San José Galleon Ship Overview
The Spanish Galleon San José is a bonus stat card included with the Oak & Iron Galleon ship model. This article covers the stats, ship analysis, and some suggestions for using the San José Galleon in the game.
Galleon Ship 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.
San José Galleon – Historical Background
The San José, was designed by Francisco Antonio Garrote and constructed by Pedro de Aróstegui at the Mapil shipyard in Usurbil, Gipuzkoa, Spain, between 1697 and 1698. It was one of two twin ships, the other being San Joaquín, commissioned to haul cargo from New Spain back to Europe.
Both San José and San Joaquín were part of the Spanish treasure fleet during the War of the Spanish Succession, commanded by General José Fernández de Santillán, the Count of Casa Alegre. On its final voyage, the San José served as the flagship of a fleet consisting of three Spanish warships and 14 merchant vessels, departing from Portobelo, Panama, and bound for Cartagena, Colombia.
Tragically, on June 8, 1708, the fleet encountered a British squadron near Barú, resulting in the famous battle known as “Wager’s Action” (after Charles Wager, the British Commander). Charles Wager’s 4 ships engaged the Spanish fleet of 18 vessels. During this battle, the powder magazines of San José exploded, causing the ship to sink along with most of its crew and the valuable cargo it carried, including gold, silver, emeralds, and jewelry collected from the South American colonies to support the Spanish king’s war effort. Out of the 600 people on board, only eleven survived.
The Expedition attacked the San José and approached the vessel with the clearintention of boarding the ship. Around 7 p.m., after an hour and a half of fierce fighting and with only 60 meters between the two ships, suddenly the San José blew up. The ship sank immediately, taking its precious cargo and the entire crew to the bottom of the sea. There were only 11 survivors out of the 600 crew and passengers onboard.
https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4767581
Historical Armament of the San José
- 64 Total guns:
- Lower gundeck: 26 × 18-pounders
- Middle gundeck: 26 × 10-pounders
- Quarterdeck and Forecastle: 12 × 6-pounders
San José Stat Card Historical Summary
The following is the ship’s history as printed on the back of the stat card:
“San José and her sister ship San Joaquín were part of the Spanish treasure fleet during the War of the Spanish Succession, under General José Fernández de Santillán, the
Count of Casa Alegre. In June of 1708, San José sailed as the flagship of a treasure fleet composed of three Spanish warships and 14 merchant vessels sailing from Portobelo, to
Cartagena. During this cruise, the fleet encountered a British squadron of 4 ships. under the command of Charles Wager near Barú. The British Squadron engaged the Spanish Flota in what would be known as Wager’s Action. During the battle, the powder magazines of San José exploded, sinking the ship with most of her crew and the gold, silver, emeralds, and other goods collected in the South American colonies. Only 11 survived of the original 600 crew. The San José’s cargo was crucial for the war effort and was a significant blow to Spain.”
available from Firelock Games
The Lost Cargo of the San José
The ship’s cargo is estimated to be worth $17-20 billion (US) as of 2023. Its wreckage was discovered in November 2015, at a depth of 600 meters by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the same group that found the Titanic’s wreckage. In July 2017, it was revealed that a salvage operation overseen by the Colombian government would be undertaken. Ownership of the wreckage is still disputed. Spain claims ownership as the original owner, and Columbia claims it as it is in their sovereign waters. As much of the silver and gold aboard was from the mines of Potosí, the Bolivian government claims ownership of it as it was wrongfully stolen from native peoples. And of course, some treasure hunters have tried to claim it as it is simply “trash on the ocean’s floor”.
Photos of the Wreckage the San José
The following collection of photos is provided courtesy of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia
Galleon Model Image Gallery
The San Jose ship uses the standard Galleon model as the model for the game. The following is a collection of photos of the unpainted miniature.
San José Galleon Stat Card
San José Ship Analysis
| Attribute | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | 33% | ||||
| Speed | 50% | ||||
| Durability | 100% | ||||
| Firepower | 64.29% | ||||
| Brawling | 83% |
San José Ship Overview & Tactics
The San José is a Unique ship with specialized stats unavailable to a standard Galleon. The ship and its sister ship, San Joaquín were purpose-built to help haul treasure and goods from the Caribbean to Europe. While armed, they are not warships and rely on the joint protection of a fleet and escort ships for defense.
