Fireships (You scurvy dogs!)

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:21 pm

Alright we have had flaming arrows, shooting from high ground and all manner of variations on these themes. Now, I have not got the new rulebook (still waiting on an order coming through from BGBM) so I have NO IDEA whether the rules for ships made it in there in any shape or form. But, if we are using something akin to what has been on the GW site and in White Dwarf (forgot the issue numbers), would it also be possible to have fireships?

Fireships have been used from ancient times: sea battles in the Mediterranean often had a few scorchers thrown in for good measure, well, basically everyone's boats were made of wood, with plenty of tar and cloth so they were fairly easy to ignite. Later variations on the tactic were used against the Spanish Armada.

Aragorn, as Thorongil, raided Umbar. Fireships are an effective way of destroying enemy ships where they are numerous and in confined waters, e.g., at anchor. Could you see this as a possible tactic that he might have used, given that the raiders would have been outnumbered and so would not have been capable of taking on the Caorsir fleet in a straight fight.

Thought I would run the concept out and seek input from yourselves. Thanks in advance for any contributions and ideas or constructive criticism. (Ha-ha-harrr, talk like a Pirate Sept 19th 2005).

volestranger · **Joined:** Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:41 pm **Posts:** 1

Shiver me timbers, I like this idea!

No idea how you could work it into the rules but I like the idea. Seems reasonable that Aragorn could have used such a tactic against the Corsairs of Umbar.

Have you thought of how it would all work in the game? I wonder how many fireships were effective and how many were wasted in real battles?

Must go and read up about these early flamethrowers in the Med, too. Sounds intriguing. I take it it was more than just lots of flaming arrows?

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:05 pm

Oil reservoir and hand powered pumps - experimental archaelogists built one based on paintings and drawings from the time and tried it out. It worked. Basically a flamethrower in the bows, pintle mounted, with metal sheathing to protect the woodwork of the ship itself.

Fireships (You scurvy dogs!)

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