As of this writing, the Corvette is currently out of production, so the only way to acquire an official model of this ship will be on the used market.

Corvette Ship Stat Card

Here is a copy of the Corvette ship stat card, front and back, for your reference. If you wish to save and print it, each side should be 4″ x 6″. We recommend using a rigid card sleeve for your ship stat card, allowing you to use erasable markers to track damage, critical hits, and reloads during gameplay.

Speed and Maneuverability

Sailing Strategy & Tactics Suggestions

• With a speed of 5”, a turn value of 3”, and a windward value of -2”, the Corvette’s maneuverability is most similar to the Light Frigate or Sloop of War.
• Like most ships that move 5”, the Corvette will dictate the flow of the battle and distances, unless a scenario makes it start windward. I’ve found wearing to be very useful to get the main deck cannons in range, or to swing the afts four swivels as close as possible.
• It’s important to remember that wearing is a near zero risk advanced maneuver on a ship that only turns 3”. This is also a ship that you will want to tack with, as long as you have the mizzenmast upgrade, to get the huge 6” main deck in cannon range.
• Unless you plan on docking, it’s best to set the sail speed at 5” and try out sailing your opponent rather than changing the sail settings. With a mizzenmast, it takes 4 dedicated actions to slow to 0”. I tried one game to slow to 0” and assign a crew to the sweeps and was raked twice by a bark for my trouble.

Notes on the Corvette’s Particular Turns

Since building my Corvette I noticed it does some strange things when turning. The ship does not have skids to mark where turns should start, instead it has a ladder that’s about 1” long. The ladder is located near the bow and swings it’s stern outside of its sailing path during the turn. The hull below the gunwales is foam you round with sandpaper when building the ship, making accurate turning harder, but also a turn radius that is only about 2” from the center of the ship. I shall demonstrate below:

Firepower

Using Cannons and Swivel Gunson the Corvette

The Corvette can take 8 cannons, 2 chasers, and 6 swivels, making it the best armed 2 deck ship, and an equal in broadsides with the Brigantine. This is an amazing amount of firepower. There are some important decisions you need to make though.

To use the mizzenmast you have to leave 2 cannons off the aft deck. I’m not a fan of a single starboard/larboard cannon on a deck, but this is also a deck with 4 swivels on it, so your going to want to crew those anyways. On the other hand, with the recent point changes, you can get two chasers pointing the same direction for only 7 or 9 points. If you leave the mizzenmast off, and fully arm the Corvette, you make tacking dangerous and give up the chaser shots it can sometimes provide.

Due to the Cannons being split between the two decks, you will need a commander with the Broadside! Special Rule to take advantage of all of your Cannons.

The Swivel Gun Layout doesn’t make this ship seem aggressive, but the 2/4 layout for Swivels means you have defensive options if trying to rely on Artillery.

The best use of the Swivel Guns would be to combine them with a Broadside! with Grapeshot from the Medium Cannons. 3 Swivels + 4 Medium Guns fire grape translates to 25 dice being thrown at a target. Granted you need to be within 16″ to really make this count, but it can still be devastating!

Durability

• For a warship, the Corvettes Fortitude and Integrity of 4/4 is very weak. All other similarly armed vessels outclass it. It only takes 7 cannon hits to get a strike point from having lost half Hull Integrity.
• The Corvette’s rigging is better, at 3/6.  This rigging value is shared by the Fluyt and Light Frigate and is the second strongest in the game, only surpassed by the Galleons rigging of 4/6.

Ship Durability Stats

Rigging:

• Fortitude: 3
• Integrity: 6

Hull:

• Fortitude: 4
• Integrity: 4

Ship Model Capacity

The Corvette’s main deck can have 27 models on it as well as 6 medium cannons and the aft deck can have 18. Notice I said main deck even though this is a two deck ship, as it has a Foredeck subsection that can hold up to 6 models. The Corvette also has the option of adding two Fighting Tops, and although you have the opportunity of putting them on the mizzenmast and now the bowsprit, they look best on the foremast and mainmast. This also means that you can load 7 units on this two deck ship.

The rules for subsections interact in some important ways with the foredeck. Other ships can draw line of sight to the foredeck, but if it doesn’t have any models in it you will not have to make any saves from hits. Your artillery, including swivels guns, use the midship to draw your lines of fire. The kit does have mounts for 2 swivels on the foredeck and 2 swivels on the main deck, even though the rules state you can only have 2 swivels on the main deck. I interpreted this as allowing the models in the foredeck to man the swivels.

The fighting tops are a fun but costly addition. You pay 2 points for each one, and they can only hold 4 models. This is the only 2 deck ship so far that can have fighting tops, and you can buy up to two of them. I’ve played with them several times since building my corvette and my opinion of them is mixed. The gut reaction to seeing the fighting tops is to put an elite musket unit in it, like freebooters or other 6 point musket units. You can only do this though when you play under 300 points, like a 200 point game, and 4 freebooter with the platform cost 26 points, ⅛ of your total cost. If you put an isolated unit in the fighting top it can be targeted individually, so a high cost unit with good saves (models in the tops still have hard cover) can still be taken out slowly through concentrated fire and attrition. Splitting a unit between the tops and the main deck is a good option, you lose out on the benefit of extra units on your ship, but it lets you control where the casualties come from. This also lets you protect your cannon crew if needs be, and maximizes command point usage.

