In this scenario, we’ll delve into the heart of a historical naval conflict known as “Wager’s Action”. It was a pivotal confrontation during the War of Spanish Succession in 1708. This article introduces a playable scenario for the Oak & Iron tabletop game, allowing players to step into the shoes of Sir Charles Wager and engage a formidable Spanish treasure fleet. Using existing ships, stats and mechanics in Oak & Iron you can bring to life a battle based on maritime history. All objectives, initiative cards and forces are provided below.
ADEPTICON 2024 is quickly approaching March 20TH – 24TH, 2024. It’s a great opportunity to get in some games of Oak & Iron and Blood & Plunder. We’ll be running this scenario in an Oak & Iron narrative event on Saturday, March 23rd, 9:00 AM-11:30 AM. All forces will be provided so you only have to show up and play.
There is also an Oak & Iron Tournament on Friday, March 22, 5:00 PM-10:00 PM which should be a fun event with some great prizes sponsored by Firelock Games! Demos and Open play sessions are still available every day, so if you’re interested in learning how to play the game or want to play against some other players you’ve only seen in the online community, this is your opportunity.
“Wager’s Action” – Historical Background
June 8, 1708
Wager’s Action, a pivotal naval confrontation amid the War of Spanish Succession, unfolded as Charles Wager’s British squadron engaged the formidable Spanish treasure fleet. Wager commanded a squadron of four ships, including Expedition, Kingston, Portland, and the fire ship Vulture. Operating in the Caribbean, the British forces, aware of their presence, had taken on supplies on Pequeña Barú (Isla El Rosario), just 30 miles from Cartagena.
Despite warnings from the governor of Cartagena, the Spanish treasure fleet, under José Fernández de Santillán, embarked on its journey from Portobelo to Cartagena on May 28. The Spanish fleet was comprised of fourteen merchant ships, a lightly armed hulk, and three warships—San José, San Joaquín, and Santa Cruz—carrying substantial amounts of gold and silver.
The Battle Unfolds
The battle unfolded on June 8 when Wager’s squadron approached the anchored Spanish fleet off Isla de Baru. Knowing the strategic importance of the larger Spanish vessels, particularly the San Joaquin and San José, which held the majority of the treasure, the English initiated a fierce attack. The Kingston engaged the San Joaquin, allowing it to escape with the assistance of the Concepción after a two-hour battle.
Meanwhile, the Expedition confronted the San José, intending to board the vessel. A relentless hour-and-a-half struggle ensued, resulting in the tragic explosion of the San José, sinking with its valuable cargo and most of its crew. With the cover of darkness, Wager located the Santa Cruz at 2 a.m., capturing it after a brief fight, though it held no government treasure. Despite the success in eliminating three Spanish ships, the failure to secure the San Joaquin left Wager disappointed with the overall loot. The English victory, however, thwarted the movement of gold and silver, impeding the Franco-Spanish war effort. Regrettably, Captains Bridge and Windsor faced expulsion from the Navy due to their perceived failure in capturing the San Joaquin. The legacy of Wager’s Action remains a complex episode in naval history, marked by strategic victories and missed opportunities.
Playing “Wager’s Action” as an Oak & Iron Scenario
Historically, the Spanish fleet broke ranks and scatted in multiple different directions resulting in multiple smaller brawling skirmishes. For this scenario the Spanish fleet of has sent its 5 larger ships to engage the English while the lesser ships have fled and do not participate in the conflict. For purposes of this scenario, the Spanish are attempting to breakthrough the English line and continue toward Cartegena for safety.
GAME SETUP:
Do not use the normal game cards to set up the game, instead use the following.
- Use a standard 3’x3’ board
- The battle takes place in the Open Sea
- Players may select their Initiative Cards as per the normal rules or use the cards suggested below
English
- Adjust Formation (English)
- Fire as She Bears
- Long Range Gunnery (English)
- Lee Guage Fire
- Reload!
- Zeal (English)
Spanish
- Adjust Position
- Aggression (Spanish)
- Bravado (Spanish)
- Favorable Wind
- Fleet Maneuver
- Reload!
