Of Wind and Water - Revisiting the Age of Sail

The rule book and supplement that includes rules for using Xebecs and Galleys and a whole host of other stuff besides.

I was rather taken with the idea of Warlord Games age of sail game Black Seas when it was released and even acquired a few bits and pieces for it but for a variety of reasons it never really got going - a fact of which was probably due to timing as I was then knee deep in MDF ironclads and similar!

I am keen to revisit the period at some point but had always planned to eventually scratch build the models - I had perfected the construction technique with the ACW frigates and sloops - although this project was some way down the batting order so to speak.

Anyways, to cut a long story short, I was recently gifted a selection of Black Seas kit - the base game plus extras, including a signed hardback edition of the rules - and so I once again find myself on the horns of a dilemma. Do I pass this on and stick with original plan or do I embrace Warlord Games?

The answer is that is was very nearly the former but I have now settled on the latter - for one small reason.

The Shores of Tripoli? We know a song about that….

Another eminently suitable board game for solo play now in the collection

Xebecs and Galleys and a cracking board game about the First Barbary War (1801 to 1805) fought between the young US Navy and the Barbary Corsairs, followed by the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816 by the Royal Navy, served to fire up the creative juices (the butterfly is highly delighted with this turn of events for sure!) and so a swift trawl through eBay secured some additional models (the aforementioned Xebecs and Galleys) so I now have pretty everything I need to have a crack at this rather different Napoleonic era naval war. It also has the advantage of being relatively small scale which is just as well given that rigging will be involved!

The Shores of Tripoli refers to the involvement of the US Marines in the conflict and the line appears in the famous Marine Hymn.

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.