Galleon Ship Overview
The Galleon model is the second single-ship expansion to the game of Oak & Iron. It comes with a single miniature, the standard set of ship tokens, and two stat cards. The first stat card is the stats for a standard Galleon. The second card is based on the historical ship the San José. This article is a review of the standard Galleon’s stats and some suggestions for using the ship in the game.
Oak & Iron Galleon Model Review
This miniature is the second model released from Firelock Games that uses the SiOCAST method for producing the models. SiOCAST is a special thermoplastic casting process. The detail level of the minis is top notch and the quality of details is exponentially better than the standard injection mold plastic models of the original boxed sets. If you have not seen it yet, this article has my thoughts and detailed pics of the SiOCAST minis.
Unfortunately, at the time of this mini’s release by Firelock Games, I didn’t have a pre-release copy of the mini in hand to provide a more accurate review of the mini. I’ll update this article when we get one.
Galleon Historical Background
available from Firelock Games
Galleons were developed in 1530 as an evolution of the caravel and carrack designs They didn’t have a standard design but featured a lower superstructure to make them more maneuverable in heavy seas. It features a beaklike prow pushing the forecastle back from the prow. Adaping the smooth caravel hull it ends in a flat stern.
With 4 masts, the front 3 typically feature square sails, while the rear mizzenmast has one or two square sails and a lateen sail. Despite its massive size, galleons can sail at speeds up to eight knots (9.2 mph) in optimum wind and sea conditions.
As Spain’s colonial empire grew, the galleon design became integral to the Manila-Acapulco Trade route, linking Asia and the Americas. Each year, fleets of galleons would traverse the Pacific Ocean, transporting silver, silk, spices, and porcelain between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico. Transporting goods overland the ships sail for Europe enriching Spain’s coffers.
With their impressive size and firepower, Spanish galleons served as the backbone of Spain’s global trade and empire well into the 18th century. The legacy of the Spanish galleon remains a testament to Spain’s maritime prowess and its significant impact on the shaping of the modern world.
Close-up Photos of the Galleon Model
Here is a collection of photos that feature the new Oak & Iron Galleon miniature from multiple angles. You can click any image to view a larger close-up.
Galleon Ship Stat Card
Galleon Ship Analysis
| Attribute | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | 33% | ||||
| Speed | 33% | ||||
| Durability | 100% | ||||
| Firepower | 85.71% | ||||
| Brawling | 83% |
Galleon Ship Overview & Tactics
The Galleon is now the largest non-Ship of the Line in the game of Oak & Iron. This allows the ship to be fielded by any nation, including the Pirates. Prior to its release, the largest ship the Pirates could field was a 5th Rate frigate or the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Previously, the pirates needed to use a larger # of ships to swarm and overwhelm the heavier military vessels of the other nations.
When fully upgraded offensively, it can rival a 3rd Rate or 2nd Rate. Additional Guns (+2pts) ups it a 10 dice Broadside and Heavy Guns (+9pts) gives the game-changing Weight of Fire special ability. Both upgrades give this ship massive firepower at the low price of only 42pts. The 3rd Rate can take Additional Guns for a 10 dice Broadside for 39 pts but lacks a Fortitude 4. For 3 points the Galleon is the better option.
There are some …um… let’s call them “balancing issues” with the Galleon. With its current stats, you can upgrade a Galleon to have the EXACT same stats as a 2nd-Rate. Except it only costs you 42 points instead of the 55-Point base 2nd Rate ship. That’s a 24% savings on a standard 2nd Rate with literally ZERO difference in capabilities. From a pure gameplay perspective, the only reason to take a 2nd Rate is if you want to add upgrades to increase its base speed with Swift or add Additional Guns to get to an 11 Die Broadside. However, that means you’ll have to pay 13 pts more, plus the cost of those upgrades.
I expect there will be errata for the ship card released Soon™. But in the meantime, put this ship in your force every chance you can, because it’s a monster.
