Back in a post here on 3rd March 2009 I wrote about a French 74 SOL I had completed using Skytrex metal ships. Since then WarlordGames has come out with their range of plastic ships which are a great deal cheaper. Here are three plastics from their range (specifically the box of three British 3rd raters) which I have painted ready to be based.
These ships are great and a good deal easier to put together than the Skytrex (now Meridian) ones, available here
https://navymodelsandbooks.co.uk/product-category/meridian-1700-scale-trafalgar-ships/
A squadron of three ships from Meridian costs £74. The same squadron of three ships from WLG costs 39 euros (their website sells to me in euros) or about £33.
The WLG ones come in plastic with some extra metal bits for variety. Ratlines are in acetate which looks best varnished when the model is finished and are, I think, easier to use than etched brass ratlines that Meridian supply.
I have done as much rigging as I plan to do – just sufficient to my eye to be representational rather than an accurate reproduction.
For rules I plan to use “Fire as She Bears II” from the guys over at Little Wars TV. What I like about their rules is the basing on octagonal bases making movement easy. They have used Langton ships so, as these are 1:700, I will need to double the size of the octagon bases. Mine, when they arrive, will be 6” wide. Have a look at this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-wb3Akqqz4&list=PLEWca2QgjqPQalf1KbZjkCaMoI8HTg8Pr&index=15
I started my wargaming with Wooden Ships and Iron Men using Airfix plastic ships of the line.