Unlike a standard Galleon, the San José has a more manageable base speed and maneuverability to allow it to keep up with most medium to large ships. The ship has great firepower and is the 4th most deadly ship behind the top 3 Ships of the Line. With a 5 Close Combat, it is also reasonably good at defending itself from would-be-boarders.
Avoid getting boarded at all costs, as you will almost always lose against swarm tactics. Every ship gets a +3 Dice for Close Combat. The more ships that grapple you, the more dice will come your way in Close Combat attacks. Additionally, when in CLose Comat, you’ll lose the benefits of your Fortitude, which is this ship’s greatest strength.
Building the San José – A Point Comparison
Let’s take a look at the stats and how to “purpose-build” the San José in Oak & Iron. The San José is a Galleon that has Weatherly, Swift, Stout, and the Close Combat bonus of Additional Crew (but without the 10 Fatigue so it’s discounted). Swift isn’t normally available to the Galleon so it’s a bonus that is meant to reflect the custom build of this ship. Swift normally costs 1 pt, as demonstrated on small ships all the way up to the 1st Rate. So putting all that together, if you were to build the San José using standard rules it would cost 43 pts. Meaning this 40pt custom ship comes at a 3pt savings for being “Unique”. [The original calculation didn’t take into account the Spanish faction bonus of Stout for half-price.]
San José – Cost / Points Breakdown
Breakdown of the point requirements to build the San José using standard rules. It should cost 43 pts. Since it only costs 40 pts, you get roughly a 7% discount for the ship being “Unique”.
| Attribute | Points |
|---|---|
| Galleon (base ship) | 31 |
| Weatherly – Gets to Windward Speed 2 | 2 |
| Swift – Gets the Sailing Large to 3 | 1 |
| Additional Crew – Partially… This ship has a Close Combat of 5, but does not have 10 Fatigue | 3 |
| Stout – Ship allows 10 Damage | 6 |
| Spanish Faction Bonus = Stout for half price | -3 |
| TOTAL: | 40 |
Force Building with the San José
Unlike the standard Galleon, the San José is designated as a “Ship of the Line”. This means that it’s not playable in a 50-point Patrol game.
In a 100 or even 200-point game, this ship is an EXCELLENT choice for your flagship. It is extremely durable and packed with firepower for it’s point level.
At 40 points costs 1 point more than 3x 6th Rates. Three 6th Rates can shell out 15 dice broadside compared to the 9 dice of the San José, which does give them a stronger offense. However, 6th Rate Frigates are no match against the durability of a Fortitude 4 and Very High Freeboard attribute. In a mid to long-range cannon duel, my money is on the San José. The 6th Rates will have to hit with 80% of their dice rolls on every attack to even do 1 pt of Damage to the San José. Whereas the Galleon’s return fire will crack the shells of the 6th Rates and do 1-4 damage in nearly every salvo.
Historically, Galleons, especially those part of the Spanish Treasure fleet never traveled alone. These valuable targets were also accompanied by escort ships. The same should be true for your forces. I would recommend at least 1-2 “tiny” ships like the Sloop or Corvette. These smaller ships should be used as a screen and engage incoming boarding ships in order to keep them from being able to board your more valuable ship(s).
House Rule: The San Joaquín
The San José and San Joaquín were commissioned at the same time, sharing the same design and armament. So while the official stat card has this ship as a “UNIQUE”, you could copy and print a second card and just change the name to the San Joaquín. Make a house rule allowing this to be the sister ship and you can have a historically satisfying matching set of treasure galleons for a fun little battle.
There may or may not be a historically based scenario releasing Soon™ that would let you play with both ships in your force.
Ship Upgrades
Unfortunately, as a unique ship, the San José has zero built-in options for upgrades that are available on generic ships. The only implicit upgrade available is a Skill 1 or Skill 2. I personally like to take at least a Skill 1 on a ship this large.
This ship is still allowed 2 standard upgrades if you would like to take them.
- If you are going the route of being the Defender and you know you don’t need speed, you can consider the Foul upgrade to get a -1 to your point cost, in hopes of adding other upgrades.
- Since you are more prone to take Fatigue than Damage, adding an Inspiring Captain for 4 pts is an EXCELLENT option. This allows you to remove 2 points of Fatigue when taking a Rally action instead of 1.
- A single-use Efficient Loader card is a great option to keep your heavy guns firing. When timed properly with a Rolling Broadsides or Fire as She Bears initiative card you can fire 2 Broadsides in a single round.
- Maintaining Fatigue is important on this ship so a Skilled Surgeon is a solid option to remove 1 Fatigue.
