Monroe's Legacy

I've been reviewing the various sets of pre-dreadnought rules that I have on my hard drive this week, taking some time to read them through to get a flavour of the mechanics and to test the waters, so to speak. I have about half a dozen assorted rules from a range of publishers, so there's no shortage of options to choose from or to play around with, which is one of the benefits of naval gaming as you are not tied down to any basing regimen or complicated terrain requirements.

I've also been perusing a number of rules sets that I don't already own, with particular reference to the Naval Thunder Pre-Dreadnought variant and The Admiralty Trilogy Group's offering, Dawn of the Battleship. These both look really interesting, especially the supplement for the latter that covers pre-dreadnought scenarios involving the precursors of the USN Great White Fleet, both historical and counter-factual, Monroe's Legacy. 

I've read through a sample of one of these fictional scenarios and it is both well thought out and realistic, with some cracking ideas that would provide for a very engaging game. This could be a model for my own solo mini-campaign ideas for the South China Seas, who knows? The cost isn't prohibitive but I'd be looking to get both the rules and the scenario supplement, so it could add up to quite a bit.

On the other hand, it's pay day tomorrow and I've just had my contract extended to the end of July!