Upgraded Galleon
| Attribute | Points |
|---|---|
| Galleon (base ship) | 31 |
| Additional Guns | 2 |
| Heavy Guns | 9 |
| TOTAL: | 42 |
A Fortitude of 4 makes the Galleon one of only 3 ships in the game with that hull durability. Combining its Fortitude with Very High Freeboard, this ship is all but immune to attacks from the Sloop, Corvette, or Brigantine. They have to score a perfect attack roll AND get 1 or more Critical Hits, to do even 1 Damage to this Goliath.
Unfortunately, its heavy armament and sturdy hull come with the negatives of being extremely slow and lumbering. With a base Windward value of 1 and Sailing Large of 2, it is tied for the slowest ship in the game. Unfortunately, it lacks the option to take Swift like the 2nd & 1st Rates, so you can’t upgrade its base speed. The ship can take Weatherly to upgrade its Windward to 2, but that keeps it in the bottom tier of ships in terms of speed.
Force building
In a 50-point Patrol level game, this ship leaves you with 19 pts for at least 1 other ship plus any Admirals or upgrades. The requirement for a Patrol level game is a force with 2-4 ships, so you HAVE to take AT LEAST 1 other ship. But if you only add a single, second ship, you are at serious risk of losing the game by Strike Points if they go after the smaller escort ship. If the Enemy puts your other small ship Out of Action, you gain 2 Strike points. Since you will be left with only the galleon you will have more Strike Points than ships and you will be forced to retreat. If you wanted to try the Galleon in a 50-point game, I would definitely play keep away with whatever escort you take.
In a 100 or even 200-point game, this ship is an EXCELLENT choice for your flagship. Statistically, it has the best Durability in the game.
Its defensive capability makes it a force to be reckoned with. If it’s a knock-down drag-out fight, this ship is a definite go-to. However, it is extremely slow and if you find yourself windward you will struggle to complete objectives requiring speed. It is best paired with escort ships or at least 1-2 faster ships that are capable of completing any Scenario objectives.
Ship Upgrades
- Weatherly – For 2 Points this is definitely a great option as this ship has only a Move 1 when windward.
- Additional Guns – At only 2 points, this upgrade is hard to not want to take, especially if you also take Heavy Guns.
- Heavy Guns – This is an EXTREMELY powerful upgrade, especially for the point value. When you close on an enemy and fire within Musket range it reduces the enemy’s Fortitude by 1. This ability takes this ship from a merchant vessel to a full-blown warship. It allows you to “crack” the hull of almost every ship in the game.
- Stout – For me, unless you are playing in a 200-point game this is a questionable upgrade to consider. A Fortitude 4 is sufficient to keep your ship going strong. You are more prone to be rendered ineffective from Fatigue or being captured by being boarded than suffer the effects of 7+ Damage.
- Additional Crew – Fatigue is where this ship will struggle over the course of the game. Very High Freeboard is an excellent ability, but it is slightly weaker than a 4 Fortitude, meaning you will take Fatigue faster than Damage. Therefore if you are deciding to upgrade the Additional Crew or take Stout, Additional Crew is the better option.
Ship Upgrade Card Suggestions
- A single-use Efficient Loader card is almost a MUST HAVE, especially if you take the Heavy Guns upgrade. When timed with a Rolling Broadsides or Fire as She Bears initiative card this will give you the option of firing 2 Broadsides in a single round allowing you to obliterate almost any small ship.
- This ship is slow and therefore more susceptible to being boarded. Therefore, the Boarding Defenses card is an excellent option. When attacked in Close Combat, this is a one-time use card that reduces the number of Attack dice by half.
- Fatigue is extremely important on this ship to keep firing the big guns. As such, a Skilled Surgeon upgrade is a solid option to remove 1 Fatigue.
