Galley Frigate: Ultimate Oak & Iron Ship Guide

Historical Background

The term “frigate” originated in the late 15th century in the Mediterranean, describing a lighter galley-type warship with oars, sails, and light armament designed for speed and maneuverability. Its etymology is uncertain, but it may have come from the Latin word “aphractus,” meaning an open vessel with no lower deck. During the Eighty Years’ War, the Dunkirkers, privateers based in the southern Netherlands, developed small, maneuverable sailing vessels referred to as frigates. The success of these ships influenced naval design in other fleets among multiple nations.

The Dutch Republic became the first navy to build larger ocean-going frigates, using them for tasks such as protecting merchant ships, blockading ports, and engaging the Spanish fleet. These frigates, with around 40 guns and a weight of approximately 300 tons, proved effective, particularly in the Battle of the Downs in 1639. Other navies, including the English, adopted similar designs.

In the 1650s, the Commonwealth of England built fleets consisting mainly of ships described as “frigates,” some of which were two-decker “great frigates” with 60 guns (later 5th rates). Most frigates of the time, however, were used as independent fast ships or “cruisers.” The term “frigate” began to be associated with any vessel with a long hull design emphasizing speed and broadside warfare tactics.

The Rise of the Galley Frigate

Ironically, over time, the frigate design that had evolved to focus on speed with sails reversed its progress. As coastal patrol vehicles, they began reintroducing oars into the design. This led to the development of the classification of ships as “galley frigates,” exemplified by the HMS Charles Galley of 1676.

The British Royal Navy’s rating system typically classified frigates in the 17th century as a fast, maneuverable, lightly built warship. They usually were built with 1 or 2 gun decks with around 20–40 guns. They were built for speed and scouting, rather than ship-of-the-line combat.

Design and Function of the Galley Frigate

The lower deck of the ship features a series of oars known as sweeps that can be rowed by two or three men on each side of the vessel.

• The primary advantage is that this ship can move without wind, which is huge in scenarios where the wind dies (or is against you).
• Being able to supplement turning via the rudder with the oars offers precision movement in coastal/riverine terrain. It also allows the ship to avoid rocks or dangerous waters, shallows, or shoals.
• Allows you to chase down or outmaneuver smaller vessels in tight spaces.

The Adventure Galley

One of the most famous Galley Frigates was the Adventure Galley (aka Adventure), captained by Scottish sea captain William Kidd. An English merchant ship launched in 1695, she was built by combining square-rigged sails with a bevy of retractable oars on the lower deck. The hybrid ship aimed for maneuverability in various conditions. Unfortunately, the Adventure Galley‘s seaworthiness was lacking, and it suffered constantly from a leaky hull, eventually rendering it unseaworthy. Stripped of its guns and valuable parts, the ship was sunk off the northeastern coast of Madagascar (its remains have not been located).

This model comes with an alternate stat card for the Adventure Galley. We’ll show the stat card below, but we have a full review/guide for the unique ship coming soon.

Galley Frigate Model Review

The Galley Frigate is the first Oak & Iron ship to move over to the high-quality resin that is used to produce Firelock Games’ Blood & Plunder miniatures line. This is an EXCELLENT DECISION. The initial move to SioCAST in 2023 led to some quality control issues with the Galleon and HMS Anne minis and was part of the delays in the release of other models. It’s been a long two-year wait, but it has been worth it. I must say this model is exponentially cleaner and crisper than anything produced for the game to date.

There was zero flash on the model. The masts were all perfectly straight out of the box (no need ot bend/fix them). The detail on the stern of the ship is absolutely flawless. The pegs on the bottom of the ship lined up with the base perfectly. All of the mast holes were properly “drilled out”. Not a single gunport or oar port was “globby”. The mini is darn near a perfect recreation of the digital files. There are a few dots at the top of the sails from the support connection points in the original printing, but they clean up easily and are invisible once primed.

Close-up Photos of the Galley Frigate Model

Here is a collection of photos that feature the new Oak & Iron Galley Frigate miniature from multiple angles. You can click any image to view a larger close-up.

Galley Frigate Ship Stat Card

Below is a copy of the front side of the Galley Frigate ship’s stat card and the Adventure Galley. This article focuses on the basic Galley Frigate; the Adventure Galley will be covered in a separate guide very soon.

Galley Frigate Ship Analysis

Ship Abilities

Attribute	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Maneuverability			50%
Speed					95.8%
Durability		28.6%
Firepower		28.6%
Brawling			50%

Galley Frigate Ship Overview & Tactics

At its core, the Galley Frigate (14pts) has the EXACT same stats as the 6th Rate Frigate (13pts) in terms of Movement, Broadside, Crew, etc. The difference is that you gain the Improved Sweeps for a mere 1 pt.

