Black Seas

Black Seas, Profiles

Enemy Vessels Sighted: The Rating System

Enemy Vessels Sighted: The Rating System

Britain’s Royal Navy introduced a system of rating the ships of its fleet based on the number of guns they carried. This rating system takes its name from the capability of ships to stand in a line of battle (Ship-of-the-Line). Initially introduced by Samuel Pepys in 1677, the rating system underwent numerous revisions until the…

Black Seas, Profiles, Resources

Black Seas: The Battle of Trafalgar

Black Seas: The Battle of Trafalgar

The 21st October marks the anniversary of the greatest naval battle in military history. We take a look at the celebrated battle, and look at replicating the game using the Black Seas rules system! After pursuing the Admiral in charge of the Franco–Spanish Fleet, Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, to the Caribbean and back, Admirals Lord Nelson and…

Black Seas, Resources

Painting Vessels from the Age of Sail

Painting Vessels from the Age of Sail

In the Carronade Era, there wasn’t a clearly defined painting scheme consistently used by specific nations, but rather a fairly limited pallet of colours that could be used in various combinations by each Captain. Captains of Unrated Vessels and most Frigates could paint their ships in a variety of colours like all white, all yellow…