- If you don’t put your Admiral on this ship, a Bold Captain gives you the ability to gamble on your Fatigue to go for Critical Hits. Or if you took Skill 2, you could push for a Skill 3 with a Brilliant Captain and play it safer as that will give you 3 re-rolls without the risk of taking Fatigue..
- If you aren’t going to take upgrades to this ship, you might consider taking Foul. This ability prevents a ship from increasing its Speed Rating beyond its printed values for any reason. Since you aren’t likely to ever go faster without wind effects anyway, it’s a free -1.
Initiative Card Suggestions
- If you take the Heavy Guns upgrade, Fast Loader is a no-brainer. At a key point in the game, you can use this to get a free Reload. This frees you up to use your Crew Action to Repair or Rally.
- Taking at least one of Rolling Broadsides or Fire as She Bears and pairing it with an Efficient Loader upgrade is a deadly combo. These cards let you fire in the movement phase, inflicting Fatigue and Damage out of the standard order of events. A well-timed reload from Efficient Loader can allow you to shoot an enemy twice with a very powerful shot.
- Since you are slow and plodding Favorable Wind gives you a +1 speed if you have the wind at your back.
- Because this ship is so slow cards like Adjust Position or Fleet Maneuver can be helpful to get your ship in position or avoid fire.
Fighting Against the Galleon
This ship is tied as the slowest ship in the game. If your opponent didn’t upgrade it, that sluggishness gives you the opportunity to use speed and maneuverability to your advantage. Using that speed allows you to sail in ways that can avoid incoming Broadside.
If the ship has the Heavy Guns upgrade, you have two primary options, close on it quickly and board or try to stay at Cannon range and duel while avoiding the Weight of Fire special ability. The problem is that at long range, it is extremely difficult to overcome a Fortitude of 4 unless you are fielding your own Galleons or multiple Ships of the Line.
As with any heavy ship with a high Fortitude, a Rake allows you to inflict Fatigue more quickly. And if you can get a rear rake, its Fortitude is reduced to 1 and completely nullifies Very High Freeboard ability. Your best bet for getting a rake is to use multiple ships and attack from opposite sides forcing the big ship to pick one target or the other and exposing its rear.
Ships with a 4 cannon Broadside are all but useless in a ranged combat fight as all 4 dice have to score hits to do even a single-point of damage. You’ll want to take something at the Light Galleon or 6th Rate size or larger if you want to get into a cannon duel with this ship.
Staying in Formation will be crucial to get you 1 extra Atack dice. Taking a Dispatch Ship is also a good option to give your ships the benefits of Formation.
Deployment
During the game setup phase, taking terrain helps clutter the board with obstacles. Because this ship is slow to move and turn it will struggle to avoid rocks, islands, and shoals. If you have faster ships you can use the terrain to your advantage to close on and possibly get Raking shots in against the behemoth.
This ship has a Windward speed of 1 by default. If you can select deployment locations that put your opponent in a position to have to sail upwind to close they will be at a severe disadvantage.
Boarding
If you are bold, your best option is to try to board the ship and fight hand-to-hand taking away the ship’s high Fortitude and Very High Freeboard benefits. Check out this article for tips on Advanced Strategy Guide: “How to Board Ships of the Line”.
Fire Ships
When outgunned by larger ships, one option is to use a Fire Ship. Even if you don’t succeed at hitting the target, it serves as a distraction and draws the fire from the bigger ship for a round or two while the rest of your ships close in. For tips on using check out our article: Fire Ships: Ultimate Guide & Top Strategies for Oak & Iron.
Galleon Analysis Summary
Pros
- Fortitude 4 and Very High Freeboard offer this ship extreme durability for a low point cost.
- High base Firepower and Brawling ability.
- Heavy Guns grants you access to the powerful Weight of Fire special ability.
- This large-scale ship is available to the Pirates faction, which cannot take Ships of the Line.
Cons
- Slower than pond water and can’t upgrade beyond a 2 Sailing Large speed.
- Windward of 1.
