Xebec & Galleys Sail The Waves Of Warlord’s Black Seas
May 17, 2021 by brennon
Warlord Games has now put up pre-orders for a few new Black Seas ships. The main focus is on a set of Xebec and Galleys for you to use during your games set in the Mediterranean.
Large Xebec // Black Seas
There are two sets for you to check out which feature the Xebec. You can either run this large version of the Xebec as seen here or a Squadron of them that are fit to roam the seas looking for prey!
Xebec Squadron // Black Seas
Often used by the Barbary Corsairs and Algerian Berbers, these ships were some of the smaller frigates of the period and carried fewer guns too. However, their small size allowed them to be quicker than their larger foes and they could benefit from manoeuvrability and speed in the water.
These ships were perfect for those involved in the practice of piracy and although they were nippy, they could get tossed around by rough weather and high seas. It also wouldn't take much to plug a hole in one and sink it! One familiar action that involved a Xebec would be the fight between the British Sloop, Speedy and the Spanish Xebec, El Gamo. This clash was enough to inspire many a piece of naval fiction including Patrick O'Brian's Master And Commander.
Bring Forth The Galleys
If a Xebec is not for you then you can also check out a couple of new Galleys. There is the Large Galley here and a pack of four Galleys if you would prefer a bunch of them.
Large Galley // Black Seas
Galleys // Black Seas
Whilst Galleys had pretty much gone out of fashion by the Age Of Sail that you know from Black Seas, they were still used. The benefit of the Galley is that it can be moved when the wind is not in its favour, allowing you to turn your fore guns towards the enemy. It does however have to take time to switch between oars and sails making it a very specialised option for a fleet.
The last recorded use of a Galley was at Matapan in 1717. However, these ships did see a resurgence later on in the 18th Century during the battles between Russian, Sweden and Denmark. Who would have thought it?
Are you tempted by these new ships for Black Seas?
"Are you tempted by these new ships for Black Seas?"
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Great looking ships that are again hitting my nostalgia button for Man O War
They could work well as middle earth pirate vessels.
Oooooooh, very cool, an Ottoman fleet maybe? As for the galleys, as you say, they were used in the Baltic for a good long while. Much calmer waters, you’re not dependent on the wind, you can row upriver (to some extent). Much greater maneuverability is also really handy if you can quickly nip out the way or around the sides to deliver some well aimed cannon fire.