Other Considerations

I’ve mostly restrained myself from talking about the Corvettes best feature: that it is a model you build. While assembling the masts and spars, or adding features is no simple feat on a usual Firelock Games ship model, building the Corvette is completely different. Putting models together is something that I enjoy in other game lines, and it was especially fun to put this one together. There were several places where I made a mistake, but they add to the charm of the project, and made me want to buy a second one to use what I learned. The kit also has you make a few choices when you build it. One is the mizzenmast/chasers choice. The other is what sort of windows you want on the stern. You also get to choose where to put the main and aft deck hold coverings, or you can leave them off.

Here are a few things though that I wish I knew before: The aft gun deck takes cannon models, not stubs. If you want to permanently add cannons, leave it open, paint the inside, glue your cannons down then seal it up. Light cannons also do not fit below deck because of the barrel pitch, and did not fit in ⅔ of my gun port, though this might be because of an error I made in building. Being a wood model, it also drinks in paint. This includes washes, though it’s a neat trick to get the most out of the natural wood grain.

Traits and Special Rules

The Corvette is the most complex of the Size 2 Ships as far as Traits goes, but they are easy to keep in mind and add the the overall flavor of this speedy, heavily armed vessel.

Chasers

Chasers: Chasers are Cannons that face either forward out of the Bow, or out back from the Stern of the ship. If cannons are placed in the Chasers gun ports, they fire in the direction they face, with the width of the Bow (or Stern) as their Arc of Fire

Chasers are situational, but allow a quick shot if your opponent is in pursuit. The downside is in order to sue the chasers, your stern needs to be pointed towards the enemy, risking a Rake.

Staysails

Staysails: When moving under sail to windward, this ship is never reduced to its lowest sail setting value that is greater than 0 (unless it is In the Wind’s Eye). Use of Staysails is optional.

Staysails is great for keeping the Corvette moving when events reduce the wind speed. Since its “baked in” its a good trait, but rarely comes into play.

Square Sails

Square Sails: When performing the Tacking Advanced Maneuver, this ship rolls two for the Test and keeps the lowest result.

Square Sails makes tacking extremely difficult and potentially dangerous. Failing a Tacking Maneuver results in the ship being In the Wind’s Eye, causing it to immediately drift. On top of that, the ship also takes a Lucky Hit to its rigging. Luckily, in the next section, there is a way to remove this Trait entirely!

Sweeps (3)

Sweeps (3): May move up to 3” under oars while sails are set at speed 0” and the Sweeps are crewed.

Sweeps turns the Corvette into a respectable galley vessel. 3″ with no care for the wind is good, but, per usual, Spanish Corsairs make it great. 4″ movement not reliant on the wind is huge, and can be a game changer so long as you keep your crew manning the sweeps free of Fatigue.

Foredeck

Foredeck: This subsection is a fighting platform within the ship’s front deck. It holds a maximum of 6 models, and follows the rules for subsections as described on p. 185.

This is another baked-in Tait, and its just okay. The small section at the front of the ship can essentially hold 6 models, and they have to be specifically targeted for an attack. Placing 6 models with muskets or having them man the Swivel Guns without being collateral damage for your enemy’s attacks on the main deck is fun, but they will not have a great damage output.

Options and Generic Upgrades for the Ship

The Raise the Black expansion book adds a number of new “generic” upgrades available to any ship in the game. Additionally, the Corvette has 1 option it can take as well. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Mizzenmast

As an option, this ship may add a mast to it’s rearmost deck, but at the cost of removing a pair of cannon or the Chasers from that deck. This adds a fourth sail setting of 3″ in=between the 4″ and 2″ setting and removes the Square Sails Trait

This option is unique to the Corvette, and turns it into a monster of a size 2. That 3″ sail setting makes running aground hurt a little more, but removing the Square Sails trait is a big deal! This allows the Corvette to Tack normally, adding to its maneuverability and ease of use. The other cost to this option is needing to remove a pair of cannons, in which case you should always remove the chasers.

Anti Grappling Measures (3 pts)

A unit attempting to Grapple a ship with this equipment receives a +2 penalty to the Grappling Test.

The Anti Grappling Measures have no effect on a Grappling test from a ship that is either 1) a boat (any size 1 ship), or 2) if the skids of the two ships are within 5” of each other. (For clarity a unit making a Grappling action must still occupy a section within 3” of their target.)

On the Corvette, Anti Grappling Measures are just okay. While being heavily armed, its fragile hull makes it ill suited to brawl with broadsides, which means boarding or small arms are its best strengths. This means you’ll be wanting to get closer to your opponent. While anti-grappling measures may frustrate your opponent if you maneuver creatively, the skid placement may render this upgrade moot.

