Every Gamer's Secret Fantasy...a Fleet in Being!
Wow, pushing an entire year of not posting anything here. Where did the time go?? Lots of other gaming and plenty of real life. Still, no excuse not to do something on at least a monthly basis. Must work on that!
Recently got a promo email from The Wartimes Journal, a site, sculptor and gamer I respect and enjoy. All the remaining 1/3000 pewter pre-dread ships are on sale for half off! I decided to check it out and see what I thought.
Altho the new plastic ones are just the best, there is place in my life for little, durable fleets of simple metal ships, especially since much of my wargaming is now fast-play and on smaller tables. This also dovetails with my interest in the Great War at Sea series whose quick-play ship battle rules, maps and campaign system are all a tempting product for that which I adore - fleet actions and campaigns!
STILL, one has to seriously consider any purchase to see if there's any point to it at all. I have kicked around semi-fictitious naval actions in various locales and periods, and I decided on Mediterranean Squadron actions, pre-1900, as a good project. Reasons?
- British v. French rivalry, with Italians, Austrians, Turks and Spanish floating around, too.
- possible gaming of Russians forcing their fleet in Med via Black Sea, Gibraltar, or in the Suez Canal Zone as a by-product of Turkish or Japanese conflicts.
- one gamer pal has full Russian and Japanese fleets to fight with.
- multiple ship styles, national characteristics, etc.
- cool looking ships [well, odd-looking ships] with lots of different paint schemes and characteristics.
- fast-play rules design opportunity.
- Fiction = FUN! No one can tell you it ain't so.
- already have GWaS maps and rules, plus a couple of alternatives.
- squadron approach means painting up 4-8 ships at a time, easy-peasy!
So overall, this just ended up being too good to pass up. I figure I can always sell them, even at a profit, in the future.
Qty Name SKU Each Sub Total
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2 Etna WTJ-0088214 $1.37 $2.74
1 Dogali WTJ-0088213 $1.63 $1.63
1 Calabria WTJ-0088210 $1.63 $1.63
2 Lepanto WTJ-0088106 $2.13 $4.26
2 Italia WTJ-0088105 $2.13 $4.26
[Italians = 4 BB, 4 cruisers]
1 Bouvet WTJ-0066103 $2.13 $2.13
1 Carnot WTJ-0066105 $2.13 $2.13
1 Brennus WTJ-0066106 $2.13 $2.13
2 Jemmapes WTJ-0066122 $1.63 $3.26
1 Foudre WTJ-0066701 $1.37 $1.37
2 Dupleix WTJ-0066204 $1.87 $3.74
1 Dentrecasteaux WTJ-0066210 $1.87 $1.87
[French = 5 BB, 3 cruisers, 1 support vessel]
1 Monarch WTJ-0078102 $1.63 $1.63
[Austrians = 1 BB]
1 Pelayo WTJ-0033101 $1.87 $1.87
3 Cristobal Colon WTJ-0033204 $1.63 $4.89
[Spanish = 1 BB, 3 cruisers [can also be Italian]]
1 Benbow WTJ-0055106 $2.13 $2.13
1 Sans Pareil WTJ-0055110 $2.13 $2.13
1 Renown WTJ-0055112 $2.13 $2.13
1 Inflexible WTJ-0055117 $2.13 $2.13
1 Dreadnought WTJ-0055118 $2.13 $2.13
1 Polyphemus WTJ-0055702 $1.63 $1.63
1 Vulcan WTJ-0055701 $2.13 $2.13
4 Drake WTJ-0055202 $2.13 $8.52
[British = 5 BB, 4 cruisers, 2 support]
4 Destroyer #11 WTJ-0100411-30 $1.25 $5.00
1/3000 Scale 1.25
4 Destroyer #13 WTJ-0100413-30 $1.25 $5.00
1/3000 Scale 1.25
4 Destroyer #5 WTJ-0100405-30 $1.25 $5.00
1/3000 Scale 1.25
[Anyone = 12 torpedo boat / destroyers]
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Sub Total $ 77.47
Shipping: $ 6.00
Grand Total $ 83.47
TOTAL = 45 SHIPS for $83 or $1.85 a ship average. This is half price for even Resin Panzerschiffe ships [which are 1/2400 so a bit larger - still, a great price].
This comes to 11 squadrons of 4 ships, plenty of maneuver elements for several players.
Cool colors, cool ships! The pre-dread has it all for someone who wants "different".