- A Skilled Surgeon, can keep you in the fight longer by letting you recover 1 Fatigue.
- While it is a single-use card, Boarding Defenses can be a good option to keep you from being overrun too quickly.
Initiative Card Suggestions
The San José is limited to the Spanish faction, which gives you access to the Spanish faction Initiative cards.
- Repel Boarders (Spanish) – is almost a “MUST include” card. Boarding is your greatest weakness, and this card is the greatest defense against incoming boarding attacks in the game. It’s not a discarded card so you can use it to defend your fleet multiple times.
- Bravado (Spanish) is also one of the most powerful options in the game and is only available to the Spanish. It’s definitely one to consider when you have heavy-hitting ships in your force. Late in the game, it can be extremely powerful. It’s a 5 Initiative so you’ll likely go first, but you have to discard it once used.
- If you are playing with multiple large ships, especially Ships of the Line, Fast Loader is a no-brainer. At a key point in the game, you can use this to get a free Reload for EVERY SHIP in your squadron. Which then lets you 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 always a deadly combo.
Fighting Against the San José
While the San José is not a Ships of the Line, it is very similar in terms of strength and durability. If you have smaller ships, you’ll want to avoid getting in her broadsides. Approach along the flanks or front and try to do a pincer maneuver and close on it at an angle to avoid its cannons.
A Light Galleon is the smallest ship with a Fortitude 3. This can help you resist high levels of incoming fire.
A Fortitude 4 makes it invulnerable to incoming from anything smaller than a Petite Fregate. Anything smaller than a 5th Rate is going to need to stay in formation and get lucky to inflict any reasonable damage. Small ships will need to go for a Rear Rake in hopes of reducing their Fortitude to 1.
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
Another great equalizer against larger ships is the use of a Fire Ship. These can be high-risk, high-reward units, but with a little luck, a critical hit on the collision can instantly Cripple a healthy 3rd Rate. 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.
San José Analysis Summary
Pros
- Fast and maneuverable compared to the base Galleon.
- Excellent durability, and brawling ability.
- Perfect for a historically accurate treasure fleet objective in scenarios!
- A configuration not available to the base Galleon ship. with a partial version of Additional Crew giving a 5 Crew value.
Cons
- Moderate firepower for the point cost
- This ship is Unique so you can only take a single one in your force. (unless you house rule in the San Joaquín)
Painting the San José
We have a collection of painting tutorials for Oak & Iron ships, including a Spanish specific guide. You can view our suggestions in our How To: Ship Painting Guides for Oak & Iron
We also have a large collection of Spanish ships in our Oak & Iron Image Gallery.
Product Referral Links
The new San José 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 Reading Suggestions:
The Treasure of the San José:
Death at Sea in the War of the Spanish Succession
A non-fiction book by Carla Rahn Rahn Phillips (Author)
Book’s Description:
2007 Award for Excellence in World History and Biography/Autobiography, Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers
Sunk in a British ambush in 1708, the Spanish galleon San José was rumored to have one of the richest cargos ever lost at sea. Though treasure hunters have searched for the wreck’s legendary bounty, no one knows exactly how much went down with the ship or exactly where it sank. Here, Carla Rahn Phillips confronts the legend of lost treasure with documentary records of the San José‘s final voyage and suggests that the loss of silver and gold en route to Spain paled in comparison to the loss of the six hundred men who went down with the ship.
Drawing from rich archival records, Phillips presents a biography of the ship and its crew. With vivid detail and meticulous scholarship, the author tells the stories of the officers, sailors, apprentices, and pages who manned the ship and explains the historical context in which the San José became prey to the British squadron.
But the story does not end with the sinking of the San José. While Phillips addresses the persistent question of how much treasure was on board when the ship went down, she focuses on the human dimensions of the tragedy as well. She recovers the accounts of British naval officers involved in the battle, and examines the impact of the ship’s loss on the Spanish government, the survivors, and the families of the men who perished. Original, comprehensive, and compelling, The Treasure of the San José separates popular myth from history and sheds light on the human lives associated with a “treasure” ship.
Order the book today
The Treasure of the San Jose book is available on Amazon in Hard Cover, Soft Cover, or Kindle ebook.
Additional Content Suggestions:
- The San José is based on the Galleon mini, learn more about it here: Galleon: Ultimate Oak & Iron Ship Guide
- Fighting it can be rough, learn to fight the big boys with our Adv. Strat Guide: “How to Board Ships of the Line”