Black Sails: The Age of Sail 3rd Rates Squadron

Warlord Games

Black Seas - 3rd Rates Squadron (1770 - 1830) - Warlord Games\nThe great fleet actions of the Age of Sail were characterised by the line of battle - stately men \u2018o war, ships with a crew of many hundreds and able to throw a thousand pounds of metal in a single broadside. At the heart of the line of battle were the ships known by the Royal Navy classification of \u201C3rd rates\u201D - ships that carried between 64 and 80 cannons in two gun decks. The most common was the 74, as it was held to have the best balance of firepower and manoeuvrability and was at the heart of all the great battles of the age. The great three decker HMS Victory was the most famous ship at Trafalgar but the core of Nelson\u2019s line of battle were these 3rd Rates - including sixteen ships of 74 guns, one 80 gun ship and two of the smaller 64s. Similarly, two-thirds of the Franco-Spanish fleet were 74s. Not only did these ships fight in the line of battle, they were often dispatched on cruising missions y