When fully upgraded with Swift and Weatherly, the Galley Frigate is the fastest and among the most maneuverable ships in the game of Oak & Iron. With the wind at your back (Sailing Large), this ship can achieve a sailing speed of 5 every round without a bonus from an Initiative Card or Wind Event. Sailing Large also gives you a free Move 1 action, meaning you are moving a Speed 5 + Speed 1. That speed makes this ship extremely dangerous as a boarding vessel. It can close the gap extremely quickly and be in grapple range very quickly.

Because of its speed, this ship excels at disrupting an enemy’s line-ahead formations. If it isn’t your flagship, you can send it on a solo mission to cut off the front of the enemy line or straight into their midst. Wherever it lands in the enemy formation, it can cause a traffic jam as the ships have to slow down or veer off to avoid a collision. If they veer off, it will likely either disrupt their formation or prevent them from getting the perfect firing angles. It is a fragile ship however, especially when compared to heavy ships of the line, so sending it in the middle is likely to get it Crippled or destroyed. But the risk may be worth it if it allows the rest of your fleet a greater opportunity to close or line up shots.

Improved Sweeps

Improved Sweeps: This ship may spend a crew action to move at Speed 1. This may be done as a free action if the ship’s sail plan is set to Minimal or Anchored or if the ship is sailing Large.

Improved Sweeps is a new ability that currently only exists on this ship. The standard Sweeps ability allows a ship to use the Row Action. The “improved” version of the ability gives the option to take the Row Action for free in certain situations. When sailing large, have a base 3 + 1 for Fast and can use an Action to Adjust Speed for a +1 speed, giving you a full Speed 5 + a Speed 1 from sweeps, making it the fastest ship in the game without having to pay for an upgrade. You can move a maximum of 116mm / 4.56″ toward your opponent.

A standard game board is 36″ and is typically divided into halves for deployment zones. With a good deployment near the edge, putting you near 18″ in, this allows you to be ready to board in 2-3 turns. You can literally reach any spot on the table in less than 4 turns. If your opponent attempts to run, you can ruthlessly hunt down any ship but those upgraded to the max.

Scenario Tactics for Improved Sweeps

While rarely used under typical conditions, Minimal Sail or Anchored Sail settings become crucial during scenarios involving Objective Tokens—especially when deploying Landing Parties, which require the ship to be fully Anchored. Ordinarily, this leaves a vessel vulnerable and stationary. However, with Improved Sweeps, a ship can pull off a “sail-by” raid—approaching the target, setting to Anchored, and still moving at Speed 1 to avoid being a sitting duck.

This tactic becomes even more potent when paired with two specific Ship Upgrade Cards: Troop Transport and Expert Topmen. Together, they enable an efficient and dynamic island assault:

• Step 1: On approach, use your first action to drop to Minimal Sail.
• Step 2: Play Troop Transport to instantly transition to Anchored and deploy the Landing Party as a free action.
• Step 3: If the scenario involves a Raid, use your second action to return the Landing Party and Objective Token to the ship.
• Step 4: Activate Improved Sweeps to keep moving despite being Anchored—essentially gliding past the target.
• Step 5: Use Expert Topmen to shift back from Anchored to Minimal Sail quickly.
• Step 6: In Delivery (or other scenarios) or other scenarios where mobility is essential, use your remaining action (you didn’t have to use in Step 3) to return to Battle Sail, setting up normal movement for the next turn.

This layered maneuver allows you to secure objectives while maintaining momentum and evading retaliation. It’s a sophisticated blend of finesse and aggression, leveraging upgrades for maximum impact… aka power gaming.

Limits of Improved Sweeps

The free Speed 1 Move doesn’t work if you are Windward or In the Wind’s Eye. If you overshoot your opponent or they sail upwind, they can deny you your benefits. But even if they do, you can still take the move with a Crew action. Be careful with the ability that you don’t overshoot or turn into an obstacle.

It is also important to note that the Speed 1 Move does NOT include a turn, so you have to set your course carefully and be careful not t collide with things. The card is unfortunately not super clear, but

Beyond Boarding – Go for the Rake!

Because of its speed and the fact that it’s not a unique ship, you can take multiple in a force. Unlike the smaller Corvette, this vessel maintains a much higher Broadside. It has nearly twice the firepower of the Corvette. When upgraded, this ship can present a significant threat to all but the largest Ships of the Line or Galleon. The model’s speed and maneuverability are what help it shine. Taking two of them and placing them as your lead/rear ships can sow fear/chaos in your enemy’s thoughts. If they try to maintain their formation ,they will be forced to choose one side of your force or the other. Whichever they choose, they will expose the other to a Rake.

“Burn, baby burn!” – Turn the Galley into a Fire Ship

Fire ships are terrifying. They cause chaos and fear the moment they show up on the table. Their presence often steers opponents into reactive—and sometimes irrational—decisions.

The core challenge lies in ensuring the fire ship reaches its target before being neutralized. Most ships with the Sweeps ability require purchased upgrades, which are prohibited when configuring a fire ship. However, the Galley Frigate stands out due to its inherent Improved Sweeps trait—integrated directly into its profile—making it a legal and highly viable fire ship candidate.