DEPLOYMENT:
Each team should deploy using the custom deployment as displayed in the image shown.
GAME LENGTH:
10 Turns
HISTORICAL FORCES:
The following ships represent an attempt to recreate the historical ships and their gun compliments using Oak & Ships and upgrade cards based on the available units in the game. For instance, the “hulk” recorded in the historical record does not exist in the game, but it’s recorded size and gun compliment make it most similar to a well armed Fluyt.
NEW ADMIRAL: CHARLES WAGER
Charles Wager was a bold commander often willing to take risks and engage forces larger than his own.
CHARLES WAGER (Admiral 1) 4pts
Brash: If two or more Skulls are rolled as Hits, roll 1 additional Dice when checking for Critical Hit.
Spanish
| Ship/Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Galleon: San Jose Experienced Persistent Admiral 1 | 40 4 |
| Galleon – San Joaquin (San Jose stats) | 40 |
| Light Galleon: (Santa Cruz = 44 gun Galleon) – Additional Guns upgade | 17 2 |
| Fluyt: Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion a large hulk w/34-40 guns – Additional Guns | 13 2 |
| 6th Rate: 32-36 gun French privateer St. Esprit | 13 |
| TOTAL POINTS | 131 |
English
| Ship/Item | Points |
|---|---|
| 3rd Rate: Expedition (70 guns) – John Wager (Admiral 1) – Additional Guns – Additional Crew – Stout – Swift | 33 4 2 6 6 1 |
| 4th Rate: Kingston (60 guns) – Additional Guns – Stout – Swift | 23 2 6 1 |
| 4th Rate: Portland (54 guns) – Stout – Swift | 23 6 1 |
| 5th Rate: Vulture – Fire Ship – Bold Captain | 16 0 1 |
| TOTAL POINTS | 131 |
OBJECTIVES:
- Players gain Strike Points as normal (pg 23).
- the Spanish get an extra Strike Point in Turn 8 if both galleons are still on the board and 1 per galleon still on the board in Turn 10.
- English get an extra Strike Point for each Galleon that leaves the board.
Conclusion
This scenario was created to showcase the new full sized Galleon miniature released by Firelock Games for Oak & Iron. It is an impressive ship with impressive stats. This specific scenario features the specific stats for the San Jose.
Wager’s Action, was a pivotal naval confrontation during the War of Spanish Succession in 1708, and is revisited here in the Oak & Iron tabletop game scenario. Whether you play Sir Charles Wager’s British squadron or the formidable Spanish treasure fleet, we hope you enjoy this scenario. We’d love to see your photos of “Wager’s Action” in the Oak & Iron Facebook group.
If you are attending ADEPTICON 2024, this scenario will be run as one of the Historical Narrative events showcasing the Oak & Iron game system. At the time of this article’s release there were still slots available to sign-up to play. Hope to see you there!
Product Recommendations
It requires two Galleon models to properly play the scenario. To build the historical forces presented in this scenario you need the following Oak & Iron items.
2 Galleons
1-2 Men of War Expansion boxed sets
Additional Content Suggestions
If you enjoyed this historical Oak & Iron scenario based on Wager’s Action, you may enjoy these other scenarios:
The Battle of Hudson’s Bay: Oak & Iron Historical Scenario
In the famous Battle of Hudson’s Bay (aka the Battle of York Factory) a French warship commanded by Captain Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville defeated an English squadron of 3 ships commanded by Captain John Fletcher.
Raise the Black – A Wanted Man Scenario
An infamous man of fortune Blackbeard, finds himself in need of a quick escape. Enjoy this new Oak & Iron Scenario based on the new “A Wanted Man” scenario from the Raise the Black Blood & Plunder Expansion.
Sources:
- https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_battle&id=323
- https://www.academia.edu/36906648/The_Sinking_of_the_Galleon_San_Jos%C3%A9_on_8_June_1708_An_Exercise_in_Historical_Detective_Work
- https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-11840
- https://www.worldanvil.com/w/altia-rivertexas/a/wager-s-action-militaryConflict