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.