Painted Galleon Ship Gallery
The following is a collection of images of a galleon painted by Joseph Forster of bloodandpigment.com,
Working with the SiOCAST Galleon Miniature
The Galleon is the second SiOCAST miniature released for Oak & Iron. SiOCAST is a new and impressive technology, capable of producing extremely detailed miniatures is a very short amount of time. Unfortunately, SiOCAST is not without its faults. Similar to metal miniatures it has a two-part mold-making process that can lead to flashing and mold lines at the point where the two sides of the molds meet.
As much as I LOVE the detail of the mini, and as big of a fan as I am of Firelock Games, I have to be upfront in my assessment. This model is NOT playable out of the box. It will require some “hobbying” and cleanup to get it on the gaming table. Here are a few items from my experience.
Ship Base Pegs have to be trimmed vertically
The pegs on the miniature do not line up with the base out of the box. You’ll have to trim one of the two pegs. This is hard to get a good photo, but hopefully you can see the issue.
Be careful, SiOCAST has some strange properties in it that react to x-acto blades and pressure differently. I was using a brand new blade (literally changed for this model) and when I went to cut the peg I tried to push the blade through the peg in a solid cut like I would with other plastic minis. Instead of “cutting” it snapped almost instantly.
On the second mini, I learned from my mistake and instead of going for one quick cut I did more of a “shaving” process to trim the peg down in baby steps.
Alternatively, if you don’t care, you can cut one or both pegs and just glue the mini directly to the base and be done with it.
The Mast Holes Need to be Drilled
The decks of both of my minis were completely unusable out of the box. Both the center and bowsprit mast holes were partially filled in, to the point that the masts CANNOT be put into the mini (sad face). I used a 7/16″ drill bit to drill out the holes.
Again SiOCAST has some oddities in the consistency in the materials. It almost feels like the density of the material is inconsistent and there are pockets of soft and hard. In one mini I hit a “pocket” of weak material and the drill bit instantly slipped sideways in a soft spot and instantly tore a “chunk” of material from the hull. This damaged the mini to the point the mast wouldn’t stand straight. I had to glue it in place. Thankfully, the square bit at the base covered the majority of the damage.
SOLUTION: Use a Pin Vise to manually hand drill out the spots. If you don’t have or want to buy a Pin Vise, and only have a power drill, manually use the drill bit by hand to help lock the drill bit in a good angle to start the process. Set your drill to the slowest speed possible and squeeze the trigger gently to avoid damage.
Cleaning up the Sails’ Flashing
The sails have a minor bit of flashing. This doesn’t affect gameplay, but just something that is different than the previous plastic minis. The easiest way to do this is from the back.
Cleaning up the Galleon Mini Hull Flashing
The rear of the ship is one area that needs flashing to be cleaned up. There is some flashing on the sides that may need to be cleaned up, one of mine was flawless, and the other had a couple of minor bits to clean.
Additional Content Suggestions
- Get more info on the alternate Galleon stat car for the the historical ship San José
- Read our Advanced Strategy Guide: “How to Board Ships of the Line”
Product Referral Links
The new Galleon is available directly from Firelock Games for $18 per model. Get yours now!
p.s. If you order through these links we get a small commission which helps encourage the creation of more great content.
Additional Info Resources
“Spanish Galleon 1530–1690 (New Vanguard) by Osprey Publishing”
This is another good book in the Osprey series with solid illustrations and artwork, cutaway scenes, and photographs.
Book Description: “During the middle decade of the 16th century a new type of sailing vessel emerged, designed to carry the wealth of the Americas to Spain. This was the galleon, and over the next century, these vessels would serve Spain well as treasure ships and warships, becoming a symbol of Spanish power and wealth during the period. The development and construction of the Spanish galleon are discussed in this book, and the ordnance and crewing needed to produce and maintain these stately vessels are covered. The author also examines the role of the galleon as a treasure ship, and describes how these ships were manned and fought in action.” You can get a copy of the Spanish Galleon book on Amazon here.