The Full Nelson

Game of Napoleonic Naval warfare. 

Using The Full Nelson in 1/1200.

First game - learning, with a prerelease set of the rules as Jeremy is a TFL play tester.

Organized, using terrain and models by Chris Caves and umpired by Jeremy Dowd.

AAR by David Maltman.

Players
British                    : David Taylor, Ian Anderson, Jeremy Nixon, David Maltman.
French & Spanish : Andy Smyth , Chris Caves, David Pentland. 

Order of Battle

Ships : Name ( Number of Guns )

British                                        French & Spanish
Britania ( 100 )                          Principe de Asturias ( 112 )
Dreadnought  ( 98 )                  Santa Ana ( 110 )
Bellaratron ( 74 )                       Neptuno ( 80 )
Defiance ( 74 )                          Formidable ( 80 )
Collusus  ( 74 )                         Swiftsure ( 74 )
Thunderer ( 74 )                       Fougeux ( 74 )

Pre-game

The belligerents assemble and scope out the battle field. Not a lot of features on this part of the deep blue briny.

The mighty Royal Navy squadron and their Ships panel cards for stats and tracking damage.

( Editorial comment - At this point I should declare that I was Captaining one of the British ships, Dreadnought, so I may be slightly biased. I also need to point out that I had not got my method of ship identification worked out well in the earlier stages of the battle, especially for the Spanish & French fleet. At 63 it's not that easy identifying tiny labels at 5 feet, or 2 feet to be honest, must get new glasses. It gets better later on as I work out which ship corresponds to which activation card, though as 4 of the British ships stayed in formation it was not that much easier, thanks to Captain Nixon for keeping me straightish ).

The cowardly Spanish & French ( Sprogs ? ) squadron and their Ships panel cards, cowering off table.

This map shows the overall movements of the fleets over the coming moves.

British go first. The Full Nelson is card driven, like Sharpe practice, but if a fleet is in formation then their individual cards are not in the pack, but a flag card is in place. When a flag card gets drawn all the ships in the formation activate.

Coming on in line ahead from bottom right corner.

Admirals ships, Britania and Defiance, get on the table.

French & Spanish arrive at the top right corner.

The squadrons fill in on line ahead.

Fleets within 24" so squadron movement.

British have 4 ships on, French & Spanish have 3.

Into battle mode. The French are breaking formation.

British last 2 ships break Formation, rest stay in formation.

British lead ship moves forward and fires a broadside at long range, 5/6 to hit scores 4 hits.

French save 1, so 3 hits and take a disorder in each of the 3 areas : leadership, sailing and gunnery.

French bring on another ship and turn last 3 ships towards the 2 British tail end ships.

Second British ship moves forward and turns 45 degrees. 

Fires and scores 2 hits but Sprogs save both.

French move second ship forward and  broadside getting one hit on British flagship Britania.

Bellaratron moves.

Dreadnought Moves 12" towards French on lower right end.

Collusus follows Bellaratron to take a parallel track.

French last ship comes on

Another ship fires at Britania and 1 hit, leadership disorder.

Britania recovers the leadership but has no gunnery so moves out  of the way.

Collusus moves11" ahead. 

Neptuno moves forward, turns 30 deg, moves forward 6."

Defiance turns, moves and turns back, Then does a smashing broadside at long range all misses.

Formidable carefully threads his way through his colleagues. 

Dreadnought moves forward a shortish distance.

Santa Ana Moves closer to Dreadnought and fires a broadside with no effect.

Bellaratron & Thunderer in formation move forward.

Swiftsure moves forward.

Principe de Asturias Moves forward and broadsides Britania gets 1 hit on gunnery.

Santa Ana moves forward to plug the gap. 

Fougeux moves forward.

Formidable moves forward.

Britania Removes gunnery disorder. Fires broadside, No hits.

Defiance Moves forward and broadside. No hits.

Bellaratron MF and broadside long range. 2 hits.

Thunderer moves forward and turns, broadside long range 2 hits, gunnery and sails.

Collusus moves forward and 45 degrees turn. Fires a smashing broadside, 1 hit on sails disorder.

Dreadnought moves forward and 45 degrees left. Smashing broadside 2 gunner and 1 sail hit.

Britania moves forward and 45 turn to get near to lead French ship 2 hits sails and gunnery disorder.

Neptuno moves forward. Smashing broadside on Bellaratron,  2 hits, 1 gunnery 1 sails.

Defiance fires Smashing broadside, 1 hit on Neptuno 1 gunnery.

Bellaratron removes disorder from sails fires broadside 3 hits leadership , gunnery, sails.

Santa Ana short move, broadside and hits on 3. 2 guns 1 sails.

Principe de Asturias moves forward, broadside at short range on Britania. 4 hits, gunnery and 3 sails losing a sail dice and a critical hit.

Thunderer moves 2" forward, 45 to left broadside at long range on second French ship, 1 hit on sails, French ship loses a spar sail dice.

Collusus moves forward, 45 to left fire on second French ship a smashing broadside, 2 his , gunnery and sails, gunnery is critical loses 1 gunnery dice.

Formidable Just an advance fires to right but misfire. No hits.

Fougeux  moves 5".

Dreadnought moves and turns 45 degrees left broadside med , 2 hits , 2 sails and they lose a sailing dice.

Britania clears his sails fire broadside 2 hits, sails and gunnery. Reloads.

Formidable moves behind Dreadnought.

Neptuno broadside on Bellaratron , 4 hits 2 guns 1 Sals, slaughter house ( guns exploded ).

Defiance Fires smashing broadside on Neptuno 3 hits 1 Leadership & 2 gunnery.

Santa Ana Turns 45 left and fires a smashing broadside and gets 1 hit on Neptuno.  It loses a leadership dice. Critical hit Captain killed.

Fougeux fires at Bellaratron 1 hit gunnery.

Collusus fires at Principe de Asturias, 3 hits on sails, loses a sail dice. Turn 45 left and scarpers into middle of mat.

Collusus moves 6" and fires a smashing broadside at Neptuno got a gunnery hit. 

Collusus fire at Neptuno gets a gunnery hit. The Flag is struck.

Santa Ana Moves forward and fires broadside, 1 hit on Defiance, sails.

Britania fires on Santa Ana hits sails , mast gone

Swiftsure fires on Dreadnought no hits.

Defiance broadside 2 hits 2 gunnery.

Bellaratron recovers a gun disorder.

Fougeux Fires on Dreadnought but get no hits.

Formidable Fires on Dreadnought and get 1 leadership.

Principe de Asturias fires on Britania gets 3 hits and the critical sets it on fire.

Game ended, with the British slightly ahead.

To complete the rules tryout, Admiral Taylor called Westminster abbey ( reporting to Parliament that a victory occurred ) but only got 8 points more than the French, which is not enough. Admiral was disgraced for declaring victory. 

             

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Photos curtesy of the Editor.