Thanks to its innate speed and maneuverability, the Galley Frigate poses a genuine threat. While it cannot take the Swift upgrade, it can maintain Speed 5 through actions and additional bonuses, plus gain an extra Speed 1 movement from Improved Sweeps. Combined with a base Broadside rating of 5, this ship rolls 10 attack dice on a Collision Critical Hit check, offering significant damage potential.

At 14 points, it’s a high-risk investment, but one that’s likely to shift your opponent’s attention toward a single, dangerous target. Alternatively, you could deploy two Corvette fire ships for the same cost to divide the risk—though this would reduce the collision dice pool from 10 to 6.

Either approach you choose promises a dynamic and memorable game. For further insights, check out our Fire Ships: Ultimate Guide & Top Strategies for more tips and suggestions.

Force Building with the Galley Frigate

In a 50-point Patrol level game, this ship is an excellent option for a flagship for the Pirates or with any Admiral that cannot take Ships of the Line. In larger 100 or 200 pt games, this is a solid support ship or one of multiple boarding vessels. Because of its speed, this ship pairs well with Corvettes, 6th Rate Frigates, or 5th Rate Frigates

Core Ship Upgrade Options

Again, the Galley Frigate and 6th Rate Frigate have nearly identical options for the ship upgrades. The only major difference is that the Galley Frigate cannot take the Stout upgrade. I can only guess this is because of the added holes, the oars weakening the substructure of the ship, and/or the desire to make the ship lighter for speed.

• Additional Crew (4pts) – If you use this ship as a boarding vessel, this is always an excellent option. It gives you extra padding in Fatigue and a +1 Attack in Close Combat and Partial Fire.
• Additional Guns (2pts) – At only 2 points, this upgrade is always a solid option. If you are using this ship to board, it may not be a top priority
• Swift (1pt)– At only 1 point, this is a powerful upgrade, especially for a boarding list. Paired with the innate Fast ability, you will be at Speed 5 every move when the wind is at your back.
• Weatherly (2pts) – I am on the fence on this upgrade. In most instances, I don’t think it’s worth the 2 points. The innate speed and bonus of Improved Sweeps should be able to overcome the penalties for Windward. In most games, if you were to add the extra +1 to Windward speed, it’s less than one full turn of movement. I’m not sure if that is worth 2pts.

Ship Upgrade Card Suggestions

As this ship typically serves as a boarding vessel, the following are solid options:

• A single-use Skilled Surgeon card is an excellent option for a ship focused on boarding, as it can remove 1 Fatigue. allowing you a better chance to board and do damage in close combat.
• Additional Crew  (4pts) – It gives your ship +3 Fatigue points and gives you a +1 Die to all Close Combat actions. If you are playing in a smaller game of 50 pts, this is a decent option to keep the ship in the fight. In a larger game, it may be better to put the 4 pts toward a second ship, like a Corvette, which would give you another ship for 7pts.
• Boarding Party (1 pt) – A +1 Die to all Close Combat actions is an obvious choice for a boarding-focused ship.
• Marines (2 pt) – “When checking for Critical Hits, if one or more Musket results are rolled, the target ship takes 1 point of fatigue. This ship adds +1 dice to all Close Combat actions.” This is like Boarding Party, but more powerful as it also applies to a 12.5% bonus chance of extra Fatigue on Critical Hit checks.
• Buccaneers (2 pt) – “When making an Attack at Musket Shot or closer (including Close Combat), re-roll any (musket) results. If any additional (Musket) results are rolled, the Attacked ship takes 1 Point of Fatigue. May not be taken on Ships of the Line.” This is a good upgrade for use in a Scenario with a Landing Party. While slowing and deploying a Landing Party, you may not have the Actions to reload and able to make Broadside attacks, but you can still use Partial Shots.

Initiative Card Suggestions

• Fast Loader (English): is always 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 Actions to Repair or Rally. Or my personal favorite, it allows you a Reload even when Entangled. After which, you can fire at point-blank range and smash your opponent before the Close Combat phase happens.
• Small Arms or Heavy Musket Volley (Spanish): A well-timed Partial Fire shot with muskets can soften up your target and increase their Fatigue before you board.
• Boarding Through the Smoke, Boarders Away (French), or Boat Assault (Dutch): As a boarding-focused ship, these are prime cards that are solid go-to options.
• Favorable Wind: This ship has no need of Favorable Wind as it already moves super fast. If you take a fleet of them, you definitely don’t need it for movement, but the 5 initiative should keep you from completely writing it off.
• Because of the nature of this ship and the desire to want to sail towards an enemy and board or go for rakes, you are less likely to maintain Formation. As such, be mindful of cards that require you to be in Formation to get the bonus (e.g. Adjust Position, Fire As She Bears, etc.). You may want to avoid them in your deck building.

Galley Frigate Analysis Summary

Additional Content Suggestions

• Review the historical version of the Galleon the San José or HMS Anne
• While the Galleon isn’t a Ship of the Line, this is a helpful guide – Advanced Strategy Guide: “How to Board Ships of the Line”