's command activated they moved to attack the most advantageous target. Almost every ship fired both broadsides at ranges from 1- 3, dealing out progressively catastrophic damage to the Spanish van - that was clearly cut off before the remainder of the fleet could be brought to bear. The Spanish did remain in command, but little else went right for them. As the Turn 4 sequence of play wound down, San Agustin struck her colors...and then the Spanish fleet failed it's Break Check, rolling a zero and bringing the scenario to a sudden, decisive end.


Ending position:

A few closing thoughts. First, I have to admit that the standard El Ferrol scenario may not be as hopelessly imbalanced as I'd thought...because although this mod was technically balanced it sure didn't play that way! 

Command plays a huge role, with the Spanish having a hard time bringing everything into play. Having only one admiral reduces flexibility while the RN can split their squadrons to hit different targets. I think I'm going to try the scenario again as written...maybe I've learned the game enough that the RN can pull it off despite all those Spanish first rates!