Sloop Historical Background
The sloop was historically one of the most popular ships of pirates in the era. It was fast and nimble, able to run down larger merchant vessels and outrun pursuing military ships. Sloops have a shallow draft allowing them to hide in coves and channels. This served two purposes, the first being able to lie in wait and surprise other vessels sailing nearby. Secondly, it allowed pirates to flee from pursuing larger military ships and patrols which had deeper drafts and couldn’t follow the sloop through shoals and into shallow waters.
While they only had a single mast, their bowsprit was extremely long allowing it to have larger fore rigging for greater speed. However, their lone mast and narrow hull made them unable to withstand prolonged fights with multiple broadsides. Larger bands of pirates would sail small fleets of multiple sloops to intimidate their opponents and use swarming tactics to sweep the enemy into their grasp.
Sloop Ship Analysis
| Attribute | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | 100% | ||||
| Speed | 75% | ||||
| Durability | 14% | ||||
| Firepower | 31% | ||||
| Brawling | 33% |
Sloop Overview & Tactics
The Sloop Is one of the most maneuverable ships in the game, even without upgrades. Once upgraded, there is almost no comparison; only the Brigantine and Revenge of the pirates (also a sloop) can match it. Sloops are great in small battles, especially if used in swarming tactics. In larger point battles they are a great filler unit that can be used to distract your opponent or corral them in the direction you want them to sail.
Pros
- Fast and manueverable
- Inexpensive
- Great for swarming tactics
- Excellent for distractions or corraling your opponent’s movement
- Having Yare and Fore & Aft Rigging this ship can turn through the Wind’s Eye without getting stuck.
- Because of its speed and maneuverability, it is good for chasing objective tokens solo (e.g. Spy or Raid Mission)
- Well paired with the Dispatch or Fire Ship ship upgrade.
- A good way to increase the strike points available to your fleet
Cons
- Fragile. Against Ships of the Line they can be destroyed in only 1-2 broadsides.
- Low firepower for Ranged attacks
- Low Close Combat ability
- Easy targets to inflict Strike Points against your Squadron
Product Referral Links
The sloop is contained in both the “Oak & Iron Game – Core Box Starter Set” and the “Gentlemen of Fortune” expansion box. As the Sloop is one of the most flexible and cheapest units in the game, you will no doubt want 2-4 of them per player. When playing a boarding/swarming list, the Sloop and Corvette are definitely two of the most popular models to use.
Oak & Iron Core Box
The Core Box contains 1 of each of the following models: Sloop, Corvette, Brigantine, Fluyt, Petite Frégate, Light Galleon
Gentlemen of Fortune Expansion Set
This Expansion Box contains 1 of each of these ship miniatures: a Sloop, Corvette, and Petite Frégate