Freshly Careened Hull (4 pts)

A ship with this Trait may take a single move immediately after being deployed – the ship itself being moved at its starting Sail Setting and speed (with usual modifiers for wind speed/direction). Additional Sails, the Swift Trait and any Sailing Master abilities are not applied to this move.

This upgrade is a must have if you are planning on boarding. That extra 5″ move after deployment gets you closer to your intended target, making your job much easier.

Improved Rig (post 1700 Factions) (4pts)

A ship with this Trait gains +1 to its Top Speed characteristic. (Note this is Top Speed, not its actual Sail Setting values, making it mainly useful with a Sailing Master, or in an increased wind, etc,

Improved Rig is another upgrade that can be beneficial in a pinch but isn’t a “must have”. A 6″ burst of speed from wind or a Sailing Master at the cost of a Lucky Hit on your rigging for moving over 5″ is tempting, but could be disastrous.

Streamlined Hull (Post 17 Factions) (3pts)

While at her highest sail setting, a ship with this trait may decrease her windward penalty by 1” (to a minimum of 0”) in one of her three activations per turn, but permanently increases its Draft value by 1. This may not be used in the same activation as the Sailing Master ability if the crew has it.

This is another one that is great in a pinch. Reducing the Corvette’s windward for 1 move allows a 4″ move while windward, effectively making it behave like a Sloop.

Fighting Tops (2) (2pts eACH)

Models may be placed in subsections in a ship’s Rigging. Each Fighting Top holds a maximum of 4 models, and follows the rules for subsections as described on p. 185

The Corvette can take two fighting tops on the front deck, adding an additional capacity of 8 models to an already spacious deck. Placing two more 4 man units in these tops to handle repairs and put down some elevated musket fire.

Combat Strategy & Tactics Suggestions

Choosing an Overall Strategy

• The Corvette can handle all 3 main styles of combat at Sea, depending on the size of the game. Its only real weakness is that 4/4 Fortitude, which makes it fragile despite being heavily armed. When list building, its important to choose a strategy:
  • Great Guns – Part 1 = focuses on Cannons and or swivels
  • Fast Boarding – Pt 2 = closing quickly and boarding
  • Small Arms – Pt 3 = muskets and guns

General Tips and Suggestions

• While I don’t think this should be anyone’s first ship, it is a great option for 200 point sea battles. Only the Light Frigate, Sloop of War, Corvette, and Piragua naturally move 5”.
• That is mostly why it is 15 points. I find that the Corvette should be played as a nimble gunship/musket platform, in much the same way as the Sloop. Try keeping the units on the ship around 3-4 to accentuate the amount of distance the ship can move.
• Don’t be afraid of turning windward to slow down, or to swing the stern close for a devastating 12 dice swivel volley. If your up against a cannon heavy list, know that you can’t take more than one or two broadsides, and focus fire on the enemies gun deck.

Blood & Plunder Force Builder – Corvette Lists

As mentioned before, the Corvette really shines at 200 points or less, and can handle most of your sea combat needs.

This 100 point English Royal Navy list is light on models, but brings 10 light cannons to the fight, more cannons then you usually should

Here is a 200 point Spanish Corsair list that is a fairly typical gunship, except the Marineros Piqueros are intended to crew the sweeps. It doesn’t have a mizzenmast to allow you to raise the sails quickly if you need to.

The French Caribbean Militia is a fun faction that specializes in high quality musket shot. This 200 point list forgoes cannons and the foredeck to put Boucanier in the fighting tops. It can throw 33 dice at a shoot score of 6 or lower.

This Dutch Navy list uses the versatile Admiral Crimson. It also is a way to give the Corvette the Heavily Built trait.

This final list uses the Danish Militia at 350 points. My local group has settled on 350 for big ship battles, and this list does everything the Corvette can, while also having the sneaky goal of boarding.

Corvette Video Review

You can watch a video review of the Corvette on our Youtube Channel:

Check out all our other ship reviews, painting guides, rigging guides and ship stats on our Ultimate Guide to Blood & Plunder Ships page.

Conclusion

I’ve really enjoyed playing and building the Corvette. With the recent dethroning of the Privateer Sloop as the go to 200 point ship (Swift getting nerfed), I’ve been using my Corvette more often to take advantage of its amazing 5” speed. If you don’t have a Light Frigate or a Sloop, get one of those ships before the Corvette, as it can fill the role of the one you don’t own to varying effect.

Product Recommendations:

• Raise the Black Expansion Book for the generic ship upgrades

Additional Content Suggestions:

• Corvette Video Review on YouTube
• Ultimate Guide to Blood & Plunder Ships
• Sea Force Building Tactics:
  • Great Guns – Blood & Plunder Sea Tactics Part 1
  • Fast Boarding – Blood & Plunder Sea Force Building Pt 2
  • Small Arms – Blood & Plunder Sea Tactics Pt 3
  • Low Profile Boats – Blood & Plunder Sea Tactics Pt 4

Original Artilce by Guy Rheuark

Updated and Revised by Dan Carlson