This article shows you how to to construct a basic fighting ship. Of the infinite variety of vessels that sail, float, churn, or are paddled on the major waterways of the Warhammer world, certainly one of the most common types is the small-sail driven craft. The name for this ship really depends on the part of the world you are in. Bretonnians often call a fighting vessel of this sort a Buccaneer, while merchants would call a less sleek version a Cog. In the Empire, the term Frigate might be used, or even Sloop or Sloop of War (a Sloop being a smaller boat with fewer guns and less status than a mighty Man o' War). A two-masted version could be termed a Brig (short for Brigantine). Regardless of how they name the class, these ships are small fighting ships, perfect for a Warhammer game.

GETTING STARTED
As with any scenery project, the hardest step always seems to be getting started. The task seems daunting. There is never enough time. You don't know what supplies you'll need. Often, hobby projects look more complicated than they really are, and ships definitely fall into this category. Don't worry – our version is achievable with just a little time and effort.

However, if the prospect of building a boat is just too much or you have no time before your next gaming night, you can head here instead to download flat-but-functional boat templates.

A SIMPLE VERSION
Building functional rigging, realistic masts, and proper timber framing could be a hobby all by itself and very complicated, but that level of detail isn't necessary for our purposes. We want a simple boat or two to use in some Warhammer games. In fact, all that detail would get in the way of moving models around on deck, and that is pretty much the whole point of having a boat in Warhammer in the first place. We aren't looking for sit-and-look-pretty terrain, nor are we looking for a properly rigged modeling project. What we want is a functional gaming piece! If it can't move, be boarded, or blast away at other ships or shore batteries, then it isn't what we are looking for!

TIME & MATERIALS
Our goal was to have a fair-sized ship after only an evening or two's work. We kept the tools and materials pretty basic. Some of the more army-themed boats or advanced modellers may add lots of detail, but it is better to start small and work upward. Read the next page over, give it a think, and then make your plans. Your navy awaits.

Gathering the materials needed for our basic boat is pretty much a snap. Any art supply shop or crafts store should carry all of the supplies. Making a ship isn't one of those specialty projects that requires unusual or hard-to-find items.

Put yer back into it, sea dogs!